Letters From Iroh

Where I Belong

{Later that Winter}
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{Lines indicate time skips}

"Close your eyes."

"Ugh. Fine." I agreed, but it was hard to do so. I was decidedly nervous: excited, afraid, but in a really really good way. That typically did not lead me to want to obscure my vision.

"Take my hand."

"Fine." I repeated, agreeing less begrudgingly than last time. His offer to lead me worked against my desire to remain independent. It was romantic, and it meant something worth hiding (then revealing) was coming, another surprise of the grandiose kind: my absolute favorite. The cold air whipped my hair away from my face in a fashion I considered pleasant, gentle and relaxing, though I knew Iroh couldn't possibly find being out of his element as blissful. I'm sure he thought the breeze to be more so a harsh winter wind. Even so, it was beautiful. I'd always wanted to come here, and now, my wish had come true in the most amazing way possible. The scent of fire mixed with the aroma of saltwater, meaning we were walking away from the city, and towards the sea. "Where are we going?"

"Maatki told me to be extra demonstrative in my affections this trip."

"One, that does not answer my question, and two, it's our honeymoon. Every man is "extra demonstrative in his affections" on his honeymoo-" I stumbled over the deeper snows as I tried to make those stupid air quotes when I reference or mimmic something. Iroh caught me. "Where is he anyway?" He placed his hand over my eyes. I was bound to open them if they weren't forcibly blocked off.

"No peeking. Your family followed us here. I told them to leave. I see where you get your obstinacy from."

"Asami and Korra?" I kept up, obstinately.

"They've commandeered your brother, along with Kyaala, and Sidka. No one will come for you."

"Why'd they come anyway?" I asked, repeating my earlier inquiry, now applying it to everyone. "The wedding I get, it was a big deal, but to come here, too? What gives? This is supposed to be our trip, right?"

"Yes. And, you're right. A Royal Wedding would be incomplete without the Avatar and an heiress like Asami Sato. Though, Korra regrettably had work to do here, with her uncle."

"Right." I sighed, as I got my answers. "Well, let's not kill the mood." My eyes were still covered, and he let me go, but forced me into place so all I could see was him. "Though, you saved it partially with your previous statement." I felt my face get warm in spite of the cold around me as I looked into his eyes. "Royalty."

"Not yet." His lips met mine. I kept arguing in spite of his attempts to silence me, breaking away, only to be held in place.

"Yes, so! Marriage is what makes me a-"

He did it again. "Not quite."

"Stop-" again. "Using." "Physical." "Intimacy." "As." "A." "Tactical." "Approach." "In." "Our." "First." "Spousal." "Argument."

"No." He spun me around, covering my eyes once more as he did so, ensuring I didn't catch a glimpse too early. Finally, after what felt like way too long, I could relax. He took his hand off my face, and I was stunned, glad that I waited, or more accurately, was forced to be patient. The angle was perfect. It was like magic! I could hear Bolín now. He'd say the same thing.

I looked above me, at a massive crystalline structure carved completely out of ice and snow. Twin towers loomed over us, as the starlight sparkled against the artistry of the reinforcements on the sides. The accents along the sturdy foundation proved just as lovely as the rest. Everything glowed. Small stones of various shades of blue, all made from differently formed water, twinkled in the darkness alongside each other to form what looked like waves breaking against the building itself. From inside, a warmer kind of light shined, and I could tell there was more to it, a lot more. Someone built this recently. It couldn't stand forever, but it looked impenetrable to me right then. A little too late, as always, to be totally proud of it, I realized the humor behind it. It was a 'glass' castle, and thus, the perfect place for me to face the metaphor, the illusionary allusion I'd been living in of my own creation until this day, when I faced my real destiny. It was truly, ironic, beautiful, and something only a skilled waterbender, or talented waterbenders could create.