Chapter II
Three days later, Sokka was finished loading the last of his things onto Yue before he left for the Fire Nation Capital. He could have left that day, but he needed to think on what he wanted to do before he went to see Zuko. It was after Iroh talked to him and reminded him about his duty of being agent of the Oder of the White Lotus.
"I'll have some of our agent look into this group that Zuko mentioned," Iroh said watching Sokka.
"Thank you, the faster I can get this over with, the better," Sokka said with some bitterness in his voice.
Iroh just shook his head at Sokka's comments. Even after all these years, he still held a grudge against his niece. Not that he could blame him, but it went against the teaching of their order. He just hoped that what he heard from Zuko about Azula was right, and that she had changed for the better. Spirits knows that both of them could use something in their lives, and Iroh just prayed that they could be that something for each other.
"Just remember patience Sokka, and that she has changed," Iroh told him as Sokka mounted Yue.
"I'll try," Sokka said giving Yue the command to fly. "I'll be in touch," Sokka shouted as the gained in height.
Iroh watched the boy that had grown into a man take off towards the Fire Nation. He prayed to the spirits to look out for him and his niece through this trying time and hoped that they could come to some agreement.
"My lord, the harbor watches report they've spotted something flying towards the capital," a guard reported.
"Good he's here," Zuko said.
"Yeah I can't wait," Azula said rolling her eyes.
She appreciated that her brother was going to the trouble to look out for her and keep her safe. Yet she was not too keen on the idea of who Zuko sent for the task. Out of all the warriors and bodyguards he could have hired, he had to get the water boy peasant. She got up from her spot in the meeting hall and followed her brother out into the courtyard. As she stepped out onto the gravel walkway next to Zuko a rather loud screeching roar ripped through the air, startling her.
The sound of heavy leather wings could be heard in the air, and Zuko and the others that had joined them out in the courtyard looked in the sky to see if they could spot him. Azula looked on with disinterest. She was about ready to go back inside due to boredom when a large shadow passed over and a loud thud hit the ground.
She turned to see something that simply amazed her. There, in the middle of the courtyard, was a dragon, but like no dragon she had ever seen or heard about before. It was at least the size of the Avatar's Air Bison. Its coloring was a rainbow of blues hues. It's rather large wings twitched a few times as the creature stretched them, then folded along its sides. That when she spotted him, sitting on the dragons' back just forward of it shoulders. It lowered its head, and the rider climbed off. His armor matched the coloring of the dragon itself, aside from on his shoulder pads was a painted white lotus.
She watched him as he walked up to Zuko and pulled off his helmet. It didn't take her long to recognize who the man was. His blue eyes and facial features gave him away easily. He no longer had his wolf's tail as he did when he was younger. Now, a long ponytail came just to his shoulder blades. He had grown taller since the last time she had seen him, and Azula had to admit to herself as much as she hated to that the mere water peasant had grown into a fine young man.
"Sokka, it's good to see you," Zuko said walking up to his friend and giving him a hug.
"It's good t see you, too," Sokka said releasing his hug and looking over at Mai. "It is good to see you, Fire Lady Mai," Sokka said with a slight bow. As he stood up he, was nudged in the back. "Alright, alright," Sokka said pushing Yue off him. "Zuko, Mai, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, this is Yue," Sokka said, waving back to his companion.
Yue knew that was her cue, and as Zuko and Mau faced her, she lowered her head in a bow to pay respect to the Fire Lord and Lady. Mai, for her part, was her typical self and only slightly amused. For Zuko, it felt weird that a dragon would bow to him. Granted, Sokka's dragon was not the dragons he and Aang faced, but nonetheless.
Someone clapping and a mock laugh cut off the display. Sokka didn't have to look to see who it was; he already knew. He was proud of Yue for showing the proper respect to Zuko and Mai. However, he should have known that if she were here, she would have some comment about it.
"How cute Zuzu; he taught his over grown lizard to bow to you," Azula smirked. "Nothing like luggage to pay you respect,"
Sokka knew what was coming next from Yue and tried to stop her, but he was not quick enough. Yue quickly turned her head and, in a matter of a few seconds, had frozen Azula's feet to the ground.
"Yue, that's enough," Sokka scolded her.
Yue just snorted and turned her back to Azula then walked over to another part of the courtyard. Sokka walked over to Azula, pulled out his dagger, and started chipping away at the ice around her feet.
"Look sorry about that; she's just sensitive about things like that," Sokka said.
"That over grown leather bag had just better be happy that I don't have my bending anymore, or I would have roasted her," Azula snapped.
"And you would have died where you stood princess," Sokka said standing up.
"Is that a threat peasant?" She barked back.
"No it's a statement of fact. If Yue didn't turn you in to a live statue first I would have run you through," Sokka said standing at his full height looking down on her. "She's a peaceful creature unless you threaten me or other that I care about."
"She froze me to the ground; I don't call that peaceful," Azula said trying to sound more intimidating but finding it hard looking up at him.
"No; I call that getting back at you for your comment. Trust me princess; if she wanted to hurt you, you would know it," Sokka said turning and walking away from her.
'Damn it; you peasant; don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you," she started yelling at him.
On the other side of the courtyard, Zuko just hung his head. This was not what he had hoped for when Sokka came to visit. Nor was it how he wanted things to start out between the two of them. He didn't know what to hope for, but this was not it. Mai put her hand on his shoulder and leaned into his ear.
"Great plan Zuko," Mai said then turned to leave the courtyard.
Zuko just kept his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off the headache that was starting to come on. He was starting hope he didn't make a huge mistake by doing all this.
Later that evening, Sokka and Zuko were up in his private study discussing the situation with the rebel group and Azula. Or at least that what they should have been doing, but instead Zuko was listing to Sokka complain about Azula and her attitude.
"You said that she was better; to me that was still the same Azula from five years ago - mart mouthed and all bitch," Sokka said looking out the window down to the courtyard where Yue was sleeping.
"Sokka, she is better for the most part; she no longer thinks my father can do no wrong and agrees with me about making peace with the rest of the nations," Zuko says sipping his wine. "She's only like this because she's worried about my safety and all the work we've done."
"Zuko please, this is me you're talking to. I'm not the same kid you knew back at the end of the war, I've grown, not so blind to the world as you might think. Raising and caring for Yue has matured me," Sokka said. "You can't tell me that she's keen on this idea of you asking me being her bodyguard."
The look on Zuko's face was enough for Sokka to know the answer to his question. He just shook his head and looked back out toward his sleeping friend. He could not really blame Azula for not wanting him there to look out for her. Hell, he was not keen on the idea of being her bodyguard, but this was a request from a friend as well as from the Order. Therefore, Sokka had little choice but to take on this mission.
"Look, I know you're not too keen on this idea either, but there is no one else I trust to watch my sister."
Sokka took a deep breath and then turned to look at his friend.
"No I'm not, but I told you I would, and I will. What kind of warrior would I be if I broke my promise to help a friend?" Sokka said walking over to the table and picking up a glass of wine that Zuko had poured for him. He raised his glass and gave his friend a nod before taking a swig of it only to end up starting to choke. "How can you drink this stuff?" Sokka sputtered.
"This is the best wine in the palace," Zuko said trying not to laugh too hard at his friend.
"If you say so," Sokka said coughing a few more times. "Look I'm going to go check on Yue," he told him heading for the door. "Best stuff in the palace; no wonder royalty's so uptight having to drink that stuff,"
Zuko just shook his head and leaned back in his chair. Granted Sokka had grown and matured over the past five years, but there were times he could still make him laugh with his antics. He just hoped that he could keep his humor up with Azula. She was his sister and he loved her dearly but there was time that tried his patience. He just hoped that none of this was going to be a huge mistake.
Sokka made his way down to his room, which was just off the courtyard as he requested it to be. This was more so he could be closer to Yue, who he knew for a fact would not like the idea of him not being where she could get to him if need be. Sokka always got a kick out of that; it seemed no matter what he did, he was always having some female looking out for him - first his mother and sister, then the first Yue, as well as Suki, and now his companion.
He just could not seem to get away from it, but with his Yue, it didn't really bother him. She did look after him like Katara did, all motherly like, or how any of the other girls in his life did. No, she looked out for him like a friend would, both in and out of fights they've been in. This, in Sokka's mind, was not a bad thing seeing how she was his closest and best friend he ever had.
He entered his room to see Yue raise her head to see who entered. Seeing it was only Sokka, she lowered her head and just laid there watching him move around the room. She could sense that he was not all too happy about something and figured it centered on the female they encountered when they first arrived at the palace. Not that she could not blame him; the womany in Yue's opinion, was rude and arrogant.
"I don't know what the hell Zuko was thinking about, having me guard his sister," Sokka said taking off his armor and getting into his night cloths. "The woman is nothing but bad news, and I'm not sure I can get over the fact that she tried to kill all of us years ago."
At hearing this, Yue raised her head again and gave Sokka a worried look. The thought of anyone trying to kill her master was never something she wanted to hear about. It made her wish that she did more than just freeze her feet to the ground today.
"Don't worry Yue," Sokka said noticing her worry. "That was years ago, and she is not as dangerous as she was back then, and I've become a lot better fighter since then as well," Sokka said tying the front of his even robe and walking up to her then rubbing her muzzle. "Besides, I know if she tried anything that you would be there to watch my back," he told her.
Yue pushed her head into Sokka's chest and nuzzled against him. She loved the times like this when he showered her with affection. Sure, she was just a dragon and didn't know much about human emotions, but she knew enough that she loved Sokka, and her master loved her just as much in return.
As the two spent some time together, neither noticed a pair of golden eyes watching them. They looked on with interest as dragon and master spent time bonding before calling it an evening. The person that watched wondered if anyone could show her that kind of affection before she grew old and gray. She doubted that it would ever happen, and if any man did try she would know it was only for the power that they might receive from her more than caring for her.
This thought alone saddened the princess more and more every day, but she also knew it was the fate she deserved for doing all those horrible things just to keep her father's love and attention during the war. Things that she wished she could change now just to have the opportunity to feel what the two she was watching felt: companionship, friendship, and love. She let out a low sigh, turned away from the window, and went back to her bed.
As she sat down on the edge, she swallowed hard and fought back the tears that where trying to form. She was a princess of the Fire Nation, and it would show weakness to cry. Azula was never one to show weakness before, so why now? Why would watching that Water Peasant and his dragon bond make her cry? Could it be that she wanted to be held and shown affection from him as he was doing to his dragon? No, that could never be it; just the thought of him touching her sickened her. Therefore, what was it? Azula didn't know, and it drove her nuts not knowing.
