Chapter 262: One Last Regret (4)
Ursa always regretted leaving her first love—Ikem. That's the undeniable truth in every single pool of possibility where Ursa exists because it seems like it was always her fate to marry Ozai.
What changes in this pool of possibility open for Regret's perusal comes after Ursa is swept away from her home village in an elaborate parade to be married off to her husband.
Ursa's regret did not last with her. She married a Prince!
A Prince!
If rumors were to be believed, not just any prince but the more handsome and noble-hearted prince amongst the two royal siblings and Ozai proved to be above and beyond the gossip floating about his nature. In the first few months, Ozai was kind and gentle, but he knew how to act like a proper man and kept her safe from the political malpractices of the Fire Nation. Ozai took time out of his career to spend time with Ursa during her pregnancy. He rejoiced at the birth of their first son.
Their passion decreased after Zuko's birth, but that did not mean their life and intimacy worsened. They fulfilled their responsibility as husband and wife, but that's what it began to feel like—a simple duty. Azula's birth two years later sent Ursa's marital purpose to an all-time low. Her birth was akin to a straw that broke Hawk-Camel's back. Ozai may not spend his nights in another woman's chambers, but that did not mean she was any happier.
He did all but verbally clarify that their union as royal spouse had run its course. Ozai focused on his career by outing corrupt politicians and solidifying his name in the Royal Court, while Ursa focused solely on raising her children.
Their relationship worsened when Zuko began training and was revealed to be less than exceptional, unlike the prophecies that had blinded Azulon and Ozai. Her brother-in-law cared little for such a prophecy and treated her son as his flesh and blood. She began to recall her first love on her loneliest nights.
Years flew by her without a care for her life.
Who was she?
Nothing.
Why should the river of time stop flowing for her?
Zuko was cast aside when Azula turned out to be the prodigious talent that the royal family awaited.
She still doesn't know what drove her one night to pen a scandalous letter to Ikem. Maybe it was her vindictive bitterness for Ozai, his pretenses, and his lack of affection for HER son! She composed Ikem to be Zuko's true blood knowing full well her letters are monitored by the head chambermaid of the palace.
And a few nights later, she was confronted by her mistake when Ozai practically disowned Zuko as his son in front of her. He knew full well the lies she wrote in the letter. Ozai was her first experience. None other. Adding salt to her deep pain was his declaration of having Ikem killed for her audacity to even author such a letter. He was hurt, but she did not feel joy for the regretful consequences she accidentally conspired.
Ozai made Zuko's life a hellscape of royal order with all his emotional manipulation while sinking his fangs further into her Azula! But she couldn't do anything.
And the day of reckoning eventually came when Ozai requested Iroh's birthright of ascending the throne from Azulon once Iroh's son perished in a battle. An audacious demand for which Azulon punished Ozai by claiming Zuko's life—something Ozai was happy to accept.
Zuko's life meant nothing to Ozai.
And the royal family, except for Iroh and his late son, meant nothing to Ursa, who chose to assassinate Azulon once Ozai gave her the choice of the king's life or her son's.
What she regretted was leaving her children in Ozai's hand—a price for her escape.
It was her life or her escape for the price of her children being hostages, assuring her silence, and... Ursa hated her very soul for accepting the latter.
She returned to her home village to forget her royal past. Ikem was nowhere.
Who she did meet was Noren.
An intriguing fellow—so much so that he seemed to have noticed her origins!
What shocked her further was that Noren claimed to be Ikem!
Things became equally evident and confusing as he affirmed an attempt at his life, forcing him to flee into Forgetful Valley and encounter a spirit—Mother of Faces—who gave him a new identity.
She would have doubted Noren if he hadn't mustered the exact details of her first kiss with Ikem.
Encouraged by the idea of getting a new face to forever leave any subsequent pursuit from the royal family, she traveled to the Forgetful Valley with the hope of encountering Mother of Faces.
Her days since then grew simple. She lived with Noren, but Ursa hesitated to be with him more intimately. Ozai's scar was too deep in her heart, and she felt guilty for leaving her children. Noren was more understanding than she could ask. He forgave her for her folly of composing the scandalous letter that almost got him killed the first time. He soon became the anchor of her current life.
And after years, Ursa did meet the Mother of Faces, who was miffed by Ursa's act of giving her current identity.
After all, Ursa was one of the most beautiful women despite time leaving its marks on her being. As the creator of Ursa's face, the Mother of Face gave her a simple test in the form of choice.
Either she accepts a less brilliant face, or Ursa will leave the Valley with a promise of never seeking the spirit out.
Ursa accepted a less beautiful face and identity.
Ursa did not care for beauty. She wished to spend her new life with Noren. Somewhat touched by Ursa's apparent affection, Mother of Faces kindly offered to give her a new identity and a new set of memories free from the scars of her current life—and she accepted.
Regretfully.
She forgot about her past and lived with Noren, who knew everything. They sired a daughter of their own and lived a peaceful life until...
The Ursurping Queen Azula attacked their village for some reason. She burned down the forests and valley, angering Mother of Faces to unleash her wolf and wasp spirits, but nothing stopped Azula.
The Mad Queen Azula razed everything in her path, and the spirits, especially the Mother of Faces, who never attacked personally despite her impressive stature. Eventually, the Mother of Faces relented to Azula's demand and pointed at one of the imprisoned villagers kneeling in the village's empty space.
"There. That woman is your mother."
She never knew why Mad Queen looked at her with such hate. Noren jumped in front of Ursa only to be burned alive before Azula slit her throat in front of her crying daughter.
Ursa's eyes snap open to the infinite darkness. Memories fill her consciousness as she grows calm eventually. The first time she cried her heart out, screaming she would die before giving up her children, but not now.
She's lost count of the times she experienced death at her daughter's hands but it...
"It no longer bothers you. Why?"
Ursa thins her lips and exhales softly.
"What good would it come from hating the most brilliant theater for me to experience?"
Regret stares at the silent woman floating in the empty space as a fond smile blooms on its 'face.'
"A theater?"
"A theater that gives me all the things I need to understand about myself. A theater that lets me know my regrets without leaving me with the final consequences. Whatever this is... it's a blessing. Regret, thank you."
"Pray tell what you learned."
"I gave up... everyone has regrets in one life or another. I may let the blame fall on me for being weak to give into Azula's persuasions, but the truth is that I wanted to feel loved. And when I did, I tried to end it out of fear for the future. I almost gave up when Nik told me the truth. I feared that... when our relationship runs its course, he would leave me stranded again. This time in a foreign land."
"I constantly seek anchors and let them go, too. I will never give up on my children. I won't fear leaving my home because it only exists wherever my children are. I... don't want to give up on Nik. He never gave me up, after all."
Regret's chuckles echo in the darkness.
"A theater, huh? That is an appropriate judgment, I suppose."
"Why?"
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Regret questions.
"Why are we having this conversation?" Ursa questions calmly.
"I cannot send you back to that theater. Besides the fact that my mother, as you would call her the Mother of Faces, is miffed with my antics, you are no longer tormented by your regrets."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that not all regrets torment a living being. Some turn into lessons and take a different meaning. I have no power over lessons."
"Am I free to leave?"
"Yes. Not because you learned your lesson... but because a chieftain got a riddle correct."
Ursa's consciousness fades as she hears Regret's whispers.
"Let's meet again before my father claims you."
---
"Congratulations. Lady Ursa will be waking soon."
Regret informs, but Sokka exclaims before Azula leaves everything to dash back to the temple.
"Don't leave willy-nilly! I'm sure not leaving the trial is one of the implied rules this kindred spirit failed to mention."
Azula stills and glares coldly at Regret, who chuckles.
"These rules are implied for a reason. Let us begin with the next riddle. Are you ready?"
Sokka inhales sharply before nodding.
---
Ty Lee has many regrets. Born the eldest of the septuplets, Ty Woo being the second elder, Lee struggled with her desires and apparent responsibility. She sought her Baba's approval just as intensely as her younger siblings but all seven of them knew this couldn't go any longer. They needed a gimmick unique to themselves.
Ty Lee felt she wouldn't regret her actions as she gave up acrobats for the flute. Woo decided to adopt a sailor's mouth. Lum accepted the alternative of dancing. Liu took to the water and decided to swim for fun. Lao became an elegant woman by practicing the art of Origami. Lat accompanied the notion by equipping her talents with a harp. And their youngest—Ty Lin happily accepted being the only acrobat of the family.
But Ty Lee and others felt envious of Ty Lin reflexively. They loved acrobatics, especially Ty Lee. She was a natural! Better than all her sisters! But Ty Lee made a choice and decided to stick with it. When her younger sisters decided to stay clear of Ty Lin out of envy, Ty Lee firmly put her foot down, making the remaining five apologize to Ty Lin as they admitted how they envied Ty Lin for being the only one who could continue acrobatics.
The nightmare began that day.
The six of them began to spend time together. At first, Ty Lee was visibly happy. As their elder sister, she resolved their conflict before it could spiral out and even received her Baba's well-deserved praise. But she soon realized that the six of them were tight-knit with no place for their eldest sister.
Ty Lee was left alone. It didn't matter for long as Ty Lee sought affection outside her family by forming friendships with the Princess and Mai. They weren't strictly sisterly, but there weren't many things Ty Lee wouldn't do to keep friends with Azula and Mai.
For what it's worth, Baba's death hurt them all equally, but nothing came close to the letter she received a few days later, alongside the lack of her sister's presence.
They left the family... and only provided her with one letter.
The truth came out.
The six of them continued to practice acrobatic routines away from her eyes.
She never had any sisters. All her siblings had each other to comfort for their Baba's loss, but not her.
Ty Lee was alone.
Mai was married in one of the colonized Earth Kingdoms to a boring schmuck named Kai. It was only with Azula's assistance that she could keep the family business going on. Ty Lee wasn't given any time to grieve her losses as she chose to seek affection elsewhere. Not that it ever worked.
Almost every man she encountered had the desire to marry Ty-Siblings. Things should have been easier with six identical faces leaving with a circus to spirits know where, but they weren't.
The business was stressful. Azula was stressful. Everything but acrobatics was stressful.
She broke.
Ty Lee sold her business to Azula and used the assets to hire an aspiring and creative crew to form her circus.
And THAT was helpful!
She loved living her days from that point onwards.
Sure, their crew did not attract enough viewers at first, but word soon passed as Azula decided to help again by setting a royal escort for the Fire Lord to view their performance. Ozai was a cold man, but Ty Lee did not mind the attention she garnered from this stunt—she was indebted to Azula.
But the Avatar happened.
Ty Lee rarely followed the news, but this one affected Azula and herself, so Ty Lee knew what was going on, and even if her Baba might hate her for the thoughts that brewed in her mind—Ty Lee wanted a pound of flesh from her sisters who decided to assist the avatar and his crew.
Azula called for Mai, too, and the three of them snuck into Earth Kingdom in disguise as Kyoshi Warriors to figure out the Avatar's plan.
They wanted to attack the Fire Nation on the day of the Black Sun.
And the Fire Nation was ready.
As Avatar and his small army of misfits invaded the land past the Gates of Azulon, Ty Lee quickly followed her sisters from a distance and isolated them in a grassy opening.
They hurled insults at each other angrily. One side blamed the other as the other side explained their actions. In the end, they were sisters. What could have been resolved years ago was left to stew due to poor communications and a distinct lack of emotional maturity. The two sides felt bitter and lonely after hanging out their dirty laundry. They did not make up with each other. But Ty Lee knew they could move past it. One day... they would apologize to each other for their reasons and regrets.
Maybe not tomorrow, but undoubtedly the day after tomorrow. They always had a knack for these things about each other, which was ironic given their situation.
The royal family's beef with the Avatar did not have to rot their relationship any further.
But things rarely go so favorably.
Something happened to the young avatar.
He snapped.
And he left a wake of destruction and corpses in his wake. What happened to Aang, what losses stirred such a reaction from him did not matter. That was his life. What did matter to the Ty-Sisters was that their next day never came.
They were the collateral damage to a war nobody asked for.
They died next to each other, but the truth is—they were far from being the loving group of sisters they once were.
Ty Lee's eyes snap open as she bites her bottom lip and quivers in darkness. She can feel her sisters' quiet sobs.
They shared the same vision, and Ty Lee is now aware of what they did... and why they did it. But that doesn't make her feel less regretful, or her sisters, for that matter.
"Lee," Lin gasps. "Listen before we are sent into that world again. I—We never meant to shun you off. We were just... envious. That continued in this strange world, but we never hated you! Never!"
But Ty Woo has other plans as she interjects and curses aloud!
"You bastard! I'll kill you and feed you to your mum's cunt if you don't let us out now!"
"Woo!" Lat hisses, "Stop pissing it off and quickly say your piece before we're forced back—!"
"We all fucking know how we feel! Okay? Lee regrets running away. We regret giving up acrobatics! That's it! That's fucking all! Could have done this over tea time but noooooooooo! Lin had to have the perfect timing or show her emotions by doing the same performance Lee used to do to show her we always admired her talents. Fuck! Let me out now!"
Ty Lin, Lat, Lao, Liu, and Lum grow silent as Woo continues to rage with a mouth better than any sailor worth their salt!
"Wait," Lao musters with a sigh. "We aren't being forced back into that screwed-up world... huff, I was tired of Sokka trying to flirt with all of us!"
Liu scoffs and pouts.
"I don't know Aang personally, but I'll slap his bald head the moment I see him!"
"I second that," Ty Lum sighs.
"So... are we good?" Ty Lee gulps.
"If you wanna keep apologizing for something so ridiculously stupid, go on!" Woo scoffs.
"Show some affection!" Ty Lin berates the second youngest of their group.
"Is that how you talk to your second eldest sister, you acrobatic thief?" Woo shoots back.
"Made-up world doesn't count! I'm the eldest!" Lin retorts.
"Pfft... hehehehe!" Ty Lee's giggles interrupt their rants as her sisters grow silent.
"It's just... I missed you all so much! Woo is right. And if Azula and others find out that we kept our stupid fight even in made-up worlds we'll never hear the end of it... I... I love you all. Truly!"
"More than Nik?" Lat chuckles.
"Of course!" Lee replies without missing a beat, something she should have regretted, but didn't for some reason.
"Oh? For real? Awesome! Then I call dibs as the second eldest sister, bitches!" Woo grins.
"I'm the second eldest in this world, so the dibs transfer to me by the law of existence," Lat hums.
"Pffft!" Ty Lee snorts a chuckle again.
"Lee... are you really okay? I'll never let them try anything stupid like that again." Lin mutters worriedly.
"Oh, I was so pent-up about the situation between us. Believe me, it doesn't matter. He will go through all of you like a hot knife through butter! I saw it with my own eyes! But... please... let's just practice our routines together."
"We wouldn't let a talented bitch like you slip again even if you begged!" Woo grins.
Their consciousness slipped away before they could muster anything else.
"Well... that took a surprising turn. Maybe it was a bit much to displace seven lives in another shared reality at once."
Regret sighs and then chuckles to itself.
"So, only their hero remains, eh? Should I call him a Hot Knife? With how he deals with the triplets, he should be a Butcher's Knife instead."
***
Alternate Title: Blessed Play; When the Sisters Share a Single Brain Cell and it's a Menace!; Azula's Villain Arc; The Terrifying Avatar; Aang's Bald Head is in Danger; Sokka's Awareness is on Point!; Implied Rules Need No Explicit Explanations; Understanding Ursa; The Vow of Never Giving Up; A Mother Who Didn't Give Her Children Up; An Unworthy Grudge Between Siblings; Sometimes Tomorrow Never Arrives; Annoyed Mother of Faces
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A/N: As I said when Azula and Zuko were introduced, they are similar to their previous counterparts but with chaotic-good alignment only because Ursa came to clutch and fled the Royal Palace with her children. And the Ty Siblings' arc comes to an end.
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