Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > A Mispent Youth
Blue
Ty Lee was going to dye her hair blue and nothing was going to stop her.
But first she had to hug the grass. The grass always seemed so sad, it was one of many gardens and it was the only one that was turning that yucky brown color. Ty Lee just thought it needed a cheer up hug. And then she had to hug the tree so it didn't get jealous and start crying. Trees were really big crybabies; her Nanny said it was because they were sappy. Ty Lee liked to imagine that all the trees were once people who were turned into plants magically. Azula said there was no such thing as magic, just bending, but if that was so what made the flowers bloom, the lightning crash, and secret rooms appear behind pink curtains? It had to be magic.
Ty Lee finished her hugging and ran towards the construction site. Court was gigantenormous and always needed fixing because it was so old. Today the builders were painting walls. First they had to paint the walls white, and then they had to be very very careful and paint them blue, and then red. Ty Lee didn't know why they did so much work when they could just paint it red in the first place. When she did try to figure it out it just made her brain hurt.
Maybe it was because she was dumb. Azula said every time she stood on her head she killed a bazillion brain cells. But Ty Lee didn't think she was dumb, she was the only one who could turn a cartwheel or find a hidden room. She didn't feel dumb either, except when she did math. But math was hard anyway because there was only one right answer and they wouldn't let her count on her toes. If she had her way there would be no math in the whole wide world.
She had to wait for a long time for the workers to stop working. That meant sitting still, which was no fun at all. But if the builders caught her they would be mean and chase her away and that would be even worse. It was nice outside anyway. She sat under a green prickly bush so they wouldn't see her. The bugs were really nice down in the bushes' dirt; there were ladybugs that flew and worms that wiggled when she held them in her hand. She would have tried to do a cartwheel but cartwheels are not very still. Neither was standing on your head or anything else fun. It was like school only with bugs and dirt.
Finally they all went away and Ty Lee was alone with the paint cans. They smelled really bad but they looked like magic. The cans were already open, blue paint like water in a coloring book. As carefully as she could Ty Lee bent over and dipped her hair into the blue as far as it could go. It was cold and ran down her neck but it didn't matter because her hair was blue! Ty Lee tried to put on even more blue. It dripped and when she spun around in circles it splattered on the white walls. Blue hair was the best kind of hair, better then black or brown or even pink. She had to show Azula and Mai. She told them everything, even if they didn't want to hear it. Except maybe about the secret room. But she knew they'd want to hear about this.
Ty Lee ran inside the palace, letting the squishy blue run into her clothes and onto the floor. She found Azula, Mai and Zuko really easily and there were no guards so she didn't have to wave. Azula's Mom, Her Majesty, was there too. She was nice for a grown-up, always tall and clean and princess-like. Ty Lee liked her sleeves the best, they were so big and long you could probably stick your whole head and more inside them.
"Look at me everybody!" called Ty Lee, swooshing her skirt in circles. Mai and Zuko gasped. Azula laughed so hard she feel off her chair. Her Majesty rubbed her head, the way Ty Lee's Nanny did when she was about to get a bad headache. "It's blue!"
"Oh Ty Lee you didn't," Azula's Mom, Her Majesty, made a funny face. She didn't like the blue. Ty Lee didn't understand why. How could you hate something so good and clean and blue? It was like hating the sky. "Zuko, Azula, and Mai get a maid to clean up the mess on the floor."
"But I wanna see Ty Lee get in trouble!" Azula tried to make herself look as cute as possible. If she worked really hard at being cute she could make grown-ups do whatever she wanted. Sometimes Ty Lee was afraid of Azula. Ty Lee didn't mean to be, Azula was the only girl her age before Mai came, but she was afraid anyway. But it didn't matter now because she had the blue to protect her. "Please?"
"Go Azula. Now," sighed Her Majesty. Zuko stuck his tongue out at Azula and Mai gave a giggle as the three of them ran for a servant. Her Majesty took Ty Lee's shirt and began blotting at the blue. Blotting was one of Ty Lee's favorite words right after malarkey but she didn't want her blue blotted away! And she couldn't fight with Her Majesty because she was a princess and Azula said it was against the law to argue with princesses. Ty Lee didn't mean to, but her eyes started tearing up.
"Paint is for walls not people," said Her Majesty, until she saw Ty Lee's almost tears. Then she made a guilty face, the one grown-ups use when they feel sorry for you. Ty Lee didn't like it. "Oh it's all right Ty Lee. Lets get you into the bathroom and clean you up."
But Ty Lee didn't want to be cleaned up; there was nothing wrong with her. But she let herself be carried to a bathroom. And she let the servants wash all the wonderful protective blue out of her. It was like Azula once said:
"My Daddy says there are two types of people in the world. Those who make things happen, like me, and those who let things happen, like you."
But they didn't say she had to sit still now that all her blue was gone. Well, they did, but that didn't mean she had to listen.
Ty Lee snuck out of the bathroom and quietly walked around the palace. It was a great place for hide and seek; you could find lots of hiding spots in every room. Ty Lee liked to search the rooms on yucky rainy days, it was sort off like an adventure only inside.
One room was specialer then all the others. Well Ty Lee didn't know that for sure, but it was off limits and that usually meant something special. Her Majesty didn't know about it. Neither did Azula or Zuko or her Nanny. And it was hidden behind a big pink curtain. Ty Lee turned the crank on the door and let herself inside.
It didn't seem very exciting; it was just one more room. But it did have a big pile of pillows for jumping on and lots of tea to drink.
She had covered herself in the big fluffy pile of pillows when people came into the secret room. They didn't really notice her under the pillows, but Ty Lee recognized them. She had seen both of them on scrolls and pictures.
Fire Lord Azulon and General Dragon.
Maybe the room wasn't such a big secret after all.
"You said you wanted to speak to me in complete privacy Iroh," said Fire Lord Azulon, his voice sounding like a talking tree. Ty Lee didn't know what they were talking about, but she did know privacy. She was spying on them. If she didn't come out and they found her she'd be in big trouble. If she came out and let them know she was there she'd get in big trouble. Ty Lee stayed where she was. "This is it. You may lecture freely here. Now get on with your worries before I tire of your company."
Fire Lord Azulon was not very nice. Ty Lee wondered if he'd had his nap.
"The country side is uneasy. There have been rumors-," began General Dragon, pouring himself a cup of tea. Fire Lord Azulon silenced him with one look.
"You waste my time with rebel rumors?" growled Fire Lord Azulon. Ty Lee sank lower into the cushions. And she thought Azula was scary!
"I waste no one's time, my Lord. This is more then just rumors, this is a plot. A group of well funded rebels are planning on assassinating you and the rest of the royal family, myself included."
Fire Lord Azulon suddenly looked a lot older as he lowered himself onto one of the pillows, just barely missing Ty Lee. Ty Lee tried not to gasp, she knew what assassinate meant.
Sometimes Ty Lee forgot that court didn't need fixing because it was old.
It was because it was ugly.
Maybe they should paint it blue.
Ty Lee was going to dye her hair blue and nothing was going to stop her.
But first she had to hug the grass. The grass always seemed so sad, it was one of many gardens and it was the only one that was turning that yucky brown color. Ty Lee just thought it needed a cheer up hug. And then she had to hug the tree so it didn't get jealous and start crying. Trees were really big crybabies; her Nanny said it was because they were sappy. Ty Lee liked to imagine that all the trees were once people who were turned into plants magically. Azula said there was no such thing as magic, just bending, but if that was so what made the flowers bloom, the lightning crash, and secret rooms appear behind pink curtains? It had to be magic.
Ty Lee finished her hugging and ran towards the construction site. Court was gigantenormous and always needed fixing because it was so old. Today the builders were painting walls. First they had to paint the walls white, and then they had to be very very careful and paint them blue, and then red. Ty Lee didn't know why they did so much work when they could just paint it red in the first place. When she did try to figure it out it just made her brain hurt.
Maybe it was because she was dumb. Azula said every time she stood on her head she killed a bazillion brain cells. But Ty Lee didn't think she was dumb, she was the only one who could turn a cartwheel or find a hidden room. She didn't feel dumb either, except when she did math. But math was hard anyway because there was only one right answer and they wouldn't let her count on her toes. If she had her way there would be no math in the whole wide world.
She had to wait for a long time for the workers to stop working. That meant sitting still, which was no fun at all. But if the builders caught her they would be mean and chase her away and that would be even worse. It was nice outside anyway. She sat under a green prickly bush so they wouldn't see her. The bugs were really nice down in the bushes' dirt; there were ladybugs that flew and worms that wiggled when she held them in her hand. She would have tried to do a cartwheel but cartwheels are not very still. Neither was standing on your head or anything else fun. It was like school only with bugs and dirt.
Finally they all went away and Ty Lee was alone with the paint cans. They smelled really bad but they looked like magic. The cans were already open, blue paint like water in a coloring book. As carefully as she could Ty Lee bent over and dipped her hair into the blue as far as it could go. It was cold and ran down her neck but it didn't matter because her hair was blue! Ty Lee tried to put on even more blue. It dripped and when she spun around in circles it splattered on the white walls. Blue hair was the best kind of hair, better then black or brown or even pink. She had to show Azula and Mai. She told them everything, even if they didn't want to hear it. Except maybe about the secret room. But she knew they'd want to hear about this.
Ty Lee ran inside the palace, letting the squishy blue run into her clothes and onto the floor. She found Azula, Mai and Zuko really easily and there were no guards so she didn't have to wave. Azula's Mom, Her Majesty, was there too. She was nice for a grown-up, always tall and clean and princess-like. Ty Lee liked her sleeves the best, they were so big and long you could probably stick your whole head and more inside them.
"Look at me everybody!" called Ty Lee, swooshing her skirt in circles. Mai and Zuko gasped. Azula laughed so hard she feel off her chair. Her Majesty rubbed her head, the way Ty Lee's Nanny did when she was about to get a bad headache. "It's blue!"
"Oh Ty Lee you didn't," Azula's Mom, Her Majesty, made a funny face. She didn't like the blue. Ty Lee didn't understand why. How could you hate something so good and clean and blue? It was like hating the sky. "Zuko, Azula, and Mai get a maid to clean up the mess on the floor."
"But I wanna see Ty Lee get in trouble!" Azula tried to make herself look as cute as possible. If she worked really hard at being cute she could make grown-ups do whatever she wanted. Sometimes Ty Lee was afraid of Azula. Ty Lee didn't mean to be, Azula was the only girl her age before Mai came, but she was afraid anyway. But it didn't matter now because she had the blue to protect her. "Please?"
"Go Azula. Now," sighed Her Majesty. Zuko stuck his tongue out at Azula and Mai gave a giggle as the three of them ran for a servant. Her Majesty took Ty Lee's shirt and began blotting at the blue. Blotting was one of Ty Lee's favorite words right after malarkey but she didn't want her blue blotted away! And she couldn't fight with Her Majesty because she was a princess and Azula said it was against the law to argue with princesses. Ty Lee didn't mean to, but her eyes started tearing up.
"Paint is for walls not people," said Her Majesty, until she saw Ty Lee's almost tears. Then she made a guilty face, the one grown-ups use when they feel sorry for you. Ty Lee didn't like it. "Oh it's all right Ty Lee. Lets get you into the bathroom and clean you up."
But Ty Lee didn't want to be cleaned up; there was nothing wrong with her. But she let herself be carried to a bathroom. And she let the servants wash all the wonderful protective blue out of her. It was like Azula once said:
"My Daddy says there are two types of people in the world. Those who make things happen, like me, and those who let things happen, like you."
But they didn't say she had to sit still now that all her blue was gone. Well, they did, but that didn't mean she had to listen.
Ty Lee snuck out of the bathroom and quietly walked around the palace. It was a great place for hide and seek; you could find lots of hiding spots in every room. Ty Lee liked to search the rooms on yucky rainy days, it was sort off like an adventure only inside.
One room was specialer then all the others. Well Ty Lee didn't know that for sure, but it was off limits and that usually meant something special. Her Majesty didn't know about it. Neither did Azula or Zuko or her Nanny. And it was hidden behind a big pink curtain. Ty Lee turned the crank on the door and let herself inside.
It didn't seem very exciting; it was just one more room. But it did have a big pile of pillows for jumping on and lots of tea to drink.
She had covered herself in the big fluffy pile of pillows when people came into the secret room. They didn't really notice her under the pillows, but Ty Lee recognized them. She had seen both of them on scrolls and pictures.
Fire Lord Azulon and General Dragon.
Maybe the room wasn't such a big secret after all.
"You said you wanted to speak to me in complete privacy Iroh," said Fire Lord Azulon, his voice sounding like a talking tree. Ty Lee didn't know what they were talking about, but she did know privacy. She was spying on them. If she didn't come out and they found her she'd be in big trouble. If she came out and let them know she was there she'd get in big trouble. Ty Lee stayed where she was. "This is it. You may lecture freely here. Now get on with your worries before I tire of your company."
Fire Lord Azulon was not very nice. Ty Lee wondered if he'd had his nap.
"The country side is uneasy. There have been rumors-," began General Dragon, pouring himself a cup of tea. Fire Lord Azulon silenced him with one look.
"You waste my time with rebel rumors?" growled Fire Lord Azulon. Ty Lee sank lower into the cushions. And she thought Azula was scary!
"I waste no one's time, my Lord. This is more then just rumors, this is a plot. A group of well funded rebels are planning on assassinating you and the rest of the royal family, myself included."
Fire Lord Azulon suddenly looked a lot older as he lowered himself onto one of the pillows, just barely missing Ty Lee. Ty Lee tried not to gasp, she knew what assassinate meant.
Sometimes Ty Lee forgot that court didn't need fixing because it was old.
It was because it was ugly.
Maybe they should paint it blue.
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