Azula found Tai Lung's room quickly with the help of one of the Lung estate servants. She knocked once; when his voice said, "Enter," she stepped inside.
Tai Lung sat in a meditative pose, eyes calm, already looking at her.
She drew a deep breath. "Please help me become stronger quickly. Help me train."
Tai Lung observed her for a long, quiet moment and then spoke, "You are angry, angrier than I have ever seen you. Why do you want to train? Is it because of your father?"
Azula answered without hesitation. "Yes. I want to make him pay, and for that I must be stronger, a lot stronger than him."
Tai Lung stared at her silently. The resemblance in temperament struck him: she lived for her father's approval, she had trained relentlessly, and now, struck by reality, anger and rage filled her. In that moment she reminded him of himself in his first life, driven toward destruction and revenge when he felt betrayed and everything he worked for crumbled.
"When one is angry," Tai Lung said slowly, "they become blind to the consequences of their actions. A hasty move in a moment of fury can lead to a life of doubt and regret."
"I know," Azula replied. "That is why I want you to help me train, so I don't make a mistake, so I can make Ozai pay."
Tai Lung took note of how she spoke of her father, how she no longer framed him as 'father' or 'Fire Lord' like she used to. He knew Ozai did not deserve to be called anything, and yet Azula was his child.
He answered, "No matter how hurt you are, you shouldn't raise your hand against your father. Even if he deserves it, such an action will follow you for the rest of your life."
"He has to pay!" Azula snapped.
Tai Lung's voice remained calm. "You can make him pay without whatever it is you are intending to do." Azula fell silent, staring at him.
Tai Lung continued, "Your father craves control and dominance. Be better than him. Rise above him and make him watch your back, unable to stop you."
Azula looked at him for a long moment, then finally asked, "How?"
Tai Lung smiled. "By believing in yourself and following your own path. If you agree to that, I am willing to teach you."
Azula's eyes burned with determination. She nodded.
Watching her, Tai Lung thought of his first life, of the darkness forged into his being as Oogway had put it. She had a similar darkness inside her, so he made a private decision then: he didn't want to see Azula become a second him.
——————
The sea breeze was sharp that morning as Tai Lung's ship cut across the waves, leaving the Fire Nation behind. Two days had passed since Azula left the palace, and now Tai Lung stood on deck with Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula by his side.
"I'm surprised you decided to come with us," Tai Lung said, glancing at Mai. "You never struck me as the kind who likes to travel."
Mai's expression was flat, her voice as dry as ever. "Anything is better than being stuck with my family in Omashu."
Tai Lung chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough."
On the other hand, Azula's golden eyes turned toward him. "So what is the plan? Where are we going?"
Tai Lung shrugged with casual ease. "We don't exactly plan our course. Usually, we just drift and see what we'll find."
Azula stared at him, utterly speechless.
Ty Lee laughed, bouncing on her heels. "What about the island with only girl fighters? That sounded like a nice place!"
Tai Lung's memory stirred, Kyoshi Island. He had visited the place when he first started traveling. He gave a short nod. "Then we go to Kyoshi Island first."
Mai gave the faintest nod, not particularly caring about the destination, while Azula folded her arms, fixing Tai Lung with a steady gaze. "Now that you've decided on the destination, when are we going to start my training?"
"I'll order the soldiers to clear the deck," Tai Lung replied. "Then we start."
Azula nodded. She had never been more motivated in her life to grow stronger.
Not long after, she stood before a strange contraption, a tall wooden post with arms sticking outward, each studded with sharp metal spikes. She frowned, puzzled, and asked, "What is that?"
Tai Lung smiled faintly. "This is the Gauntlet of the Wooden Warrior. It's a rotating, steel-studded training post. Your task is to fight it without bending."
He stepped closer and struck the post with a heavy punch. The contraption whirred into motion, the spiked arms swinging around to strike at him. With practiced ease, Tai Lung blocked and countered, each hit making the post spin faster and faster, the returning strikes coming harder and sharper. Then he abruptly stopped it and looked back at her.
"It's your turn. Let me warn you, it's going to hurt… a lot."
Azula eyed the rotating post, a flicker of worry crossing her face. For an instant, she wondered if she had made a mistake asking to train under Tai Lung. But just as quickly, she buried the thought. He was the strongest for a reason. If this training had forged his strength, then she would endure it as well.
She stepped forward.
Tai Lung watched as she began her training, noting how the metal studs repeatedly struck her arms and sides, leaving scratches across her skin. But Azula didn't back down. Each time she was hit, she straightened, sharper, fiercer, pushing herself harder. In that stubborn refusal to retreat, Tai Lung found himself giving her his silent approval.
He always thought of the benders training in this world as soft . Their training was too simple, too safe. As for this, it was Shifu's way, merciless, brutal, and unforgiving.
At the side, Ty Lee bit her lip with worry while Mai stood with arms crossed, watching closely. Ty Lee finally asked, "Is it really okay to let her train like this from the start? She's getting hurt."
"Just scratches," Tai Lung replied calmly. "She already has a foundation, and this will make her grow faster. Besides, if she isn't backing down, then you should just support her."
Ty Lee and Mai exchanged a look, then nodded reluctantly.
And so Azula's training began, the same merciless path that had once forged Tai Lung into what he was. Shifu-level training.
——————
Days later, the ship docked at the shores of Kyoshi Island. Ty Lee was the first to hop off, her eyes full of curiosity as she looked around. Tai Lung and Mai followed behind her, and at the very end came Azula. She walked with a weary expression, her arms wrapped tightly in bandages. It was plain to see that Tai Lung's training had taken its toll on her.
The rest of the ship's crew descended after them, but they had little time to take in the scenery before they were confronted by the Kyoshi Warriors. Their fans at the ready, they stood in a disciplined formation.
Tai Lung folded his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly. "They're still as vigilant as a few years ago," he commented.
Meanwhile, the three girls observed the warriors with interest. The strange face paint and elaborate clothing caught their attention immediately.
"Hi there!" Ty Lee chirped, waving enthusiastically.
The Kyoshi Warriors didn't respond. They simply stared in silence until their leader finally spoke. Her eyes were fixed on Tai Lung. "You are the Fire Avatar!"
Tai Lung smiled faintly. "That title reached you, huh? Well, I'm not the Avatar. The Avatar is back, and he's an air nomad."
The leader nodded slowly, studying him. "I didn't expect to see you again."
Tai Lung inclined his head toward Ty Lee. "She heard of you, the island where only girls fight, and wanted to see you in person."
Ty Lee gave another energetic wave, smiling brightly.
The leader's eyes swept over her carefully before she said, "You are welcome here. We still owe you for saving the island from the famine back then."
Tai Lung acknowledged the words with only a slight nod.
Ty Lee blinked and turned toward him. "What famine? You didn't mention a famine."
"It's no big deal," Tai Lung replied casually. "Just an oversized fish preventing the villagers from fishing around here."
Ty Lee frowned, unconvinced, and shifted her gaze toward the Kyoshi leader. "Everything is 'no big deal' to him. What really happened here? Oh and I'm Ty Lee, nice to meet you."
The leader gave a small smile in return. "I am Suki. It is nice to meet you too. I'll tell you the story on our way back to the village."
And so, the two groups began walking together toward the village, the warriors' steps steady and measured. Along the way, Suki began to recount the tale of Tai Lung's first arrival on Kyoshi Island and how he saved their island.