Destiny comes knocking ch.1

Chapter 1
Friends…for now



Pink. All day and all night, it remained pink. Happy, she was happy. Happier than ever before, probably because she was surrounded by the one place that made her feel safe. The place where all eyes were on her, where for once she was the center of attention. A place where she didn’t have to use her brain for people to think she’s a smart person.

She never got bored there either. With all of the exotic animals coming and going it was impossible to be bored. The people were nice and they liked her. They liked that she didn’t take anything too seriously. Like that the war hadn’t affected her. Most days she didn’t even know there was a war. But oh well, it’s too late to start caring now right?

She bent over bringing her palms to the green prickly grass. Forcing all of her weight onto her upper body, it wasn’t as hard as it used to be. Over the years her arms had become stronger and it made doing a hand stand like second nature to her. For a moment her abs tightened as she lifted her legs upward, her feet now touching the sky. Concentrating, she raised the rest of her fingers so she balanced on her index fingers. It was so much easier to do this now that she knew a certain Fire Nation princess wouldn’t push her over and laugh at her after she’d fallen.

Five minutes passed and her blood had rushed to her head. The world looked so much different upside down. Any minute now she felt like she’d fall into the pale blue sky and into space. A girl wearing maroon clothes nearly every inch of her body covered by loose fitting clothes went by obviously searching for someone. The girl’s eye caught Ty Lee and she turned standing perfectly straight a content smile on her face.  

“Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?” Ty Lee blinked in shock for a moment before responding. This tall well structured young girl standing before couldn’t possibly be the princess could she? It was hard to recognize the girl plus she was upside down. Then her gaze caught the brilliant gold irises and there was no mistaking who it was.

“Azula!” she smiled widely when she confirmed that she knew this person. It was good to see an old friend, even if it was the harsh fire bending prodigy.

She came out of her hand stand, turned around and bowed placing her forehead on the ground. This too had taken years to perfect, she could remember her parents forcing her to practice bowing correctly, mostly getting the message to sink in with a few spankings. She never had the patience for bowing and trying to hold back her excitement was something she just couldn’t do. After counting to five she sprang onto her feet, quickly leaping over to Azula.

The princess gave a dismal look bracing herself for rib crunching hug. Ty Lee wrapped her arms around as much of Azula she could possibly hold and squeezed her hardest. She didn’t care if the princess hated hugs or any human contact for that matter, Azula would just have to deal with it. She could feel Azula’s arms return the embrace causing Ty Lee’s insides to melt in joy. “It is so good to see you!”

Finally when she felt Azula could no longer breathe she let go. Her hands slid down Azula’s arms allowing the fire bender’s steady hands to grasp her wrists briefly. They just looked at each other with warm smiles. Wow look how pretty she’s gotten. She thought before Azula let go and she rested her hands by her sides.

“Please don’t let me interrupt you’re…” Azula gave a strange expression as she searched for the right word to describe what Ty Lee had been doing, but failed. “Whatever it was you were doing.”  

She flipped backwards, her chest resting on the ground one of her legs in the air the other bending forward, she rested her head in her hands. This position took her a week to learn, of course she was only doing it to show off to the princess. Hoping maybe deep down she sparked a bit of jealousy in the princess. Azula of course paid no attention, like always Azula didn’t want to face the fact Ty Lee could do something she couldn’t.

“Tell me what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here?” Azula asked looking around not impressed by the place Ty Lee called home. “Certainly our parents didn’t send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in…” she spotted two men pulling on a rope tied around a platypus bear which laid an egg. “…in places like this.”

Ty Lee knew Azula didn’t mean it like it sounded. Azula just thought Ty Lee deserved to be in a better place than in a dump place like a circus. How sweet. Azula looked at her nails absently mindedly. “I have a proposition for you.” Azula started to explain. “I’m hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle don’t you?”

Ty Lee struggled for a second. She didn’t really remember anyone in Azula’s family other than Zuko and the Fire Lord. “Oh yeah…” she said just going with it. “He was so funny.”

Azula lowered her hand turning her attention back to Ty Lee. “I would be honored if you joined me on my mission.” The princess said a bit confidently thinking Ty Lee wouldn’t refuse.

Ty Lee felt a little bad. “Oh…I…uh, would love to,” she came onto her feet coming back to Azula’s level. How could she let her friend down easy enough so that she wasn’t burned to death? “But the truth is, I’m really happy here.” she said sincerely. Azula’s smile slowly, slowly faded and Ty Lee hated it because she felt guilty now. “I mean my aura has never been pinker!” she added quickly wishing that would convince Azula.

Azula lifted her hand. “I’ll take your word for it.” The princess said. Azula crossed her arms sighing slightly. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to give up the life you love just to please me.” The princess spoke hinting a little bit of her frustration. She disliked it when Azula gave her the guilt trip. Damn it! She was good at it too!

She clasped her hands together and bowed slightly. “Thank you Azula.” The princess turned around to leave and Ty Lee turned around and continued to stretch. “Of course,” Azula started to say. “Before I go, I’m going to catch your show.”

Ty Lee froze a worried look coming over her face. That was never good news. “Uh…yeah…sure…uh…of course.” She replied swallowing nervously.     




The acrobat let out a depressed sigh. If she wasn’t so good at balancing on random objects on a tight rope fifty feet above the ground, she probably wouldn’t have been walking out of the main tent alive. She passed several tents not noticing how fast she was going. The only way she was stopped was when she walked right into someone.

Taking a step back she looked up and took another fear filled step back as she saw Azula standing there. After what the princess had just done she sure wasn’t too thrilled to see the girl. She was a bit upset actually that Azula would be so stubborn to do something so harsh. Still Ty Lee knew her place, and that place was by Azula’s side.

Azula removed her arm, it had been hiding behind her back, revealing a handful of black wilting flowers. At first she wondered if the princess was actually giving her flowers, the fact Azula had even for an instant thought of someone other than herself was astonishing. Even if the flowers which appeared to have died months ago the whole idea of Azula giving a gift just had to go on the Things You Never Thought Azula Would Do list.     

“For me?” Ty Lee asked just to be sure. The princess nodded and offered them to her. Ty Lee went for the stems of the flowers, her hand brushing across Azula’s in the process. Like anyone would do when receiving flowers she brought them to her nose but continued to keep her eyes on Azula. Was there some kind of cruel prank about to come?

After about a minute of just standing there she decided it was safe. Not able to help it, a look of joy came over her. “You never stop surprising me.” she said and Azula stood up a bit taller glad to hear those words.

“I could say the same for you, you’re…” Azula’s eyes analyzed Ty Lee from head to toe. “…talents…have certainly gotten to an impressive level.” She had to lower her head as her cheeks started to flush. Azula rested a hand on her hip taking a quick glance of their surroundings. “So…which one of these belongs to you?”

Ty Lee lifted a finger pointing to the one beside them. Azula’s eyes widened in shock but contained her insults and simply turned to Ty Lee. “Ladies first.” Azula joked. Ty Lee just shook her head and headed into the tent.  




A few hours after accepting she better go with Azula or else something bad would happen, she made her way towards the princess’ tent. The princess’ camp was half a mile away from the circus’, what compelled her to go there she still didn’t know. Without warning she came into the large tent. Azula sat there stabbing needles into a doll Iroh had sent her absolutely pissed off for some reason. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Azula didn’t turn around to look at her just stabbed a needle into the dolls left eye.

“Nothing’s wrong Ty Lee, go away.” Azula mumbled and stabbed the other eye. It was clear the princess didn’t want to be bothered, but she couldn’t turn away to let Azula just sit here angry. It just wasn’t in her nature.  

“I think you’re hurting the poor thing’s feelings.” Ty Lee said with a slight smile trying to get Azula to laugh but it wasn’t working. “Ohh…does someone need a hug?”

“I don’t need a hug!” Azula said crushing the doll in her hand.

“Yes you do.” Ty Lee came over to the princess and wrapped her arms around the princess. Azula sat there her frown not turning upside down.

“Thanks Ty Lee for the hug.” Azula said in a dismal voice. “Will you let go now?”

“Not until you smile.” Ty Lee grinned. “Come on…where’s that smile?” Ty Lee grabbed Azula’s cheeks with one hand and it made Azula look like a blow fish. “Smile fishy wishy.” She teased and Azula jerked her head away from Ty Lee’s hand, smiling a little. “See I knew you could do it.”

Ty Lee fell into Azula’s lap and yawned. Azula shrugged irritated Ty Lee was hanging all over her and wouldn’t go away. “Don’t be so depressed Azula!” Ty Lee smiled. “You’re aura is so red it’s causing my pink to get blue.”

“What’s blue?”

“Sad. Duh.” Ty Lee sat up resting her head on Azula’s shoulder. “Lighten up a little. You know try smiling, wearing pink for once.”

“I am not wearing pink!”

“I’m just teasing Azula I know you won’t.” The acrobat stood up and headed to the flap of the tent. She stopped and glanced back at Azula who still didn’t seem to be in a better mood but didn’t seem so upset anymore. “Love you whore.” Ty Lee said knowing she was the only one who get away with saying that to Azula and not be burned for it.  

“Love you slut.” Azula teased back continuing to stab the doll.



The princess rolled over shivering slightly as the cold from outside came in. She clutched the blanket tightly and brought it closer to her getting settled once again. Thunder roared in the distance but she didn’t mind. Storms didn’t scare her at all, nothing really did. She heard someone walk into her tent for a moment she was about to attack but her body was a bit lazy at the moment. Whoever it was snuggled close to her shaking in fear. “Mmmph…Ty Lee?” she wondered.  

“I don’t like storms.” Ty Lee’s small voice muttered from beside her as Ty Lee came underneath the covers inching ever so closely to Azula.

“You’re such a baby.” She shrugged and continued to try and sleep. Ty Lee hugged her friend and gave Azula a sisterly kiss on the cheek. “EW!” Azula whined. “No kissing!” Ty Lee just giggled.

“Oh you mean this?” Ty Lee did it again.

“Cut it out!” Azula said irritated. “And no touching!” Azula forced Ty Lee’s arm off her. “There better be and inch between us at all times.” Ty Lee just looked her with a wide smile. Azula shoved her head onto the pillow again and tried to go back to sleep.

Ty Lee didn’t go to sleep just yet. Instead she watched Azula closely. The adorable look Azula managed to pull off when she was sleeping still amazed Ty Lee. The cute expression faded into and a frustrated one. “Ty Lee, stop staring at me you’re creeping me out.”

“Oh sorry princess.” Ty Lee let out a deep sigh and laid down rolling up into a ball before closing her eyes and going to sleep, no longer fearing the storm now Azula was next to her.  

  


Ty Lee yawned stretching out accidentally kicking Azula in the head. The princess groaned and sat up. “This is the last time you spend the night in my tent!” Azula poked Ty Lee’s stomach hoping in would hurt but instead it tickled Ty Lee and the acrobat giggled. That only made Azula more angrily.

“Why are so you mad?” she sighed and sat up.

“You hogged the covers! You snore! And-,”

“Like you’re any better?” Ty Lee crossed her arms. “You know I don’t like sleeping alone. You always make me and Mai share and Mai’s not here,”

“Fine you can share a tent with the guards!” Azula stood up. Ty Lee chuckled her face turning red. “What?”

“If you made me do that I wouldn’t get any sleep at all.” Ty Lee replied and Azula just rolled her eyes and pulled her hair back into a bun. “Why don’t you let you’re hair down today? You’d look nicer.”

“I’m not trying to look nice Ty Lee.” Azula mumbled. “I want to kill Zuzu.”

“You’re so mean to your brother.” Ty Lee got onto her feet and pulled off the baggy shirt Azula let her borrow. She looked down at her chest before pulling on her pink top. “Do you think they’re too big?”

“Huh?” Azula asked not paying attention.

“Are they too big?” Ty Lee turned around. Azula pulled a shirt of her head.

“What are too big?” Azula turned around before looking away shutting her eyes tightly. “You couldn’t give me TWO seconds warning?!” Azula said trying to be grossed out when she was the complete opposite. “Jeez Ty Lee!”

“Well?”

“They’re fine!” Azula said trying to keep her eyes from darting back to Ty Lee. “Why are you asking me?!”

“Oh please we all know you’re the F.B.I.” Ty Lee smiled pulling her shirt on. Azula cautiously turned around then became comfortable seeing Ty Lee had a shirt on now.  

“What’s that?”

“Federal Boob Inspector,” Ty Lee teased and Azula fell blank her face going redder than an apple.

“Th-that’s crazy Ty Lee.” Azula said nervously. “I’m…I’m not gay.”

Ty Lee burst out laughing and turned around. “Wow out of all the lies that come out of your mouth that is the most ridiculous one I’ve ever heard.” Azula opened her mouth to say something but stopped.

“How’d you know?”

“It’s pretty obvious.”

“It is?” Azula mumbled. Ty Lee came over to Azula and placed her hands on her friend’s shoulders.

“Hey it’s okay with me! I don’t take anything seriously remember? At least…you’re not in love with me right?” Ty Lee said a little disgusted for a second. Azula’s head jerked up and they just stared at each other for a second making the acrobat a little uneasy.

“Uh…of course not.” Azula said with all honesty. The last person Azula would be attracted to was Ty Lee. The girl was too perky, too happy for her. Azula had no attraction towards her friend whatsoever.

“Phew, you had me going there for a second.” Ty Lee smiled and pulled on her slipper before walking out of the tent. “I’ll see you later, gotta check out that one guy today. He’s so smexy.”

“Have fun Ty Lee.” Azula laughed lightly shaking her head hardly believing the clueless acrobat had known her secret this whole time. Well at least there was one less person to lie to. Although she couldn’t get that question out of her head. You’re not in love with me right? Azula knew that was just crazy. That would be like having a crush on her younger sister and she didn’t even have a sister, well Zuzu might qualify to be a sister with the way he cries.