It's Ty Luko Week! For more info, including dates and themes, check out TyLuk04Ever dot deviantart dot com. I really need to write more Ty Lee, so this should be a good opportunity.



Another Life

It was really hard to remain stoic.

Zuko had a lot of motivation, though. The most important reason, of course, was Azula. If she caught her brother laughing with Ty Lee, smiling at Ty Lee, staring at Ty Lee, or otherwise pretending that the human entity known as Ty Lee held some significance for him, his don't-call-it-a-crush would become a tool of torture for the little fiendish sister.

That girl Mai helped. Her face never moved. Zuko tried to emulate her.

Also, Zuko was quite aware of his feelings. He was just turning twelve, and naturally he would start to take an interest in girls. Someday, he would be Fire Lord, and it would be his duty to choose a good and honorable woman to be his royal wife, someone just like... It was perfectly logical that one of his sister's ever-present little girlfriends would be the first to catch his eye.

Sometimes, though, it was all Zuko could do not to forget to breathe in her presence.

He couldn't even say she was special in any way. There was just something about Ty Lee's bright face, so often smiling in ways Zuko had always wanted to. Her grace (too easy to be human), pretty hair (the way it spilled when she was upside-down was especially intriguing), her sweet scent (perfume? ...no, she didn't seem the type yet), and sparkling personality were all just icing on the cake.

Zuko knew it was just a silly crush. (Don't call it a crush!) He had more concrete things to work at, like his Firebending, and learning how to lead his nation.

Sometimes, though, he did it all for a dream of Ty Lee.

Iroh's voice was sly. "So, I hear you've taken a lady friend..." Even now that Zuko was Fire Lord and the world had entered a new age of peace, Iroh still had his favorite topics.

"Yeeeeaaaaah," came Zuko's responding drawl.

"Do I know her?"

"I think so. It's Mai."

The name seemed to ring a bell with Iroh. "The acrobat?"

"No! The gloomy one with the knives!" Zuko's tone was almost insulted.

"Ah yes. Her. I hope you don't call her that to her face." A pause. "I would have thought you'd go for the acrobat. You had such a cute little crush on her when you were-"

"That was so long ago I can barely remember it. There's no one but Mai now, and there's never been anyone but Mai."

"Ah."

END