Dinner time was hardly ever enjoyable for Azula. Her father's solemnity was enhanced while they ate, and he only spoke when his wife asked him questions regarding how his day had fared. Soon afterwards, Zuko would proceed to ramble about whatever he might have learned that day, and Azula would only look at him with a raised eyebrow as he boasted about his latest mastered firebending form. It pleased the young girl, though, that her father hardly cared for Zuko's blabbering… but it displeased her, in turn, that Ursa would always smile and encourage Zuko to continue talking, even though he surely had already shared the tales of his accomplishments with her earlier.
Today, everything seemed to repeat itself. If anything, the sole difference was that Azula wasn't willing to speak much. She had nothing to share with her family today, as she was especially reluctant to talk with her mother. And if her father heard she had been crying…
"The ship was so big, wasn't it, Mother?" Zuko exclaimed, happily. "Royal barges are amazing! When I'm a Captain, like cousin Lu Ten is, I'll have one of my own as well."
"Sure you will," said Ursa, beaming at her son.
"Why didn't you come see Lu Ten off, Father?" Zuko asked, looking at Ozai. "Were you busy?"
"Regrettably so," said Ozai with a tone that suggested he didn't regret it in the slightest. "I would have been more than glad to watch my brother sail into the horizon, but Fire Lord Azulon required of my presence."
"Oh…" said Zuko, lowering his gaze. "What did he want you for?"
"You're too young to understand, Zuko," Ozai stated sharply, and Zuko looked at him apprehensively before dropping his head.
"I… I'm sorry," he muttered, while holding the mild suspicion that, if it had been Azula who asked, Ozai would have been more than happy to explain, even when she was two years younger than he was.
Azula couldn't help but smile at her father's dismissal of Zuko, something Ursa didn't ignore. She frowned at her daughter before turning again to her husband, who only seemed to wish to enjoy his meal in peace.
"I caught your daughter doing something rather unpleasant today, Ozai."
Azula froze in place. She should have known her mother would jump at the opportunity to tell her father just what a monster their daughter was...
"Something unpleasant?" Ozai asked, as though whatever Ursa was saying would probably fail to hold anything of interest for him. Unless Azula had done something particularly vicious or cruel, he surely wouldn't care less for Ursa's tale.
"She was setting a turtle-duck on fire," Ursa stated, frowning.
Azula flinched and looked at her father, with eyes that gleamed with despair. Would he also think she was a monster for what she had done?
"Is that so?" Ozai asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I only did it for training!" Azula blurted out, at which Ursa's frown deepened. "Father, I was only trying to do what you told me!"
"What your father told you?" Ursa asked, in disbelief.
"You… You said I was talented, that my fire had potential to burn hotter," said Azula, addressing his father alone. "I was just trying to see if I could make fire hot enough to evaporate the pond's water…"
"You meant to leave the turtle-ducks without water?" Ursa asked next.
"It would have been refilled later!" Azula retorted, glaring at her mother.
"Now, now, quiet, both of you," said Ozai, with a sigh.
"Ozai, you cannot expect me to let our daughter harm innocent creatures only because you believe this to be good training! It's preposterous!"
"What is it with your ridiculous obsession with watching over the weak?" Ozai grumbled, turning towards Ursa now. It relieved Azula to no end to find her father had sided with her. "None of us ought to pay any mind to those pathetic creatures. If they stand in Azula's way, they deserve to be burned."
"Ozai, how can you say such awful things?!" Ursa was scandalized. It seemed she only had just realized that, indeed, it didn't matter to Ozai in the slightest if his daughter turned to be a monster.
Ozai sighed. It wasn't the first time they argued about Azula's education and behavior, and it also promised not to be the last.
"She did something terrible, you cannot stand by idly, let alone encourage her…!" Ursa continued.
"I cannot?" Ozai interrupted her, raising his eyebrows. "And what would you have me do instead, Ursa? If anything, what she did was incredibly clever. It was the smartest way to make sure her fire has gained a couple more degrees…"
"You cannot be serious," said Ursa, shaking her head. "Will you say now that it is also perfectly fine for her to have run off when she should have said her farewells to her cousin and uncle? Zuko and I saw Iroh and Lu Ten off by ourselves, when Azula should have been there as well!"
"I had already said goodbye to Lu Ten," Azula growled. "If you had asked him, he would have told you I had!"
"If she had already said her farewells, then why make such a ruckus…?" asked Ozai, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. This never-ending conflict between his wife and daughter promised to give him a headache.
"You had said your farewells, Azula? When?" Ursa asked, frowning.
"In the gardens. After you… after you told me off about the turtle-ducks," Azula muttered, looking away. She wasn't about to remind Ursa of what she had said, but hopefully, her mother would remember now that she had called Azula a monster. Maybe that way she would finally quiet down, and, perhaps, she would apologize…
But, naturally, she didn't.
"You told her off about it already? Then why are we even speaking of this, Ursa?" said Ozai, frowning.
"Because your daughter is damaging innocent creatures and claiming she has done so by your command!" Ursa exclaimed. "I want to know if she's telling the truth, and if she is…!"
"If she is, then what?!" Ozai asked, growing angry. The sight of his snarl seemed to silence Ursa, if only shortly. "If I told her to train by setting those useless animals on fire, then what?! You would proceed to lecture her on morality, on your ridiculous notion of saving the weak?!"
"It isn't a ridiculous notion, Ozai, it is wrong to abuse power…!"
"It is wrong not to make use of your strength when you have plenty of it!" Ozai declared. "It is wrong to restrain your daughter and hold her back when she was born for greatness! This child is the most powerful and talented to be born to the Fire Nation in centuries! I will not have you poisoning her mind with your feeble ideals when she is far above them! The weak will fall before the strong, and all those who are weak will be certain to fall before Azula! She is my legacy, my daughter, my rightful heir and I will not have you or anyone else turning her into anything but what she is!"
Azula stared at her father in shock, all the same as her mother and brother. Ursa seemed indignant by what Ozai had said, too indignant to even find the proper words to express her anger… Zuko, on the other hand, was dismayed. Azula was their father's legacy? His rightful heir? What about him, then?
But Azula was grateful, if anything, for her father's words. He had found an efficient way to silence her mother, and he had defended her while at it. He believed in her, he knew she had spoken truly even though her mother always thought her to be a liar. Surely, her father didn't believe she was a monster…
But now, almost seventeen years since that dinner had taken place, Azula knew that, even if Ozai had stood up for her, it didn't make it any less real. It didn't make her anything short of a monster.
Azula sighed as she gazed into the waters below her. The ferry Ty Lee had acquired for their trip to Ember Island was more spacious than Azula had expected it to be, to her relief. This way she wouldn't have to be near her brother for longer than necessary.
Normally she would jump at these chances to irritate and displease Zuko, but she couldn't bring herself to do it properly while her mother was on her mind. She wanted to cast away all thoughts of her, of the things she had said about Azula… of wondering how come her mother had thought she was she a monster while she believed Zuko was the entire opposite of one.
"And what might you be doing all alone over here, all the way to the other end of the boat?"
Azula smiled instinctively at the sound of that voice. Somehow, his presence served to appease her. He had never chosen Zuko over her. He had an easy way to make her laugh and forget her troubles, too. It was the reason why he was the only person who could make her smile earnestly right now, even when her heart was as troubled as it was.
"Just looking at the ocean," Azula lied, as he settled himself right next to her, his back against the balustrade that enclosed the ship. "I only thought to watch my home fade in the background… while I unwillingly head into the land of fools that is Ember Island."
"Unwillingly?" Sokka repeated. "Azula, if you really didn't want to come, you could have just… not come?"
"I didn't lie when I said I had business in Ember Island," said Azula, sighing, "This was the best chance for me to tend to it, to my chagrin."
"Well, we're supposed to have fun in Ember Island," said Sokka, with a weak smile. "It shouldn't be so bad…"
"Right, with this company?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows before turning to eye the group of people who shared the ferry's deck with them.
Zuko sat near the balustrade at the opposite end of the boat, frowning, his arms folded over his chest. And Azula couldn't blame him at all for his disposition, for Ty Lee was currently fawning all over Haru while sitting right next to her brother. It was quite an irritating sight.
"Why do you reckon he came with us?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow. "Ty Lee said Mai refused…"
"Mai refused because she has a child to take care of," said Azula. "It was wise of her not to come, I believe, for she would have had to bring Yuudai along if she had. And if Ty Lee is going to spend the entire trip being as obnoxious as she's currently being, I surely wouldn't want my son witnessing her exchanges with Haru. Well, if I had one, I mean."
"Which is not going to happen any time soon, I take it," said Sokka, smiling.
"Of course not," said Azula, sharply. "In any case, it's better Mai didn't come, and for other reasons as well."
"Why? You think your friend wouldn't have been happy to go to Ember Island?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"Her happiness is her own business, not mine," said Azula, curtly. "Yet if she had come, she would have likely only made the trip worse than it already is… I fear Zuko would have likely sunk the ship with his sorrows if she had been here. He might have gotten drunk and chased after Mai throughout Ember Island, begging her to leave her husband and run away with him…?"
"Woah, do you think he'd really do that?" Sokka asked, surprised. Azula only smirked.
"Well, you never know…" she said, shrugging.
"Your brother has some weird history with Mai, huh?" said Sokka. "You mentioned some of it, but I didn't know their relationship was that important to him…"
"I don't know, to be honest," said Azula, shrugging. "When I was younger I would often tease them about being in love, and I guess they were, but by the time Zuko was banished he was only thirteen. You think a relationship at such early stage of their lives was bound to last?"
"Well, definitely not if he was gone for ten years," said Sokka. "Which is why I figured he'd be over it by now, it's been a decade…"
"Well, I don't know if he is or isn't," said Azula. "He went to see Yuudai when he was born, though. I suppose that means he's at least trying to get over Mai…"
"But since you never talk with your brother, you just don't know," said Sokka, smiling a little as he looked at Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not about to begin sharing my life's predicaments with Zuko, if you're going to suggest I should," Azula growled.
"I know better than that, don't worry," said Sokka, holding up his hands defensively. "Though I guess it wouldn't hurt if you guys try to get along a little more…"
"Not going to happen," said Azula, sighing. "And not just because of me, mind you. Go over to the 'fun side of the ferry' and ask him if he wants to get along with me, I'm sure you'll appreciate his answer. He might even do it in the form of a hand gesture and everything…"
"You two, really…" said Sokka, shaking his head and smiling. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not about to go back to the 'fun side of the ferry'. It's only fun in name…"
"Since it's just Brooding Zuko and the lovebirds, I'm sure that's the case," said Azula, smirking.
"Ah… they're such lovebirds and they don't even know it!" Ty Lee squeaked right then, at the other side of the ship. Luckily, the distance and the sounds of the sea kept her voice from being heard by Sokka and Azula. "I can't even look at them, Haru, that's how cute they are!"
"Then don't look," said Zuko, sighing. "Lovebirds, really? Do you actually think they're in love?"
"Well… maybe," said Ty Lee, shrinking before Zuko's pointed glare. "I mean, there's got to be something special there, don't you think? I'd never seen Azula get along so well with a guy before! And it's not just any guy either…"
"Uh… what do you mean by that?" asked Haru, looking at Ty Lee questioningly.
"Oh, now, dear, don't be silly, you're not just any guy either!" squealed Ty Lee, hugging him. The gesture seemed to surprise Haru a little, but he was still mostly embarrassed by her sudden outbursts of affection.
Zuko frowned as he looked at Ty Lee before his gaze drifted towards Sokka and Azula, who seemed to chat amicably while the ferry soared through the sea. It wasn't the first time Ty Lee said something about his sister having feelings for the gladiator… and it wasn't the first time Zuko found it completely ridiculous. His sister wasn't the sort of girl to fall in love with anyone, and if Sokka had somehow developed a crush towards Azula, he would only be burned in the end. Zuko didn't think anyone could hold a close relationship with Azula for too long.
And he was thankful for that, if he was to be completely honest. If this trip had been comprised of traveling to Ember Island between two obnoxious couples of gladiators and sponsors, he would have likely jumped out into the open ocean to get away from them. Ty Lee and Haru were annoying enough, he didn't even want to imagine what his sister would be like if she were involved with anyone, especially with Sokka.
In truth, Zuko hadn't been too excited about this trip even before knowing he would have to put up with Ty Lee playing with her boy toy. But he had accepted coming, despite himself, for Iroh had advised him to do so.
Zuko had been rather surprised by his uncle's response when he had shared his problems with him. He had half expected the man to laugh his strife off as though it were meaningless. Zuko thought it was rather foolish of himself to be as miserable over Kyoshi's Heir's disappearance as he was: he hardly knew the girl, after all. It didn't make sense for him to be so upset when she was almost a total stranger to him. For all he knew, she had found a better life, and he had no business sulking over that. Yet he couldn't help himself… but his uncle seemed to understand his struggle, even though Zuko hardly understood it himself. Iroh hadn't judged him at all: he had listened patiently to Zuko's explanations and offered him tea, for he believed it might help soothe his troubled heart.
Iroh's best solution for Zuko was that he had to get his mind off his misery, though. He had told Zuko that there were plenty of people who cared deeply for him, and he would do best to accept their love. He had friends and family who genuinely liked to spend time with him, and who would be more than willing to help him overcome his strife… but he had to let them try if they were ever to succeed in helping him.
Hence, once Ty Lee had asked him to join her on the trip, Zuko had frowned but nodded, and the girl's jaw had almost dropped to the ground. It wasn't every day that Zuko agreed to her proposals, let alone on the first try.
But if Ty Lee continued being this irritating, Zuko's disposition would change for the worse soon enough. If anything, he was grateful this was a one-night trip. He was sure he wouldn't be able to take it if he had to share a house with Ty Lee and her gladiator boyfriend for any longer than that. Being near them right now as they giggled and whispered to one another, with Ty Lee now sitting on Haru's lap, made him want to bend over the side of the ship to retch, and not out of seasickness.
"Oh! We're here already!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming as she looked over Haru's shoulder to find they had arrived in Ember Island.
Sokka caught what Ty Lee had said this time, and he looked towards the land, surprised to see she was right. There it was, the very island where he had his first professional gladiator fight. And also the very island where he had first held a serious argument with Azula… hopefully this visit would end on a better note than their previous one had.
"Well, that was fast," he said. "I thought the journey would take longer."
"The sooner this is over, the better for all of us," said Azula, sighing. "I already miss Xin Long."
"You could have asked him to come with us. He might have made the trip more fun for you," said Sokka.
"He wanted to travel through the volcanoes again," Azula replied, as they walked towards the rest of the group. "Who knows if he'll find something interesting in them this time… it would be better than having him waste his time in Ember Island, where I'm certain he won't be finding anything of interest, let alone other dragons."
"Well, the Last Dragon is at Ember Island, if anything…" said Ty Lee, giggling. Azula only glared at her.
"Why, you're hilarious," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "I hope you found us a better place to stay than that shack from last time."
"Oh, yes, I made sure to find a very nice place," said Ty Lee, smiling widely. "With four rooms and everything, so everyone will be comfortable! So yeah, not a shack, not at all!"
"Four rooms?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, why not?" asked Ty Lee. "Haru and I can share…"
"And I think I could have shared with him," said Sokka, jerking his head towards Zuko. "You could have gotten one with three, might have been cheaper…"
"Oh, I doubt you would have wanted to share with Zuko, really. You haven't done anything bad enough in your life to deserve that, even when you've done some pretty awful things," said Azula, smirking deviously as the ferry came to a halt by the port.
"Yeah, how funny," grunted Zuko, glaring at his sister as he picked up his bags and got ready to disembark. "I'm sure you just think you're the only one who ought to share a room with your boyfriend, huh?"
Zuko's words made everyone react differently, yet not at all in the way the Prince had expected them to. Ty Lee's hands flew to her mouth and Haru's jaw dropped… yet the only reactions that were elicited from Sokka and Azula were grimaces of distaste. And that didn't surprise Zuko in the slightest. Naturally, his sister wouldn't want anything remotely similar to a boyfriend, as he had always suspected…
"Boyfriend? B-boyfriend…" Sokka said, gulping. Well, that was one thing he was sure he'd never be of Azula's. Being her boyfriend sounded remarkably stupid.
"For crying out loud, Zuko…" said Azula, shaking her head while resisting the urge to shudder. "You may be desperate to find yourself a girlfriend, but the same will never apply to me."
"Just… boyfriend? Seriously?" Sokka repeated, still toying with the word in his mind. It just didn't seem it would ever suit their relationship, for some reason…
"You say that, yet you both spend every second of your time together…" said Zuko, wondering if he had finally found the right string to pull at to get back at his sister for all the times she had teased and mocked him.
"Don't say those things!" Ty Lee said suddenly, startling everyone. "Azula and Sokka… t-they're not together. Not at all. So… don't pester them about it, alright?"
"Uh… huh?" Azula was astonished. The last she had known, Ty Lee had been fidgeting and squealing over the idea of her and Sokka together… had she changed her mind suddenly, despite her ongoing bet with Mai?
"Sokka and Azula are just friends, Zuko," Ty Lee stated firmly, even though saying those words seemed to bother her greatly. Naturally, she wished she could say Zuko had been right to claim her friend and the Blue Wolf were in a relationship, but she couldn't, and she understood well enough why she couldn't. That was why she wouldn't keep pestering them over the relationship she believed should exist between them.
Still, her attempt to defend them didn't go as well as she expected either.
"Friends?!" Sokka and Azula exclaimed at once, before looking at each other in shock.
"W-well, you are friends, aren't you?" Ty Lee asked, surprised.
"I… I don't know, really," said Sokka, frowning.
"It doesn't seem… right," said Azula, grimacing.
"See, boyfriend and girlfriend works better for them," said Zuko, smirking as he climbed off board.
"No, it doesn't," said Azula, glaring at his back. "This is ridiculous."
"But if we're not even friends… then what are we?" Sokka asked, scratching his head, confused.
"Honestly, I rather doubt we'll ever find out," muttered Azula, following Zuko onto the dock.
The house Ty Lee had rented stood deeper within the island than Azula had expected it to. She was used to staying in houses that were near the shore… so she was grateful to find that wouldn't be the case this time around. A completely different house, in a very different setting, might help keep her troubling thoughts at bay.
They all picked out their rooms as soon as they arrived. Azula chose one on the second floor, the most spacious one she could find. It wasn't even half as large as her room in the Palace, but she would make do. After spending a dreadful week that she would never forget living in the wilderness, she wasn't going to complain about this arrangement, no matter how small and simple it might be.
"Hey…"
Azula was finishing unpacking when she heard Sokka's voice from the threshold of her room. He seemed slightly uneasy, and she could hardly blame him for it. Trust Zuko to prove capable of tearing apart the balance they had worked so hard for during all this time…
"Ty Lee is saying she wants to go shopping," said Sokka. "Then to the beach, and afterwards to Haru's fight…"
"Ah, too bad I brought no beach gear with me," Azula retorted quickly.
"Well, I think that's precisely why she said we had to go shopping first," muttered Sokka, heading into the room. "But going by your response… I take it you don't want to go."
"I have something better to do," Azula declared, after finishing placing her clothes within the closet. "And I never had any intentions of going to the beach in the first place."
"Don't tell me that's why you didn't want to come here," said Sokka, now smirking. "Come on, Azula, you ought to be more confident than that. I'm pretty sure you'd look just fine in a swimsuit…"
"Oh, I would," said Azula, turning to look at him with slight indignation but also amusement "And I am perfectly aware of that fact, if you must know. But I really do have something better to do than tag along with you lot for shopping and swimming and rolling around in sand…"
"Really, now…?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her in suspicion.
"Yes, really," Azula declared. "And now I wonder why you're so insistent upon the matter. Was seeing me in a swimsuit the only reason why you wanted to come to Ember Island, pervert?"
"Woah, woah, none of that!" said Sokka, raising his hands defensively in front of him, yet his cheeks reddened distinctly. Azula only looked at him in disbelief.
"Oh, sure, you deny it now…" said Azula, rolling her eyes yet smirking as she passed him by to go back to the hallway.
"Come on, Azula, I just thought coming here would be fun, but it won't be any fun if you're not around!" he muttered.
"Sure thing, it won't be fun to go to the beach without me," said Azula. "And I can only wonder why…"
"Ah, that's not it!" Sokka insisted. "Can't I… can't I come with you, to wherever it is you're going?"
Azula stopped before they reached the staircase and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't as though she couldn't bring him with her… but doing so wasn't a great idea either. He might make things a little difficult if he came along: she didn't want to have any weird questions asked about her relationship with him, let alone after the one Zuko had brought up earlier.
"You could… but I truly think it would be best if I went on my own," said Azula. "I'm sorry, Sokka, but you'll have to put up with the other three for a while. I'll probably rejoin you at the Ember Crater."
"But…" Sokka muttered, lifting a hand towards her before dropping it again, as a gesture of surrender. "Well, alright, then. I won't get in your way."
"Don't be so dramatic," said Azula, smiling a little. "Though I can't really blame you for it, having to endure Ty Lee drooling over Haru while Zuko sulks… but I'll be back soon enough. Stop looking like a helpless puppy, will you?"
"I don't… I don't look like a helpless puppy," he growled.
"Ah, am I insulting your manliness?" Azula asked, her smile widening at his expense as she walked down the stairs, leaving Sokka behind to glare at her.
"W-well, yeah, you are!" he exclaimed, embarrassed. Azula couldn't keep from laughing at his response.
She told Ty Lee she would be taking her leave, and, naturally, the girl was scandalized. She begged Azula to come shopping with them, but the Princess remained undeterred. And so, after shaking Ty Lee off, Azula left the house and headed towards the bay.
It took her some time to reach her destination, which stood at the other end of the island, but once she was there she had no difficulties recognizing the lousiest house by the shore. It looked bad enough by now that Azula feared the structure would collapse upon itself… yet if those two were still living there, as they probably were, then the house was, most likely, still inhabitable.
She walked towards the door and struck it with her knuckles thrice. A mild thrill ran through her body as she waited to be allowed inside…
The door swung open, and the old lady who stood behind it stared at Azula in shock when she identified her.
"Azula."
"Lo… Li," Azula muttered, correcting herself. Ah, blast it, she didn't know which one she was talking to anyways. "It's been a while."
Shortly afterwards, the Princess sat in the living room before a small table, as the twins brought her a cup of steaming tea. Azula accepted it mostly as a courtesy, for she wasn't truly thirsty.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" asked Lo.
"If you wanted us to thank you for helping us in our trial…" said Li.
"We are both most grateful for what you did," they both said at once.
"I'm quite certain you both know I didn't do it for you. I did it for the Fire Nation, first and foremost," Azula declared. "Throwing the blame at any random person wasn't going to help us find the spy we were looking for."
"Naturally. Your priorities have always been unquestionable," said Lo.
"Nevertheless, those priorities kept us from being imprisoned," Li insisted.
"And for that we owe you greatly," once more, they spoke as one voice.
"You owe me, is it? Even when I cast you both out as I did, you believe you owe me?" Azula asked, genuinely surprised. "That's actually unexpected. I thought you harbored resentment towards me after what happened…"
"You had been pushing us away for a long time, Azula," said Li.
"We both knew the day would come when you would part from us altogether," whispered Lo.
"And even though you knew it, you didn't try to stop me from parting ways with you?" Azula asked, surprised.
"We would have done so, yet we failed to understand what we had done to cause your aggravation," said Lo.
"If we were no longer of any use to you, then it was only natural you would send us away," Li said.
"Odd," muttered Azula, after sipping some of her tea. "Yet I suppose I should be glad you harbor no hard feelings towards me. Nevertheless, if you do believe you owe me greatly for what I did, then I know just the way for you both to repay me. It's actually what I came here for in the first place."
"Well, then… by all means, tell us, Azula," said Li.
"I was listening quite carefully to everything you said during your trial," Azula said. "And I believed you when you claimed you weren't involved with the White Lotus. Yet… one of you said you knew nothing about the group. And that was a lie."
Lo and Li didn't say anything, but Azula saw a gleam of guilt in their eyes. Just as she had suspected back then, they weren't as ignorant in regards of the White Lotus as she was.
"So now I want the two of you to tell me everything you know about them… and how you came by this knowledge as well, if you don't mind," said Azula, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at her two former advisors with a determined frown.
Lo and Li sighed as one, exchanging a look before lifting their heads towards Azula again.
"The Order of the White Lotus is an ancient society, Azula," started Lo. "It's comprised by men from every nation, men who seek to uphold the philosophies of cherishing all which is good, beautiful and true…"
"They were formed many generations ago," said Li. "The original members shared as a common trait a great love for Pai Sho, and their name is derived from the White Lotus tile…"
Well, that last bit wasn't new information. Azula frowned upon their words, taking her cup again and lifting it to her lips before asking another question.
"And what is the purpose of such a society?" Azula inquired. "It doesn't seem to me that their sole interest is to play Pai Sho…"
"They used to be a group of wise scholars, whose favorite pastime was Pai Sho. In recent times, the group has become much more than that," said Li.
"They seek to make the world a better place. More beautiful, more truthful."
"And that is a goal they'll accomplish by abducting princesses… sounds believable," said Azula, skeptical. "Why do they have such ridiculous philosophies, and why have they targeted the Fire Nation all of sudden?"
"We don't know where or when were these philosophies born," said Lo. "Nor do we know who might have been the man to conceive them."
"But they have targeted the Fire Nation because they believe the Fire Nation endangers the beauty in the world. They believe the world has fallen out of balance…"
"And naturally, the Fire Nation is to blame for that," grunted Azula, irritated. She was sick of hearing the same pointless story over and over again. What was the big deal with balance anyways? "And what is their standard for beauty, I wonder? Do they want everyone to waste their days away playing Pai Sho? If that's what their objective is, they'd should find better ways to get their point across. Attacking the Fire Nation as they did, disguised as our own soldiers, sounds like something that is just as far from their ideal of beauty as our nation is."
"The White Lotus wasn't an organization of this nature at the beginning, Azula…" said Lo. "They used to be philosophers, not soldiers. There have always been strong warriors and benders within their ranks, but they used to strive for peace, not violence."
"Really?" asked Azula. "And why have they strayed so far from their original ideals?"
"We don't know the actual reasoning behind it…" said Li. "But we suspect it happened after the Avatar disappeared."
"Huh?" Azula frowned. "What do they have to do with the Avatar? Don't tell me it was an Avatar who created the group in the first place…"
"We don't know," replied Li. "Yet it wasn't until years after his disappearance that they performed their first attack on the Fire Nation."
"What are you talking about?" Azula asked.
"An attempt on the Fire Lord's son's life," said Lo and Li at once.
Azula frowned for a moment. She hadn't heard anyone had tried to kill Zuko…
Her eyes opened wide when she understood which Fire Lord, and which son, they were referring to.
"My uncle?" she asked. "That assassination attempt… the one Piandao was probably involved in?"
The two old ladies nodded at once when Azula voiced her conclusion. The Princess's frown only deepened after the revelation.
"It was only then that the Order of the White Lotus was brought to the Fire Nation's attention," Lo confessed. "Until then, nobody in the Palace had even heard of their existence."
"Fire Lord Azulon demanded the execution of all those who had tried to kill his son, and he believed that would be enough to send a message to any rebels, to prevent them from ever attacking his family or nation again," said Li.
"He seemed to forget the matter in time," said Lo.
"He had a war to fight, against the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes," continued Li.
"So, he didn't seek to pursue them?" Azula asked, surprised. "Anyone touching a hair out of his dearest firstborn son would have compelled him to burn the entire world down to find them…"
"It was a waste," said Lo. "Nobody knew where the White Lotus members were, nor what their organization was, exactly."
"It was General Iroh who sought to discover what the Order of the White Lotus truly was," stated Li. "He investigated everything he could find about the society that tried to take his life, since his father was more interested in tearing down the two nations that continued to oppose him. He had no time to deal with the White Lotus."
"So, you're saying… that Iroh decided to defeat them by himself?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Iroh did no such thing," said Lo. "He relied his information to those in the highest circles of trust within the Palace… but once he had conveyed his discoveries to all of us, he said he would do nothing about the Order of the White Lotus."
"Why?" asked Azula, frowning. If a group of people attempted to take her life, she would chase them to the ends of the world if she had the resources to do so…
"He believed their ideals were righteous," said Li. "He thought they had simply made a mistake when they sent a group of young men to take his life. If anything, he believed it was impossible that the high-ranked members of the order would command an attack of the sort."
"So, he thought these people had tried to kill him out of their own free will, and not because they were under the orders of some member of the society?" Azula frowned.
"He thought these young men had misplaced their beliefs, that they had interpreted the Order of the White Lotus's teachings wrongly," said Lo. "He was certain that those who understood Pai Sho and who cherished that which was good, beautiful and true, would have never commanded such an attack."
"That was awfully confident of him," grunted Azula. "Why should he have trusted those men to genuinely abide by those beliefs? It could easily be a smokescreen for what the group's true intentions are. You say they only attacked the Fire Nation once the Avatar was gone. Do you believe they're trying to bring balance to the world, to take up the Avatar's role?"
"We do not know," said the old ladies.
Azula sighed and downed what was left of her tea. She knew delving into what the White Lotus was wouldn't bode well for her… she figured it would be a very twisted matter, for a group of rebels fashioning themselves after a tile of an old board game was something she could only interpret as an irony or a delusion of grandeur. And after hearing about this, she was certain it was the latter. Goodness, beauty and truth? Just what sort of conceited fools were they dealing with?
"Their latest attack… it was an attempt to break out members of their group from jail," said Azula. "What sort of activities could those White Lotus men be partaking in that would sentence them to prison if they're truly after beauty, truth and all that nonsense?"
"We do not know," said Lo and Li again.
"Not everyone is as good as they believe themselves to be," said Lo.
"There is, most likely, a darker side to this society than what Iroh discovered," said Li.
"So, what you know is simply what Iroh has told you?" asked Azula. "You have no more information regarding the White Lotus aside from this?"
"We don't," said Li. "The White Lotus's true nature remains a mystery even to us, Azula."
"Does my father know about this?" Azula asked, frowning. "I've never asked him if he knew what the White Lotus is…"
"Your father was present when Iroh spoke about his discoveries regarding the White Lotus," Lo confirmed. "All we have shared with you today, he already knew."
"Yet why…?" said Azula, confused. "If these men are really such a threat, why did my father ignore them until now? He would have certainly believed his father was making a mistake by letting the White Lotus roam freely…"
"I fear your father must have forgotten about the White Lotus until now," said Lo.
"They have always kept a low profile," said Li.
"As a matter of fact, they have only ever stirred up trouble in the Fire Nation in two occasions up to date," the ladies stated at unison.
Azula frowned. Well, if that was the case, now she understood why her father hadn't attempted to thwart them. Perhaps he even hoped they were only after Iroh's head, and he secretly wished they would kill his brother. It wouldn't have been unlike him to wish for such a thing.
"Then this is all you know," Azula said, looking at the women defiantly, her eyes studying their features to make sure they wouldn't lie to her. "You have no more information to share with me regarding the Order of the White Lotus. You don't know who the spy within the council is, do you?"
"We don't," said Lo and Li. "This is the entire extent of our knowledge on the matter."
Azula sighed and nodded. Well, this time they were telling the truth, it seemed. It would serve no purpose to question them further, but they had already granted her quite a lot of knowledge as it was.
"Very well, then," she said, standing up.
"You're leaving so soon?" asked Lo.
"Why, I had no idea you two missed me so much," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "I have other places to be at now. Thank you for your time and for the information you shared with me. I'll put it to good use, or at least, I'll try to. But with these men it feels as though any discovery is only a new mystery. Nevertheless, I'll take my leave now, if you don't mind."
The ladies nodded towards Azula and made to stand up too, but the Princess lifted a hand.
"I can lead myself out, don't bother," she said.
"Thank you for your visit, Azula," said Lo.
"If you were to ever need us again…" whispered Li.
"You know where to find us," the two women stated.
Azula looked at them in surprise before nodding. Were those words supposed to be a sign of their loyalty? Perhaps they were. But Azula couldn't bring herself to believe that. Surely, the only reason Lo and Li would have to wish to return to her service was boredom.
Azula left the house without another word, and she wandered through the roads of the island for a while, her mind lost in thought. It was hard to make sense out of most of what Lo and Li had said, but she was glad it was so complicated. Attempting to unravel the mystery of the White Lotus was a much better way to spend her time than thinking about her mother…
It took her a moment to realize just how much time had passed her by during her visit to Lo and Li: Haru's fight would begin soon. It wasn't as though she was too enthusiastic about watching a gladiator fight, it didn't seem too important unless it involved Sokka, but she had said she would attend it nevertheless. Surely Sokka would be waiting for her, desperate to have someone more fun than Zuko to talk to…
Azula arrived at the Ember Crater by herself. She strode into the Arena for the second time, glancing about herself, and she was rather surprised to find someone in the vestibule, waiting patiently for her.
"Woah, here I was thinking you weren't going to make it," said Sokka, smiling when he sighted her.
"Where are the others?" Azula asked, walking towards him.
"Ty Lee is at the sponsors' balcony, Haru is either in the stand-by room or already fighting," said Sokka. "And Zuko went inside, he's waiting for us within the crowd…"
"That sounds like fun, watching a gladiator fight with Zuko," said Azula, grimacing.
"Did you get your stuff done, whatever it was?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah, it took some time, but I did," replied Azula. "How long have you been waiting for me here?"
"Oh, a while, but not that long," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "I kept myself busy. I went to the counter and asked the guy there about the Spawn of the Volcano, to see where he was in the ranking nowadays… and apparently he's changed sponsors. Did you know that?"
"I'm not the least bit surprised to hear it, to be honest," said Azula, as they walked towards the stairs that led to the stands. "Chan apparently has been forced to enroll in the military along with his dear father… he shouldn't be able to afford a gladiator when he's only just been enlisted."
"Seems like you really ruined his life, huh?" said Sokka.
"It's what happens to people who seek to ruin mine," Azula replied, with a devious smirk as they passed the doorway that led into the crowd.
The Arena was quite crowded, though not as full as Azula would have expected it to be. She looked around herself, wondering where her brother was, while Sokka looked down at the sand pit with interest.
"So… this is what things look like from outside the ring?" he asked.
"Oh, I forgot you've never been in the stands before," said Azula. "Well, to be honest, I don't frequent stands either… still, the ring looks pretty much the same way down here than it does from up in the sponsors' balcony. It's a lot more luxurious in the balcony than here, though…"
"Naturally," said Sokka, smiling. "Well, where is Zuko? You think that's him over there?"
Sokka pointed towards someone at the right wing of the stands, and Azula squinted, trying to recognize him from such a distance. He happened to turn his face in that very moment, and she caught sight of his scar, confirming his identity.
"Yes, that's him. So… come along," she said, jerking her head towards the other side of the crowd.
"Wha-…? Aren't we going to join him?" Sokka asked, surprised.
"No, thank you," said Azula. "If you want to spend more time with my brother, go ahead, but I assure you I don't want to be near him any more time than necessary. And I'm quite certain he'll agree with me."
"You're really something…" said Sokka, smiling yet looking towards Zuko a little sympathetically. Would he actually miss them? Knowing him, he probably wouldn't.
Azula led the way towards the other end of the stadium, and she settled in seats that were as far from the ring as possible. She knew all too well how capable Haru was of throwing sand or glass at the audience whenever his attacks were too wild. Sokka sat beside her, still glancing at Zuko and confirming that he hadn't spotted them.
"I'll say, you really were doing both of us a favor by having us sit away from Zuko," said Sokka, folding his arms over his chest.
"I figured you wouldn't enjoy hearing him bicker with me throughout Haru's fight," said Azula, as the announcer began calling in the fighters. "Or worse, having him pester you about being 'my boyfriend'."
"Really, though…" said Sokka, shaking his head. "That was quite silly, coming from a guy who pretends to be so serious all the time."
"I think he was simply getting back at me for all those times I teased him over Mai," said Azula. "Though it's one thing to do it to your brother when you're seven… it's something rather different when it's a twenty-three-year-old trying to pull the same joke on his sister. But seeing how he didn't have a chance to pester me about boys back then, he's probably made up his mind to use this opportunity."
"You didn't know any boys when you were young?" Sokka asked.
"I didn't, and neither did he," said Azula. "I went to the Royal Academy for Girls, Zuko was home-schooled, so he didn't spend much time with kids his age. It was just… him and my mother."
"Huh… can't say that sounds like much fun," said Sokka, grimacing. "I probably would have lost my mind if I had spent my entire childhood just with my mom. Not to say I didn't like my mom, because I did, but…"
"It was fun for Zuko, though. My mother was wonderful to him, after all," said Azula, with unusual spite in her voice. Sokka frowned. He knew Azula didn't like talking about her mother much, but it seemed she was even more irritated about the matter today than usual. So, in order to cheer her up, in some way…
"Say, what was it you were up to?" he asked. "You said you could tell me once you were done with it, so…"
"Ah, I did, didn't I?" said Azula, brightening up quickly upon the change of subject. "I'd almost forgotten… well, you see, I had said I'd talk with Lo and Li one day, regarding what they knew about the White Lotus…"
"Oh, right," said Sokka, suddenly understanding Azula's intentions. "And they live here, so… well, damn, now I feel stupid for not realizing it."
"Well, you are pretty stupid, so…"
"Am not! I'm just… not that quick-minded at times, is all!" Sokka exclaimed, as she laughed at his reaction. "And well? What did you find out?"
Haru's fight unfolded in the ring while Azula relied to him everything she had discovered. Haru seemed to hold his own quite well against the firebender he was facing, the Last Dragon, but Sokka and Azula weren't focusing much on the fight as they talked.
"But… wait, your uncle was the one who knew all this stuff?" asked Sokka, frowning.
"Apparently, he did his homework after he was almost killed by them…" said Azula, shrugging.
"Well, it's still hard to believe Master Piandao would try to kill someone like that, but… maybe that's why he wasn't caught? Maybe he really didn't want to?" Sokka wondered.
"Who knows?" said Azula. "But I fail to understand why my uncle would be so willing to forgive their attempt on his life simply because their philosophies are almost as ridiculous as his own. The only thing missing in that motto is 'tea'. If Lo and Li and said they were tea worshippers as well, I would have run back home immediately to tell my father that my uncle is the spy he's looking for, without a doubt."
"But… could he be?" asked Sokka, frowning. "I mean, it doesn't sound too far-fetched to think your uncle might be the spy…"
"Joining the ranks of the people who tried to kill him? To be honest, it sounds about right," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "His decisions have always been rather ridiculous, if you ask me."
"Though, would it really be him? Would he stop being loyal to his family, to his nation, because of… Pai Sho?" Sokka asked, frowning.
"I have no idea," said Azula, shrugging. "For all I know, he could do that. Yet I suppose accusing my own uncle of being a spy wouldn't make much sense. How would he have set everything up, and how would he have contacted his fellow White Lotus members when he did?"
"By messenger hawk?" suggested Sokka. "Though I'll say we're really going about this blindly. There's hardly anything to back up this theory."
"Which is for the best, really. If my father's own brother happened to be the one who set up that entire operation, who almost got me captured… it would mean my father wouldn't even be able to trust his own family, and that's the last thing he needs at the moment."
"He's already paranoid enough, I take it…" said Sokka, frowning. "And then he might even stop trusting you."
"I doubt he trusts Iroh all that much, but it's because he thinks he's unreliable. He doesn't think he's an actual traitor," muttered Azula. "If he were one…"
"Can't even imagine the consequences, can you?"
"It's more like I don't even want to," said Azula, sighing. "How did things go with you guys, though? You don't look like you'd been to the beach…"
"That's because we didn't even make it there," said Sokka, with a smile. "Ty Lee got hung up on shopping and she took up all our time at that… I'm not going to complain, she bought a few things for me, but yeah, in the end it was already so late that we decided to go to the Ember Crater and forget the beach."
"I'm not surprised, really," said Azula. In the ring, Haru had knocked his opponent down and imprisoned his limbs within the sand, which he hardened into glass soon enough, to the entire crowd's amazement.
"Well, would you look at that," said Sokka, nodding in approval. "The man's getting tougher by the minute. And he didn't even break anything for once!"
"Now that's truly a miracle," said Azula, slightly amused.
After Haru had rendered his opponent helpless, he simply stood by and waited patiently for the time to be used up completely. The Last Dragon was enraged by Haru's disposition, naturally, for he believed the earthbender was being conceited… hence he began roaring fire, hoping to scorch Haru up with it. Haru found himself unable to continue with his plan of action: in the end, he had to strike the air out of his opponent with a rock before striking him on the head to knock him out. And with that, he earned his victory.
"I knew you'd be able to win, I just knew it! You're the very best! I'm so going to make this up to you later, Haru!" Ty Lee rambled on towards Haru a few minutes later, while she clung to his arm. They both headed towards the vestibule together, where Azula and Sokka were waiting for them.
"Congratulations there, pal!" said Sokka, smiling. "A perfect win!"
"Rather impressive, I'll concede," said Azula, nodding. "He has progressed a lot."
"Hasn't he?! He's amazing!" Ty Lee exclaimed, squeezing Haru's arm even tighter.
"Ow… eh, thanks, both of you," said Haru, blushing slightly while he feared Ty Lee's grip might stop the blood from flowing through his arm.
"Uh… where is Zuko?" Ty Lee asked suddenly, releasing Haru while she looked around herself. "Shouldn't he have been with you two?"
"Well…" said Azula, smirking. "I was here just on time, and Sokka was waiting for me, but the crowd was so thick that we couldn't find Zuko, so…"
"Oh? Is that it, or did you just want Sokka to yourself?" asked Ty Lee, folding her arms over her chest.
"It's more like we figured it'd be a lot more fun to hang out on the stands without Mr. Party Pooper…" said Sokka.
"If you say so…" said Ty Lee, eyeing them with uncertainty. It was a dangerous game these two played… were they playing it consciously? Did they realize that, the more time they spent together, the more difficult it would be for them to resist the attraction that existed between them?
"Well, there he is now," said Haru, smiling as he spotted Zuko amongst the masses of people that were leaving the Arena.
"Good fight," said Zuko, nodding towards Haru curtly.
"Azula and Sokka were a bit late, so they couldn't find you…" said Ty Lee, sticking to Azula's story even though she already knew it was a lie.
"Huh, well…" said Zuko, shrugging with a gesture that said he clearly didn't want their company either. Maybe Iroh was right to think that his friends cared for him… but he was certain Azula only cared to irritate him. The less time they spent together on this trip, the better for them both.
"Good to know you don't care," said Ty Lee, grimacing. "Well, anyways, we ought to go get some food now so that we can head to the theater later on…"
Zuko grimaced noticeably at that. Azula hadn't been paying much attention to what Ty Lee had said until she replayed her friend's words in her head a few times, as though having a hard time understanding what she meant. And once she did, she cast Ty Lee a look of utter disbelief.
"Wait, wait, wait… what?" she said, an eyebrow twitching.
"What, you're not hungry? Did you eat something already?" Ty Lee asked, tapping her chin with a finger.
"No! That about the theater, what is that supposed to mean?" Azula exclaimed, panicking.
"Well, I thought you might appreciate it…" said Ty Lee, smiling as she pulled five pieces of paper from her pocket. "But I got us all tickets for 'Love Amongst the Dragons'!"
"You did WHAT?!" Azula exclaimed, and Ty Lee realized now that maybe Azula wouldn't be so happy about this.
"I… I bought…" she mumbled, terrified of the Princess's reaction.
"Are you insane?! How could you buy that?! It's got to be the rendition by the Ember Island Players, Ty Lee, and they're downright terrible!" Azula exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "How could you…? Zuko, why the hell didn't you stop her?"
"I told her not to, but when has Ty Lee ever listened to reason?!" Zuko retorted, wondering why his sister would want to throw the blame on him. "I told her a thousand times that these guys are terrible, but she insisted that we always talked about that play when we were little, so she wanted to know what the fuss was about!"
"Ugh, for crying out loud," Azula exclaimed, a hand going to her forehead as she tried to digest what Ty Lee was about to put her through. It was just perfect, really… she had almost managed to get all thoughts of her mother far from her mind at long last and Ty Lee just had to ruin everything in one simple sentence, did she?
"It should be fun! I mean… it can't be that bad!" the girl was exclaiming now, hoping to save face somehow.
"You really want to bet on how bad it can be, Ty Lee?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Because I assure you I'll be taking all the money you just earned if you do."
"Well, then, no bets," said Ty Lee, smiling weakly. "But… I already bought them and I don't think I can return them, so… how bad can it be? If it's really that terrible you can just laugh about it, can't you…?"
"I doubt it," grunted Azula, glaring at Ty Lee. "Why didn't you even ask me if I wanted to go before buying those tickets without a second thought?"
"I kind of assumed you'd want to, as I said," said Ty Lee. "Well, I can treat you to anything you want for dinner, Azula… would that help?"
"Sure it would," said Azula sarcastically at first before smirking with malice. "Though you'll end up wasting away all your winnings if you'll treat us… Sokka, you're free to eat at will if she'll really pay for it all."
"Wait, really, now?" Sokka asked, his eyes lighting up at the idea.
"Yeah, I'll do it," said Ty Lee, smiling weakly. "So… we'll go to the play? Even if you guys don't like the Ember Island Players?"
"Ugh…" said Azula, rubbing her forehead with her fingers.
"It… it couldn't hurt much," said Zuko, sighing. "If anything, it'll be a good way to… to remember old days."
Which was exactly what Azula didn't want to do. She glared at Zuko with irritation and spite. Perhaps his life had been wonderful when he had been their mother's golden boy, and now everything sucked so much for him that he wanted to return to those days… but the same would never apply to her. She wanted no memories of her mother. Fact was, if she could simply only rip those memories out from her mind, she would. And much unlike Zuko, her life had turned for the better as she grew older… she didn't care for her past. She didn't want to remember any of it.
"Then… Azula?" asked Ty Lee. "Will you do this?"
Azula's glare shifted towards Ty Lee for a moment before she directed it to the floor. This really wasn't going to be fun… this trip was slowly turning into some form of torture instead of the fun ride Ty Lee had promised it would be.
"Hey… it'll be over quickly, won't it?" said Sokka, taking notice of Azula's current fury. At first she had simply been irritated at Ty Lee… now she seemed mad enough to set the whole building on fire. And it wouldn't be the first time Azula burned down a building in Ember Island.
"Not quickly enough," Azula grunted, shaking her head. "Just… eat to your heart's content and that way I might have a reason to be glad about this mess."
"Are they really this bad?" Sokka asked, surprised. "They've got to be terrible if they get you this angry…"
"I wouldn't say it's their fault entirely…" muttered Azula, at which the whole group seemed slightly surprised… and it was only then that she realized all the attention was on her.
The realization served to cool her head down a little, though she still couldn't placate her wrath completely. This was no time to let any of them see the monster that existed within her. She simply gave Ty Lee a cold smile next and dropped her hands at either side of her body as a gesture of surrender.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing you regret this soon enough, Ty Lee…" she said. "Let's do this, then, before I regain my senses."
"Now, that's just mean…" said Ty Lee, pouting, as they headed outside the Arena.
Sokka glanced at Azula worriedly while they walked down the hill where the Ember Crater stood. He could tell there was something big bothering her, just as there had been a week ago, when they were leaving the Grand Royal Dome. What was the matter with Azula lately? Was it related to the Gladiator Business? Or was it Ember Island itself? Though, no… there had been something else before, even. Something he had said on their way to the Grand Royal Dome didn't sit well with her… but he couldn't figure out what had been so wrong about it. And he couldn't find a link between what he had said back then and what was displeasing her now. The only thing he thought he could assume, to his relief, was that he wasn't the cause of her irritation… she had been rather nice to him as of late. It wasn't his fault.
But then what was it?
"Oh, I know where to go! Xuan's Restaurant!" Ty Lee exclaimed suddenly, at which both Sokka's and Azula's thoughts were interrupted drastically.
"Hell, no!" Sokka exclaimed immediately.
"For crying out loud…" said Azula, as Sokka refused drastically, to everyone else's surprise. It seemed Ty Lee was determined to make the worst possible decisions today… as if everything she had dragged them through so far wasn't bad enough.
But truly, heading to watch the play seemed the perfect way to finish tearing her to pieces, to force her to succumb to the anger that dwelled within her. Could she endure this? Could she make it through that wretched play without thinking about her mother, without having her head filling up with undesirable thoughts because of her? The bad feeling in her gut told her that she probably wouldn't…