Chapter 54 - Tribal Dispute

---Earthland---

Swapping places with my Body Double, I saw Erza and Mirajane start to wake up. Letting out exhausted yawns, they noticed that I was sitting next to the bed. Giving them a few moments to come to their senses, I asked them what happened.

"A hundred page test with essays and multiple choice, a physical exam, an optical exam, and lastly they made us fight several S-Ranked Monsters. I have never fought so desperately in my life...a horde of them is no joke. You make it look so easy...", Mirajane groaned with a smirk.

"Was that all?", I asked placing cool towels on their heads, "Nothing else?"

"No...we had points deducted for any building damage caused during the tests.", Erza said with a frustrated look, "They are basically asking us to do the impossible in a urban setting. I understand wanting to keep the casualties and building damage to a minimum, but...we were allotted only six mistakes during our fight with the S-Ranked Monsters."

'Jeez...that really is a tight tolerance. Why are they making such ridiculous demands of them? If that is the case, S-Ranked Mages won't take quests in the cities.', I thought, "Either way, the five of you managed to pass the test. Both of you did a wonderful job, I think some celebratory drinks are in order when you are recovered."

"Thank you, there were a few times we didn't think we would make it.", Erza giggled with a smile as I patted her head., "I don't do well with tests you know."

"Really!?", Mirajane gasped pretending to be surprised.

"Hey!", Erza spat, "I don't need you on my case, you aren't perfect either."

The two of them were in good spirits so I was happy, that said though something had to be done in regards to the testing. These tests will really hamper people in the future, there is more to being an S-Rank Wizard than being aware of your surroundings.

"Oh by the way...you remember that raven haired woman that was with Dumbledore?", Mirajane questioned me with a twitch, "She is the one that will be supervising us on jobs for a while."

'Oh hell yes!', I thought, 'This will be quite an exciting few months.'

Tagging out with a Body Double, I left it on autopilot while I returned back to the Avatar World.

---Northern Water Tribe---

Arriving in Agna Qel'a the following morning, we touched down in the plaza area in the center of the city. The differences between the Southern and Northern tribes were huge at just a glance. Not only were they living in normal looking homes, made of ice, they had a transit system made of canals to ferry people and items around. The city was split into several different levels that eventually led to the giant ice wall where the city met the Northern Sea.

"Wow!!", Katara gasped, "I had no idea Agna Qel'a was so beautiful! Gran Gran didn't tell us much about this place, I wonder why."

'You will learn soon enough.', I thought knowing why she didn't talk about it.

"I do admit, it is quite amazing what they have done with just ice.", Azula admitted.

"If I lick one of the buildings will my tongue get stuck?", Ty Lee giggled.

Shaking my head with a smirk, I asked her not to lick a building. Seeing Master Pakku and Chief Arnook approach us, I leaned over to Katara to tell her something.

"Remember what I mentioned last night.", I whispered.

"Don't worry, I am fully prepared for this.", Katara replied with a confident smile.

"Avatar Mael, it's a pleasure to meet you.", Arnook said shaking my hand, "We heard a lot about you from our Sister Tribesmen, thank you for your aide. You saved countless lives with your efforts, we are eternally grateful to you."

"It is no problem, I had to do something to help them.", I replied with a nod, "These are my fiancées Ty Lee, Azula, and Katara."

Greeting the girls, Pakku and Arnook noticed that Katara was from the South Pole. My engagements weren't widely known yet so it wasn't surprising to see their reaction.

"You are engaged to a Waterbender!?", Pakku gasped, "We had no idea."

"He only recently asked my parents for their blessing for marriage. I am very happy that I am going to marry the man that saved our people, and prevent the death of my mother.", Katara said elbowing me with a soft smile, "My goal is to help him restore peace to our world anyway I can."

"That is an admirable goal.", Pakku praised her, "Are you here for Healing Training then?"

"I am here both Combat and Healing Training. As you may have already heard, we only have three Waterbenders left at the South Pole...including myself.", she told him, "My hope was to rekindle our tradition with help from a Master Waterbender. Mael has helped me train with scrolls he finds, but...it doesn't replace being taught by a traditional Master Instructor."

"...I see...", Pakku replied hiding his distaste.

"That's not a problem is it?", Katara asked with an empty smile.

Turning to me, he completely ignored her comment which pissed her off. Saying he would be more than happy to teach me, I said I didn't need his training. Looking at me with confusion, I explained the situation to him.

"I am already a Master Waterbender, we are here because Katara wants to be taught the traditional way. The Southern Water Tribe placed their future hopes and dreams on her shoulders. She is the oldest Waterbender they have, the other two are only infants barely able to walk.", I told him, "We are here on her father's request so they can start the rebuilding process of old, forgotten traditions."

"Women are not allowed to take combat training, they are to be trained in healing only.", Pakku refuted, "Also, what do you mean you are already a Master Waterbender?"

"I am self-taught.", I informed him.

"So you may have been improperly trained, how about I test you?", Pakku offered.

"Very well, once I have shown you what I can do, you will teach Katara right?", I asked with a smile, "You'd be assisting your Sister Tribe...the same one the Northern Water Tribe abandoned during the war."

Twisting the words to put them at fault for leaving them to die, I could see Pakku didn't take kindly to that. Even though he didn't like it, the fact remained that what I said wasn't incorrect. Sensing that there was going to be a genuine fight, Arnook stepped in to say they could make an exception for Katara. Agreeing to that, I said I would go along with Pakku's request.

"I could have handled getting in myself. We didn't need to guilt trip him into it.", Katara whispered as we went towards the wall.

"Hey now, my plan is to get you in his class to show off your skills. Once you are in, show that crotchety old man how wrong that rule is. Hopefully your success will drive other women to follow your footsteps here.", I replied with a wink, "What better way to display your skill than trouncing his star pupils."

"Ah...so that is what you are doing.", she giggled with a satisfied smile, "I can certainly do that."

Leaving everyone at the base of the wall, Pakku and I climbed the icy stairs to the top of the wall. Getting a better look at it, I realized there were dozens of tunnels within the wall in which troops could move freely without exposing themselves to danger. Seeing that some of the tunnels even went beneath the city, I wondered if anyone actually went under the city. Once we were at the top and fifteen feet apart, I decided to taunt him a bit.

"Pakku, shall we begin?", I asked with a smile.

"Very well!", he said as he pulled up a large amount of water from the sea, "I wont bother holding back with you."

"Neither will I.", I chuckled as I created several massive Water Dragons that danced around me.

Taken aback by this, it was his first time seeing such a technique. All of the techniques in Waterbending that had ties to animals were based on aquatic creatures. I was using a creature that was well known to only breath fire which made this especially unusual in his eyes.

"Very impressive! You have taken other bending styles, and made your own!", Pakku applauded me, "Show me how powerful it is!"

Since it would look weird to not really move while Waterbending, I decided to mimic Bang's moves to make it look realistic. To be frank, it was a really poor impression of his style but the reactions I got from Pakku and others was one of awe and respect. Making my Dragons move forwards, the Dragons dove into the ice and flowed through it like they were part of the wall itself. Looking around for where they would appear, Pakku jumped back to avoid the first Dragon as it shot up from under his feet.

While he was in mid air, several powerful jets of water shot out of the Dragons back and hit him in several acupuncture points. Falling to the ground, he quickly realized that his body wasn't responding to what he wanted to do as the other Dragons encircled him. Realizing that he had lost this fight, he let out a sigh of frustration.

"Do you yield?", I asked.

"I...I do...", he said accepting his loss, "Young Man, I want you to teach me what you just did. I have never seen anything quite like that. What did you do?"

"While maintaining the Dragon's Form, I shot out high pressure spouts of water that hit nerve bundles that incapacitate you.", I informed him, "My fiancée Ty Lee taught me all about Chi Blocking."

"Incredible!", he said as I put him on my back.

"You will be unable to move for at least an hour or more now.", I advised as we slid down the wall.

Having watched the Water Dragons from the ground, Arnook was in disbelief of how easily I took out Master Pakku. Handing Pakku over to the healers, I gave the girls a big grin. Nodding their heads with satisfaction, Ty Lee was the most satisfied as I used some of the knowledge she imparted on me to make that technique.

"See, my Chi Blocking isn't so bad is it.", Ty Lee teased Azula, "You always said it would amount to nothing, yet he made a really flashy technique with it!"

"Ugh...do you really need to rub it in.", Azula sighed, "You are right, I apologize for calling it a waste of time."

"Hehe!", Ty Lee laughed.

"You are going to teach me that move, right?", Katara asked.

"Of course, I knew you'd ask.", I said patting her back.

Walking over, Arnook shook my hand firmly with excitement. Understanding that I was indeed a Master Waterbender, it seemed like he had some kind of request for me. Asking a few of the soldiers to escort the girls to our temporary home, Arnook had me follow him to his residence.

"Is something the matter?", I inquired as he pulled me through the streets.

"I...I have a daughter named Yue...I am hoping you may be able to help her.", he told me with a sad expression.

Leading me inside his home, he took me straight to Yue's room. Unlike the healthy looking girl I remembered from the series, this Yue was a very sickly, frail girl that was wheelchair bound. If I was being honest, she looked like she was in a terrible amount of pain. She had boils, blisters, scars, and all manner of disfigurations that made her quite hard to look at. Telling me that she born very ill, he informed me that she was constantly suffering from many ailments.

'Could...could them being cut off led to some in-breeding?', I thought as he told me all her conditions, 'That is a possibility given that they cut themselves off from the world for a while. Still though, that is pretty hard to believe given it was only a single generation since they cut off the outside world.'

In a nutshell, Yue was unable to leave the home. Due to the entire city being built of ice, her wheelchair barely had any traction and on several occasions had slid into the canals. Fortunately people were there to save her, but...his fear was she wouldn't be lucky forever.

"Please see if you can help her!", he said dropping to his hands and knees, "She...she is my only child, as her father it tears me apart seeing her trapped in here day in and day out."

Turning back to her, I decided to ask what she wanted.