Author's Note: Well, it's been a long time, huh? Let me assure you that I did not neglect this story willfully. In fact, I had, for many years, written up dozens of chapter drafts.
(just not all in sequential order without any gaps)

The problem was, my Macbook got EMP'd by lighting- no really, curse you Azula- and I on two separate occasions had files extracted from the motherboard with the intent to go forward with What Meets the Eye. But, between my penchant for losing small things like USBs, certain keyboard letters failing on the other computer at the time, and discouragement from thinking that perhaps the fandom was too old, or at the very least needing to watch the whole series again to re-familiarize myself with the details of the characters, the intent was lost among the noise.

But now we're back baby. Mike and Bryan are making a live-action remake that M. Night Shyamalan's grubby mitts are nowhere near to touching. Netflix has released the original! New fans are swelling the ranks of the fandom!

Like the boy, the Bridge Between the Worlds,

Let us be reborn!

Let the Avatar Renaissance BEGIN!

What Meets the Eye

"It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

"No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down." -Zuko and Iroh, Book 2, Chapter 9: Bitter Work

Chapter 21: Journeys and Travels

"Have I told you how I had to change my name at the circus?" Ty Lee chuckled.

"Change it? Why?" Zuko asked.

Sitting in a circle, the three 'traitor' Fire Nation natives were an odd sight to see, sitting in the middle of the grassy field. Ty Lee still wore one of Katara's spare blue dresses. And the other two wore clothes, that, at one time, would've been unthinkable to get grass stains on.

"Well, the pronunciation was the same. But because we visited so many of the colonies, the ringmaster suggested that when we went there, I'd have to spell it the Earth Kingdom way," she explained.

"Why would that matter?"

"He changed it on the posters for the different areas."

"Wait, really? He commissioned an artist to do all that work over?"

The acrobat nodded. "He claimed that when he did that, Earth Kingdom citizens were more likely to come."

"That makes sense, I guess," Zuko nodded thoughtfully.

"So," Iroh rubbed his beard. "If you weren't spelling it like your sister, Meili, T-A-I-L-I, how is it spelled in the vernacular?"

"T-y L-e-e."

"Hm."

"In fact, whenever I think of my name now, I hardly ever slip back into Taili. I even sometimes think of her name as M-a-y L-e-e. And Mai as M-a-y."

"Did you apply for dual citizenship?" Iroh asked.

"Yep!"

"So I imagine it came in handy then, too."

"Since I'm not a bender, they were much more flexible to the idea."

"What about the earthbender at the circus?" Iroh asked.

"Poshu? He's hidden his bending since he was little, since both of his parents were firebenders. On all of his documents he's listed as a nonbender."

"How unfortunate," the retired general sighed.

"Well, you know, some people aren't quite as attached to bending as others," she pointed out. "Rila didn't really care one way or the other. I've mentioned Rila before to you guys, too, right?" Ty Lee asked.

"Uh . . ." Zuko scratched his head.

"She was a firebender performer. You were very close." Iroh recalled.

"Yes! She claims that if her bending went away, she wouldn't miss it that much. It's just a means to an end. But can that even happen?" she asked the older firebender.

"Very rarely. Usually firebenders have to let off chi energy. But I suppose if your connection to fire isn't that strong, then it may leave you. According to what the White Lotus has educated me on, though, you can always get it back."

"That's good to hear. I've encountered stories where bending gets much weaker, but not totally gone! That sounds awful," Zuko shook his head.

"I wonder if such a person could legally be considered a nonbender," Iroh speculated.

"Probably," Ty Lee nodded, "I mean, since birth certificates are all the same, and have to be added onto once someone demonstrates they're a bender . . . if someone did all the right moves, but nothing happened, then functionally . . . well, I don't know for sure, obviously. But it would make sense."

"I knew many nonbenders in the army who used bending forms to fight," Iroh said. "The styles may have arisen due to the reaction of the elements and the flow of chi," he winked at Ty Lee, who could sense such movements of energy, "but the katas are useful in and of themselves, too."

"Maybe Sokka should do that," Zuko suggested.

"Maybe he would take to it better than chi blocking," Ty Lee agreed.

"Did you teach anyone at the circus those techniques?" Zuko asked.

"Azula told me not to."
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"Can you please not firebend around the animals?" Ty Lee asked meekly.

Rila crossed her arms. "They're trained to jump through flaming hoops. What's the problem?"

"Just because theyvcan doesn't mean you should make them do something unpleasant when they don't have to," the pink-clad girl pointed out.

"Ugh, fine."

It was still pretty early on in the girls' relationship, and the disowned noble was not sure the commoner quite liked her. The other girl seemed friendly enough, but after being immersed in both the Girls' Academy and her sisters, and suddenly being deprived of so many close bonds, Ty Lee was a little desperate.

"I'm not trying to criticize," she said quickly. "I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it. It didn't occur to you . . . that's all right."

Rila eyed her.

"Um . . ." the acrobat paused after her placating. "So . . . since it's our day off, would you like to go into town? Maybe you can show me around, since you've been a performer for so much longer . . . I'm sure you know all the best spots to hang out. This isn't a new place on the route, right?" Ty Lee tested.

"No, it isn't. I guess, if you want."

The older girl led the runaway through the streets. She pointed out places she had been, and places she had heard good things about. She talked about what areas to avoid.

But, apparently even that wasn't going to keep them safe.

Several men burst from an alleyway, one grabbing the firebender's wrist.

Although she had no formal training, the girl nonetheless reacted, shooting a hasty fireball.

"Aw shoot, they're benders."

They took several steps back, but Ty Lee, unfazed by an attack because she had been training with Azula since she was little, said, "I'm not a bender."

They all hesitated, and Rila hissed, "Sweet Spirits, Ty Lee, you did NOT just-"

One of the men made for the acrobat, and she had him on the ground before anyone could register what had happened.

"What the-? I can't move!"

The rest of them fled, and Ty Lee tilted her head. "Well that's not very nice of them to leave you like that," she said to the paralyzed would-be thief.

Rila seized her by the shoulders. "What is WRONG with you? Don't talk to him!"

"Why not?" the flouncy girl asked.

"He just tried to rob us!"

"Yeah. And I beat him." She shrugged. "No harm done."

"No ha- You-" she put her hands to her head. "You aren't- even mad?"

"Should I be?"

"YES! Yes you should!"

He piped up from the ground. "If you're not mad, no reason to-"

"We most definitely ARE going to report you, you creep!" the firebender yelled.

Ty Lee nodded. "Yeah."

"I thought you would've freaked out," Rila studied her. "Didn't you say you used to be a noble? Aren't you guys under guard all the time? I thought being on the streets would be unnerving for you . . ." She looked at the greenhorn performer with new intrigue.

As they went to find an executive enforcer, Ty Lee told the other girl of her combat training.

"Any chance you could teach me that? Seems . . . well, kinder than firebending, not to mention somebody can still attack you even if they're burned."

"I'm sorry. My master gave me permission, but someone with . . . higher authority . . . told me I shouldn't be giving out all my techniques, because then more people could learn how to counter it . . ."

"Higher authority? What do you mean?"

Ty Lee didn't want to say she was friends with the princess. At least not this early in the game. She knew people would start treating her nicely just because of that. And she wanted to be appreciated on her own merits, for her own personality.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't tell you. Please don't be angry," she said pitifully.

"Ooooo, mysterious."

To the acrobat's relief, the firebender seemed further intrigued, and not put off.
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"Honestly, I really would've liked to teach her, so she could be safer," Ty Lee said wistfully in the present. "The other performers, too, especially the girls and women. But if Azula had come for a visit, and it had gotten around to her that I disobeyed . . ."

Both of the ex-royals nodded in perfect understanding.

Zuko growled. "So even when she wasn't present, she still managed to make people more unsafe. Figures."

Ty Lee made a face.

"Oh please, are you going to tell me that she's just a big old platypus teddy underneath it all?" the prince asked his childhood playmate and pranker.

"No! Nothing like that . . ."

"Wonder how many people she's hurt already, now that she's 'off leash.'"

"Zuko, please . . . just don't." Ty Lee begged.

"Why? It's only the truth."

Iroh stepped in. "When truth hurts, Zuko, it should only be wielded when necessary, or unacknowledged. It is neither of those things right now."

He closed his eyes. "All right."

"I was stupid to think I could help her," Ty Lee said tearfully. "I was stupid to think I could help Mai."

Zuko shifted.

"Rila had to drag me out of being so naive. The kids at school always called me an airhead. Meili and Yunru were right, I am the stupidest sister! I was stupid to think that I could make a difference!"

"Wait now," Iroh said sweetly. "Dear, smarts are not the only important thing in the world. The heart matters quite a lot. And if being kind to an attacker is one of your biggest 'faults,'" he used air quotes with his fingers, and said it with a good dose of amusement, "then in my estimation, you are quite a valuable person indeed."

She sniffed, but smiled. "T-Thank you."

"And if I can chime in," Zuko said, "A lot of the time, the only situation Azula even remotely acted like a human being was when you were around."

A good ways away, the two youngest members of the group were still earthbending.

"Hey Toph, I was thinking. When our training session is over, maybe you should head into town for a little while. Let me talk to Katara about my injury I got while we were practicing. I'll handle her."

Toph first looked indecisive, then shifted to resolute. "I can weather whatever she's got to say."

The conflict-averse pacifist sighed. "I know you can, Toph. But why go through something unpleasant when you don't have to? Wait for her to cool down. And it's not just about you, you know. Everyone gets set on edge whenever you two fight."

She pouted and puffed her hair upwards.

He had noticed that Toph was spending less and less time around the waterbender if she could help it. He didn't like the rift forming between the two girls, but at the same time, he had heard enough that he figured it was pointless to try to get them to get along before they were ready to. He felt as if his upbringing among the monks had not only made him ill-suited to adapting to war, but even ineffective when it came to verbal conflicts, too. He was a fish out of water. Or an airbender underwater, maybe.

When the monks had traveled, they had often served as third party mediators to people, but he hadn't been officially introduced to those skills yet, being so young. There were probably so many things he wasn't carrying forward, despite being a survivor. He was really glad to have Iroh join the group, because having an adult around made him feel less like a runaway child. He had perpetually had that thought recur to him.

Toph seemed to revel in being a runaway, and Ty Lee.

But his experience with such things still dug a furrow through his heart.

If he hadn't acted out, and stayed, would he have made a difference? He might've hurt other airbenders in the throes of the Avatar state. The elder monks may have pushed to evacuate him altogether. In that scenario, he hoped one of them would've come with him, if so. Even if it wasn't Gyatso.

So many times he would've liked to consult someone more experienced than he was, not just for bending instruction, but interpersonal advice.

The older firebender was like his mentors in many, many ways. He hadn't expected the retired general to be so laidback and gentle, like they were.

When it wasn't a relief . . .

. . . it stirred up fresh waves of grief.

"Earth to Aang. Are you that upset over a little scuffle?" She slid a foot, reading him.

"No!" He reviewed some of his thoughts. They were basically the same as the last time they had had to pause while discussing training. No point in re-hashing them, right? If he talked about every time he missed the monks, they would probably all be sick of it.

"I'm sure Iroh would agree not to go charging into a fight if it wasn't necessary," Aang tried the reasoning on Toph.

Invoking the man that she herself seemed very attached to, Aang thought, might be a good strategy.

The Water Tribe siblings had just sort of adjusted to his presence. They weren't indifferent, but they also hadn't latched onto him. Sokka occasionally treated Iroh as if he were following battle cues from tribesmen, as someone low on the totem pole of authority, if had he aged up enough to join them.

Toph, on the other hand, since she had met him on her own, and didn't have any parental figures that she truly respected, was reveling in the novelty of affection shared with someone she respected.

She stomped, wise to his ruse. "I'm not always gonna do what he says, you know."

Aang winced. "Yes. I know."

Toph didn't do one thing she didn't want to.

Both of the kids stared each other down for a moment, or as much as a blind girl could stare.

Neither of them technically had siblings, but he had something that was pretty much a very large family. She wasn't used to bending on anything. The isolated heiress had never had to share, defer to an older child, nor guide a younger. But he was at least well-versed in all of these dynamics. The older firebender boy, and the two real siblings, they all fit into his experience just fine. But she seemed eager to pick fights.

Maybe, even interacting with other kids that way was still novelty, to her.

Interesting and fresh, just like everything else.

"And if I did decide to slink off with my tail tucked, like a wimp, what would I do in town, anyway? I don't fancy getting jobs like you guys. I couldn't show up regularly anyway, because we need to train," she pointed out.

"Oh I'm sure there's some mischief you could get up to," Aang challenged.

She chuckled. "Yeah, probably." She paused. "You know, when Iroh was talking to me the other day, after I snapped at Zuko? He mentioned earthbending's role in architecture. I'd never thought to pay much attention to buildings before. But maybe that could be something to try out."

He nodded. "Could be interesting," he said sincerely. "And far out of reach of my current earthbending skills," he added sarcastically.

"Sounds right. No objections from me," she ribbed him.

Aang put his hand over his heart. "Oh you wound me," he joked.

"Liar," the other earthbender teased back. "Didn't even have to use my feet for that one."

They both laughed.

"Earthbending did turn out to be why Poshu left," Ty Lee said. "He was afraid of the step up in security and scrutiny when news got around that the Avatar had returned. Even before he told me what was churning up his chi, he was acting differently. I mean, to be fair, everybody was. We were all afraid of somebody wrathful, who would destroy the Fire Nation for conquering."

"And it turned out to be a twelve year old with a penchant for making flower crowns," Zuko said sardonically.

She laughed so hard and long that she hiccupped. "Y-yeah! He's great! But we had no way of knowing that!"

She thought back to the men that Azula had punished for being prejudiced towards her and Mai. "I think a lot of people still believe that, actually." He had said something about Aang heading up a mass murder attempt, which had to be a fabrication. Azula wasn't the only noble or military leader who used lies, as the chi reader could full well sense. He had believed it himself, but obviously a lie could appear as truth to a secondary person who had heard it from a primary source. Or perhaps it was a misunderstanding? she thought hopefully. The more Fire Nation people who understood what Aang was like … well, maybe with how committed people were to the cause, it wouldn't make that much of a difference to their fights, really. But civilians could be less afraid. She wished she could send letters to the other performers, to assure them. But if such letters got intercepted, they might get in trouble because of suspicion of disloyalty. Still, it nagged at her. The soft-hearted girl didn't want her people being afraid.

The princess, on the other hand- "There was this man who Azula-" she stopped. She glanced at the ex-prince, and back down to her crossed feet.

"She burnt him," Zuko said matter-of-factly.

She was silent.

"Sorry, I said I wasn't going to be that way," the firebender backpedaled.

"I guess it doesn't count for anything that she never burned anyone at the Girls' Academy," Ty Lee said quietly.

"No." Iroh said seriously. "She was still a princess, after all. Treating other nobles with respect goes with the territory. She was unnecessarily rough with her sparring opponents, and the servants, well . . ." he shook his head.

"She wanted to," Ty Lee said even more quietly.

Both of the firebenders blanched.

Zuko opened his mouth, but shut it again. All that meant to him was that she could have refrained elsewhere, and that she wasn't as subject to her own whims as she pretended sometimes.

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"I can't help it. I just get angry."
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A lie.

Why was he surprised?

It didn't earn her any points to keep from hurting people. The idea that Ty Lee might think it did . . .

Well, he wasn't going to go back on his word. He wasn't going to keep pressing about it.

Why would she lie to him about it, though? Did she value his opinion on her that much . . .?

"Anyway. The two men she punished while I was with her . . . one didn't deserve it, from what I could tell. But the other . . . well, you could almost say it was a good thing she didn't decide to carelessly strip him of his rank right then and there."

"I must admit, I was surprised to hear that my brother had approved of her taking you two on this mission," Iroh said slowly. "With all the assassins, experienced masters and generals at his and her disposal, dragging into it such a sweet person as yourself, in particular, seemed all the more cruel."

"Azula probably didn't want any underlings that made her feel in any way inferior," Zuko said darkly. "Her pride wouldn't stand for it."

"Ah," Iroh's gaze went to the sky. "Impeccable analysis, nephew."

"I may not know how to work people as much as she does. Nor got as excellent marks in school in comparison. But Azula herself? I know her, more than I'd like to, at present."

"Might as well look on the bright side," the old man said with sincere optimism. "We've got one of Sun Tzu's primary warfare principles working for us, at least. 'Know Your Enemy.'"

"Wait." Ty Lee said, turning back to Iroh. "When you mentioned assassins? We were supposed to take Aang alive. Maybe that's why she picked us."

"Flinging knives at someone isn't inclined to keep them alive," Zuko's mouth hardened. "Though I guess, to her, if he had a few holes poked in him, no big." The firebender growled, and fire spurted from his mouth, making the acrobat scoot a foot away from him.

"Sorry," he said roughly. "It just infuriates me that I might've been all right with that a short while ago. Now picturing it makes me want to put Jeong Jeong's opinions to good use and fuel my fire with that rage."

He looked to his uncle, as if expecting to be chastised for such thoughts.

The older firebender, though, shrugged. "If that keeps the Avatar-" he paused, corrected himself, "if that keeps Aang safe, then maybe I shouldn't say anything about it. I do care about just the boy himself a great deal, too, nephew." He took on a tone that reflected his military experience, "And even if he weren't the Bridge Between Worlds, and the current Avatar were a Water Tribe or an Earth Kingdom citizen, he'd still be a valuable asset to us. If we were organizing like a unit, he'd still be in the running for most important. Practically no one knows how to fight an airbender. Not dissimilar to Azula's admonitions about keeping chi blocking secrets," as he compared himself to the other scheming royal, Zuko gritted his teeth. "And, he's the last of a bygone race. A culture I much loved learning about from the Order."

He considered his younger relative for a moment more. "Have you been beating yourself up for chasing Aang, Zuko?"

He looked away.

"Maybe that's one reason you can't do lightning yet," his master said gently.

Zuko didn't reply.

"If it makes you feel any better," Ty lee scooted closer again, laying an arm on his shoulder, "After our initial run-in with Aang, she instructed Mai not to engage him specifically, unless the situation really called for it."

He nodded.

"So, I wonder if she's found another chi blocker?" Iroh had shifted back to planner mode.

"I would guess so," She wasn't the only one skilled in the technique, after all. And, at the time of being torn away from the circus, she had attempted to console herself that there was a reason Azula had picked her instead. She wouldn't bring it up with the current mood, but . . . perhaps Azula even gone to bat for the decision with the Fire Lord.

Her gray eyes moistened a little. "Is it silly to be sad that I'd be replaced?"

Zuko opened his mouth again, and, thankfully, had the foresight to shut it again.

Iroh replied instead, "You can't always control how you feel. Even with meditation."

Ty Lee nodded. "But you're right too, that I should do a better job of letting go, if I can."

"For you, the idea of fighting for the Earth Kingdom in general wasn't that big of a leap, right?" Zuko asked her curiously. "Like it has been for me. If you already considered yourself a citizen of both, and even used EK spelling."

She shrugged. "I guess. I didn't think of it consciously that way, but yeah. Since I only paid attention to classes enough to pass, maybe all the talk about how other Nations were inferior didn't really sink in, either."

Iroh laughed robustly, hands on his big belly. "Never thought being an 'airhead' would be a virtue, huh?"

She didn't join in the laughter, pain passing over gray eyes at the term used against her.

"Are you all right, my dear?"

She fiddled with her braid. "I just thought of . . . is that meant to be derogatory towards airbenders? By comparing people to them? That would be pretty sad."

Iroh's brow furrowed. "You know, I don't know. I wonder if anyone in the Order could trace the origin of the term. Or Wan Shi Tong?"

"I'll bet it is." The younger bender bristled on behalf of the boy again. "I know it's a lot to hope for, that we wouldn't just beat back Father and Azula, keep them from expanding . . . Maybe even after the comet crisis is averted, we could work at it . . . If we manage to take the Fire Nation back over . . . " the ex-prince said strongly. He gushed a few flames again. But this time, it was less with anger, and more with positive passion. "There are going to be a lot of changes."

Author's Notes: Speaking of alternative sources for phrases, did you know that 'teddy bear' originated with Teddy Roosevelt? So this world would also need a different source for 'platypus teddy.' And 'Earth to [x] person' is a reference to the moon landing. So, jokes about Yue aside, that's a third phrase you might've not thought about being ill-fitting to this world. I mean, thematically it fits the Earth Kingdom, so maybe it's not used much in the other Nations.