"I'm not one to complain but, can't Appa fly ANY higher." Sokka whined. Appa was flying a mere six feet in the air above the water below them and has been for the past several hours. "I have an idea! Why don't we all get on YOUR back and YOU can fly us to the North Pole!" Aang told Sokka. "I'd love too! Climb on everyone, Sokka's ready for takeoff!" Sokka said annoyed. "Oh Sokka, put a sock in it, will you?" An agitated Azula told her brother. "Alright, alright. We're ALL a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight." Katara said, trying to defuse things. "And for WHAT? We can't even FIND the Northern Water Tribe. There's nothing up here." Sokka continued to complain. Azula rolled her eyes as her brother complained.
A sudden noise perked everyone's attention. Suddenly, the water in front of them shot upward and immediately turned into sharp ice. Aang screamed in panic as he pulled the rains tied to Appas horns, turning him quickly to the right to dodge the ice. Azula, Sokka and Katara grabbed onto the saddle as tightly as they could as they swerved to dodge the ice. "YOU JUST HAD TO SAY SOMETHING, DIDN'T YOU SOKKA?!" Azula screamed as more ice shot up towards Appa. Ice managed to nab Appas foot, managing to make Appa spin out of control and go into the water. As soon as he landed, ice surrounded him, trapping him and preventing him from flying.
'Wait a second….ice?' Azula quickly thought. As she and everyone sat up to look around, boats emerged from around the corners of the ice bergs. Azula quickly realized what was going on. They were water benders. "Wait a second, their water benders! We found the water tribe!" Azula shouted excitedly.
"I don't believe it" "The stories are true" "the avatar!" The men on the boats started saying. Some of the men then bended the ice back into water as many of them gave a bow to Aang. "Apologizes avatar. Shall we escort you to the North Pole?" "Yes, of course!" Aang told them.
After a few minutes of being escorted by the water benders the group looked up at the giant ice wall bearing the water tribe insignia. "There it is!" Aang shouted. "The Northern Water Tribe." Katara said in awe. "We're finally here." Sokka said in disbelief. "It's about time." Azula fed up. As they approached the wall, the water benders bended the ice in the wall downwards to make a small tunnel big enough for Appa to float through. Passing through the tunnel they came to another wall. The group looked around and saw a dozen water benders at the top of the wall and how they bended the ice of the second wall downwards into water, letting them into the inner parts of the tribe.
"I can't believe how many water benders live up here!" Katara said in amazement. "We'll find a master to teach us no problem." Aang said with confidence. "You can say that again." Azula added. As they entered the tribe, they realized that the Northern Water Tribe wasn't a tribe at all. It was an entire city! The group looked in amazement as they took in the sight of the city. "The south poles got NOTHING on this place!" Azula said. "I'll say, this place is beautiful!" Katara added.
Later that night, after they had been shown most of the city, they were brought to the tribe's palace where the chief was throwing a party to celebrate their arrival. The group sat down at a table and food was brought to them. Azula expected some fried fish with a side of rice like back in home but surprisingly, there was some meat and salad alongside her meal. Azula figured they got this stuff from the earth kingdom since they were about a day's travel away. The chief stood up from his seat.
"Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sisters from our sister tribe. And they have brought with them, someone very special. Someone who many had thought disappeared from the world until now. The avatar!" The other people gathered in the party applauded. "We also celebrate my daughters sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue, is now of marrying age!" A beautiful young woman with snow white hair approached. "Thank you father. May the great moon and ocean spirits watch over us in these troubled times!" Yue announced before taking a seat next to Sokka at the end of the table.
"Now master Pakku, and his students, will perform!" The chief announced. An old looking man with two young looking men behind him began bending large balls of water elegantly in fast circles. The performance was amazing. "I still can't believe we're here." Azula told Katara. "I know right! Our sister tribe! And it's so beautiful too!" Katara said excitedly. "I know! This place is amazing! I've missed this cold air!" Azula told her. "Me too. It reminds me of home." Katara told her as the two of them began to eat their meals.
"Hi there. Sokka, southern water tribe." Azula overheard Sokka say to Yue. "It is very nice to meet you." Yue said with a polite bow. "So, uhhhhh….you're a princess! Huh, well, back in my tribe I'm kind of like a prince myself." Sokka told her. Katara, who was also eavesdropping, laughed. "Prince of what?" "A lot of things! Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!" Sokka told Katara. "My apologies prince Sokka." Katara said with a bow. "Well technically speaking, he IS the son of the southern tribes chief, so that WOULD make him a prince." Azula pointed out. "Exactly! Thank you, Azula." "I'm just stating the facts and besides, I'M the one who's actually a princess." Azula told Sokka who looked away annoyed. "So, looks like I'll be in town for a few days. I'm thinking you and I could….do an activity?" Sokka asked. "Do an activity?" Yue asked amused. Sokka looked flustered and nervous. He then just stuffed food into his face as said face turned bright red. "Very smooth." Katara jokingly told him.
The gang was assigned a house to sleep in, and in the morning, Sokka went out to explore the streets of the North Pole while Aang and Katara went to see master Pakku to learn water bending. Azula would have went with Sokka, but she knew how important learning real water bending was for Katara, so she wanted to be there to watch.
"I've waited for this moment my WHOLE life! I finally get to learn from a REAL water bending master!" Katara said excitedly. "I'm really excited for you Katara." Azula told her sister. The three went up the stairs to the palace courtyard where Pakku teaches his students and saw him practicing some water bending. "GOOD MORNING MASTER PAKKU!" Aang shouted. "No please, march right in. I'm not busy concentrating or anything." Pakku said with annoyance and sarcasm.
"Uhh this is my friend, Katara. The one I told you about." Aang told Pakku. Pakku looked at Katara, then bended some ice behind him to make himself a seat. "I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding. You didn't tell me your friend was a girl. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn water bending." Pakku told them. Everyone stood there, not sure how to respond. Azula was confused. In the Fire Nation, she was trained to be the greatest fire bender in the world! Women were allowed to enlist in the military and learn and teach fire bending. What did he mean women couldn't learn water bending?! Azula looked at Katara and saw the confused rage on her face. She stepped forward.
"What do you mean you won't teach me?! I didn't travel all the way across the world so you could tell me no!" Katara shouted in Pakkus face. "No" Pakku said back calmly. "But there must be other female water benders in your tribe!" Katara argued. "Here, the women learn from Yagota to use their water bending to heal. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to take you as her student, despite your bad attitude." Pakku told her. "I don't wanna heal! I wanna fight!" "I can see that, but our tribe has customs. Rules."
"Well your rules can go jump off a cliff!" Azula said as she went to stand next to Katara. "Yeah! They're not fair!" Aang shouted. "How can you call yourselves a great nation when you subjugate your own people this way?!" Azula shouted at Pakku. "Well I'm sure that in the Fire Nation, things are a lot different, "Princess Azula". But this is NOT the Fire Nation OR the South Pole. Here, we have traditions that go back years." Pakku told her. Azula clenched her fists and held back her urge to punch Pakku in his face. Aang and Katara tensed. "So, you know who I am." Azula said coldly. Pakku nodded. "I knew who you were the moment I laid eyes on you. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. I figured since you were traveling with the avatar and apparently spent years living in our sister tribe, there was no reason not to trust that you would behave yourself." Pakku explained. Aang and Katara became a little less tense.
"Now, back to the matter at hand. Our tribe has rules and they will be respected." Pakku told them. "Well your rules are ridicules! If you won't teach Katara then…" "Then what?" Pakku asked as he stood up. "Then I won't learn from you!" Aang shouted, and then turned to walk away. "Well have fun teaching yourself. I'm sure you'll do a great job." Pakku called out as Aang walked away. "Wait, Aang didn't mean that!" Katara told Pakku. "Yeah, I think he did." Katara gave Azula an annoyed glare and chased after Aang. "You can't risk your training for me. You HAVE to learn from Master Pakku. Even if he IS a big jerk." Katara told Aang. He looked mad but gave Katara a nod. Katara left and Azula followed her.
"I'm sorry Katara." Azula told her sister. "For what?" she asked. "I know how much you wanted this. How much it meant to you. I'm sorry it didn't work out the way you hopped." Azula told her. Katara smiled as put her hand on Azula's shoulder. "I'm fine Azula. Maybe I'm just not meant to learn water bending." "No, don't say that! You're a water bending prodigy. I just know it! Even if he won't teach you, we'll find a way to help you learn water bending." Azula told Katara with confidence. Katara smiled. "Thanks Azula." "No problem, sister by choice." The two laughed as they continued walking. As they walked, a question appeared in Azula's mind. "You're not actually going to the healing hut, are you?" Azula asked. Katara looked at the ground and let out a sigh. "What else am I gonna do?" Katara asked. Azula let out her own sigh. "Alright. Well, have fun I guess." Azula told her, then walked off on her own. "Where you going?" Katara asked her as Azula walked off. "I don't know. I think I'm just gonna wander around." Azula told her as she left.
Azula wandered aimlessly through the North Pole for a few hours. She still couldn't get over how Katara traveled all this way just to get told no. It just didn't make sense! There was no logic to it other than to subjugate the women in the tribe. Yet in the Fire Nation of all places, such things didn't exist! It infuriated her to no end. Azula shook her head, trying to rid her head of these thoughts before they drove her insane. Amongst other things, she reminisced on some memories from her childhood in the south. She thought about Niyok and how she probably would have loved this place. Azula let out a sigh as she also recalled how she didn't say goodbye to her before she left the south much like she didn't say goodbye to Mai and Ty Lee. Azula shook these thought from her head as she realized how late it was going and decided to return to the house they were given to stay in.
"So, how's warrior training going?" Katara asked Sokka. Sokka kicked his bag and angrily laid down on the ground on his stomach, using the bag as a pillow. "That bad?" Aang asked. "No, it's Princess Yue! I don't get it! One moment she wants to go out with me and the next she's telling me to get lost!" Sokka explained to them. "So, how's water bending training going?" Sokka asked. Everyone's mood turned sour. "That miserable old man won't teach Katara because she's a girl." Azula told him with venom in her voice. There was silence for a moment until Sokka spoke. "Why don't YOU just teacher Aang?"
"Why didn't I think of that?!" Katara asked excitedly. "At night, you can teach me whatever moves you learn from master Pakku! That way you have someone to teach you and I get to learn water bending! Everyone's happy!" "I'm not happy." Sokka pouted. "Sokka, you're never happy." Azula shot back. "Come on Aang." Katara said as they left to find a spot to practice. "Hey, wait up." Azula called out. "You're coming too?" Katara asked. "Of course, I wanna watch."
After finding a good spot, the two began while Azula watched. "Master Pakku said this move is all about sinking, and floating." Aang explained as he bended some water and then sent it to Katara to bend. "I've got it!" She said excited. Suddenly the water moved around in quick motions and flew upwards. "That was amazing!" Aang told her. "That wasn't me." Katara told him. "Uh, guys?" Azula said as she pointed above them. Everyone looked up and their faces paled as they saw on the walkway above them was master Pakku, who bended the water into icicles and sent them into railing of the walkway. "I was just showing Katara a few moves." Aang tried to explain. "You have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture!" Pakku told him. "I-I'm sorry I-" "You are no longer welcome as my student." Pakku told them before turning around and walking away.
The next day, everyone went to the palace to explain everything to the chief. "What do you want me to do? Force Pakku to take Aang back, as his student?" The chief asked them. "YES...please." Katara told the chief. "I suspect he might change his mind, if you swallow your pride and apologize to him." The chief told them. Everyone was silent for a moment before Katara reluctantly agreed. "I'm waiting little girl." Pakku told her with a smug look and tone. Katara clenched her fists and Azula could see the blind fury on her face matching the rage building up inside herself. "NO! NO WAY AM I APOLAGIZING TO A SOUR OLD MAN LIKE YOU!" Katara shouted as the floor cracked beneath her. "I'll be outside if your man enough to fight me!" Katara shouted before storming towards the exit. The chief and the rest of the North Poles council was shocked by Katara's challenge, but Pakku looked unamused. "I'm sure she didn't mean that." Aang told them. "Actually Aang, I'm sure she did." Azula told him.
The others caught up with Katara as she walked to the courtyard of the palace. "Are you crazy Katara? You're NOT gonna win this fight!" Sokka told her. "I know! I don't care!" Katara said back. "Katara, you don't have to do this for me. I can find another teacher." Aang told her. "I'm not doing this for you! Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy!" "I agree with Katara. Things need to change around here." Azula said.
Everyone looked over at the stairs to see Pakku coming down towards the courtyard. "So, you decided to show up?!" Katara shouted. Pakku said nothing as he walked down the stairs and straight past Katara. He didn't even look at her. "Aren't you gonna fight?!" Katara shouted as Pakku ignored her. "Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong." Azula felt her blood boil and she had to use all her will power to retrain herself. Katara however, was a different story as she bended some of the ice around them and sent a water whip in Pakkus direction, hitting him in the back of the head. "Fine! You want to learn to fight so bad? STUDY CLOSELY!"
Pakku used the two pools of water used for bending training and surrounded himself in a defensive circle. Katara rushed forward to attack and Pakku blasted her with water sending her backwards. Pakku then surrounded the both of them in a big circle of water. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you!" Pakku shouted sarcastically. Pakku started to make the circle smaller but Katara bended the water and sent it flying off. Unfortunately for Sokka he just so happened to be standing in its direction. "OW!" Sokka yelled as the water made full impact with him. Azula held back a giggle before returning her attention on the fight.
Katara charged at Pakku but Pakku bending an ice blockage in her path but Katara used her bending to slide up it and backflip behind Pakku, landing in front of the stairs. Pakku turned the ice wall he made into a big wave of water and sent it straight for Katara. Katara used ice around her feet to hold herself in place preventing herself from being pushed back. Katara stopped the water heading for her and sent it straight for the ground. "You can't knock me down!" Katara shouted causing the crowd behind her to cheer. "She's a true prodigy." Azula mumbled to herself with a smile.
Katara rushed at Pakku, who bended water upwards to form an ice wall to stop her but Katara bended it back into water with a quick motion of her arm. Katara threw jabs and punches at Pakku who dodged and blocked them and slammed a large ball of water into Katara sending her flying to the side and into a fountain used for bending practice. Azula cringed a bit. 'Really Katara? You're gonna duke it out with a bending master?' Azula face palmed for a bit before returning her attention to the fight.
Katara bended some of the water into ice and flung thin ice circles at Pakku. Pakku blocked each one with his hands as they came at him, with one needing to be dodged. The disk barley missed his face and Pakku looked at Katara with a face the read 'BITCH!' Azula had to resist the urge to laugh. Katara bended a stream of water at Pakku but the old master simply caught it and sent it back at Katara. Katara fell to the ground as the water hit her. Azula began to clench her fists as she watched her sister get hurt. Katara quickly stood up and bended to snow pillars behind Pakku to fall on top of him. Pakku reacted quickly and bended to pillars just in time to stop them from crushing him as a bunch of clouds formed obscuring everyone's view. When the smoke cleared they saw Pakku standing unharmed.
"Well, I'm impressed. You ARE an excellent water bender." Pakku told her. "But you still won't teach me, won't you?" "NO!" Azula felt a rage begin to boil inside her. Katara bended the ground beneath her to send an attack at Pakku but Pakku dodged the attack with his bending and made his own charge attack at Katara, coming around and smacking Katara across the face. Sending her necklace flying off and sending Katara to the ground. Azula clenched her fists even harder. Smoke began to form from them.
Pakku looked down at Katara as she laid on the ground trying to regain her breath. Pakku showed n0o mercy as he bended a large bundle of water and raised it into the air and sent it straight down at Katara. The water turned into ice spears and everyone had a look of horror on their face as the spikes came down on Katara. Everyone held their breath until Katara started moving and struggling, revealing to everyone that she was fine. Everyone except Azula who had stopped paying attention.
Azula reached her boiling point as her vision turned red. She could feel the rage inside of her explode to the surface as she let her anger take over and she ran down the stairs and fired a blast of fire from her fists at Pakku. Everyone gasped in horror while Sokka and Aang exchanged looks of concern to each other. Pakku was unfazed as he bended a big wall of ice in front of him to protect him. Azula got into a fighting stance as Pakku spoke.
"I had believed that since you had grown up in our sister tribe and were traveling with the avatar that you would behave yourself! I suppose I was wrong!" Pakku shouted. Azula wasn't in the mood for words as she blasted fire at Pakku. Pakku kept his composer as he deflected and blocked each blast of fire from Azula. Azula moved forward and shortened to distance between her and Pakku as she used many of the techniques she had learned from Ozai. Pakku went on the offensive and used water from both water fountains to blast Azula, but Azula propelled herself in the air with her fire bending. On her way down she slammed her foot down forward to send a wave of fire at Pakku who blocked it with another ice wall. "Azula! Stop!" Katara shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Pakku raised himself into the air using the snow beneath him and used it to form a tornado around him. Azula fired another blast but Pakku dodged it and sent his own attacks at the fire bending princess. Azula was knocked to the ground as she was hit in the chest by wave after wave of water. Azula however was done playing games and quickly took a breath before summoning lightning to her fingers and fired at Pakku. Azula saw the look on his face and knew he wasn't expecting that as the bolt hit him and sent him flying backwards and to the ground. Azula prepared another bolt of lightning but Pakku bended snow right under Azula's arm to force her hand upwards at the last second sending the lightning upwards and into the sky. Azula broke free from the ice but Pakku quickly bended the snow under her to entrap her in snow as she was lifted up and into the air. Azula couldn't move and was truly trapped and at Pakku's mercy. Pakku's face was cold and emotionless as he slammed Azula down to the ground hard. The impact knocking the wind out completely out of her. Azula began struggling to breathe as she felt as if her bones were broken form how hard she was slammed down into the ground.
"This fight is over!" Pakku declared as he walked away. "CURSE YOU OLD MAN!" Azula managed to shout as Aang and Sokka ran over to her to help her to her feet. "Why don't you take this time to reflect on your impulsive behavior." Pakku told her as he walked away. He then stopped as he stepped on something and picked it up. "This is my necklace!" Pakku said to himself. "No it's not, it's mine! Give it back!" Katara yelled. Azula felt her rage returning and giving her more strength. "GIVE THAT BACK!" She shouted. "Azula! No!" Sokka yelled, trying to calm her down. "I made this sixty years ago…..for the love of my life….for Kanna." Time seemed to slow down for Azula as a great wave of confusion hit her. 'What did he just say?! For Kanna? My grandmother?' The ice spikes holding Katara in place was turned to water setting her free. "My Gran Gran was supposed to marry YOU?!' Katara asked in shock. Azula's confusion grew excrementally. "MARRY?! Gran Gran was supposed to marry THIS GUY?!" Azula shouted, unable to contain her confusion. Most of the crowd began to realize that this was becoming a private matter and left. Only the chief and Yue remained.
"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would live a long happy life together. I loved her." Pakku told them. "But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage. Gran Gran wouldn't let her tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must've taken a lot of courage." Katara told him. Suddenly Yue ran off crying. "Go get her." Aang told Sokka and Sokka went after her. Azula was barely paying attention to them though. She thought heavily on what she had just learned before speaking. "I disagree. I think what Katara said is right but…..I think she did still love you." She told Pakku as she walked up to him. Pakku turned around to look at her with sadness in his eyes. "What makes you so sure of that?" Pakku asked. "Look in your hands and you have your answer." Pakku looked at the necklace he was holding. "She kept that necklace for years. Her whole life she held onto it. When her son got married she gave it to his wife. That necklace meant a lot to her so she kept it. I think she really did love you. She just didn't want to marry you because her tribe's traditions were forcing her to." Pakku said nothing. He looked at Katara and handed her back the necklace. "I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. You resemble her very strongly." Pakku told her.
The chief approached them. "Pakku….you knew didn't you. You knew she was a fire bender, didn't you." He told Pakku with agitation. Everyone suddenly tensed but Pakku maintained his composer. "Yes….I did." He confessed. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked. There was clear anger in his voice. Before Pakku could respond, Azula stepped forward. "Chief Arnook, please." Azula said getting his attention. "I understand your fear and I swear to you that I have no loyalty to the Fire Nation." Azula bowed her head before continuing. "My place of birth may be the Fire Nation but in my heart and soul, I am of the water tribe." Azula raised her head back up. "The spirits of the water tribe accepted me as one of their own long ago. I beg that you can as well." Azula and everyone else were silent as they looked at the chief who was silent.
Arnook let out a sigh. "I believe you." "You do?" Azula asked. "Your allegiance with the avatar is already enough for me to trust you. You don't need to convince me." He turned back to Pakku. "I'm just disappointed in master Pakku for withholding this information from me in the first place." "I didn't think it necessary. I apologize." Pakku said with a bow. The chief let out a sigh. "You can explain yourself later." He told him. Before he left he turned to look at Azula again. "If our sister tribe has welcomed you as one of their own…..then so shall I." He said with a smile before walking away. "Just behave yourself and try NOT to kill master Pakku." He said as he returned to the palace.
The next day, Azula sat on the steps leading up to the palace as she watched Pakku teach Aang water bending. "Not bad not bad. Hehehehe. Keep practicing and maybe you'll get it by the time your MY age." Pakku joked. Azula giggled at Pakku's teasing. A figure suddenly approached quickly and everyone turned to look at them. It was the one person who Azula was waiting for. Katara. "Hey Katara." Aang greeted her. "Bout time you showed up." Azula commented. "What do you think your doing?!" Pakku shouted. A smile started to form on his face. "It's past sunrise, you're late." Katara and Aang smiled as they began their water bending training while Azula happily watched.