Chapter 50: Mai and Ty Lee (2)

When all the spectators had left the circus tent, the girl I had previously noticed quickly rushed toward us. With a happy squeal, she flung herself at Azula. This somehow devolved into a very strange pose in which the princess was holding Ty Lee in her arms while the latter laughed loudly and kicked her legs.

A slight blush appeared on Azula’s face, but she quickly composed herself and, raising an eyebrow, looked at her friend. Ty Lee was oblivious to the princess’s gaze. She continued to act silly. Realizing that everyone was watching their duo, Azula clearly felt a sense of awkwardness, which she tried to escape through feigned indifference. She simply let go. Ty Lee, gasping, widened her eyes, instantly bent her body in a strange way, and landed on one hand. After holding her balance there for a few seconds, she leaped up and landed on her feet, spreading her arms wide, as if she had just finished performing a stage number for us.

The circus manager, who had entered behind us, clutched his heart at Ty Lee's actions and nearly collapsed right where he stood.

“Azula, Mai!” The girl addressed her friends, clasping her hands excitedly in front of her chest. “You came to visit me? That is so touching! Did you see the whole show? What did you think?”

The girl truly was smiling, cheerful, and energetic. I found it strange that this trio were friends. Or was this just a facade? Were their relationships completely different underneath? After all, Ty Lee’s smile had wavered when she saw us… And Mai looked completely unhappy with her “friend’s” request for a meeting. Did Azula notice this herself? She should have. She is a rather insightful person. So why didn't she comment on her friends, accepting their behavior as fact? Could it be that the princess is unfamiliar with… true friendship? I’ll have to talk to Azula about this subject. Her well-being is very important to me right now.

“Nothing special. You can do better,” Azula replied with a completely disinterested look, examining her manicure. She was apparently still a bit flustered by Ty Lee’s actions, and her current behavior was a way of fighting that embarrassment.

Hmm, interesting… So, a public display of affection toward Azula can make her blush? Because such a thing is too unfamiliar to her?

Seeing that the energetic girl’s enthusiasm had diminished somewhat, as she tilted her head with a sad expression, Azula continued.

“Ty Lee, I need your help.” The girl immediately brightened and looked at the princess with sparkling eyes. “The Fire Lord has entrusted me with the task of capturing the Avatar, and a few other minor details…”

“Thank you, Azula, for choosing me to carry out a mission from the Fire Lord,” Ty Lee interrupted the princess. She spoke much more calmly now than she had at the start. “I truly appreciate it, but my place is here,” she spread her arms wide again, as if demonstrating the circus dome to us. “And I can’t leave it. Many people are counting on me.”

The circus manager whimpered, then quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Azula looked at him with displeasure. The manager turned even paler.

“You want to trade the renown and honor you'll receive for capturing the Avatar for some circus performances?”

“You don't understand, Azula…” Ty Lee answered the princess with a kind smile. “In this place, I truly feel needed… Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Since joining the circus, I’ve become much happier.”

“So this circus is very important to you?” Azula crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

“Something’s about to happen,” Mai whispered barely audibly.

“Yes,” Ty Lee replied, visibly worried.

“You have two options,” flame flickered on the princess’s hand. “You either help me and return to your circus after a while, or you stay here… and collect the ashes of this place.”

“Heh-heh-heh…” Ty Lee laughed nervously, waving her hands in front of her. “Azula, don't rush into things. You know, it suddenly occurred to me that we haven’t spent time together, all three of us, in ages! How about we have a girls' night? A slumber party? Huh?”

It seemed the princess’s threat was more than significant to the girl. That’s why she changed her mind so quickly. She knew Azula could quickly move from words to action.

“Excellent,” Azula nodded contentedly, then turned and headed for the exit. “Pack your things; we are sailing soon.”

I decided to catch up with the princess. Drawing level with her, I began the conversation.

“Princess, fear is not the best motivation.”

“But it works,” Azula noted, without even looking at me.

“Are you truly certain that Mai and Ty Lee are your friends?”

“What are you talking about?” This question managed to pique the princess's interest. She cast a surprised glance at me.

“Mai is clearly unhappy about joining your group. Ty Lee likewise did not wish to follow you.”

“Mai is always unhappy,” the princess snapped back sharply. “And Ty Lee… it’s simply in her nature to refuse at first and only join later. It was like that our entire childhood. She had to be coaxed a little to join my games.”

“Coaxed, and not forced?” I clarified a point.

Azula fell into thought:

“Well, she laughed and enjoyed herself with me, didn’t she?” The answer sounded less than confident.

“Hmm, and what exactly do you define as ‘games’?”

“Simple games and jokes at Zuzu’s expense.”

“And what was the nature of these jokes?” Azula told me exactly how they used to joke about Prince Zuko, and that Mai sometimes took a little flak, too, because she had a crush on him as a child. Though Ty Lee looks like a cheerful girl, I also formed the impression in that short moment that she is kind. It was strange that the girl kept company with Azula for less than kind “jokes.” It seemed Ty Lee submitted to Azula rather than voluntarily joined the games…

I sighed heavily. “Watch your back, Princess…”

“You worry needlessly, Long,” Azula replied. “In truth, Mai, Ty Lee, and I get along perfectly. Of course, initially, it was most likely their parents who forced them to maintain contact with me, since I am a princess. It’s a useful connection for their families and the girls themselves in the future. But then, we genuinely became friends. Or rather, I allowed them to become my friends.”

The very intelligent Azula refused to acknowledge the obvious. It seemed this was a defense mechanism against her fear of being alone. And, to be honest, it looked somewhat pathetic… No matter how strong you are, loneliness can easily break you, crush you, so we save ourselves from it by all possible means. We try to attract attention, we impose ourselves, or, for example, we lie to ourselves, building an ideal, illusory world where we have friends or a loving person…

An unexpected impulse arose within me. There was no one near us. I had sent the soldiers waiting outside the circus tent away at the beginning of the conversation so they wouldn't overhear it. My hand grasped Azula's. Our fingers intertwined. She turned to me in surprise. I pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

“What are you doing, Long?” The princess was completely unprepared for such a move from me. I only hugged her tighter. “Fine, I like this, but you picked a poor time.”

“If you aren't ready to look after your own back, then I will have to do it for you,” I whispered into Azula’s ear. Her body stiffened slightly.

“Thank you, Long…” Azula’s voice was quiet. Her arms came up and hugged me in return.

****

The princess expressed a desire to check whether her friends had forgotten how to fight. For this purpose, she organized a training sparring session on the ship's deck the day after we set sail. The soldiers quickly cleared the area for the upcoming battle, and the girls began warming up. Judging by her warm-up, Mai likely fights using bladed weapons, mostly throwing ones, with which she keeps everyone at bay. Ty Lee performed shadowboxing. It seemed she preferred hand-to-hand combat.

Azula also participated in the sparring match. She decided to hone her team coordination with her friends. I preemptively pitied the soldiers whom I had selected for this battle.

“Why did you bring them onto the deck, Long?” Azula asked, looking at the ten soldiers, five of whom were Firebenders.

“You need someone to spar with, Princess.”

“They will be too easy of opponents. You will fight us.”

I had to send the soldiers away. The deck became clear again. Checking that my armor sat correctly, I prepared for the start of the sparring. The girls looked at me… not like girls at all, but like predators who had spotted their rightful prey. Scorn was reflected in Mai’s eyes. She did not consider me a worthy opponent. Ty Lee, however, was too relaxed. She didn't expect much from me either. Only Azula was focused, as she knew what I was capable of.

I didn't fight defensively, but used typical Firebender tactics: I attacked first. A wave of blue flame nearly engulfed me. Concentrating, I increased the power of my own fire and barely managed to deflect the princess’s attack to the side. If there had been more room to maneuver, I would have simply dodged.

With a clang, several of Mai’s throwing knives, which she had hidden in Azula’s fire, fell onto the deck.

I continued to close the distance, launching a couple of fireballs that were merely meant to distract the girls. I was definitely superior to at least two of them in close-quarters combat. And Azula was still stronger than me if we fought using only Firebending.

Dodging a few more knives, and even catching a couple and throwing them back, I nearly knocked out Mai, who hadn't expected me to close the distance so quickly. Ty Lee saved her by forcing me into close combat. The girl was quick and nimble. Even during the sparring, she remained cheerful and playful. Judging by the spots she aimed for on my body, and her fingers gathered into a cluster, Azula’s friend was using a style designed to quickly neutralize an opponent by striking pressure points.

Distracted by a fireball from Azula and thinking that Ty Lee only fought with her hands, I missed a kick from her just below the knee. My eyebrows shot up; part of my leg instantly went numb, as if it wasn't there at all. My body, unexpectedly losing one of its supports, began to topple sideways. A triumphant smile flashed across Ty Lee’s face. She started celebrating her success too early.

Sharply pivoting on my healthy leg, I swung the damaged one out and nearly hit the girl’s head. She managed to block with her arms but fell onto the deck from the force of the blow.

I spun around once more on my healthy leg and intended to send fire from the damaged one toward Mai, who was creeping up on me from behind with knives in her hands, but nothing happened. The fire simply didn't ignite. At the same time, Mai had gotten close enough to try hand-to-hand combat, but she was much worse at it than her friend, so even with the injured leg, I knocked her out.

Barely dodging Azula’s fire whip, I still let Ty Lee get close again and took several hits to the torso that went right through the armor.

Falling face-down onto the deck, I had to admit that her style was different from those known to me and that I should study it.

“Yoo-hoo!” Ty Lee jumped up, raising her hands to the sky. “We won!”

“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Azula was clearly displeased. “Everything was far from perfect. Long successfully used both of you for cover, preventing me from using my bending. You did nothing to counter this. Mai is knocked out. And the victory was largely due to the element of surprise. He didn't know about your special style. Help him up, and we will continue as soon as Mai wakes up.”

Ty Lee crouched down next to me and struck several blows, again ignoring the armor. And I realized that I hadn’t imagined it. She used chi in her techniques. I felt that I could get back on my feet. My body became obedient again.

“It's been a long time since I got beat in close combat,” I said, stretching the leg that was hit first. “Can you teach me a couple of lessons, Mistress Ty Lee?”

“I’m sorry, but your skills are already at the highest level; I wouldn’t know what to teach you,” she politely declined. It means I will have to master her style on my own.