A/N: Dear Readers. This is an entry to the Probending Circuit Round 3 Challenge. The prompts used are (action) laughing, (emotion) surprise and (genre) Family. I have decided to write about Ty Lee and hope that everyone enjoys this story.
I don't own ATLA.
Thanks for reading!
House of Ty Lee
The noble household of the Hoangs was in a total chaos as the 7th little princess was born into the family. No one could have not expected this to happen for it was long predicted in their family's astrological signs that they were to be blessed with 7 identical children. The sages never told them they would all be girls though. And so because Ty Lee was born, the Hoangs had lost all hopes of gaining a son to continue on their family name.
Nevertheless, it was the beginning of the rest of Ty Lee's bittersweet life, as she opened her big-grey eyes to what was a brand new world for a newborn and yet to the rest of the world, she is just another very familiar face.
And so little Ty Lee began her toddler years just like her 6 other sisters before her. At that early age, young Ty Lee had already decided that since everything that seems exciting to her is not to everyone else, she concludes then, quite firmly, that life is indeed extremely dull.
One day, as Ty Lee was brought out of her big mansion-prison, she saw other kids around her age who look different from herself and her sisters. How surprising!
"Ty Lat, why do all those kids look different from us?" Ty Lee asked her 2nd oldest sister, the one who she has come to discover was the kindest out of all the others.
"Because they are not our family,' Ty Lat responds as she peers down to look at her youngest sister who was holding so tightly to her hand. She understands well that her little sister is feeling a little cautious since it is her first venture outside of the mansion doors. Their parents had a weird rule of only allowing them to go out into the world once they are 5 years old; an age they decided was old enough to fend for themselves or at least run fast enough in case of any danger. It being her first outing, Ty Lee was quite naturally surprised that there are other kids who look entirely different from them!
'You'll get to see more when you start school next year, Ty Lee."
It was then that Ty Lee decided that she should look forward to her first day of school and it was such a torturously long wait.
Ty Lee's first day of school was new and yet a familiar experience. Her 6 sisters had already indoctrinated her with ideas of what school life would be like even when she did not ask for it and so when it did, it felt somewhat like a used novelty; an experience new but made second-hand by others. Everything lacks freshness, lacks zest and excitement even if she was trying them for the first time. Even the kids treated her without as much vigor as she would have liked. Undoubtedly, they have seen someone that looks like her before.
Soon, Ty Lee decided for herself that she deserved something more. If all those kids can have all that fun, why can't she? She was number 7 by no fault of her own after all. Ty Lee is going to forget all of her unexciting firsts and start with fresh new ones.
That morning, Ty Lee had woken up earlier than any of her sisters. She had washed up while everyone was still asleep which means she had just jumped ahead of queue. She had used the mirror and powdered her face without having to elbow anybody. She did not have to fight for the hairbrush and had tied her braid using the first ribbon arranged neatly on the dresser. She took her bag out of the closet and went down to the kitchen to get her own breakfast and sit at a spot at the kitchen island that she never could before.
As she sat there finishing her cereal, her spoon stuck in her mouth and her legs swinging, she realizes how empty and silent the kitchen was.
And it made Ty Lee laugh.
A genuine laugh. For the first time in her entire life, she had experienced her many firsts and they all came rushing to her on this particular morning. It felt good; very good indeed and Ty Lee has just made up her mind that she is going to be a morning person from now on. Happily, she jumped off her stool, excited to get started on her own to school. She saw her mom slowly moving down the stairs, dragging her feet clad in fuzzy bunny slippers still bleary-eyed from sleep. Ty Lee smiled her genuine smile as she jumped up to kiss her mother on her cheek, "I'm heading to school, Mom! Bye!"
It really does feel like the start of a great day.
The sun is peeking slightly from behind the clouds and the birds have just started chirping as the crickets went into hiding. Even Ty Lee's cycle to school felt shorter than it normally was and yet somehow, she felt like she had seen many new things this morning that would have normally gone unnoticed. For instance, right now, there was a black limousine at the entrance of the school and a little girl, probably around Ty Lee's age had stepped out as her driver stood by the door, bowing or perhaps hunching over, Ty Lee's not too sure. She has definitely not seen anything like that before. The grown man also looks pretty scared of that little girl who was talking to him now as he silently nods his head repeatedly.
Ty Lee frowns, a curious frown as she continues to cycle closer to her school entrance.
The little girl had just turned her head and is looking in her direction now and it occurred to Ty Lee that she had never seen anyone stand so ramrod straight before. They exchanged frowns although it was out of curiosity on Ty Lee's part and for totally different reasons for the other girl.
Ty Lee sees the girl hold up her hand as if to command her to stop while her other hand rests on a hip. For a small person, she can be rather intimidating.
Ty Lee stops her bike about 2 feet away from the intimidating girl who's left eyebrow now arches perfectly as she stares Ty Lee down with her golden eyes.
"Who are you and what are you doing here so early in the morning?" Her voice has a stern, yet purring sound to it and Ty Lee hates to admit that she thinks her voice is simply gorgeous to the ears. No, she has never heard anyone sound like that before.
"I'm Ty Lee and I go to this school. Who are you?"
"You do not ask the questions! I do!' the girl responds haughtily and Ty Lee had never thought that an expression like that can be pulled off by kids their age. She had only ever seen it on her mother's or her grandmother's faces before when they are about to reprimand Ty Lee for something she did not do right, or did too much or did too little. 'But it is important that someone informs you of who I am since you don't look like you know anything all."
Ty Lee thinks she has just been insulted but she is not too sure and so she only eyes the other girl as she brings her other hand to rest on her other hip. Now, she really does remind Ty Lee of her grandmother standing in her favorite pose.
"I am Princess Azula, daughter of Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa and only granddaughter of Firelord Azulon and Firelady Ilah. I cannot believe a person exist doesn't know that,' Princess Azula now crosses her arms as she stares down at Ty Lee who is still on her bike, looking quite empty-headed with a perpetual "O"-shape around her lips.
'Anyway, why are you so early? Usually no one is in school yet at this hour. I should know, I'm always the first to arrive even before the teachers." Princess Azula declares rather smugly.
"Oh! This is my first time that I came to school this early. I just decided today that I am going to be a morning person so here I am!"
There was a clear pause as Azula rolls her eyes at that answer.
"Fine, whatever, just make sure you arrive after me the next time. I hate being second to anyone." She starts walking away only to have that weird, clueless girl follow her like a lost little wolf-puppy.
Azula unfortunately, is not sympathetic to those smelly, salivating, tongue-wagging, bone-munching creatures that loves eating her shoes. Her brother received one as a birthday present from their mother last year but it went missing a week later. Fortunately.
She smirks at that memory of a bawling big brother after his just-as-ugly mutt went missing.
She felt a particular itch in her reflexes as that girl with those ridiculously big brown eyes inches within her comfortable private space. Oh how she hates the overlapping voices of her masters Lo and Li in her head now as they parted one of their wisdoms onto the Princess, "The greatest firebender is one who shows the greatest amount of restraint," and she understands now, painfully so, why.
Restraint is extremely difficult. Destruction is so much easier.
"Wanna be friends? I don't mind being second to you! I'm really good at it too!" Ty Lee says excitedly as she half-cycles, half walks behind the Princess who suddenly turns on her heel and Ty Lee has to thank someone up in heaven that she has superior braking skills.
Ty Lee smiles, her genuine smile as she looks on at the Princess expectantly. She is going to have to look up her sister's history books for a lesson on the Fire Nation Royal family. Her family on its own is so huge and chaotic that Ty Lee had never been interested about other people's families. From the looks of this girl though, she seems important and she has a nice car- bigger than her father's and, she does not seem like she has met anyone that looks like Ty Lee!
"She seems like a good person to have around at my beck and call,' Azula thinks to herself. 'Getting a voluntary servant on my first day of school."
"Alright. You can be my friend as long as you follow my rules."
"Sure!"
Before Ty Lee even knew it, what began as a friendship blossomed into love and after much heartache, betrayal and abandonment many, many years later, Ty Lee and Princess Azula got married.
It was like a bolt out of the blue, just like the bolt of blue flame that had just shot through the air, lighting up the room as it lands on a strand of wick to maintain a safe hue.
Perfect aiming by a perfect Princess.
"Your fire is always the best," A statement issued that no one in the world would refute.
The Princess smirks as she watches her wife stack presents high up in a towering pile only to bring them down again, dispersing it around the gift table. The shot of flame was a break for the Princess after several hours of doing nothing. She loathes parties and never had any intentions of helping her wife prepare for one. She was simply here after being kicked out of the Meeting Room by her brother who claimed he can run the country without her criticisms.
Well Azula would have loved to compliment him for his achievements but she had already run out of those several years earlier and he hasn't updated his list of achievements lately. Mai had declared that she would be looking after the children who are already being looked after by their hired nannies who are now putting the kids down for their nap before Izumi's birthday party begins in another hour.
"You don't have to light it now though,' Ty Lee tells her obviously bored and moody wife. 'We don't want to get wax all over the cake before the party even starts."
The flame extinguishes as Azula clenches her fist as she sighs. She did not even realise her daughter had come up to her, tugging at her shirt.
"Mom, when is the party going to start?" A half awake, eye-rubbing, tousled haired child had come to add fire to her already blackened mood about having to even attend this party.
"You're awake so soon?' her wife takes over as Azula simply stands there exercising silent self-restraint.
'You must be excited about the party huh?" Ty Lee leans over her child and ruffles her ebony hair as she simply nods. 'Well then why don't we both get dressed for the party. It should be starting very soon."
Azucena nods and follows her Mama out the door. Ty Lee throws an apologetic smile to Azula who just scowls in return. "Aren't you gonna get dressed too?"
"I don't think that would be necessary," Azula scoffs, crossing her arms looking like a spoilt child. 'It's only a silly kids party anyway!"
Ty Lee smiles at her wife's antics. Countless times she has told Azula how much Azucena takes after her and Azula would simply ignore her. Right now, standing there, she looks just like an older Azucena, throwing a tantrum after having her self-made firecrackers confiscated.
Precocious, just like her mother at that age.
It reminded Ty Lee of a certain birthday party of hers when Princess Azula decided to add a little excitement to an otherwise boring "Princess-themed" party that Ty Lee's mother had forced onto her in honour of having Azula as a guest. It had involved a firecracker and a huge whirlwind of – well, fire.
At the end of the party, the entire left wing of the Hoang's estate had burnt to a crisp and it all started with a birthday candle being 'accidentally' replaced with a single teeny-weeny firecracker which had shot up to the ceiling upon being lit, sending sparks all over the room which somehow became tiny fireballs that enveloped everything in its path.
Azula swore she had nothing to do with it and Ty Lee was upset that her party was ruined. Later however, she retracted that sentiment when she saw the look on her mother's face. It was the best birthday present she has ever received and Azula was suddenly quick to claim the credit. Mai claimed she had a part in the shenanigans too as she had helped Azula in making the firecracker but Azula had dismissed her entirely taking sole credit for herself. In spite of the incident that day, the three of them truly had a wonderful time ruining Ty Lee's birthday party and her family's reputation in organising social affairs.
Their laughter that day could have lighted up the entire Royal Palace just with its sheer energy.
And indeed, who would have thought that the Royal Palace had chosen this day to make that event come true. An elite guard had just come rushing to the hall, bowing quite awkwardly before announcing, "Princesses, my apologies for the intrusion but the eastern Palace has been set on fire. The rebels have somehow managed to break through the walls and they are on their way here. It is best that you leave quickly!"
"What?' Ty Lee exclaimed in surprise as she lifted her daughter in her arms, shifting immediately into protective parent mode.
"Where is the Firelord and his wife? Have they been evacuated?" Princess Azula demands.
"I am not too sure of that Princess, but the elite guards have been notified so they must be on their way to the underground passage now as should you," the guard says hastily as he beckons the Princesses to follow him to make their way to the Palace secret underground passage.
"How could this have happened?" Ty Lee exclaims, moving quickly along with her wife.
"Trust Zuko to louse everything up! I warned him before about this and he just wouldn't listen! The idiot!" Azula was fuming as she recalls that fight she had with her brother about the way he was handling the riots and protests happening in the caldera lately.
The reach the throne room where the main door to the secret passageway is. Ty Lee only now realises how eerie the place seems without anyone around or the flames around the throne to warm up the room. She shivers slightly, pulling her daughter closer to her. Azucena is afraid and Ty Lee can tell from her silence. It is her way of dealing with her fears, just like her Mom.
They hear a loud boom as the doors to the throne room burst open and what seemed like an entire Caldera population had entered the throne room, some with flames in their palms and others with pitchforks, sickles and hoes.
"You guard and Ty Lee! Leave with Azucena into the tunnels now!" Azula demands as she throws fireballs haphazardly at the crowd, trying to hinder their advances.
Ty Lee has no intentions of leaving her wife behind to fight this crowd alone; she is absolutely outnumbered. Still, she runs behind the throne where the entrance to the tunnels is hidden.
"Come on! In here!" The guard declares as he pulls open the heavy door that seem to be sealed rather tightly from redundancy for many years. They move in through the doors and Ty Lee pulls the guard back.
"Wait! I need you to take Azucena with you!"
"B- but Princess! I-"
"Shut up and do as I say!' Ty Lee shoves Azucena into his arms as she tells her child, 'It's going to be ok, baby. You have to go with this guard now and Mom and I will come back to find you!" Ty Lee whispers into Azucena's ear before giving her a sweet smile, trying her best to sound as calm as possible to alleviate her daughter's mounting fears.
Ty Lee almost gave in to her tears as she sees how her young daughter is trying to put up a brave front although the tears streaming down her cheeks betray her now. Ty Lee knows full well that her daughter is afraid when she falls absolutely silent in an attempt to conceal her fears. Just like Azula.
"Go! Go now!" she pushes the guard as she turns to move out the door and concealing it shut after herself. She takes in a huge breath as she tries not to regret her decision of not looking back at her daughter as she leaves.
Azula needs me now!
She runs back out to the main hall and sees her wife still attempting to disarm as many of the rebels as possible. She runs in too, carefully selecting her opponents, attempting to disable those who are benders first before moving on to the non-bending folks.
"Ty Lee! What are you doing here!?"
"Helping you! What else?" Ty Lee responds as she blocks a man with a spear.
"What about Azucena?"
"She's gone with the guard! She'll be fine!"
"Why- won't-you-listen-to-me?!' Azula screams as she too takes down three rebels at once with a flame whip. 'I told you to leave!"
"I'm not leaving without you!" She does a cartwheel, kicking a man twice in the abdomen and his face as he falls forward to unconsciousness and Ty Lee continues with three backflips landing perfectly next to her wife. The have their backs to each other as they have a stare-down with the remaining rebels who seem to have finally stopped coming at them in waves after seeing what had happened to those who had gone before them.
"Things are looking up!' Ty Lee whispers to her wife. 'I think we should be able to –"
Another flame comes her way almost burning her face off if not for Azula extinguishing it.
"You were saying?" Azula exclaims as she throws her own fireball hitting the man square in the face as he howls, clutching his burnt face in pain.
"Don't be so smug, Princess!" Ty Lee says as she sees the smirk on Azula's face.
"I just saved your life!"
"Well it's your job! You're my wife and I love you it every time you save me!" Ty Lee exclaims with a grin of her own and they are both well aware that this isn't the time for exchanging teasing cracks with one another but they just can't help it. The chemistry between them shines most when they are in combat mode together, as odd as that sounds.
The floor opens up and Ty Lee feels her body falling.
She sees her life flash through her eyes for the very first time, mostly in smiles and laughter that Princess Azula has thrown her way.
And Ty Lee thinks to herself, in this life, she has no regrets.
.
.
3499 words.