The sky was painted a brilliant sapphire and the sun emanated warmth and happiness down on little Kyoshee Island as Ty Lee practiced her flips and cartwheels. To the other warriors she appeared to be playing around more than training, but none of them wanted to object as they were all aware of how competent the seemingly harmless girl really was. Besides, with the war being a distant memory, they didn't feel the need to be as strict when it came to training as they had before, and in any case they were all extremely grateful to the little acrobat for showing them chi blocking techniques that effectively took away a bender's ability to command the elements. If Ty Lee wanted to do cartwheels during training time that was fine by them.
"Alright girls," Suki's voice came crisp and clear from their training dojo, "Let's call it a day. I wouldn't want to see a beautiful day like this go to waste." Synchronous cheers of joy arose from the group, all of them ecstatic to be free from the seemingly pointless repetition of day in, day out training. Ty Lee didn't seem to hear though, being much to preoccupied searching for little bug friends while walking about on her hands. After a few minutes she looked up to notice the other Kyoshee warriors heading off to change, and decided to make her way, hand over hand, in the same direction. Suddenly one of her hands discovered a loose rock, then there was an instant of disorientation and a blur of colors, and the next thing she knew she was lying on her back staring up at the beautiful blue sky.
She decided to lay there a moment, entranced by the serenity and warmth of the island around her. That's when she spotted a small dot in the sky towards the west, a bird of some kind she decided, but it was much too far for her to make out just what kind. She sat up to watch the feathery fellow make it's way majestically across the open sky, all the while wishing she too could soar amongst the clouds. That would be the ultimate freedom, she thought to herself with a loud sigh. The young woman allowed her mind to wander off, daydreaming of flight and soaring through the air, without a single care in the world, just her, her little bird friends, and the unending horizon.
She inhaled deeply, held it for a brief moment, then let out a long sigh of surrender. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to stay down here on Kyoshee Island,she decided, not at all disappointed though. Ty Lee loved Kyoshee Island, the other warriors, and, well, pretty much all of life itself. She looked up again to spot her feathery friend, only now it was much closer. She could just make out orange and yellow feathers, a lot like the messenger hawks of the Fire Nation she thought. Sure enough, as it flew ever closer, it did indeed turn out to be just that.
"That's awfully strange," She said to herself, a look of bewilderment spreading across her face, "I'm not sure I've ever seen a messenger hawk fly over Kyoshee Island." Ty Lee stood up, deciding she wanted to watch this bird more closely. As she did, she noticed the hawk start to dive. It wasn't flying over Kyoshee Island, it was flying towards Kyoshee Island. Now that she thought about it, it looked a lot like it was flying right towards her. Excitement and anticipation rose inside of Ty Lee like a boiling pot of water, and she could barely contain herself. A message for me! I wonder who it could be from?
She stuck out her arm as the hawk neared, squealing with joy when it landed on there. She didn't waste any time at all, practically tearing the container right off the bird's back trying to get the parchment out of it. As soon as she had the note in hand, the hawk let out a cry and took off immediately in the direction it had come from. "Oh, goodbye friend, thanks for the letter!" Ty Lee cried after her new hawk friend, who deemed it acceptable to send out a cry of it's own in return. Now absolutely beaming and overwhelmed with joy, the girl unfolded the parchment, anxious to see what it said. She read:
Ty Lee of Kyoshee Island,
You have an appointment to visit inmate Azula at the Fire Nation Institute for Mental Rehabilitation this coming Saturday. Please do not be late, and refrain from bringing any weapons, food, drink, or any other items which do not meet with the Fire Nation prisoner visitation code, as stated in article 17 of the Fire Nation Code of Laws. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
The letter was blown out of her hands by a sudden gust of wind, but she didn't seem to notice. Her jaw was hanging open as she processed what she had just read. A visit with... Azula? The letter wasn't even signed. She was absolutely confounded. She hadn't scheduled any sort of appointment, hell she didn't even realize Azula was allowed visitors. Last she had heard, 6 months ago Azula had gone ballistic on a bunch of guards and ever since nobody has been allowed near her except for her doctor. Even in the 2 months prior to that incident, Ty Lee had never gone to visit Azula. She hadn't seen her ex-best friend for over 8 months now, ever since the fight at the Boiling Rock prison facility where Azula nearly killed Mai. She turned her head from side to side, looking around desperately, hoping somehow perhaps the trees might have answers to her questions, or maybe there was a group of people waiting to jump out and tell her it was a big practical joke. Nothing. Thinking about it for a moment, Ty Lee decided she had to find out what this was all about.
Maybe she really has changed? Ever the upbeat one, she couldn't help but think the best of her old friend. She always had. It had broken the little acrobat's heart to end their friendship the way they did, but she just couldn't stand there and let Azula attack Mai. If she hadn't acted as quickly as she did, who knows what Azula would have done to her? Ty Lee started running, not exactly certain where she was heading, just knowing that wherever it was, she wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Her appointment was in 3 days, and the Fire Nation was pretty far away.
As she came over the top of a small hill, she noticed a strange ship anchored just off the western shore of the island, and there on the beach stood an even stranger man next to a smaller boat. He noticed her about the same time she noticed him, and he gave her a beckoning wave. What the hell is going on! Ty Lee asked herself, at this point having no concept of anything that was happening. First a strange letter appears without warning, and now a boat she had never seen before was already waiting for her at Kyoshee Island? It was an eery feeling, almost as though somebody was spying on her. They knew where she was, who she was, and even what she looked like. Well, I guess I had better not waste any time. At least this is convenient, even if it is a little strange... She thought to herself as she made her way towards the water. As she neared the man, he bowed slightly before introducing himself, all the while holding a steady, discomforting smile upon his lips.
"Hello, miss Ty Lee. My name is Alfred, and I've been asked to bring you to the F.N.I.M.R. for an appointment scheduled this Saturday with an inmate by the name of Azula. We have less than three days to get there, I trust you're prepared to embark?" His accent was so bizarre to Ty Lee, which was especially strange considering how many places she had traveled to during the war. It was almost as if he were manufacturing his accent to hide his nationality. As she studied the man, she realized everything about him was strange. He had a small white haired mustache that curled up towards his nostrils, a monocle covered one squinty eye, and he wore the goofiest hat Ty Lee had ever seen. It was like a black cylinder with a rim on the bottom of it. He looked like something out of a children's storybook. A bad one at that.
"Yes, I suppose I'm ready to go. Do I have time to go grab some-"
"That will be completely unnecessary miss, I assure you, we can provide everything you will need during the voyage. Shall we depart?" Alfred cut her off before even hearing what she wished to bring. How can he be so sure when he doesn't even know what I was going to get? Ty Lee thought about this whole situation for a moment, her trepidation growing more and more by the minute.
"Alright, I guess we can go now... Could I at least say goodbye to my-"
"That will be completely unnecessary miss, I assure you, you will see them again before long. Shall we depart?" This guy was really starting to creep Ty Lee out. She gave him a quick scowl before deciding that if he tried anything funny, she'd just paralyze him and toss him in the water. Not necessarily the most humane thing to do, but at the same time this guy didn't seem very human. In any case, she certainly wouldn't have any second thoughts about it.
"Fine, let's go." She replied flatly, her distaste for this Alfred clearly showing. His smile never wavered though, instead he offered his hand to help her in the boat, but after seeing she felt no need for this, he began to push the boat into the water. He jumped in once they were clear of the shore, and began paddling out towards the larger boat, some 200 yards away from the island. For being a small, elderly looking guy, he sure was strong. Just another strange thing about this weird guy, she decided. Ty Lee gave one last farewell look towards Kyoshee Island, her home for the last 8 months. She was going to miss Suki and the others, along with the daily tranquility of the island. Her sadness was soon replaced with excitement though. The anticipation of seeing Azula again was beginning to swell inside of her. She started running through her mind all the things she was going to say, not quite sure what to say first. It didn't take long for her to decide though. The first thing she was going to say to Azula, without a doubt, would be 'I'm sorry.'
Azula was awoken suddenly by the violent symphony of her cell door opening. Fear gripped her for a moment, the uncertainty of what was happening being almost too much for her to bear. She started having flashbacks to that terrible night which ended with her attacking a group of guards. The princess placed her hands in front of her eyes to shield them from the incoming light, deciding it was probably best not to close them completely, just in case. As the door opened fully, she saw the silhouette of a guard standing there.
"What are you-"
"You have a visitor." The guard cut her off gruffly, not sounding entirely pleased to have to open her cell door more than once in the same week.
"A visitor?" She repeated to herself, bewildered by the very idea. "But who.." The princess started, but her question was answered before she finished asking it. As the guard removed himself from the doorway, a slender girl with a long, intricate braid that fell past her midsection took his place. "Ty Lee..." Azula choked on those two little words as a tear streamed down her cheek. Could she be dreaming? No, there was no way, her dreams were always in bright, warm places, they never took place in this shithole. The angelic figure stepped cautiously into the cell, and Azula could now clearly see the timid face of her old friend, Ty Lee's soft pale blue eyes illuminating her face in the darkness of the prison cell. Azula jumped to her feet, disbelief still clutching her entire body. She wanted to say something, anything, but the knot in her throat made it impossible.
"Hi Azula." Ty Lee said softly and cautiously, uncertain of exactly what her ex-best friend might do next. As the timid girl took a few more slow, careful steps towards the female firebender, the door behind her was suddenly and violently slammed shut by the guards, and the unmistakable clank of the lock being thrown followed shortly after. It was now very, very dark, and the acrobat's mind began racing with terrible thoughts of what might happen to her. Azula's dark figure blended seamlessly into the shadows of the cell, and Ty Lee watched, wide eyed and terrified, as her old friend suddenly closed the distance between them in a frighteningly swift manner. Ty Lee let out a panicked yelp and threw her arms up in defense as she felt two arms wrap around her shoulders.
She stood there, frozen stiff, when she suddenly realized what was happening. Azula wasn't attacking her, wasn't trying to strangle the life out of her as she had feared the princess would. She was hugging her. There in the darkness, despite everything that had happened, despite nobody being there to protect the her from the fury of the firebender, Ty Lee found herself not in danger of being killed, but instead being embraced tenderly by her best friend. Ty Lee removed her arms from between them, and threw them instead around Azula, holding firmly onto the young woman as if for dear life. Neither one of them had any real concept of how long they had held each other, but after some time they decided to break apart and see each other's faces.
"I'm sorry-" They both started to say but were taken aback by the other's apology.
"Azula what are you sorry for? I attacked you remember!" Ty Lee said guiltily, the memory of it still stinging her heart. She had never felt as bad about anything she had ever done in her entire life as she did about hurting Azula.
"Ty Lee, don't be naive. You know I would have killed Mai if you hadn't intervened." Azula's broken silk voice was full of sorrow and regret. She looked into Ty Lee's eyes, and seeing them swelling with tears she added, "You saved us both that day." The princess gave her old friend an earnest smile, knowing that if Ty Lee started to cry she herself would never be able to hold her own tears back.
"But Azula, after that happened you..." The acrobat's words trailed off, as she wasn't exactly sure how to finish that sentence without upsetting her friend. "Well, you know, you sort of... fell apart?" She squeaked the words out, trying desperately not to upset the girl. Azula only laughed though, clearly amused by her friend's trepidation.
"Yes, I suppose I did take it a little hard at first, but being here has given me time to think about a lot of things, including you." She stopped, and seeing the puzzled but hopeful look on her friend's face she corrected herself, "Especially you. Ty Lee I..." Azula sighed audibly, struggling for the words she needed. " I feel awful about the way I treated you all those years. You were always a good friend to me, but I only ever treated you like dirt. You have nothing to apologize for, it was all my fault." The princess concluded sorrowfully, wishing more than anything she could take back all the years of pain that she had inflicted upon her friend.
"Wow Azula, I guess you really have changed. I never would have thought you'd be the one apologizing to me after all this time." Ty Lee said with a friendly smile. Azula's words had touched her with their sorrow and sincerity.
"Well some things never change," The princess began as she looked directly into her friend's eyes, determined to make sure Ty Lee understood what she was about to say. Azula took a deep breath, and decided the best way to say it was exactly as she meant it. "I still love you, Ty Lee."
"Wow Azula, I love you too!" Ty Lee squealed in that upbeat, high pitch of hers. She gave Azula another big hug, which the princess returned. Azula wasn't certain her friend had understood exactly what she was trying to tell her, but it didn't matter, she was happy all the same just being friends with Ty Lee again. "I thought I had lost you forever Azula, I was so sad when I heard what had happened. I'm really happy to see you're getting better." The sincerity in Ty Lee's voice sent a warm tingling sensation spreading about the firebender's cheeks. She hadn't realized just how much she actually meant to the girl before now.
"Well with you as my motivation Ty Lee, you'd be surprised what I can accomplish." Azula stated proudly, placing her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out and feeling a bit more like her old self. "My doctor says if I keep it up I might be out in a couple of months."
"That's great Azula! I'm so happy for you, I can't wait!" Ty Lee was absolutely ecstatic at the idea of having her best friend back.
"Me neither." Azula whispered into her friend's ear, her warm breath tickling Ty Lee's neck and causing a few loose, feathery strands of hair to dance about the nape of her neck.
It was only now that Ty Lee realized how much she really had missed her Azula. Even on the bad days, it always seemed to her as if the princess would still have the traces of a smile just for her. No matter how mad she was, Azula had never hurt Ty Lee, and so she had always clung to that thin strand of hope that maybe Azula really did care about her, that no matter how far under the surface it was buried, there was a loving, caring soul, and Ty Lee had always reached out to grasp it, if only for a moment, to cherish it's warmth. Now with Azula's shell completely shattered, Ty Lee was, for the first time in the duration of their friendship, able to grab on to that part of Azula, and she promised herself she would never let go of it, not for anything in the world. Ty Lee let the warm feeling flow throughout her entire body and, lunging forward to embrace her friend once again, she savored the mutual love that she felt flowing between them as a stream of joyous tears silently patted Azula's shoulder.
When they concluded their loving embrace for what must have been the half dozenth time, Ty Lee couldn't help but let her curiosity get the best of her.
"So I heard you attacked some guards a while back, Azula. What happened?" Her pale blue eyes grew larger and she cocked her head slightly, giving the princess a very questioning, if not adorable, look.
"It was a mistake, I'm... not entirely sure what happened." Azula replied, the uncertainty plain in her voice as she struggled with her fragmented memories. She clearly had no interest in discussing that particular subject, and it sounded to Ty Lee almost as if there was something her friend wasn't saying.
"Come on Azula, you know you can tell me!" The little acrobat pleaded, anxiously awaiting an honest response.
"I thought they were trying to kill me, alright!" Azula shouted harshly, annoyed with all of the incessant whining. Ty Lee was taken aback, her eyes ripe with fear, but very quickly their look changed to one of pity. It wasn't Azula's fault her mind had turned against her, and it wasn't fair for Ty Lee to remind her of it.
"I'm sorry, Azula. I didn't mean to upset you, I was just curious, that's all." She said quietly, disappointed in herself that after all this time she still didn't know when to stop pushing her friend. After just the briefest of hesitations, Azula gave a quick, deliberate sigh and looked towards her friend apologetically.
"It's okay Ty Lee, I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just a... painful memory, that's all." She explained, her words gentle and her apology sincere. Ty Lee returned her friend's gaze with a sheepish grin to let her know it was alright. "I thought I was getting better, but I guess my mind was still tricking me into believing things that weren't real. It's not your fault, in any case." Azula didn't like shouting at Ty Lee, but sometimes she just couldn't control her anger. Her friend just happened to be the one that was usually always there when it came out. "That was also six months ago, and Dr. Tamoran says I shouldn't dwell on the past."
"He's probably right you-"
"She, Ty Lee. Dr. Tamoran is a woman." Azula corrected her friend politely before allowing her to continue.
"Oh, sorry... She's probably right then." Ty Lee said a bit sheepishly, slightly embarrassed at her mistake.
"Why do you say that?" Azula asked curiously, to which her friend had to stop and think of how the best way to answer that without upsetting her might be.
"Well, if you think about it, you probably don't have many good memories to dwell on." Ty Lee offered earnestly. The princess shot her a sharp look, but after thinking about it for a moment, she bowed her head and smiled. After a few seconds she looked up at Ty Lee again, This time with a glint of kindness and reverence in her eyes.
"Not many, but some." Azula's words were sincere as she thought back to all those warm, peaceful summer days she had spent with Ty Lee, practicing their acrobatics, playing childhood games, and sometimes just lying on the grass, enjoying each other's company. Not many good memories, but there were some, and the ones that were were all very dear to her.
"Like what?" Ty Lee asked, interested to hear any happy memories her friend might have. The princess bit her lip lightly, unsure if she should respond honestly or not. She still wasn't sure if Ty Lee shared her feelings, and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin their reunion by putting her friend on the spot like that.
"Let's just say they weren't all bad." The princess answered, giving her friend a sheepish smile. As vague as that response was, Ty Lee was content with accepting it. She had already pushed Azula once, she didn't want to repeat that mistake.
"Well, hopefully you'll have a lot of good memories to look forward to once you're out of here." Ty Lee said joyfully, happy to offer some much needed hope to her friend.
"As long as I still have you Ty Lee, then I'm sure there will be." Azula's heartfelt response made the other young woman blush. After a few moments an awkward silence set in as both girls searched their thoughts for what to say next.
"Ty Lee-"
"Azula-"
Both girls stopped, caught off guard by the other's interruption, and exchanged embarrassed giggles before trying to continue with their thoughts.
"You go first, Ty." The princess conceded to her friend, happy to buy a little more time before saying those next words.
"No way, Azula, princess' first, you know the rules." Ty Lee replied fervently, remembering all too well the many times she had tried unsuccessfully to interrupt her friend in the past. For once, Ty Lee was happy to see the unofficial rule work in her favor, and she wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. Azula sighed in defeat, already knowing that an argument with her old friend at this point would be futile.
"Ty Lee, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you came to visit. For the last eight months, being alone in this prison has been absolutely awful. It's been dark, cold, and lonely. Still, none of that can compare to the pain I felt..." She choked on her words as her eyes began to swell with tears. She struggled to force those next words out, "When I thought I had lost you." Azula gave her friend a pleading look, and it was almost as if her eyes were begging Ty Lee never to go, to never leave her ever again, that the pain would be too much for her heart to bear and her soul would tear into shreds if she ever lost her one more time. "Ty Lee, I-" Her next words were drowned out by the violent chorus of strained metal and shrieking hinges that heralded the cell door being opened. The pair of guards who had opened it quickly stepped to the side, and there behind them stood Alfred, his discomforting smile still the same as when Ty Lee had first seen him on the beach of Kyoshee Island.
"Apologies miss, but it appears your time is up. If you would kindly come with me, the ship is awaiting to return you to Kyoshee Island." His impeccable manners were as irritating as they were unsettling. Ty Lee cringed every time he spoke it seemed.
"Alright, I'm coming." She replied flatly, not at all excited about leaving so soon. The acrobat turned to face her friend once more, "Well, I guess it's time for me to go. I've really enjoyed seeing you again Azula. I promise to come see you again every week!" Her joyful tone returning once more, if only for her best friend's sake. Her promise forced a smile from Azula, as she knew that just the thought of seeing Ty Lee every week would be enough to keep her going.
"I'll be waiting for you, Ty Lee." Azula gave her friend one last farewell hug before reluctantly letting her turn and walk towards the door. As Ty Lee reached the corridor outside of the princess' cell, she gave Azula one final backwards glance, and Azula was almost certain she saw a tear fall. Alfred briskly rushed the acrobat onwards, clearly giving no attention to how she felt, and the guards wasted no time in pulling the door shut once more. "I love you..." Azula said quietly, wishing more than anything she could have finished what she was trying to say sooner. The only response was her own words echoing off of the door as it was sealed.
Ty Lee exited the prison and stepped back into the warm sunshine, but for some reason she felt lonelier than she had in the prison cell. Despite the vibrance and fresh air of the outside world, something about that cell had made her feel more complete, more content. Something, or someone she thought to herself. Only now did she realize that for the past 8 months something had been missing in her life, something very important to her. Seeing Azula again had stirred up feelings she didn't quite understand yet, but she acknowledged them nevertheless. As they walked towards the harbor, she gave one final look back at the prison. One day, she told herself, one day you'll be free, and we'll be together then. (Optional final sentence, because I just couldn't resist) Yeah, you know we'll have a good time then.
Author's Note: And Azula's in the cradle with a silver spoon, Ty Lee's gonna facepalm the man in the moon, when your comin' home girl I don't know when, but we'll be together then, yeah, you know we'll have a good time then! Why? Because I FUCKING HAD TO! You just don't understand manic eccentricies if you don't get why...
Anyways, turns out chapter 3 was ready to go as well! So here it is, now if I could just finish up 4...