A/N: Hey everybody, I'm back. The newest chapter of Walking a Wire is now available for your viewing pleasure. These next few chapters are going to have a lot in them, both story-wise and in character development, and I may make them longer than I have been so far, not sure yet. Oh, and the Gaang shows up soon. As a side-note, I'm treating everything past "The Headband" as though it hasn't happened, otherwise I'd drive myself crazy with continuity errors. So, without further ado, here's the new chapter, and enjoy!
Another A/N: I revised a few lines of dialogue in this chapter to preserve Ty Lee's character a bit, she was dreadfully out of character to me. Also, it works better w/ upcoming chapters. As usual, enjoy!
Chapter VI: Aftermath and a New Mission
"She hasn't been back yet?"
"No, Sir. Not since they left this morning." The soldier glanced nervously at the Guard, wondering what he was thinking. He hated that about the Guardsmen--they seldom took their helmets off, and even then they wore their face like a mask. The Guardsman, a captain by his markings, ran an armored hand through his untidy hair for what seemed like the twelfth time. "And neither of her companions know anything?"
"No, Sir. The Lady Mai refused to say much, although she made it clear--indirectly of course--that the whole thing was squarely the Princess Azula's fault." The Guard looked over to the soldier, and the soldier was struck by how young the man looked, and yet how old at the same time. Then, with a final run-through of his hair, he replaced his helmet, asking, "And the Lady Azula, what did she say?"
"Umm, she said to check the circus, if that means anything. We couldn't get much more than that out of her before she started laughing and told us to go away. Uh, pardon me for asking, Sir, but was there anything important you needed to tell the Lady Ty Lee."
The Guardsman turned as he walked away, with a voice that seemed older than before, "Yes. Something very important."
He found her at the pavilion, the same one they had met at time and again years ago. She was hunched over on one of the benches, her hair threatening to break free of its complicated braid. He removed his helmet while letting his boot fall loudly onto the stone street. She looked up slowly as he began approaching the bench. He sat down, placing the helmet between his feet.
"What did she do?" He looked over at Ty Lee. She stared at the ground blankly, registering his question slowly and glanced up before quickly returning her eyes to the ground.
"Azula doesn't always lie." He waited for more, but the silence continued expanding as he searched for something to say.
"Whatever she said, don't listen to her. I used to stand guard in the Fire Lord's chamber, and I've returned to that post since I've been here. Azula always lies. She lies to her father, Ty Lee."
"She didn't lie! I know my parents hate me! When I joined the performers, my father sent a letter. He said that I had to come back, or else I would be disowned, and I know that he's done it by now! I failed at everything my family wanted for me, and now look at me, I quit the circus to travel with Azula, and now she hates me!" The acrobat got up and walked to the fountain, wringing her braid. Akira got up as well and stood behind her. Why can't you just tell her? Because look at all that she's going through now! So? Maybe it'll make her feel better. And maybe it'll make everything even worse. "Ty Lee--"
"See? This is why I can't be like I used to be! If you don't take stuff seriously, it doesn't hurt as much when it goes wrong. When you can look at the big picture, your failures don't seem as significant. I--I never completely believed in all that 'universal aura' stuff, it was just one more way to keep myself happy and ignore my real problems."
"Listen, you can't think like that. You haven't failed at everything! Come on, you're the reason I even stayed on with my training, remember? Look, I've made Captain, they've said that I've been reassigned to the Palace for a while, I can be here again, Ty Lee!"
"But you--you left, and you sent that--that letter, and you said--" She was crying again, shaking slightly as she continued to tug at her braid.
"I sent that letter when I was still mad, I wasn't thinking straight, I was wrong, Ty Lee. That wasn't me, and I didn't mean anything I said in it. I--I've been trying to tell you, on the ship over here, that I, that--" Just say it. "Ty Lee, I--"
"Don't worry. I--I'm sorry about that, but I'm okay now." She turned around, her smile back in place. Then she hugged him, and, completely surprised, he returned the embrace. He could smell her hair, a mix of wood and some kind of soap. He caught himself wishing he wasn't wearing his armor, that he could actually feel her as she just hung on like someone drowning. Eventually, her arms loosened, and she stepped back, a shaky smile on her face. He couldn't help but grin himself, and it almost felt alien to him, being able to smile naturally with anyone besides his men.
"Come on, you need a shower and some sleep. I'll see if I can't get my shifts rearranged, and we can have tomorrow afternoon to do, well whatever." They left the pavilion, and Akira felt her hand close around his own. He jerked involuntarily, and she let go. Ah, great. Idiot. He hurriedly masked the action by unfastening his gauntlet and vambrace plates, attaching them to his belt, and found her hand again. They continued walking, as the lamps of the city burned into the night.
"I have a new assignment for you."
"Wha--yes, my lord?" Akira knelt in the throne room, feeling the heat of the flames wash over him. He knew that last remark would cost him--hesitation meant weakness, weakness meant untrustworthiness. However, the Fire Lord appeared to take no notice.
"There have been reports of an insurrection mounting in one of the nearby cities, as well as a troubling rumor that there are Earth Kingdom spies hiding within our borders."
"But, surely they must know that the Earth Kingdom has fallen?" Akira's mind continued to race. How am I going to handle this? There's no way I can wait around to tell her, not without making it obvious to the soldiers.
"True, the Earth Kingdom has officially fallen, but the resistance continues. Perhaps the most troubling rumor is, somehow, that the Avatar is not dead as previously thought." Akira could have sworn the flames got a few degrees hotter as this was said. The Avatar not dead? How? He somehow kept his face neutral, as the Fire Lord introduced one of his planners, a short fat man who's name he immediately forgot, who attempted to walk him through every last insignificant thing that he needed to do. Inviting the man outside the war room, he grabbed the man's collar and shoved him roughly a few inches up the wall.
"Listen, you fat hog-monkey, I know what I'm doing, and that's what I am going to do, and you are simply wasting your no-doubt valuable time, and mine, by going on about this ridiculously redundant idea of yours." He let the man slide down the wall, then pushed off, running down a servant corridor. The soldiers never used these, believing it beneath them, but they were fast and the servants knew how to get out of the way by now. He arrived, panting, at Ty Lee's room with only a few minutes before he would be missed. He knocked on the door with the metal plate of his gauntlet, and when it opened he hurriedly whispered, "I have to go, the Fire Lord's sent me to another city, it shouldn't take me more than a few days, and I'll be back. Okay, I've gotta go." He hurried back down the hallway, ducking into a servant's corridor, and didn't notice a second door slowly close in the hallway.
Yes, maybe Ty Lee is still a bit OOC in this chap. Well, I always thought her, well "dumb-blonde" attitude on the show was too superficial, so here's my take on it. I also believe that Ozai is the main reason Azula's so messed up, and Zuko would be too if not for Iroh's mentoring, but I'm just going to leave that alone for now. Future chapters are coming, in the meantime how am I doing so far?