Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Air Bender.
Author's Note: Hello my wonderful readers! I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed and added this story to their alerts. It makes me feel awesome knowing you guys enjoy this story. Like I said in the last note, I might always be able to update twice a week just because of how hectic everything in my life is right now. I promise I will not abandon this story. As always, please read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter 6 – Northern Air Temple
Katara was humming to herself as she waterbended by the pond in one of common gardens. She wanted to enjoy those few moments of tranquility before she had to go back to planning for the conference. It would be a week long of meetings, dinner parties, and dancing. She smiled at the thought of seeing her father, Sokka, and all her other friends. Her smile grew brighter at the thought of seeing him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the familiar crack of lightning. Her heart stopped for a moment in fear.
With a few deep breaths, Katara was able to calm herself down. She walked towards the source of the sound and saw Azula practicing. Azula stopped when she saw she had company.
"Waterbender, what are you doing here?" Azula asked without any effort of a friendly tone.
Katara frowned, "I heard lightning. I just wanted to make sure…"
"That I wasn't using human targets?" Azula taunted.
Katara counted to ten before she spoke again, "No. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Now that I see it is, I'll be leaving."
"See you at the conference." Azula said with a sugary voice.
Katara stopped and turned to face the princess, "They said you could go?"
"Well what kind of Air Nation ambassador would I be if I didn't?" Azula could tell she was getting under the water bender's skin and she was enjoying it.
"Air Nation ambassador?" Katara could only manage a whisper.
"Really waterbender, you're going to have to play nice now that the Avatar and I are involved."
Katara walked up to Azula, only inches from her face, "Listen to me, firebender, my name is Katara. I don't know what game you're playing but I will find out. I took you down once, and I could do it again."
Azula's golden eyes penetrated Katara's ocean hues. The princess smiled, "Well then, Katara, you'll be disappointed when you find out I have nothing to hide."
Katara huffed and walked towards her bedroom. She was having such a good morning until Azula ruined it. She honestly didn't know what her friends, especially Aang, saw in the fallen princess. She knew Toph thought she was jealous but Katara could say with confidence she wasn't. She had moved on. Katara honestly was still nervous around Azula. She couldn't shake the memories of holding Aang as his life slipped away or of the Agni Kai. And not to mention the countless times they had to escape her.
You forgave Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee, her conscious reminded her. Why is Azula different? Didn't she and Zuko grow up in the same household? Don't you trust Aang? She couldn't ignore her conscious. She also couldn't ignore her nurturing nature. She was always the first to help those in need. But this was Azula.
She didn't realize she was in front of her door. She rolled her eyes at herself and made her way to Azula's rooms. As she knocked on Azula's door, she hoped she didn't end up regretting it.
Azula was packing when she heard a knock on the door. She wasn't expecting any guests and was taken aback when she saw the waterbender. Azula quickly regained her composure and asked, "Lost, Katara?"
Katara plastered a smile on her face, "No, Azula. I actually came to visit you."
Azula smirked, "Our chit-chat in the garden wasn't enough?"
This girl was really testing her patience, "Clearly we have history together. But I'd like us to move forward with our relationship."
"Did you come to ask to be my best friend?" Azula meanly teased.
"I think we can manage to at least be civil with one another." Katara saw luggage thrown around. "Are you going somewhere?"
Azula went back to her packing; "The Avatar and I will be going to the Northern Air Temple for a few days."
"Ambassador training?"
Azula smiled, "Something like that."
"I'll help you," before Azula could protest, Katara had taken over. She decided to let the waterbender have her way since she seemed to enjoy taking charge of the domestic chores. They fell into a pattern of Azula laying out what she thought she needed and Katara making the final decision of what was packed.
Slowly they began to talk. Well, Katara did most of the talking. "You'll want to be careful with King Kuei. He's still sore about you bringing down the walls of Ba Sing Se and the fiasco with the Harmony Restoration Movement."
Azula ruefully smiled at the memory, "I'll remember that."
"King Bumi stepped down in favor of his great nephew, King Aarn. Aarn is young but very smart and kind. He's probably your best bet at an Earth Kingdom royal ally."
The rest of the afternoon was spent in a similar fashion. Aang was extremely surprised when he walked in on Katara and Azula. They weren't talking, but they were working together. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't in the Spirit World.
Azula was the first to notice him, "Avatar."
Katara smiled, "Hi Aang. I was helping Azula pack for your trip. She said you two are leaving tonight."
"Hey Katara. Yeah we are. I just finished getting Appa ready," Aang didn't hide the confusion in his voice.
Neither woman offered an explanation. Katara and Azula exchanged a knowing glance. "I'll let you two finish up. Have a safe trip," Katara smiled at them before walking back to her own room.
Aang wrapped his arms around Azula and kissed her forehead, "What was that about?"
Azula kissed him, "Girl time."
Azula did not enjoy riding the giant mass of fur but after a few hours she was getting used to it. The night sky was above her and a cool breeze blew her raven locks back. She kept her golden eyes on the bright stars above her, a warm memory taking her back in time.
She had just discovered she was a firebender. Any chance she got she let the orange flame spring to life in her hands. One summer night she snuck out of her rooms to practice her bending. After a while she began to yawn. Before walking back to her rooms she looked up at the sky and was impressed by how bright the stars were.
She heard footsteps and ducked behind the pond. "Hmm, I could have sworn I saw a little firebender out here. I must have been wrong." Lu Ten said.
She began to giggle when he started to dramatically look for her behind shrubs. She quickly covered her mouth when he began to walk towards her hiding spot. "There you are!"
Azula let out an excited scream, "Lu Ten!"
He scooped her up in his arms, "Isn't it past your bedtime time?"
"I really wanted to practice my bending. Please don't tell mommy or daddy." Azula pleaded.
Lu Ten frowned but then quickly smiled, "Okay but only if promise to go back to bed."
Azula nodded as he put her down, "Lu Ten, what are the stars made of?"
"Big balls of fire. They are millions of miles away from us, burning bright," he took her hand and led her back to her room.
Azula jumped up and down with excitement, "They are made of fire? Does that mean I can bend them?"
Lu Ten laughed, "If you ever close enough, maybe you can."
Azula smiled and yawned. One day she would get close enough to bend the stars.
She was taken out of her memory by the Avatar's voice, "We should be there by morning. How are you feeling?"
"As well as can be expected when riding a sky bison," she answered as he pulled her into his arms.
"You'll get used to it, Ambassador," he nibbled at her ear.
She leaned in closer, "I prefer princess."
Aang smiled as she continued to watch the stars, "What's on your mind, princess?"
"As a child, I once thought I could bend the stars. My cousin, Lu Ten, told me they were made of fire and I vowed to one day get close enough to bend them."
Aang watched her. It was a rare moment when Azula opened up to him and he always treated those moments with great care. "Do you miss him?
"We weren't as close as he and Zuko," Azula answered, reeling in her emotions. She did not enjoy vulnerability, even if it was with the Avatar.
Aang didn't push her for more. He knew she would share when she wanted to. Instead he kept his arms wrapped around her and watched the stars.
They arrived at the Northern Air Temple mid morning. The second the Avatar stepped down from Appa's saddle, he was swarmed with fans asking how he was and offering to take his things to his room. The crowd took a few steps back when they saw Azula jump from the saddle. They had all heard the rumors but no one really thought them true, until now. Azula stood tall and regal. Aang noticed the unease of the temple residents and held Azula's hand.
The Mechanist moved his way towards the couple and shook their hands, "It's great to see you again Avatar Aang." He gave Azula a hard look, "Welcome to our home, Princess Azula."
Azula put on her princess smile, "The pleasure is all mine."
Aang put his arm around Azula's waist, "We'd like to get settled in before lunch."
"Of course. I'll show you to your rooms." As they walked, the Mechanist listed off the improvements the residents had made to the temple, new births, and other news. He opened the door to their room.
Azula eyed the simple room. There was a stack of mail on the desk. The bed would snuggly fit two people. But aside from that, the room was bare.
The Mechanist watched Azula, "I hope you enjoy your accommodations."
Azula nodded, "They will do. Thank you."
Aang waved the Mechanist good bye and looked at Azula. "So, what do you think?"
"It's simple but I like it." She walked to the desk and began to look through the mail, "You should really read through these and organize them."
Aang gave her a mischievous grin, "I could. Or we could add to your Ambassador duties."
Azula rolled her eyes, "Maybe. I'm going for a walk."
Azula used a sharp eye to inspect her surroundings. Aang had briefed her on how the community ran. For the most part everyone shared everything from food, chores and other responsibilities. She knew the Avatar and Mai weren't sure how serious Azula was taking her new role. She didn't really care what they thought, but she did want to feel useful again. The blind earthbender's words about wasting her talents had struck a nerve with the princess. She was no longer going to be the Avatar and Mai's recovery project.
She noticed the adults kept a safe distance from her but the children and teenagers went about their business. She noticed a teenage boy, about thirteen years old practicing fighting moves. She watched him for several minutes before she intervened. "Keep your legs further apart. Your arms have to be raised higher."
The boy gave her a defiant look, "Why should I listen to you?"
She smirked, "Watch your tone. Most warriors would be honored to have the conqueror of Ba Sing Se give them a few pointers."
The boy looked awe struck, "You're Princess Azula of the Fire Nation? How do I know you aren't lying?"
Azula gave a cold laugh, "Stand back." She looked around for a safe target and found a small bunch of rocks about 50 feet away. She raised her hands in front her, letting lightning escape her finger tips. The boy began to clap wildly and soon the people around them joined.
"That was amazing! What else can you do?" The boy eagerly asked.
"First, tell me you're name."
"Dulin, you're highness."
Azula spent a few hours teaching Dulin and his friends basic fighting stances. While they trained, she asked them questions about temple life and they were happy to answer. She learned that most of the residents were isolated from the other nations. The adults were fine with the solitude since the war had scared them but the younger generation didn't want to continue that.
Aang had spent most of his day meeting with the Mechanist and other temple residents. He had been looking for Azula when he saw her with a group of the temple's younger residents. She seemed to be listening to suggestions and writing down notes. He smiled when she noticed him.
"Avatar Aang!" the young people excitedly greeted him. He made his way towards the group.
"Hey everyone. What's going on?" he asked curiously.
"We're teaching Princess Azula about life at the Air Temple," a young girl answered.
"And she was teaching us fighting techniques," Dulin stated proudly.
"That sounds great. Do you mind if I borrow the Princess for a while?"
The kids looked disappointed but they nodded. Aang took Azula's hand and led her to their room. "You have a talent with the kids," he commented.
She shrugged, "They were eager to learn and I am natural teacher. I also happened to learn a lot from them."
"What did you learn?" Aang asked as he opened the door to their room.
"That I was right about needing organize this place. I'll give you a full report before we leave." Azula stated as she began to undress herself. Aang made sure to lock the door behind them before pouncing on the Princess.
Azula, after two days, was finally getting a feel of the Air Temple. She spent most of her time with Dulin and the other teenagers. Because most of the young people had taken to her, the adults were open and some of the men and women were willing to give suggestions on how to run the Air Temple.
She was in one of the courtyards writing her report when Dulin sat next to her. She didn't look up from her writing, "Speak."
"Princess, I know you're writing your report and I was wondering if you came to a decision about the council of elders?"" Dulin asked nervously.
"Don't ask me round about questions, Dulin." Azula still didn't look up.
"I'm sorry, Princess. My friends and me were talking and we don't think there should be a council of just elders. We think even people our age should have a representative."
Finally Azula did look up, "Why is that?"
Dulin sat straight and looked at her, "The adults are happy to just stay here and only have communication with the outside on rare occasions. We, the teenagers, want to be able to explore other nations and bring back knowledge and new ideas to the temple. We don't want to be just refugees. We want to be the Air Nation."
Azula was silent for a long time, contemplating. "I'll present your idea in my report, with some polishing of course. You're dismissed."
Dulin smiled brightly and bowed before skipping off. Azula watched him go before she went back to writing.
Back in their room, Azula was packing for their trip back to Fire Nation as Aang read her report. When he was done he smiled at her, "I'm impressed. You really worked hard on this."
Azula shrugged, brushing away his compliment, "Now what?"
"The biggest concerns you presented were setting up a council and establishing exchange programs with the other nations. We should work on the exchange program first at the conference and after the conference we can come back to the temple to set up the council," Aang said as he stretched and helped her with the packing.
"Do you agree that the council should consist of people from the different age groups?" Azula asked.
Aang looked at her pensively before answering, "The Air Nation's council was always made up of elders. But if I want to rebuild the Air Nation I have to modernize it. Living in seclusion won't benefit us anymore."
Azula nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's say our goodbyes. I'm actually starting to miss the palace."