Amber

Chapter 6

"That's it, just keep your weight above your hips, and..." Ty Lee faltered as Azula toppled over from her wobbly handstand, landing on her back.
"This is pointless." snapped the princess, staring up at the sun.
"You said you'd play with me to make up for scaring me." reminded Ty Lee, unfazed.
Azula continued to gaze up at the golden eye. Her back ached from trying to hold up her legs.
"This isn't playing. This is just more of your useless acrobatics. I'm leaving." She rolled over and pushed herself up onto her feet, but stopped short at the expression on Ty Lee's face. Pouty disappointment, combined with just a spark of challenge.
"You don't have to stop just because you can't do it right away." murmured the acrobat, her eyes fixed on Azula's.
"Who said I can't do it?" demanded Azula, stung. Ty Lee grinned impishly.
"Well, if you wanna stop, I think that means you're just scared to try again."
Azula's eyes glittered. She was starting to regret her brief show of weakness in the gym. Ty Lee seemed to think it meant she was out of the danger zone around her.

"Or perhaps it just means you're a terrible teacher." she spat spitefully. She allowed a few flickers of fire to dance around her fingertips, ensuring Ty Lee could see. Sure enough, the pink clad girl shrank back.
Ignoring the now familiar feeling of guilt that bubbled in her stomach whenever she scared her friend, Azula bent over and placed her hands on the ground. Bracing herself, she kicked her legs up, managing to maintain an unstable handstand for just a couple of seconds. Quickly, though, her weight shifted too far backwards, and she toppled over – and stopped. A hand grasped her ankle and held her up, gently pulling her body straight and vertical. She almost kicked at the newfound source of balance, before she peered up, and realised what had happened. Ty Lee had skipped forward and was now holding her up by her ankle.

"Ty Lee." Azula did her best to speak steadily, not used to the silky touch of Ty Lee's hands. "Let go of me."
Ty Lee stared at her for a moment blankly. Then her eyes widened, and she quickly let go, allowing Azula to land her feet back on the ground.
"S-sorry, I just saw you were about to fall, and I-"
"Stop talking." sighed Azula. "I suppose it's. . . fine. But keep your hands to yourself in future."
Ty Lee smiled shyly, bobbing slightly on the spot. Azula had noticed that. While she kept her own body in stiff, controlled discipline, Ty Lee never seemed to keep still. She bobbed, she hopped, she fidgeted. Sometimes she swirled her arms and wiggled her body like she was dancing on the spot, or simply flipped back into a handstand like she couldn't bear to be right way up another moment.

"Touching," sighed Mai, detaching herself from the patch of shadows she'd been sulking in. She looked sullen as always, as though she'd been dragged here against her will rather than having simply trailed silently after them.
"What do you mean, touching?" demanded Azula, brushing earth and dust off her clothing from when she'd fallen. Mai shrugged. Azula glared at her, as always uncertain whether she was being mocked, but their staring contest was cut short by Ty Lee.
"C'mon, class is starting soon!" she grabbed Azula's hand in her left and Mai's in her right. "Let's go, I've got a feeling we're doing something fun this time!"
Azula and Mai gave each other a long suffering look over the head of the shorter brunette, but both had the understanding that Ty Lee was incorrigible in her optimism. Azula could tell Mai would prefer to pull her hand away, but doing something like that to the sensitive circus girl would be like kicking a puppy. Not that Azula hadn't kicked a few puppies when she was feeling especially spiteful, but that was their fault. Their eyes should have been as innocent as Ty Lee's.

***

"You could break rocks with his hair." Azula muttered to Ty Lee, indicating a boy with one of those new hair products that made it stiff and shiny. Ty Lee giggled, and Azula wondered if the acrobat was actually amused, or just agreeing out of submission.

Azula was silent for a moment, then her eyes flickered over to Ty Lee.
"What do you even do after school?" she asked, trying to just sound vaguely curious. As a matter of fact, she was burning to know what a carefree girl like Ty Lee did in her free time, unburdened by training or responsibility.
Ty Lee blinked, giving her a curious look before replying. "Well, I guess I just hang around."
Azula drummed her fingers on the desk. "Just...hang around. I see..."
She hesitated for a moment, voice catching oddly in her throat. "I suppose...you could come and...hang around at the palace."
Ty Lee perked up (more than usual, at least).
"Really? I can come to the palace?"
Azula felt oddly hot as she nodded.
"As long as you don't make trouble. And I suppose Mai can come too."
Ty Lee practically squealed with delight. Before Azula could register what happened, the brunette girl's arms were enclosing her tightly, chin resting on her shoulder. Azula's instincts kicked in, four years of reaction training telling her to push the bubbly young acrobat off. But her body resisted, some small secret part of her pressing herself into place against Ty Lee. Slowly, hesitantly, she awkwardly placed her arms round the other girl, feeling brown hair brush her face. It felt warm. It felt nice.