Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes of those Saturnalia drabbles? Curious to know the whole story?
Here's your answer.
Set in the same AU as Saturnalia and chapters 1-7 of Phoenix Rising. Five years after the war ended, with a recovered Azula who's returned to the Fire Nation Court.
"Sokka! Look who's back!"
The Fire Lord's yellow eyes glinted with an evil gleam. Caught stuffing himself heartily at the Royal breakfast buffet, Sokka blanched and fought to avoid choking on roast meat. Fuck! He knew he should have taken up on Azula's offer to have a late sleep in and breakfast in bed while she attended the meeting with the colonial officials as the Fire Lord's representative. Right now, he could have been resting safely between the soft silky sheets of her warm bed, while her maidservant Zura served him breakfast. But no. Once again, he'd let his appetite get the better of him and gotten caught in a potentially lethal trap.
Oh oh. Boy, was he in trouble.
As the two green clad female warriors advanced, he leaned back, caught in the carved armchair. His blue eyes darted desperately around the room. The quick check revealed that all escape routes were closed.
"Sokka! Oh, we've missed you so much!"
The shorter of the two females hurled herself forward to hug him, trapping him against the backrest and smearing his cheek with facepaint. Her substantial chest squeezed up flat against his pectorals. The impact almost caused the chair to overturn. Gasping for breath, he patted her back while attempting to pry her loose.
"Ty… Ty Lee. Happy to see you too, girl. How was Omashu? And Ba Sing Se?"
The former acrobat turned Kyoshi warrior remained comfortably seated on his lap with an arm slung around his shoulders.
"Oh, we had great fun! I mean, King Kuei's never been a bundle of joy, has he? But those Royal Earthbender Guards took us out on town and showed us a good time! I mean…"
A raised eyebrow from the tall girl with the brown pageboy haircut stopped her short.
"I mean, that was by far the best trip to Ba Sing Se I've ever had! In comparison, Bumi's court and Omashu was kind of a drag. But then Suki suggested we sneak off to Kyoshi Island for some vacation at the beaches, and that was the best time ever! You know Sokka, you really should come with us next time we go there! I mean, sometime soon! Suki and I kept talking about how much fun the three of us would have! Didn't we, girl?"
Ty Lee winked exaggeratedly at her painted warrior friend. Standing up with monumental effort, Sokka managed to scrape her off his lap. He regarded his former girlfriend sheepishly. Former? Well, technically they hadn't really broken up. Unless you counted being separated without communication for six months enough of a hiatus to terminate any relationship by default.
The tall slender young woman regarded Sokka intently. Her violet blue gaze marched across his body like a trail of fire ants.
Her voice was low and pleasant. "Yes we did, Sokka. How have you been? It's really good to see you." A slight tremor of emotion in her voice that only he picked up on.
He retreated instinctively behind the side of the armchair. "I… I've been fine, Suki! Just smashing! Katara and I returned to Court from the South Pole about a month ago. She's attending to her duties as Royal Midwife and healer to the Fire Nation Court. I… I've been working on improving Fire Nation transportation with some new inventions of mine."
The evil gleam in the Fire Lord's eyes intensified. The look turned him into a frightening copy of his father, made even scarier by the bright scarlet of his scar.
"That's putting it nicely. Katara's been working hard and proving herself very useful to us all, as usual. Sokka's basically just been lounging around here at Court, terrorizing the Palace cooks. I thought your presence might be able to shake him into shape, Suki. That's why I called the two of you back from Kyoshi Island. I'm so sorry to have interrupted your vacation. I know you've both worked hard to deserve it. Unfortunately, recent events have proven that I'm in acute need of my two best bodyguards."
The acrobat's brown eyes widened in worry. "Yes, Zuko! Is it true? We both heard the rumours! Azula has returned? Do you need us to guard her?"
Sokka fought not to grind his teeth audibly in frustration. Reaching his side in a flash, Suki caught his bare muscular arm in a tender grasp.
"Yes, Zuko! Ty Lee and I were both so very worried when we heard the news! Of course, we hurried back here as soon as we got your summons! We realized things must indeed be grave. How have you been holding up? Of course, with both Katara and Aang here, you should have no trouble keeping Azula under control. I still say the safest thing would be to just have the Avatar remove her bending."
A strange noise left Sokka's throat. A growl. Frowning, he freed his arm to march up to the Fire Lord. Though Zuko was tall enough, he managed to tower over him.
"Zuko! Enough with the crap! Just tell the girls the truth!"
The Fire Lord raised a winged black eyebrow. "What truth? That you've been doing a great job at guarding Azula single-handedly?"
Yellow and blue eyes clashed in bright sparks.
Well, I'll be... He's jealous!
"Oh, I've been using both my hands. I never do anything by halves, Zuko." He advanced a fraction.
The Fire Lord clenched his fists. "Watch it, Sokka! You may have diplomatic immunity, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to…"
"…infringe on the Fire Lord's personal property? Why, who would have thought that you would be so… protective towards her?" He moved in another step, crowding the Fire Lord.
Suki reached out to catch his arm. "Sokka! Please, let's not have an argument! Ty Lee and I realize fully well that Azula's been sowing spite between the two of you. That's what she does, isn't it, Ty?"
The acrobat nodded. "Yes, Suki. Azula's a master at creating discord between friends. She divides in order to rule. Don't fall for it, Zuko! It's only natural that you want to protect her, being her older brother and all. But don't forget that she will never do the same for you. She probably just wants you out of the way. We heard that she's recovered, and frankly it had us worried. Now that she's not insane, she's all the more dangerous. You mustn't allow her to manipulate you, Zuko! Well, if Aang won't remove her bending, I'm here at your service. If she so much as makes a move on either of you, I'll chi block her flat out."
Sokka turned to regard her with an amused smirk. Lately, the expression had been creeping up on him with an increasing frequency.
"I'm afraid that won't work, Ty Lee. The staff at the Ember Island Mental Health Facility taught Azula how to chi block. Not just parts of the body, but an all out block that needs a special counter move to be heaved. "The Strike of the Cobra." I myself saw her use it on Katara in a sparring session in the Palace Grounds. Isn't that right, Zuko? You and Aang were present, as were the entire Court."
Zuko blanched visibly at the memory. "Yes… Yes, that's true. She took her time in letting us persuade her to do the counter move, too. Aang and I were basically down to begging. Still, she refused. It wasn't until Sokka moved in and told her to do it that she complied."
Suki's violet blue eyes were huge. "She obeyed you?"
He shrugged helplessly. "Well, I guess… Yes. I mean, she didn't exactly obey me. I just asked her to please do it, and she did. She said I owed her one for doing that. Katara's quite unharmed. Except for her pride, of course. I think that's taken quite a bad turn."
She linked her arm in his again and leaned in on him. He recoiled instinctively. She twitched slightly and released him.
"Oh. I'm sorry, Sokka. I'll go wash the face paint off and change into some civilian clothes. Then, we can meet up in the Palace Gardens. We have such a lot of catching up to do!"
His blue eyes widened in horror. "No! I mean, I… I can't! I've got work to do! I've been doing drawings for a new design of flying train tank, and I need to have it finished by tonight! I mean, I promised the Mechanist to send the designs over… I… I'm sorry, I really have to go!"
He turned and fled. Cocking his one eyebrow in mock surprise, the Fire Lord reached out to link arms with his Kyoshi bodyguards, one on either side.
"I had no idea he was that busy. Well, never mind. Let's go up to my private terrace to sit down and have a chat."