The two fire nation girls was a really good addition to the team. Especially at this time. Sokka could not deny that.
What they needed right now was speed and stealth.
And while bending could be nice and all… Their benders were like trains when barging in anywhere! They were super obvious and would be a dead give away that they were raiding outposts!
The only bender Sokka would rely on to actually be silent and stealthy was Zuko! He was also the only bender who didn't rely on his bending in combat!
Aang, Katara and Toph. They were relying on bending to defend themselves, if they lost their bending they would be defenceless.
And again. Bending could be super convenient for a lot of things… But it was also super obvious.
Ty Lee and Mai how-ever were born for missions like this.
To bad that Mais humour was even worse than Zukos! Seriously these two were made for each other. Sokka did his very best, to make up the best jokes he had ever made! And Mai would just look at him like he was an idiot.
"I guess that guy was… fired up!" Sokka grinned referring to the fire bender they had just tricked to set himself on fire.
Ones again Mai glared at Sokka. "The only thing that is going to be fired up is your hair if you don't shut up."
And then someone snickered and it was Zuko! Turned his head away as he laughed into his hand. Not at Sokkas joke, but at Mais threat which wasn't even a joke!
"Oh I get it! Cause Mai will set Sokkas hair on fire!" Ty Lee gasped. "That's funny!" she chuckled.
Okay Sokka had changed his mind. Having three fire nation people on their team sucked! Clearly fire nation people had no sense of humour what so ever!
"We got what we came for." Zuko finally cut them off. "Let's head back to the air temple before sun goes up."
Sokka nodded. It was simply common sense to only fly on Appa at night. Like Zuko liked to tell them… a big flying bison was pretty damn obvious when flying in bright day light! Their only choice for moving around at high speed would be to fly at night.
They were not going to make it back tonight though that was obvious. They would have to land and set camp before the sun came back up and then make the rest of the travel the next night.
This was the third outpost they had managed to raid and Sokka was pretty much they had gathered enough intel to make a prober battle plan. Now the big issue was making their plan and get in contact with their allies.
The southern water tribe fleet and Nani with the Kyoshi warriors. It wasn't much, but they were an elite!
As the sky started to become just a little lighter they landed to rest for the day.
Happily the girls were chatting while they sat up camp and then got a bit of breakfast, ironically before getting a bit of sleep. That though was when suddenly someone approached from the bushes.
Immediately everyone was on guard as they pulled their weapons and turned. Just in time for an old man who barely had any hair on his head stepping through.
"WUARGH!" The old man shouted as he jumped backwards. "Peace! I come in peace!" he gasped holding up two thin hands.
Zuko frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw your flying bison. It's the avatars isn't it?" The man asked and the group gasped.
Then the man continued his rant. "I saw it fly back and forth ones and send word to Master Piandao. Then when I saw the bison again I figured it will probably come back again and kept a look out!" The man said.
"Wait…" Sokka lowered his sword. "You know Piandao?"
"Oh… OH!" The man realized. "Don't worry! I'm not an enemy." he reached into his pocket and then pulled out a white lotus tile showing it. "My name is Taka and I am a friend of the white lotus." he assured.
There was stunned quiet.
"What?" Zuko asked. "The what?" he reached into his own pocket and found his own white lotus tile looking at it.
"Well… Piandao said he and Iroh was in the same secret club." Sokka whispered.
Taka smiled amused as he reached into his bag and found a scroll then offered it to Zuko. "This is for you." he said.
"Me?" Zuko asked.
"Yes it was send to Piandao a few days ago. But he didn't know how to contact you. So he send a message out that who-ever spotted you people should give word." Taka smiled.
"Oh…. Thanks." Zuko blinked as he accepted the scroll.
"What is it?" Ty Lee asked.
"I don't know." Zuko blinked.
"Then figure it out! Open it you idiot!" Sokka hissed.
"All right! All right. Geesh." Zuko snorted as he finally broke the red seal which of course had a lotus symbol on it. Then Zuko folded out the scroll and his eyes widened.
"Well?" Sokka asked in a impatient tone.
"It's… It's from uncle!" Zuko gaped.
"WHAT?!" Sokka shouted. "Zuko are you sure?!"
"Yes! It's his hand writing! Believe me I know uncles hand writing!" Zuko exclaimed.
"What does it say?!" Ty Lee asked.
"Urhm." Zuko looked down. "Dear Nephew." he began reading out loud. "I remember well the plan we made back in Ba Sing Se. You intend to use the day of the black sun to invade the fire nation palace. I of course do not know if you intend to stick to this plan now that you lack the earth kingdom army. It has occurred to me, that you may intend to use the day of the black sun to break me out. I wish for you to know, that while I do appreciate such a gesture. I would like to ask you that you do not. I have devised my own plan and shall free myself. Then I fully expect to see you again after. Do not waste time or resources on me. I am looking much forward to see you after the day of the eclipse. And see how far you come. Your tea was excellent before, I wonder how much better it is now. Your Uncle… Iroh."
Zuko lowered the paper and then looked up at the others.
"How… How in the name of Agni did Iroh manage to write and send a message from inside prison?!" Zuko asked baffled.
"Also… Devised a plan… To get himself out." Sokka blinked. "Iroh is in the fire nation capital under heavy guard right?"
"Well according to the intel we just got!" Zuko exclaimed.
"Zuko how strong is your uncle?!" Sokka asked.
"I don't know!" Zuko exclaimed loudly. "He breaks boulders with a chain and re-directs lightning. What do you want from me?!"
"Your uncle does what?" Ty Lee asked wide-eyed.
Even Mai seemed slightly stunned.
"And apparently he's part of a secret club I know nothing about!" Zuko threw his hands up in the air. "I spend three years seeing Uncle every day. And there's a lot I really don't know!" he groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "I always thought I was the one doing things behind Irohs back. But really… He's the one who did so much behind my back."
Sokka sighed deeply. "Well can't be much worse can it?"
"Am I to assume Master Katara still travels with you?" Taka asked.
"Erhm yeah. She's my sister. Why?" Sokka asked.
"Master Pakku of the white lotus has a message for her." Taka offered Sokka another scroll.
"Hey wait… WHAT?!" Sokka shouted. "Pakku?! Pakku is in the same club? So Iroh knows Pakku?!"
"Well… He is a key member of the white lotus." Taka nodded.
"Okay this is getting absurd now." Sokka said. "It feels like a bunch of old dudes has just been conspiring behind our backs! Seriously what's next? Bumi is a part of the club too?"
"You mean king Bumi of Omashu?" Taka asked. "He is indeed also a key member."
There was silence.
"You're joking right?" Sokka asked.
Taka looked back at him. "No." he replied.
"So there's a shadow cabal of old men across nations pulling strings in the war?" Sokka asked.
Taka blinked then glanced up. "That is… not incorrect." he admitted.
Sokka glared at the old man. "This is going to need some explanation."
Taka how-ever just smiled. "It was a great honor to finally be able to serve the white lotus goal! To help restore balance so we may cultivate true beauty in this world. A goal which goes beyond borders and nations! An honour meeting you." he said as he bowed and then turned and just started to walk away.
"Hey wait! WAIT A MOMENT!" Sokka screamed as he ran forward. "I NEED ANSWERS! WHAT IN THE NAME OF TUI AND LA IS GOING ON!"
As Sokka was busy chasing the older man Zuko was left behind looking stunned at the scroll in his hands.
"So… What do you think Zuko?" Mai asked looking at the scroll to.
Zuko sighed deeply. "Well… I trust uncle." he said. "If he says he doesn't need help. Then that's probably true. And well… We do need all the resources we can get to break out other people." he rolled the scroll together. "I just hope he really does have everything under control."
"It's probably fine." Mai said putting a hand on Zukos shoulder. "Somehow Iroh managed to get scroll and ink into his cell. Then also managed to smuggle the written scroll out of his cell. Seems to me like he has things handled."
"Oh… yeah." Zuko had to admit.
"Wow… Your uncle is hardcore." Ty Lee blinked. "I seriously wouldn't have guessed." she admitted. "I mean I havn't seen him for three years. But I mostly just remember him just being nice and liking tea."
"Well." Zuko sighed. "You wouldn't know it. But Uncle Iroh is really good at bullshitting people."
Just then Sokka returned looking utterly miserable with branches in his hair and mud covering his face. "I lost him." He muttered. "Dammit."
Zuko blinked at his fellow teen.
"So Zuko. How high are the chances that Iroh was the real evil mastermind this entire time?" Sokka asked.
Zuko couldn't help but smirk amused. "Well Sokka. If this was his plan to get power for himself. It involved spending three years on a dingy boat sailing arctic waters when he could just have retired to a tropical island and drink tea for all of his days. So I think that chance is very low."
"That only makes it more suspecious doesn't it?!" Sokka exclaimed. "Like you said! He could have just retired to a luxury mansion on a tropical island but no! He decided to join a secret cult or something! And spend three years on a boat which seemingly was on a mission going against his own interests! So why would he do that if it wasn't for world domination?"
"That's a very convoluted plan considering all Iroh really had to do to take the throne. Would be killing Ozai." Mai commented in a eyeroll. "Zuko is banished. Azula is just fourteen. If Iroh killed Ozai and demanded the throne. You really think anyone would stop him?"
"Secret organizations are convoluted!" Sokka exclaimed. "And so is spending three years at the south pole! Why would he do that?!"
"Because... I demanded we go to the south pole. And erhm... He loves me." Zuko said a little shyly. "And I needed his help. He took care of me!"
"Well... Okay. But still." Sokka said. "He's leading a global cabal of old men apparently!"
And then suddenly Mai bit her lip, and then snorted.
Sokkas eyes widened and then he pointed at Mai. "HAH! Made you laugh! Told you I was funny!"
"No. You're not." Mai said her face back to it's impassive self. "Well okay. When you're making a fool out of yourself it can be mildly amusing."
"HEY!" Sokka shouted.
"I think you're funny." Ty Lee said innocently.
"Yeah but you think everything is funny Ty Lee." Mai commented. "You thought Lin-Lin eating fireflakes was funny."
Ty Lee giggling into her hands. "He was sneezing! It was so cute! And funny!"
Sokka groaned deeply. "Let's just get some rest all ready." he muttered. "I have a lot to process here." he said.
And Zuko sighed deeply. Honestly he could only agree on that one.