008 The Southern Water Tribe
Fire Nation's winter is nothing on Water Tribe's. Ty Lee has only been there once, when Suki tied the knot with Sokka in a traditional Water Tribe ceremony and that was years ago. The Four Nation Summit is an event that is rotated among every sovereign, with the Fire Nation capital hosting the last one the previous year. It is recognized as a monumental step to the peace that Avatar Aang strived for. The fact that the world's leaders could sit through a diplomatic agreement without trying to kill each other is testament to its success. Aang has been working hard ever since and it is heartwarming to see his relentless, noble efforts come into fruition.
It is one step to balance. It is one step to recovery. The world has been so scarred and it needs to be healed.
Attending this one as the Fire Lord's chief of staff reminds Ty Lee of the weight she bears, her own imbalance, of the fact that she should not be the one there in the first place.
That Azula…
It should be Azula.
Ty Lee's heart is broken too.
And she would probably never recover.
…
"They call themselves the New Ozai Society." Peace talks, after the never-ending debates about colonies and authorities, about exportation and merchandise. It is the same each mind numbing year. Zuko stands at the podium with trusty, loyal Ty Lee just behind him. The audience is rapt in attention, eyes focusing on the scarred young, leader. The Fire Nation's Civil War always somewhat interested them. One cannot blame them. The nation who brought the world to its knees, now destroying itself from the inside.
"That was named after… the ex-Fire Lord, isn't it?" King Kuei looks uncertain, his spectacles glinting in the lamplight. He pushes it to the bridge of his nose and thinks aloud with the authorized air of a scholar. "What exactly are their goals? And are they a threat to world peace?"
"They have some of the Fire Nation islands under their control." Zuko responds, with the practiced air of a politician. He is improving. Ty Lee is as proud as a supportive mother hen. "Some is the keyword. We are working on other-"
"So this must mean that you are talking of several other threats then." General How. Stern-faced and battle-hardened, the man stares the young Fire Lord down. Ty Lee has identified him as one of Zuko's critics. Kuei is just a little more lenient than his inferior. "Several rebel factions. I don't mean to insinuate anything about your popularity as a leader but it does seem like your people does not like you very much, Fire Lord."
Unperturbed, Zuko raises a finger to stop Aang from springing to his defense. He nods, graciously accepting the undisguised criticism. "I am aware of that. As we stand now, I have had a couple of assassination attempts for this month."
"Aaah." King Bumi's squeal makes everyone wince. The ancient man bites something that looks like a green rock. That one in the catacombs in Ba Sing Se. Yes, that one. "That explains those soldiers following you around. Skilled ones too. You can see it in their posture."
"They are an elite team." Ty Lee agrees, taking her cue and smiling at the wizened, old Earthbender. "I picked them myself."
"Fire Nation people always know how to pick their underlings. I remember the Princess. She was quite formidable with her own small, elite team too, wasn't she?"
Uncomfortable silence overwhelms the whole room.
The old man cackles, insensitive. Perhaps purposefully "And it proved to be her downfall too!"
…
.
"Hey…"
Kazumi looks startled. She should be, Ty Lee thinks. Perched on the ceilings, watching for any threats. The hiding spot of the recon squad is the last thing a commander would need to check in to. Not that a problem would likely arouse either. The world's best benders in one place puts the odds significantly in their favor.
No one would dare kill Zuko in this setting.
No one, right?
"Where's the other two?"
"Checking the grounds." Is her vague reply. Ty Lee does not question it. "You sought me out." It is almost an accusation. In the darkness of the antartic, she looks like a spirit, as plain and nondescript as her features are. Kazumi stands in her green dress, shoulder slumped.
"I did." Ty Lee admits, openly staring. Ethereal. Kazumi's shadows cast a fine silhouette. She is beautiful, Ty Lee realizes, hearing her heartbeat pound violently on her throat. Kazumi is beautiful. Just like she thought and still thinks Azula had been.
"Why?" Eyebrows are raised. Confused look. She fidgets on her sheathed sword, head cocked.
"I need someone to talk to."
"Hm. Being a soundboard is part of my job description, it seems."
"You told me you were not very interested about Azula." She utters, sighs. She takes her eyes off Kazumi's form and stares ahead the horizon. "That's a comfort. Everyone else seems to be."
"I can imagine."
"We are facing huge problems right now. The country is in a civil war. It would have been nice if she were here with us too. She always got that smarts Zuko did not have."
"I did hear she conquered cities at fourteen."
"She was my girlfriend."
Kazumi does not even react. Ty Lee does not know how exactly she would like her to. "You told me."
Ty Lee breathes in and out, eyes closed. "I miss her." Bitter chuckle. "Which is kind of wrong because I should not. She hurt me. I hurt her. I could not just… Mai was my friend too you know."
She nods. Maybe she has heard of what happened in the Boiling Rock? Or remembers it? Ty Lee does not have any idea.
"And so was she." The wistful note in her words… Surely, Ty Lee did not just imagine it.
"I know." Ty Lee looks up at the endless sky. The stars could be counted tonight though, it seems. "Sometimes, I wish…"
"Don't." Kazumi interrupts. Blatantly.
Ty Lee looks at her.
"Don't think of how you regret it. When you regret, you will have doubts. When you have doubts, you will not move forward." Kazumi pauses. "And you need to move on from the past."
"Of course you would say that." She says. She is unsure if it is even heard. "You moved on quite splendidly, yourself."
"Maybe." Kazumi shrugs and looks away. "I don't really remember."
…
.
They have sex, Southern Water Tribe style. Ty Lee thinks it is weird, her still clothed body rubbing against fur blankets and cemented brick floors as the awkward exchange of kisses in the rooftop escalate into a passionate tryst in her room. Kazumi kisses like Azula did all those years, sloppy, panicked, every bit of the socially incompetent princess she really is. Ty Lee does not know why she remembers this. Ty Lee does not know why she punishes herself all over again. But Kazumi's scent consumes her like only Azula's had. And for a moment, she realizes…
..that perhaps she can move on to a new life, like Azula herself so obviously did as Kazumi.
Morning comes in the South Pole. The sun shines and the penguins chirp excitedly. The Avatar had promised to have sledding show today. Ty Lee thinks that she could just stay in bed, deep in these fur blankets that made the night they shared more real, that somehow reminds her of how Azula smelled when they shared flesh for the first time too.
But Kazumi goes through it like nothing happened.
And Ty Lee wakes up cold and alone.
(TBC)
