.21. Illness
Once upon a time, a girl named Ty Lee lived in a small village in the rural Fire Nation. She was sweet, beloved, and innocent above all else. Of her many sisters, she was the only one who made sure she stood out from the identical crowd by always wearing bright pink.
This cold winter day, it is uncannily rainy in the Fire Nation. Ty Lee finds a pink hood among her monochrome closet—shared with her sisters but overrun by her clothes—and races to her mother to collect a basket of the best remedies.
"I'm still not sure about this," laments her mother as she reluctantly hands Ty Lee the basket. "Are you sure you want to do this? Those woods are dangerous."
"This house could be dangerous. There could be an earthquake or a fire any minute. A volcano could erupt or we could fall in a sinkhole. I will be totally fine in the forest. I'm smart!" The last part she might not believe as much as the others.
"Follow the path of pins to its end. Do not stray off of the road. People disappear when they do that," orders her mother.
Ty Lee is only half listening. She takes the basket and sets off humming into the thick forest.
After a long, boring time in the woods, Ty Lee stops to pick beautiful flowers. She loves them and she loves savoring every minute of her life. Lost in her distraction, she does not notice someone approaching from the side.
"Are you lost?" asks a girl's voice. Ty Lee stands up so fast she nearly breaks her spine.
The girl is very beautiful, with dark hair, reddish lips and bright gold eyes. Her eyes are the most incredible thing about her, Ty Lee thinks.
"No. I'm just going to my grandma's house. She's sick and I need to help take care of her." Ty Lee smiles warmly at the beautiful girl in front of her.
"How unfortunate. Does she live far away?" asks the girl, smirking. Ty Lee has never seen that expression before and she does not know what to think about it.
"Yeah. She lives way at the end of the path of pins," Ty Lee says, still grinning.
"The path of needles is much faster." The girl approaches. She smells sweet and metallic. The scent is familiar, but Ty Lee cannot put her finger on it.
"I'm gonna stay with the pins," Ty Lee says.
"Good. We'll race then. I assure you that I'll get there first," says the girl.
"Sounds fun," Ty Lee replies.
They part ways onto the different paths. Ty Lee cannot help but dilly dally. She chases butterflies and adds more flowers to the bouquet she plans to give to her grandmother. The strange girl, however, takes the fastest path and wastes no time.
When Ty Lee arrives at her grandmother's house, the soup has gone cold and the bread is slightly soggy. She hopes that the flowers make up for it. Making sure her grandmother feels less ill is important to her.
Ty Lee knocks.
"Come in!" calls a raspy, very sick voice. It is unrecognizable because of the cough and rasp and wheeze.
Ty Lee worries that her grandmother is even worse than she thought.
She walks inside and the door shuts. The fire rages and Ty Lee sets the soup on it, letting her grandmother rest.
Ty Lee finds a pitcher on the table and pours herself the glass of scarlet juice. It was a long journey, and she knows her grandmother will not mind if she has some. She does not mind the taste, even though it is bitter.
Clearing her throat, Ty Lee walks into her grandmother's room.
She gasps and drops her bouquet and basket. On the bed sits the girl from the woods. She crosses her legs like she is on a throne, and she looks amused, like she has just won a game that no one else was playing.
"Don't worry. Your grandmother isn't sick anymore. I cured her," says the strange girl and Ty Lee gulps. "Come lie down. You're so sweaty and tired. You really should have taken the shorter path."
Ty Lee walks forward, entranced. Those gold eyes fixate on hers and she forgets who she is. The pink clothes give way to peach skin as she, mesmerized, walks forward.
Her lips meet with the strange girl and she feels a jolt of electricity through her body. The girl runs her fingernail down Ty Lee's spine, giving her chills and freezing her sweat. Ty Lee kisses her and can taste that bitterness again and smell that sweetness again.
Blood, Ty Lee realizes as the dangerous girl snatches her up. The smell and taste are blood. She means to gasp, but those gold eyes meet hers again.
The strange girl takes off her own clothes. Ty Lee slides onto her lap, unable to resist the strong and alien feelings.
Such sharp nails she has. The better to dig into Ty Lee's back as they twist.
Such soft lips she has. The better to suck on Ty Lee's lips in a way that makes her moan.
Such smooth skin she has. The better to guide Ty Lee's oddly eager hands across.
Such sharp teeth she has. The better to bite Ty Lee's neck as she pins her back to the bed.
Such bright eyes she has. The better to make Ty Lee obey her every desire.