It's still the same two people, A711owner and Wavebreeze, reviewing. We're now onto our fourth chapter, using a character that I understand is quite polarizing. While some people felt her positive, optimistic attitude is good, I also know that others felt Ty Lee was annoying persistent (especially regarding Sokka). So for me, I'm focusing on how Ty Lee changed from circus freak to Kyoshi Warrior, as it is one of the more unusual changes in characterization in the Avatar franchise.
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.
"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" a teenage female dressed in traditional Fire Nation nobility garbs inquired, stopping right before me. Even when she was upside-down, I could recognize her physical features from when I last saw her a few years ago. Her above-average height, straight and confident pose, piercing gold eyes, and royal head piece told me it was the exact same person I attended school with all those years back.
"Azula!" I exclaimed. Immediately, I tilted out of my handstand, or more like finger stand, since I was balancing on my two index fingers, and positioned into a bow. I remained silent, keeping my forehead to the ground some seconds, as customary for Fire Nation inhabitants when meeting their superiors, before charging up to her. "It is so good to see you," I greeted, pulling her into a hug while my grin stretched from ear to ear.
My childhood friend and daughter to the current Fire Lord, Princess Azula, told me to not let her interrupt me from my exercises. "Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here?" she asked as I laid my body front-side-down onto the ground. I could feel the grass tickling against my bare belly, the tips edging onto my pink crop top as I flipped my legs over my back, to the point where my feet nearly touched my face. "Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in places like this." Azula commented, sniffing the smell of wild animals irritatingly.
I propped my head up with my hands, still smiling at Azula as my long ponytail dangled onto the side of my face. "I have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle, don't you?" Azula suggested, staring at her nails as a large platypus-bear grunted and laid a polka-dotted egg, "I would be honoured if you joined me on my mission." She concluded, dropping her hand and staring back at me.
My mind froze, not sure what to think. Sure, I knew Azula quite well from my younger years, but it was rare that she would seek someone like me to help her with such a mission. Besides, why did I want to give up my life at the circus when I enjoyed it so much? Flipping back to a standing pose, I told her that while I would love to help her, I didn't want to leave here. "My aura has never been pinker," I replied with a grin, albeit an uneasy one as I knew Azula's tendencies in dealing with those who defied her.
Oddly enough, Azula didn't press on any further, stating that she didn't want to force me into satisfying her. Turning away, she headed for the exit, but not before telling me that she wanted to catch my show tonight. Suddenly, I could feel the surrounding area grow cold, a brisk wind blowing through and sent shivers through any exposed skin. For years, I knew Azula had a way of getting to people. And even though she claimed she wasn't forcing anyone to do anything, somehow I doubted her words here.
The afternoon went by uneventfully, but somehow I couldn't get my mind off Azula's words regarding my show. Even as I dressed up for the evening, getting ready to do my high wire performance, something about the offer told me that maybe I shouldn't have rejected Azula that casually. I might have been a cheerful, optimistic girl, but I still worried for my own safety. For some reason, whenever Azula's requests were rejected, that safety became awfully elusive, and that wasn't a good thing for a performer like me.
I could feel the atmosphere as I stepped out from the curtains on the wires and onto the strings. I was in full costume and makeup, the materials making my face sweaty as I glanced below. There was Azula, given a royal suite all to herself as the ringmaster thanked her for honouring us with her presence. I slowly negotiated my way down the wire, balancing upside-down on a platform that moved via a rolling barrel. Inside, my heart thumped faster than ever before as I wondered what trick Azula might unleash. Once, when we were little, she shoved me to the ground just because I could handstand better than her, so I could only imagine the results of my latest act on her.
Although I couldn't make out the words, I could see Azula lean over to speak with the ringmaster. Before I knew it, the middle-aged man shot a fireball out his fist, causing the netting below to glow in an orange aura. I swallowed hard, beads rolling down my face quicker than ever, smudging my makeup as I steadily shifted my weight from one hand to the other. I bit my lower lip, trying to get the barrel to roll to the other platform where I could get off safely when the roar of large animals interrupted me. I glanced down and saw that the ringmaster, on the orders of Azula, released all the wild animals into the tent, causing sheer pandemonium should I fall off.
As the beasts roamed at the bottom, some panicky due to the flames tickling the edge of the net, I truly thought to myself what my options would be. If these were the dangers I would face every day, then maybe joining Azula wasn't so bad. I knew I had always told Azula and my other friend, the usually gloomy and unemotional Mai, that I joined the circus because it was my calling. But now, I felt maybe Azula called a little louder, as in yelling at me to get off the wire, pack my bags, and get moving with her.
The flowing waters rippled and splashed along the rocky edges as Azula asked us to get off our Basilisk lizards. We strolled into the river as Azula dipped her hands into the cool liquid, wrapping her long digits around wet white strands. "Wads of wet fur," Mai commented in an unimpressed tone, "how delightful."
"Hm. They're not wads. They're more like bundles." I replied, looking at the mysterious material Azula examined. Azula's persuasive ways managed to get our other childhood friend, Mai, to join us on our quest. The Fire Nation military defeated the city of Omashu, overthrowing their king Bumi and installing Mai's father as the governor. But given that Mai was bored to death at the Earth Kingdom, she decided to take Azula's offer as well, and now we would track down the Avatar together.
As Mai and I discussed the right quantity word for the fur, Azula marched off. I could see her stand before some trees, her head tilting to look up thoughtfully. "How about clumps?" Mai suggested, her back to Azula and was oblivious to her actions.
It was the word that escaped me, and I was overjoyed that Mai managed to find it. I jumped into a tight hug with her, which didn't exactly make her feel any better. I looked back at our friendship and wondered how two people who couldn't be more different met and coexisted with each other. While I was the giddy, excitable, no holding grudges type, Mai was silent, disinterested, and rarely showed any emotion. Even as I was delighted by the word, Mai wanted nothing more than to be released. Oh well, different strokes, right?
But polar opposites were about to be conjoined as Azula pointed out a track of white fur heading down a small path leading deeper into the forest. "The trail goes this way," Mai stated, pointing at the direction where more fur could be found. Indeed, the white material was sprinkled all over the ground, almost like clouds from the sky had descended, but kept their shape even as it reached the floor.
As Mai and I looked around for signs of an escape, Azula wandered to the trees in silence. Her pose wasn't as straight, and her steps weren't as authoritative as something on her mind seemed to be bothering her. This struck me as odd, because Azula was never one to hesitate. Given that she was filled with authority and was never afraid to use it, seeing her doubt herself seemed out of character for her. Did the Avatar and his friends try to outsmart us? If so, then which way did they really head towards?
A couple of brisk drafts passed by, whipping and slightly snatched at our clothing before the Fire Nation princess turned to us again. Pointing at several trees which had the top branches snapped off, she concluded that the Avatar was trying to mislead us. "You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison," she ordered, pointing in the way opposite to the fur, "I'll follow this trail." With that, she marched back to her own Basilisk, turning it towards the direction where the fur landed.
We hopped onto our own lizards and gave chase, heading deeper into the woods while keeping our eyes peeled to the sky. Trees swished past us as leaves and branches flew off, flicking at our skin and clothing as we hurried down the path. Everything was a blur until a large white object was within sight. We saw a flat and wide tail, and six feet swinging in rhythm as it propelled forward. Knowing the target was reachable, we urged our Basilisks even more, hoping we would have what Azula wanted when she returned.
We pulled even with the Sky Bison, which slowed down its progress due to its fatigue. We had chased the Avatar and his group all night on our newly-developed Fire Nation armoured vehicle, which provided us with both defence and speed. Realizing that they couldn't outlast our machine, the end product was bound to be an easy catch. Seeing the bison's right legs drooping low enough for us to touch it, Mai unleashed a series of blades, shooting straight for the passengers on the bison's back. That seemed to have done the trick, as it forced the animal off track. Losing its concentration, the white and furry beast clipped the water, throwing up a wave before veering off into the forest on the other side of the river. It finally crashed with a thud, destroying the first set of trees over there. The tremors were so great that the entire earth shook upon landing.
Despite the close call, we were undaunted, and were intent to show the two Water Tribe siblings the Basilisk's secret ability. Lining the lizards up, we pushed them on at breakneck pace, the wind tearing at our faces as we gained momentum. We were about to show that a small body of water would not be an obstacle to us as the Basilisks took to the river, running on the surface of the water at such amazing speeds that they would not lose balance nor get swept away by the currents. Azula made the orders to take them prisoners, and we wasted no expenses trying to make it happen.
The female water bender, a teenager around our age clad in blue, whipped her hands towards the water, creating a huge wave hurtling towards us. But Mai and I timed it perfectly, and leapt into the air just as the waves blew our lizards back. I could feel the blast of water underneath us, the moisture flicking onto our leggings as I aimed for the water bender. Kicking off a few trees, I attacked her body directly. My specialty in attacks was to disable an attacker but jabbing various pressure points that turned parts of their body limp. Given that water bending was all about movement, I could do a lot of damage to their defences should I land some blows. Keying my eyes in ones that dealt with movement of arms and legs, I charged forward for my attack.
Another whip of water caused me to somersault away, avoiding the hit while Mai fired her projectiles at the bender's brother, who had two blades at his arsenal. Given that he swatted Mai's daggers straight out of the air, I figured that he probably couldn't bend, meaning the water bender would be defenceless once we took him out. Somersaulting to his back, I immediately aimed for his right arm, giving him a hard stab into the shoulder.
As expected, the arm became limp, causing a groan out of him. The blade landed onto the ground with a soft thump while I looked on. Either the boy didn't understand what happened to him, or he was too thick-headed to realize my attacking style as he tried to club me with his other arm. Watching the slower, slightly disabled attack, I pushed his left hand away and jabbed the left shoulder, causing that to grow limp as well. He only stood there, arms dropped to either side while still maintaining balance. His eyes were wide in surprise, but also helplessness as he glanced around, wondering why his arms were frozen. In my mind, I thought he looked kind of cute standing like that.
Using his last weapon, he shot his left leg forward at me. I managed to catch that attack also, and did a number to his knee, causing limpness there as well. Now, with only his right leg being operational, his balance teetered dangerously, with his head dipping closer to me. I thought I could jab out his skull as well, but it was thicker than a rock. My fingers trembled and throbbed in pain as I glared at the clueless one, wondering how his head, of all body parts, could withstand my chi-blocking abilities.
The warrior boy tried hopping away to no avail as Mai pinned his water bending sister to a tree, her blades cutting through her wrist bands and disabling her bending for the moment. As the siblings were trapped, I tiptoed up to Mai, who crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "I thought when Ty Lee and I finally caught you guys, it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory is boring." Mai stated in her typical monotone voice.
Suddenly, a large gale of wind ripped us off the ground, causing Mai and I to fly into the air. The sudden draft caught us off guard, sending us flailing and screaming into the river. We landed headfirst into the currents, the water rushing us away as we could barely see from the water the Avatar's Sky Bison getting up slowly. It seemed like the large beast finally awoke from its nap, and was ready for a fight again. While I would have loved to stay, it was getting increasingly difficult to fight the swift water.
After what seemed like an eternity, with the water throwing us about and pushing us down like tree branches, Mai and I finally found slower and shallower ground. As we climbed out, Mai collapsed onto the ground, supported by her knees and hands as she gasped for breath. As I wrung out the water from my long ponytail, I asked Mai, "Is it just me, or is that guy kind of cute?"
Mai turned away in disgust, trying to avoid every attempt to bring in that topic. But for me, it was what I would expect on a mission from Azula. While she had always been my friend, I also knew that Azula stopped at nothing to get what she wanted, even if it meant putting us in danger. Still, it was all fun and games, and I wasn't too keen on seeing her angry. And besides, with a hot guy like that, who wouldn't want to pursue?
"The Earth King and the Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li," Azula's strong voice echoed off the rocky walls of this large tavern. With the exception of torches on the walls, there was relatively little light as an army of men wearing dark robes and large hats stood on guard before us. "They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng. Soon they will turn on all of you, and eliminate you. Seizing power today, is a matter of life and death."
Azula soon stepped off the platform, her head tilting from side to side as she scanned the group. It was the first time that I had seen her in Earth Kingdom clothing, and I must say that it fit her in a strange way. Azula, Mai and I managed to sneak into the capital, Ba Sing Se, disguised as the Kyoshi Warriors. We ran into them on our journey here, around the same time as our failed invasion involving the Fire Nation's largest war machine, a mechanical drill. We retreated for the moment, trying to think up of another plan when we ran into the warriors trying to rescue the Avatar's Sky Bison. Knowing that it would lead us to our prize, we were intent on attacking this way.
I tilted my head at Mai, who observed a teapot while twitching slightly in the Kyoshi clothes. She was not impressed by this type of fashion, going as far as to say that the colours made her nauseous after we took the warriors prisoners. But me, I could get used to the makeup, as it was similar to the material I used in my circus shows. Add the relatively loose clothing and I could give a performance with this on. My eyes turned back to Azula as she described the plan to throw a coup against the current Earth King. "Long Feng has placed you in my command as we overthrow the government," Azula stated. She threatened the usually fearsome guards, warning them that she would not tolerate any cowardice or disobedience. Although I couldn't see it clearly, I knew some of the secret agents quivered slightly as Azula bore holes into them with her gold eyes.
Azula dismissed the Dai Li, who marched in unison out of their cavernous bunker to prepare for the attack. I reached across the table we were at and poured Azula a cup of tea while Mai gave her seat to the Fire Nation princess. I complimented her speech, but Azula insisted that we shouldn't celebrate just yet. "There are still a few loose ends," she told us, grabbing the full, steaming cup, "the Avatar, and my brother and uncle."
We quickly got back to the palace, heading for the main room where the Earth King was. The slim, bespectacled man wasn't exactly the brightest person in the world, and it was easy for us to keep him under wraps. He just finished speaking with the Avatar and his friends, assuring them that Katara, the female water bender on their team, had left with the Kyoshi Warriors. This was partially true, as she was the one who informed us of Zuko and Iroh being present in Ba Sing Se. After some quick jabs to her pressure points, we made quick work of her and threw her into the Crystal Catacombs, a historical artefact of ancient Ba Sing Se located just underneath the palace. Now, it was just a matter of holding our ground until the Dai Li made their way into the central chamber.
But our peace and quiet was interrupted when the male Water Tribe warrior and his earth bender friend rushed in. He shouted out to the Earth King, who sat dimwittedly on his throne, as usual. But their words were nothing but murmurs as I turned my gaze on the teenage boy. We first battled back at Omashu, over an exchange deal between the Omashu king Bumi and Mai's little brother Tom Tom, who somehow found his way to the earth bending rebels. Add to his actions on the last fight at the river with the bison, and I felt he looked cute. So while the Earth King sorted out the mess, I somersaulted towards him, leaning my face close into his and stretching as wide a smile as possible.
That only got our friend clad in blue more worried, as beads of sweat flooded his forehead. "Uh, I'm kind of involved with Suki," he admitted, slowly rubbing the back of his neck. It was obvious that he was afraid to admit that I had my eyes on him.
Before I could inquire more, a huge slab of rock shot up from under me, sending me hurtling into the air. Luckily, I flipped my body around just in time to land on a small platform directly above the throne. I glanced back down to see the short girl expose our identities. "They're not the Kyoshi Warriors!" she declared, taking a fighting stance.
The fight was on as Mai, who again showed off her self-taught dagger throwing skills by aiming the blades at the earth bender. The sharp objects hurtled through the air, but didn't hit the target as another slab of rock was raised, blocking the blades in midair. The earth bender then sought to turn the tables on Mai, sending the slab of rock at the throne. At the last possible second, my friend leapt into the air, almost in slow motion as the boulder passed harmlessly under her. I reached ground level just in time to feel the rock slam into the wall, causing tremors throughout the chamber and dust to be blown into the air. Mai balanced herself on the ground, and charged in for the attack.
That left me with the Water Tribe warrior, which I didn't mind dealing with, since it was another excuse for me to get close to him. Giggling as I approached him, I tried to stab at his pressure points, placing him entirely on the defensive. Unable to use his blade due to the barrage of jabs, all he could do was twist and turn his body, trying to avoid my every jab. Not that I minded the evasiveness, as it only made things more fun. "Looks like we're dancing together," I commented, shifting my body along with him. It was something I looked forward to, I guess, given my now not-so-secret crush on him.
But before long, Azula intervened, grabbing the Earth King and holding a blue fire blade to his head. The warrior and his earth bender friend immediately surrendered as Azula glared at them from the throne, her eyes cold and authoritative as if she was to be the new Earth Kingdom ruler. With their attention on the Dai Li agents surrounding the throne, I sneaked up to the two and stabbed their pressure points. Their bodies became wads of paper, crumpling and dropping straight to the ground. A few Dai Li agents helped Mai and I take them, along with the Earth King and his pet bear, to the dungeons.
From there on out, it was all smooth sailing as Azula turned the Dai Li against their former master, Long Feng, and convinced her brother Zuko to side with us in the invasion. Even when the Water Tribe warrior, the short earth bender, and the Earth King made their escape (along with the Earth King's bear), it didn't matter to us as Azula told us that the Avatar had been defeated. Now, all it took was for the Dai Li to open the gates and allowed our armies in. As Mai and I scanned over the sprawling metropolis, waiting for our troops to arrive, part of me felt that it was our destiny. Despite all the things that Azula did to get me here, including cutting off my circus performance and putting Mai and I in countless dangerous situations, I still felt it was all worth it.
"Look, it doesn't matter who I met first, because I like you all!" I stuttered, staring at the wall of teenage Fire Nation boys mounted before me. All this was the result of a trip to Ember Island, a famous Fire Nation ocean resort where the Fire Lord's family owned a property. Because the Fire Lord had a confidential meeting with his ministers, he sent Azula and Zuko on this trip, and they in turn invited Mai and me to tag along. We had a fairly enjoyable morning on the beach, where I interacted with all these boys, and one of them even invited us to an evening house party.
But the boys weren't willing to go quietly. Even as I tried to play peacemaker by assuring them that I liked all of them, they insisted that I reveal which one of them was my favourite. All of these boys, along with the hosts of the party, Chan and Ruon-Jian, were children of Fire Nation nobles, meaning being second best was not an option for them. Sensing that there was no way out, I had to reach deep into my arsenal and disable them all with my chi-blocking. As the boys all collapsed to the floor, their bodies stiffer than the wooden floorboards, I scurried off to find my friends.
The series of fire torches on the wall beckoned me like the introduction runway at my former circus tent, leading me straight to a central pillar where Azula was. The Fire Nation princess had her back on it, her arms crossed and her eyes looking unimpressed. "I'm glad you're here. Those boys won't leave me alone!" I exclaimed, glancing back at the pile of bodies in the corner, "I guess they all just like me too much!" The heat and humidity of this summer day had us all wearing loose-fitting clothing. Male guests had on sleeveless shirts and shorts, while females had crop tops, similar to the one I had on.
"Come on, Ty Lee. You can't be this ignorant," Azula stated, casting a slightly downward glance at me. I could sense something unusual about to happen as Azula had an unrelenting look in her eye. I could feel my eyebrows curl involuntarily as my eyes turned to Azula's lips. "Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them. You're not a challenge, you're a tease. It's not like they actually care who you are."
Those words slammed into me like a hundred boulders bended by the elite earth benders we faced at Ba Sing Se. I knew Azula never liked anyone besting her, and I could understand that my monopoly on the attention of the boys probably ticked her off somehow, but how could she say this about me? Was she implying that I was nothing but a phoney? All the bright auras and positive energy that I brought, was she claiming that they were all faked? At this thought, my stomach churned, pushing up to my throat as tears jerked out from my eyes, rendering me to nothing but sobs.
"Okay, okay, calm down." I could feel Azula grab my hands and pulled them away from my wet face. "I didn't mean what I said. I said it, because I was a little, jealous." She told me, cupping her mouth with one hand and whispering the last word.
That last revelation was by far the biggest surprise. It was as if Sozin's Comet had crashed onto the world. "What? You're jealous of me?" I demanded, my tears drying up, "But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world!"
Azula naturally agreed with my statement, but revealed that she had some trouble interacting with boys. Somehow, she felt they all were afraid of her, and that they were so intimidated every time she approached them. Sensing that I could be of use, I gave her a few tips on what to do. "If you want a boy to like you, just look at him and smile a lot, and laugh at everything he says, even if it's not funny." I concluded with a grin.
We did a quick run-through, but Azula ended up attracting too much attention to herself by laughing too loudly. After some fine-tuning here and there, she was ready for the real thing. Approaching Chan in the most nonchalant manner possible, she asked him for a tour of the house. I beamed in delight as our host took Azula for a walk, knowing that this could be the way for Azula to break out of her authoritative mode and into a softer, kinder, people-friendly person. It was the first time in years that her family was put back together, as Azula managed to convince her brother to turn against their uncle Iroh and fought the Avatar together. When news spread that Zuko defeated the Avatar, Zuko was officially invited back to the Fire Nation from his exile. The Fire Lord especially requested a meeting with him and instantly restored his honour, which was something Zuko sought ever since he received his eye scar years ago.
But a large bang snapped me out of my thoughts, the entire party silenced as we searched for the source of the noise. My eyes followed the multiple pairs belonging to the guests before me, pausing at the far wall as Ruon-Jian collapsed onto the ground, broken shards of ceramics littering the floor around him. My eyes traced the direction from which Ruon-Jian flew in from, and I could see Zuko and Mai yelling at each other. When we were ready to leave Ba Sing Se, Azula and I decided to rekindle the crush they had for each other when they were younger. It worked marvellously, as the two became a couple and were seeing each other quite frequently. But now, with this eruption, I could only bite my lower lip nervously, realizing that things were not well between the two.
Just then, Chan charged in from the balcony, presumably where he and Azula were when they went for their walk. Shocked that his family vase was broken, he turned to Zuko and demanded that the Fire Prince removed himself from the party. Zuko said something back defiantly before heading for the door, closing it with a loud slam. My eyes tilted back and forth like a metronome, alternating between Mai and Azula, who just stepped back into the room.
Right away, I went to Azula and updated her on what happened. Sensing that something was not right, she insisted that Mai and I left the party as well. "It's time that the three of us had a chat with my brother," she decided, leading us to the door.
Mai and I waited patiently while Azula went to fetch Zuko from their family's beach house. We didn't stay in the royal lodging, opting to go into the smaller one owned by Lo and Li, two elderly twin sisters who had been close to the royal family for decades. While Mai tried to avoid eye contact with us, I was truly concerned for Zuko. Even as his status was restored, he seemed more troubled than before. We knew his exile might be a factor, as he probably needed time to readjust to the Fire Nation royalty lifestyle. Still, it felt odd that he would be this angry, especially when his life seemed complete now.
After a few minutes of waiting in darkness and relative silence, with the waves being the only sound echoing off the rock formations around us, Zuko finally returned to our group. Mai was still not talking to him, going as far as to slapping Zuko's hand away from her shoulder when he asked if she was cold. Trying to lighten up the mood, I told him that a fire was preferable. With immense energy, Zuko managed to crack a smile, offering to return to his family beach house and burning all of the old materials kept there from his childhood days. As he trucked armful after armful of old pictures and trinkets, I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replied, his tone laced with harshness as he blasted a fireball out his fist. The flames illuminated our area, dancing to the moon as its warmth shielded us from the cool ocean breezes swishing in from the waves.
But even with the heating, I was concerned by Zuko's actions. What purpose was he serving with this destruction of his family memories? Now that Zuko and Fire Lord Ozai had reconciled, surely he didn't have to destroy his past, did he? "But it's a painting of your family," I pointed out, "I think you do care, right?"
Zuko's temper only flared higher, eclipsing the fire before us as he erupted on me, claiming that I didn't know him well. "You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world, where everything is great all the time. Look at me, I'm so pretty, I can walk on my hands," he tauntingly did a handstand even as Mai told him to ease up. "Circus freak!" he growled.
I could feel tears coming to my eyes again, but this time I held them in. I was not about to let Azula, and then Zuko, belittle my past anymore. "Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want!" I retorted, my eyes firing glares between Zuko and Azula, "You want to know why I joined the circus? Do you know what my home life is like, growing up with six sisters looking exactly like me? It was like I didn't even have my own name!" I ranted, getting onto my feet. Even as I was the shortest person out of the four, I suddenly felt a tower of power surge in me, refusing to let myself stop until they heard me out. "I joined the circus because I was scared to spend the rest of my life as a matched set. At least I'm different now. Circus freak is a compliment!" I yelled, getting onto my knees like one of the animals I used to work with and roaring the words at Zuko.
Then Mai pointed out that, because I used to be a performer, I was too hungry for people's attention. "You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you try to make up for it now." She stated monotonously, her face tilting away from mine.
"What's your excuse, Mai?" I countered, grinning sarcastically at her. The fact that she turned away from me meant her face was hidden in the darkness, but it would take a lot more than avoiding the light to prevent me from prying out her dirty laundry. Taking the argument up a notch, I decided to hit her where it hurt. "You were an only child for fifteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy grey…"
But Mai dismissed my argument, claiming that she didn't believe in auras. That only turned Zuko's attention back to Mai, accusing her of not caring about anything. As Zuko continued berating Mai, the emotionless girl leaned her back on the rocks, staring straight at the sky. "You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was?" she retorted nonchalantly, "I was a rich, only child who got anything I wanted, as long as I behaved. I sat still, and I didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble, as we had my dad's political career to think about."
Azula, who had been relatively silent so far, took this chance to turn the tables on Mai. Pointing to her parents' control over her, Azula concluded that it was due to this that Mai could not express any of her emotions. But instead of being submissive, it only made Mai more expressive, shouting at Azula to leave her alone. She also let loose on Zuko, telling him that she was still angry with him, before taking a seat with a fume.
"My life hasn't been that easy either, Mai. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face!" Zuko retaliated, pointing to the scar surrounding his left eye, "I'm back home now, my dad talks to me, he even thinks I'm a hero. Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not!" the Fire Prince strolled to the edge of the ocean, letting the waves trickle onto his feet as he continued his rant, "I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!" he screamed, waving his arms in frustration.
Upon hearing that, we all tried to diagnose why Zuko was so angry. It almost seemed like a total contradiction that he would get mad at all the honours and attention he received after becoming a war hero. As we pressed the question further, we could tell Zuko became more and more confused. First he said he was angry at no one, but in the next breath he told us that everyone angered him. "I don't know!" he shouted, pressing his hands against the sides of his head while his face twisted in agony.
Immediately, we started listed off people who might have caused Zuko to be like this. The Fire Lord, General Iroh, Azula, they were all mentioned, but so far, it was still the same response. Zuko became more and more flustered, and his anger becoming more and more uncontrolled and inexplicable. His head twitched nonstop as we barraged him with suggestions, hoping that we could solve the problem. Then, the pot boiled over as he unleashed the answer on us. "I'm angry at myself!" he screamed, slamming two fire fists into the flame, which blasted two columns of fire into the night sky.
That fiery blast burned up all the fuel we had for our fire, causing the area to go pitch black. "I'm confused," Zuko told us, his back hunched over as his eyes scanned the sand, "I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore."
Seeing this scene, Mai approached Zuko and told him that if there was one thing she still cared about in the world, it was Zuko. As they kissed, Azula fake-applauded our so-called performances, stating that she had no "sob" stories to tell. "My own mother thought I was a monster," she muttered, staring into the flickering embers. I dipped my head slightly, recognizing the sudden change in composure for Azula as she said this. But before I could inquire, she was back to her usual self. "She was right, of course. But it still hurt," she finished mockingly, holding her head up high again.
As I observed my friends all telling their personal tales, I recalled the words of Lo and Li. "The beach did help us learn about ourselves. I feel all smoothed," I commented, picking up a nearby stone and rubbing the flat side, "I'll always remember this."
And as Azula suggested that we crashed the very party we were thrown out of, I couldn't help but replay all those things in my mind. Maybe being a circus freak was a good thing, as it allowed me to embrace being different and trying out new things. From now on, I could wear my beliefs and principles on my sleeve, showing them with pride as we headed up the wooden steps. This unexpected trip turned out to be a perfect one.
Azula and I rushed to the top of the boarding platform, just in time to see the large gondola leaving the Boiling Rock. I originally came with Azula and Mai to the prison after hearing that there were special prisoners from the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun being transferred here. Moreover, it was rumoured that Zuko, who betrayed the Fire Nation yet again during the invasion, breaking Mai's heart in the process, was captured somehow. Sensing something unusual happened, we decided to investigate.
While Mai headed directly for the interrogation room where Zuko was held, Azula and I went to speak with the warden, who also happened to be Mai's uncle. The older man informed us that there was a planned escape, courtesy of one of the guards. But before we could say more, there was a prison riot, as fireballs and other objects were all over the open area. That actually happened to be the distraction the main prisoners, including Zuko and Hakoda, the leader of the Day of Black Sun invasion, used to get off the prison. Now, seeing them head away from us, Azula and I felt we must do something.
Azula nodded to me, signalling to the top cable on the gondola. As I scaled the pillar leading up to it, Azula grabbed a set of handcuffs from the closest guard, hooking it onto the bottom cable and propelled herself towards the escapees via fire bending from her feet. As we sped towards the gondola, an attack plan was already hatching. Even without Mai, we were sure we could take those guys on, including the Water Tribe boy that I met so many times and used to have a crush on.
I got to the target first, flipping off the wire and landing on the front side of the gondola's roof. The first person to face me was Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, a group that we defeated prior to our invasion of Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Sokka, the Water Tribe boy, took on Azula on the other side. While Azula and Zuko immediately went at it with fire bending, Suki and I stared each other down. The battle on the other side of the gondola was nothing but muffled grunts as our concentration was on each other.
Before anyone could blink, Suki attacked with a flurry of punches. Thanks to my circus training, I blocked them with relative ease, but her quick pace also did not allow me to chi-block easily. Sensing a need to change strategy, I flipped under the roof, travelling to the other side of the gondola via its interior, and hoped to ambush Suki from behind. As I returned to the daylight, aiming straight for Suki's shoulder, the Kyoshi Warrior dodged at the last second, sidestepping away and returning with a new series of blows. With both sides unrelenting, it was evident that we were fairly evenly matched.
But a sudden screech from the line above halted any battling, as the gondola halted its progress completely. As we all gingerly rebalanced ourselves, we could see the people on the platform bring forth a huge saw. "They're about to cut the line!" I shouted, the scratching sounds of the saw eating into the cable echoing off the rocky surroundings.
Azula glanced up, and a malicious expression took over her eyes. "Then it's time to leave," she stated, nodding to me. Standing up straight, she rocketed herself into the air with feet fire bending again, flipping around and landing on the opposite gondola's roof perfectly. I followed suit with an acrobatic jump, dropping in right next to her as those on the doomed gondola watched on helplessly. "Goodbye, Zuko." Azula sneered.
As the seconds ticked down to the halted gondola's drop into the boiling liquids below, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen. My eyes keyed in on the trapped people as we continued our descent, the wind dying down completely as the heat wrenched into my clothing and mugging the skin on my bare abdomen. Even though Zuko became a traitor again and there were escaped prisoners on board, it didn't feel right to end it this way. Moreover, Mai's uncle was also on the gondola. What would she think had we informed her that her loved one was going to die, knowing that a different option could have been chosen? Somehow, I felt what we did was not the way to go.
But before another word was uttered, a figure clad in dark clothes approached the controls. The figure hurled a series of projectiles, disabling the prison crew cutting the line, before the mechanisms were activated again. As suddenly as the gondola's stoppage was, it moved away again, carrying the fugitives to safety. Even as that was done, the dark figure swung around gracefully, almost like a fast-paced but lethal dance as blades and other sharp objects whistled through the air and pinning the prison staff against the walls. As we got closer to the platform, we could see the mysterious figure: it was Mai. "What is she doing?" Azula demanded, gritting and gnashing her teeth together.
Mai was finally subdued when, in the flurry of activity before her, someone jumped her from behind and disarmed her blades. Azula and I hopped off the gondola to confront her, with Azula glaring at my emotionless friend with fiery eyes, the golden orbs flashing in anger as she sought answers from Mai. After dismissing the two guards holding her, Azula muttered, "I never expected this from you. The thing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it? You know the consequences." she demanded, her tone a mix of anger and, dare I say it, sadness.
My fingers fidgeted nonstop, my hands clasping and unclasping each other while my eyes darted between my two friends. The hot sticky atmosphere only increased when a sudden gust blew by, sending heat from the volcanic island onto our faces. My brows furrowed and drops of perspiration leaked down my face as my eyes zoomed in on Mai's lips, which parted for the first time since this betrayal. "I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do," Mai stated, tilting her head back up to face Azula, "You miscalculated: I love Zuko more than I fear you."
That was the final nail in the coffin, as Azula displayed an eruption that would dwarf any volcano in the Fire Nation. "You miscalculated. You should have feared me more!" Azula roared. With that, she set her feet, blue flames lighting up from her fists as she prepared to attack Mai. Sensing danger, Mai pulled out a knife of her own.
But for whatever reason, something compelled me to attack Azula. Maybe it was seeing my friend getting attacked. Maybe it was Azula being too intent on using fear and intimidation, to the point where it seemed like she no longer cared for people's lives. Or maybe it was even a feeling inside me saying that circus freaks like me should be entitled to some respect, and not be pushed around by anyone. Nonetheless, it was like my body had been taken over as I unleashed a series of jabs, all of which landing on crucial pressure points that disabled Azula's fire bending. As the Fire Princess hit the ground face-first, I grabbed Mai and insisted that we departed from here.
Mai hesitated for a moment, still shocked at the scene before her, before she finally picked up her feet. But it was all for naught, as the prison guards soon surrounded us. Apprehending us, they turned us to face Azula, who was slowly being lifted onto her feet. Her eyes were filled with hate, almost like she wanted to tear us apart with her bare hands as she ordered us to be taken in cells. "And let them rot," she spat.
As the guards marched us into the confines of this maximum security prison, all I could think of was my actions. As the dimmer environment engulfed us, I finally came to a conclusion. Life shouldn't be driven by fear, nor should it be driven by intimidation. It was wrong to use that type of attitude to enforce loyalty. I lived my whole life in upbeat fashion because I wanted to avoid being in a matched set, and I truly felt I stood out when I met Azula. After all, what could be better than hang out with the Fire Princess, right?
But it wasn't meant to be, as I realized that I left a family that forced me to conform, only to be with a friend who forced me to conform even more. The row of torches above me led the way to my cell as I pondered what it could have been had I rebelled sooner. Given that Azula used fear as her only tactic, I probably wouldn't have fared any better. But Mai was right about one thing: Azula miscalculated. Just as she underestimated that Mai was driven by her love for Zuko, even though he supposedly broke up with her, Azula underestimated the stubborn pride I had in me. Like I told everyone on the beach, with a life like this, being called a circus freak was a compliment, and this circus freak had an honour to defend.
"This is your cell," the guard told me, shoving me into the dark room. The walls seemed to cave in on me, giving this free-ranging acrobat as little space to roam as possible. "We have new prisoners coming in next morning," the guard explained, "it's the rest of those Kyoshi Warriors, although I doubt they'll see their leader here, given that she got out." With that, the door creaked to a close, leaving me cold and alone.
It would be several weeks before I was let out of the Boiling Rock with Mai. By the time I saw daylight again, the world was entirely different. From what I heard, the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord. Zuko defeated Azula in a fire duel called the Agni Kai, and officially ascended the Fire Nation throne. He promised to reconcile with the rest of the world, and started the process with the simple gesture of releasing all prisoners of war. I also thought about what happened to my former friend Azula, who I heard had been placed into an asylum. Maybe it was right for me to keep a positive view of the world. Given that all Azula utilized was fear and intimidation, it wasn't long before she made those around her dislike her. While I was still concerned for her wellbeing, I was convinced that Mai and I did the right thing that day. As I felt the sun's warmth tickle my body, my energy couldn't be more positive.
I maintained my optimistic outlook during my imprisonment, getting to meet up the Kyoshi Warriors and exchanging battle techniques with them. After they regrouped with their leader Suki, the team decided as a whole that I could join them, and start my training on Kyoshi Island after Zuko's coronation. It was like my old life had ended, and I was reborn. I might have started off as a lowly performer, only following the orders of those around me in hopes of being different, but I now found a higher calling. If the Fire Nation could reconcile with the world, and the Earth Kingdom based Kyoshi Warriors could accept someone like me, then it was only right I did my part to help the process. As the girls put the green uniform and white makeup on me, I only thought of in one thing.
My name is Ty Lee. That was my story. Those were my rites of passage.
As usual, thank you to my editors, Wavebreeze and Legend of Zelda 4 Life, for their input. Believe it or not, both of them found this to be the best chapter so far. I'm hoping to hear from more of other people, so please leave a review if this interests you. Until then, have fun reading!