Part 1: Ty Lee

Chapter 1: The Journey


"I'm gonna miss you," Mai told Zuko, putting her hands on his shoulders before thinking better of embracing him. She smoothed down his sleeves instead. "Promise me you won't be gone too long.".

"I promise," Zuko told her, putting a hand to her cheek. "Trust me; I'll be back before you even know it."

"I hope so," Mai said. "Running the country alone does not sound like something I'm gonna be any good at. Or have any fun with."

"And that's why you have Iroh," Zuko told her.

Mai hummed and nodded, looking down at the ground. With or without Iroh's help, she still dreaded the idea.

"Relax, Mai; we'll be fine," Aang called from atop Appa's saddle. "We know you're worried about us, but trust me, there's nothing to be concerned about. Not a thing! Not even a little bit!"

"That you know of," Mai replied. "Bagaskoro Island technically isn't even within our borders; things are strange out there with the war now ended. Plus I hear they're pretty orthodox and not that open to strangers."

Aang jumped down from Appa, landing softly as a swirl of air bent around him. As Aang approached, Zuko left Mai and walked over to Appa, petting his fur and trying to pay the two of them no mind.

"Don't worry about it, Mai. I'm great at making new friends. Plus I'm the Avatar."

"Even so, I advise using caution. Bagaskoro Island isn't like the rest of the Fire Nation. They've lived in self imposed isolation so long that not even Ozai was able to extract complete loyalty from them. They're just so…so…"

"Orthodox?" Aang asked.

"That's the best way I can describe it," Mai said. She sighed defeatedly and uncrossed her arms, trying to get rid of her nerves. Between Zuko and Aang leaving, the upcoming wedding, and the fact that she would temporarily be taking his place while he was gone, it was a wonder Mai hadn't completely shattered into a million pieces of broken nerves and sleepless nights.

"Hey, if they were willing to take Azula at Zuko's urging, then they shouldn't have any problem with Zuko going there himself, right?" Aang asked hopefully.

"I still don't see why we have to bring her back," Mai said. "Why can't she just stay where she's at?"

"Mai," Aang said, placing a hand on Mai's shoulder, "everyone deserves a second chance. You, Ty Lee, Zuko, and even Azula. Besides, it's been five whole years. If she isn't cured by now…" He trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. "She should be better by now. If not, then I'll personally make an Avatar promise to you that we won't bring her back to your guys' wedding." Aang placed his fist against his palm and gave her a small bow.

Without waiting for Mai to respond, her airbent himself back up onto Appa's back and took the reins in his hands. "Almost ready, Zuko?"

"Yeah, just let me come up," Zuko said.

"Wait!"

They all turned to look as Ty Lee came running, dressed haphazardly in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, clean-faced, and carrying a sack on her back. "I'm coming too!" she said, running up to Appa.

"Oh, uh…" Zuko said.

"What? Can't I?" Ty Lee asked him.

"Well, I don't know if that's the best idea…"

"Why not?" Ty Lee demanded. "She and I used to be friends! And it's been years since I last saw her! I want to talk to her again!"

"Ty Lee, I just don't know if Azula will be…exactly happy to see you, is all…" Aang said.

"She won't be happy to see me, but she'll be just fine seeing you and Zuko?" Ty Lee asked. "Last time I checked, you weren't exactly her favorite people, either."

"She does have a point," Aang said to Zuko.

"I wrote to them saying that only you and I were coming," Zuko protested.

"He does have a point," Aang said to Ty Lee.

"Well tell them that there was a change of plans," Ty Lee said. "Please. I need to come with you. It's been so long since I've last seen her that I'm dying to know how she's doing!"

"Ty Lee, I—"

"Take me with you! I've got a better chance of getting along with her than either of you do right now!" Ty Lee said. Pointing at Aang and Zuko in turn, she said, "You were always her enemy and you never really got along with her! I'm your best shot."

Aang and Zuko looked at each other, knowing she was right. Zuko juggled the options in his mind before sighing in defeat. "Alright, fine, you can come with us," Zuko said.

Ty Lee tossed her bag up onto the saddle, nearly hitting Zuko, and climbed up Appa.

"Any more passengers?" Aang asked them.

He looked down at his friends. They had all gathered in the Fire Nation palace's courtyard to see them off. Mai and Katara were standing next to each other, Momo on Katara's shoulder, Toph was sitting on the stairs next to Sokka and Suki, and a small bunch of friendly Fire Nation guards were overseeing the departure. They all shook their heads, no.

"Alright then, let's go!" Aang said. "Appa, yip yip!"

With a deep roar, Appa slammed his tail against the stone ground of the courtyard and lifted up into the air. Ty Lee cried out and gripped the edges of the saddle hard, not expecting the takeoff to have been so swift or steep. Zuko put a hand on her back to steady her and Ty Lee laughed sheepishly, releasing the sides of the saddle and trying to sit comfortably.

As they soared through the tall, fluffy clouds, Ty Lee relaxed, taking in the sight before her. Far below her, the azure blue waves of the ocean shimmered with sunlight and clouds drifted close to the surface, at least from her perspective. She never imagined that she'd ever one day look down on the clouds.

"This is incredible," Ty Lee said, unable to keep her eyes off of the horizon. "I'm literally inside of the clouds!"

"Yeah, it's pretty great," Aang said. "No matter how many times you fly, it never gets old!"

"I can imagine not," Ty Lee said with a wide smile. "This is just incredible. It's so beautiful up here! I feel like a bird!"

Appa roared at her comment and Aang chuckled. "I guess now you know how Appa feels."

As the two of them talked, Zuko hung back at the back of the saddle, arms crossed, lost in thought. He wondered how on earth he was going to talk to his sister. He knew she wouldn't throw her arms around him and forgive him like his uncle had done, but he doubted she would outright hate him too. After all, she had to understand that he'd had no other choice…right…?

After their Agni Kai was over, and she had finished crying, he and Katara had taken her to the same Fire Nation prison that his uncle had spent time in. But there had always been something nagging him in the back of his mind that she didn't belong there; Azula was hurt and suffering and he had just thrown her in prison like she was a common criminal. He saw himself in her; slightly different circumstances happening to what was essentially the same person.

"I don't think Azula belongs in prison," Zuko had said to Aang only a week after he'd been crowned.

"What? How can you say that?" Katara had asked. "She tried to kill me! She tried to kill you!"

Zuko had ignored her and focused on Aang. "You heard what happened. She sounds like she's traumatized more than anything. You gave me a chance to better myself; shouldn't we do the same for Azula? We ought to help her."

"Yes," Aang had said after a minute of thought. "She deserves a chance to redeem herself. And to heal. But how exactly do you propose we do that?"

Eventually, Zuko came up with the idea of sending her off to become a Fire Sage, hoping that they could help heal Azula. After all, that's what people had done for millennia when it came to the disturbed and battle-broken. If it could help all of them, then surely it could help Azula. So he had gone to tell Azula that he was sending her away to Bagaskoro Island, where some of the purest and most devout Fire Sages lived. He told her it was because he loved her and wanted to help her. They had already agreed to take her in and welcome her, and she would be leaving by morning. Azula had stared at the floor the entire time he spoke, scowling, refusing to acknowledge that he was there.

When the time had come for her to board her boat and sail off to her new life, she walked willingly aboard, her head held high, her face betraying no emotion. But she spoke to no one; didn't even look at anyone. She had boarded her boat, went below deck, and that was the last time Zuko had seen her.

Now, as they flew north-westwards towards Bagaskoro Island, all Zuko could think about was what he was going to say to his sister.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Appa started to descend. He hadn't noticed, but night was soon upon them, the world around them awash in the colors of sunset. The sky was streaked with orange and saffron and rusty lavender, the sun was shimmering just above the watery horizon, and above him the first stars were starting to sparkle.

"This looks like a safe place," Aang said. "Hopefully by tomorrow this time, we'll already be there."

"We should," Ty Lee said. "I mean…this sky buffalo of yours is faster than a ship, isn't he?"

"Sky bison," Aang said. "And yes. Appa's faster than any ship I've ever seen."

When they landed, Zuko hopped down off of Appa's back and looked around. The island they had landed on wasn't small by any means, but there was still something that felt…claustrophobic about it. Maybe it was the way the palm trees grew over each other to look like cages, or the old volcano loomed high above their heads without a single mountain to soften its intimidating stature, or the way even the ocean seemed far too quiet, as if the waves were scared to come ashore.

"So are we supposed to camp out here tonight?" Zuko asked. "I didn't bring a sleeping bag."

"Nah. There was an inn here that Ty Lee spotted from the air while you were busy brooding," Aang said.

"I was not brooding," Zuko said.

Aang shrugged. "If you say so." He turned back to Appa. "What do you think, buddy? Wanna stay in a barn tonight or would you rather sleep out under the stars?"

Appa roared his response.

"Yeah, you're right. I'd much rather sleep inside tonight too," Aang said.

Ty Lee walked up next to Zuko and gently elbowed him. "Do you think he actually understands what Appa is saying, or is he just saying things?" she asked him.

"I've never been able to figure that out," Zuko whispered back.

"Come on!" Aang said suddenly, jumping over their heads with a gust of air and running up through the jungle. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Zuko and Ty Lee looked at each other briefly before Ty Lee smiled and took off running with him. Zuko stayed behind and sighed, watching as the two of them disappeared from sight, only to reappear every now and then as they jumped through the trees like energetic spider monkeys.

Appa roared behind Zuko as he stood there and watched them.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Zuko said, heading up the pathway to where the lights of the inn glowed softly against the deepening darkness.

The pathway up to the inn was easy enough to follow, though there were times the path was too narrow for Appa, so he just crashed through and snapped the overhanging branches. There were many points of divergence along the jungle path, but the inn was still aglow, and he was able to find his way up there before the moon rose.

When he got there, Ty Lee and Aang were already talking with the woman at the desk.

"See?!" Aang said when Zuko and Appa finally came into view. "Three people and a pet!"

When the woman saw Appa, her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her teacup. "A beast!" she whispered in awe.

"Appa's not a beast! He's family!" Aang said.

"Yeah," Ty Lee agreed. "Surely you can put him up in the barn for just one night. Give him some hay to eat."

"I could…for the right price," the woman said.

"Fine. How much more for Appa?" Aang asked her.

"Hmm…" She stepped out from behind the desk and stepped outside, walking up to Appa. She kept her distance as she circled him, taking in his massive size. "He seems to be in good temperament."

"Trust me. Appa's the best," Aang said.

"Hmm…" she said again. "Twenty silver pieces."

"Twenty?" Aang said. "But! But! I don't have that kind of money!"

"I might," Ty Lee said and immediately went to her bag.

"Here," Zuko said, pulling out a single gold piece and tossing it over to her. "Keep the change."

The woman eyed the gold piece and then bit down on it. When it didn't bend, she nodded and slipped it into her pocket. "You're Firelord Zuko, aren't you?" she asked him. "I thought it was you when I saw that scar. Couldn't be sure though."

"Well, I am Firelord Zuko," Zuko said. "You can be sure, now."

"So it would seem," said the woman. "But still, I wouldn't run around advertising that, if I were you."

"Why's that?" Zuko asked.

"Oh I've been around; I've heard things," she said, walking back inside to her desk.

"Heard things like what?" Aang asked her.

"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but not everyone likes you," she said.

"What do you mean by that?" Zuko asked her. "You mean…they oppose me? They want me off the throne?"

The woman put her hands up and shrugged. "Can't say for certain. I don't really care that much what goes on in the cities; even less what goes on in politics."

"But you're saying that there are people out there who are against Zuko?" Aang said.

"You're awfully brave, old woman; talking to your Firelord and sovereign like that," Ty Lee said, placing a hand on her hip.

"When you live to be as old as me, child, you'll find you haven't any cares left in you," she replied.

Before either of them could retort, Zuko put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Aang. Ty Lee. It's fine, okay? I knew that I wasn't going to be popular with everyone, especially considering my family's history. But every Firelord has opposition. It's nothing to get too worked up about."

"See? This lad here has a good head on his shoulders," the woman said, gesturing towards him. "Now come on; let me show you to your room for tonight. And that creature of yours can bunk in the barn; heck, he can eat the whole barn if he wants to. Money like that, you can have my whole inn."

"That's alright," Zuko said. "We just want the one night."

"Suit yourself," she said. She led the three of them up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, opening the door at the far end of the building. She unlocked the door for them then tossed them the key, heading back downstairs. "Breakfast will be ready an hour after sunrise," she told them. "Don't miss it." With that she headed back downstairs to her desk, leaving the three of them up there alone.

"Strange woman," Zuko mumbled.

"Considering how alone she is out here, I'm surprised she's not stranger," Ty Lee said.

Their room was modest but it had a large balcony that overlooked nearly the entire east side of the island. Four empty beds were in the room, two along each wall, with a partition between each of them, along with a net canopy.

Aang walked out on the balcony and leaned over the rail. "Hey, buddy!" he called down at Appa and waved. Appa roared back in return. "Don't worry, you can have the barn tonight. With all the hay you can eat!" Aang told him. Appa roared again.

Aang turned back to Ty Lee and Zuko and said, "I'm gonna go get our stuff. Be right back." He spun around and jumped off the balcony, the air swirling around him as he did.

"Must be fun to be an airbender," Ty Lee mused. "Flying in the sky with sky bison, swirling around and making tornadoes, able to jump from cliffs without a care in the world. But I'm guessing airbenders didn't have any circuses, huh?"

"Probably not," Zuko said. "Airbenders do have an incredible sense of hearing, though, so just be mindful of what you say. Aang can probably hear us perfectly down there."

"You're correct!" Aang shouted. A second later, their bags all flew up high into the air before colliding down onto the wooden balcony. Aang jumped up onto the railing with a gust of air a split second later. "Appa's all settled in. I suggest we do the same. We've got another long day of flying ahead of us and I don't want to miss breakfast."

"Plus I'd like to use the bathhouse before I leave. I don't want to show up smelling bad. Just think! Azula would probably…" Ty Lee trailed off and bit her lip. She folded her arms and squeezed her forearms, looking down at the ground clenching her jaw. She took a deep cleansing breath, closing her eyes, before exhaling and saying, "I think I'll take a short walk."

"Okay but just be careful. It's already pretty dark out and I don't want you getting hurt," Zuko told her.

"I'll be fine, Zuko. Quit worrying about me," Ty Lee said and walked out the door. Zuko thought she sounded so much like Mai at that moment that it was almost creepy.