A few days had passed since Ty Lee had been discharged from the royal clinic. Her body had healed completely, save for the scar that now marked her once-flawless face. Though the wound remained, her spirit had steadily recovered, and today she insisted on accompanying Tai Lung to one of the army's training grounds. Tai Lung had been assigned to help train new recruits under the command of his father, Admiral Lung.
Surprisingly, Azula and Mai had decided to tag along. Despite being miss gloom and doom, Mai was concerned about Ty Lee's emotional state and simply wanted to be nearby in case she was needed. Azula, however, had a different motivation altogether. Her golden eyes remained fixed on Tai Lung, filled with a quiet fire. She had come with the sole intent of challenging him to a spar.
Tai Lung, naturally, noticed the intensity of Azula's glare. But given how talkative Ty Lee was, ignoring Azula wasn't all that difficult. With Ty Lee by his side, Azula's silent challenge became background noise.
The moment the four arrived at the training ground, they were greeted by Tai Lung's vice captain, Han. The experienced soldier walked up to him with a smile. "It's been nearly a month, Captain. Heard you got engaged."
Tai Lung gave a short nod and gestured to Ty Lee. "This is Ty Lee, my fiance."
Han turned toward her. His eyes lingered on the scar that traced her cheek before sliding away, though not quickly enough. Ty Lee noticed. She gave a strained smile in return.
"And these two," Tai Lung continued, pointing toward the others, "are Mai and Azula."
Han turned to them politely, but his expression shifted the moment he heard Azula. His gaze locked on her, and his eyes widened in realization. He immediately bowed low.
"We are honored to have you, Princess," he said with a sharp, respectful bow.
Azula, who had begun to frown at how Tai Lung had introduced her last and without her title, now smiled at the satisfying display of deference.
Han, meanwhile, cast a quiet glance toward his captain. [You dare to burn the Fire Lord and call him a fire rooster… but the rest of us? We'd suffer if we failed to show proper respect to the royal family.]
Tai Lung noticed the unspoken grievance in Han's eyes but chose to ignore it. "Where are the recruits?" he asked.
"Please follow me," Han said, turning to lead them deeper into the camp. The four followed close behind until they reached an open ground. Thirty young men stood in formation, standing with nervous looks.
"Do they know how to firebend?" Tai Lung asked. "Do you know what kind of training they've been through?"
Han nodded. "They're all firebenders, but their training only covered the basics. They haven't been taught any military tactics or advanced techniques."
Tai Lung nodded, absorbing the information, but before he could speak further, Azula stepped forward.
"I think we should show the recruits what level they should aspire to," she said coolly.
Tai Lung turned his gaze to her, but Han was the first to respond, speaking with an edge of formality. "You are wise beyond your years, Your Highness," he said.
Azula smiled. "A spar between me and Tai Lung. We'll just throw fire at each other, nothing else."
Han visibly hesitated. "We… can't have you do that, Princess. I can spar with Captain Lung, if needed," he said weakly. The truth was, Han didn't want the princess to be humiliated by Tai Lung. The idea of the nation's princess being overwhelmed in front of new recruits was not something he could risk. This was not an Agni Kai, he had to prevent the spar or the blame would fall on his shoulders.
Azula narrowed her eyes. "Do you think this princess doesn't know how to spar?"
"Of course not, Princess…" Han faltered, then added with clear discomfort, "It's just that sparring against the Captain…"
"It's fine," Tai Lung cut him off casually. "And you didn't need to make excuses. You could have said that before we got here. I knew you were up to something since you were glaring at me more than usual."
Azula's eye twitched, while Ty Lee stifled a laugh. Mai, who rarely smiled, actually did.
At once, the gathered soldiers moved, giving the two fighters ample space to spar. Azula stepped forward, eyes gleaming with focused challenge, promising pain with every glance.
Tai Lung, on the other hand, remained completely relaxed.
Han stood between the two firebenders, glancing back and forth with a worried face. He raised his hand and said firmly, "If either one of you can't continue or if the fire causes harm the match is over." He cast a lingering glance at Tai Lung, silently hoping his captain would go easy on the princess. With that, Han stepped away to clear the field.
Azula took her stance with disciplined grace, sharp and focused. Across from her, Tai Lung remained upright and relaxed, his hands by his side, his posture bordering on nonchalance.
Azula narrowed her eyes. Without warning, she thrust her arm forward, only two fingers extended. From the tips burst a compact flame of brilliant blue, slicing through the air toward Tai Lung. He raised a brow and casually waved his arm, dispersing the fire on impact.
"Surprised?" Azula asked with a smirk. "You're not the only one who can do that."
Tai Lung nodded with a neutral expression. "Didn't expect blue fire from you."
Azula's smile vanished. [Didn't expect it from me?] The words landed like a slap. Was that how he saw her? Did he not consider her a prodigy in her own right? Did he think she could never match someone like him?
Her eyes burned with a fresh wave of fury as she launched another blast, and then another, streams of fire from her fingers arcing through the air toward him. Tai Lung, unmoving from his position, effortlessly batted away every flame, his palm cutting through her attacks with ease.
Azula gritted her teeth. Her fist tightened, her thrusted with punches, her legs kicked, releasing ever-larger waves of flame. She increased her output, tried to alter her angles, her timing, but it made no difference. Tai Lung stood his ground, swatting away everything like a man fending off gnats.
"Are you not going to fight back?" she snapped, her voice taut with frustration.
"It's a showcase for the recruits," Tai Lung replied evenly. "No need for me to fight back."
Azula growled, her fists trembling. "Then show them what you can do…" she snarled, " instead of just defending!"
Tai Lung gave her a calm look. He thought for a moment. Perhaps it was time to remind everyone why they should respect him. Something to deter future annoyances. He gave a slight nod. "Okay. Brace yourself."
Azula's eyes narrowed. She inhaled sharply and sank into a defensive stance, her instincts suddenly on edge.
Tai Lung stepped forward and threw a punch, not fast, but steady, and from it came a wave of fire. But not just a flame or a stream. It was a wall of fire, several meters wide, crashing forward like a tidal wave.
Azula's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat as the fire roared toward her.
[I'm going to die] she thought in that frozen instant. There was no blocking this, no dodging it, no countering.
The soldiers and spectators around the field stood in horrified silence, watching the inferno speeding across the training ground. It looked as though it would swallow Azula whole and incinerate everything in its path.
But the massive wall of fire missed its target. It passed right by Azula, mere inches away. She remained rooted to the spot, her limbs locked in place, unable to move or speak. The sheer fire turned her face and the ground around her a bright shade of blue from reflected light.
Then it was gone.
Azula dropped to her knees, shaking. She looked to her side, where the fire had scorched a long, blackened trail across the earth. Her mind was blank. Slowly, she turned her gaze back to Tai Lung.
There was nothing left of her pride. The flame of competition within her was extinguished. There was no way she could match that.
Ty Lee and Mai rushed to her side, their worry clear. Ty Lee placed a hand on Azula's shoulder while Mai knelt next to her.
"She's fine," Tai Lung said flatly. "The fire passed by her harmlessly."
Azula didn't respond.
A long silence followed. Then, slowly, Azula rose to her feet. Her eyes didn't meet anyone else's. "I'm going back to the palace," she said. "I'm tired."
She turned and began walking away, her steps unsteady. Mai and Ty Lee followed close behind, casting worried glances between each other and back at her.
As they disappeared from view, Han approached Tai Lung with a shake of his head. "You went overboard," he said quietly. "You broke the princess."
Tai Lung didn't seem remorseful. "This way she won't annoy us too much if at all."
Han snorted lightly, then asked, "I hope you are right, I don't want to deal with royalty. So what do you think of her?"
"At this rate?" Tai Lung replied. "She'll be a better bender than her father in a few years at most. She's the most talented fire bender I have seen, for sure."