Yo, what's up? I'm Mitsuki, and this is my first fanfic. I thought of this when I was going to bed one night...yeah. I love Ty Lee, and I wanted to give her more of a background. I obviously don't own A:TLA, cuz If I did Ty Lee would have a bigger role, Aang would be dead, Jin would come back, Iroh would be Firelord, Zuko would probably be with Katara..., and Ty Lee would be with Sokka...:) Enjoy!! FYI Kei is prounounced "Key".
The Many Phases of a Smile
Chapter 1
Kei woke up that morning with one thought in his mind. He's coming. A nice spring breeze blew through the open window, and Kei sat up in his bed. He smelled the fresh baked rolls that Cook was cooking, and it got him going. He scrambled around to grab his patch, which his little hands eventually took hold of. Carefully he strapped it around his left eye and began to find his clothes. Kei's mother had picked them out the night before. His best red tunic, his brown belt, and his russet leggings were all lying in a heap next to his bed. He swiftly put them on, and grabbed his shoes on the way out of his room. Suddenly, Kei stopped. He turned around and saw his necklace on the bedside table, which he placed around his neck. He was ready to go.
He ran as fast as he could, trying to put on his shoes at the same time. This proved impossible, and he tripped over himself, causing a crowd of servants to circle around him.
"Is the little master okay?" His favorite servant, Tay asked. Kei flashed a grimace.
"I am fine, but now I am afraid that my "help" will suffocate me. I just tripped. I'm not hurt at all." He said. Tey motioned for the servants to return to their duties, and they left, as if nothing had happened.
" Why must they do that all the time? I'm no different than any other boy in the Fire Nation, yet if I fall over or cut myself, I am suddenly defenseless. But I am not." Kei made two fire missiles appears in front of his hands, "Father says I could even beat The Fire Prince in an Agni Kai if I really felt like it. Yet he still makes a servant follow me wherever I go so I don't get hurt." Tay laughed.
"Did he mention that the Fire Prince is 3-years-old? You are four years older; of course you would beat him! You should've asked Jako, your latest personal servant. He used to work with Zuko but was demoted for repeated failures."
"But I am almost 8-years-old!" Kei protested. Tay just smiled. Tay and Kei walked down the halls and discussed more things, until they passed the kitchen. They grabbed a roll each.
"By the way, where is Jako?" Tay asked. Kei just smiled and pointed towards the food supply room in the kitchen. Tay sighed, "You are never going to change your father's mind about you if your servants keep 'disappearing'."
"They wouldn't 'disappear' if Father would just let you be my personal servant. Then I would be happy, and you would be relieved from your fieldwork." Kei let his head droop, "But Father never listens to me. He is only concerned about my safety…"
"But isn't that better than having him not care about your welfare? He loves you dearly, Kei. And, I am sure when your sibling comes he will be thinking more of him than of you." Tay winked. Kei's eye widened.
"The baby! I almost forgot!" Kei exclaimed, as he dashed down the hall.
He kept running until he passed his mother's bedroom. He stopped, and turned around until he found himself almost running into his father.
"Kei, where have you been? It is almost time for your brother to come into the world!!" Lord Lee said.
"How are you sure it is a boy?" Kei asked puzzled.
"Son, we went to the best fortuneteller in the Fire Nation, and she foretold it."
"But what if she was wrong?" His father just smiled.
"If she is wrong, then she will get an unpleasant visit from me." And he laughed. Kei smiled. He was glad when his father was in this kind of mood.
"What will his name be, Father?"
"Well, Kei, it is the tradition within my family to give the oldest son his own name. The rest of the children will receive a name based on their ancestors, along with the father's name to show that they belong to him. Your brother's name will be Ty Lee, after our great-grandfather. Ty was a general in the army the time the Fire Nation deployed its first attack against the Air Nomads. His men were one of the best in the whole Fire Nation, and the Airbenders put up a good fight. But we both know that didn't last long." He laughed again. Kei had a perplexed look on his face, and Lee just patted the seven-year-old on the head, "You'll get it later."
A doctor rushed to the doorway and spoke in a hushed tone. Lee's eyes brightened and he motioned for Kei to come in. The room had the smell of incense, and peace seemed to surround it. That is Kei thought until he heard the pain stricken wails of his mother.
"Mama! Father what is wrong with her?" Kei asked, frightened.
"Birth comes with a price." He calmly stated. Kei quickly grasped hold of his father's sleeve and shut his eyes. He had always imagined his brother's arrival to be a joyful time, but now he was getting second thoughts. Suddenly, a nurse came and shoved the two of them back in the hallway. It was a false-alarm. Now Kei was as anxious as ever.
"Father, I have a question." Kei asked a few minutes later.
"Hm? Yes son, what is it?"
"When can I meet Zuko? You said I could a while ago, but then you suddenly changed your mind. He seems really nice from what Tay told me. It would be cool to meet royalty."
"Yes, my son should be entitled to be the Fire Prince's friend. He might even learn a thing or two from you in bending. Maybe at the next war council I could bring you along to meet him…"
"Does that mean I can challenge him in an Agni Kai?" Kei asked naïvely.
"No! The only reason to challenge one to an Agni Kai is, well…, usually if they have offended you. I can have a lieutenant explain it to you. Ah, yes, I know a fellow comrade by the name of Zhao. Nice man, he can explain it to you." Lee went on to explain his Commander duties and soon minutes became hours. But Kei didn't mind. He had never realized what war really was until this very moment. He was fascinated.
"Father, how do you know if someone is going to be a firebender?"
"Son, when a child is born, they always do something remarkable. That is their talent. If you are going to be a firebender, you might shoot out fire from your fingertips. If you are to be a joker, you might laugh. If you are going to be a soldier, you might yell a war cry. You burnt your eye when you were born." Kei placed his hand over his patch. He carefully lifted it to reveal an empty socket. Slowly he returned the patch to its place.
The doctor came out again, this time ecstatic.
"It's here, it's here!!" He exclaimed. Quickly, Lee and Kei ran into the room.
The satin dress that Sakura wore blew in the wind. She turned her head slightly and gave a faint smile to her family. She pointed to one of the nurses. Kei heard the small whimpers and rushed to the nurse she indicated.
Wrinkly skin. Black eyes. No hair, save wisps on its head. Dark pigment and ear piercing cries. This was not what Kei imagined his brother to be. This is not what he imagined a newborn to be! Babies were always cherished, but they looked so ugly and all they did was cry. Is this the same baby that his father had been overjoyed about for weeks?
"Doctor! Do I have another firebender?" Lee asked. But the doctor's eyes had widened.
"Lord Lee, we um…are not quite sure what too make of your child." He fumbled his fingers behind his back.
"Yes, spit it out, man!"
"She did a cartwheel, um, sir…."
"A cartwheel!? A newborn did a cartwheel??! This is unthinkable! What kind of talent is a cartwheel…." Lee stopped in his tracks when he realized what the doctor had said. "She did a cartwheel!!!!???" Lee went around the room and began kicking at the doorposts.
"Lee, stop it! You'll upset Ty Lee!" Sakura grabbed her daughter and snuggled her close.
"No! She is not worthy to bear that name Sakura!"
"She is my daughter and I say that Ty Lee suits her. Just because you don't get everything your way doesn't mean you should dish it out on the children!!" Tears formed in Sakura's eyes as Kei drew close to see Ty Lee. Lee stormed out of the room.
"Mama, I have…a sister?" Kei whispered.
"Are you disappointed too, honey?" She said.
"No, I am happy. I always wanted a sister."
They looked out the window and watched the sun set with magnificent colors. And Ty Lee smiled.
Ooh, what's going to happen next? You better find out! Please review!