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Blue Mask	By : PatPat Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality > Het- Male/Female Views: 11106 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Blue Mask, Two Swords, and Sozin’s Comet
Greatest Show
By Pat Squared

________________________________________

“It’s two silvers per week.”

“Two silver eagles!”

The two men were haggling about pay and the rest of the circus troupe was sizing up their latest companion.

“Jian Li, are you trying to starve my griffin-lions? Two silver eagles - not even that Fire Nation bastard Ozai has the gall to try to steal that much silver! Half a silver and not one brass half penny more.”

Despite being banished from his homeland and having what some would euphemistically term father issues, the young man called Jian (Master) Li had to resist an urge to incinerate his next employer when the ringmaster insulted his father.

“I am worth every brass half-penny. Your show has that has the standard animals of any circus, the standard earth-benders turning stone into pretzels, and the usual sideshow freaks. However since the war, I doubt you have someone dumb enough to play with fire and steel. I can pull off the Fire Nation Oni Challenge - Each and every trick.”

“Only a fire-bender can do those tricks and live.”

“Rhino droppings - Fire-benders just bend fire so they don’t burn their pretty faces. That’s no challenge. What if a non-bender, a proven none bender, decides to pull some tricks that have not been seen outside the Fire Nation in three generations? Think about those pretty profits as your tents fill every show. Imagine having the only magician who is crazy enough to take on the Oni Challenge on your bill boards.”

“What make you so sure that you would end up at the healers?”

“If I get burned enough to require a healer to live, my contract is over and you can dump me in the streets and keep my gear. Every one can witness that oath.”

A chorus of hoots affirmed that the others were laughing at his innocence. The young man had not been innocent since the age of twelve.

“I have played against the fire bastards and I am still alive because they underestimated what a determined person can do. I have forgotten things about fire that even their best bender never learned.”

“Be that as it may, two silver eagles are way too much in this venue.”

“What was your take yesterday?”

“Sixteen silver eagles.”

“Simple. Give me room and board for the duration of our association - One silver eagle a day plus expenses multiplied by the times that the take at the gate can be divided into units of twenty four silver eagles. When the take is less, my services are free for that day. However, I will be at the entrance counting heads too. If more than seven days past without me earning my pay, I will leave. You need a magician that can pull off the big explosions and bring back the crowds. If I beat that limit for two weeks, the daily rate goes up to one and a quarter silver eagles.”

“So I get eight more and all I have to pay is it two. You got bigger balls than a bull armored elephant.”

“Bigger. Armored elephants are afraid of a little puff flame – that was proved in the siege of Ba Sing Sing. that is the problem with some over-amped kids who play in the mud. However, I guarantee that you will make so much that you think I am a discount.”

“Let’s settle our pay issue over a round of cards.”

“Only if I get to deal.”

“Letting a professional stage magician deal-I’m not that stupid. I deal.”

“See that little kid trying to sneak under the tent-let him deal. Three rounds, best two out of three to 444 points. We change dealers every ten hands. We alternate selection on the dealers - Magicians’ rules.”

The ringmaster smiled at the announcement that the game would be a cheating contest, “Enjoy servitude, my friend.”

________________________________________

“Four Avatars and the Agni’s blind guardian dragon. Thank you. You want to play double or nothing again, Kwan.”

The ringmaster snorted, “Jian Li, if you did not have those two swords at your side, I would call you a cheat, your female ancestors Fire Nation streetwalkers, and you a thief on par with the Blue Spirit.”

All three things were absolutely true.

The young man cheated the moment he observed the ringmaster slipping in extra cards into his hands.

His great-grandfather Kozun was the son of brothel girl and probably all of Kozun’s female ancestors were Fire Nation brothel girls since the first Avatar was born. It was a taunt that the other noble kids with lengthy lineages made about the upstart Clan Kozun and his mother could only list three generations of ancestors let alone honorable one.

The Blue Spirit mask was inside his pack, next to the gem.

Robbing the honest was now against the exile’s new code of honor. Robbing those who lie, cheat, and steal was fair game. He learned how to survive on the run and vowed to repay Song for the use of her ostrich-horse.

The face that sometimes hid behind the Blue Spirit smiled back at his new employer.

“If only I was the Blue Spirit, I would gratefully accept all three compliments from you - my pigeon that has just been plucked.

"The blue sapphire that used to hang around the governor’s wife would set me for life. Ten carets with seven one caret matching stones in a celestial sparkle cut. Retail - five thousand Fire Nations Talons or twenty six thousand Earth Golden Mountains. The approximate fence value is six thousand Earth golden Mountains or twelve hundred Fire Nation Talons. You know that the Celestial sparkle cut was lost with the demise of the Air Nomads.”

“You sound pretty knowledgeable about gems my friend...”

“Remember the deals, no questions about my past and I don’t ask you about your past. However, I can say with certainty that the Blue Spirit has not fenced it. Otherwise, the bidding war between the thieves’ guilds would yield a lot more corpses on both sides of the border. He is probably holding it for a special girl.”

“All the pretty girls here dream of a midnight visit from the Blue Spirit.”

Jian Li laughed, “I wish I had his reputation as a swordsman around the ladies. My sword is in need of sheathing. However let us talk about the card game. Your own daughter dealt the last eight hands. That was three double or nothings with seven extra dragons and four extra Avatars she slipped into the deck. If you could not win with that deck, you need more practice before we have a rematch. That mean my fee is now eight silver eagles - Unless you want to try again and make it sixteen silver eagles?”

The ring master groaned, “I learned my lesion. Jian Li is the best card-cheat this side of the Fire Nation.”

“I am the best card table predator in the world. Don’t worry, we will all have a long profitable relationship.”

The Blue Spirit knew that he would not be betrayed by anyone in the circus until the ringmaster found the gems. The ringmaster’s greed would ensure that his sister, Acid Wench would not know where he was until he long moved on.

It had been months since he though of himself as Zuko, son of Ursa and the banished prince of the Fire Nation.

________________________________________

The circus tent was packed like it was not packed for generation.

Everyone wanted to see the Oni Challenge.

The air was stiflingly hot with the stinky moist air generated by too many warm bodies crammed together. Tonight's take was at seventy six eagles - That meant twenty four eagle for him tonight.

A month's salary for half an hour of labor - that was if he survived without being exposed as a fire-bender. In a few weeks, Jian Li could have enough coins to ensure that his uncle would never have to beg again.

Jian Li finished applying the body paint that hid his scar and grabbed his two swords. The only other thing he wore was a simple white canvas loincloth. Swirls of carefully yellow, white, and silver body paint accentuated his musculature and hide the legendary scar that would forever mark the failures of his past life. Seeing only a fit young man in a loin cloth. The women in the audience were hooting and howling.

Concentrate or they will be hauling your ashes to the manure field.

Jian Li smiled and waved to the audience. He blew a kiss to the pretty girls.

Turning around, he bowed in the eight cardinal directions.

His heart nearly stopped when he face the north.

Ty Lee.

Ty Lee here meant that his sister was nearby.

Agni, why didn’t throw in the Fire Lord himself while you’re at it. That way I can embarrass myself and truly earn my status as a living candle.

Focus or all Ty Lee has to do is scoop up your ashes.

Taking a deep breath, he centered himself and made the signal to the circus hands to yank the guy wire in three heartbeats.

Three, two, one.

Jian Li threw down the packet with the smoke bomb into the puddle of fire water. He bended the flames into a cyclone from hell as the others yank him up unto the wire. With a flick of the sword in his left hand, Jian Li, severed himself from the safety wire and landed on the platform just before the flames died down.

It was time to set himself on fire.

He doused himself with the special gel that he prepared. With an exaggerated moment, Jian Li grabbed the torch and lit the gel. With a yell, he threw himself off of the platform spinning like a human tornado.

Not having practiced the maneuvers unique to this act, Jian Li found himself performing the ancient katas for the dual butterfly dao.

Shit, why don’t you just wear a big sign saying I’m Zuko, kick me. Ty Lee was a fan of the circus and would spot the mistake.

________________________________________

Ty Lee looked at the young man who promised the entire city a spectacle.

The fire did his bidding. This did not surprise her. Sometimes an earth-bending family pops out a fire-bender because some great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother dallied with a traveling Fire Nation merchant with a wandering eye way back when and fate decided to reveal her indiscretion. These pop-ups were rare and today could be quite dangerous for the one who did not conform and his family.

The young man was not a prodigy. However, he was in control of his element to convince these earth-bending serfs that he was not a true fire-bender. But there was no way he could fool a fire-bender or end someone who hung around one all the time.

The way he walked and carried himself matched what Azula and Mai derived from the footprints. He was the one that stole from Azula’s saddlebags. Ty Lee had to recruit the young man. However, since the man took Azula’s purse, Ty Lee only had enough cash to pay for her entry fee.

From looking at the other ladies, flirtatious charms would not work. They would line up to sate his needs.

Unlike her other two traveling companions, Ty Lee vow to never let a man do that with her.

Her father disgusted her by diddling one of the concubines whenever and wherever he pleased, no matter if he was doing in view of one of his numerous offspring. Being the daughter of his once favorite concubine and thus growing up in the harem, she saw her father have his way with her mother or one of her aunties since she could walk. Since then, she could not bring herself to commit to that disgusting act.

However, this young man stirred something in her heart.

Ty, concentrate and think.

However, I wouldn’t mind kissing him. His aura is not pink nor is it poofy. However his arua was powerfully deep with purpose, determination, and defiance. Fate was not kind to him and yet his soul was strong enough to clash with it. It spoke of secrets and yet there was something comfortablely seductive about him.

Just like that Water Tribe boy. It was bad enough that you ran away from home to join the circus! Now you are crushing of over a Water Tribe savage and some outcast who joined the circus to run away from some problem. What’s next, are you going to sign up for love lessons at the brothel so you can faint over every bad boy that enters the door? At least mom was a high class pleasure girl.

Everyone had a story that got left behind once they joined the circus. However, Ty Lee had to find out his story.

I have to get close to him, maybe even...

There was no way she would. Azula would have to turn her into coal before she would be like her disgusting mother and trade her body for acceptance.

Circuses always needed new performers - Especially pretty ones like her who knew her way around a tightrope.

________________________________________

The crowd was stomping its approval and start throwing coins into the ring. The rest of the circus performs started catching the coins in their hats. Tradition dictated that half of the coins would go into his pockets.

There was a trick that was so dangerous that even the bravest Fire Nation performers feared it. Zuko wanted to collect his fee and leave.

Jian Li wanted to earn his spurs. He wanted to cement his legend so thoroughly that Azula would never think of looking for him here.

“May I have a volunteer?”

The ladies hollered to be his assistant.

“May I have someone not afraid of heights?”

Most earth-benders have some fear of height - Not in terms of altitude, but being suspended, disconnected from the earth.

“North quadrant, third section, first row - May the pretty young lady wearing the gold and green blouse with the silver armband step on down.”

Great idea idiot - You have just called Ty Lee to get a good close up look of your face. Azula was right, Zuko-boy - mother did drop you on your head one too many times while you were a baby.

Ty Lee was almost bouncing as she walked.

Just like when we were kids.

However, the magician found himself staring at her chest.

Ty Lee may have the mind of a child, but her body...it was curving in all the right places.

He forced himself to think of the incident when Azula struck down his uncle with a lightning bolt.

Ty Lee may have the mind of a five year-old, but she is still Azula's creature.

“Young lady, what is your name and your hometown?”

“Ty Lee...New Ozai?”

Gods, she can't even lie to save her skin.

Zuko drew in a deep breath, “Stay absolutely still no matter what. You move and you will end up like that Fire Nation prince with the burnt face.”

“Folks, this pretty young lady is Ty Lee from Omashu and she will be my victim... oophs did I say victim ... my target ... the target of the Dragon’s Breath. This is a special trick that has been banded in the Fire Nation for generations because it was too dangerous. But we, thank the gods, are not in the Fire Nation. Earth Kingdom citizens are tough unlike Fire Nation subjects who can’t even capture a little twelve year old kid on a ten ton flying bison,” he sneered as he suppressed his pride.

The crowd laughed at his great failure. The voice of doubt in his head lashed out, but the magician restrainted his internal anger.

The Fire Nation’s, read Prince Zuko’s, unsuccessful chase of the avatar already became a Earth Kingdom history book example of Fire Nation incompetence. Making a joke at his own expense was the most un-Zuko-like thing he could do.

However, he was no longer Zuko.

Zuko died when he cut off his warrior lock. He was now Jian Li, Master of the Magical Arts, the trickster alter ego of the Blue Spirit.

Zuko was the old him that Jian Li publicly mocked for being such a straight arrow.

“I am going to do this trick with a twist. Since we don’t have half a dozen pyromaniac fire-benders ready to throw some mild fire puffs, I need archers willing to release lit arrows at my lovely little target Ty Lee.”

Jian Li turned to face his volunteer.

“Close your eyes. I am going to pour fire gel all over you. It will wash out, but be careful around fire until you wash your cloths a couple times. It will get warm but any flame will burn cool. It will just tingle. Take a few deep breaths and hold it until I douse the flames. You breathe in and you will take in the fire into your throat and lungs. Unless you are a fire bender, that is not good. Start breathing.”

The archers lined up. Jian Li tied a blindfold around his eyes, careful not to cover his ears. He had to work off of sound.

“I am going to defeat fire with fire. Once I light myself on fire, release your arrows whenever you like. Aim for any part of her body. She is covered with a gel that will burn her to ashes should any arrows get past me. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the blind dragon.”

“Ty, hold your breath.”

With that Jian Li lit himself on fire and the archers started releasing their arrows. Jian Li centered himself wait for the arrow to come close before spinning into a cyclone of steel and fire knocking them aside.

“Hah, more arrows, please. Gentlemen you can do better. The Yu Yan archers could do better than that and they are among the ones that let the Blue Spirit spirited away the Avatar child. They were three hundred paces away and you are only at seven paces.”

The archers took up the challenge until the arrows were expended.

With a deep breath Zuko slowly extinguish the fire about his body as the circus staff doused Ty Lee.

The ringmaster was awed as the crowd nearly destroyed the stands to swarm their hero.

Jian Lee fearing for what the lust crazed women would do for his personal attentions, quickly bended a ball of fire about his, leap up, and pulled off the traditional fire bender's vanishing act before the ladies could tear him apart for a trophy and the men would tear him apart out of jealousy.

________________________________________

Ty Lee knew that Jian Lee was a fire-bender.

Only a fire-bender knew the fire gel formula and he would never teach an Earth Nation brat unless he was a bender.

Only a fire-bender could instinctively sense the lit arrows speeding towards him.

________________________________________

Zuko watched from above as Ty Lee made her way out of the circus tent. He climbed up the center pole and slipped out via a vent flap and watched as she made her way to the performer quarters. She was fidgeting. Something was going to go wrong. Something always went wrong whenever things started going right in his life.

He had left his old life behind for good.

The throne was Azula’s. She had everything she desire and yet she could not leave him in peace. Zuko was dead. Zuko was the sickly, mama’s boy. Zuko was the failure. Jian Li was everything Zuko was not. I am Jian Li. I am a performance artist, not a prince.

However, Fate required that he deal with this complication and send Ty Lee on her blissful unknowing way to report that Zuko is not here.
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Blue Mask