Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
This is a Two-shot Ty Luko story and takes place during the events of the Boiling Rock.
Azula and Mai, who came to the Boiling Rock had arrived to the cellar where Zuko was being held, only to find the cell empty. They both realized Zuko had went missing.
Mai looked around and noticed one of her friends was missing. "Where's Ty Lee?"
"Guard!" Azula had called.
"Yes, Princess Azula?" A female guard had answered.
"Who was here?"
"Prince Zuko, ma'am."
Azula turned her head to face the female prison guard.
"No. I mean, "whom" was in here with my brother?" Azula asked.
Meanwhile, Zuko was currently waiting outside of the women's bathroom. He jerked his head left and right to see if any of the guards were watching them. He
"Psst," Zuko whispered. "Ty Lee, are you done, yet?" he asked as he slightly cracked the women's bathroom door open.
"Almost. I just have a few knots left to untie in my hair, then I'll be done." Ty Lee said as she was unbraided her hair in front of the bathroom mirror.
"Okay. But, please, make it quick. We have to get out of here, soon, and meet up with Sokka and the others." Zuko whispered.
"You mean, the Avatar and friends?" Ty Lee asked. "Okay. I'll hurry."
One Minute and A Half Later
Zuko was still keeping watch if any guards were coming or spying on them. He sighed, thinking that Ty Lee was never going to show.
Ty Lee then popped out from the women's bathroom with a new look. "Sorry that I took a bit long."
"Ty Lee, thank goodness you're do-uh..." Zuko stopped himself as he spotted Ty Lee's new appearance. She had no longer wore her pink attire. But instead, wore red Boiling Rock prisoner clothing and she had let her long dark brown hair all the way down.
"Ta-daah!" Ty Lee had put on a big smile on her face as she presented herself to Zuko in her new disguise. "How do I look?" she asked as she raised her arms to her sides.
Zuko blushed a tiny bit as he saw tiny sparkles around Ty Lee's face. He then shook his head as he remembered something important. "Good. You look great-now, let's get out of here." Zuko said as he instantly grabbed Ty Lee's left hand and ran elsewhere, dragging Ty Lee with him. Ty Lee ran as fast as she could as she was being dragged by Zuko.
Three Minutes Later
Zuko and Ty Lee had arrived outside in the Boiling Rock courtyard to see dozens of other Boiling Rock prisoners rioting and fighting against guards.
Zuko looked at his surroundings and spotted Sokka standing by a wall with a few other people. "I see him." He slightly looked at Ty Lee, whom was behind him. "Get behind me and stay close." Zuko told Ty Lee.
"Okay!" Ty Lee quickly responded as she jumped behind Zuko's back and followed him closely as he led a path towards his friends. They simply avoided them by simply running and dodging prisoners that nearly crashed into them.
"Sokka, there you are!" Zuko called out as he caught up with Sokka, Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang.
"Zuko, good. We're all here. All we have to do is grab the Warden, then make it to the Gandola." Sokka informed Zuko as he pointed towards the Warden on top of a balcony.
"Uh, yeah. About that...?"
Sokka looked at Zuko with a bit of confusion. "Sure? What is it?"
"Do you think you have room for one more person?" Zuko rubbed his head with a bit of embarrassment.
"What? Who?" Sokka asked.
"Hi!" Ty Lee took a step from behind Zuko's back and waved her left hand as she greeted Sokka and the others.
Sokka and Suki raised their awareness as they remembered their encounters with Ty Lee. They still saw her as an enemy and they were prepared to fight her at any given chance. Suki had taken a fighting stance and Sokka was ready draw out his space sword from his sheath.
Zuko saw their reaction and had taken a step in front of Ty Lee. "No! Stop! She's coming with us." Zuko told Sokka and Suki.
Sokka choked a bit. "Why?"
"Because, I know her! That's why!" Zuko yelled.
"Yeah, we know her, too. And she's totally bad news! She chased us down in the Earth Kingdom! She can be a spy for Azula for all we know!" Sokka replied.
"Yeah! And she helped kidnap me and the girls, when we found Appa!" Suki pointed towards Ty Lee, referring to when the Kyoshi Warriors had found Appa.
"I'm sorry, Zuko, but I don't think we can trust her enough to take her with us." Sokka said with a serious look and shook his head no.
Ty Lee looked down and frowned after hearing that she was denied.
"Look, Ty Lee's coming with us and that's that!" Zuko yelled, defending her.
"Everyone! We don't have time to argue with one another we still have to escape!" Hakoda yelled, breaking up the argument.
After ten seconds of silence, Sokka exhaled some air. "Fine. We'll deal with this, later." Sokka said, staring directly at Zuko. "For now, we have to worry about capturing the warden and escaping to the Gondola. Suki, can you-" Sokka turned his head to where Suki was standing and noticed that she had vanished. "Huh? Where'd she go? She was just here?"
Chit Sang pointed into a single direction. "Uh, guys, I think your girlfriend's making a break for it."
Zuko and the others looked to see Suki running towards a group of rioters as stepping stones and using her parkour abilities to jump onto the barricade.
"Let's go!" Sokka yelled as he followed Suki's direction.
Chit Sang, Hakoda then followed after Sokka's lead. Zuko followed afterwards for a second, then stopped and noticed that he didn't hear footsteps behind him. He looked back to see Ty Lee still standing in one spot with a look of depression on his face.
"Come on, Ty Lee! We have to catch up with Sokka and the others!" Zuko said, then noticed that Ty Lee looked really depressed. He realized that Ty Lee was standing like a statue and still looking depressed as if she wanted to say something. Zuko lightly sighed before looking at her. "What's wrong?" asked as he walked back towards her.
"Your friends... don't trust me. It's more of... they despise me. I can feel it in their auras." Ty Lee said as she continued to look depressed.
"Ty Lee..."
"Everything they said about me was true. I did help hunt down the Avatar and friends throughout the Earth Kingdom. And I did take the Kyoshi Warrior's stuff. And now, I'm starting to regret doing those things." Ty Lee said.
"But you had no choice. You were with Azula during those times." Zuko stated.
"I know that, but. Do you think I deserve to-?"
Zuko interrupted. "Look, I know that Sokka and..." Zuko gasped as he saw a male Boiling Rock prisoner running their way, in attempt to attack Ty Lee. "Look out!"
Ty Lee looked to see a man charging towards her and she quickly gasped. She didn't move from the spot she was standing in. Zuko quickly moved in front of her and flipped the prisoner over his shoulder, making him crash onto the ground. "Thank you, Zuko."
"As I was saying... I know that Sokka and Suki have their reasons to dislike you... but, we don't have time to worry about that, right now. We still have to catch the Warden, first, then escape to the Gondola." Zuko rested his hands on Ty Lee's shoulders. "Once we're there, you can explain yourself to them and why you did what you did as much as you want."
"You mean it?" Ty Lee asked as she looked at Zuko, again.
"I do mean it." Zuko nodded.
Ty Lee slowly cracked a smile on her face. "Okay. I'll go with you."
"Good." Zuko grabbed Ty Lee's left hand, once again and dragged her with him.
Ty Lee silently gasped as she felt Zuko's warmth on her left hand. She noticed how big his hand was and how comforting the grasp as she then ran along with him.
Three Minutes Later
Zuko and Ty Lee had caught up with Sokka and the others on top of a metal balcony. Suki had already captured the Warden and restrained him by tying rope behind his back and used his own crown to wrap around his mouth. Chit Sang carried the Warden over his shoulder and Sokka used the Warden as a hostage to get passed many guards, until they reached the Gondola, where they took the Warden with him.
Sokka, Suki, Water Tribe Chief Hakoda, Chit Sang-who's carrying the Warden over his shoulder and Ty Lee escaped to the Gondola. Zuko decided to stay behind and destroy the breaks. Believing that the Gondola won't be stopped.
"Hurry, Zuko!" Sokka yelled as he extended his hand out.
Zuko sprinted towards the Gondola and jumped as high as he could. Luckily, Sokka had quickly caught Zuko by the hand and slowly pulled him inside the Gondola. After
"Are you okay?" Ty Lee asked, while hugging Zuko.
Meanwhile, Azula and Mai were currently in the prison courtyard. Many of the Boiling Rock were restrained, once again and is now taken back to their cells by guards. Azula looked around the courtyard
The Warden's second in command had approached Azula and Mai. "I'm sorry for the chaos that took place out here, Princess Azula. We were supposed to be on lockdown during this hour. We're now securing all the prisoners and taking them back to all their cells.
"Where's the Warden?" Azula asked.
"Yeah, where is my uncle?" Mai asked the male guard.
"Deepest apologies, Princess Azula. And I'm sorry to you, too, miss Mai. But we have no knowledge of where the Warden could be right now." The male guard bowed before Azula.
"Hm..." Azula then took a moment to think of what had happened. First, Zuko had escaped with help. And now there had been a riot within the courtyard.
"This has to be the work of outsiders." Azula had speculated.
"Princess?"
"My brother must've not come here, alone. Someone must've come here with him. Looking for someone." Azula told the guard.
"Princess Azula! I have urgent news!" A male guard ran towards Azula, then bowed before her.
"Speak." Azula demanded.
"I was just informed that the Warden had been kidnapped by a group of prisoners and another male guard!" A male guard had informed both Mai and Azula.
Both Mai and Azula looked a bit surprised after hearing the news.
"My uncle was kidnapped?" Mai asked.
"The ones who kidnapped the Warden... Who and where are they?" Azula asked.
"As far as we know, there was a guard-who I thought was really one of us, at first. Three male prisoners along with your brother... the traitor prince, Zuko and two girls with dark brown hair." The guard had described Sokka and the others.
Azula's eyes widened in a surprise manner. She looked at the balcony where the Warden once stood on, then thought of a person, whom had thought to be smart. She speculated that the fake guard was either the Avatar Aang or Sokka. Then, she thought of the two girls that were described with dark brown hair. The first girl she thought of was Suki, whom she sent to the Boiling Rock prison, herself. She remembered using Kyoshi Warrior's uniform to infiltrate Ba Sing Se with it. Then, she started thinking about Ty Lee. Whom, she hoped that that Ty Lee had not betrayed her in any way, as she hadn't seen her for less than an hour.
"Where are they, now?" Azula asked.
"They are currently taking the Warden to the Gondola, miss." The Male Guard answered Azula's question.
"And they're letting my brother get away with him?" Azula asked in an irritated tone.
"We had no choice. The Warden is currently being used as their hostage. We couldn't hurt him." The Male Guard replied.
"Stop them from escaping! Gather as many guards as you can and stop them leaving!" Azula ordered.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" The Male Guard ran back inside the prison and worked on gathering as many guards as they can, leaving Mai and Azula alone.
Mai looked at Azula. "Azula. You don't think Ty Lee would..."
Azula remained silent for a moment as she thought of the time when her and Ty Lee pranked both Mai and Zuko. "I hope not." she muttered to Mai, then begun walking towards the large prison building.
Mai soon followed behind Azula. She also hoped that Ty Lee was safe and that she didn't betray them.
Meanwhile, Zuko and the others were currently riding on the Gondola, hoping on escaping, scot-free with the Warden in their custody. As this was happening, Sokka interrogated Ty Lee as he felt that he still didn't trust her.
"So, let me get this straight. When Azula visited you at the circus, she asked you to come with her in order to try and hunt down Zuko... but when you refused, she tried to kill you by setting the safe net on fire and releasing a bunch of animals... in all hope to make you come with her?" Sokka asked as he had summed up the reason why Ty Lee came with them.
Ty Lee slowly nodded as she felt ashamed. Zuko stood behind her in case she needed comfort.
"That's really messed up." Chit Sang said after listening to Ty Lee's story.
Sokka pinched his nose. "And I thought my sister was scary..."
Suki did not say a word and crossed her arms.
Suddenly, the Gondola had been roughly stopped. It shook, temporarily. Zuko held Ty Lee in his arms as the Gondola temporarily shook like a rocking chair.
"What's going on?" Suki asked as she nearly lost balance in the Gondola.
Chief Hakoda quickly looked back to the where the Gondola usually transport prisoners to and saw that the guards had used large metal rods to stop the massive metal wheels. Then, he saw that they pulled out a large metal saw and started cutting the line.
"They're cutting the line! It's about to fall" Zuko yelled.
"I hope this thing floats." Chief Hakoda said he looked down at the boiling water from above.
"What now, Sokka?" Zuko asked.
Sokka looked at the entrance and noted that they were seventy-five percent away from making it to freedom and now they're stuck. "To be honest, I can't think of a solution."
"C'mon! You're the genius! You have to think of something!"
"I know that better than anyone! But, look at the position we're in! We all can't escape, unless we climb on the ropes-which will be soon cut!" Sokka panicked.
As Zuko and Sokka continued arguing with one another, Ty Lee stared at the guards who are cutting the Gondola lie from a long distance, then exhaled some air. "Zuko?"
Zuko stopped arguing with Sokka for a second, then looked to Ty Lee. "What is it, Ty Lee?"
Ty Lee looked at where the guards were cutting the metal lines. "In case if I don't make it back... I just want you to know, that I really do like you." Ty Lee told Zuko.
"Wait... what are you saying?" Zuko asked, feeling a bit confused. "What's going on?"
"This." Ty Lee quickly grabbed Zuko by his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. She pressed her lips against Zuko to deliver a soft kiss.
Zuko was completely caught off guard by Ty Lee's kiss and he blushed a bit.
Sokka's jaw had dropped.
Everyone else was surprised.
"Ty Lee..." Zuko muttered as he stared at her with a small blush.
"Goodbye, Zuko." Ty Lee then left Zuko and the others by jumping out the window and landing on top of the Gondola. She then jumped really high on the wires that held the Gondola together and ran back to where the guards were.
"Ty Lee!" Zuko cried as Ty Lee was leaving him.
Meanwhile, as the guards were busy cutting the Gondola line, one of the prison guards with a small telescope spotted Ty Lee running towards them. "Wait, who's that?"
In the next fifteen seconds, Ty Lee used her acrobatic skill to jump high and land back on the platform and attacked many of the prison guards as she could by blocking each and every one of their Chi. A few guards had their Chi's blocked before they could bend fire towards Ty Lee. Within her mind, this moment started to remind her of when the massive Fire Nation drill planned to breach Ba Sing Se and she had incapacitated many Earth Kingdom soldiers.
Zuko watched from a distance and saw Ty Lee take out many prison guards within less than two minutes.
After taking out may of the prison guards, Ty Lee then used most of her strength to take both the large metal rods out in order to make the gondola move once again.
Suddenly, Zuko and his friends felt the gondola moving once again after Ty Lee removed the large metal rods from the wheels.
"It's moving, again!" Chief Hakoda had noted.
"Yes, she did it!" Chit Sang yelled in joy.
Suki qqickly hugged Sokka.
"She really did it..." Zuko smiled as he watched Ty Lee make the gondola move again. But suddenly, that smile turned into a shocking and surprising gasp. "No..."
Meanwhile, Ty Lee was preparing to head back toward where Zuko and Sokka were on the gondola. But before she could take two steps, she was ambushed by large blue flames that blocked her path. She flinched at the hot flames in front of her and turned to see Princess Azula and less than a dozen Firebending prison guards preparing to bend fire towards her.
"Don't move." Azula ordered.
Ty Lee then looked to see the prison guards surround her on all corners. In the next five seconds, she had surrendered by raising her hands in the air. She looked Azula into the eyes and knew that she was dead serious.
Mai had caught up to see two female prison guards restraining Ty Lee by placing hands behind her back.
Meanwhile, Zuko slammed his fist onto part of the gondola. "Darn it! She was so close to escaping! If only Azula hadn't shown up..."
"Zuko. Ty Lee did what she had to so we can make it." Sokka said.
"Five minutes ago, you barely even trusted her!" Zuko said.
"I know that, but..." Sokka sighed. "We're grateful for what she just did. If not for her, we'd all probably be dead by now. Even he warden."
Zuko turned away from Sokka in disappointment, until they made it off the gondola. 'Please, stay alive...' Zuko thought about Ty Lee as he was fleeing from the Boiling Rock prison.
Azula stood in front of Ty Lee. She
"Leave us." Azula ordered the guards to release Ty Lee.
Mai stood and watched from the sidelines, like a few guards who hadn't had their Chis blocked. She was wondering how this turn out.
"I never once thought that you would betray me..." Azula said. "But for right now, the question I have for you is... why? Why would you do it? You know the consequences." Azula asked as she is currently interrogating Ty Lee.
Mai looked in Ty Lee's direction.
Ty Lee looked to Azula and took her time speaking to Azula. "Be... because, I do not fear you as much as I used to. Over the years, you have used fear and chaos to control people-such as me and Mai."
Azula temporarily looked at Mai, then back to Ty Lee.
"But in reality, what you really want is love and attention." Ty Lee said.
"So, what of it?" Azula asked.
"For the last hour that I spent with Zuko... he's shown me that there are ways to gain people's love and affection. Peace, kindness and honesty. Zuko had produced those things. It's as if he wrapped a warm or a scarf around my neck and-"
"Just tell me, what are you saying right now!" Azula yelled.
"What I'm saying is..." Ty Lee looked at Azula in the eyes and gave a light smile. "I like Zuko more than I fear you."
Azula suddenly became triggered and irritated by Ty Lee's words. "Do you?"
Ty Lee slowly nodded. "I have no regrets, whatsoever."
Mai raised opened her eyes a bit as she stared at Azula.
Ty Lee chuckled a bit to herself. "Well, if that's the case..." Azula quickly frowned. "Then you should've feared me more!" she yelled, then had taken a stance. She was ready to bend blue flames towards Ty Lee, who did not try to put up a fight.
Before Azula could try and bend blue flames against her former friend, she was suddenly stopped by Mai, who raised her arm and jumped in front of Azula.
"Wait!"
"Don't tell me, you're planning on betraying me, too?" Azula asked Mai.
"No. I'm not doing that. And I'm not going to let you strike down our own childhood friend."
"Move." Azula had ordered.
Mai shook her head, no. "I'm not doing that."
"I said move!" Azula yelled.
"Look, the three of us had been through a lot, together. And I don't think you want to let it all go to waste, do you? Plus, Ty Lee had already lost and Zuko had escaped. There's nothing to gain by taking her life, now. The best thing we can do now is arrest Ty Lee and chase Zuko down later." Mai protested.
"Mai..." Ty Lee muttered to herself as her eyes watered a bit.
"Also, do you really want to set up a bad example in front of these guards?" Mai asked as she raised her right hand.
Azula looked around to see a bunch of prison guards staring at her. Some of the guards looked at her with a bit of fear in their eyes. She didn't want to admit it, but Mai was right. There was nothing to gain by killing Ty Lee, now. She had to look at the bigger picture. "Fine." Azula looked at a few of the guards. "Take this traitor somewhere that I cannot see her face, again!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The guards responded as they then took Ty Lee into custody.
As Ty Lee was being taken away by guards, she let out a small stream of tears from joy. As she realized that Mai had just saved her life. 'Thank you, Mai.'
As Azula watched her former friend be taken away, she decided to warn her other friend, Mai. "If you betray me, too, I'll make sure that you both rot in separate prisons." she whispered.
Mai did not respond to Azula's threat.
On the Morning of Zuko's Coronation
More than a week had passed since Zuko left the Boiling Rock. The One Hundred-Year War had just ended on the night, prior. The former Fire Lord Ozai had been defeated by the Avatar; the White Lotus had set the Earth Kingdom free from the Fire Nation's control. The Fire Nation fleet who attempted to burn and destroy multiple Earth Kingdom colonies were defeated and Zuko had earned the right to become the next Fire Lord and Azula was taken to a mental facility.
Zuko was currently dressing and attempted to wear his royal robes. He groaned from the pain as he had just survived his duel of Agni Kai against his siter, Azula. He suffered a critical wound to his torso and barely survived, thanks to Katara.
"Careful. Easy, now." Ty Lee said as she walked towards Zuko and helped him dressed in his red robe.
"T-Ty Lee?" Zuko questioned as he saw Ty Lee dressed in different clothing. "You look different." he said as he stared at her Kyoshi Warrior outfit. Ty Lee had worn the dress, put on the makeup, wore the headband and had the fans in her possession.
"Mm-hmm." Ty Lee happily nodded. "Suki let me to join. After what happened at the Boiling Rock and me teaching the rest of the girls a few Chi Blocking lessons in prison... I became an official Kyoshi Warrior!" she gave Zuko a bright smile.
"That's great. I'm glad to hear that." Zuko hugged Ty Lee. As he did for twelve seconds, he thought of something. "Wait, if you became a Kyoshi Warrior, then how did you get out of prison?" Zuko asked.
"Mai did it." Ty Lee simply answered.
"Mai?" Zuko suddenly thought of Mai.
Ty Lee nodded again. "After I was captured, she had convinced Azula to let me live and then, had her uncle to pull some strings for me."
"Mai really... did those things?"
"Mm-hmm. Talk about having a best friend, right?" Ty Lee chuckled.
Zuko chuckled, too. "I'm happy she did that. I'll make sure to give her my positive regards when I see her, again." Zuko then thought of something that happened to him at the Boiling Rock.
"To be honest, I have to pay her back, too."
"Oh... speaking of paying back... there's something I would like to return to you." Zuko said as he rested his arms on her lower shoulders.
"Hm? What is it?" Ty Lee asked.
"Ever since I left the Boiling Rock, I couldn't stop thinking about what you left me with." Zuko said.
"What did I give you?" Ty Lee asked.
"It's this." All of a sudden, Zuko had kissed Ty Lee in her lips.
Ty Lee was a bit surprised when Zuko kissed her. After a few seconds, she was no longer surprised as she felt his warm breath and caring inside her mouth. After the kiss was broken, Ty Lee stared at Zuko with amazement. "You just kissed me." She blushed a bit.
"I know." Zuko smiled. "Did you like it?"
Ty Lee's eyes watered a bit in joy. "I loved it." In the next moment, the two Fire Nation natives hugged each other. Ty Lee rested her head onto Zuko's chest without messing up her makeup. And Zuko placed his left hand on Ty Lee's back and his other hand, caressing the back of Ty Lee's head.
"Hugs are nice."
Fin.
