A/N: I wish I could have posted this yesterday but I actually ended up working the entire weekend, including the 4th. The wheels of justice wait for no person. Found some time to write in between, so the SCHEDULE SURVIVES! Expect more Friday, maybe earlier if I can crush the mountain of work on my desk right now.
Welp, 20 chapters in. Here's to (more than) 20 more.
I think it's fairly obvious by now that this is like 90% a Sokkla story but I promise Kataang will have their moments. I mostly said Kataang in the beginning just because (while I actually do enjoy Zutara and reading Zutara stories) I can't reconcile RamsayBolton!Zuko with this version of Katara.
Chapter title won't make any sense until the last POV shift at the end :)
somecribbles108: Thank you! This arc is going to pick up a little steam soon, we've had a lot of good character moments but there's a lot of plot to cover from here to Omashu :)
red shoulder85: Yeah I liked writing that part. Lots of character growth for the Princess. Both her and Sokka's new ideals will be tested throughout their journey, and a lot of people will question her especially when it comes to making things right.
Dotsey: I wish work hadn't piled up around this weekend of all weekends, since it was shaping up to be prime free time for writing. It's here now! If I had my way, work would do itself and I could spend all my spare time writing for this story.
GulfYankee23: Fire and blood! I figure if there's any analogue for the Dragon Queen, it's definitely Azula.
animulal: Wow, thank you, I'm floored. That's some extremely high praise, given the story I think you're referencing. Suki was not among the dead, she'll be playing a part in this story as will the Kyoshi warriors. I think I wrote in that Oyaji made a comment about how he let the Kyoshi Warriors travel off-island and join the war, which is one of the canon-divergent decisions I've made, so she and the rest of her soldiers are off fighting right now.
Therecklessone: Thanks, I really wanted to capture the war in its brutality. Like you said, kid's show = death is usually implied or if it does occur, it's fairly bloodless. Zhao wasn't involved here though (debated it) because I didn't think I could make him zoom from the Fire Nation to very close to the South Pole in like a week's time. I want to avoid some of the Game of Thrones warp-speed sailing that happens. In my head, Zhao is currently gearing up for the siege of the North right now.
SOKKLAFIL: Thank you! I have some fun stuff up my sleeve with the Grandmaster/Sozin II :)
Richardsingar: thank you! It's definitely shaping up to be a novel lol. I had a small idea in my head and here we are, 100k+ words later.
HinataUchiha73: Thank you for all your reviews! It was really fun reading them in sequence as you went through the story. I hope you enjoy all the chapters to come as well.
All reviewers who talked about diverging from canon: thank you! I know we're yet still kind of tied to the main story and we will be for maybe a little longer this arc, but then things are slated for some heavy divergences. Thank you for affirming for me that going off-canon is definitely the best path for this story. I just really didn't want to rehash the already great but already told story of the main canon, just with Azula along for the ride. Introducing the Sacred Flame and having the White Lotus play a greater part was just the start.
Some citrus-y situations right now, but not full on smut. Yet. There will be. Lemons are coming. Just remember, the M I plastered on this bad boy in the beginning wasn't only for violence, so I won't be giving away too much for the sake of avoidance.
Chapter XX
Prodigal Son
Katara finally collapsed on Appa's saddle, her brow glistening from her efforts. Most of the surviving refugees from Kyoshi Island were relatively okay, but others had gash wounds or punctures from the weapons of the Fire Nation soldiers. A few had treatable burns. None were in any serious danger, but she wanted to make sure she saw all of them.
Aang wordlessly sat down next to her. He looked at her carefully – she was clearly exhausted, and he didn't have any desire to lay further burdens on her, though the guilt of seeing the aftermath of the butchery on Kyoshi was eating away at him.
Soon, Katara was dozing, and Aang let her rest. The look on her face was too peaceful for him to interrupt. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Bleh."
He looked up and saw Sokka grinning at him. When he and Katara had left the corvette and gotten back on Appa, Sokka and the Princess had been sleeping, curled under a blanket.
"You're up." It was more than just sleeplessness - Sokka seemed genuinely happy. "You and Azula-?" He left the question hanging.
"I told her I love her." If he grinned any wider, his face would tear in two. Aang gave him a weak smile.
"I'm happy for you, man."
"Thanks. But enough about me, I can tell something's bothering you." Sokka took a seat next to Aang and gave him a little nudge. "Kat's gonna be sleeping for a while, so you may as well lay it on me."
Aang shook his head. "You're up in the clouds right now. I don't want to bring you down."
Sokka laughed. "I'm pretty sure nothing could bring me down right now. Besides, I can tell you really need to talk, and in Katara's absence, you got me. I'm the better sibling anyway."
That elicited an amused snort. Aang was quiet for a moment, before re-telling Sokka the story of why he left the Air Temple, and why he was caught under the waves of the storm, encasing himself in an iceberg for his protection. Sokka listened quietly, without saying anything.
"… and that's what's been eating away at me," muttered Aang. "The fact that if I hadn't been so irresponsible, so afraid of my duties, none of this would have happened."
Sokka's silence stretched for a few moments longer, and the pit in Aang's spirits grew. He braced himself for a stern judgment. He had hoped to tell Katara, who he thought would be gentle; telling Azula was hardly an option, if only because she terrified him still, on occasion.
"Sounds like if you'd stayed, we'd be in even deeper shit," Sokka finally muttered.
"What?"
"You heard me. If you stayed, you would have died too."
"That's not-"
"Aang, I've seen you bend. You're a great airbender, but your waterbending is where Katara was at with it when she was eight. Your earth and fire bending skills are non-existent, and when you're in that glowy state, you're as much a danger to your allies as you are to your enemies." When Aang winced, Sokka laughed again. "Not blaming you for what happened at the Temple, just saying… it's not really something you can control is it? If you'd stayed, pal, I think you would have died along with everyone else."'
Aang stared at his feet. "You can't say that for sure."
"Neither can you," pointed out Sokka. "That's the problem with the ifs-and-buts game. All that's concrete is what is, not what could or should have been."
"So you're not judging me for being a coward?" Aang challenged.
"No, I don't even think you are a coward. You overheard something that scared you and you needed some time to think. It's not like you were planning on bailing forever. But really, it doesn't matter what I think, or really even what Katara or the Princess think. You need to forgive yourself." He punctuated his advice with a soft tap into Aang's shoulder with his pointer finger. "You're the one punishing yourself, pal."
"Don't know how to stop," Aang muttered.
"Start with doing the right thing now. It's all you can do. I think somewhere along the way you'll learn to forgive yourself," Sokka said with a shrug. "It's not a science. But I think you'll figure it out. You've got a good heart, better than anyone else here."
Aang snorted again. "Don't let Azula hear you say that."
Sokka rubbed the back of his head, letting out a short guffaw. "Hell, I think she'd be the first to admit it. You're the paragon, Aang. Azula is a queen. She has to get her hands dirty; it's part of having power. I'm a warrior at heart. I've spilled enough blood to fill a small ocean."
"Katara's got a good heart," Aang said softly.
"Yeah, she does. But even she's got a darker side. I've always been the more calculating out of us two. Kat's more impulsive. For a Waterbender, she's always had a strong inner fire. If something were to set her off, she could do a lot of things she'd never do in her right mind. You're the only person I can think of without that dark side, Aang. I might be the jokes-and-plans guy, Katara's the group mom, Azula's… well… Azula. But you're the incorruptible soul."
They sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes, before Sokka ventured to say more.
"You know, Iroh told me while we were captive that it was part of my mission to help you find yours."
Aang looked at him strangely. "I'm not even sure what my mission is, Sokka. Other than to learn the elements. And to bring balance to the world. But that's vague. It's all big picture stuff. It doesn't help when I'm faced with individual circumstances or situations. How do I even begin to make those decisions?"
"I don't know either. He told me my mission was to become a knight. I realized I'm not too good with this open-ended crap, but if my mission is part of yours, I think we'll figure it out together as we go along."
Aang scratched his chin. "Can I be honest?"
"Go for it."
"I kind of thought you were a meathead when I first met you."
"Hey. That stings..." Sokka said, looking affronted. Only the hint of a smile tugging at his lips betrayed his faux outrage.
Aang laughed. "Well, I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Turns out you give wise and sagely advice, Sifu Sokka."
Sokka rummaged in a pack, trying to find something to eat. His hands stumbled across some jerky, which he happily stuffed into his mouth. "Naw, I'm shtill a meathead," he mumbled, in between mouth-filling bites. "Jusht an… occashunally right one." After he swallowed, he gave Aang a toothy grin, which the airbender returned despite the presence of little chunks of jerky in his teeth. "Try and get some sleep, alright?"
"Are you just saying that so you can go spoon the Princess again?" Aang said cheekily.
The warrior gave him a wink. "You're awfully brave when she can't hear you."
To Aang's horror, the Princess turned around and fixed them both with a glare. "I can hear both of you idiots just fine," she hissed. "It's not hard with how obnoxiously you both laugh."
"You like my laugh," Sokka said placatingly. Thankfully, that seemed enough to take the pressure off Aang and made Sokka the object of Azula's ire.
"Shut up and come here, peasant," she muttered angrily, before flipping back around to her original side.
With another wink, this one exaggerated for Aang's benefit, Sokka sauntered back to his nest, sliding under the blanket and wrapping Azula's small frame inside his much larger one. Aang could hear them whisper to one another, at first irately, but it became softer and gentler until Sokka pulled the Princess closer and the two dozed off again.
Aang cast a glance at Katara. He thought of their embrace on his glider, as they flew towards the village on Kyoshi Island, and he felt a little heartened at the thought. He drew the covers around him and let sleep overtake him as well.
XXXXX
It took them four days to get from Kyoshi Island to the small fishing port located at the nearest beach to the cliffside small town of Chin. When they arrived, in the late afternoon when the sun's glare had lessened and mellowed from bright yellow to a hue of orange, they were greeted by an entire garrison sent from the city, and it was an effort trying to talk the Earth Kingdom soldiers down from attacking them on sight. They were particularly startled by the sight of Appa and Aang, which caused Sokka no little amount of consternation. He was sure this would be reported to all the surrounding garrisons and Earth Kingdom officials, and soon rumor would spread that an Airbender, rumored to be the Avatar, had arrived in the Earth Kingdom mainland in the south.
A bumbling magistrate met them at the docks - Tong, his name was, a sniveling creature with a disconnected manchu mustache in green and olive robes - and promptly recognized Oyaji, which at least meant that they wouldn't get attacked simply for arriving at the port.
"You!" he sneered, leveling an accusatory finger at Oyaji. "What are you people doing here in our village?"
Oyaji tried to look contrite, but Sokka and the group could sense a current of hostility. He leaned towards Azula.
"What's with the animosity? Aren't they all Earth Kingdom?" he whispered.
"The Earth Kingdom isn't all that united in the first place, Sokka," she murmured back. "Let's try not to get bogged down in some silly provincial feud."
The two leaders began to bicker, and it quickly became apparent what about. The magistrate of Chin seemed upset at Oyaji for some - perceived or real - slight that Avatar Kyoshi had committed against someone from Chin centuries ago, while Oyaji loudly insisted that Chin failed to have the proper respect for Avatar Kyoshi. There was a lot of finger-pointing and name calling, and tensions started to rise as the bickering spread from the leaders to the people as well. It started off slightly amusing, Sokka thought to himself, but now it was looking more serious as the Earth Kingdom troops moved in a half step towards the Kyoshi refugees, who took a half step back.
Sokka glanced at Aang, who seemed to be watching the exchange with an increasingly anxious glance. Katara followed his eyes, and it was with her that Aang made eye contact first.
"I think you need to step in, Aang. Part of your job is to play peacemaker," she whispered.
"No!" Azula hissed sharply. "Whatever the cost, Aang needs to hide his identity here, of all villages..." Luckily, it seemed that all other parties involved were too busy getting further and further involved in the fray, so they were free to speak. "This town has a grudge against the Avatar before last, Avatar Kyoshi. That's why they're taking it out on the evacuees. I'm not sure they'd take kindly to Aang's meddling in their affairs either."
"So then, what do we do, short of Aang stepping up?" Katara wondered.
"I'll handle it," Sokka said, teeth gritted. He sidestepped in between Oyaji and the magistrate, who were now nearly at blows. The Earth Kingdom soldiers had formed a tight semi-circle, closing in the refugees, many of whom cowered and hid from the points of the spears aimed at them.
"Gentlemen, I think we can behave in a more civil manner." Sokka judged correctly that the magistrate would not take kindly to physical contact, but Oyaji would likely forgive him for it; he used only his body to redirect the magistrate, but Oyaji he gently pushed back, with a glance that clearly conveyed, let me handle this.
Oyaji gave him a silent nod, but the magistrate huffed. Sokka turned to face him. "And what authority do you have here, Water Tribesman? You don't know these Kyoshi worshippers; if you did, you would not side with them."
"Forgive me, magistrate, but I do not believe we have sided with anyone. We're simple travelers. As for the question of authority, you are speaking to the most famous man in the Southern Water Tribe," Azula interrupted.
The Magistrate's eyes widened as he put together two and two. "You are... him? The Nightwolf?"
"Not just the Nightwolf, but the Warchief of our village," Katara added. "Son of Hakoda, High Chief of the Southern Water Tribe."
Sokka simply grinned and tossed his boomerang lightly, allowing it to return back into his outstretched hand. "That would be me. Although, you can call me Sokka."
The magistrate looked at him differently, regarding him with a certain degree of begrudging respect rather than the derision he'd looked at him with only moments ago. Sokka's blood boiled a little at this - he found it sickening that the man paid more attention to him thinking him a highborn rather than any water tribe peasant.
"Forgive me... Nightwolf," muttered the magistrate, choosing to use title over name. "I believed you to be a straggler of your evacuating tribe. I was sorrowful to hear of the exodus of your people. We saw your people's fleet sailing by. They split in two at our bay. Your father commands half the navy-"
"At Chameleon Bay, while the other half heads North, I know," Sokka finished. "But the Fire Nation clearly isn't aware of our departure yet. One of their raiding parties attacked Kyoshi Island and laid waste to the village, magistrate. They left dozens dead, butchered in the streets of their home. They may be from a different place, but aren't they still your countrymen? In my tribe, if my village was destroyed, one of the other villages would take the survivors in as their own, no questions asked."
The magistrate made a noise of protest. "But that is because in your tribe, your people have not committed any atrocities against one another! The people of Kyoshi Island have crimes for which they must answer."
Sokka looked at him with a quizzical eye. "Did one of the assembled murder someone in your village?"
"No."
"Did they steal something?"
"...No."
"Did one of them rape or commit arson?"
"...no, but-"
"So then what crime could they possibly have committed?"
"It's not them, but the Avatar they profess to love! Kyoshi murdered our greatest hero, Chin the Great!" At this, Aang turned a blossoming shade of red.
"Kyoshi didn't murder anyone. Chin was a pillaging tyrant that Kyoshi stopped!" Oyaji blurted in outrage. "Kyoshi was no murderer! It was justice."
Sokka scoffed. "So you're holding them hostage because of something that happened..."
"Almost four hundred." Azula muttered.
"Almost four hundred years ago? Nobody here was alive to give offense and no one here was alive to be offended. These are your people! They were attacked by enemies who'd kill you just the same, and you're just going to not let them in?
"They do slaughter us the same!" shouted back the magistrate. "Raiders on Komodo Rhinos come every night, circling the walls, capturing and enslaving anyone unlucky enough to get caught. They burn and pillage the fields, they rape and slaughter as they go. We have enough troubles here, we don't need to add Kyoshi's to the list."
The seed of a thought flowered in Sokka's mind. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement, then."
The magistrate eyed him suspiciously. "What kind of agreement?"
"Well, since my reputation precedes me, I bet you know what I'm good at." Sokka grinned, wolfishly. Azula rolled her eyes hard at the self-praise, and Katara had to stifle a laugh. "If I take care of this raider problem of yours, will you let the Kyoshi Islanders in to your village?"
The magistrate stroked his beard, no doubt weighing the offer. Azula prowled next to him and whispered into his ear.
"Time is of the essence. We can't get caught up here too long. We need to get Aang to Omashu."
He turned his lips to her ear but kept his eyes trained on the magistrate. "I like it when you whisper in my ear," he murmured, voice husky.
She had to resist slapping him. "Pervert. Not the time. What are you thinking?"
Now his eyes left the magistrate, peering into her golden ones. "I'm thinking we can't just abandon these people. I don't know if they'd kill them, but they're helpless against these people from Chin."
She smirked. "Ser Sokka, in his shining armor."
"I believe we can come to an agreement on these terms," the Magistrate said, cutting in. Sokka turned his attention back to the man.
"And beyond that, you have to treat these people fairly, Magistrate." He walked dangerously close to the man, who took several steps back, visibly nervous. "Because if I hear of any mistreatment, you'll have a wolf prowling outside your walls. And if I hear worse, then the wolf will prowl inside, too." He fixed the man with a blazing glare.
"Fine, fine, if you do the job, we will make room for the Kyoshians," the Magistrate said, trying to sound dismissive. The audible squeak in his voice didn't help.
"And for now, you will have to find the Islanders some accommodations. And get these soldiers out of their faces," Sokka snarled.
The magistrate waved the soldiers away and summoned an aide, to whom he barked orders. The aide gave a deep bow, and began speaking to Oyaji, organizing the survivors and herding them into the fishing port. The magistrate pulled Sokka aside.
"Before you go after them, Nightwolf, you ought to know. The group attacking us is a splinter from the Rough Rhinos. Our town scouts have not said that they are commanded in person by that bastard Mongke, but they can confirm that Vachir the Archer leads them."
Sokka shrugged. "These names mean nothing to me." He felt something soft brush his hand, and he saw Azula shake her head just slightly out of the corner of his eye.
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you, Nightwolf. I'll make sure the Kyoshians are not harmed while you fulfill the contract-"
"I'm not a mercenary, magistrate," Sokka said with a hint of anger in his voice. "I'm not expecting a sack of gold after this. I'm doing it for the Kyoshians, and for them only."
The magistrate gave him an oily grin. "All the better." Surely the greedy fool was happier knowing that he wouldn't have to part with any gold after this. "Head to the town, stay in an inn. You can start your search in the woods outside the village tonight, or tomorrow if you prefer." With that, the man took his leave, although he gave Azula and Aang long and hard stares, as if trying to puzzle out their strange appearance compared to the relatively typical-looking Southern Water Tribe siblings.
Azula watched the man leave, and when he was a safe distance away, she pulled Sokka to her. "What have you gotten us into?" she hissed.
"What?" Sokka shrugged noncommittally. "We just have to mop up after a few mercenaries. We can handle it."
"Putting aside the fact that we are wasting time that could be spent getting Aang to Omashu, do you know who you're up against? I know who Vachir is, and I hope it's just him, because if Mongke is here, we're in deep shit."
Aang and Katara exchanged glances. Azula wasn't anxious, per se, but if the usually stoic Princess was even slightly concerned... perhaps there was cause for the rest of them to panic.
"Who is Vachir, exactly?" Katara asked.
"He's a former Yu-Yan archer, one of the elite marksmen in the Fire Nation army. He was dishonorably discharged and joined the Rough Rhino Company," Azula said. "The other one the idiot mentioned, Mongke, though... that's the one I'm more concerned with. We can likely catch Vachir without much trouble, but if Mongke prowls these woods..."
"These Rough Rhinos, are they trouble?" Sokka asked.
"They might be, if Mongke is here. Sokka, they're one of the deadlier mercenary companies operating in the Earth Kingdom. Mongke is a firebender with a reputation."
"He's Fire Nation? Did he also get kicked out from the military?"
Azula snorted. "No. Mongke's a colonel in the army. I called them mercenaries, but the Rough Rhinos are really more of a... suicide squad within the military. All disgraces except Mongke. But if you're a disgrace who's good at killing, you get put in Mongke's unit and let loose on the Earth Kingdom. The idea was to allow them to kill their way back into Fire Nation society, but almost all of them stay on in the Company. They're rabid dogs, all of them."
Sokka twirled his boomerang. "Then we're doing everyone here a favor by putting them down."
"That's all well and good, but-"
"It's fine if it costs some time," Aang said. "I'd actually like to stay for a day or two. Me and Katara can stay behind and make sure the mercenaries don't get into the town, and that the Kyoshians aren't mistreated by the people of Chin. Sokka and you can deal with the Rough Rhinos outside the walls."
Sokka nodded. "That sounds good to me. We'll take Appa in the morning just in case we need to make a break for it, though. I think you'll be safer inside the walls, but if we're stuck outside without a way of escape..."
Aang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you guys should take Appa. By the way, Princess... what do you know about this whole Kyoshi murdering a guy deal?"
Azula shook her head. "It's a rather silly legend. In summary, Chin the Conqueror, a puffed up warlord from the northern Earth Kingdom, went on a rampage throughout the continent. His war of conquest led him here, to the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom, where he faced off against Avatar Kyoshi. The way the story tells it, Kyoshi split a landmass off from the continent, which eventually became Kyoshi Island. During their fight, Chin was defeated and supposedly died - although all accounts of the legend differ as to whether Kyoshi killed him or if it was just a consequence of their fight."
Aang looked deeply troubled by this, something that wasn't lost on any of the other companions. Their walk to the town was mostly spent in quiet, though before they left, Aang communicated to Appa to find a resting spot somewhere on the cliffs outside the town, if only to not alarm the townspeople and set off too many alarms.
When they arrived at the town, Sokka wheeled them into the first inn they found. It was a lively place, bustling with visitors, revelers, and tavernmaids. The innkeeper was a greying, friendly woman named Lai who kindly offered them a meal on the house when she was told about their mission.
"If you really can drive off the raiders, I'll make up the cost ten-fold. War is bad for business already, but when it's right outside your doorstep..." she muttered. "Anyway, young masters, how many rooms shall we be having?"
They all looked at each other red-faced, with drew out a boisterous laugh from Lai. "Ah, to be young and in love. You two Water Tribespeople look awful like brother-sister, the resemblance is too strong, which means you-" she pointed at Azula "are with this handsome lad." She winked at Sokka. "And you, with the tattoos.. are with her!" She said, pointing at Aang and Katara.
Azula cocked an eyebrow at the innkeeper before jerking a thumb towards Katara. "Bold of you to assume I'm not with her," she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Now it was Lai's turn to splutter a little, and Katara couldn't get redder if she tried, but Sokka's obnoxious laughter convinced her that it was simply a jest.
"We'll have two rooms, good host," Sokka said, still grinning. He handed over some coins.
"We will?" said Aang, looking slightly horrified.
Sokka shrugged. "Why not? I'm pretty sure Az- Jin," he said, correcting himself smoothly while pointing at Azula, "is fine staying with me. And you and Kat can stay together too. Doesn't make sense to get separate rooms."
"Sokka's just being economical," Azula said to Aang with a sly smile. Turning her attention to Lai, she asked, "where is the local market? Who sells the cheapest clothes? We've been traveling in our Water Tribe gear for a while now, but we'd like something a little more... nondescript."
Lai nodded sagely. "Aye, what with the war going on, I don't blame you. Don't want to stand out too much on the road." Azula cracked an easy smile at her. "Go to the market and ask for Yorin's stand. He's got fair prices and good stitchwork."
XXXXX
Aang and Katara split up to go get new tunics and clothes matching the fashion of the Earth Kingdom - Azula made it very clear that she did not partake in shopping the same way peasants did - while Sokka and the Princess decided to inspect their rooms. Both were near identical, and Azula made a face at both of them, though she eventually settled on the one with the slightly larger bed.
"What? It's not like the village was much better, and I don't seem to recall you making the same faces back then," grumbled Sokka. "Apologies if we can't stay at the Royal Grand at Ba Sing Se, Princess."
Azula laughed. "I liked your home. Yes, it was freezing cold, but the igloos and the structures were nice and warm." Her gaze softened and she stroked his arm. "Besides, I rather enjoyed settling into domesticity with you."
Sokka smirked. "I still don't take you for the domestic type."
Azula shrugged in response. "Generally, I am not, but it was a fun few weeks with you regardless." She pointed at a filled, warm tub that the innkeeper had prepared for them. Though the room was fairly shabby, the tub - a wooden, no-frills affair - was surprisingly large. "You need to bathe."
Sokka eyed her naughtily. "You gonna let me change in private, or do you want a ticket to the show?" To his surprise, she turned a little red and bit her lip shyly.
"I may or may not have already taken a peek..." she said softly.
"When?!" he squealed. The Princess began to laugh at his indignation.
"The night you were proclaimed Warchief. When you bathed in Kanna's house, I took a look when you turned around. Nice butt." She pinched it for good measure.
Sokka groaned. "So you've gotten to window-shop the goods, and meanwhile I've seen nothing." His voice was a playful grumble, but also a suggestion. Azula smiled at him craftily.
"What are you trying to imply, savage?" she asked with a honeyed tone.
"That I'd like a ticket to the show, too," he said, eyes glinting devilishly.
She gave him a playful smirk. "Get in the tub and close your eyes." Sokka gave her a deep, fake bow and kissed her hand, making her giggle.
"As my Princess commands." He began to strip off his clothes - far too slowly, Azula thought - revealing his exceptional physique. He wasn't laden with muscles the way some of the highborn men of the Fire Nation were, who spent their entire day working out without actually building their bodies for function. Every inch of him was unwasted, every muscle honed through years of war and use. She licked her lips as her eyes raked over every inch of him, though she had to suppress a pang of hurt when she saw the mass of scars and burns that crisscrossed his torso. She was responsible for some of them, at least. It didn't stop the growling flame in her belly and the heat she felt just slightly below.
"I never thought someone could violate me this much with just their eyes, Princess," he grumbled, watching her watch him.
"Shut up, peasant. Off with the underwear."
Sokka grimaced, but turned around before stripping off the last of his clothes. She got a full view of his exposed rear. She had to admit she liked what she saw - just like the rest of him, it was hard muscle.
He's a cutie, giggled a voice that sounded eerily like Ty Lee's. Azula had to suppress a groan. Of course, the admiring part of her conscience would manifest as her acrobat friend. Oh, don't be shy now, the voice chastised. You're already admiring him. He's wildly attractive, so much better than that Chan boy. He's much, much more deserving of you.
With a slight splash, he clambered into the tub, lowering himself into the water, sighing in relief as he did so. He untangled his hair from the tie and let his forelocks splay on both shaved sides.
"Close your eyes now," Azula said softly. "And no peeking." He complied.
Would it be so bad? C'mon, Azula, I think you deserve to be admired. Especially if this one is the one doing the admiring, teased the Ty Lee voice.
Shut up, Ty. Unfortunately, the voice was right... she did hope he peeked. She just wasn't sure if she was ready for him to look openly.
She began to remove her robes too now, as plain as they were. How she longed for the silks of her home, and what she wouldn't have given for some of her more racy smallclothes, but there was nothing to be done for it. When she was fully naked, she, too, toed her way into the tub. Lai, in her years of peasant wisdom, had filled the water just so that two people could sit in the tub without spilling much. She maneuvered to sit between Sokka's legs, her back up against his chest. She could feel her bottom rubbing against his stiff manhood under the water, which made the desire between her legs grow even hotter.
So he was peeking, she thought with some satisfaction.
"Can I open my eyes now, or do I have to pretend that it's not really you here in this tub with me?" he asked.
"You may, peasant," she commanded gently.
There was a certain thrill to sit in front with her back to him. She couldn't completely see what he was doing, which is why she let out a gasp when his gently nibbled her earlobe before trailing gentle kisses and soft licks of the tongue down her neck, to where it joined with her shoulder.
"Gods and spirits, 'Zula," he growled. His breath was hot against her skin, hotter than the water of the bath, though it made goosebumps break out over her back. She let herself melt into him, letting out a deep breath as she fully relaxed in this man's arms.
His hands traced her thighs, traveling up her legs to her hips. He explored every inch of them without dipping towards her sex, though she ached for him to - of course the savage would be a gentleman when it came to things like this - and she especially loved it when he traced his fingers over her taut stomach, up to her full breasts. She had to resist arching her back when his coarse fingers traveled over her nipples, causing them to harden even more. She'd never felt so aroused before; it was as if all of her were on fire.
"I could do it, you know. Just lift you up a little and a bit further back. Lower you onto me," he said, voice slithering so pleasurably into her ear. "Would you want that, Princess?"
It was all she could do to not lift herself up and fuck him senseless then and there. She wanted him, badly. But she also didn't want to have her first time be in a wooden tub of some seedy tavern, and she felt that Sokka felt the same.
"Yes," she said, voice somewhere between a whisper and a moan. "More than anything, right now..."
"But not right now," he finished, with a soft kiss against her ear, though his hands continued to explore her body. She allowed her own hands to rub his muscular thighs.
"It's just..." she began, but he shushed her.
"You don't have to give me an explanation. This is good too."
She groaned. "Half of me wishes the savage in you would just take me right now."
"That's the savage in you speaking, Princess," he said, laughing huskily. She loved how his body rumbled against hers when he did that.
Agni, you two are beyond cute. Why in the world are you fighting it? Ty Lee said grumpily.
Yeah, well, I don't know. And I swear to Agni, if you should ever meet Sokka in real life, I'll toast you alive if you cast so much as a flirty wink in his direction.
The Ty Lee voice laughed. Are you kidding me? This hunk is all yours, now go enjoy your time. I'll keep the other voices away... especially your dad, the rude things he would say, horrible man...
She tilted her body just at an angle, resting her bottom against his thigh rather than on the tub floor. She was able to place her head against his body in this position, and she could tilt her head up to look at him. She almost gave in again when she saw the azure of his eyes, bright as every, filled with the same desire she knew was present in hers. He lowered his head and she craned hers, meeting in the middle with with their lips and their tongues and their teeth. She lost sense of time and space when he kissed her like that, as all her clarity of thought disappeared into fuzzy pleasure and they let out inadvertent moans and gasps as their mouths broke apart for breaths of air before resuming their duel.
When eventually they broke apart, she laid her head back on his chest, her chin only slightly dipping into the water. Azula had lost track of how long they'd been in the tub. Not long enough to being to prune, but she wished that she could stay in here forever with him.
She must have been silent for a while, because Sokka's hand had resumed it's playful ministration of her nipple, rolling in lazy circles around it and occasionally flicking the hardened nub. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked, gently.
"I can hardly think with you doing that," she huffed. "But don't stop."
"Never," he said, grinning.
"I just... this is nice."
"Yes, it is."
"I was serious. If you pushed me, I would have happily let you take me."
"You're already mine, Azula." The way he said it made her shiver in pleasure. "But I'll only take you when all of you wants me to, not just the horny part."
She was quiet for a moment. "I always thought love and desire were foolish emotions. And now I'm here, all wanton, throwing myself at you."
He laughed a little. "Is that guilt I detect in your voice?"
She looked down a little, but his hand grazed her chin and pulled her eyes back to his.
"Never be guilty for how you feel for me. That's the one thing I ask. If we're going to be honest with ourselves, I love that you want me just as much as I want you, Princess. There's nothing foolish about it."
She smiled a little. "Fine. I won't feel guilty, then. It's just... remember what I said, before, when you asked me if I'd ever had sex?"
He nodded. "You said something about being uncomfortable with the surrender of control that it requires. But you know, it's a two way street. We'd both be surrendering to each other. We both lose and gain control."
She made a sound of agreement, kissing one of the many scars on his chest. "Yes. I'm mostly ready to do that, Sokka. It just all... terrifies me."
"The lack of control?"
"No. How badly I want to give it up."
He pulled her up again, enveloping her in a deep kiss, softer and gentler this time, brimming with all the love in his heart. "Remember what I said about you not having to wear any masks around me?" When she made a noise of agreement, he continued. "Then let's make a promise. When it's just you and me, here, in private, in our room or anywhere else we can be intimate, we'll just be us. Azula and Sokka."
She nodded. "Sokka and Azula. Not the Princess or the Nightwolf. Not the Firebender or the Warchief. Just you and me. No masks?"
"No masks. You're so much more beautiful without one, 'Zula." His hands traced the scars on her back, the ones inflicted by Father, but for the first time they didn't make her shudder. In truth, it was part of the reason she made him close his eyes, and why she sat with her back against him. It still shamed her to let him see, because she didn't want there to be pity in his eyes. But now that he traced them, softly and gently, she felt his fingers to be a balm rather than a scalpel, healing rather than reopening.
"You're something else, Sokka," she whispered, closing her eyes and melting back into him. "Agni, I've never felt this way before. I feel like I'm on fire around you."
He beamed at her, a radiant smile that left her no choice but to reflect it. He only broke it to kiss her forehead. "I love you too," he said, knowing full well the meaning of her words. Azula smiled a little, grateful for his patience. She wanted to let the words out too, but she couldn't just quite yet form them, even though she knew in her heart of hearts that she was desperately in love with him.
"Let's never leave," he whispered into her ear. "Also, have you been keeping the water temperature steady this whole time?"
"You're figuring out the perks of being with a Firebender," she said, grinning. "You want to say here forever, even if we become shriveled prunes here in the water?"
His eyes twinkled at her. "I plan on loving you until we're shriveled of old age anyway. May as well get a sneak peek of what I'm in for."
She laughed at his joke, but her heart leapt at his declaration.
She'd never wanted anything so badly as the future he'd described to her just now.
XXXXX
Katara and Aang had arrived late evening, laden with cloaks, tunics, and breeches in varying shades of olive, drab brown, and green. They weren't as comfortable or as well made as the blue clothing they'd received before leaving the Water Tribe, but it allowed them to blend in much better. The group had shared a meal (Lai had once again offered on the house, but Sokka and Katara had felt guilty and Azula slid a little more coin than necessary, as a way of thanking the warm old woman for her kind hospitality) before retiring for the night.
Early the next morning, well before dawn, Sokka and Azula set out. To his amusement, the Princess was less than enthused about waking up before dawn, but Sokka had sternly insisted - and offered many soft and gentle kisses as bribes - and eventually the Princess acquiesced.
They painted their faces before they left, again. Sokka was a little hesitant to wear his distinctively Water Tribe armor, but luckily his fear was salved when the magistrate met them and offered them light armor before they left the town gates. The magistrate looked a little offended that Azula was going to be wearing armor. Sokka simply laughed at him.
"I'd be more worried of Jin than me, magistrate. She's two times the animal I am in battle." He shared a wolfish smile with her.
They left the village, but looped around down the cliff and onto the jutting promontory where Appa had made himself a little nest. Sokka hugged the large bison before giving him a rub, which earned him a contented huff of affection. As he was clambering onto the saddle, he didn't miss Azula doing the same (and also earning a pleasant huff), which made him smile.
When they were situated, they took off with Appa, making sure to skirt the cliff-side until they were outside the line of sight for the village. Only then did Sokka urge Appa upwards, and the great bison took them into the sky, skimming above the tall trees of the forest, which provided such a thick canopy that they were unable to make out anything underneath.
They had prowled over the treeline for an hour until Azula finally sighted a plume of smoke coming from within the forest. They guided Appa down at a distance, marking the direction of the smoke. Azula set up camp while Sokka waded to the nearby brook, using a makeshift spear made from a particularly straight tree branch to catch some fish. They sat there, spending the day in each other's companionship. Sokka wanted nothing more than to share the intimacy of last night with her again, and he could tell from the longing gaze in her eyes that she wanted the same, but they were on a mission. It would serve them all better to not be distracted, or they could be caught - both literally and figuratively - with their pants down.
The plume of smoke continued well into the evening, which alerted Sokka that it was no simple blaze. It was almost certainly a camp. With the drawing cover of twilight, they left their camp, over bush, bramble, and thistle, as they crept closer and closer to the enemy. Their first indication that they were on the right track was the scout perched atop the tree - he didn't even have time to scream before Sokka's boomerang knocked him out of the branches and onto the ground. Azula ended him before he had a chance to make noise.
The man had a strange red marking on his eyes, but Azula shook her head when she saw it. "Another Yu-Yan archer. Vachir will be here."
"Are they really that good? This one went down without much of a fight."
"We surprised him. We'll be lucky if they all go down this easy. Sokka, the Yu-Yan archers are elite. They could put an arrow between our eyes from two hundred meters away, and then put another in between that first arrow too."
He grimaced. "That good, huh?"
She nodded. "Truthfully, we have no way of knowing how many of them are here with Vachir to begin with. The Yu Yan archer regiment isn't large, and I doubt there were many who were demoted into the Rough Rhinos but... I'd rather not take chances."
"Fair enough," Sokka nodded.
The only thing that gave him a split second warning was the slight whistling noise his ear picked up. To him it sounded almost like the arctic wind of his homeland, but he knew better.
Arrow.
He leapt towards Azula, knocking her to the ground. The thunk that followed less than a millisecond after let him know his instinct was right, as an arrow buried itself in a tree trunk that stood directly behind where Azula had just been. They were spotted.
"We need to get to cover," he snarled, gritting his teeth. He picked the Princess up with a powerful jerk and they ran as arrows brought screaming death towards them.
XXXXX
Zuko still expected treachery. The message borne by the hawk was unbelievable; from the moment he'd read the words, the world had become a fugue state, as if reality itself had become a blur.
No matter how many times he unfurled the scroll and re-read the words, hoping to find the catch, or to see the small print hidden within the message, the letters did not change. They spelled out the same thing, each and every time.
It is time to come home, Prince Zuko.
He still didn't believe it when his ship, still struggling and smoking some from the damage caused to it by the Avatar, passed the Black Cliffs and through the Gates of Azulon. His doubts failed to be dispelled even when the ship docked in the harbor of Caldera.
A horde of royal attendants descended on the ship, laden with gifts from the palace. They brought new ceremonial robes, jewelry, rose water, perfumes and other cosmetics. He was bathed – if he was in his right mind, he would have slaughtered these palace leeches; his time as a mercenary had left him a hard man, neither accustomed to nor desirous of pampering – but he was not in his right mind, still convinced that this was a bad dream, brought on by misbrewed tea from Uncle.
It only dawned on him when he was finally ushered off his ship, flanked by his newly appointed Captains in his company, and followed by a train of Royal Guardsmen. The sky was red in the fading evening as an angry sun began the last of its downward descent towards the horizon. It was only slightly humid, but there was a breeze to keep the air from becoming heavy. His robes, gilded and sumptuous as they were, were expertly tailored to keep him cool. He'd almost forgotten what it was like back home, in the warm and humid climes of the place he'd grown up. The entire teeming population of Caldera had turned out, lining the path from the harbor to the palace steps, kept in check by the Redcapes – the city guard – and they were positively thrilled to lay their peasant eyes on the Prince.
Zuko didn't know what they knew about his exile, or his return, but the reception he was given was that of a conquering hero, returned with the triumph of a subjugated enemy and a victorious war, but the little worm inside his mind whispered to him that he had lost the siege, bested by a boy playing at being a warlord, and then he'd lost the prize that had made the loss of the siege palatable – the Avatar.
Small comfort though it was, at least he still felt satisfied in having defeated Azula in Agni Kai. Whatever else, he'd vanquished that lying bitch, traitor to her people, in the eyes of the spirits and the gods. He allowed himself a satisfied smirk and waved back at the people, savoring every step of the walk to the palace. What did it matter if he did not feel the conquering hero? The people did, and reality was simply the common lie agreed upon by the most people. Not everyone in the city remembered what he looked like as a child - he'd only made a few public appearances, and the last one was when he was twelve years old. Zuko came back now a warrior, a man, hardened by war. He wasn't groomed enough to look like the generals who rode in with their finery and their trimmed beards and their manicured nails. He was a soldier, grim faced, scarred, like one of the Dragon conquerors of old.
When he arrived at the steps of the palace, he was greeted with column upon column of soldiers, forming an honor guard for him. Trumpeters and fanfare announced his return, a triumphant military tune. The pomp and circumstance of the ceremony vanished in his mind's eye when he saw the figure awaiting him at the top of the steps, robed in a similar manner as Zuko, though more ornate. The Prince's eyes narrowed.
Each step seemed like an eternity until he finally mounted the last one. Now he was level with him; the man whose voice he he heard every waking moment, whose presence haunted his dreams and nightmares.
Zuko bowed. He did not want to, but he did anyway. It was a curt thing, the minimal that could be seen as acceptable without presenting an insult.
"Father."
For some reason, the most powerful man in the world was a little older than he thought he'd be. But for the horrid scar that marred Zuko's face, he could have sworn he was looking into a mirror that had the unfortunate consequence of slightly aging him. The man had lines that weren't present from Zuko's last memory of him, he was sure of that. Every detail of that day was seared into his mind and into his flesh, his father's face from that moment made marble statue in his memory forevermore.
Zuko stared into eyes as golden as his, a sneering, angular face that presented his features in a frightening similitude that offered the Prince a glimpse into his future. It was only later that Zuko would realize that he had to lean slightly downward to meet Father's eyes. He'd grown taller than the Fire Lord in his absence.
"My son." Any other father in the world would have sounded proud to welcome his son back into his arms with those words. Not this one. Like everything, it was that same high, drawling sneer that froze everything in its presence, no matter how hot the Fire Lord's flames burned. Ice shot down Zuko's spine. Whatever else might have changed in his father and himself, that sneering tone was still the same, the same from that fateful day Zuko earned his scar and lost his honor. Ozai spread his arms wide, his majestic robes unfurling and rippling in the wind, almost flickering as if animated like the blazing flames that roared in the mighty urns lining the steps of the palace. "Welcome home, Prince Zuko." His cold gaze traveled from Zuko to the man behind him. "And welcome home, my brother."
Zuko's response was a Cheshire-cat grin. His father still held power over him, that he would not deny. But it was weaker. For the first time, Zuko didn't look up to Ozai, but rather looked down on him. And what he saw was not the formidable, all-powerful man that haunted his dreams. It was just a man, like any other, and Zuko had become an experienced killer of men. The dream-like state ended, and reality became clear.
The Prince found that it didn't scare him at all.
Behind him, Iroh twirled a Lotus tile inside the great sleeves of his robes, even as he bowed to Ozai.
A/N: apologies but it's fairly obvious now that I'm cruel and like to end chapters on cliffhanger notes :)
Also, randomly musing, but in the more than 10 year gap where I stopped writing and reading fanfic... when did the term "smut" overcome the term "lemon?" Back in 08-10 I remember lemon being the dominant term.