There existed a central truth to Ty Lee's existence that was also a central lie. The acrobat was agile, nimble and full of life- she always had been. The acrobat was the friend to the most powerful and beautiful firebender in the world- and always had been for as long as she could remember.

But one day when young, and trying as hard as she could to perfect her flips, the air around her propelled her into the sky and she spun, and flipped, higher than she ever had before. Her parents instantly paid her the attention she so lacked and told her to never ever show anything like that to anyone ever again, especially to the one person in the world that Ty Lee wanted to most of all.

As she grew older the contortionist learned that she was an enemy to her nation- and an enemy to her friend. But she wasn't an enemy to her nation, and certainly not to Azula. However the acrobat saw the princess's eyes when she talked of airbenders- she saw the raw hatred that danced like fire within the young girl's blackened orbs.

And so the central truth to Ty Lee's existence remained a central lie. One day she knew that she would fall, or slip, or forget- and Ty Lee couldn't live if the princess's hatred was cast upon her. So the acrobat decided to do the only thing she knew could keep her friendship safe- she ran away to the circus.