Happy go lucky
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender"You're stuck in your little Ty-lee world where everything's perfect all the time!"-Zuko 'The Beach'
Ty-lee didn't hate her sisters. Oh sure she didn't like some of them, and others she clashed with but she loved all of them. She didn't hate her mother, in fact when it came to her mother Ty-lee felt an odd mix of pity and anger, but she loved her nonetheless. She didn't hate her father; he was a nice man, a good man who loved his family. Ty-lee didn't hate her grandfather either. She hardly knew him he had been confined to his bed weak and ghostlike for as long as Ty-lee could remember she felt sorry for the man he must of once been. Ty-lee did however hate her grandmother.
She was a sour woman who in the wake of her husband's ills had unofficially become the head of the family. Ty-lee father couldn't become the family's patriarch until his father passed at which point his wife would be promoted to the family's matriarch. But until then both positions sat on the wiry strait shoulders of Ty-lee grandmother.
It was no secret that Ty-lee grandmother hated her daughter- in –law. It was to be expected in fact. Her own Mother –in-law had hated her and her mother-and-law had hated her. It was the way things were done. When you married into a family any family in the Fire Nation you would immediately become your mother in laws pincushion, you endured it in the hope that one day when you had a daughter in law you could do the same to her.
Of course Ty-lees grandmother loved to point out that her mother would never get the opportunity to have a daughter in law. What with seven daughters, she would be lucky if any of them even got marriage proposals.
"Look at them! One look is all I need to see! There is too much Yin in them! Not enough Yang! They'll never have sons. "
She announced scornfully. She of course blamed her daughter in law for the lack of male yang in her grandchildren. Her Yin must have over powered the yang of Ty-lees father, resulting in 7 daughters instead of sons. And now her granddaughters had too much yin in them as well.
Of course in an effort to prevent any further granddaughters coming into the world Ty-lee's grandmother ordered that her son and daughter in law should sleep in separate chambers. Seven she decided was enough shame for one lifetime. Ty-lee's mother couldn't argue with her mother in law, to do so would make her ungrateful and unharmonious. Something no one wanted in a daughter in law and with her grandmother being the head of the household she could have easily sent Ty-lees mother away in disgrace for such an act.
So Ty-lee's mother didn't argue. She quietly left her husbands bed and relocated to a small room in the servants quarters. And turned a blind eye when her mother in law began suggesting that her son take a second wife, perhaps one who would give him sons.
Ty-lee's mother was her inspiration when it came to being happy. She took delight in the smallest things, flowers in bloom, a humming peacock nest she had found in the gardens, brushing her daughters hair and telling them stories of her childhood on the island of Bhang Ma in one of the Fire Nations many inlets.
"My father bred Rough Rhino's. The finest in the land. They were so strong that even one baby rhino could carry all of you without getting tired!"
She explained at this point Ty-lee and her sisters would giggle at the thought of themselves crammed on to the back of a baby rough Rhino.
"Many victories have been won for the Fire Nation on the backs of my fathers rhino's but ah, that's not all rough rhino's are good for"
At this point she would break off and reach under her small bed and pull out an intricately carved box. Ty-lee and her sisters would cram around their mother as she opened it and pulled out numerous items of jewelry and a few small phials containing a white powder.
"Look at this"
She instructed holding up the largest phial.
"This is ground up Dragon bone and Rhino horn. You put this on any wound and it will be healed, faster than any waterbender could do it. It's rare now, there are no more dragons and the ivory won't work on it's own. Ah and this"
She held up a necklace made of Ivory and gold
"Isn't it beautiful? This was my mothers a long time ago, my father gave it to her when he asked her to marry him."
Many of the stories ended of course when Ty-lee and her sisters were sent to the royal fire nation academy. It was expensive to send all seven of them. But her grandmother stated that if she was going to be surrounded by granddaughters for the rest of her life they should at least be cultured. None of this cart wheeling nonsense!
Of course no sooner had their applications been accepted then it was revealed the young princess Azula would be attending the academy. What an opportunity!
Her grandmother gathered each of the sisters and stood them in front of one of their houses many inner courtyards. She had seven granddaughters and therefore seven chances to link her family to the royal one. If only one of the girls befriended the young princess, well it was too good to pass up. Of course that left her with the difficult decision of figuring out which one of her granddaughters would most appeal to the princess.
None of them were what anyone in the Fire Nation would call classically beautiful. Their faces were too round, their eyes too large and too close together, also a rather unfortunate colour. Their hair was brown and thick not black and silky. Even their builds weren't right, they were all thin sure but not thin enough. Fire Nation girls were supposed to be willowy and angular. Not sturdy and soft. They were only children but already she could tell they were going to develop more curves than was necessary. Really to put it simply they all resembled earth kingdom peasants.
Ty-lee was forced to stand quietly in the Fire Nation heat listening as her grandmother listed off each of her and her sister's worst qualities.
"You, number three. Stand up strait! And don't smile it shows off that horrible gap in your teeth"
"But they fell out Mama says I'll get new ones"
"I doubt that will be an improvement, also you should learn never to answer back to your elders!"
"Number six, you are greedy and conceited, and I suggest you find a way to remedy this"
"Four, hmmm don't laugh you sound like a hog monkey also for the love of Agni child take your hair out of that horrible pony tail, you look like a peasant"
"One, don't speak, I am of the opinion that nothing you say is of any importance and no one wishes to hear your silly tales"
"If you continue to stick your bottom lip out like that Seven I will use it as a sitting table."
"Two, Why are you dressed like a boy, however much I wish you were, you are in fact a girl, start dressing like one."
"And five"
Ty-lee stood up straighter at the mention of the number corresponding to her position in the sisters.
"It is most unbecoming for a young girl to twitch and jump as if she has a fire slug down her back. If you cannot stand still and stop all those ridiculous gymnastics I shall simply have to strap your feet to the earth."
Although the threat was hardly something her grandmother could follow through on it still scared Ty-lee as she began having nightmares in which her feet were stuck in the ground and no matter how hard she tried to move she didn't with the exception of downwards as she began to sink.
Of course in the end despite her grandmothers insistence that Ty-lee's forth sister, who if she changed her hair style and refrained from laughing, would have the best chance of befriending princess Azula it was Ty-lee who did. It had been an accident; really she hadn't meant to befriend the princess she had just made her laugh and Azula demanded she do it again. Mai had been added to the princess's entourage because unlike the rest of the girls at the academy Mai didn't try to get the princesses attention Azula found it fascinating that anyone could remain so stoic around her.
It hadn't taken long for Ty-lee to reap the benefits of being friends with princess Azula. At home her sisters were endlessly jealous most noticeably of course was the fact that her grandmother was constantly nice to her. At school Ty-lee had been elevated instantaneously to Azula's level of popularity. Girls stared jealously when she walked alongside Azula and Mai, and when she was by herself they would crowd around her linking their arms through hers whispering secrets into her ears with cries of.
"Ty-lee's my friend!"
Then there were the more important benefits. One day completely out of the blue a royal messenger appeared requesting Ty-lee's presence at the palace. Her grandmother had cried with happiness as she dressed Ty-lee in her finest robes before giving her a final warning on proper court behavior. Her mother at the last minute before Ty-lee entered the palanquin that had been sent for had pressed her ivory necklace into her daughter's hand and blew her a kiss. Her father waved as Ty-lee was carried off acting out like his daughter was going away forever before long her mother and all her sisters had joined the act crying out how much they'd miss her and to think of them often. Ty-lee giggled while her grandmother scolded them.
Ty-lee didn't really think much as she was led through the palace to Azula's chambers, everything was just so intricate and overwhelming she couldn't take it all in, her mind went blank to all the splendors of the palaces décor.
The princess's chambers included a sitting room where she and Mai were waiting for Ty-lee.
"Oh I'm so pleased you're here Mai was boring me to death!"
Azula announced. A personal bathroom, with preheated water in the copper pipes.
"Fancy? Hardly Ty-lee it's just a bathtub, honestly"
Azula waved a hand dismissively. Her bedroom was large and plush with a bed several sizes to big for the small princess.
"Of course I don't have to share it!"
Azula said scornfully. There were side rooms for her many slave girls.
"They have to be close to me of course, what's be the point of having personal slaves if they're not close enough to be of use"
Azula shrugged casually at her slave's meager accommodations. Then there was her personal garden, which was currently housing a disgruntled looking boy tied to a tree and gagged with silk scarves.
"My brother Zuko, he should of known that my room is enemy territory, so he's my prisoner!"
Azula laughed as the doors to her inner chamber flew open and a woman strode in her eyes widened at the sight of Azula's brother tied to a tree.
"Zuko!"
The Lady Ursa cried untying her son and turning to face her daughter.
"Just what do you think you were doing young lady! Tying your brother up like that you should be ashamed of yourself!"
Azula made no attempt to appease her mother she simply smiled sweetly.
"We were only playing mother tell her Zuzu"
"You're a witch Azula"
Zuko spat taking the gag away from his mouth.
"Mother tell Zuzu that he shouldn't call me that."
Ursa sighed turning to Ty-lee
"Azula informs me you have six sisters, do you get on well with them"
she asked Ty-lee well versed in telling adults what they wanted to hear bowed and said yes.
"Perhaps you could teach Azula such skills, now all of you are to play in the court gardens where I can keep an eye on you and Azula I'll be telling your father about this!"
Ty-lee, Azula, Mai and Zuko spent the rest of the afternoon playing happily in one of the palaces larger inner courtyards. Well Ty-lee and Azula played Zuko brooded down by the turtle duck pond and Mai well she just simply stood there watching as Ty-lee taught Azula to stand on her hands. She hadn't seemed to quite grasp the concept of talking when someone wasn't talking to her so unless you addressed Mai directly she wouldn't speak to you. After a few months of knowing her both Ty-lee and Azula had trained themselves to add her name on to just about everything just so she would join the conversation, it would be a few years before she learnt that with friends you didn't have to wait to be addressed. And even more years until the friends found out why.
Around mid afternoon they were called to a pavilion where Lady Ursa was seated neatly with a pot of tea and several plates of pastries spread out on the table before her. She smiled sweetly at Ty-lee and Mai.
"This tea was sent by Azula and Zuko's uncle Prince Iroh in the earth kingdom,"
She held up the teapot pouring some into her children's cups. Both siblings looked at it distastefully.
"Has either of you girls tried Earth Kingdom tea before?"
She asked Mai shook her head while Ty-lee stuck to a simple 'no' Ursa nodded and signaled for a slave who promptly placed a jade bowl filled with golden brown sugar crystals pressed into small cubes on the table. She placed a cube in both Ty-lee and Mai's cups before pouring the tea.
"Earth kingdom tea can be somewhat of a required taste. This particular blend is known for its bitterness. Sugar is recommended when first trying it"
The lady Ursa explained.
"I thought Uncle Iroh was in the Earth kingdom to conquer it not sample it's teas"
Azula said setting her own cup aside.
"There are more things to do in the world than conquering."
Ursa said stiffly. All of a sudden Mai put her cup down with a small gasp and leaned down across the table her face mere inches from the bowl of sugared plums. Ty-lee frowned what was she doing? And then she realized coming up to the pavilion was Prince Ozai. She quickly followed Mai's lead though not nearly as smoothly, her forehead made solid contact to the table with a resounding 'thud' Azula burst out in to giggles. Ursa frowned at her.
"Ty-lee dear is your head alright?"
She asked gently.
"I was unaware daughter that your guests would be coming today"
Prince Ozai announced smoothly kneeling at the table beside his wife.
"You'll have to forgive the informality"
He said Ty-lee dared to glance up and realized that rather than formal robes the prince was wearing simple cotton ones.
"Lady Mai how is your father I'm sure he is doing well under the recent trade acts with the earth kingdom. You never know he might become a governor to the colonies one day. I'm sure he has enough experience in dealing with those savages"
Mai bowed even further at the compliment to her family when she rose there was a smidgen of coloured sugar sticking to her forehead. Azula burst out into renewed giggles while Mai blushed. Ursa signaled for a slave carrying a golden platter with fleshly steamed towels placed upon it. Price Ozai however had already turned to Ty-lee.
"And young Lady Ty-lee I was most distressed to hear of your grandfathers more current ailments, I suppose he's in the hands of the spirits now. Do extend my fondest wishes to your grandmother won't you. This must be a very trying time for her"
"Of course your highness"
Ty-lee squeaked out. The prince just smiled and sipped his tea.
"It must be an awful way to die, sickness, don't you agree?"
He asked smoothly. Ursa's mouth drew into a tight line.
"I really don't think that is an appropriate topic for children"
She said but Azula was already stating her opinions on the matter.
"I think it would be dreadfully boring, being confined to a bed all day, like poor Zuzu when he has one of his 'episodes' "
"Azula"
Ursa hissed
"Yes well daughter be glad that you do not suffer such a weakness"
"Iroh sent me a letter"
Ursa said in obvious desperation all eyes turned to her.
"With the tea, he sent a letter, it was quite amusing really. Did you know that in the city of Omashu they don't add sugar to their tea?"
"How can they stand it then?"
Zuko asked staring glumly at his untouched cup.
"They hold the sugar cube between their teeth like this"
Ursa plucked a square of sugar from the jade bowl gracefully and placed it between her teeth.
"Then"
She said with some difficulty, as was to be expected with a piece of sugar between your teeth.
"They drink their tea"
She took a sip from her cup the hot liquid breaking down the sugar as it passed into her mouth. Ty-lee and Zuko both eagerly reached for sugar cubes, Zuko even offered one to a reluctant Mai then giggling they all proceeded to place the sugar between their teeth and drink. It was hilariously funny when they looked at each other with cubes of sugar visible in their mouths Azula sniffed and turned away.
"What a stupid way to drink tea"
Mourning banners were strung up over Ty-lee's home when she returned from the palace that evening. Her grandfather had died in her absence. She had barely known the man but still she cried simply because he was gone. It was a difficult concept to grasp that someone who had once existed no longer did. That night dressed in their formal mourning clothes the family slept in the houses ancestral hall with the body while the Fire sages completed their rituals. Ty-lee and her sisters huddled together tearfully biting into their hands to keep themselves from crying our loud, their grandmother had promised them severe punishment if they did anything to suggest they weren't good little fire nation girls who weren't afraid of ghosts.
Ty-lee didn't go to school or out of her houses compound for a month after her grandfather's cremation no one did. That was the official mourning period. Her grandmother was worse than ever. Her husband's death had somehow forced a concept of the future upon her. She demanded her son take a second wife the minute tradition would allow him too; their family line needed an heir. Ty-lee's father agreed reluctantly that once he was out of mourning arrangements for a second wife would be made. Her mother cried bitterly in her tiny room but made no attempts to confront her husband; she was a good wife harmonious and obedient to her family's wishes
The only time Ty-lee had ever hated her father was when after the mourning had been lifted he consulted a matchmaker.
Life moved on after that Ty-lee returned to school Azula gave an almost heartfelt apology for the loss of her grandfather Mai shrugged boredly Death she said was a part of life.
A suitable candidate was found for her father's second wife, a woman from a financial family, hardly of noble blood but as a second wife simple riches would do. Neither Ty-lee nor any of her sisters attended the wedding their mother locked herself in her room for three days.
Ty-lee spent more and more time at the palace, she and Mai were given their own chamber to sleep in when they stayed with Azula, they had to share it but it was still more luxurious than Ty-lee's real room.
And then one day she arrived at the palace to be turned away. The royal family was in mourning for the loss of Fire Lord Azulon, he had passed in the night, the citizens weren't aware yet but the palace would be inaccessible for the next month until the mourning period was over. This tradition was to be broken only for the ceremony in which prince Ozai was crowned Fire Lord.
Azula told Ty-lee after the mourning period that her mother the lady Ursa had disappeared on the same night Fire Lord Azulon had died. Ty-lee cried for the lady Ursa, she had been nice to her and to Mai, but more importantly she cried for her own mother. She desperately wished her mother would disappear in the night like Azula's had. She wanted her mother to run away to go back to her father on the island of Bhang Ma. And then she felt angry, angry that her mother hadn't done this already. Couldn't she see how desperately unhappy she was? Why did she accept everything why didn't she stand up for herself?
It was around this point Ty-lee begun to notice auras in full. In some ways she suspected she'd always been able to see them but until Azula's mother had disappeared she had never paid them any attention. It was a corner of the eye thing. And one day watching her mother in the gardens staring at a fire lily that was just about to bloom Ty-lee realized, her mother was happy but not really happy, she was forcing the emotion of happiness to cover all her others it was easy to tell really.
And then Ty-lee decided that no matter what she was going to be happy too.
STORY NOTESPatriarch: many Asian societies are based on patriarchal systems in which the eldest male in the family is the head; being that extended families living together were not uncommon this was an important position
Matriarch: the wife of the patriarch was the head of the house and it's recourses. In larger richer families this meant overseeing the servants and day to day tasks. Also the matriarch was in charge of marriage proposals within the family and the like.
Yin and yang: In ancient china before the science of reproduction had been discovered it was thought that the gender of a child was determined by how much yin it received from its mother and how much yang it received from its father. Too much yin meant a girl too much yang resulted in a boy. At this point I should mention that as a Christian I do not believe in Yin and Yang.
Second wives: In many cultures throughout the past Asian culture included having more than one wife was acceptable.
Slaves: In the time frame of Avatar it is more likely that slaves rather than servants were kept.
Canon: I do not know the meaning of this word
Mourning: There are several different mourning rituals throughout Asia the one I have described I believe to be Chinese Buddhist, if I am wrong feel free to correct me.
Anyway that's all I have no clue as to Ty-lee's past excluding what she said in 'The beach' so this is not in anyway canon but tell me what you thought. I accept criticism just please be constructive and polite. My apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors you find I am currently looking for a beta reader if you're interested feel free to contact me.
Ari out!