Avatar Chapter 15
I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Even though Azula had not said anything about their impromptu lesson with Li and Lo yesterday Ty Lee knew her Princess was embarrassed. In all honestly Ty Lee was embarrassed to but only because the details Li and Lo had given them, she apparently knew less then she thought about where babies came from.
Conversely Azula was most likely embarrassed by the reveal of her complete ignorance on the subject. The Princess was used to being the best and having not a single flaw show, the fact that her knowledge on human intimacies was on par with five year olds certainly struck at her pride.
That was probably why she insisted on visiting the engine car today, to renew her wounded pride by learning how fire moved this entire train. It was much more complicated than that and Azula was listing to every word Gaz spoke.
"It is a marvel of science your highness, the steam engine revolutionized the way we can use fire, isn't it beautiful." Gaz was staring at the main engine with a look of pure adoration, it was somewhat creepy.
Gaz was dressed as oddly as he acted, a set of goggles with multiple magnifying lenses attached, a verity of pencils and other writing utensils sticking out of his cloths; in fact their appeared to be a quill sticking out of his messy head of shoulder length black hair.
He wore a long leather coat weighted down with multiple tools, rolls of paper and what appeared to be bottle of exploding jelly. His pants and shirt were ragged and appeared to be burnt, torn and stitched in many places most likely from his odd experiments.
"Yes Gaz your love of the steam engine is noted but the Princess is here to learn how it is practical, not your odd behavior habits." Iza was as formal and level headed as ever, she insisted that she be with them whenever they met with Gaz.
"It is highly practical and elegantly simple, the fire heats the water, the water turns to steam, and the increased pressure powers whatever you want moved and if you had let me I could show the Princess my steam driven power arm." Gaz retorted.
"That hunk of metal nearly tore you in half the last time you put it on." Iza calmly replied.
"That's irrelevant, I proved that mechanically assisted it is possible to throw a komodo-rhino."
"That komodo-rhino sent you into a tree with its tail"
"Details Iza, details"
Ty Lee watched the back and forth continue, and then noticed Azula inspecting the many valves and knobs that controlled the train. It looked like a mess of metal, glass and numbers and it made Ty Lee's head spin.
"Gaz" Azula firmly stated.
In an instant the man was by her side "Yes your highness."
"Coal is used as the fuel correct" Azula spoke with a questioning tone.
"Correct Princess, at present it is the most efficient and abundant fuel we have at our disposal"
"And do we rely simply on the coals ability to keep the fire going? I suspect there is more to it than that" Azula was watching the grate where coal was thrown in.
Gaz had huge smile on his face "Ah you have suspected correctly, ooohhh exciting, if you would allow me to demonstrate."
Azula nodded and stepped back, Gaz stepped forward and faced engine. He closed his and reached his hands out in what Ty Lee recognized was a fire bending stance. The heat from the engine suddenly increased and the train sped up.
"As you can see a Fire Bender can increase the intensity of the engines fire through bending, it makes the efficiency of the whole mechanism increase exponentially." Gaz moved his fingers and the roaring fire decreased in intensity.
Ty Lee was amazed, to think one could make the whole train speed up through bending, it was incredible.
"I assume that is simply not a matter of creating a more or less intense flame, there must be a method behind." Azula was thinking hard, Ty Lee could tell simply by the look in her eyes.
"Again you are correct your highness, as much as it pains me to say there is a limit to the heat the engine can withstand, proper control and endurance are the most important aspects when manipulating the fire as creating to powerful a flame will destroy the internal workings, while too weak will not boil the water" Gaz had brought out a wooden writing board and was scribbling something upon it.
Azula had a raised eyebrow "Endurance?"
"Yes, your highness" Gaz turned the board around and showed Azula and Ty Lee a diagram of a crud stick person next to intricately drawn engine of many sizes, all accompanied by various formulas.
"As you can imagine manipulating the fire of a tank or even this train is one thing but the changing the one say… on the Leviathan class freighter that was launched a number of months ago, is quite another."
Ty Lee remembered that ship, it was the one Azula had seen off when she first started off as her attendant, and she tried to imagine the size of the fire that would be needed to heat the boiler on that behemoth.
Azula seemed intrigued "So, in theory, I suppose I would be possible to power a modern steam engine through bending alone, am I correct."
Gaz had his head turned to side and was tapping his writing utensil against his chin. "In theory, but the skill, control and endurance required would be immense; the fire would have to be kept at a constant intensity for long periods of time and from personal experience I know that the strain can cause muscle spasms, heat stroke, delusions, loss of control over bodily functions and fluids..."
"Gaz you're doing to again"
"What? Oh right, being disturbing"
Ty Lee was always awed by the way Gaz and Iza interacted with each other, though they often argued but their auras fit each other's like pieces of a puzzle and Ty Lee wondered if they romantically involved, it certainly would not be the oddest paring.
Ty Lee noticed the speed of the train start to increase, she looked at Azula and found her with her eyes closed and arms crossed, taking calm measured breaths. "Oh my" Iza had a hint of awe in her voice, and Ty Lee at what had caught her attention.
The fire behind the grate was bright blue, the trains speed kept increasing at a steady pace. "By the metal spike imbedded in my behind, these are incredible numbers" Gaz was writing down furiously on his writing board, looking at the various dials and blue fire burning in the engine.
The train was traveling at a much faster speed then when even Gaz added his power to it and yet there was no indication that the engine was strained. "Gaz the engine should be able to cope with this speed" Iza was confused, and Ty Lee was completely lost.
"Yes, I don't kno… ah what brilliance, what simplicity."
"Gaz unless you expect me to read your crowded mind, tell me has you drooling."
"It's incredible Iza, the Princess is increasing the intensity of the flame but she must also be channelling the excess heat directly into the water."
The trains speed gradually came down until Azula opened her eyes and let out a long deep breath. "Well, that was fun."
Ty Lee was amazed, though not surprised, Azula was the best Fire Bender she knew and possible the best she would ever know. Gaz was mumbling to himself while writing formulas and drawing diagrams at such a rapid pace that they were falling to floor.
Iza came over and bowed "Thank you for the demonstration Princess Azula, I know that look and Gaz will probably have seven new ideas by tomorrow."
Azula smirked "I am glad to have served as such an inspiration, when approachable tell him I wish to have an engine if this size installed at the Palace for training purposes."
Iza bowed "It will be done your highness."
"Excellent, come along Ty Lee"
Ty Lee followed behind as they traveled through the train "Wow that was awesome Zula, how did you know that would work."
Azula shrugged "I had a hunch, a skilled Fire Bender can feel the flames nearby and I could tell I could give the engine a good boost."
"Cool, so do you think you could power the train all by yourself, your, like, the most skillfully, controllingly, endurancy Fire Bender I know"
"Controllingly?"
"Is that not a word?"
"No, and neither is endurancey"
"Oh, well they sound like good words, so could you power the train all by yourself?"
"That's why I want an engine installed in the training room when I get back, I want to show up the other benders of the world."
"Huh."
"Tell be Ty, how do you think a Water Bender would move a boat" Ty Lee though about it "With Water Bending I suppose" Azula nodded "And tell me, do you know of the transportation network they use in Ba Sing Se or the delivery system in Omashu?"
"Are you testing me?"
"No"
"Will there be a test?"
"No"
"Then I have no idea"
"Of course, well the short answer is that both of them use Earth Bending" Ty Lee was starting to understand now and she thought she knew where this was going.
"So, do you want to do stuff just with Fire Bending"
Azula smiled "That is it exactly, I knew there was a reason that when the odd warship was captured it was so easily recaptured, Fire Bending is the key but it is not enough."
Ty Lee knew her Princess was getting excited "I want to be able to travel across the seas with nothing but my bending to propel me, I want to the ability to dig through mountains and soar in the air like the other benders do but on my own terms."
Ty Lee thought about for a bit "Do you really think we could fly Zula?"
"Of course, the Air Benders and their Sky Bison could soar through the air and look down upon the world at their leisure so why can't we."
"I've always wanted to fly"
Azula stopped in her tracks "You never said anything about it before"
"Well I always knew it was impossible but I always liked being up high, soaring through the air, feeling the wind on my face but I always had to fall back down eventually…but if you think I can be done…"
Azula looked at her over her shoulder, she then turned around and smiled "Alright Ty, I give you my word as a Fire Nation Princess that I will find a way for us to fly one day."
Ty Lee looked at her "You really mean that, you really think it's possible."
Azula looked smug "I will make it possible, and knowing my luck it will probably fall into my ha-oof."
Ty Lee tackled Azula and was giving her the biggest hug she could, even if they were outside their private car Ty Lee could not help herself. She felt Azula awkwardly half hug half pat her back and Ty Lee smiled, she would treasure the promise Azula made to her today even if they never did find a way to fly.
That night, as Ty Lee tried to keep herself from snuggling into Azula, she dreamt. She dreamt of a big red balloon, hot air and the feeling of the wind blowing her hair back as she looked down on the world from higher up than she and ever thought possible.