"Waterbending is the worst," says Toph as she stomps through the water. "Princess, back me up on this."

"I'm concentrating," replies Azula as she lifts a blob of water into the air. She moves one of her hands into a fist and the sediments in the water coalesce into a rock, leaving behind one red lotus bulb. Holding the bulb in glory, Azula says, "I agree, waterbending is the worst."

Katara grumbles from her area of murky water. "I think only an actual waterbender's opinion on waterbending should count."

"I'm waterbending. I'm a waterbender," counters Azula.

Katara calls out, "Aang! Tell them they're wrong."

"Hold on, I think I can move these roots out of the way," says Aang, spinning his hands and creating a vortex of air and water. He flings his hands out and does indeed succeed in pushing the roots away, but the pushback creates waves and one of them sweeps Toph off her feet.

"Okay, this time I'm going to assume whoever saved me isn't Sokka," says Toph.

"You can't swim," states Azula.

Toph groans.

"Why can't you swim?"

"Uh, hello?" Toph waves a hand in front of her face, splashing the water. "I'm blind!"

"You don't need to see to swim."

"Well I can't sense vibrations in the earth while I'm swimming."

"You should learn how to swim."

"Not happening."

"I could let you drown right now. We're still far away from the others. I'll tell them I couldn't find you. They'll think it was an accident."

Toph rolls her eyes and hopes Azula can see her doing so. "You can't threaten me after saving my life."

"…"

"…"

"…you're learning how to swim."


Aang beams. "I told you she saved her!"

Azula huffs. Since they've been given a chore, the group has become irritatingly upbeat. "Beifong is one of the strongest benders in this group. I would have let Zuko drown."

"Wait a second," says Sokka, "are you saying that I'm stronger than a bender?"

"I'm saying that Zuko is weaker," defends Azula. She shrugs before adding, "You do have good ideas on occasion."

"Thanks, I guess?"

"Don't mention it."

Aang smiles and says, "You know, the silver lining to searching for lotus bulbs is that we're all getting along."

"More like we're united in misery," scoffs Azula.

"That's the spirit!"

Sokka chops at a root. "I think I'd rather be dry and fighting. How many more do we need?"

"We'll be done before you know it!"

"I can't even see the bulbs," complains Toph.

"Squish the mud with your feet! Feel the nature!"

"This would be a lot easier if the water wasn't full of gunk," says Katara, making a face as she flings away a dead Beaver possum.

"You can do it! Think of it as training!"

"Are you always this annoyingly optimistic?" asks Azula.

"Aang's not annoying," says Katara with a frigid glare, "and you could stand to be a lot nicer to your soulmate."

Aang glances warily between them. "It's okay, helping us is enough—"

"No Aang, it's really not," scolds Katara.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Azula coldly replies. "Now if you and Aang lift the water, Beifong and I can draw the sediments away, and the nonbender can pick out the bulbs."

Katara stomps the water in frustration. "You guys are soulmates! You have his mark on your skin! How can you just ignore that? Doesn't love mean anything to you?"

"Love?" repeats Azula, the others tensing as she moves closer to Katara. "Being soulmates doesn't mean anything. Write to Zuko about our parents. They were soulmates. They weren't in love."

Katara frowns, confusion lacing her voice as she says, "…your parents were lifeline soulmates."

"If he's already spoken to you about them then you should know better than to constantly assume there will be attraction between me and the Avatar."

Katara hesitates, before explaining in a gentle yet firm voice, "Lifeline soulmates means that your soulbond prevents you from directly killing the other. They don't fall under the one love or even partial love category. That's why they can sometimes be found in conjunction with other soulbonds."

"Your point being?"

"What kind of tattoo soulmarks do you two have?" interjects Toph. "Matching or Indicator?"

"Symbolic!" crows Katara, "and those fall under the one love category; which means you don't have a second soulmark like Sokka and, unlike lifeline soulmates, your soulmarks are spiritually linked. In fact, symbolic soulmarks were once called 'true love marks' because they were rare and they were believed to be formed by the universe splitting apart one's soul—"

"Could we please focus on the bulbs?" asks Aang, his hushed voice cutting through the group like cold winter wind.

"I—I'm sorry, Aang," says Katara, solemnly, "I was just trying to help."

"I know. It's fine."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm—"

"Stop meddling, waterbender," snaps Azula.

"It's called showing concern!"

"Both of you, stop. I want to focus on turning these bulbs into a cure and saving those people," says Aang, turning to Katara. He doesn't look at Azula.

That bothers her.

"Okay, but I want you to know that I think you deserve better," says Katara, shooting Azula a withering glare.

Azula says nothing.

That bothers him.

The group continues to gather bulbs, the once upbeat mood replaced with tense, uneasy silence.