The three girls stared at Tai Lung in shock.
Mai asked, "What did you do?"
Tai Lung replied calmly, "The chi is the source of life. I gave you my chi which improved your body and accelerated your healing."
Azula narrowed her eyes. "I have never heard of such a thing."
"The Water Tribe does something similar," Tai Lung explained, "but they use water as a medium."
Azula just stared at him, speechless, and so did the other two. Every time they thought they began to understand his power and skill set, he surprised them with something new.
After some time of silence, Ty Lee finally said, "That's amazing, Tai. But… if you can heal, can't you heal my face?"
Tai Lung shook his head. "I give my chi to help the body recover, it just accelerates the natural process of healing. Wounds heal, yes, but scars will remain behind, no matter how faint."
Ty Lee pressed on, her voice soft but pleading. "Can we try it at least? Please?"
Seeing her begging look, Tai Lung nodded and walked closer. He raised his hand, placing it gently on her scarred face. Once again, the same golden light glowed warmly, enveloping Ty Lee's features.
A minute later, the light faded. Tai Lung withdrew his hand. "This is the limit of how much chi can help you. I admit I didn't expect anything."
Ty Lee looked at Tai Lung, then at Azula and Mai.
"It is not gone," Azula remarked, tilting her head, "but I guess that's an improvement."
Mai silently pulled out a dagger and handed it to Ty Lee. "This is the closest thing I have to a mirror."
Ty Lee took the dagger and peered at her reflection. The jarring scar was still there, but it was less visible than before, fainter, softer.
Even still, it was a lot better than before. She looked up at Tai Lung, who quickly said, "The scar would have faded in the same manner within a few years or so. My chi just hastened that."
Ty Lee hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you. This is more than I dreamed of. You are the best."
Tai Lung stood there for a moment without responding, then hugged her back lightly. "No problem."
He silently noted to himself that he should have tried first before drawing conclusions.
——————
Far from the military base and near Ba Sing Se, Aang and his team sat resting before crossing the Serpent's Pass.
Toph, bored out of her mind, suddenly asked, "So, you guys have been running from the fire princess like crazy, but I never got to ask why. Sure, she's a tough one, but for you to be that scared of her, what did she do to terrify you so much?"
Aang and the group looked at each other for a moment. Then Katara spoke, "It was the blue fire. We thought she was another monster like Tai Lung."
Sokka interrupted, "I actually thought she was his sister. Who would have thought she was the sister of the angry prince?"
Toph tilted her head with interest. "Who is Tai Lung, and how strong is he to scare all of you like that?"
Katara's voice grew heavy. "He is a literal monster. If he was the one hunting us, I don't think there is any chance of escaping him. Only Aang, after mastering the four elements, might be able to fight him."
Toph grinned. "He sounds really strong. I would like to face him."
Sokka shook his head. "You don't understand. The word strong doesn't even describe him. If you compare him to the princess then it is like comparing a tiny kitten to a dragon. If the princess could throw a fireball the size of a boulder at you, that monster will throw a mountain-sized fireball. He could turn you into ashes in an instant."
Toph laughed. "As if I would believe that." But as she laughed, she paused, the silence of her companions spoke on its own.
Katara finally said, "Toph, I think we should start over and tell you everything we have seen in the North Pole. And before we start, this is no joke. Everything we will tell you is true."
——————
Five days later, the Drill was approaching Ba Sing Se. Flanked by tens of the Fire Nation Tanks on both sides, it set toward the Earth Capital the next day after Mai's healing. Inside the drill's control room, the war minister stood giving orders to the operators, while Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai sat comfortably on their chairs.
Ty Lee had insisted on accompanying her friends this time, stating she wouldn't let her friend get hurt again. Tai Lung, despite not wanting to have anything to do with this invasion force, chose to tag along to ensure Ty Lee and Mai safety, but instead of staying with Ty Lee in the control room, he went on and took over some random engineer room, deciding to meditate there alone. The invasion succeeding or failing had nothing to do with him.
In the control room, Ty Lee looked at the not so happy Azula and said, "At least he agreed to come. If things go wrong, we can depend on him to help us retreat."
Azula grumbled, "What is the point of having so much power if you don't use it? I can't understand why he refuses to fully participate in war. He is literally a one man army."
The war minister, who was hearing this, spoke confidently. "Princess, I assure you we don't need the assistance of Captain Lung. This drill has a penetration and destructive power far beyond what a firebender could possibly have, including Captain Lung. And it is fully built of metal, it is too big, heavy, and sturdy, a natural counter for the earthbender."
The minister's words didn't improve Azula's mood. Tai Lung's actions irked her to no end; he did what he wanted and had no respect for the royal family. And despite all of that, no one dared to oppose him. Even putting his power aside, punishing him is still impossible as the entire nation views him as a national hero and respects him.
She broke out of her thoughts when Ty Lee, who was looking through the spyglasses of the drill, said, "A group of muscly earthbenders are coming our way."
The war minister spoke, "As I said, the drill is earthbender-proof. Nothing to worry about."
Azula looked at the minister and said coldly, "Can you take responsibility if anything went wrong based on your words?"
The minister hesitated to answer.
Azula smirked. "I thought as much. Ty Lee, Mai, go get rid of the enemies."
Both girls stood, smiling. Mai wanted to let some steam off after her injury, while Ty Lee wanted to try fighting, it had been a long while since she fought anyone beside Tai Lung.
A few minutes later the two girls returned. Mai's expression was as flat as ever, but there was an edge of annoyance in her tone.
"Ty Lee didn't leave anyone for me," she said.
Ty Lee gave an apologetic little smile. "I'm sorry, but I am used to sparring with Tai, I forgot how to fight normal people" she explained sheepishly.
Mai sighed.
——————
While the Drill creeped ever closer to the outer walls of Ba Sing Se, far above, preparations were already being made to stop it. General Sung, one of the Council of Five, the highest ranking generals in the Earth Kingdom, stood in command. Around him clustered several soldiers, grim and tense, and beside them the Avatar and his companions.
A weary soldier had just stumbled back from the field, still white-faced with terror as he reported to them. His words poured out like a flood. He described with horror how the elite team, Terra, handpicked and feared for their skill, had been utterly dismantled by a strange girl. She bore a scar on her face, he said, and moved with an inhuman speed and skill, crushing their ranks one by one. With his voice shaking, he told them how her fists seemed to drain the very strength from their bodies, soldiers left gasping, bending abilities snuffed out like candles, others left rigid, paralyzed, unable to move even a finger.
General Sung's face darkened with disbelief. "Where did the Fire Nation get someone like that?" he demanded, his voice rising. "What in the name of the spirits did she do to my elite soldiers?"
Sokka's eyes darted uneasily from the shaken soldier to the rest of his group. "How come the Fire Nation has so many scary girls?" he burst out. "First the princess with fire like Tai Lung, then there's that gloomy one with endless hidden weapons, and now a girl who can take away bending and paralyze people!"
No one answered him. They only stared, though each of them wore the same troubled expression. The truth was bitter: when their journey had begun, their thoughts had fixed firmly on the Fire Lord as their ultimate adversary. Yet now it was clear, the most difficult part might not be defeating him at all, but facing the freaks who served beneath him.
General Sung turned to look at Aang said "Young Avatar, you are our only hope, please help us stop that metal monstrosity"
Aang nodded with a serious face then turned to look at his friends as his face turned to that of doubt.
"How do we stop that thing?" Aang asked.