This is my take on the Avatarverse, meant to comment on the plot and expand on the world. And although it is heavily based on canon, this is NOT just a "stick Ty Lee into the Gaang, put her with Sokka, and everything else that happens is the same" story.
I also address some questions like:
"How did Zhao get the identity of the Moon and Ocean Spirits from Wan Shi Tong?"
"What happened during Iroh's journey to the Spirit World?"
"Why is Jeong Jeong's philosophy of Fire so different from the dragons'?"
"Why did Hama not rescue any of the other waterbenders from the Southern Tribe when she escaped?"
"Um . . . . . Ursa?"
"And what the HECK is up with the Avatar State? Smash your back into a rock and suddenly you're spiritually enlightened?"
To name a few. And Toph. I've always felt that her story was very unresolved. I've written a series of oneshots about her (called Chronicles of the Blind Bandit) and this retelling will put a bit of focus on fleshing her out as well. This is Toko, though in the timeframe of the show, their relationship will NOT be romantic, for age difference reasons.
Oh, and Yue makes a few appearances as a Spirit, for fans of her. ;) Now that I think about it, anyone who enjoys Sokka/Yue will probably appreciate this as well.
I hope you like my interpretation of Ty Lee. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! I thrive on well-thought out reviews. Much thanks to my betas, OmniSchreiber and JESUSFREAK-And-Proud-Of-It! *hugs them* I am ALWAYS willing to take on another Sifu, too, if anyone is interested!
Also, please bear with me these first two chapters. To offset their copy-and-paste nature, I worked to insert things that you 'didn't' see happening behind or between the scenes.
And at the end, it might be very helpful to recall a certain quote from a very infamous brown and black lion. ;)
What Meets the Eye
"I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker." –Ty Lee
Chapter 1: Omashu
Ty Lee,
Princess Azula gave me your address today. How could you just run off like that? You didn't tell any of us when you were leaving? Lin is absolutely heartbroken. You didn't even ask me for any money. Are you doing all right, Ty? Please write back.
Your Loving Sister,
Weici
l
Dear Weici,
I'm so, so sorry. You know why I wanted to leave, though, Wei! I just didn't tell you when I was going because I don't think I would have been able to go through with it if all of you got upset beforehand. You wouldn't believe it here! There are people that have been everywhere! All the way from the Great Divide to the Batola Mountain Range, and the ringmaster says we're going to be skirting the Si Wong for the next season. There's this girl who's been showing me around, she's a colonial and she juggles fire but she says she's never had real lessons or anything because her family couldn't afford it. And guess what? I have to buy my own food sometimes! Can you imagine? I mean, I knew I'd have to dress and do my own makeup and stuff, but sometimes I have to cook too! This really nice old lady who reads fortunes- she reminds me a lot of Auntie Ryu- she showed me what to buy at the market and how to haggle . . .
The stream-of-consciousness litany went on for several pages, describing her first days at the circus.
At the end, it was signed,
Lots of Love,
Ty Lee
l
Dearest Ty Lee,
I'm glad to hear you're settling in so well. Remember, you really must make an effort to remember peoples' names- I know you're being sweet, but it would be extra nice if you did them that courtesy. I'm sure it will be like the first day at school- you'll get them gradually. Please be careful, too! I'm glad you like it there, but stay on your toes, it can be dangerous! But what am I saying? You'll be perfectly fine. You did teach Yunru and Meili chi blocking better than that instructor did. Ha, little sister, my servants have tried to teach me a thing or two about cooking, but mostly I think you'll just have to fend for yourself. Any advice I give is likely to bring you more trouble than good. I've passed your letter along to everyone, and I must say some of them quite liked the descriptions of the lemurs! And I'm sending money, I always will, when I can! We'll all be rooting for you. Good luck and best wishes from the Capitol. My husband sends his regards as well.
Your Loving Sister,
Weici
"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?"
"Azula!" Ty Lee gracefully bent out of her handstand and twirled into a prostrate position. After observing the formality she rushed up to her old friend and hugged her. "It's so good to see you!" How long had it been? They had graduated in the early summer, and it was early spring now. It had been almost two years. She wondered why Azula hadn't told her she was coming.
"Please, don't let me interrupt your-" the firebender raised an eyebrow- "whatever it is you were doing."
Ty Lee languidly flipped over backwards and resumed her yoga exercises, observing the fire princess's beige aura- she was always the one to like order.
"Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Academy For Girls to end up in-" Azula glanced disdainfully around at the shabby disarray that made up the furnishings of the traveling circus and spotted a platypus bear being manhandled by three attendants- "places like this."
It just wasn't 'fitting.' That's why the beige had appeared- it was her inability to understand. Ty Lee saw her own aura fade slightly and she frowned.
"I have a proposition for you." Azula said casually as she examined her nails. "I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, don't you?"
"Oh yeah." Ty Lee smiled warmly, remembering the old man's serene blue halo. "He was so funny."
"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission." Azula told her.
"Oh. I uh- would love to-" Ty Lee's silver eyes nervously flitted around and she once again flipped to her feet. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean- my aura has never been pinker." She gave a wide smile and her pink's intensity momentarily increased, thinking of all her fans. The traveling show wasn't luxurious, it wasn't extravagant, but she had honestly made it her home.
"Well," Azula sighed, "I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me."
Ty Lee could immediately tell she was lying. The tan surrounding her had, predictably, turned to orange.
Ty Lee inclined her head in a small bow, trying to infuse all the quiet gratitude she could into her few words, hoping that Azula would change her mind, but knowing that she wouldn't. "Thank you, Azula."
She pulled one of her feet in a vertical position above her head as Azula walked away.
"Of course," Azula said over her shoulder, "before I leave, I'm going to catch your show."
Ty Lee flinched. She didn't have to turn around to know that the orange around the princess had flared menacingly. The color of control.
"Uh, yeah, sure, of course." Ty Lee didn't react fast enough to mask the uncertainty in her voice.
"We are deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus." The ringmaster proclaimed.
"Deeply honored, and deeply frightened." Ty Lee muttered under her breath as she balanced on one hand. The man's smoky gray aura, which extended a good three feet out from his body, was visible even from where she was.
"Tell us if there's anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable." He told the Fire Nation princess.
Ty Lee couldn't hear what they were saying next, but it couldn't be anything good. Azula's orange had gained a shade of red, and the ringmaster's gray aura was gradually adopting a sickly green hue, his fear for himself battling with his fear for his performer.
Ty Lee started to sweat when he caught the net on fire. Then all hell broke loose. What was she thinking, letting out all of those animals? The red of their auras mingled with the red of the tent, and Ty Lee felt like she was going to faint- the negative energy was more oppressive than the heat. She wobbled precariously on the tightrope.
A vulture griffin roosted on the near platform. Its feathers were raised, muscles tensed, wings half-cocked, as it looked down at the din below with a bald head. His tail twitched erratically from side to side. It was obviously distressed, but its aura was a very diluted red, which meant there was a great deal of fear, not pure aggression. Maybe it would remember her?
She unfocused her eyes and turned her attention to her own aura. Blue. She thought. She had to shut all this out. Pure, sky blue. She searched for her point of balance on the tightrope: her own center of gravity was very familiar, like a long-time friend (or rather, like a friend that wasn't trying to threaten her). Once she centered her body, the connection to her mind ran straight as an arrow. This was just another lesson, no different than all the exercises she practiced. "Can you trust me, big fella?"
She bent her arm and launched herself off of the wooden conflagration that she was balancing on, and it tumbled down into the burning net.
She deftly caught the tightrope and swung herself into a squatting position, two hands and two feet firmly planted on the wire. Any other performer wouldn't have dared to leap towards a vulture griffin with such suddenness, but because she had effectively "told" it she meant no harm, it simply turned its sunken neck toward her instead of attacking in surprise.
She stood and tiptoed the rest of the way to the beast. "You really are ugly." She whispered with a mischievous smile and a chuckle. "But you have a heart of gold." She rested her hand on the white feathery shoulder. "Actually, an aura of blue, but who's counting?" The creature's aura had taken on her color. Its feathers had relaxed, and its wings were now completely folded, despite the turmoil below.
Ty Lee sat in her dressing room waiting for Azula. She usually felt like examining her immaculate appearance in the mirror, but tonight she had to compose herself, and all her thoughts were turned inward. Hers was a delicate balance between vanity and spirituality.
"What an exquisite performance." Azula pronounced from the doorway.
Performance? She shook her head mentally. The rest of the night had consisted of the acrobat and various handlers rounding up the animals Azula had let out.
The princess tossed a bouquet of expensive black flowers onto a table as she entered. The beautiful blooms were as good as a thrown gauntlet, as if daring the acrobat to resist her will. "I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow," she said, still playing the game.
"I'm sorry, Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow." Ty Lee said with practiced calm.
"Really?"
"The universe is giving me strong hints- that it's time for a career change." She placed her ornamental crown on its hook and turned to face Azula. "I want to join you on your mission." Ty Lee lied.
"So you have to leave, just like that?"
"I have two hours to pack before the ship sets off." Ty Lee answered the familiar voice softly without turning around as she picked around her small room half-heartedly.
The girl now standing in the doorway was a good deal older and taller than Azula. Her tan skin tone clearly marked her as a commoner- not because all nobles were pale but because she had obviously gained many of her freckles from spending long days working out in the sun. "Well, you did tell me you were friends with the princess, but to be honest, I didn't really believe you."
"That's okay." Ty Lee said.
"So is it true? That she can make blue flames?" The juggler raised a hand and looked into her own fire speculatively.
"Yeah."
The other girl whistled appreciatively. "Not even the Firelord has figured out how she does it?"
Ty Lee shook her head. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small sheaf of papers, folding them up in a binder and stowing it in her growing package. There had been three handwritten copies of the letter she sent her sister two years ago.
The top of the sheaf read:
Sounds interesting there, Ty! I would have come with you just because of that but sleeping in a room that's ten by ten square doesn't sound too fun at all, or having to move every few weeks. Do you really not have a bath, only showers? How can you stand that? And you have to make your own food? And walk everywhere? (if you're even in a town worth exploring, that is) Will you miss the carriage rides? Plus I've heard it gets ridiculously cold some of the places you're going. Try to write me every once in a while so I don't have to immolate myself out of boredom, please.
Separated from the rest of the letters were short, direct notes, with a royal seal, which had been repeated identically several times over.
Ty Lee, are keeping up with your combat training?
"You know, the ringmaster is going to start treating the animals the way he did before once you're gone. I think old Susa and the like are pretty safe." She tagged off the name of the ancient and docile elephant mandrill, "but Yenu? Or Irako? They're in for it."
Ty Lee sighed. "Irako has improved a lot, though," she responded, talking about the vulture lion she had calmed. As she had gradually learned, the ringmaster was cruel, there was no doubt about it. He worked the people almost as hard as the animals. Acts had to be perfect and polished- unless they of course, included animals- then they were praised if they were daring and impromptu. Despite the effort he put into giving the circus a glamorous front, he made shady deals- rumor was that he would even trade with the likes ofsandbenders if they had a bargain he was interested in. He took in people from all backgrounds, treatment weighing on whether he thought you were a "real" Fire Nation citizen or not. Had you lived in the homeland? Had you served in the army? Were you of noble blood? He paid wages in order of rank- those from the highest-up families got the most money. Ty Lee had realized somewhere in the middle of her first year that she was not taking the brunt of his abuse.
"Hey, by the way, thanks." The girl said quietly. "For everything." She pulled out a sack full of coins and thumbed through them. "You're sure you don't want any of it back?"
Ty Lee smiled and hugged her. "Absolutely, Rila."
The agile girl moved about the deck of the ship flat-footed, which was unusual for her. She normally took dainty steps, but on the sea her finely tuned balance was thrown off slightly. Her poise was so natural when the ground under her was solid and unmoving. She began to miss her 'old friend,' her center of gravity. But Azula had promised that they would be traveling by land after they arrived at their destination. The Fire Nation circus the princess had retrieved the acrobat from traveled throughout the Earth Kingdom colonies. Therefore, setting out from a southern inlet near Gaoling and now rounding the peninsula of Chin Village, it wouldn't take long to get to the newly captured Omashu.
"Mai's father has been appointed governor. I doubt his competence, however." Azula rolled her eyes as they made their way down a corridor towards the deck. "Father always said we ran out of good administrative material with the expansion of territory on the Acjan region. They have to be the smartest and the toughest to deal with Fong to the southwest." She shook her head. "It is simplyunbelievable that man can hold a base so close to the Fire Nation. Needless to say, Omashu is still a pretty dangerous place too, with all the rabid Earth Kingdom scum around- I'll bet old 'Governor' Tont isn't complaining about Mai's skills now."
l
Instead of sending Mai to live in student housing at the boarding school, her parents moved to the Capitol with her, into a second house that, by its proximity to the palace itself, proclaimed their high status. Ty Lee thought it was sweet that they would do that for their daughter, but the other seven-year-old quickly tried to put a damper on her enthusiasm.
"They only did it to keep an eye on me." Mai pointed out sourly under her breath on the way to Arithmetic one day.
"Oh, I'm sure that's not right, Mai!" Ty Lee gabbed. "Cheer up! You have a house all to yourself!" she exclaimed excitedly. She had never had anything completely to herself- even here she saw her three of elder sisters regularly between classes. This was the first time she had gotten any separation from them at all. Throughout her first grades the little girl would be torn between freedom from suffocation she had left behind and uncomfortable exposure to the unfamiliar in school. Sometimes she sought out her older siblings for advice, or to just have a little piece of home again. Sometimes she reveled in being apart. Sure, she loved them; her roommate back at the dorms was nice too. But the idea of living by yourself was fascinating to her. "Can I come over?"
"I guess." Mai sighed.
Of course, once they had made friends with Azula, Mai's abode paled in comparison. One of the few times they did go to Mai's house after that, it was a matter of business. You see, when Mai revealed her unique hobby, initiated at the palace, her parents disapproved at once. Shuriken were not something to be handled by noble lady.
But a visit from the princess herself quickly changed the political sycophants' opinion.
l
"So 'Zula, this is your first time out of the Fire Nation?" Ty Lee asked.
"Yes. Makes me want to go crawl home and take a good scrub, the people here." Azula replied dryly.
Ty Lee giggled. "Oh, they're not that bad."
l
"So you're an earthbender?" Ty Lee asked the middle-aged man. "Nice to meet you."
His hand jerked and he dropped the pole he was in the middle of putting up. "Shhhhhh!" He put a finger to his lips and waved the other hand to silence her. "How'd you know that?" He looked around nervously as he bent over to pick it up again and prop up the sagging canvas overhang. "I d-don't even look like a- you know." It was true. The tent-pitcher didn't have the stereotypical build. He was lanky and wiry-muscled, not thickly set. "You're that new girl, right? On the tightrope? Who told you? Who knows?"
"It's in your chi," she explained. She could sense its movement in people: that was the reason she was so gifted in Kyusho Jutsu, chi blocking. "My jutsu sifu told me that earthbenders-"
"Stop saying that word!" He hissed, cutting her off.
"Why?"
"It's- just listen, you can't tell anyone all right?"
"Why?"
"'Cause if word got to the ringmaster he'd kick me out."
"Why?"
"'Cause-" he gave an frustrated breath at her pestering repeats- "'cause he just would, okay? And I don't want to stir up trouble, I swear, I just want to do my job."
"Okay."
"Thanks- um . . .?"
"Ty Lee."
"Ty Lee. I'm Poshu."
l
"So how have you and Mai been, Azula?"
"All right, I suppose. I've been training, commanding and drilling ranks of internal troops." She shrugged. "Mai hasn't moved back out of the Capitol, until now that is. You got news about that tour she took of her uncle's prison."
Ty Lee giggled. "She told me. I bet that took some talking to her parents as well."
The princess rolled her eyes. "Yeah." She put on a mocking tone, "'That's no place for a lady, it's too dangerous for our delicate little flower.' Please. The only thing worse than Tont is his wife."
"I haven't seen you guys since Hira's graduation." Ty Lee said thoughtfully as they climbed a set of stairs into the open air. Hira was a year younger than Ty Lee, and the acrobat had gotten leave last year to travel to see her little sister finish her time at the Academy for Girls.
Azula gave a sardonic smile. "You have a lot of those to attend, don't you?"
"Yeah. Lin is next. But two years after that, after Jia, I'll be done- Wow." She paused in realization. "It's hard to think of her as that old. She's already ten now. And you're fourteen now, aren't you?" She asked eagerly. She would be fifteen by the summer solstice, Mai was fifteen recently already, but they had all been in the same grade because Azula was placed a year ahead.
"Not that age really matters. It's talent that gets you places." Azula appropriately remarked as they emerged. "Speaking of which, I have something to show you, Ty Lee. It's a very advanced form of firebending."
The princess reached the middle of the metal platform and held her hand out to the other girl who had been following closely in a gesture to move back. Ty Lee puzzled at the slight green sheen that appeared in her aura- was she really worried about hitting her? She backed a few paces and her eyes widened slowly at the massive energy buildup. She realized that whatever this was was not the quick, familiar flow of energy from the stomach, the "sea of chi," to the hands, that was usual for firebenders.
The hair stood up on Ty Lee's neck and unease began to gnaw at her own "sea of chi" as negative and positive energies were gradually forced apart, creating a pulling and tugging sensation around Azula.
And then- the firebender's aura disappeared.
As an erratic string of light burst from her two pointed fingers, Ty Lee stumbled backwards and caught herself on the railing of the edge of the ship, unable to make a sound but feeling as if she should be shrieking.
The princess raised a groomed eyebrow at the acrobat's reaction.
Then she smiled and her aura returned, orange.
"A-Azula- y-your-"
"I'm a lightningbender." The princess said proudly, misjudging the source of Ty Lee's shock.
"Well y-yeah, but- your aura it- it was gone."
Azula tilted her head slightly. "Really? Interesting." She said lazily.
"Lightning," she informed her, "requires complete peace of mind to conjure, Ty Lee. I can't be feeling anything when I separate the energies. Fire is fueled by anger." She nodded her head. "But lightning is fueled by a disciplined mind."
Ty Lee quickly tried to digest this information, but her stomach was having none of it. The pool of energy was doing somersaults that put to shame all the other acrobatics of the girl in which it resided.
"T-Then you must need t-to meditate as much as I do . . ." she said weakly, trying to recompose herself.
Azula nodded. "Yes, it's like sweeping out an attic- you've got to get all the useless junk out."
Ty Lee wasn't sure what to say about that.
"You, know, I really can't comprehend-" Azula began airly as she circled her predatorily, a hard edge creeping into her voice, "why you like it here so much Ty Lee. You say the people 'aren't that bad?' Please."
A weight settled in the pit of her stomach now, squashing the nervous flutter, but solidifying into dread.
She had said that her aura had never been pinker.
She had essentially said that she was happier there than with Azula.
The firebender came to a stop in front of her. "The people here," she continued viciously, "are primitive. Even the Fire Nation citizens from the colonies are still beneath you. You need to remember where you're from- and what your legacy is, instead of spending time with people who are below your status."
The subtext was ringing in her ears. 'You left me and Mai. And then you had the audacity to say something like that? To refuse me?'
Azula leaned in closer. "I'll leave you to ponder that, Ty Lee."
As she was making her way down to her room she overheard a hushed conversation.
"I'll bet she thinks she can 'command the tides.'. You know what, princess, I've navigated the sea for nearly forty years. I've watched it take out some of our best, even before the Ocean Spirit went on his little rampage in the North- and I had to go through that, too." He made what was unmistakeably a shuddering noise. "Ships smashed like they were paper, men screaming. He and the moon command the friggin' tides, not you little-miss-full-of-yourself."
A softer-spoken tone answered, "And then she acted surprised when we had to drop the anchor in mid-sail. Like I would say that we shouldn't pull in for no reason? Like I made up a swift cross-current just for kicks? Impatient. Really, putting of us all in danger just so she can-" the words suddenly became thin and strained and were punctuated by small pants of pain- "get somewhere- a few hours- ah- or so- ah- earlier? Damn, we might have all ended up 'smashed against the rocky shore' on her whim." The last part was muted, as if he was bearing his teeth.
"Had no right to do this to you, either, by Agni. If I know anything, it's that the Dragon of the West wouldn't have come quietly, regardless. He knows good and well that his brother wants his head. Of course, now he has a legitimate excuse for it. How could a royal ever turn traitor . . . What's the world coming to?"
Ty Lee slowed. She knew she probably couldn't walk past the hall they were in without them seeing her, but she didn't want them to think she had been eavesdropping. She backtracked and began to whistle nonchalantly to alert them of her presence. Her merry tune faltered as she laid eyes on the source of the second voice.
His entire arm and neck were bandaged, and across his upper torso as well. He had obviously begun to peel the cloth off of his wrist and was halfway up his bicep, his face twisted into an ugly grimace. The skin exposed was raw and shiny.
The other man, who held fresh replacement strips, in addition to what was presumably a map rolled up under his arm, acknowledged her. "Ah, hello there, m'lady."
She blinked, trying to tear her gaze from the streaked red forearm. "H-hi."
"Captain here's-"
"I'm not the captain any more."
"You still are to me." He rebuked assertively. He muttered something that sounded like "-hasn't been on this ship for nearly as long as you-"
He turned back to Ty Lee. "As I was saying, Captain here is treating a pretty bad burn. Wouldn't want you to watch that now, hmm? Move along." His inflection was gruff, but had a faint undercurrent of kindness.
Ty Lee quickly nodded wordlessly.
"Don't worry, we'll get it properly healed next stop. She'll be gone by then." The first man said as she moved away.
"What can I say?" The ex-captain replied ruefully, "Apparently even small mistakes can land you in deep water."
Several hours later, a litter carried Azula towards the center of Omashu, and Ty Lee walked along beside. A girl with sleek black hair awaited them as the procession halted and Azula stiffly climbed down.
"Please tell me you're here to kill me." Mai joked in a deadpan voice as she inclined her head respectfully to Azula. She smiled a bit and the two girls chuckled.
Ty Lee watched the spark of kinship, yellow-green, that flickered across the two. Mai's aura was as muddled as ever: hers was a different gray than fear. Fear was translucent, like all the other colors; it came and went. Her gray, however, was almost always present. It was opaque and obscuring. She saw the same thing occasionally with Azula, too. Ty Lee rushed up to Mai and gave her a hug. If anything, the aura around the elder friend had become even more depressing. Ty Lee didn't know how long she could keep with such company before both of the grays enveloped her. She always had to keep up a chipper attitude to negate their effects.
"I thought you ran off and joined the circus." Mai said as she put a hand to her back. "You said it was your calling."
Ty Lee stood back from her and observed the slightly darker green tint cross her friend's shell. Concern. "Well, Azula called a little louder." Ty Lee replied, effectively quashing the sarcasm that tried to slip into her voice.
"I have a mission." Azula cut in. "And I need you both."
"Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place." Mai glared up at her mansion home, her aura darkening.
Azula began to walk up the steps as she talked. "Our targets are my brother and uncle."
Mai's aura changed green at the word "brother."
Ty Lee voiced her friend's concern when it was obvious that she wouldn't do it herself. "Azula? When you say Zuko is a target-"
Azula stopped. "He's on the run with a self-pronounced traitor." She said flatly, offering no more explanation.
Mai stared at the ground deferently. "But he has- he has been pursuing the Avatar, which was what his father asked him to do, right?"
Azula's orange aura sharpened and Ty Lee winced at the spike of negative energy.
Mai's voice was barely audible. "Could he join us?"
Azula observed her for a long moment.
"We'll see, Mai. If the opportunity presents itself, perhaps . . . but I doubt he will take kindly to the old fuddy duddy's death or imprisonment."
This time Ty Lee's aura flashed green. That pretty blue aura, erased-
She fought to control her expression.
"But first things first. Father has requested that I check on the sorry state of this occupied city."
"Sorry is right." Mai grumbled. "The rebels have got my little brother as a hostage. Cowards. When their assassination attempts don't work, they pull underhanded crap like this. At least with the former I was mildly entertained."
Ty Lee suppressed a shudder. Did it sound like- Did it sound like she was glad she and her parents were being attacked? She stole a glance toward Mai. When people talked about feelings in the abstract, their auras usually didn't always change to match their thoughts. The gray remained firmly in place, betraying nothing, and she couldn't shake the feeling on the interpretation of her words.
Azula reached the ornately wrought door which two guards pushed obligingly open.
"Princess!" the governor, Mai's father, exclaimed with forced enthusiasm, "What an honor it is to have you here!" He bowed as he walked. "May Agni shine upon you and light your wa-"
"Yes, yes, just get to the point." Azula said drolly. "My friends and I have more important business to attend to than to dither around here." She reached the main red-adorned throneroom of the former earth kingdom palace and sat in the governor's chair.
The governor and his wife knelt before her.
"I apologize." He began. "You've come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon, we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."
"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son."
Ty Lee, however, saw no green in her aura whatsoever.
"But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" Her red aura intensified as she stood and voiced her disapproval for the evacuation of sick Earth Kingdom natives she had been briefed on. "My father has trusted you with this city, and you're making a mess of things!"
The Governor prostrated himself. "Forgive me, princess."
"You stay here." She quietly commanded him as she stepped down from the throne. "Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up."
Ty Lee and Mai stood to follow her out.
"And there is no more 'Omashu.' I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the City of New Ozai."
The three Fire Nation girls made their way to the rendezvous point, a construction site where they could lower their "half" of the trade, the former king of the Earth city. He was tightly bound in a crate which resembled a large metal coffin.
Ty Lee looked out at the three rebels who had come to meet them.
She missed the initial exchange of words between them and Azula, because even this far away, she could see their auras as clear as day. She briefly wondered if the one in the front could see auras, too, because he was wearing an ensemble that, like hers, matched his own energy. He was yellow. An intense yellow! Such a free-spirited, joyful, playful aura! What was he doing in the middle of a hostile negotiation like this? And the girl was a beautiful, invigorating green. The last one, the tallest, holding Mai's brother, was, more appropriately for the situation, emanating beige.
She came back to her senses as Mai walked forward and said, "The deal's off!"
The crane began to lift the "coffin" away, and Ty Lee registered that they were going after Mai's brother without trading, which is probably what Azula had been planning all along, anyway.
The yellow boy darted forward with speed that she might have envied and Azula shot a massive blue blaze at him. Ty Lee's jaw dropped in astonishment as the boy sprang into the air and his chi exploded from his chest, swirling in all directions. He kicked off of the construction beams and opened what looked like a giant orange fan.
Ty Lee heard Azula whisper, "The Avatar. My lucky day."
"So that's what airbending looks like!" Ty Lee gasped in amazement.
"Come on, Ty Lee!" Mai admonished, sprinting towards the other two.
"Oh, yeah, right. Coming!" Ty Lee ran after her friend and quickly overtook her.
The girl's aura swelled, turning a muted red. The chi around the middle of her back stood out to the acrobat. A waterbender! Sure enough, the energy swept out into a tendril of the liquid. Wow! Ty Lee couldn't help but smile. Two bending styles she had never seen before in one day! Maybe this would be just as interesting as the circus.
She jumped lightly out of the way as the girl swung the water out at her. She zigzagged around her, moving towards the boy and trusting Mai to keep the waterbender occupied. They really did need to get Mai's brother back, regardless of the comfortable feeling her initial impressions had created.
She landed a blow on the boy's leg, knocking him on his back so he wouldn't crush the toddler he was carrying. But then something grabbed her ankle and yanked her off her feet. She flew through the air and landed hard on the wooden platform, momentarily dazed. "What-" she looked down at her ankle and saw that it was wet. Water could do that? It had felt as solid as a rope. She got to her feet and fixed the waterbender in her sight, testing her knees to make sure nothing was sprained before sprinting towards her. The dark-skinned girl's back was turned again- she was engaged with Mai. Ty Lee quickly jabbed her hand into each of her biceps and the water fell from her hands as her bending chi was cut off.
Mai smiled. "Not much without your bending, are you?" She ran and locked an arm around her, putting a blade to her neck. "Now where did he go with my brother?" she said evenly. The boy had disappeared.
Ty Lee's skin tingled as she sensed the approach of a gigantic collection of energy.
"M-Mai-" she started-
But too late. Utterly astonished for the third time that day, she watched a huge furry horned animal rise in the air and come to rest on the platform.
"What in the world-"
"Hey!" The boy shouted, riding astride its neck. "Let her go!" He addressed Mai, who still had a tight grip on the waterbender.
"You give my brother to my friend right there-" Mai nodded towards Ty Lee- "and I will."
The boy made a face. "Fine, then!"
He slid down the beast's flat tail and walked towards Ty Lee, who was now standing next to Mai.
The boy handed her the child.
She released the girl.
Ty Lee and Mai skirted away as the huge creature shifted and the wooden boards under it bent and splintered. "What is that thing?" Ty Lee called up to them as the blue-clad pair settled onto the creature's back. The boy answered her smugly in clearly enunciated syllables. "He's a Giant. Flying. Bison."
"He's amazing." Ty Lee said.
"Yes. Yes he is." He replied.
"Enough chatter!" Mai flung several arrows at them and the waterbender summoned ice to block them.
Suddenly the tail was lifted and the creature kicked off, knocking Mai backward and leaving Ty Lee standing.
"Yes, I've read about that. The Avatar's steed." Azula crossed her arms as she listened to the girls recount the fight, beige aura hungry for information. They made their way back towards the former Earth palace. "That and the bender are the top threats then. We need to be rid of the waterbender at the first opportunity. I'm not sure how to deal with the bison, and the order for the Avatar has been changed. He is no longer to be captured alive, after what happened at the North Pole." She paused. "I really have a hard time believing it was the same kid people talk about, though. All he did today was avoid me."
"Cowards." Mai repeated. "All of them. Won't stand and fight."
When they reached the governor again, Ty Lee handed him back his son, and his wife wrung her hand and hugged Mai. "Good job, good job, you showed those nasty hooligans who's boss-"
"Now," Azula waved her stream of thanks silent. "I was not given very specific stats about the spread of this disease. If we have a mass epidemic on our hands, we need to act. We've lost every single potential worker for the factories to be installed here, but that's nothing compared to what they could do to the population if they travel too far. Are there any medics here?"
Two people of the gathered dozen, a man and a woman, raised their hands slowly.
"I want a scholarly description, immediately. As well as your timetable of infection."
The man scurried away to retrieve records.
"What percentage of the Earth Kingdom people had it a week ago?" She questioned the woman.
"None- t-that we know of, that is. We were only informed of it . . ." she rubbed at her chin. "-today."
"This afternoon, when everyone was sent away? What percentage had it then?"
"We didn't take a measure . . ."
"How many of our soldiers have contracted it?"
"Um, none, princess."
"None? I was informed that much of the population was afflicted. Do your soldiers not have daily contact with these-" she she shuddered slightly in disgust- "-people?"
"Well, we are now- post-tulating . . ." she tripped over her words, "it was a disease- from the Fire Nation- they had no immunity to . . ."
"Ah, like the breakout of the Wenua sickness in 35 ASC." She nodded thoughtfully, using the time indicator that became popular thirty years After Sozin's Comet. "So please explain to me, if it was a disease that we are immune to and they aren't," she in a deadly, almost whispered tone, "why exactly have they all been driven away?"
No one answered. It was if all the air had been sucked out of the room.
Ty Lee, standing a few paces away from the princess, looked around at all the gray auras and wondered at Azula's mere presence inducing the color so steadfastly. All of the people here, excluding Mai's parents, had never even laid eyes on her before, had they?
Azula resumed slowly, "This might prove to be a very useful tool if we are immune. Think of being able to send two or three men to infiltrate a camp and having the entire company sick by morning?"
She zeroed in on the woman again. "What was the mortality rate?"
" . . . n-none found dead yet, princess . . ."
The man finally returned, flushed and tight-lipped.
"And?" Azula demanded.
"P-princess, we don't have any entries matching the name . . . pentapox."
"Pentapox?" Ty Lee giggled. "Like a pentapus?"
Azula pinched the bridge of her nose.
Hard.