A Long Journey
It was early in the morning.The man stared at the old woman in disbelief. "Are you sure, Ty Lee?" The Landlord asked. "It's a hard journey, leaving the city."
"I have a friend who will take care of me." Ty Lee assured him. "I'll be alright."
"OK." He said. "Well, have a good life."
"Thanks." Ty Lee said excitedly as she turned to leave, resisting the urge to run.
The Landlord eyed the weathered old woman who left his office. "Strange." He said. "She seemed as enthusiastic as...a teenager.
...…
…Azula waited in Ty Lee's room, frowning. The sooner Ty Lee got back, the sooner they could leave.
The door opened and white haired wrinkled face Ty Lee showed up. "We're set, Azula." She told the former princess excitedly. "And this disguise is great!"
"Glad you think so." Azula said crisply. "Just don't be too active around here or people will get suspicious."
"Sorry." Ty Lee apologized. "I just feel so excited."
Azula frowned. She knew Ty Lee's elder appearance was just an illusion, but it was still hard to see a very old woman as strong and giddy as...as a teenager.
"Well the sooner we leave, the sooner you can be as excited as you want to be." She stated simply.
Ty Lee smiled.
...…
…Two Earth guards were doing their duty, guarding the last gate out of Ba Sing Se. The guards then saw two figures approaching them. One was a weathered old woman dressed in gray robe. The other was a young girl, with dark hair, pale skin, golden eyes, wiry body, and wore a simple green dress.
"Who are you?" One of the guards asked.
"I'm Azula." Azula answered stiffly. "And this is my friend, Ty Lee." Gesturing to Ty Lee.
The guards eyed Azula skeptically. "Your mother must have really hated you to give you a name like that." One of them said.
Azula felt a pang of hurt which was quickly overcome with rage. "Excuse me!" She demanded her face twisted in a scowl.
"Please." Ty Lee said quickly, gesturing Azula's shoulder. "Can we go, sirs?"
"Yes." one of the guards said. "Be careful Maam." He told Ty Lee.
Ty Lee and Azula went through the gates as the gates closed behind them. Ty Lee glanced at Azula who was scowling.
"What did he mean by that?" Azula demanded, glaring up at Ty Lee.
"By what?" Ty Lee asked, sensing the anger in the young woman.
"My mother must hate me for giving me my name." Azula demanded. "I know my mother hated me but what does my name have to do with it?"
Ty Lee hesitated. "Well after the War ended, your name has been reviled so much it's...it's become an insult."
Azula glared. "What kind of insult?" She asked through gritted teeth.
"A hateful, destructive woman." Ty Lee explained.
Azula stopped walking, a deadly rage filled her. "Are you going to be alright?" Ty Lee asked uneasily.
Azula glared at Ty Lee; and amidst her anger, she recalled her original plan. 'I have to stay calm,' she thought to herself. 'It's only way Ty Lee might trust me enough to grant my freedom.' Azula swallowed her anger reluctantly and recomposed herself. "I'm fine, master." She said in a low voice.
Ty Lee eyed Azula suspiciously. "OK." She said slowly, looking behind them. "We'll go to an isolated area and then I can start anew."
"Yes." Azula agreed.
...…
…Ty Lee and Azula reached a forest area very far from the city. "I don't sense anyone nearby." Azula said. "So we don't have to worry about disguises." She pointed and Ty Lee's elderly disguise disappeared, revealing the young teenager she had become.
"Yes." Ty Lee said joyfully. "I wish to have my old attire."
Azula waved her hand and Ty Lee's peasant dress was replaced with a pink top, trousers and shoes, her hair was tied into a delicate ponytail.
"Yes!" She exclaimed and did a cartwheel, or rather tried too, falling after a few seconds. Ty Lee laid on the ground giggling. "That was great." She said joyfully.
Azula forced a smile. "Just like old times." She commented as she transformed her green dress into her genie attire. "Shall we go?"
Ty Lee got to her feet, smiling. "Yes, lets." She agreed.
…
…Ty Lee and Azula walked through open plains, passing various villages and farms.
"The place is great." Ty Lee exclaimed, her eyes taking in everything.
"Uh…sure." Azula said, perplexed by Ty Lee's interest in rural land. "Why is this place great?"
"Well it's peaceful and quiet." Ty Lee answered. "No noisy city, and open space."
"OK." Azula murmured, still contemplating this information. "So where do you wish to go first?
"Can you conjure up a means of transport?" Ty Lee asked.
"Yes, I can." Azula said with pride.
"Well when we reach the desert, I'll wish for something that can transport us." Ty Lee explained
"Smart." Azula commented with a smile. Flattery could get you anywhere. With the right words in the right place at the right time, Ty Lee could be swayed to listen to her.
…
…An hour later, they reached the territory that had no houses, no farmland, and fewer trees. The grass grew sparse. Before long, they reached the desert.
"Well here is the desert." Azula commented. "Did you enjoy our walk?"
"Yes." Ty Lee answered wearily. "I have not moved that long for years." She grinned. "It was great."
"Well I don't think you'll enjoy walking through the desert, even if you weren't tired." Azula stated sarcastically. "You wish for a means to travel?"
"Yeah." Ty Lee said. "I wish for a sand ship, like what Sand Benders use. And the means to moves us across the desert."
Azula closed her eyes and casually waved her hand. Red smoke generated from her hand and grew and took shape, and morphed into a sand ship.
"Shall we go?" She asked with a smile.
Ty Lee grew excited. "This is great!" She exclaimed as she ran to the sand Ship and got on board.
Smirking Azula climbed onboard. "Well here it goes." She said casually as she waved her hand and a moved the sand underneath, causing the Sand Ship to zoom towards the waste land at high speeds.
Ty Lee leaned on a rail and looked around, her eyes wide, her mouth opened with amazement as she felt the warm wind blow against her hair.
Azula eyed Ty Lee and smiled sarcastically. "Well at least one of us is having a good time." She commented dryly.
…
…It had been almost an hour of traveling. Azula kept watch as she directed the ship in one direction. She didn't feel tired, and barely noticed the heat.
The door to the ship's cabin opened and Ty Lee exited, yawning.
"Well hello Ty Lee." Azula said casually. "Did you enjoy your nap?"
"Yes, very much." Ty Lee answered simply. She observed that they were still traveling through the desert. "You've been working on our ship for a while. Do you need a rest?"
"No." Azula assured Ty Lee. "I'm a genie and I don't need rest like you do."
"That's handy." Ty Lee commented and then noticed something.
"What is that?" She asked, pointing in the far front.
Azula looked as saw several Sand Ships heading towards them. "Could be trouble." She said, keeping the ship's speed unchanged.
"Don't be so suspicious, Azula." Ty Lee said reprovingly. "They may be friendly."
Azula was unconvinced as the incoming ships almost reached them. Azula arranged the ship to move past them, when suddenly the sand underneath jerked, sending the ship, Azula and Ty Lee flying across the ground.
Ty Lee landed rather roughly. Azula landed on her feet without stumbling. She glared at the Stand Benders who capsized their ship.
The Sand Benders' ship drew into a circle around them, and stopped. Azula went over to Ty Lee as if to comfort her.
"Ty Lee, wish that I will protect us." She instructed sternly.
Ty Lee groaned, still dazed by the capsized attack. The Sand Benders jumped out of their ships and approached them.
"Where did you get this ship?" One of them demanded.
Azula held Ty Lee close, glaring at the Benders. "Why did you attack us?" She retorted.
The Sand Bender scowled and with a raise of his hand, caused the ground underneath Azula and Ty Lee to swallow them up like quicksand. Both girls struggled, but were trapped, only their heads stuck out of the ground.
"I ask the questions, girl." The Sand Bender retorted. "These are our homes and whatever we want, we take. Now answer my question."
Azula scowled. Ty Lee was still sore from her fall, but now was scared.
You're thieves." Azula said contemptuously.
"Yes, I am a thief." The Sand Bender answered. "Now tell me where you got it?"
"I build it." Azula answered irritably, annoyed with her entrapment, but refusing to try anything.
"Liar." The Sand Bender declared, and raised his hand, willing the sand encasing Ty Lee and Azula to tighten.
"Please stop." Ty Lee gasped. "I wish we were free, Azula."
Azula smirked. The head thief eyed Azula. "Your name is Azula." The head thief asked in surprise. "Your mother must really hate you."
Azula bared her teeth. "Shut up!" She screeched, as the sand encasing her and Ty Lee, exploded sending the Sand Benders flying.
Azula and Ty Lee stood in a huge crater where they had been buried. Azula jumped out, posed for battle.
The sand bending thieves recovered and directed sand assaults at Azula. Unfazed, Azula raised her hand, and the sand turned headed back to the Sand Benders. The Sand Benders tried to redirect it, but it struck them without slowing down.
Azula grinned; power flowed through her magical body. A few Sand Benders got up and tried to attack again, but their attacks backfired and struck them ruthlessly.
Before long, the fight was over. Ty Lee was breathing quickly. "Are they dead?" She asked.
Azula eyed her fallen foes. "No she answered, frowning at Ty Lee. "I can't harm anyone directly."
Ty Lee looked around. "What do we do?" She asked.
"First, we'll get our ship restored." Azula answered as she waved her hand, their sand ship was right side up again, any damage fixed. "And to make sure, we're not followed..." Azula looked at the thieves sand ships, and with a wave, caused them all to shatter into pieces.
"Now they won't follow us." Azula said proudly. "Let's go."
Ty Lee looked uneasily, but complied. They got on the ship and then Azula gestured, causing the Sand ship to continue its cruise across the desert
…
As they continued sailing, Azula glanced at Ty Lee. Ty Lee seemed transfixed on what was ahead.
"Everything alright?" Azula asked.
"Uh?" Ty Lee exclaimed in surprised. "Oh, I'm fine." She assured Azula. "It was so quiet at that retirement home. I hadn't had a brush with death of any kind for years." A slight smile touched her lips. "It was…exciting."
Azula considered that. "Yeah, I guess so." She conceded. Then she looked up head. "We're nearly out of the desert."
Ty Lee looked. Up ahead was a green plain, approaching at a rapid pace. Azula slowed the ship down as they reached the grassy lands outside the desert.
"We're here." Azula announced.
Ty Lee viewed the surroundings. "OK." She exclaimed as she jumped out of the ship, and tried to cartwheel, by her third spin, she fell to the ground. She lay there smiling. "I'm getting better at this."
Azula eyed her surroundings. No one was nearby. Then she floated off the Sand Ship and with a wave of her hand, the Sand Ship dematerialized into a red mist and was gone.
Azula and Ty Lee then walked off in one direction.
…
To Be Continued.
I know that the terminology of words can change overtime, for example, Delilah means a temptress due to the story of Samson. So I felt that Azula's name could become an insult due to her reputation in the past.
The desert probably contradicts the geography of the Avatar World, but I hope it's no big deal.
I hope you like the chemistry between Ty Lee and Azula.