The Kyoshi Warriors


"Nishi and I saw you kick that guy's butt, by the way," Aiko was smiling as she slapped the back of Ty Lee's hands. "I win again!"

"Really? And you guys didn't say anything?" Just in time, Ty Lee noticed a muscle in Aiko's wrist twitch and managed to jerk her hands out of the way. The girls were sitting cross-legged on top of the steel table, the laundry pushed into a heap beside them. Aiko shook her head in the negative, and again slapped the back of Ty Lee's hands quick as lightening.

"Awwh, I used to be so good at this game," she said with an exaggerated sigh, eliciting a grin from Aiko. After some very monotonous uniform folding, followed by the realization that the guards didn't bother to supervise the their work, only stood outside the laundry room, Ty Lee decided to teach her new friend one of the games she'd played as a little girl. The clean laundry fell down the chute as fast as the girls could fold it anyway, so as long as they didn't make too much noise Ty Lee figured they could get away with slacking.

"…Hahaha….I think he's kind of cute…with those blue eyes…" the voices of two women guards floated through the door.

After a few more lost games, Ty Lee's hands were starting to get red so she pulled them back, resting her elbows on her knees and leaning her chin on her palms, "But why didn't you tell?" she asked, curious. If the Kyoshis had said to the guards that they'd seen Ty Lee throw the first (and only) punches, then surely some of the other prisoners would have spoken up as well instead of standing in a daze. Then, she would have been sent away like Mai and with a jolt Ty Lee realized that SoupGuard would probably have lost his job for lying, if he wasn't arrested for conspiring with prisoners.

"…You just don't see that too often is all I'm saying"

"…Alright I'll give you the blue eyes…but that belly…"

Aiko shrugged, examining the ragged hem of her red tunic, "I dunno, selling out one of the few female prisoners? It'd be like betraying my own kind," she smiled awkwardly. Ty Lee could tell that wasn't the whole reason and after a glance at her raised eyebrow, Aiko dropped the fake smile, "I really don't know, it just felt wrong. We both hated you and we talked about it later, but neither of us felt right…going to the guards…it was like...uhm...I don't know... tattling? No, that's not what I mean. Uhm I just don't know…you know?" Ty Lee didn't really understand, but nodded anyway, just to put Aiko out of her misery. She smiled gratefully.

"...just sit by him tonight in the cafeteria!"

"Plus it was really cool." Aiko added, her smile genuine, and the acrobat couldn't help but giggle. "Really! You were like, flipflip HYAH! Kick flip, punch!" she mimed out each sound effect as she spoke.

"Well, I am pretty great," Ty Lee replied, flexing her biceps. There was another fit of giggling. Ty Lee vaguely realized that she could no longer hear the guards, just in time for the door to open. The guards stepped inside, having heard the laughing.

"This is not a slumber party," one of the guards said, her voice harsh. Ty Lee couldn't see behind her helmet, but for some reason she imagined the face of her former Physical Activity teacher from the Fire Academy, "Get back to work." The guard pulled Aiko off of the table forcefully, and Ty Lee saw the anger flash across her friend's face. Remembering the way Mai had been taken away, Ty Lee felt panic rise up in her chest. What if they take Aiko too?

They had just met, but the more she got to know the girl from Kyoshi, the more Ty Lee liked her. Aiko nowhere near as severe as Ty Lee had imagined, and she figured that it was just a front. They were on the same cell block so they generally got assigned to the same work detail, and it was only then that Aiko would let her mask down and the acrobat could see how very unhappy she was. Yet, when she was in the yard, or anywhere the guards could see, Aiko's face would change completely into that of a Kyoshi Warrior: strong and determined.

After their idle work talk, Ty Lee had learned that Aiko had grown up in Kyoshi, idolizing the female warriors that protected their town, and when she was 13 she went, under the urging of a friend, to visit the gym where the warriors trained. Together they got down on their knees and asked to be accepted as students, but the woman who was in charge at the time refused, saying that they were too young. She and her friend, Suki, went back each day until finally the woman agreed, only to be blown away when Aiko won the first sparring match she'd been thrown in to; something which was meant to humiliate her.

"And now Suki is the leader!" Aiko had explained, "Funny, huh?"

She's actually a lot like Mai; putting up a mask to hide behind, Ty Lee realized, well, maybe not quite as bad as Mai...and Mai could never stand to wear all that bright makeup.

Now, Ty Lee watched the other girl's face closely. Aiko's mouth was pulled into a sneer as the woman stepped away, and Ty Lee could only assume that the Kyoshi was imagining all the horrible things she wanted to do to the woman as payback. Thankfully, she restrained herself; Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief and the girls went back to their folding in silence, with the door open so the guards could keep an eye on them.


That evening in the food line Ty Lee sported a huge grin. That in itself wasn't exactly unusual; for a long time SoupGuard had been her only 'friend' and getting to talk to him (even though he didn't always talk back) at each meal time were the happiest parts of her day. But that day, as they were lead back to their cells, Aiko had whispered to find her after dinner at the edge of the courtyard underneath the guard tower so she could meet Nishi.

Ty Lee smiled widely, "Thanks!" she said to SoupGuard, who nodded before taking another ladle of gruel and moving on to the next bowl. Ty Lee bounced a few paces towards the other side of the courtyard, but then switched to a brisk walk when she realized that she'd spilled almost half of her soup.

Thus far in their young friendship, Aiko and Ty Lee had stayed separate in the yard: Ty Lee alone or trying to elicit answers from SoupGuard (it never worked if they weren't alone), and Aiko sitting beside Nishi. So, the young woman was very excited to meet the other Kyoshi Warrior, but as Ty Lee got close enough to see Nishi's light eyes narrowed in suspicion her enthusiasm started to wilt.

She stopped in front of the Kyoshis, knuckles white as she clutched her half-filled bowl. "Ty Lee this is Nishi, Nishi: Ty Lee," Aiko introduced them with a smile that looked forced.

"Hi," Nishi said abruptly, filling one syllable with more anger than Ty Lee thought was possible, and then turning to glare meaningfully at Aiko, who shot an apologetic glance at Ty Lee then leaned over to mumble in her friend's ear. The young acrobat shifted awkwardly to lean on one foot, unsure if she should sit down or not.

Ty Lee could only make out a few words, "..promised…different…betrayed." Nishi eyed her again, which made her wish that she had just stayed in her regular spot and tried to get SoupGuard to tell her when his birthday was. After a pause, the stern young woman sighed, looking defeated and motioned for Ty Lee to sit down on the ground beside them.

She did, and spent the first few awkward moments staring forlornly into her bowl, sneaking a glance here or there at Nishi and Aiko, both of whom were glancing anywhere but her, Aiko anxiously bouncing her knee.

"So…Nishi," Ty Lee said, followed by a pregnant pause. She knew that she had to be the one to talk; she had started the problems with the Kyoshis by helping Azula beat them, so it was up to her to start a friendship. Unfortunately, as she often did, Ty Lee started to speak before she had decided what to say, and now she was frozen like a deer in headlights while the Earth Kingdom girls' faces slowly changed into confusion at her very long pause.

"Er…" she cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to her mind, "When's your birthday?"


A/N: I have also finished chapter 12, but I have to let it stew for a while, then re-read it and edit it to make sure I like it in it's current state. n.n

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/commented/subscribed/read. =D