Not a biweekly update as promised but I worked a lot harder than expected to get this chapter out. Enjoy.
"Very good, Azula." Uncle clapped quietly, as she mastered yet another movement, swishing a globe of water between her palms. On appearance, the technique seemed simple enough but took several more attempts for Azula to fully understand. Her quest for control over her ability and her drive for perfection made her a more than capable student. Additionally, her calming lessons with Uncle served as a nice break from her demanding, brutal training with Ozai.
Uncle had guided her seamlessly through the basics of waterbending, during her nights for many moons. She learned easily under his tutelage. Even more surprising, Azula found water bending enjoyable, if inferior to firebending. The motions were relaxing and graceful, making for a great break from the intense cardio and physical work of firebending. Her flexibility need to be trained. Ty Lee assisted her with that, though more out of Uncle's urging of Azula than anything else.
The art focused on the concept of the tides - a push and a pull - switching between a defense that absorbed an attack, and a redirection of that attack in one smooth, flowing motion. Azula believed the style would come to suit her in time. The voices rescinded further and further into her mind the more she practiced. Iroh also taught her the importance of meditation very early on to control her thoughts and restrict the effect of the spirits of the Avatar. All was well for Azula. She embraced the peace of mind, something not felt since she toddled.
"You are still trying to force the water to obey you," He added gently, after a moment. Azula sighed, letting the water splash onto the wooden floor. This frustrated her though. Her Uncle's constant reminders about the 'fundamentals'.
"You must let the water flow, and not be so tense. Not everything needs to be so controlled. You will struggle with more advanced forms until you accept this." Azula clenched her fists and unclenched them.
"I will consider your advice, Uncle." She ground out. His gentle, reminding criticism differed from Ozai, who demanded more power, aggression, and violence from her than anything else. Iroh critiqued her technique and her mindset more than encouraged her impulses to turn the water into a weapon.
"You have learned exceptionally quickly, especially for an eleven-year-old, and while that is a good thing," His smile wrinkled sadly at the edges, "Soon, I will have no more to teach you." For a long moment, Iroh received no response.
"Nothing?" Azula questioned in disbelief. Her routine would be disrupted and her little freedomwould vanish in a puff of smoke. Iroh's waterbending lessons allowed her to please her father without totally ignoring her... spiritual responsibilities. Would the Avatar voices return? A violent shudder coursed through her and her insides felt hollow and cold.
"Nothing. I have exhausted all the material I brought back to the firenation." Iroh admitted, seemingly at a small loss himself. The emptiness in her grew more and more with each breath. Desperately, Azula searched her thoughts, thinking of something, anything to blackmail him into staying. Her Uncle had few weaknesses to think of. However, a memory tickled her mind. The movements Iroh mimed in the training room played out in front of her as though she were ten again, watching him with that faint curiosity.
"What about the form you practiced at night before you started teaching me?" Iroh stopped mid-stand.
"You saw that as well?" He asked wryly. Suddenly, a wide smile crossed his face, and Azula knew she had reeled her Uncle in once again.
"I did. You aren't dismissed yet." Those moves were the origin of this ordeal. It was only fitting Azula used them to continue. Iroh sat back on the floor, and Azula eagerly followed, crossing her legs and propping her hands under her chin.
"What can you tell me?" Her cheeky grin prompted a brief chuckle from her Uncle before he schooled his face, becoming the teacher once more.
"You have begun the basics of lightning creation haven't you?" She inclined her head with a single nod,.
"Have you been successful?" Iroh asked and Azula knew it was more out of curiosity than anything. However, her face burned and her little jaw clenched.
"Not yet." She spat. Iroh raised a brow.
"You haven't?" He seemed genuinely surprised, and Azula nodded.
"I..." She broke off and stared at the wall behind Iroh to continue, "Li and Lo tell me that I have something... internal preventing me from mastering the cold fire." Iroh's eyes flashed.
"Your purpose as the Avatar." A look crossed his face. The same dark expression that possessed him when he noticed the marks from her training with Ozai.
"Has your Father-" Azula cut him off before that thought could be completed.
"No." Azula could not meet his eyes, "He hasn't said anything yet, but... I'm sure he will." She said nonchalantly. Iroh reached forward, and hesitated, before grasping her hand, which Azula jerked back.
"I'm not Zuzu. I don't need to be coddled." Iroh sighed.
"Of course not. I am here though, niece." Her Uncle stroked his chin for a moment before he looked at her intensely.
"Have I ever told you about your great-grandfather?" Iroh's question made Azula frown.
"You don't need to Uncle," She began, exasperated, "I have studied the reign of Sozin-"
"Not Sozin. The other side. Your mothers." Azula's breath hitched. Mother. Mother left. Mother thought she was a monster. Azula banished the woman from her mind.
"What does she have to do with this?" Azula growled. Iroh's brow rose.
"Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku," Iroh said as though he was talking about the weather. Azula balked, pushing herself backward on her hands.
"What?" She must have misheard.
"The fire sages arranged a marriage between Ozai and your mother. Originally, it was under the premise that the union of the line of Sozin and Roku would produce children of unseen bending aptitude. I do not know if I know a family line that may lay claim to two Avatars let alone one in their lineage." Azula could not believe the words she was hearing.
"Well, they made me." She mumbled, wondering if the story he told was true. And if it was, then how did Zuko come to be? Iroh appraised her silently.
"I..." She began. Words failed her. The voices began to come back. Princess. She clamped her hands over her ears.
"No. I don't want to hear about this right now. I'm the Princess of the Fire Nation." The warm amber irises of Iroh assessed her for a moment. Then, he uttered the most asinine proverb to grace Azula's ears.
"A fissure in a foundation will always spread. When it does, the house crumbles. It is an old Earth Kingdom proverb." She scoffed.
"Just show me the redirection. I said I don't want to speak of this anymore." Iroh waited a moment, before jumping back into explanation, as though already forgetting the gravity of what he told her.
"I picked up many things in my travels, niece. I traveled North searching..." Azula tuned him out and focused on steadying her breathing. Lightning. This is about learning to redirect lightning, not the Avatar. She tuned back to catch the end of his long-winded speech, "I had the opportunity to study the movements of waterbenders to create a new technique to protect myself from lightning.
Her intuition and quick wit put the pieces together quickly.
"You studied waterbending to learn how to redirect lightning." Her grudging respect for Iroh's firebending ability turned into brief awe at his ingenuity. Then Azula drifted to a horrid conclusion.
"But only you and Father can generate lightning... " Her words wandered away, as she gave into uncertainty, "Did you think..." Iroh nodded gravely.
"I learned what I had to in the event I needed to protect myself. I will teach you this under the same expectation that I hold for myself: to hope that I do not need to use it, but... the ability to defend yourself will always exist." Something twisted in Azula's stomach. By having Uncle teach this, she prepared to defend herself against Father. The knot tightened. Father only hurts me to teach me not to get hit. He wouldn't...
The war of thoughts continued in her head for another breath.
Then, "Teach it to me." At that, Iroh smiled, and pushed himself to his feet, knees cracking. Azula smirked as she began one of her last lessons with her Uncle.
"Wow, Azula, you're getting so good at this!" Ty Lee gushed at the backflip Azula finished with relative ease. Mai rolled her eyes, lingering off to the side under the shade of a cherry tree.
The fire princess took a dramatic bow at the praise, making eye contact with Ty Lee upon rising. The girl nervously shied away from eye contact.
Still scared from all those years ago?
"I am grateful such an excellent teacher taught me." Ty Lee's grey eyes widened.
"Did you just thank me?"
"I did. Good work deserves praise. I did a perfect flip and you clapped. Why should I not show my appreciation to the teacher?" Mai groaned from her spot on the grass.
"You're both weird." Azula smirked at Mai.
"You're just jealous that I can do a flip. And you can't." Mai didn't even look up.
"Whatever." The gloomy girl grumbled. Ty Lee grasped Azula's hand. Azula almost jerked it away, but something - perhaps the worried wobble of Ty Lee's lip or the way her eyes shifted to look around them - made her pause.
"Azula, can I show you something later? It'll be really cool, I promise." Ty Lee's fake smile was all teeth. Ty Lee enrolled in strange classes over the winter. Pressure points had been involved. Before she had time to dwell on her thoughts, a well-dressed servant stumbled into the gardens, walking straight up to her. Azula recognized the droll man as her father's messenger and raised a brow. What now?
A brief cough cleared his throat, and then he unrolled a scroll, "Today, when the sun is at its highest in the sky, an Agni Kai will take place in the Royal Arena. Your presence is required by decree of the Firelord."
An Agni Kai that required her presence?
"Very well, you may go." She had never been required to attend a duel before. Azula dismissed her friends, telling Ty Lee to show her tomorrow, quickly walking back to her room to dress herself appropriately to meet Iroh, hoping he could explain. Azula ran out the door and out of her wing, after shrugging on appropriate clothing and fixing her hairpin into place. A clamor, sounding much like a gathering of people, echoed in the strangely empty halls of the royal wing, becoming louder as she approached the entrance to the arena.
Azula hadn't attended many duels in her eleven years. Azula didn't need to in order to understand this duel was a big deal. The whole fire nation court crowded to enter the Royal Arena. Her eyes darted from each person in the crowd, before landing on a man with a smaller stature than the others. Her mouth set in a determined line and the princess nudged her way past several people, provoking a furious shout as she passed.
"Watch it-" A single look at the person - Zhao was his name, a rather ambitious captain in the navy - silenced him into a quick blubber, "-Princess Azula I'm so-"
Ignoring the captain, she pushed and shoved people aside until she reached Iroh's side. A quick once-over of the aged general told her something terrible had occurred. His mouth was set in a frown - a first for Azula to see even a shade of negativity in her Uncle - but his eyes oozed fear. What could scare Uncle?
Deciding this was a delicate matter, she began conversationally, "What is going on?"
"Your brother disrespected a general in the war room," Iroh mumbled, still not present, focusing only on the arena ahead. How, Zuko. Such a stupid thing made sense. Zuzu never knew when to stop talking.
"Explain." Azula snapped, trying to prod more information out of him. Iroh shook his head, breaking his trance a little.
"I brought him with me." A brief moment of hesitation. "The war meeting was discussing battle plans. General Bujing suggested we sacrifice recruits to weaken the enemy before sending in our more experienced men from the flank." Aang whispered and moaned how awful the plan was, but a voice akin to fathers snapped. Wars are won with blood and fire, not hugs and tea.
"And Zuko just couldn't help himself," Azula murmured to herself. Idiot. She expected nothing less from her boneheaded brother. One does not speak out of turn at a war meeting, especially to someone older, more experienced, and knowledgeable, even if the plan is as foolhardy and wasteful as his. Right or wrong didn't matter - even if the plan was an unwise, shortsighted venture masquerading as pragmatism. The Fire Nation princess in her theorized that such a slaughter would only result in distrust and reducing morale among the Fire Army ranks in the long term. The Avatar Spirit brooded more over the careless, callous way the firenation treated life.
"He should have asked me to handle it afterward privately!" Iroh's brief outburst of anger startled her from her thoughts. The Dragon of the West has woken from its tea induced slumber. The nobility around them looked at her Uncle fearfully. Azula wondered what why this had gotten under skin.
Iroh doggedly rubbed his face, and shook his head, "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. Let's go." Together Iroh and Azula walked into the arena, which was filled with eager spectators. Blood lust and anticipation clouded the atmosphere. A quick once over of the arena revealed that every seat was filled with highborn fire nation officials who eagerly whispered to one another.
Azula found the attendance and tense atmosphere unearned and unwarranted. Perhaps, a young prince in his first honor duel compelled the court to attend. Then again, Zuzu intended to duel some old fart, who slouched in a chair all day and hadn't exercised his bending in years, letting the real soldiers die for him.
However, the fact that she was required to attend and Iroh's all-around tense demeanor made her consider the possibility that she was missing a crucial detail. Something big.
What about this is so important?
Iroh softly nudged her forward, and they continued to shuffle to their seating area, front row, where royalty and the higher-ups typically sat for events. Her eyes vacantly drifted around the stands once more, but her gaze snapped quickly to the center of the room once Zuko emerged from behind a curtain on one end of the arena, walking to his place. A dull clap filled the stadium, not matching the electricity that seemed to keep everyone on the edge of their seat.
Zuko didn't acknowledge that and knelt with his mouth set in a determined line. His eyes though, were not what Azula would call prepared for battle. Focused, yes, but not prepared to go for the killing blow. You don't need to be ready to kill to win. She could hear Aang's dismay and pounced on it. Perhaps that is why your people were nearly wiped out, and I got stuck in this position. Azula thought balefully, silencing the voice. Azula couldn't see the other entrance from her seat, but the crowd's dull applause turned into a roar as the other competitor stepped out.
The Fire Sage rushed forward, made a small speech, and announced with a flourish that the duel would begin, ringing the bell. Zuko turned around, shrugging off his cloak and facing his opponent. At first, he did nothing. The Prince of the Fire Nation stood rooted to the spot, gazing in slack-jawed shock. Then his posture wobbled and shrunk. Azula held in a laugh.
Out of the corner of her eye, his opponent stalked forward. The physique did not resemble that of an old general. No, the shadow was muscular, lean, and powerful.
Then, the figure moved into her line of sight and stopped all coherent thought in Azula.
Father?
Her throat felt full suddenly, and her breath came in strangled gasps. Oh, Zuko. Azula hardly knew her brother, disliked him even, but even she would not wish this upon him. Father never broke a sweat when he trained her - beat her, really. She had not once won against her senior, and she was magnitudes better than Zuko at fire bending. This will be fine, dum-dum won't get hurt too badly. Sometimes you have to lie to protect yourself.
Then, "Why is he kneeling?" No. No. No. Fight, you need to fight. Ozai looked down with disdain as Zuko - his son - begged meekly to not fight him, burbling about having the Fire Nation's best interests at heart. The Avatar spirit within her found it admirable. Zuko wouldn't fight family. Dishonorable, and weak. The princess spat. The inner voice carried Ozai's threatening tone. Zuko needed to stand his ground. Father would not tolerate this cowardly display. He already disliked Zuko, favoring her talent and prowess over Zuko's inadequacy. Not that she blamed him, as Zuko was woefully lacking in her opinion as the heir apparent. Despite her recent disconnection with Ozai, she was still leagues worthier of love than Zuko in her father's eyes.
"You will fight for your honor." Her father growled in front of the groveling prince. The size disparity between them became very apparent at that moment. Ozai's muscle-bound form towered over the tiny, adolescent body of Zuko. Azula, Iroh, and all of the noblemen waited for the prince to do something.
An oppressive hush fell over the crowd as Zuko begged again, bowing his head in submission, "I meant no disrespect. I am your loyal son."
Azula could hear the past Avatars growing louder in her head, some telling her to look away - Aang - and others telling her to watch her father's cruelty unfold - Roku. She chose to watch. Anything else would have been an act of weakness.
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" Her father's final grave demand carried across the arena. If Zuko refused that demand, there would be no return for him.
"I will not fight you." Her brother's soft words were more defiant against Father than Azula ever had been. So, she scoffed, briefly drawing a side-eye from her Uncle.
Zuzu sealed his fate with that, and the princess watched their Father with morbid curiosity. His punishments were notably harsh, but this - refusing him in front of the entire nobility? - her father would take this as a grievous insult to him and as a further show of Zuko's innate weakness.
"You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher." A chill rose up her spine at those words. Goosebumps formed on her skin as her mouth dried and became a desert. Zuko looked up fearfully, tears spilling from his eyes. Azula's breath caught as Ozai's fist lit with a bright orange hue. He slowly brought the hand down onto Zuko's left eye. Then, an intense heat briefly engulfed the room. The air took on a red-orange glow and Zuko's flesh sizzled under the fire in Ozai's palm.
Zuko's following scream of anguish would have made anyone else sick. Azula merely frowned. However, she didn't dare glance at Iroh, knowing he likely blamed himself. An ache tightened her chest. Uncle had almost lost the boy whom he considered a second son. You should have looked away. Aang's sad whisper made her grit her teeth.
Then, still standing over his son's unconscious body, the Firelord declared, "For his dishonor, Prince Zuko is banished from the Fire Nation!" Now, her brother was scarred and banished. This made her next in line for the throne. If this had come any other way - without the Avatar spirit especially - Azula would have counted it a blessing. This time, Iroh would likely leave with him, leaving her alone with Ozai. Her mind would transform, forever vigilant, always looking over her shoulder, sharpening her paranoia. No rest for the wicked. She squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a harsh breath, longing to immolate something.
Perhaps she could convince her father that she should support the war front. Then, she could run away and abandon the Fire Nation. Azula stifled her rapid breathing. She had time to plan an escape. However, she lingered on the injustice of it all - she had done nothing wrong. Destiny was a nasty curse. Azula only wanted to please her Father. Mother had left, and Zuko and she rarely spoke. So for the longest time - before Iroh, he was the only one she confided in. She would have submitted herself to hiding the Avatar spirit within, putting it aside all for him. A small, sad part of her acknowledged her act would not have lasted forever. Fate would have forced her to leave eventually.
Her eyes returned to where the servants and palace staff hovered over the fallen, former prince, attempting to raise his crumpled form onto a stretcher. The air smelled faintly of burnt flesh. Azula was acquainted with that scent. To think her brother had only refused an order. What would become of her if he discovered what she was?
Abruptly, the Firelord continued, "However, this is not to say Zuko cannot return to the Fire Nation. If he captures the Avatar from Ba Sing Se and brings him to the firenation in chains, his honor and birthright will be restored, and his banishment revoked." Time stood still for a moment around Azula. Nausea, raw and sickening, rocked her. Fate was cruel beast, pitting brother against sister once more. A faint gasp at her right reminded her of who was still with her.
Her focus jolted to Iroh as Ozai's decree dawned on her, crushing the flicker of attachment to the old fool. The one person in the world who loved Zuko enough to do anything. Slowly, the older man turned his head, his mouth beginning to form her name. His hand started to reach out for her. Too slow, old man. She swatted his attempt to grab hold of her aside and ran, pushing and shoving through the crowd of gaping nobles. She didn't have much time. Iroh would likely tell Zuko the moment he woke. Would he even wait that long to do something about her? Poor Azula would spend the rest of her life in a cell, chained and drugged. Another failed Avatar in a long line of failed Avatars. No. She had to hurry. Her little but lithe legs pumped as hard as they could, carrying her to the royal wing. Azula punched her door and it crashed against the wall. Her mind raced and her hands were active, grabbing essentials: jewelry, coin, change of clothes, and the waterbending scroll from her night training.
Her chest heaved as she shoved all her chosen items into a small silk knapsack. One she once used to collect seashells at Ember Island. Her lower lip trembled. A different time, a different Azula. Then, the door creaked open. Soft footfalls made her whip around and ignite her hands in a blaze of blue.
"Uncle, you aren't with Zuko." She observed casually, watching the man catch his breath on the door. Her eyes peered beyond his shoulder into the empty hall.
"No guards, Uncle? Think you can capture me and bring me to Zuko all alone?" She snarled, firing off a warning shot that exploded just above her uncle's head, splintering the wood.
"Azula-" Iroh raised his hands in defense, waving away the fire around him, but she glared balefully.
"I will kill you. Leave now. That was my only warning." Her pupils dilated and her heart thumped so loudly, that it was all she could hear. Agni's blood running through her veins. I am a dragon, who will not die easily. However, Uncle, despite his age, was equal with Ozai in terms of raw bending skill and possibly more skilled than him on account of his technique and craftiness. Azula's smoldering hands wavered at the thought.
"You are planning to leave." He commented as if she hadn't hurtled a fireball at him a moment ago.
"And you can't stop me." She pressed her back against the open windowsill.
Iroh had the nerve to speak again but decided better against stepping toward her, retracting his foot and assuming a non-threatening stance. Uncle could play possumsnake all he wanted, Azula's hands remained pointed at him with fatal intent.
"Azula, I'm not here to take you to Ozai or Zuko. I understand your ... anxiety about your situation." His words did little to calm her as images of her in chains and scarred - like Zuko - raced into her mind's eye. However, she said nothing, feeling only her heart continue to thump rapidly against her rib cage. Faintly, she wondered if it would explode.
"You need to calm down and listen to me." He pressed gently, even taking a moment to kneel down before her.
She bared her teeth at him, "I know your ways, uncle. You taught me after all. Now, I know all of your secrets. I'm not letting my guard down." His expression twisted as his brows furrowed tightly against his eyes. "My ways?" He swallowed after a moment of silence, and lifted his hands, showing her his empty palms in a gesture of surrender. A convincing act.
"And that's okay. I want to reassure you. That is all. And give you something." Her head shook and the flames in her hands grew.
"I want nothing from you, snake!" She noticed her arms began to shake, and watched her Uncle carefully. He did not seem to notice. Something inside her - powerful and dormant - stirred. His hand began to move slowly, and her eye twitched, watching his digits sink into his pocket. Azula waited as he removed a pai sho tile - The white lotus.
"Is this a joke?" She asked calmly, then angry, "A signal?" Her eyes darted behind him again, but he remained on his knees and slid the tile over to her.
"I had a feeling for a long time that the day would come when we would part ways. I had hoped it wouldn't be so sudden and disruptive to both of us." Speak for yourself. His nephew, the one thing she knew her uncle treasured in life - more than tea and pai sho - had been scarred. Yet, he remained so calm, more than her. "I know it is not your favorite piece, but I planned to give you that tile when the day arrived. Should you ever find yourself in trouble, give that tile to a game master. They will help you. I regret that we did not spend time together as a family, but I've realized... " He trailed off, smiled, and shook his head, "You are the last hope for the world, Azula, and I would never endanger you. Even if that means keeping your secret from Zuko. I understand why you do not trust me, but I hope that once you are away from the capital and all its stress, you will begin to see that I would never hurt you, Azula." They stared at each other for a long moment, and Azula's mind began to clear from its paranoid haze, but she did not trust him.
"I'm touched." She bit acidly in response, picking up the lotus tile, "Now leave."
A brief look flashed on his face, between disappointment and hurt, that nearly made Azula reconsider her words, but he schooled his face and bowed. So, she swallowed her thoughts, keeping her eyes narrowed and directed at him.
"As you wish. Goodbye, niece." Azula did not lower her arms until he had rounded the corner down the hall and was far out of sight. She threw the tile in with her belongings - what a pathetic set that was - and removed her royal hairpin, tossing it with her sack. Her hair flowed freely, obscuring her face. Satisfied, she tossed on an old, worn night cloak that didn't quite fit her anymore around the shoulders. It smelled like an old closet. Azula supposed she would have to get used to unpleasant smells. Finally, after one long survey of her room - at the home she was leaving behind - she ran.
The wharf was the most distant location in the caldera from the palace, but Azula moved with the speed and tenacity of a mongooze lizard. The trip was a blur, Azula hadn't bothered to stop and gaze fondly. She made it to the docks in double time, unrecognized by anyone under her cowl. So far, Iroh appeared to be true to his word. Not a single guard had been on the lookout for her or waited for her arrival. She scoured the ships, listening, when she caught wind of a ship departing for a port near the colonies in the Earth Kingdom. The cruiser had its bow bent open as it was being loaded. Perfect. She snuck beside a tall stack of crates that looked scheduled to be put on the ship.
Creeping behind to a modestly sized crate, she undid some of the rope tying the top down and peered inside. Salted pork, she realized. I don't think this is going to work. Aang's nervous and timid voice was silenced as she began to make due. Her small head poked above the wooden box, scanning for potential witnesses, before ducking back down, moving the meat inside away, and tossing the ones that would stick out into the sea. Once her body would fit comfortably, she jumped inside and shifted the top of the crate back above her head, sinking beneath the weight of the pungent meat and waiting. After a considerable amount of time passed, Azula considered leaving her hiding place to walk on board the ship since no one seemed to be doing their job. Then, some voices muffled through the container and began to move closer.
"Hey! Don't forget these over here!" Thank Agni.
"Chan, this one's rope fell off." Another voice added hesitantly. She ground her teeth and held her breath.
"Hmm... check inside." She stilled, ceasing her breathing and movement, as suddenly a ray of light poured through the layers of pork above her head. After a long moment, it disappeared.
"Looks fine. The rope must have just slipped off, or someone stole a few." She nearly breathed a sigh of relief but held her breath further as the crate was jostled.
"This must be a lot of pork." One of the men grunted as he readjusted his grip.
"You're telling me. Weighs about as much as a large child." Azula rolled her eyes. In a few moon cycles, she would be in the Earth kingdom away from the pressures of the fire nation. She would be... What would she be doing?
For the first time in her life, Azula possessed no plan, direction, or person to turn to, making her tune out the rest of their conversation. She was alone and lost. The crate shook once more as the men gently put it down on the metal floor of the ship.
As the Avatar, she was supposed to master all four elements, which was a start, but another problem sprouted. She needed to learn airbending. There were no more organized airbenders left. She tried to recall one of her lessons with Iroh, desperately trying to bring the conversation to the forefront of her mind. Slowly, she realized her efforts were in vain, and the toll of the past few hours began to wear down her resolve, and she fell into a deep sleep.
"This tea is actually ginseng for once." She observed, put into a good mood for the first time after a lesson. Usually, Iroh would experiment on her with all sorts of nasty teas - some nearly made her sick.
"I thought you deserved something special after mastering your first waterbending movement." Iroh seemed to smile with a hint of pride. Azula hated the idea of being rewarded like a child by her Uncle. However, the sight of that smile made her hold back her insults. It was not the cruel, satisfied smirk of watching a girl be shaped into a weapon. A genuine pride filled the creases of Iroh's weathered smile. A different type of praise. Azula decided it was pleasant enough.
So, Azula settled on silence for a few more sips. Then, the desire to speak again struck her, and she decided to ask about a subject that had nagged at her mind ever since the voices of the Avatar began appearing. "What else did you come across in your travels, Uncle? Did you ever explore the air temples?"
If Iroh looked surprised, he didn't show it, sipping his tea again. "That's an interesting question. Why the air temples, Niece?" Azula didn't reveal that it was because of her nightmares, watching the airbenders burn to death under the red hue of the comet.
"I'm just curious. Isn't air one of the elements the Avatar is supposed to master? How is the Avatar to do that without airbenders?" She hoped her question would challenge him, pick at his brain, but instead, he laughed.
"Azula, the airbenders did not all stay at the temple. They were called air nomads for a reason." Now, she was intrigued and put her tea down gently in front of her.
"Explain."
He sobered slightly and put his tea next to hers.
"The air nomads were not all massacred. Certainly, they left it to be believed that way, knowing that Sozin and his sons would hunt the remaining ones down. They would do so relentlessly to ensure the death of the Avatar cycle." Azula nodded, taking this in.
"How do you know they survived?"
"I received reports from sentry posts far and wide about traveling strangers, some who traveled with exotic beasts. The reports said that these strangers had strange tattoos, and I was reminded of my studies on the air nomads. Naturally, I dispelled the rumors and burned all evidence that such reports had been sent my way to protect them and the balance of the world." Iroh resumed sipping his tea casually.
That's treason, Uncle. Azula's choked on the words, swallowing them. That little problem didn't matter to her Uncle. She had to remind herself of that. His inclinations were the reason he kept her secret.
"I watched them burn, Uncle. I felt it. I wouldn't get my hopes up." Her eyes met his. She could see the pain and horror she experienced mirrored in his, and she looked away. "Are there other ways?"
Iroh was contemplative before he sighed and put down his tea again.
"Many of the scrolls from their time are lost. You would need an entire book to master such a complex art. You would be lucky to get your hands on even one scroll."
"Fortunately, I was born lucky," Azula said, examining her nails. However, she believed that sentiment less and less these days. Iroh chuckled, mumbling something about Zuko saying the same thing. Then he jumped in his seat.
"Let me tell you a story about a vast collection of ancient knowledge in the Si-Wong desert. You might find what you are looking for there." And so Azula dozed off, allowing herself to be regaled by another of her Uncle's grand tales of the world. Perhaps, she would see it someday.
Azula awoke with a start, smelling only salted meat. She grimaced, as her earlier thoughts bubbled to the surface. Stuck in a box, and stowed away all alone. Where to go from here? A sliver of pork drooped through the cover of her cloak. Azula shuddered. I need to get out of this filth first. So, she bit into the piece closest to her mouth, reminded herself that an entire boat ride lay ahead to consider these things, and crawled out of the box.
AN: Second chapter, I waited a week to give me some time to write ahead before posting this one. Some small edits have been made from my original. The story is kicking off this chapter and Azula's life at the palace under Iroh and Ozai will be shown in flashbacks as the story progresses. As always please review!