Work Text:
Another letter appeared from a surrounding farm. It was probably a headline in the local paper already considering their luck.
An emergency-before-opening-meeting was called. Her nerves made her not only get to the meeting before everyone else but also keep her fidgeting, shifting her weight from side to side. Switching her pose every few seconds got her a look here and there but she had a feeling about who the culprit might be for these continuing letters. But she couldn’t do a thing about it.
Katara rubbed her temples and dropped the neatly typed letter on her desk. “Another letter. Again it describes the death of livestock. Some seemed to be from an animal or maybe they were stolen? The letter is more distraught than anything else.” She clasped her hands and placed them on the desk and raised her head to look at the array of park rangers. “These farmers keep blaming the park saying bears are coming down and getting into farmland. I am more than pretty sure that bears aren’t doing that but we need to figure out a way to mitigate this situation.”
No, but I’m pretty sure werewolves come down from the mountain .
“Is this already in the papers,” Suki asked. Katara sighed and nodded her head. Suki sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Great. I’ll go start the apology letter.” Suki sighed and started to head out the room. She gave a look to Ty Lee seeing the other ranger’s hands fidgeting behind her back. Raising a brow she left.
“Any ideas?”
“Cameras? We can place them around the farms so we can figure out what it is, right?” Aang chimed in.
I cannot delete any more government tapes.
“They would have to agree to it. But I’ll write that one down.” Katara smiled up at Aang. Ty Lee always thought it was funny how they acted cordial at work. Everyone knew the chief rangers were married.
Toph elbowed her and snidely remarked, “you can’t catch the supernatural on camera.”
Ty Lee swallowed. Oh yes you can. She chuckled lightly at Toph, not knowing how much Toph knew or if she was going on her tangents or if she just wanted to get on Katara’s nerves.
“Toph. Please. I’ll personally remove you from the meeting.”
“I’m just saying,” Toph’s devious smile said something else.
“But I’m not hearing anything else about fixing this.” Katara sighed, “even if it’s not our fault.”
“Maybe we can just tell them that, give condolences and damages, give advice and move on,” Ty Lee tried. She knew she was better at stuff like this if she could just think. The thought of them finding her werewolf and company on camera was just too much. That and all the coffee. “Isn’t that just part of the risk of livestock? Animal attacks? Thievery does seem a little…outdated.”
Katara tapped her pen against the desk. Mulling it over she slowly sat up. The sun peeked through the windows behind Katara signaling they would need to greet visitors soon. “Well, Ty Lee, that seems to be all we got. Don’t forget to mention cameras as the best advice we have. I’m sure getting guardian dogs is their business. I’ll assign pairs to visit attacked sites today.” Katara began making note of the plan on her notepad. She shared another smile with Aang after making a special note of his idea.
Ty Lee let out a breath. She thought her friends just stayed in the hills and did not risk going down into the areas around town. Hopefully whoever she was paired with would be okay with her “forgetting” to mention some bits of advice.
The group of rangers began to file out of Katara’s office, Ty Lee’s nerves calming down as the meeting was finally over. Of course no one knew of her connections but that didn’t make it any less stressful for her to know the reasons behind mishaps in and around the park and being able to do nothing about it.
“Ty Lee, are you okay?” Aang sidled up next to her. “You seemed nervous during the meeting. It looked like you were the one chewing up these animals.”
God what has Azula done to me? I should ask for a day off.
“Oh! Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just had an extra cup of coffee this morning. Not used to that amount of caffeine this early haha.” She waved her hands in front of her face. Aang was always so kind and attentive to everyone, she sympathized with him on that, but this just made her more self conscious. “I’ll be perfectly fine by the time I crash from the caffeine high.”
Aang laughed at her little joke, thankfully it seemed like he bought it. “Okay, you know you can always ask anyone if you need anything?”
“Of course!” Right now I need to ask a certain someone something. “Okay, well, uh, I gotta head to the desk. To open the doors,” Ty Lee smiled, awkwardly , and shuffled her way out of the back offices. She needed to find a call space where she could whisper scream.
“Did she seem off?”
“Toph, come on, she said she was okay.”
“Maybe if her normal wasn’t rainbows, singing, and dancing.”
“Dancing?”
“Her shoes squeak.”
Ty Lee darted her eyes around. Seeing the area was clear she tip toed into a hidden spot in the museum in the building. She was more than ecstatic to volunteer to open it up knowing she could catch a moment.
And it was one of the random spaces with a decent signal in the park. Flipping open her phone she punched in the memorized numbers.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up.”
“Ty Lee be quick I’m at work,” came the stern voice of Azula through the phone speaker.
“Wait, what do you even do at work? You always seem to get back to me?”
“I don’t tell you.”
Ty Lee’s face fell into an annoyed frown.
“You have something important to say?”
“Have you seen the papers about the recent attacks on local farms?”
“No I haven’t gone down and had my pick of cows, chickens, and whatever else. Is that what you were going to ask?”
Ty Lee blinked. “Um. Did your brother?”
Azula sighed through the phone. “I wouldn’t know. We’re werewolves Ty Lee, not wild beasts. Please keep your day job, you’re not the monster hunter you think you are yet.”
Ty Lee covered the microphone. “ Hold back, hold back. ” Taking a breath she uncovered her phone, “do you think it could be something? I’m supposed to go to a farm later to check in.”
A few beats of silence. “I will see.” Then a click.
“She is gonna be the death of me,” Ty Lee mumbled to herself.
——-
The park seemed a little slower than usual during the high season. The temperature had even dropped to a sufferable heat and high in the hills a nice breeze actually made it comfortable. Those who did come in hiked close to the park’s creeks for even better conditions. She overheard a kid telling Suki it’s like the forest’s A/C. She didn’t think it worked exactly like that but she couldn’t argue it was cooler by the water.
Everyone seemed to notice the slowness of the day as well. Word of the animal attacks must have spread. Visitors asked questions on where animals were sighted the most, how to handle encounters, and if it was safe to hike.
Those coming in from out of town would overhear and ask their own set of questions to learn the story.
She loved talking with people but this felt like a taunt. All she tried to calm people down didn’t seem to work past the doors of the visitor center. She didn’t know if it would make Azula scoff or laugh.
She raised her head hearing the sound of heavy boots across the tiled floor.
“I know it’s asking a lot but would you guys mind visiting the most recently attacked farm and give our condolences and tell them what we can do to help,” Katara asked.
“Fresh mothman tracks.” Toph jumped next to her and Katara.
“Toph, I’ll buy you lunch if you don’t say anything like that again tonight, around me at least.”
“Can I have lunch too,” Ty Lee fluttered her eyelashes.
That got a chuckle out of the chief ranger. “Okay, okay, yeah yeah I’ll buy you two lunch. Aang and I are going to the other farms so I guess we can get you two something.”
I still got it.
——-
Closing didn’t take too long. The two girls restocked maps, brochures, took in the signs, all the while debating on where they should make Katara get lunch the next day.
The day still stayed eerily still and quiet despite the nerves of the visitors. Ty Lee made an effort to not let the energy get to her. She just had to tell herself it wasn’t a big deal or anything. She just had to go drop off steaks later.
“Oh, hey, I’m bringing Sokka along.” Toph interrupted her thoughts.
“Would he know what’s happening?”
“Nah, I just wanted to show him that not everything had a logical reason. It’s not a bear so then it must be something more beastly.”
“I’m not even gonna argue with you, there's no point in telling him he can’t now.”
Toph elbowed her, “I gotta feeling he’ll be convinced.”
Ty Lee doesn’t doubt they’ll find something…well convincingly supernatural. But she’s not in the mood to see grotesque livestock on top of being used as the farmer’s punching bag in the blaming of said livestock. It must feel terrible to see these creatures go.
“Hey, do you mind leaving most of the talking up to me?” Toph’s tact might be a little lacking in this situation, she thought.
Although she could lose her tact too.
———
Her car came to a rumbling, dusty stop in the farm’s gravel driveway. Toph complained about her “girly pop” CDs but she needed the radio up to drown out her car’s noise. She had winced every time a rock dinged against the side.
Off to the side of the road she saw a dark car shut off. A man with a ponytail and a fur lined jean jacket stepped out. Sokka.
Ty Lee noticed that even though the sun wasn’t setting yet the animals all seemed to be inside. Not a thing stirred on the farm except the constant buzzing of insects and the chatter of birds and cawing of crows.
“Just so you know,” Sokka crossed his arms in defense, “I’m only here not just because she asked but so Suki and I don’t have to bail her out again for breaking any trespassing laws. I don’t think farmers are too happy right now to let that slide.”
Ty Lee snorted. Toph rolled her eyes, “you can just admit you wanna see a werewolf take a cow.”
Sokka and Ty Lee both shushed the blind ranger. “ Hey, we can talk about that after!” Ty Lee whispered to the group.
“Toph, why would I want to describe a bloody murder scene to you? I don’t wanna do that nor see it!”
“See? Thank you Sokka.” Ty Lee emphasized hoping Toph will get the hint to quiet down as they approached the farmhouse. “ Although he probably just wants to not fight for a steak.”
“Oh come on now Lee,” Sokka shoved the Ranger’s arm while laughing. “That was too easy.”
“And corny,” Toph snorted.
The house was a large white and blue structure with a large front porch with welcoming cushioned chairs. The yard featured a myriad of smaller buildings presumably garages and sheds all done in the same white and blue clapboard. Towering, shady oaks were placed around the yard. The leaves rustled in the wind carrying a fresh and flowery smell.
They were approaching the front steps, doing their best to lower their chattering and laughter, when Ty Lee caught a familiar flash of movement out of the corner of her eye.
No. Wait? No, she remembered. She forgot to tell Azula where she was going.
“Hold on, I think I saw someone. I’ll be right back.” Ty Lee said as she wandered off before hearing her friends’ answers.
She picked up her pace as she got a few feet away from the porch. Passing the garage led out to a grassy field walled by hay and a patch of trees. There was a fence on the opposite side blocking the road. She had seen movement near a flattened pile of hay leading into the darkening trees.
Looking over her shoulder she checked to make sure she wasn’t followed. They were peeking around but did not follow behind her. She kept her cool as she plunged into the tall grass. The lowering sun caught on roughed black boots. Dark pants and a tucked in loose faded band shirt covered by a worn leather jacket was an outfit she knew for long nights hunting in the park after hours.
Gold eyes met gray. Azula pushed herself off a tree and kept her arms crossed. Ty Lee let the hay and trees swallow her from sight before she could interrogate Azula. She needed space to talk with her hands.
“How did you know I was here? Did you follow me, er tracked? Tracking? I- I didn’t even tell you what time!”
Azula rolled her eyes and she shifted her weight. “Ty Lee, it's easy. I did a process of elimination where I assumed you wouldn’t have time until after work and since you called about the farm in the paper today I figured this would be the place. Not to mention if I was to find out if the attacks are supernatural the most recent farm would have the freshest evidence.” Azula finished with a raised brow taunting the Ranger to debunk her logic.
Ty Lee felt her eyebrow twitch. “So…guesswork?” Azula huffed air out of her nose. “You know what, let's talk about this later. Has anything seemed out of the ordinary?”
“I haven’t had much of a chance to scout out anything. There is a stillness around the farm until you hit the treeline. Birds moving, rabbits jumping around, and a smell of strong fresh flowers. I’m happy I just don’t have to smell the farm in full force but it’s not entirely pointing to anything specific.”
“Okay, well I’ll find you if anything comes up. As soon as I’m done talking I’ll help you look.”
“I don’t need them tagging along by the way,” Azula nodded her head in the direction of Toph and Sokka. “Talking shouldn’t take as long as you guys laughing at whatever he said.”
Ty Lee blinked at Azula. She knew she laughed at more things than most. She had never seemed annoyed before. Wait. Did she mention a “he”? Before her friends got too worried about her disappearance she had an idea to leave the werewolf as frustrated as she can get when she flips her phone closed. “Awwww is someone jealous?”
The black haired woman looked taken aback for a second. She didn’t think Ty Lee had the guts to say that to her. Furrowing her face she responded, “ No. What would I even get jealous about?”
Ty Lee shrugged her shoulders smiling as if she didn’t know what Azula was talking about. “I wouldn’t know.” She knows she’s told Azula Sokka was with Suki nor did she ever express any feelings for the guy, well after the fact. She leaned closer to Azula for her final blow. “I’m not the jealous type.”
Azula’s eyes widened. It looked like she was going to say something but Ty Lee gave her a smirk before spinning on her heel to head back to the farmhouse. She practically skipped through the long grass, she couldn’t remember ever making Azula at a loss for words. And she gave her a taste of her own medicine.
Reaching gravel again Ty Lee met back with Sokka and Toph, who were already speaking to an older man. At the sound of her footsteps they turned towards her. Sokka looked relieved.
“Ah, I guess I just saw something fleeting. I swear there was someone there.” Ty Lee lied.
The man, who she assumes is the farmer, shook his head with a sigh. “There have been shadows and voices on the wind. I know it sounds crazy, I don’t believe it either. It was the only thing out of place before I lost my animals. It happened over two nights. Maybe it’s some damn animal. I know some calls sound eerily human.” He shook his head again. “Didn’t think anything would get down this far here.”
“We’re really sorry to hear about all these attacks and thefts. I know we didn’t do anything or control the park animals but we can help you try and recover from the damages.” Ty Lee stepped closer to the three.
“I’d appreciate it. It’s the least the rangers could do.” With that the farmer gave a gruff and turned to go back inside.
Farmers and the supernatural seem to have a disdain to rangers. Noted.
Sokka started behind the old man, must’ve convinced him he was officially with them somehow, and Ty Lee was about to follow when she noticed Toph standing off to the side, at the edge of the gravel where it met weeds and grass.
Toph’s cane tapped against the grass in thought.
“Hey, uh, Toph we’re going inside now, whatcha doing.”
“I thought I heard laughter. And singing and bells,” Toph took a step forward into the long grass leading into the field.
Ty Lee strained her ears to see if she could hear anything. Didn’t the farmer say there were strange sounds coming from the trees before an attack? She could barely make out anything especially as eerie as what Toph said.
Ty Lee took a few steps to catch up with Toph. “I don’t hear anything,” she looked to where she had met Azula. The werewolf seemed to have moved on but she felt a presence watching her from afar. She hoped it was her friend.
Ty Lee reached a hand out to Toph’s shoulder, “Hey why don’t we just-“ Her voice was cut short as it suddenly felt like she was falling.
She gasped for breath. She felt grass beneath her face and Toph beside her breathing. She didn’t know if she was thankful she wasn’t alone or more sorry Toph got roped into something supernatural.
She might be the only person okay with that happening to her.
Shaking a dizzy feeling out of her head she stayed low and looked around. The sky had a twilight look to it with a few stars twinkling near the horizon. The sun was only beginning to set when she went over to Toph. The long grass seemed to glow in certain places along with floating wisps in the sky. It smelled sweetly as if honeysuckle was growing in troves. Then she heard it. Laughing and high voices singing.
“I think I hear it now.” Ty Lee whispered.
“Hey, uh, Ty-“
“Don’t say her name! Stop!”
Both whipped their heads in the direction of the shout. Out from the woods, to Ty Lee’s relief, came Azula. Boots pounding against the ground she stopped and leaned over them.
“Don’t say her name, don’t say yours, if you have any sense in you you will not say a single name,” Azula hissed. “Take off your name tags.”
Ty Lee slowly started to sit up, tugging Toph up with her, and whispered slowly, “Where are we?”
Azula looked off to the side, sighed, then locked eyes with the Ranger. “The world of Fae.”
“Excuse me?” Ty Lee could barely get her next words out before Toph shot up next to her.
“Are you serious?” Toph cheered, a big smile on her face. “It’s real!”
Azula looked confused and then turned, a bit peeved, to Ty Lee. “What's she doing here?”
Ty Lee scoffed. “I was trying to get her inside but she heard the laughing and singing. You should be thanking me otherwise it would just be her in here. You know, like, without me.” She was in Azula’s face now.
Azula pinched the bridge of her nose, mumbling frustratingly about something having to do with faerie rings and her sanity.
“The supernatural are real! It’s real! It’s real and you didn’t say anything,” Toph finished her revelation by punching, not a little hard, her fellow Ranger. “And who’s this?”
“Okay, ow.” Ty Lee rubbed her arm. “And, um, she’s…”
“Yes. The world of Fae is real but not all supernatural things are real. You are not to tell anyone, just like this Ranger has been doing so well.” Azula smiled patronizingly at her friend. Ty Lee threw her hands out. As if a faerie ring was her fault. “I’m not telling you who I am, especially here.”
Azula scanned their surroundings. It was still the same farm field with the tree line she had met Ty Lee in. The sounds of the voices grew louder. She grabbed the rangers’ wrists and started to drag them out of view. Ty Lee thought the werewolf looked on edge, maybe even frantic. She must still be dizzy.
“Why can’t we use names here?” Ty Lee lowered her voice. This place was making the hairs on her neck stand up.
“You can’t tell the Fae your name otherwise they’ll keep it and then you here forever, duh. Names are important to oneself, they know that.” Toph answered.
“Wow. That was all correct.” Azula had her signature smirk back, “You should take some notes.”
Groaning, Ty Lee mumbled, “I’m calling you fleabag for the rest of the night. Or furball depending on how the night goes.”
Azula was dragging them through the trees that were next to the field. Even in the tree there was an ethereal glow, with floating wisps whipping through the trees, almost like falling light. The singing had not stopped or quieted.
Ty Lee racked her brain thinking about anything Azula may have told her about Fae. Or were they fairies? Were they trickster forest spirits? That seemed to be a lot of what she ran into. She was too spent to answer any riddles or play any games. Well, dancing and singing might be the most fun supernatural encounter she could have.
Stepping over a tangle of bramble they were brought to another field behind the farmhouse, which was eerily dark and blurry. It looked as if it was reflected off of water.
“Do you guys have anything from home? Anything homemade, anything at all?” Azula turned her back to the field and huddled close to the other two.
“I have an iron bangle I made on my upper arm,” Toph lifted her sleeve to reveal the item, flexing. She was toned muscles Ty Lee never noticed before.
Ty Lee stared in confusion at her other Ranger but Azula moved on swiftly, “Cool. Pinkie pie?”
“The friendship bracelets we made the other night.” Ty Lee gave Azula a dimpled smile, shaking her wrist to show it off.
A light blush spread across the werewolf’s cheeks and Toph’s muffled snorting didn’t help. “Right.” Azula pulled her jacket sleeve up enough to reveal her pink and black bracelet. “Give them to me we have to make our own ring before-”
“Before the dancing? You can’t leave just yet.” A voice like a bubbling brook rang through the trees. In a sudden motion the trees opened up to the field full of glowing mushrooms, plants, and wisps where a gathering of ethereal forested humanoid figures were staring the three girls down. One with bells on her shoes came towards them, as she got closer it was becoming increasingly obvious they were taller than the average human, and motioned towards the crowd. “We haven’t welcomed Park Rangers here in quite some time.” Some in the farther part of the crowd seemed to find this line funny.
Ty Lee’s heart pounded loud in her ears yet her blood ran cold. These must be the Fae. They were beautiful and their voices, even from afar, seemed divine. She finally understood what calling someone a siren meant. She thought she had a cute, persuasive voice. It was nothing like this. They could probably talk her to sleep or convince her to stay here for eternity. The thought being both enticing and terrifying all at once had her frozen in place looking up in awe. Azula tensed up. She didn’t like that sign either. She reached over and grabbed Toph’s hand. If Toph knew what these were might as well keep her close.
“Unfortunately we must be going. We have prior arrangements and breaking promises would be deemed rude.” Azula kept her back to the Fae. Ty Lee felt an unknown sense of pride at how even the woman kept her voice.
“So would denying an invitation.” The Fae snapped her fingers and music started up again. “We love having guests here. We can accommodate any need.”
Azula finally looked over her shoulder and Ty Lee with her. It didn’t seem like they could get away with the whole party watching them, not with that sharp glint in their eyes. Deep bells, different from the ringing ones the Fae seemed to like, started and two cows began making their way into the dancing circle.
“ Those are the missing cows!”
“Great job pinkie I bet even Toph could figure that out. Not our number one priority!”
“Hey fleabag I’m blind not deaf. Come up with something better than that cheap quip.”
Azula opened her mouth to say something. Ty Lee kept the smirk to herself but she’s glad Toph heard the nickname she used for the werewolf. Azula quietly groaned and faced the faerie crowd, “ Stay close to me .”
“ Don’t eat anything, ” Toph whispered to Ty Lee. She hated how much she probably was going to go over to their snacks table. Everything on it looked so sweet and ripe. She hadn’t had anything since lunch too. Damn this.
Wait, if the cows were here did that mean…oh. It was most definitely not werewolf midnight snacks, Ty Lee realized.
The three had shuffled their way closer but still kept their distance. It seemed best to respect the invitation as much as sanely possible. They swayed slightly with music and watched as the Fae made the cows get up on their hind legs and start dancing as well. It didn’t look as cute as Ty Lee hoped.
The Fae had begun to circle one of the cows, their voices growing louder intermittently a shriek would echoe from one of them. Then one of them jumped on the cow and sunk their teeth in. The cow bellowed as the other Fae jumped and howled enthusiastically, tearing the cow to pieces. The girls stared on in bloody horror as Toph shook them asking what was happening.
Her blood was right to have run cold. “Um, some Fae are eating the cow. Uh, raw, with their uh teeth,” Ty Lee swallowed her nausea.
“Stop looking!” Azula hissed at her. Continuing to sway, Azula pushed her in the opposite direction of the dancing. Leaning close to her ear, Ty Lee could feel her breath, Azula whispered, “We need to create a distraction now.”
“You all look like you need to loosen up. Here we’ll show you.” Again it seemed like the faeries moved without a sound. They formed a semi-circle around the trio, some still covered in cow’s blood. The Fae talking to them was the same one who had forced their invitation and she reached out for Ty Lee.
The Fae had pulled her into the crowd, swinging her about as if she was privy to whatever waltz they were doing. In between the flowy sleeves and skirts she caught a glimpse of Azula reaching out for her and screaming up at the faeries.
She wanted to scream for her but could hardly catch her breath or keep her senses when glowing colors came this way and that through her swinging vision. She planted her feet wide and used whatever strength she had to left to keep herself still. While the other Fae continued to dance she noticed she wasn’t. Looking up she saw the leading faerie look down upon her, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“Thought you would enjoy a bit of fun, Ranger, but it seems you would like to have your time run out. Such a pity.” The Fae had reached for the back of her shirt as if it was just the scruff of her neck. She tried to wring herself out of the grip to no avail, she was being lifted off the ground. Someone was pushing through the crowd causing faeries to trip and tumble over each other. A hush fell from the next words. “Put. Her. Down.”
She could see the golden glow of her eyes from up here. As well as flashing canines and the tense way Azula balled her fists. She couldn’t see Toph where they had been standing.
“What a nice surprise. A heroic gesture at the end of the story.” The Fae lifted Ty Lee even higher and closer to her head. The faerie leader made a show of sharp teeth glistening from the tongue running over them.
“I don’t need to repeat myself,” Azula flexed her hand out. Something sharp caught in the soft light.
The Fae looked confused then an amused sense of realization came over their face. “ Oh? ” The Fae cast its eyes on Ty Lee then back to Azula, who rolled her shoulders back. “ This is a nice surprise. A shifter hasn’t been enjoyed in these ranks for quite some time as well. And friends with a human too, my, my.”
“I haven’t had the pleasure of hunting your rank down yet. Guess we’re both lucky,” Azula snarled.
“I was right about you three being above petty riddles and tricks,” the Fae mumbled. They watched Azula like she was more of an attraction than a threat.
Ty Lee tried to twist out of the strong grip again until she saw Azula’s wrist shaking. She made cold eye contact with her, taking it as a no, she quit. The wrist shaking made the friendship bracelet slide down the werewolf’s arm. She has a plan, hopefully Toph was a part of it.
“You know the consequences of wounding a Fae?” The Fae’s face darkened. “Of killing one?”
“Do you know the consequences of touching her?”
One more show of verbal bluff and she was going to twist her way out. She didn’t realize Azula was that protective over her; she would like to deal with those thoughts when her life wasn’t being dangled over Fae teeth.
Ty Lee gave a high whistle to get Azula’s attention fully on her. She knew the noise both annoyed the werewolf and perked her ears up. She hoped for the former.
The Fae looked towards the Ranger for a split second. Azula used that as her opening to strike.
Ty Lee swung her body around and slammed her boots into the Fae’s face, distracted they couldn’t grab Azula with their other hand. She felt satisfaction at using a move she had practiced with the black haired woman. The crunch sound after gave her a morbid sense of pride. Azula slashed the Fae’s gripping hand causing Ty Lee to fall. Amber blood oozed out from the faerie. As the Fae crumpled, screeching, Azula cushioned the Ranger’s fall.
“You little,” Azula shook her head chuckling low, “you’re lucky I didn’t turn out of annoyance.”
“I thought you said you weren’t my guard dog, hm?”
Azula put Ty Lee back on her feet and pushed her to run towards the tree line. “You can antagonize me later, give me the bracelet.”
Struggling to keep up with the much faster werewolf she wriggled it off her wrist. Leaning forward she handed it to Azula. The Fae seemed to have gathered themselves by the sounds of angry screeches.
“Hey Ranger!”
Out from the bramble Toph popped up and held up her iron bangle. Snatching it Azula made a ring on the ground.
“Hold each other’s hands and take a step forward.” The faeries started to race over to the trees. “Now!”
Ty Lee held her breath as she took her step. If she held on too tight neither one said anything. She felt the same falling sensation as earlier. The wind had been knocked out of her and she woke up huffing for air. She was on her back again looking up at the sky. The sun had almost sunk leaving faint marks of orange still fading across the sky. Not the same dark sky.
Azula’s hand left hers and frantically moved something on the ground. Toph groaned next to her. Sitting up she saw Azula leaning back on her hands, hair mused more than the woman liked, splotches of drying amber blood on her leather jacket. Their items were covered in dust and laid in a broken ring.
“Not bad Rangers,” Azula breathed. “Fae are a pain the ass.”
“That’s what that was for you!” Ty Lee said flabbergasted. Azula seemed more tense than inconvenienced. She thought faeries were more whimsical than cow stealers. That was nightmarish.
“Well, that court isn’t fun to be around.” It was like she found the Fae as inconvenient as when you find that the grocery store is busy.
“Hey, hey, you didn’t say anything about you being supernatural too.”
Ty Lee stared wide eyed between Azula and Toph. Azula pursed her lips.
“Don’t try to deny it, I heard that thing call you a shifter.”
Azula groaned. “Ty, you need to keep her quiet.”
“Is that why you called her fleabag?”
Ty Lee started laughing at that. It started to unwound the growing ball of stress in her chest. “Pretty good, right? Can I tell her, Zula?”
Azula smirked. “I think it’d be better if she figured it out on her own.”
Toph gawked. “How is that fair? We just did a life and death Fae adventure and I gotta guess?”
“Oh shit I just said your nickname.” Ty Lee covered her mouth in realization. “Sorry ‘Zula.”
“I’ll just stick around this one until it slips.” Toph leaned back on her hands.
A sigh. “Anyway. I think it’d be fun to watch. I don’t tell.” Azula met Ty Lee’s gaze before quickly looking back at Toph.
Toph hit Azula in the shin with her cane. “Jackass.”
“That’s a better nickname.” A hit again.
“She’ll chew your cane up,” Ty Lee smirked.
“What?” Before Toph could continue a voice called over the rolling fields.
“Heyyy! Hey I see them!” Sokka held up a flashlight and came running down. The old farmer waved him off, content with going at his own able pace. “We were so worried we thought the bears got you!” Sokka rested his hands on his knees catching his breath. “Wait, who’s this?”
“A friend.” “A jackass.”
Ty Lee scrunched her face at Toph. Azula just smiled and scoffed. “I came to meet up with Ty Lee.”
“Okaaayyyyy. Still don’t know where you went.”
Ty Lee spoke up quickly, “Toph had wandered off before we went into the house. I followed her and we got lost in the trees and fields. We’re not so good outside the park maps.”
Toph nodded her head. “Yeah I wanted to go tracking for the cause on my own.”
Sokka crossed his arms and cocked his head. It’s not like it was out of the ordinary for Toph. Before Sokka could cross examine further the farmer had made it up to them. “You girls didn’t get taken with my cows did ya?”
Ty Lee looked at her two companions who stayed put. “No sir we just got lost.”
“You shouldn’t have veered off like that.” His stare felt like it cut right through their lie. Didn’t farmer’s here know a lot of folklore? “But it’s good that you're safe. Plus!” He clapped Sokka on the back, “this nice young man gave me a lot of ideas on how to help keep my cows all safe!”
He doesn’t even get paid to do that. But she didn’t have to deal with it so she’s okay with that more than she felt she should.
“That’s great!” Ty Lee clapped her hands once bringing her other friends to life.
“Awesome! Well we better get going it’s getting uh,” Toph waited for someone to pick up for her.
“Late. Getting late and we better let you rest, sir, before your early day tomorrow.” Azula continued wrinkling her nose.
Sokka and his new farmer friend shared a puzzling look. Ty Lee hopes they won’t press further if they can just run to their cars.
“Well I’ll be by to help you later this week!”
The farmer slung an arm around Sokka and turned them back to the house. “I can’t thank you enough.” They walked without a care in the world it seemed.
“We didn’t bring back the cows.” Toph whispered.
“Or stop the faeries from future attacks.” Ty Lee added.
“We probably made it worse.” Azula finished. She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets and began following the two guys talking and jabbering ahead.
Ty Lee tapped Toph and started following back towards the farmhouse, “hey we get lunch tomorrow. I can’t afford the meal I want to be able to forget tonight.” Toph laughed at her.
——
She slumped in her seat as the car was put in park. She almost fell as she opened the door. Azula stood outside and watched her struggle to get up.
“Can you unlock the door?” Ty Lee lazily placed, or slapped if you ask Azula, her keys on Azula’s shoulder.
“Only because it’s hard to watch you when you get like this.” The sneer was audible. Footsteps retreated towards the door and the sound of a lock clicking gave her enough energy to reach the doorway.
Her beaten couch disguised by plush pillows and plushies had never looked better. She didn’t remember when but it had to have been her. Azula took her work bag out of her hand and placed it neatly on a chair in the kitchen. Marching back over she crossed her arms and studied the Ranger.
“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”
“Shut up,” her words lost their bite when muffled by a pillow. “Can you order a pizza?”
Rolling her eyes and sighing but heading for the phone anyway Azula answered, “yeah, yeah.” Picking up the phone and punching in the numbers she peered over and saw Ty Lee snuggle deeper into the couch. “Hey go change out of your uniform I’m not being around you while you smell like barn and faerie food.”
Putting the phone to her ear she tried to block out the groan her friend let out as she flopped off the couch and stumbled to her room.
Watching around the corner she made sure Ty Lee actually made it to her room uninjured as the pizza place picked up. “Hello, I’d like to place an order…”
She knew Ty Lee would try getting out of paying, blaming the night, but she supposes she could treat the Ranger this time. Finishing the call she turned around hearing shuffling. A pink blanket mound made its way to cocoon itself on the couch.
A head peeked out from the blanket and pillows. Her hair was a wavy mess. Azula didn’t see her friend without her braid often. “Did you get the pizza,” Azula nodded her head. “And the breadsticks. And your own meat pizza.”
“Yes, yes, and yes.” She made her way over to the living room. “Man, tonight must have done a number on you.”
Ty Lee folded her arms out of the blanket and made hands at the woman in front of her.
Azula looked at her puzzled. “You can use your words still.” Ty Lee made the motion again. Azula shook her head in exasperation.
“Get under here.”
“I knew you could do it.” Shimmying off her jacket and peeling off her boots, Azula settled next to her keeping a small distance between them. It was soon closed by the girl. She threw an arm over her mid section and a head rested on her shoulder. She was about to make a comment on it until she heard a small voice.
“Can you stay tonight?”
“Ty?”
“Please.”
Azula swallowed. “I can you big crybaby.”
“For that I’m making you turn on the TV,” Ty Lee sniffled.
“Geez you save a girl and get her food, where’s my prize hm?” As if Ty Lee also didn’t save her from being in the Fae’s clutches. She wanted her moment, though.
Azula felt a hand touch her head and soon she had heat on her cheeks as she felt scratches. “Thank you,” was said in the warmest way. It was dipped in honey.
Clearing her throat Azula grabbed all the remotes she was instructed to. Hitting all the appropriate buttons the TV came to life. Once some static settled the title screen of The Princess Bride came on she gave a face to her friend. She was met with big wet eyes. “Don’t say anything about it being romantic slop. It’s not by the way. It makes me feel better.” She doubted the tape just happened to be in the VCR by coincidence.
Rolling her eyes Azula leaned back into the couch and let Ty Lee nuzzle herself into her side. Wrapping her arm around the back of the couch Azula watched as Ty Lee’s eyelids grew heavy before the movie got underway. The pizza wasn’t even delivered yet.
“Hey you’re not even watching the movie,” Azula jostled the other girl’s shoulder. All she got were unintelligible mumbles in return.
Sighing she settled in for a night on the couch. Turning off the movie would inevitably wake up the oh so fearsome monster hunter.
“ As you wish,” came the sound of the TV.