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That evening would see Azula stood alone by the starboard rail of the ship, watching a passing school of dolphin-piranhas swimming and jumping through the surface of the ocean. As her mind was wandering to what she had found and discovered - her feelings for Ty Lee and her overall relationship with her mother, her stepdad and now...half-sister as well. All of it made her head swim with a variety of emotions - envy with a tiny hint of anger. Though another part felt, the need and drive to protect, to ensure what had happened to her wasn't done to Kiyi.
Ty Lee for her part, was busy sleeping in their quarters. As she didn't exactly like the cold, that was slowly creeping the closer they got to the North. Instead, Azula would be visited by Iroh whom was still the usual - despite everything that had happened.
"So. How did your reunion go?" asked Iroh, as he stood next to the young woman.
"Well...it was emotional to say the least," admitted Azula - still feeling, confused yet open to wanting more. "I learned a lot of things about myself and others...and began to see certain things differently. Okay, maybe that's a bit too philosophical."
Nonetheless - she did start a small chat with the man, that was starting to be the 'father-figure', that someone like her should have had. Even if Azula would never realize or admit to it. Still - she allowed the ex-General to listen and ponder over everything she told him. Minus a few...activities she and Ty Lee did later. As there were some things, best left unsaid no matter who they happened to be.
"Hmm. I see. You are seeking to search the Northern Water Tribe for the Avatar?" he asked, and once he got confirmation - he nodded in reply. "Please follow me. Despite what you might think, the Waterbenders who live there are more than meets the eye. They are skilled in their environment and very isolated."
As they would walk down the hallways and down towards his own cabin. "Trying to enter as you are, won't leave you with much beyond a stranded ship," replied Iroh, as once they arrived in the mess hall and Iroh, fetched out his Pai Sho set. Then he pulled out a White Lotus tile. "I believe it is time you knew. You have proven your commitment. But tell me this, Azula. Do you believe, that the other cultures are worthy of being learned and studied?"
Azula did sens that this was some kind of test, that Iroh's next course of action depended entirely on the response she gave. A part of her wanted to lie, while another part wished to...be honest. As strange as it was, Iroh sounded more serious than Azula had ever seen him before, and she very much doubted that she'd be able to trick him right now or ever at that.
"I've never felt any reason to study the other cultures before." She admitted while looking away, horribly aware that this likely wasn't the answer he wanted to hear - though she did know, he desired her honesty here. "Do you believe that I should? That it'll help me in the future?"
"All cultures in the world, have something to inspire or to learn. You have seen how I fight for a year now. You should know, that what I know isn't something you have learned from your average tutor," replied Iroh. As he soon, smiled in reply and with a flick, handed Azula the White Lotus tile. Then he asked her to sit down, as he begun speaking.
Namely - that after Lu Ten' death, Iroh had been a mess emotionally and spiritually. That he hadn't returned home immediately, was because he didn't feel worth it. Further explaining, how he had gone on his own small adventure, an encounter into the Spirit World and finally joining something called the Order of the White Lotus.
"We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations. The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth," he explained their motto. "You have merely seen the other arts from a mere distance. Imagine how much one can learn, if you could work alongside a waterbender or earthbender? Water is the liquid of life. Earth is the land that produces sustenance for life. Air is the very breath of life. And fire? Fire is the warmth, that energy of life itself."
As it was, for her listening - it now made all sense. Too much sense. His lack of resistance against Ozai' coronation, the rather tamed yet very skilled firebending. Iroh for a time, had wanted to end this war and it seemed he wasn't alone. "Once, the White Lotus had been a simple group. Starting off as men, with an interest in Pai Sho. A group who had a love for the game and wanted to seek others to challenge them to it. In time, with one unifying spark began talks, then meetings and then an Order..." he added, continuing on.
Azula for her part examined the White Lotus tile and then listened as Iroh spoke, nodding her head at each point he made to show that she had heard and understood it, all while he gave her a new way of seeing the world, and told her about the Order of the White Lotus. "So, you're a secret society who want to end this war." Azula said. "And you want me to help you?"
"Not end this war, we want to stop other wars from happening. Tell me this. How many wars have happened because people generally disagree and how many times have they started cause the opposite cultures couldn't or didn't want to understand each other?" asked Iroh, which in a nutshell was an answer that could fit in one hand. The world had been calm before the Hundred-Year War - but even before then there had been dozens of wars for many number of reasons. Most of which involved one culture or another fighting the other. "But, a short answer is yes. Long answer, I want to help you grow - as much as I would like your help to stop the war. This might be the first time in our history, that one culture might consume the entire world under it's control. Could you imagine a world without waterbending, or earthbending? I know it might be hard to understand to you. But it would drive many things into imbalance. And often times, the voids are filled by something unnatural. Even worse than the balance we have now..."
"I will say this Azula. We are not interested in control or destruction. We simply want peace. For so long, we have been waiting. Because, until now we didn't have any way to replace Ozai. He might seem powerful. But remember, that nobody rules alone. Ozai may act powerful, he may look powerful, he may even be powerful - but he can't lead his armies or collect his coin by himself. We need someone able and willing to break that cycle - be smart enough to play the games yet not be broken by the 'Court' in a sense," he explained. "I apologize if this is much to take in. But for the moment, that White Lotus tile will help you get a meeting with the another of our Order in the North. Someone who is a Master Waterbender and might be able to help you on your quest. Or if not, then perhaps teach you something useful."
"I've been taking in a lot these past few hours, uncle. I'm kind of getting used to it." She admitted once he was finished, thinking of the confrontation with her inner self, the reasons behind Ursa's disappearance, the fact that Ursa genuinely loved her, and the feelings she and Ty Lee had for each other. At that last thought, Azula's had a mental image of a sleeping Ty Lee, and it took a bit of effort for her to refocus her mind, so she could ask her next question. "But if you've studied the other bending arts, couldn't you teach me?" It wasn't that she didn't trust this Master Waterbender of Iroh's. It was just that she'd have preferred to learn from her uncle, rather than a complete stranger.
"I have studied only a little bit. Plus, I am an old man who is stuck in his ways," he spoke, laughing at that last part. "Plus, I have been teaching you in many ways already. Haven't you noticed, that when you were learning firebending - I had you focus more on your breathing, than your movement?"
That alone was a point, that she might have missed - since traditional firebending relied on movement, to stimulate the body and thus improve their inner fire. "That was one lesson and you can have plenty of time to learn more. But I am a firebender. Set in certain ways, that isn't easy to tell apart. A waterbender has a whole different mindset, motion and understanding of fighting. I can teach you a few things, but only you alone can learn from another true master of the other arts..."
He did have a point, Azula realized, as she recalled all the times she'd trained with him before. Plus, no matter what Iroh knew of waterbending, an old master of the art was bound to know more. "Okay then. How will I be able to find your friend in the Northern Water Tribe?" She asked.
"That is easy. Just show that White Lotus tile to the highest waterbender you can," replied Iroh. As once that had been said, he took his leave and let Azula remain with her thoughts on the matter at hand.
After Iroh left, Azula had remained in thought - watching the stars above and the calm waters below, watching her own breathe turn to mist before she sighed and dissipated it with a flash of embers from her throat and considered all that he'd told her, before she pocketed the White Lotus tile and returned to her cabin, entering slowly and quietly in case Ty Lee was still asleep.
Luckily to her credit, the woman in question was still slumbering - if somewhat cuddling against a pillow, since her usual source of warmth was 'missing'. As it were, Azula gently glided back to her side and not wanting to disturb her lover, Azula lay down on the side and let herself relax and unwind after the serious conversation with her uncle, occasionally glancing at the form of the sleeping girl.
Still in thought, whether or not she should tell Ty Lee about what she had discovered. On one hand, afraid that Ty Lee may be 'too' eager to chatter about it to everyone - yet another side of her, wished to have someone her age to talk and ponder the truth, that had been gifted to her.
All the while, she gently glanced at her own 'hand' - still bearing a mark, yet slowly healing thanks to the aid of her Mother's concoction.
"...well...this will be interesting..." she sighed, hoping they'd get to the North sooner than later.
Their sailing towards the Northern Water Tribes would take some days. But eventually they would be spotting the glaciers and anchor was dropped. Less their ship fall prey to likely waterbenders hiding in the ice and waters. "I do believe, you can make your way forward on the smaller skiff from here," spoke Iroh, at their arrived destination.
"Once we reach the northern continent, we should be able to hide the boat, and then sneak into the city." Azula said. Both she and Ty Lee were wearing blue parkas, thick gloves and boots over casual clothing typical to the Water Tribes, for their plan was to pose as northern citizens in the short amount of time Azula expected them to be in the city. Azula didn't ask where the clothes had come from, and wondered if they had been procured by Iroh's friends in the White Lotus.
"Ready to go, Ty Lee?" Azula asked, soon turning her gaze over to Ty Lee. As by morning, she'd decided to tell the other girl everything Iroh had told her, having reasoned that Ty Lee was bound to find out something about the White Lotus when they met with Iroh's contact, the waterbending master. That and they were living side by side, and always together - so she would find out things sooner than later.
Needless to say, Ty Lee had spent her entire time with her mouth open and looking between a mix of shocked, surprised and doing her best impression of a baboon-gorilla.
"Ready as always..." replied Ty Lee, as she was more or less still shivering from the cold. Namely cause she didn't have the ability to generate fire like did Azula. As was evident with her sneezing almost immediately, and hugging herself.
Still, that didn't stop Ty Lee from joining her down in the skiff and soon slowly having it glide forward - as it took them half an hour of floating along the currents and avoiding the glaciers - trying to look as inconspicious as possible, before they saw the sight and the walls carved into the ice ahead
"Wow. That is a nice sight indeed."
"Yes. Pity we can't pass through the front gate in this boat." Azula replied, as she turned them to the left, wanting to get out of sight before one of the guards on the gate spotted them. Once they were out of sight of the gate, Azula looked around at the shivering Ty Lee. "Do you want me to warm you up again? Because I won't be able to do it the same way as last night in this boat." She teased, referring to the especially vigorous make-out session the two girls had had last night on Azula's bed.
"Ye-ye-yes please!" replied Ty Lee, as she was shivering even through two layers of clothing - as she slowly drifted forward. Right immediately wrapping herself up and around her - hoping her inner fire matched her outer fire at that. Otherwise, Azula would be dragging her frozen statue along instead. Needless to say, Ty Lee hoped that the city was at least build in a way that trapped heat in it. Otherwise, she wasn't that eager to sleep in the North Pole.
Azula for her part, merely smiled and warmed her palms up in Ty Lee's hug, who would suddenly feel her temperature rise as a gentle sensation of warmth washed over her. Azula would keep the technique going while using her free hand to steer the boat - one hand on her girl and the other elsewhere.
"My uncle mentioned a number of natural caves and tunnels through the ice close to the city. We should be able to use them to get in." She explained - as it had been meant once as an escape tunnel, then turned into one for merchants in later years. Right before it had been forgotten and left to 'waste' when the Hundred Years War began and trade had dried up. Though, apparently the White Lotus had used it from time to time - to get into the city for...meetings.
They soon came across one such tunnel, leading deep into the cliff. The bottom half of this tunnel was below sea level, meaning Azula could pilot the boat into it, bending a flame to both light their way and keep the pair warm. When the tunnel rose out of the sea, the two girls moored the boat and entered what could only be described as an underground maze through the ice. After some time finding their way, and Azula using her bending to make shortcuts through the ice, the two girls would find themselves with only a few meters of ice separating them from a deserted part of the city. One that Azula easily melted through, after a bit of focus.
"Well, we've made it." Azula said to her partner - looking over and not find Ty Lee in the 'best' situation. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing in fi-fi-!" said Ty Lee, before she sneezed, the cold getting to her nose and make her almost sick. "Sorry..."
Azula for her part, merely rolled her eyes and slipped through the hole and dragged Ty Lee along, the two of them quickly looked around the place and soon tried to find a way to blend in. Although before any of that could happen, Ty Lee was tapping Azula on the shoulder already.
"Uhh. Azula?" muttered Ty Lee with some worry in her tone. As once Azula would turn around, she would see about fifty ice spikes pointed at them both. Courtesy from three waterbender soldiers above them, all of whom had a darker coloration than the girls. "I...don't think they were fooled."
"Go, get Master Pakku and Chief Arnook! Tell him, we've captured some spies," spoke one, while another male ran off to get the Master.
"Well...blast..." sighed Azula.
Author's Notes: Now be coming the AU; that will be making Azula's adventure much different than that of Zuko.
Review and all, if you want.