New Master

...

Azula was mediating again and was totally unaware of what was happening outside her prison. Her sense of time was accelerated so a few days would be like a second. While she somewhat enjoyed her relaxing state, she sometimes wondered if anyone will find her.

Azula then sensed something. Opening her eyes, she got to her feet and looked out the stain glass window of her prison and couldn't believe it. She saw a clutter of trinkets blocking her view as if...her bottle was put in a bag or box. Utilizing her powers, she saw recent events. A merchant had found the bottle and put it among his wares.

"So my master will be whoever buys me and frees me." She murmured to herself. "I must face whatever happens."

...…

…In the Kingdome of Ba Sing Se, the merchant was working in his shop. Inside her prison, Azula watched all the happenings. People of the Earth Kingdom went to and fro, some stopping to look at items. Azula eyed her surroundings. Her genie Bottle was on some kind of table, surrounded by various items, silks, trinkets and dishware.

Suddenly an old woman up to the market table. She looked like a giant, from Azula's perception (due to her tiny prison). She was old and frail, clad in a gray dress. She had long white hair tied in a pony tail. Her face was full of wrinkles and her eyes were brown.

Azula frowned. She seemed familiar.

"Hi, Roka." The old woman said to the merchant.

"Hi, Ty Lee." Roka the merchant said.

Azula froze. "Ty Lee?" She exclaimed in surprise. "It can't be."

"This looks lovely." Ty Lee said, pointing at the jeweled bottle.

"Yes, it is, Ty Lee." Roka agreed.

"How much is it?" Ty Lee asked.

"Fifty denary." Roka answered.

Ty Lee sighed. "OK, thanks." She said sadly, eying the other relicts.

"I'll tell you what." Roka suggested. . "Since you're a friend, I'll reduce the price."

Ty Lee brightened up. "Thanks, Roka." She told her friend. "I don't know how to thank you."

"What are friends for?" Roka assured her. "Just give what you can and it's yours."

As the older woman reached into her purse, Azula frowned as she eyed the outside. "Even without my magic, this bottle is very valuable." She commented. "I can't understand why he would reduce the price." Her lips twisted. "I wonder if he be so quick if he knew what he really had."

"Thanks." Ty Lee said, taking her new possession.

"You're welcome." Roka said cheerfully.

Ty Lee turned and headed through the street.

...

The older woman called Ty Lee headed towards house. It was moderately large and was pink. Inside, Ty Lee went down a hall way and headed towards a room. Ty Lee eyed the bottle she had bought at a very low price.

"Where shall I put you?" Ty Lee asked softly. "I could use you for oil or maybe tea."

Inside, Azula grew tense. She didn't worry about getting smothered with oil or tea (her magic wouldn't allow it). But it could complicate things.

"Let's first clean you up." Ty Lee commented as she headed towards the sink. Ty Lee turned a facet on and water poured into the bottle.

"AAAH!" Ty Lee screamed as water suddenly gushed out of the bottle as if some force was repelled it. "What was that?" She exclaimed as she took a rag and rubbed the bottle.

"Yes!" Azula shouted in relief as her magic went at work again.

Ty Lee gasped as red smoke spewed from the bottle which then materialized into a young woman. "Don't hurt me?" She pleaded fearfully.

Azula eyed the old woman frowning. "I can't blame her for panicking." She conceded. "I freaked out too."

"I won't harm you, master." Azula assured the older woman. "You have freed me and I am grateful."

The older woman eyed Azula in disbelief and seemed dazed. "Azula..." She whispered. "Is that you?"

Azula eyed the older woman. She bore little to no resemblance to her one time friend, but... "Did you have a friend named Azula who was princess of the Fire Nation a hundred years ago?" She asked skeptically.

The older woman frowned. "You could say that." She answered. "But our relationship was hardly friendship."

Azula frowned, but kept her irritation in check. "Yes, I am Azula." She answered softly. "But how are you still alive?"

Ty Lee eyed Azula in disbelief. "How am I alive?" She asked. "How are you alive and how are you still young?" She eyed Azula. "And what do you mean I'm your master?" She asked. "The Azula I knew would never serve anyone except her father."

Azula sighed. "It's a long...story." She said in a low voice. "100 years ago I was turned into… a genie."

Ty Lee eyed the woman before her. "How is that possible?" She asked. "Genies aren't real."

Azula kept her temper in check. "How do you explain what you just witnessed? She asked coldly.

Ty Lee considered that. "OK, I believe you." She said. "But how did you become a genie?"

Azula looked down. "It was my own fault." She confessed. "After I…got out of the prison holding me, I wasn't in my right mind."

Ty Lee eyed Azula. "You seem alright now." She commented.

"Well trapped a hundred years in a bottle will do that to you." Azula stated. "Anyway, I found a genie bottle. If I'd been a bit better with my wording I wouldn't have been trapped for a hundred years or serving the one holding the bottle."

Ty Lee glanced at the bottle. "So you're saying you're a genie and I am your master?" She asked softly.

Azula hesitated, not sure what Ty Lee would do to her. "Yes." She said evenly.

Ty Lee stared at Azula intensely as if trying to decide something. "How many wishes do I get?" She asked carefully.

"Unlimited." Azula answered.

"And I can wish for anything?" Ty Lee asked carefully.

"No." Azula answered, "There are some things I can't do."

"OK." Ty Lee said slowly. "This is a lot to take in. Can we discuss this later?"

Azula bowed her head. "As you wish, master." She said obediently.

"Do you need a place to sleep?" Ty Lee asked. "I don't have a place, but I could ask a friend to make a room for you."

"That's Ok, I don't need sleep anymore." Azula assured Ty Lee. "But I would like to explore the city and see what has happened since my imprisonment."

Ty Lee eyed Azula. "OK." She said thoughtfully. "But I wish you won't cause any trouble of any kind."

Azula froze as she felt her magic stir, ready to inhibit her from doing anything that would cause harm. "Your wish is my command." She said humbly. "I won't cause trouble."

Ty Lee yawned. "Well I'm going to make a meal." She told Azula. "I assume you don't need to eat either?"

"That is correct." Azula answered.

"Well enjoy yourself." Ty Lee said wearily. "We'll discuss this more later."

Azula glanced at her bottle. "If you need to speak with me, just rub the bottle." She told her new master. "I'll be back right away."

"Sure." Ty Lee said as she went into the kitchen.

Azula went to the walls of the apartment and phased through it as if it was mist.

Ty Lee swallowed, unsure with what she got herself into.

...…

…Azula exited the house and looked at the surroundings. The City was huge and would take time to explore.

She touched her chin. "Hmmm." She murmured. "I mustn't draw attention to myself." She looked down at her Fire Nation outfit. She waved her hand, transforming her Fire Nation outfit into a peasant tunic and trousers of the Earth Kingdom.

"Not my style, but should do." She conceded. "Should I hide my face?" She asked herself. "No," She smirked, "no one will recognize me because I should be dead."

Azula then walked off from the building to the big streets of the city.

...…

…It was night and the Moon was high. Azula sat on a roof top of a house, watching the quite city of Ba Sing Se, her mind calculating recent discoveries. She had walked through the city for hours; watching the buildings, people and economics till night settled and everything had become quiet. Being a genie, Azula wasn't tired in the slightest.

"I had conquered this city a hundred years ago." Azula murmured, "and Zuko and returned it to the Earth Kingdom when he took the throne." She scowled. "I was once Fire Lord. Now I'm a slave to my old friend who betrayed me" Azula felt a pang of guilt. "But I wasn't really her friend either." She conceded reluctantly. "I used her and Mai." Azula rubbed her head. "I can't believe what I'm saying. I never would have admit being wrong."

Azula sighed. "Now I have to figure out how to get out of this." She murmured. "Ty Lee doesn't seem to have ambition. Maybe I can use that. If I behave and provide for her, she might be compelled to free me." She looked out into the city. It would be a long night.

...

Azula was outside the city. She had explored many areas of it. She had entered the palace and various buildings (invisible to avoid attention).

She stood on top of a tower on the wall, looking outside to the horizon. It was strangely beautiful. She recalled that before she became a genie, she never considered such things in life important.

"Ah!" Azula gasped as she felt her magic stir in her. "Ty Lee is summoning me." She exclaimed as she glowed. "Well I must be there."

Azula vanished into a sliver mist and then shot through the air like a beam like light to her designation.

A Minute Earlier

Ty Lee sat at her table, stirring herself some evening tea. She glanced at the bottle she had gotten last time. A part of her considered the whole thing a bizarre dream. She was old and not as energetic as she used to be. But she knew it was true. Her...friend was alive and was a genie.

"I wonder how Azula is doing." She asked herself. She rubbed the bottle.

Seconds later, Azula appeared, Ty Lee froze in surprise. "I'm here, Master." Azula said, bowing.

Ty Lee eyed Azula. "It's hard to believe you're really Azula." She commented.

Azula frowned. "Yeah, I guess so." She conceded. "What do you wish master?"

Ty Lee hesitated. "I'm still getting used to this." She admitted. "I never had a servant who can do anything."

"Almost anything." Azula corrected. "Some wishes I can't grant."

"Yes, you mentioned that." Ty Lee said. "What can't I wish for?"

"I can't affect anything out of our range." Azula explained. "Mind control is limited. I can't kill anyone directly and I can't harm the Avatar or violate anything from the Spirit World."

"I see." Ty Lee murmured. "What is it you want Azula?"

Azula froze, not believing what she was hearing. "Well I want to free be of course." She answered tightly. "Would you wish to be a slave?"

"No." Ty Lee admitted. "But if you were free, what will you do?"

Azula frowned. "Does it matter?" She asked scowling. "The War is over and my whole family is dead." She glared at Ty Lee. "I have nothing."

Ty Lee was silent for several seconds. "OK." She seemed to consider it.

Azula waited, longing to be wished free, but fearful that Ty Lee would never grant it.

Ty Lee finally straightened up. "Do you wish to be friends again?" She asked.

Azula froze. "Friends?" She asked. "You wish to be friends again, after what happened?"

Ty Lee nodded. "I'm lonely, Azula." She confessed, stroking a gray hair from her forehead. "Mai and many of the others are gone."

Azula frowned. "Yeah." She commented. "I know about it."

Ty Lee looked surprise. "You know?" She asked.

"Yeah." Azula confirmed. "Just because I was trapped for years doesn't mean I couldn't see the outside world. I saw what had happened to Zuko, Mai, and the Avatar's friends." She eyed Ty Lee for a moment. "I never kept a constant eye on you though. Speaking of which, that reminds me." She said thoughtfully. "How are you still alive?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "A combination of exercise, healthy eating, herbal therapy and not getting killed in battle." She said. "And I might possibly be long-lived."

Azula considered that. "So what is your livelihood now?" She asked.

Ty Lee shrugged. "I got injured in a fight." She answered, showing Azula a weathered wrist with scares. "I couldn't be a Kyoshi warrior anymore. I kept in touch, but after Suki, Tana, and Marsha died, I lost interest and left. I went to Ba Sing Se and stayed at a retirement home and had been living here ever since." She smiled slightly.

Azula felt a wave of pity. A small part of herself considered this emotion pathetic and kept a straight face. "Well you're my master now." She said carefully. "Isn't there anything you want or need?"

"I'm not sure." Ty Lee said slowly. "I never had a genie and the fact it's you is a lot to take in."

Azula eyed Ty Lee, still finding it hard to believe that this thin weathered old woman was Ty Lee. And then she got an idea. "Don't you ever wish you were young again?" She asked thoughtfully.

Ty Lee looked surprised by the question. "What do you mean?" She asked perplexed.

A smile touched Azula's lips. "Don't you wish you were young and beautiful and jumping and moving like you used to?" She asked soothingly.

Ty Lee looked at Azula puzzled. "Yes, I do wish that." She murmured wistfully.

"Your wish is granted. Azula declared as she snapped her fingers

Ty Lee's eyes widen as she glowed with a bright red light and felt...young and strong again. The light then vanished.

Azula grinned at her performance. Ty Lee's body had instantly reverted to its teenage state. The pinkish dress she wore was large and hung loosely on her small wiry body.

Ty Lee blinked in surprise. She pulled down her oversized sleeve and looked at her hand. It was young and unblemished like a child.

"What happened?" She exclaimed her voice young and high again.

"I granted your wish." Azula said. "And I must say you look great."

Ty Lee panicked and whirled and ran into her bedroom. She examined herself in a mirror. Her face was youthful and pretty again. She turned to face Azula who was standing some distant behind her.

"Azula, I...uh..." Ty Lee stuttered, unsure of the whole thing.

Azula frowned; surprised that Ty Lee didn't seem grateful. "Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Uh yes, everything is fine." Ty Lee assured Azula. "It's just so unreal. This just doesn't happen."

Azula considered that. "Yeah, I guess I can't blame you for freaking out." She conceded with a smile.

"Thank you." Ty Lee said at last, her anxiety suddenly replaced with joy. "I haven't felt this good since… ever." Ty Lee flexed her healed arm. Then she stood on her hands and balanced herself...for several seconds before falling to the floor.

"I'm out of practice." She said cheerfully. "But look how limber I am again, Azula."

Azula smiled. "Yes, you are." She agreed. "Just like old times."

Ty Lee got to her feet. Then suddenly she looked worried. "The landlord and a few others know me." She told Azula. "How will I explain this?"

"Well I don't recommend you telling them you have a genie." Azula suggested cuttingly. "There are ruthless people who will do anything to own me."

Ty Lee grew tense. "So what do I tell people?" She asked. "This isn't normal." She added, gesturing to her young teenage body.

Azula frowned. "Well there are ways to deal with that." She said offhandedly. "You can undo the wish and go back to being an old woman, though I wouldn't recommend it. You can wish for a disguise so no one will know. You can move away and start anew." She smiled. "I bet you like to leave this place."

Ty Lee considered that. "Yeah." She concluded. "It's been a years since I've done anything active."

Azula leaned forward. "So what is it you want in life: power, attention?" She asked. "You favored pink as I recall and still do."

Ty Lee considered. "I like to go to old places again." She murmured. "Places where me and..." She hesitated, "the others used to spend time."

Azula was silent. Comforting was never her strong points, even now. "So if you wish it, we can make the arrangements."

Ty Lee considered that, a zeal she hadn't had in years was revived within her. "Yes." She said. "I wish that."

Azula touched Ty Lee's shoulder. "If you trust me, I'll set up everything for your wish."

Ty Lee suddenly became suspicious. "Don't perform anything without talking with me first." She told Azula. "I don't want any trouble."

Azula frowned. Then she forced a smile. "As you wish master." She said, her voice laced with irony.

…

To Be Continued

Author Note. Now you know all the rules of the genies.

The other fic I based the story on had an elderly Ty Lee- which I thought was interesting, though I wanted to go a different direction in my fic.

Time and experience can change us, and I hope you like the portrayal of Ty lee and Azula, even though they're characters have radically changed since the War.