Defying Gravity

Thomas Hooker

 

(This is based on a plot summary I read on Youtube by the same name.  Unfortunately, I never got to read the original, so this is effectively my version.  So no, if you try to ask me to take it down saying it's your intellectual property, it's not, it became mine when I wrote it from a vague description.)

 

Chapter 1

Aang sat, staring pensively at the landscape of the Air Temple.  He took a long hard look before finally sighing.  Katara, sensing something was wrong came up behind him and hugged him. 

 

"What's wrong?" asked Katara.

 

Aang responded, "Well… it's just that… here we are, we've saved Suki and your father, so you two are happy, but well my problem really isn't solved."

 

"What do you mean?" Katara asked.

 

Aang said, "My mission is to go all the way back and fight the Fire Lord Ozai, after that, what then?"

 

"What do you mean?" Katara repeated.

 

Aang continued, "This temple kind of reminded me… there are no Airbenders even left.  Even if I win I still have figure out how to re-teach the entire world how to Airbend.  And if I fail, the cycle will end anyway, because there isn't any way to learn something that doesn't exist anymore.  Even the original Airbenders… Appa is the last Flying Bison."

 

Katara tried to console him," Cheer up, Aang. Someone betrayed the Air Tribe to get them invaded in the first place, so their children at least survived."

 

 Aang started, "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

 

 

Chapter 2

So much for a rebellion, Mai thought.  Mai and Ty Lee had stood up to Azula for once in their lives, but were quickly caught and locked away.  The only condition for seeing the light of day (and of course, staying alive) was to follow Azula's orders, and true to her word, she never saw them again.  The orders now came from an intermediary.  Mai and Ty Lee, once Azula's "friends" (if that word ever meant anything to her in the first place, in retrospect), were now her common assassins.

 

"This is fun, much better than being with Azula! We get to be together!" said Ty Lee as she hugged Mai.

 

"If you say so…" Mai said without a trace of emotion.

 

Staring outside the walls, Ty Lee thought back to her family, and quickly wondered why she was doing so.  Although it was pleasant enough with such a big family, her identical twin sisters always had made her feel simultaneously like she didn't belong and that she was like everyone else.  This dichotomy wasn't helped by the fact that she also had a freakish background to boot.

 

Unlike Mai, who had ties to Fire Nation leaders, through both her uncle and her parents, Ty Lee's claim to being Azula's former friend had a lot more to do with what her family did than what they were.  As to what they were, well, even a random bystander could tell at a glance.

 

Unlike most Earthbenders, who had green eyes, most Waterbenders with blue eyes, and even most Firebenders, who tended towards gold or brown pigmentation in their eyes, Ty Lee had brilliant silver eyes.  These were Airbender's eyes, the same color as that of the current Avatar.  And of course, this explained quite a great deal about her: her cheery upbeat and free-spirited attitude, the fact that her style of fighting subdued rather than killed enemies, and even her penchant for travel and acrobatic athleticism. 

 

Of course, this was not only a known fact, it was commonly accepted and even tolerated.  There were a fair number of Air Nomads in Fire Nation territory, due to the fact that many of them actually betrayed their own people to be granted immunity under the Fire Nation.  It was not however, a very ideal situation, as by law, no Airbending was allowed to be demonstrated in public.  Further, teaching of Airbending was forbidden and bending manuals were burned, so although there were a large number of surviving Nomads, the Avatar still could be considered the last surviving Airbender, because 100 years had gone by and the Nomads had forgotten the techniques.  All they knew now was their arts of pressure points, which her father had taught her and her sisters.

 

Ty Lee asked a favor of Mai, "Could you pass those fans we stole from the Kyoshi, Mai?"

 

Mai managed to sound interested without actually sounding interested. "What are you going to do with them…?"

 

Ty Lee answered, "Since we're in this prison, I'm learning Airbending."

 

This bit of information actually did cause Mai to change her tone. "You know the penalty! If you're caught we'll be imprisoned!"

 

Ty Lee stated the obvious, pointing to the cell doors, "Uh…"

 

"Oh, right," Mai said, throwing the fans over from one cell to another, having each fan travel in a perfect straight line, before widening out inside the cell.

 

Ty Lee spend the next hour practicing blowing objects, keeping fans suspended, and other such tricks, but she couldn't be sure if what she was doing was really Airbending, or if it was just the fan interfering with the air around them.  Finally, she returned to staring outside he window.

 

Ty Lee thought back to what inspired her to Airbend in the first place.  Usually instead she would practice acrobatics instead of Airbending viewing it as a waste of time, but a conversation she had at lunch break changed all this.

 

The Mechanist was an old bearded man with glasses, the kind that would be found designing weapons for the Fire Nation, or in more peaceful times, might actually creating clock towers or random inventions. He had apparently been placed in a lower security prison earlier, but when they found him building machines there, he was upgraded to the Boiling Rock, where they now were kept.  This reminded her of Sokka, as she had heard by some of the reports made by Ba Sing Se officials that it had actually been him who did most of the planning, when their great drill had been felled.  She wondered if the two ever met each other. The Mechanist today was discussing flying machines.

 

The Mechanist said, "I remember when we visited the Air Temple, we found so much there. I turned my son's wheelchair into a glider. But we had to go because the Fire Nation was forcing us to build weapons.  I got caught later when trying to stage an attack during the Day of Black Sun."

 

Ty Lee responded, while doing a handstand, "Oh I remember that! You were there?"

 

The Mechanist replied, "Yes, but most of the adults in the attack were captured while my son and the others got away."

 

Ty Lee asked, "So then you've met Sokka?"

 

"Met him? Why he helped me figure out how to tell if gas leaked on my devices, and fight off the Fire Nation in the first place.  Smart kid, that one," the Mechanist said.

 

"And very handsome," Ty Lee said, converting a handstand to standing upright, by way of a midair somersault.

 

The Mechanist suggested, "Young Lady, you should try flying, it's the most wondering feeling of all. If only… no, my flying machines are probably penned up by now. Never mind."

 

This conversation left Ty Lee feeling inspired for the rest of the day, as she practiced incorporating Airbending techniques into her normal acrobatic routine.

 

Chapter 3

Azula sat in her chair waiting to her the bad news from the Fire Lord Ozai.  A long string of failures had been hers lately. Not only had she failed to kill the Avatar, Zuko had survived to join Aang and company, and the latest slight was that the entire team she had organized had betrayed her.  If Ozai was disappointed, Azula herself was absolutely furious. She was in no mood for a lecture about her failures.

 

Perhaps it was finally time, Azula thought, to show dear Father her new friends…

 

Azula walked into the room before she was called, and proceeded to interrupt while Fire Lord Ozai was talking to some of his officials.

 

"Azula! Remember you etiquette!" Ozai barked at her.

 

"Yes, Father." Azula said in half-sincere tones.

 

Ozai dismissed his guests, and proceeded to remind Azula of her failings. Azula, however interrupted again, claiming that she could do a better job at being Fire Lord than him, and that perhaps he should try the jobs she has put up with. This, needless to say, put Ozai into a fit of frenzy.

 

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai, now!" Ozai screamed.

 

Azula laughed, "Oh Father, I don't think that will be necessary. You see, I know you're stronger, but it really doesn't matter. "

 

Ozai asked, "And why is that, might I ask?"

 

Azula answered casually, "Because of my Dai Li, of course! They're very loyal. And if there is anything they'd love to test themselves against, it's the Fire Lord himself. Seize him, please."

 

Before the Fire Lord could make a single movement of his hands, the Dai Li used their special binding gloves to hold the Fire Lord's hands and feet, and tossed him into the cell that had been directly below the throne. The throne was then replaced at its proper position.

 

"I suppose now we need a figurehead. Dai Li, find someone who looks like the Fire Lord, and place him on the throne.  He will rule the Fire Nation, but I of course will rule him."

 

"As you wish," the Dai Li said in unison.

 

Chapter 4

Suki snuck up on Sokka, and gave him a kiss. "It's nice to be able to do this whenever I want now."

 

Ever since they had saved Suki from the Boiling Rock, Suki had effectively dedicated her journey to following the Avatar, and especially Sokka.  Not that Sokka minded, but he couldn't help but wonder if they would drift apart once Aang no longer had a mission.

 

"I like it too, thanks," Sokka said.

 

Curiousity got the best of her though, and she asked the question. "Sokka, how many girlfriends have you had? Not counting me, of course."

 

Sokka took awhile to think. "Well, there was only one other really. Her name was Yue, and I met her after I met you. But she kinda… turned into the moon."

 

Suki looked shocked, "It was an innocent question! You don't have to tell lies, Sokka…"

 

"No, really she did.  She had part of the moon spirit in her, and she gave it up to save everyone."

 

"Sure…" Suki looked more than a little skeptical.

 

"Well, I have also had a fair number of women swoon in my general direction due to my natural charm and manliness," Sokka stated.

 

Suki nearly laughed but held it in nicely, "You mean like Toph, right?"

 

Sokka, being oblivious of Toph's feelings for him, was slightly startled. "What?!?"

 

Suki explained, "When we were at the Serpent's Pass, I saved Toph from drowning, and she though it was you, so she kissed me."

 

Sokka, staring at her blankly, said, "Oh… that's nice. But I was referring to the townspeople from, like, most towns. That, and some weird acrobat who tried to paralyze me."

 

Chapter 5

Ty Lee sneezed.  She had just been nodding off, when she got the distinct feeling that somewhere, someone was talking about her.

 

Maybe it's some cute guy, Ty Lee thought with a smile on her face.

 

Just then, a guard came to free Mai and her.  The guard doubtless had a mission, delivered in writing from Azula herself for them to do.  

 

"So?" asked Ty Lee, "What's our mission?"

 

Mai answered, "It says here that lately they have found a Fire Nation traitor who has recently caused a great amount of trouble, and they want us to explore the area and bring back the traitor and any accomplices, dead or alive."

 

"What's the bounty on this one?" Ty Lee asked.

 

"Should we complete this mission, Azula promises our freedom and her forgiveness. We also each get a palace of our own. It must be someone important for her to offer this after our betrayal," Mai commented.

 

The guard led them outside the prison and loosed their cuffs.  They then gave Mai her projectile weapons back, and ordered them board a Fire Nation airship.

 

Ty Lee glanced over the surroundings.  They had been placed inside the Boiling Rock, so behind them they could see an active volcano covered over with a rather large lake, and ahead of them was flat open landscape.  Traveling over the rolling hills, vast open fields, and gentle valleys usually caused ever-active Ty Lee to yawn from the boredom of waiting around, but today she was so preoccupied with what the Mechanist had said that she instead began to daydream. Ty Lee wondered what it would be like to fly on her own over such landscapes. She grew so preoccupied that she forgot the very details of the landmass they hovered over, until Mai snapped her out of it.

 

Mai asked, "What are you thinking about…?"

 

Ty Lee responded, "Just wishing I could fly, myself."

 

"I'm sure the pilot would be glad to teach you," said Mai.

 

"That's not really what I meant."

 

The airship touched down a few miles outside the place that the traitor had been reported at.  They landed near a rather large crater of a meteor which fell some months ago.  Oddly though, the meteor which made the hole itself was missing.  Ty Lee and Mai wondered what had happened to the object until noticing some Earthbending leading in a trail away from the crater.

 

Mai said, "I bet whoever took that meteor away had some connection to the traitor. Let's follow it."

 

The trail ended in an elaborate walled fortress near the edge of a cliff.  Knocking on the dragon-inlaid decorations of the gate, they stated their mission for being there.

 

"I'm sorry," said the gatekeeper, "but Master Piandao has turned his back on the Fire Nation affairs. You'll have to go."

 

Ty Lee grinned, and said, "We'll just let ourselves in."

 

Cartwheeling up to the gatekeeper, she let loose a series of quick jabs in key places.  The gatekeeper crumbled to the ground, and the two stepped over his prone body.

Piandao met them at the garden outside the many towers of the fortress, and quickly looked them over. "My, my. Two lovely women, if only you had been here earlier. Quite a while ago there was a young man here to train, now there is only an old man they call a traitor, a sword master, and the guard you just knocked down."

 

Ty Lee said, "You have the traitor? Who is he anyway?"

 

Piandao shrugged and said, "I do not recall having agreed to hand him over. But I suppose you can see him."

 

Out came the rather heavy set man with gray hair, and the unmistakable face of the one who attempted to conquer Ba Sing Se many years ago, before retiring following the death of his son. It was the Dragon of the West.

 

"General Iroh! Ty Lee, we can't kill Iroh, he's my boyfriend's favorite uncle!" said Mai.

 

"You seem like nice girls," said Piandao, ignoring the evidence to the contrary, in the form of the fallen guard. "Would you like to hear about my last apprentice before you try to kill me?"

 

"Sure!" said Ty Lee with a youthful smile.

 

"His name was Sokka. He came to me with no confidence, but within a few days, he mastered swordfighting. His paintings were interesting too.  But what impressed me most was his creativity.  He learned to use his surroundings to fight for him. He even forged a sword out of a meteorite to fight me with. What a fine young warrior," explained Piandao.

 

"Sokka?!? Isn't that what that girl called her brother?" asked Ty Lee.

 

Mai said, "It seems we have a problem."

 

Chapter 6

Azula sat on her new throne. She yawned, at having nobody to talk to.  Soon the Dai Li would return and give their progress report.  It wasn't the same as having real friends though.  Perhaps this was why she had contracted Mai and Ty Lee to do missions for her even though she had told them she never wanted to see them again.  Or perhaps she was simply bored and wanted someone to toy with, even she wasn't sure of the real reason.

 

Just then, a knock on the door alerted Azula to the presence of someone beside herself.

 

"Who is it?" she asked.

 

"It's me…"

 

"Of all the nerve! I told you never to show your face to me again, Ty Lee," said Azula.

 

"Sorry, it's just that… we couldn't finish the mission you sent us to," Ty Lee explained.

 

Azula questioned, "And why not? By the way, where is that other traitor. All of her 'I love Zuko more than I fear you,' and she couldn't show her face anymore."

 

Ty Lee became slightly confused, having to answer two questions at once. "She said it would be redundant standing up to you twice. We didn't want to kill your own uncle. I mean c'mon he's your uncle!"

 

Azula responded, "What's wrong with that, I trapped my own father under this throne."

 

Ty Lee for once looked gloomy, "You've changed lately, Azula.  No wonder we've betrayed you, you've chosen power over your friends.  Good bye, I'm going to join the Avatar!"

 

Azula called after her, "Come back here! Ty Lee! I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"

 

Ty Lee turned back toward Azula, gave an impish smile, and waved good bye.  She walked away, leaving Azula sitting there to stew in her own juices.  Outside, she saw Mai looking slightly disappointed in her.

 

"Telling her you were joining the Avatar! What were you thinking?" Mai said.

 

"At least I showed up! What were you doing? Were you too afraid to face Azula after what you said?"

 

"No, it's just that… never mind," said Mai.

 

Ty Lee asked Mai, "Are you coming with me to the Western Air Temple?"

 

    Mai shrugged and said, "I wish I could Ty Lee, but I have family business to take care of.  Someone needs to help run the country, because as you and I both know, Azula isn't quite the most… sane person for the job."

 

 Ty Lee took the last leg of the journey on foot.  She figured any airships heading down to the Western Air Temple would probably be seen as a threat, so she ordered the soldiers to touch down just short of the cliff.  Ty Lee had never actually been to this Air Temple, but from what she heard, it was under the cliff, whatever that meant.  Only after she jumped down, did she begin to realize her mistake.

 

Chapter 7

Aang could swear he heard something.  It sounded exactly like someone screamed at the top of their lungs, while falling.  So, due to his natural curiosity, Aang looked up.   

 

Seeing Ty Lee falling, he struggled briefly with the fact that she was an enemy, before deciding to save her.  He jumped, opening his staff up so that it resembled more a fan than a walking stick, and rode the wind currents, making a few of his own with Airbending.  He grabbed her one-handed, but since he wasn't especially strong, this created balance issues with his staff.  Ty Lee somehow solved this problem, climbing over his body and hanging to the top of the staff instead. Aang tilted himself around, turning the device to the left and flew back to solid ground.

 

They were standing at the Western Air Temple, a place built completely topsy-turvy underneath a cliff.  There were at least 20 upside-down pagodas rooted to the soil cleft in from the cliff, as well as a few small building resting normally on smaller overhangs underneath the pagodas.  Aang could never figure out if the builders were geniuses, or insane, but fortunately most of the interiors of the complex seemed normal.  Cut even further into the stone were carvings of past Airbenders, complete with shaven heads and their tattoos, connecting to a winding staircase leading to the aforementioned pagodas.  The pagodas were also all connected by thin pathways, bridges, or stairs, emptying each tier of these pagodas out into open air platforms only loosely connected together.  Inside each pagoda were staircases of course leading down to the "top" and up to the "bottom", the largest of which had a gold point.  On the outskirts was a large balcony in front of a series of pillars forming a gazebo, in the center of which stood a giant pool of water, emptying as a waterfall to the bottom of the cliff.  This was the very area where Zuko first joined their group, so Aang thought it fitting that they land here to talk.

 

"Please tell me you're not planning to try to attack us as soon as I put you down," said Aang.

 

"No I'm not going to hurt you, I just…" Ty Lee was interrupted by a rather large amount of water rushing at her at speeds high enough to cut through solid steel.

 

Toph, Suki, Zuko, Sokka, and Katara arrived on the scene, advancing on Ty Lee and Aang.

 

Zuko tried to introduce everyone, "I'm not sure if you know each other personally. This is Ty Lee, one of my friends from childhood.  And this is Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Katara," he said pointing to each one respectively.

 

"We already know her," said Katara, "she and her friends have tried to kill us!"

 

She started with a simple water whip, then wove her hands in a spherical pattern.  A large bubble formed around her, causing her to gag on water, and garbling her speech.

 

Sokka interrupted, "Hold on, hold on, Zuko and I saw her at the Boiling Rock.  She and Mai saved our lives.  If not for her, Azula would still be lobbing fireballs at us."

 

Aang fanned his hands out, in a Airbending stance to separate the water.  Unfortunately, this caused gravity to take over and the water structure to collapse, and Ty Lee ended up drenched.  Katara Waterbended towards herself refilling her flask, which consequently dried Ty Lee's hair.

 

Suki said, "Let's hear her out, Aang."

 

Ty Lee explained, "Well, I came here to learn Airbending, and to join you guys," adding with a smile, "I also came to make Sokka my boyfriend."

                   

Suki said, "Let's throw her off these cliffs, Aang."

 

 

Chapter 8

Aang told Ty Lee, "The first step of Airbending is understanding its opposite. Top, do you want to explain?"

 

Toph said to Ty Lee's general direction, "Earthbending is facing things head on.  You can't run or avoid things, you have to directly face them. The same is true of your emotions, if you want to Earthbend. Come at me, then."

 

Toph proceeded to fling stones at Ty Lee's direction, to which she leaped and back-flipped out of the way.  "Stop! What was that? You're not facing, you're avoiding," said Toph.

 

Ty Lee shrugged, "I thought the point was to learn Airbending."

 

Toph said, "Details, details."

 

Ty Lee, "So if Earthbending is facing my emotions head on, does that mean Airbending is avoiding my feelings?"

 

Although Aang knew he had done so in the past, he wanted to give Ty Lee a better model to work with.  And since Airbending was an inexact art (unlike Earthbending) with several methods, he could pretty much give her any instruction and still achieve results. "Yes and no.  Avoiding your feelings is not healthy," after a glare from Katara, "I mean, I should know.  Airbending is less about avoiding things, and more about opening your mind to new possibilities and options.  Think about any time when you were smiling and didn't mean it.  Think about what you really felt and let it out.  Then think about what really makes you smile.  A good Airbender should be flexible as well as honest with themselves."

 

Suddenly, Ty Lee's normally perpetual smile broke, and tears came to her eyes. "I'm such an idiot! All this time, I've been acting like my life is carefree, when it's been awful from the start.  My parents ignored me along with the other twins so I ran away to join the circus.  But the rest of my life Azula tortured me! She even broke that apart when she made me join her group."

 

Aang tried to keep her from falling apart at the seams, "I need you to try to calm down.  Remember, the past, good or bad, is simply the past.  I need you to think of things that make you happy, things which you look forward to."

 

Ty Lee remembered the few times she had been truly happy, and not simply smiling for the sake of smiling.  She thought of  Mai, her time at the circus, and meeting Sokka for the first time.  "I've got a happy idea."

 

Aang said, "Be sure to hold on to it during the training.  Hold on, and never let go of it, or your Airbending might not work.  First, we will begin with a basic technique, how to move the wind…" Aang gave her a small fan, and had her practice moving it back and forth creating small currents of air vertically, horizontally, in an upwards arc, and a downwards arc.

 

Hours later, Ty Lee began to yawn. "When are we going to get to the fun stuff, Aang? I'm bored." She began practicing her acrobatics routine.

 

Aang responded, "Let me show you what you've actually learned." Using his staff, he blew wind at her feet. "Show me your downward arc," he said.  Ty Lee swept at an arc starting at one hip and ending at the other, and the wind which had been threatening to knock her off balance suddenly got blown back, dissipating into a general gust of wind. Using his staff, he blew wind at her head. "Show me your upward arc," he said. Ty Lee swept at an arc starting at one shoulder and ending at the other, and once again, the air simply dissipated. Aang drilled her with straight vertical and horizontal attacks, then he finished with a generalized whirlwind.

 

"This one you can only block pushing towards the eye of the storm, so step forward and strike with your fan," said Aang.

 

Ty Lee effortlessly forced the whirlwind back.  "Nice job, Ty Lee," said Sokka.

 

Ty Lee smiled sweetly, and cartwheeled into his arms. "Thanks, cutey!" she said.

 

"I'm not… um, uh… what was the word? Oh right, available," he said.

 

"Never mind that, I can still give you kiss for complimenting my work," said Ty Lee.

 

"Um, you better not, Suki might get jealous, and anyway, you have tendency to para-"

 

Ty Lee stopped him with a kiss, but she froze his tongue in the process. "Meh tang, ye huht meh tang," Sokka was attempting to tell her.            

 

Aang found it best to draw her attention back to the matter at hand.  "Okay… then.  Anyway, next we will train dodging and running.  Dodging you already kind of know, so I'll mainly teach you to coordinate this with Airbending, and how to use your bending to run faster."

 

And so, they practiced all manner of dodging techniques, including how to Airbend in midair. She also learned to Airbend without using fans or other equipment, which effectively forced her to relearn most of the basic techniques.

 

After that, Aang showed her how to push and pull the air, how to move small objects, and how to use her bending to attack.  Finally, they came to the big lesson, she was waiting for, how to fly.

 

Chapter 9

"Too slow, Aang!" said Katara.

 

"Yeah, c'mon my feet can still keep up with you!" said Toph.

 

Aang had his hands full for the next few days.  His morning routine was finishing the last touches of Waterbending and Earthbending with Toph and Katara, followed by most of the afternoon playing catch-up with Zuko in Firebending.  After dinner, he reviewed with Ty Lee the art of Airbending and taught her how to blend her existing style in with the Airbending style. This routine usually left him ready to fall to sleep at a moment's notice.  Today however was different, because today he had reached the level of mastery with the elements, and also the day Ty Lee seemed to have fully understood the art of Airbending.  Coincidentally, it was also the day before when the last invasion of the Fire Nation was planned.

 

Sokka's father explained tomorrow's plan, "Okay the plan is pretty simple.  Aang will storm the underground tunnels with Katara, Zuko, and Toph.  Zuko knows the palace geography pretty well, and both Aang and Toph can Earthbend if the area becomes difficult.  Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee will take Appa and invade Azula's lair above ground."

 

Sokka asked, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this plan sounds overly simplistic. Where’s the Water Tribe genius we know and love? And where are you going to be in all of this?"

 

Hakoda explained further, "The genius of the plan is in its speed.  You guys need a small light division to ride Appa, and a stronger one for the Fire Lord himself.  On the other hand, I and the rest of us will spread the rumor among the Fire Nation that we're looking for Iroh.  Ty Lee herself knows his location, so his presence isn't actually necessary, but if he does come, it's an added bonus.  More importantly, since half the Fire Nation loves Iroh and the other half will fear him, it will create the diversion we need."

 

"Nice! I knew you had it in you, Dad," said Sokka.

 

Aang changed the subject, "Alright, since that's settled, let's learn how to fly, Ty Lee."

 

Aang started by demonstrating.  He jumped into the air and rode using his staff, Airbending when necessary to pick up currents, and drifting along any which were already there.  It was difficult to tell whether he was guiding the flight, or whether it was guided for him.

 

Ty Lee watched, and kept in mind what she already knew of Airbending.  She took out the tool that Teo had been made for her.  It was funny how things came full circle.  Just a few days ago, she had been in prison talking with the Mechanist about his son, and now she actually was back with the same folk.  They were nice people, she thought, if the Fire Nation were not attacking she wouldn't mind making a life with this family.  Unlike Aang's staff, hers opened less like a glider, and more like the fans she had grown used to using.  Ty Lee came across as flaky, but even she could tell if someone really care for her as opposed to someone not interested.  At least, eventually.  "Thanks Teo, it really looks nice."

 

"Okay, the first step is to balance your weight, so you don't dive," said Aang while flying.

 

Ty Lee jumped, but she started corkscrewing instead or flying straight, and she seemed to be slowly falling. "Push upward steadily in all directions near you, you want to keep the entire thing afloat.  Then just lean in the direction you want to go and push away with your Airbending," said Aang.

 

Ty Lee had several false starts before she really mastered the skill.  Unlike most Airbending, it made very little use of the actual hands.  Instead it was an activity which seemed to use every part of the body.  The hands were mainly to operate the fan, the feet were for propulsion, and the rest of the body was for vertical or horizontal tilt.  For instance, by using her hands she could move left or right, while tilting her body caused her to fly sideways.  Soon the only real issue was learning not to become tired at constantly Airbending like this.

 

     At the end of the day, she had not only mastered flying, but she had explored most of the Western Air Temple.  She thanked Teo again for building her such a simple, yet effective device, and settled into bed.  Tomorrow was a big day.

 

Chapter 10

 

As the sun rose, the group prepared their invasion as planned.  Knowing their diversion was a weak hope, they instead concentrated on making haste, so they got ready hurriedly, and left the Air Temple within the hour.      

 

Ty Lee and Aang flew together for the first leg of the journey, but then Aang joined the other group.  Appa flew close to the ground so that those taking the underground route could quickly jump off without stopping to land.  Katara needed to jump off with Toph, since she couldn’t see the ground while in midair, but needless to say, she was more than a little scared.  Once she stopped screaming and made contact with the ground, she moved quickly, bending a hole near the entrance to the Fire Lord's palace.   

 

Ty Lee continued to fly alongside Appa until they reached the entrance of the palace, then she closed her fan and made a midair flip, landing squarely on her feet.  By now, Sokka's father and Teo, as well as most of the rest would be scattered along the outskirts of the city, creating a distraction.  She hoped they would be safe.  Pushing such thoughts aside, she walked into the next room.

 

Meanwhile, Aang and the others continued along the tunnels.  "I'm sure glad we got Zuko as an ally," said Katara.

 

"Why?" asked Toph.

 

"Because it's so much brighter in this cave… oh right. Never mind, Toph," she said.

 

They continued onward in relative silence.  The tunnel walls were a mix of soil, igneous rocks common to the region due to its volcanic atmosphere, and also a type of crystal commonly used fire starting fires.  Zuko, remembering his times with Iroh in Ba Sing Se running the tea shop, pocketed a few as they traveled past.

 

Finally, Toph spoke.  "His room is right ahead.  And the soil is getting hot.  Be careful, Aang."

 

At the same time as Aang and the others were heading into the Fire Lord's chamber, Ty Lee and the others had almost made it the final chamber.  Unlatching the door, they met a nasty surprise.  "Sorry, wrong room," said Sokka.

 

Inside the door, 50 warriors stood at readiness.  They seemed an arbitrary mix of Dai Li and Fire Nation imperial soldiers. Some stomped at the floor, using Earthbending to lift rocks from the ground with which to fight, while others launched fire from their hands and feet at the group.  Suki saddened stepped forward, and said, "You guys go on ahead, this is really your fight.  I'll just keep them from interfering and join you when I finish."

 

Sokka and Ty Lee did as told, and Suki continued the fight.  Using the Kyoshi fighting style, she employed the enemies own strengths against them.  She threw many of the Benders into the path of each other's bending, effectively reducing the fighting force to only fractions.  However, now that the fighters were diminished, it seemed she would have to employ other tactics of combat.   Suki advanced upon the enemies, and began to fight in earnest.

 

Sokka and Ty Lee passed the last door, and quickly closed it.  There on the throne, sat Azula, grinning sadistically.  "So nice to see you again.  I see you've brought some friends for me to play with," she said.

 

Sokka looked skeptical of her idea of "play."  Drawing his boomerang, he threw at her.  Unfortunately, having been schooled formally in fighting, she simply caught it, and threw it back with her offhandedly. She then countered with a midair kick combined with Firebending, knocking Sokka off his feet, and setting him clothing on fire.

 

Sokka swiftly patted himself down to snuff the fires, and picked himself up again.  The next instant, Ty Lee went into action, jumping high into air and attempting to move behind Azula to perform her patented pressure point blocking.

 

However, things had changed since Ty Lee had faced Azula last at the Boiling Rock.  Azula assumed a defensive stance, superheating the air to hedge off attempts for Ty Lee to close in. 

 

Undaunted yet thwarted, Ty Lee decided to try another tactic.  She backflipped to a safe range in the room, and decided to try her Airbending.  Using her hands to simulate a downward semicircle of a fan, she uprooted the base of this barrier, and finished by pushing horizontally in a clean motion.

 

Her barrier suddenly gone, the truth about Ty Lee dawned on her suddenly, and she too changed her tactics.  Just as she was about to counter, the unthinkable happened.  The door behind them had finally opened.

 

Aang and Toph finally burst through the tunnel entrance where the Fire Lord Ozai was held.  Normally, such darkness of being underground would rob a Firebender of their powers, but the cell Ozai had been trapped in was actually designed long before Azula's ambitions ever got to the point of challenging her own father.  It filtered sunlight in steadily, but new air came in only when the feeding chute was opened.  There was enough air to last the spacious cell under normal circumstances, but since fire consumes air more quickly, the room was effectively set up so that anyone trying to escape through Firebending would effectively suffocate themselves.  Now that the room had been opened up, there was no such constraint.

 

Ozai lobbed a quick flurry of fire at the new visitor's direction, and then closed into range for a physical attack.  Like most of the royal family, they were accustomed to sparring both verbally, and if need be, with their fists or any other chosen weapon. 

 

Toph attempted to block his advance with her Earthbending, but Ozai deftly sidestepped and knocked her aside.  Crumbling the new rock, Aang formed at cushion for Toph's fall out of soft earth.  Next, Zuko advanced into the room, throwing a wide array of attacks, some Firebending, some not, at Ozai.  This proved to be more trouble than it was worth however, as Ozai began to bend Zuko's fire to his own ends.  Zuko, recalling the traumatic incident of his past, cowered in fear at the corner of the room. Katara gave him some words of encouragement, then stepped in and gave her best Waterbending.  She gathered all of the water from her flask and used it to counter his attack, but the sheer heat of all the fire gathered was more than a simple water bottle could snuff.  She stopped his bending for a moment using the Bloodbending trick the old woman had taught her, but since it was getting toward noontime, her power was greatly limited over that it would be at dusk.  Ozai gathered all the energy again, and prepared to deal the finishing blow.

 

Suddenly, a great wind snuffed the flames.  It was the Avatar's turn. It was Aang's turn to fight.

 

The door opened, and out stepped Suki.  She had all too clearly wiped the floor with the Dai Li and Fire Nation soldiers, as was evident from the smile on her face.  This smile froze in place forever, though, as Azula's new tactics went into play, namely those of using lightning. She blocked reflexively with her fan, but the lightning conducted straight through, giving her a nasty shock.  Sokka ran to Suki but it was already too late. "Sokka… I love…" she said.  And just like that, the second love of his life was gone.  She had fallen comatose and unresponsive, and Sokka spent all of his attention making sure she did not die that way.

 

Sokka flew into a rage, clumsily flailing at her with his weapons.  Azula smirked at him and said, "Silly fool.  You should know that metal conducts electricity, why did she think those fans would be any different?"

 

She smoothly dodged both his meteoritic sword and his boomerang, then turned to speak with Ty Lee, "You traitor! This is your punishment for not going along with me when you had the chance, you will die the same as her!"  Unnoticed by Azula and the others, a doorway to the side of the room had opened a crack and someone was peering inside.

 

Ty Lee dodged aside lightning using acrobatics and newfound techniques and countered with Airbending.  She continued for quite a time, holding her own against Azula but neither attempting a straight match between wind and thunder.  Air had too little substance, and could neither block nor be blocked by lightning, and besides which Ty Lee was no scientist, so she feared trying something that had risks of either not working, or getting them killed.  Nevertheless, she kept Azula at bay nicely until Azula cornered her with lightning. 

 

She prepared to strike, but just as she released her electricity, the side door opened and Mai stepped through.  She got in front of the bolts and fired some of her own, then proceeded to move Ty Lee out of the way.  "Metal conducts electricity…" Mai said casually.

 

The metal didn't exactly turn the lightning back it its source, or anything impressive like that, but the electrified projectiles were enough.  Each had absorbed enough electricity to be independently dangerous, but together they were fatal.  And there were enough of them to render dodging difficult to impossible.

 

"Betrayers, the both of you!" she screamed just before the projectiles hit, "Some friends you are!"

 

The electrified bolts exploded against her stomach and sides, knocking her prone.  "Some friends…" she whimpered in pain, "Some friends… I wish I had… some friends…"  Then breathing became too painful, and she died.  A life where ambition had overshadowed kindness and relations was gone forever, and with it went the ambition itself.

 

Likewise, Aang's battle was nearing its close. They had traded blows evenly for awhile, but the Fire Lord was gradually learning to adapt to each bending style.  For Firebending, he would use his own fire to block and counter the attack.  For Earthbending, he simply used his own heat to back the soil and clay nearby so that Earthbending became stiff and unresponsive.  For Waterbending, he simply created a greater fire than whatever water Aang could make to throw at him.  And Airbending, he simply snuffed out with flames.  This battle would continue until one of them dropped, and it was looking like Aang would be the first to fall.

 

Ozai taunted Aang, "Soon, just as my ancestor defeated the Avatar, you too will be killed.  And then each of your friends will pay the price for being dragged along with you."

 

Aang's anger would normally have pushed him across the boundaries into the Avatar State, even without having training.  Instead, due to the scar on his back, he stopped just short of the transformation.  As he stood unable to do anything productive, his thoughts led him back to one of the Guru's words.

 

"The greatest illusion is that of separation," the Guru had said.

 

Initially, this had been interpreted as a lack of separation between the elements, but now he began to see this in a new light as well.  When he had first been asked to attempt the Avatar state, the test of the Thought Chakra required that he give up all his earthly attachments, including Katara.  Maybe what was holding him back was not the scar at all, but rather believing in the illusion that turning away from earthly attachment meant he had to give up Katara.  After all, if he truly loved her, then any feeling for her would run beyond earthly attachment, and they could never truly be separated.

 

At this thought, his tattoo began to glow.  He could feel his skin healing around the wound, and reality felt slightly different.  He felt like when he had attempted the Avatar State last, back in Ba Sing Se.  His eyes began to glow, and he knew what needed to be done.  If the elements separated were not enough to defeat the Fire Lord, then it was time to remove the illusion of separation.  He created mud under Ozai's feet, causing him to lose balance, and then combined fire and wind to create a powerful burst of flame that turned the Fire Lord to ash.

 

"It's over," said Aang. Peace had returned to the land.

 

Epilogue

In one year, it was like the war had never happened.  Zuko took over as the Fire Lord, and used the comet's power to suppress any of those who still sought war with other nations.  Of course, Mai helped in some regard, having a wife with political connections helped smooth relations with the more established ruling classes.  Thanks to the diversion made by Sokka's father and the others, Iroh had been eventually found, and Zuko had appointed him as chief advisor for Fire Nation affairs.

 

Other nations were also enjoying happiness and prosperity.  The Earth King of Ba Sing Se, having explored the world had decided that the ideal place to live was not a walled city but rather an area where people of all tribes were welcome.  He discovered King Bumi and the city of Omashu, and rebuilt it as a trade city.  Elsewhere, the Water Tribes began learning Waterbending in areas like Katara's home, and there was even some interaction with the swamp tribes.  It was an era of great peace and prosperity, but also great trade between cultures.  

 

Most importantly, with Ty Lee's help, Aang helped re-establish the teaching of Airbending to the lost Air Nomads, and the Temples became occupied once more  (although, being nomads, they never truly settled there).  Thanks to Aang's influence, many of the games and tricks were taught to Airbenders, and as they grew, some of these might become the traditions of future people.

 

Aang and Katara married eventually, as did Toph and Sokka, much to the surprise of everyone.  Suki upon awakening from her coma, had complete amnesia of every meeting Sokka, and returns to the Kyoshi Island.  He settled in with Toph after remembering Suki mentioning her as interested.  And, besides her seeing his as a complete stranger, he had already lost Yue and didn't want to fall in love with someone fragile, who could easily become seriously hurt in battle like this.  The pain of losing love twice was too much for him to put up with, and besides which Toph liked his jokes.  These two couples also grew close to Fire Lord Zuko due to their adventures together, and often visited each other.

 

And what befell Ty Lee, who had worked so hard?  She returned to the circus, where she used both her skill in acrobatics and she created a few new acts using her Airbending.  Mai came regularly to see her shows, and continued to do so throughout their natural lives.  Zuko occasionally visited too, though he mainly came to be with Mai.

 

One day, however, she received an unexpected visitor.  She had just finished a routine that involved flying using a rather strange yet buoyant outfit to do the work of her fans, some high rope tricks, and even juggling balls of pure air, when he appeared.

 

"It's been awhile," said Teo.

 

Ty Lee was not as happy as her days with Azula, but she was better in tune with her feelings, and the smile she gave Teo was real. "It most certainly has," she said.

 

"What have you been doing? I thought you died in the war," she continued.

 

"No, I was just busy trying to free my father from his prison.  Even after the rest of the Fire Nation gave up, you don't try to change prison guards.  Zuko himself crossed them, as I'm sure you've heard," he said.

 

"Actually, I was there," Ty Lee said. "So he's safe then?"

 

"Yeah, he just got back back yesterday," Teo said.

 

"So why aren't you spending time with him?" she asked.

 

"I've always been drawn to the sky," he said, "I was hoping that you could show it to me?"

 

Teo's eyes met with Ty Lee's, and they stared at each other for a moment, before closing them in a kiss.  All at once, the air itself seemed to come alive, and Ty Lee found herself wondering it would stay this was forever.  But then she realized, she would have an entire life with him to find out.