Sokka only slept heavily if they were in a leisurely situation: he didn't often wake up before mid-morning when they were home, for instance. But whenever he snuck into Azula's rooms illicitly, especially if they weren't on the Barge, his entire system seemed to be in constant alert despite being unconscious. It meant his rest wouldn't be quite as refreshing as he would have liked, but he had little choice upon the matter if he wanted to avoid being caught with her and sent to an early grave for it.
That morning, the voices in the alleys of the Misty Palms Oasis drifted up to their room at the inn: Sokka's ears perked at the noise, and his eyes flew open instinctively, arms still wrapped tightly around his slumbering lover. One glance at the window revealed the skies were growing lighter: in a couple of hours, surely, the staff members would fetch them for the next stage of the Race… and getting caught in bed together, intimately embracing one another, was the last thing they needed.
Sokka kissed the top of Azula's head: her lack of response disappointed him, but he knew he shouldn't be greedy, not after he'd gotten away with much more that night than he should have. He relinquished his hold on her, moving to climb off the bed… and her hand darted out to his bare chest, as to keep him with her if just for a little longer.
"Here I thought you were asleep, Princess" Sokka whispered, succumbing to the temptation she posed by leaning close and kissing her brow softly instead of leaving the bed.
"I thought so too… until I felt you pulling away. Not so asleep anymore" she mumbled, inching closer to him. Sokka chuckled.
"You know I have to go, Azula" he said "For our sake and theirs, too. None of us ought to get caught in the wrong rooms"
"More like the right rooms. This is what's right. The rest of the world is wrong" Azula sighed, pressing soft kisses to his chest.
"Too bad that argument's not going to work on anyone else, though" Sokka whispered against her hair, rubbing her back gently.
"One day it will. One day" Azula declared, raising her head just to steal a proper kiss from Sokka's lips. He offered it gladly, his heart fluttering in soft bliss as they held each other tenderly. By the time they parted, the Princess was smiling "Alright. Guess now it's safe for you to go"
"Ah? Only after you've kissed me?" Sokka asked, amused.
"I have the feeling starting the day with a kiss brings us luck" Azula shrugged.
"Hmm. You sure just one will do?" Sokka teased her "How about ten?"
"Might as well try a thousand, then, to stay on the safe side" Azula smirked, and they both laughed, their foreheads pressed together.
"I love you, Azula. So damn much" he said, warmth radiating from his chest as he spoke the words, as he held her closely.
"And I love you back, husband" Azula replied, with one more peck to his lips "Now, then, if you're going to leave, you'd better do it now. Else I might not be so willing to let you go"
Sokka laughed but nodded, kissing her brow softly and releasing her from his hold. He still dared caress her face gently with his fingertips, and her warm smile under his touch merely bolstered that pleasant sensation in his heart. In the future they would wake up like this every morning, he knew they would… one way or another, they'd see to that.
He picked up his shirt, swatting it carefully in case any unwanted critters or bugs had snuck into it through the night, and he dressed up with his back towards the Princess. Azula sighed audibly, prompting him to glance back at her as she raised a hand and reached out to squeeze one of his buttocks: naturally, he snorted and gave her a disbelieving smirk.
"Like what you… grope and see, I suppose?" he asked. She smiled mischievously.
"Always" she said, letting him take her hand into his own.
"I'll be with you again in just a couple of hours, at most, Azula" he whispered, kissing her knuckles softly "And if you want to grope me again once we're alone in the race, well… just keep in mind I might return the favor"
"You think I'd want it any other way?" she smirked and Sokka chuckled.
"Sometimes I'm just floored by how perfect we are together, girl" he said, kneeling beside her on the bed to kiss her anew "Alright, I'd better go or at this rate I never will"
"See you in a bit, Sokka" Azula said, smiling warmly at him as he finally released her hand.
"Try and get some more rest, love" he said, grinning at her over his shoulder as he made for the door.
The corridor they had been assigned to was deserted, but Sokka waited briefly before stepping out of the room regardless. Fortunately he wouldn't have to walk very far, and he knocked softly on the adjacent room's door, waiting patiently outside until the other pair was ready to separate as Kori returned to her room. He was tempted to knock a second time, but the sounds of rustling sheets and hushed voices inside the bedroom told him he hadn't been ignored.
Within around three minutes, a disheveled and blushing Kori Morishita opened the door, awkwardly avoiding Sokka's eyes. She nodded in his direction as he smiled sympathetically at her, and she merely filed quickly into the next room.
"Well, good morning to you too" Sokka whispered after the door was closed, and he chuckled as he followed Kori's example.
Sneers eyed him with uncertainty from his bed, his hair as messy as Kori's had been. Sokka only smiled, nodding in acknowledgement towards him.
"I… I know this must look bad, but I can explain everything" Sneers said, but Sokka shook his head.
"You don't have to" he said, stretching across the free bed and closing his eyes "If you're together because you want to be, I'll be happy for you"
"Really?" Sneers asked, nervously.
"Yeah" Sokka said, grinning "Now… you probably need some more rest, huh? It's better to try and relax for however long we have left before they come get us"
"Right… but still, thank you, Sokka. For last night… and for being on our side" Sneers sighed "I didn't think anyone would be"
"What are friends for?" Sokka said, with an innocent, enigmatic grin as he closed his eyes…
He was tempted to talk further, but he doubted Sneers would appreciate that. He had managed to keep his own secret safe, for the time being, and the best way to protect it would be by keeping his mouth shut… Azula would be proud of him for that, wouldn't she?
In the next room, Kori sat on her mattress, cheeks flushed as she regarded Azula nervously. The Princess hadn't quite drifted back into sleep, immediately alerted when Kori had re-entered the room moments ago.
"I… I can explain" Kori started, her voice small "Though I don't know if it'll change what you must think of me now. But… the truth is, Sneers and I, we… we bonded, a lot. After you and Sokka left Yu Dao, you'd already helped us mend fences and you gave us the opportunity to truly become allies. The next thing I knew we were friends, and… and just shortly afterwards, after I saw his happiness when he reunited with Smellerbee, I… I started to have feelings I shouldn't have had. And I shut them down, for a very long time, but eventually I grew to suspect he had some feelings of his own. S-so, well, we talked things through, and… well…"
"One thing led to another?" Azula ventured a knowing guess, and Kori's blush intensified.
"It's not as reckless as it may seem, though it's reckless enough as it is. My parents don't know anything" she sighed "We usually pretend nothing's happening, but whenever we're alone, whether traveling or anything, we… well, we try to make the most of it. Last night I had hoped to at least have a small chance of privacy with him, but there was none to be had. S-so when I tried to sneak into his room and you caught me, well, I… I kind of thought you might, well…"
"What, rat you out?" Azula asked, and Kori sighed.
"I'm terrible for even thinking you might do such a thing. I'm so sorry" she said, shaking her head "You've always been so kind, and you helped me understand how to work with him. I don't know why I'd even let myself think something like that…"
"You're in a clandestine relationship with a man you shouldn't love, if anyone important discovers it you'll be doomed: if you'd trusted me blindly with such a secret I'd be much more worried than if you hadn't" Azula said, with a matter-of-factly smile. Kori grinned too, despite herself.
"Well, that's true… I guess I just feel like I must be letting you down" Kori sighed, hanging her head "Ever since I heard of you, you've been this force of nature, a trailblazer, someone to admire and whose example I wanted to follow even as I made my path my own. But the moment I built up a proper partnership with Sneers, I… I was swayed by emotions that I can't ever control. Even if I am a disappointment for it, I… I don't think I could ever stop what we're doing. I really do care about him…"
"So, you think being in a secret relationship with your gladiator makes you a disappointment?" Azula asked, and Kori now averted her gaze altogether.
"I think I've failed to live up to your example, is all" Kori whispered "Ever since it started, I've thought our feelings are probably why Sneers and I haven't made it as far as you and Sokka have in the League…"
"That makes no sense" Azula said, smiling despite herself. Oh, she was a fool, an utter fool… but there was little to be done when she could see Kori was so distraught, so miserable about something that, by all means, ought to make her happy instead.
"You think being involved with Sneers should have no correlation with how he fights, or my performance as his sponsor…?" Kori guessed, and Azula wished the heat wouldn't rise to her cheeks as she found the right words to explain herself.
"No, I'm thinking… being involved with your gladiator is no deterrent for rising in the League" Azula admitted "You're following my example in just about every way you could have, Kori, without your awareness"
"W-wait… what?" Kori said, blinking blankly as Azula took a deep breath.
"I'm just saying… you're not the only sponsor who has fallen in love with her gladiator. By far" she said "Let alone the only one carrying out a secret affair with him"
By now Kori's eyes were wide as plates. Well, then, maybe Azula had made a terrible mistake… but it made sense to trust the girl, didn't it? They both were hiding secrets of the same magnitude, weren't they? However shocked she might be, surely she wouldn't threaten to reveal Sokka and Azula's secret to the world… would she?
"You… and him?" Kori said, and Azula nodded almost imperceptibly… and with that, Kori snorted and laughed, sinking in her mattress with a relieved grin "Oh, hell, I knew you couldn't be all that perfect"
"Ah, really now?" Azula asked, amused as Kori continued to laugh "What happened with the trailblazing and admiring me and following my example…?"
"You said it yourself, I'm already doing it without my awareness!" Kori laughed "Ah, goodness… I always thought, w-well, if anyone found out I'd be doomed. But… huh. If you're going through the same thing, we can protect each other's secret as well as our own!"
"I figured as much. And as we've been assigned as roommates, it only seems like too good a chance to let it go to waste, don't you think?" Azula smirked.
"It really is… ah, I'm so glad" Kori sighed, with a blissful smile "I really am. I… I haven't had anyone to talk about this until now, even! I always thought my friends wouldn't understand, but you absolutely would because you're going through this too… I guess it's inevitable, isn't it? To develop strong feelings for someone you work so closely with…"
"I doubt it's inevitable, but it happens easily enough" Azula admitted "Especially once you learn how to move past the initial conflicts and allow your partnership to grow… that, really, is the core of the issue"
"It is" Kori said, closing her eyes "Truthfully, when I'm with him, I… I feel more like myself than I ever have before. I don't know if there's any future for us, but as it is, he makes me happier than anything else ever has"
"And that ought to be more important to you than following any examples or abiding by any ideologies or teachings" Azula said, intertwining her fingers over her abdomen as she gazed at the ceiling "You should have never thought of yourself as lesser, as disappointing, just because you found a partner in more ways than one. Even if I hadn't been in a secret relationship of my own, you're your own person, Kori. You felt like yourself with him, when you weren't constantly trying to measure up to others… when, I assume, you were valued for who you were rather than by who you were trying to be"
"I guess so" Kori said, biting her lower lip "Sneers certainly has always told me I'm pretty impressive as I am… that I have nothing to envy you for"
"You certainly don't" Azula said, with a weak grin "Well, other than being with my own secret lover for much longer than you have been with yours, at any rate"
"Oh? You have?" Kori asked, amused "Wait, were you two already an item the last time you came to Yu Dao?"
"Only the last one, though" Azula smiled "Definitely not the first one"
"Yeah, I remember you really seemed unhappy with him back then" Kori smiled "Though it was what I had expected from a sponsor and a gladiator. I did think you'd changed a lot the second time around, but what you explained, everything you told me, I… I didn't expect it to be because you were in love"
"Much like in your case, it was inevitable" Azula admitted "But rest assured, this keeps happening all over the Gladiator League. Some people are better at hiding it than others… I'm pretty sure me and Sokka get worse at it every day. The fact that I've outright told you, even, is further proof of that…"
"Yeah… you did say I shouldn't have told you and trusted you blindly" Kori laughed.
"Oh, I didn't do it so blindly, I only did it once I knew we both hid secrets that could tear our lives apart if they reached the wrong ears" Azula smirked "Otherwise I would've kept my mouth shut"
"Makes sense" Kori smiled "At any rate, though… thank you, Princess. Both for keeping my secret and trusting me with your own. I swear, no one will hear about it from me"
"And no one will hear about yours from me either. Well, from us" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "Sokka has proven he can keep a secret or two, so I'm sure he won't be a problem for you guys either"
"Wonderful" said Kori, beaming brightly.
Despite knowing further rest would be advisable, Azula only lay in bed with her eyes half-open once Kori fell silent. Yet again, another partnership between two people of entirely different worlds yielded the same result: Kori and Sneers had connected, found a kindred spirit in the other, bonding beyond either of them could have expected to. A business relationship that had started for the wrong reasons, much like her own with Sokka, had taken a turn towards genuine love. It was beautiful, it was dangerous, and it filled her heart with hope that a new form of balance was truly rising in their war-torn world. It wasn't quite what anyone had in mind all along, she knew as much… but she found peace in knowing there were more pairings like herself and Sokka out there, perhaps many more than she could ever imagine. It meant that, once she became Fire Lord, all of them would finally be free to be true to themselves. No more hiding, no more secrecy… the good changes of their world would finally be known and cherished for what they were. Not everyone would approve, she knew… but she could scarcely be bothered to care for scoffs and disapproval when her heart burned with the knowledge that this would be the right thing to do.
Merely an hour after they had switched back, the staff members knocked on their doors to announce the second stage of the Race would begin two hours later. It gave them a fair amount of time to have breakfast and warm up for the promised strenuous exercise they'd undergo, along with a chance to collect water and buy more food, if possible, in the Oasis's markets.
Sneers appeared taken aback when he saw Azula again, but Kori's reservations were entirely gone now. Again, they shared their meal with the Princess and her gladiator, as well as Ty Lee and Haru, and as much as Sokka was glad to see Kori was no longer sulking or stressed about what had happened last night, he found it odd, if not wrong, for her to be in such good spirits now. So, as soon as he was alone with Azula…
"Say… what exactly happened after she returned to your room?" he asked as they checked the stores and stalls the oasis had to offer: most of them had little in stock, either because other teams had already bought plenty of food or because their wares were in too short supply for the amount of visitors they had received suddenly "Kori looks happier than she ever did before, and I have the feeling it has something to do with you"
"Well, whatever could possibly lead you to such a conclusion?" Azula said, theatrically, reaching for an unremarkable, dry apple that had her grimacing in distaste "Do you think we really ought to buy any of this? Maybe we'd do best to forage something on our way to today's destination…"
"That's up to you, Princess. You know I'd eat most anything" Sokka smiled "And you avoided my question. Not successfully, but you still tried…"
"Oh, you're ever painfully persistent, aren't you?" Azula sighed, returning the apple back to the near-empty basket it had been sitting on before "We did talk, for quite a while. And, well…"
"What?" Sokka asked, eyes narrow. Azula seemed unwilling to meet his gaze, and for once, it seemed she was the one to do something reckless and foolish while he judged her for it: "Is this some sort of guilty silence, Princess? Because that's what it looks like to me…"
"Come on, you can surely guess the truth well enough on your own" Azula shook her head, guiding him out of the store. By the time they were outside, though, he was eyeing her in disbelief.
"Azula… you didn't tell her, did you?"
"I… might have?"
"You couldn't have!" Sokka gasped, eyes wide in shock "B-but why would you…?!"
"She looked really miserable, alright?" Azula sighed "And she kept saying ridiculous things about how she could never measure up to me because of what they're doing, and I just thought… maybe if I clarified that that's got nothing to do with it – seeing as we're guilty of the same particular crime – then she might feel a little better about herself. I mean, we both know how depressing it is to feel like your own people would never forgive you for having feelings for someone they would never approve of, right?"
"But you could've just said you wouldn't judge her for it, you know? Just… kind of like what I did with Sneers?" Sokka mumbled, as they walked through the streets of the oasis, loud noises all around them as the next stage of the race was being prepared "I just told him I would be happy for him as long as they both wanted this, and that was that"
"Well, good for you. Maybe Sneers is just less difficult to appease" Azula said, huffing. Sokka snorted.
"It's not the end of the world if she knows, I figure, but the thing is, Princess," he said, shaking his head, "you do realize most people who have found out about us have found out because of you, right?"
"Wait, what?"
"I mean, sure, you can say some are both our faults but…"
"Only some of them?" Azula asked, indignant and amused.
"Yeah, well, Rui Shi found out because we were both reckless, same as Song" Sokka admitted "But then you told Mai and Ty Lee…"
"They figured it out, I didn't tell them anything" Azula growled, and Sokka snickered "Toph only found out because you were being sneaky. Otherwise she would've remained in the dark if just for a while longer"
"Alright, fine, that one's on me" Sokka said, raising his hands defensively "But who's the one who blurted out the truth to my sister in a port? And not just my sister, but your brother and their two common friends, so that's four people at once…"
"We don't know if they really understand what's going on, though" Azula mumbled, her cheeks flushing "And if that kind of stuff counts, then what Zhao figured out counts too"
"Does it really? Anyone with common sense would have expected me to feel as I do about you" Sokka smirked "It's when you're obvious about it too that they suspect things might be more complex than they appear…"
"Oh, whatever, you're just trying to annoy me, as ever, and I'm being foolish enough to let you get away with it" Azula huffed, as Sokka chuckled beside her "Kori's not likely to say anything either way, not only because she seems to hold me in high regards but because it's absolutely absurd to accuse someone of a crime you're guilty of as well. She gains nothing by it"
"I suppose that's true, which is why I'm not all that worried" Sokka admitted "But I always figured it'd be me who'd give away the truth without really planning to, not you…"
"Guess some things aren't quite as we predict" Azula sighed, once they reached the center of the oasis: most gladiator and sponsor teams were already gathered in the location, waiting for the staff members to announce the race would resume.
They caught the eye of other teams as they approached the cluster of participants: Azula noticed the scathing glare Aonu sent her way, which she responded with a dry grin. Iroh as well seemed to scowl in their direction, but in his case, Azula elected to ignore him once again rather than antagonize him further. His gladiator, on the other hand, regarded them with a smirk on her face and a quick wave – at the very least, it seemed the outcome of the race wouldn't affect their relationship with Toph all that much. Sokka answered her greeting with a wave of his own, while Azula merely nodded in her direction, knowing Toph would sense their gestures regardless of the sand and the distance between them.
"Gladiators and sponsors, gather round, gather round! The second stage of our Race is about to begin!"
The loud voice brought the gathering crowd to fall silent: the Sentinel Knight and his sponsor weren't far from where Sokka and Azula stood, and they raised a hand in greeting in their direction. Kori and Sneers were close by as well, and Ty Lee and Haru stood near them. The remaining gladiators to arrive trailed into the area slowly: some were in good shape, but many others were sporting bandages over their bodies. As they waited, it occurred to Azula that the iceberg at the center of the oasis couldn't possibly be the starting point of the new stretch of the race… it was too inconvenient, too likely that they might cause a commotion that might destroy the oasis and the buildings around it, wasn't it?
"Is everyone ready?" asked the chairman, again holding the bullhorn for this stage "Please make sure you're all with your rightful partners! The beginning of this stage will be different from the last one! Yes, yes, I know, some of you enjoyed the pandemonium, but we decided to keep things interesting by switching up the dynamics of the Race, right? Putting everyone to the test!"
"Okay, what's that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked, eyes wide.
"I have no idea, but it's either a terrible idea or a brilliant one" Azula said, frowning "There's no denying that we both thrive in challenges… but I guess it depends on the quality of said challenge"
Sokka nodded in agreement as they stepped closer to the crowd. The chairman waited shortly for the rest of the gladiators and sponsors to organize themselves properly: only when the staff members had accounted for every pair did he resume his explanations.
"Alright, so… as we know, the first stage started and ended in pretty explosive ways!" the chairman spoke "But to keep things interesting, and competitive… the staff members and I have determined that you will take off in turns, pair by pair, as you race into the desert!"
"Wait, what? What's that supposed to mean?" asked an unfamiliar gladiator, close to the chairman.
"Instead of everyone taking off at once, you will all leave at fixed intervals of thirty seconds!" the chairman explained "This will prevent damage and chaos in the Misty Palms Oasis, and I'm sure you will all enjoy fighting to your best as you catch up to each other"
"What order will we set out on?" asked Koshing now, his voice trembling with nervousness "The first arrivals from the previous stage are the first to take off, is it?"
"Why… as a matter of fact, the opposite" the chairman said, and a gasp rushed through the crowd "The last to arrive will take off first… and the first to arrive will be the last to take off"
"Heh. That's so fair and helpful" Sokka said, his eyebrow twitching as a few eyes fell upon him. He was tempted to scowl at them, or to protest against the decision… but all such urges vanished when Azula chuckled beside him "And you think this is funny?"
"Oh, it's not just funny, it's a relief, even" Azula said, with a happy sigh "We did have a target on our backs, and in all fairness we still do… but now everyone else has to take off first, and we get to chase after them. Meaning, they'll have to defend against us as we rush at them from the very back of the race"
"Huh…" Sokka said, rubbing his chin as he eyed the gladiators and sponsors with curiosity: most of them seemed thrilled by the announcement, though some, like Aonu, found it utterly absurd that the teams with the better performance would be dealt such an unfair hand now "And they might tire faster, providing us with the perfect chance to pass them…"
"And we'll get to see which routes the more annoying of our rivals take, so if we wish to avoid them…" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka snickered and nodded.
"Alright… maybe this isn't such a bad thing. And considering victory isn't all that important, Princess…" Sokka said, prodding her ribs gently with an elbow. Azula squirmed away, shooting a playful glare at him.
Organizing the teams properly took a while: they were guided to one of the oasis's exits, the location where the actual starting line had been drawn and marked by the same poles used on the previous day. For the first time in many years, Azula found herself standing in line after other people, and the thought brought an unexpected smile to her face.
"Reminds me of the Royal Academy for Girls" she muttered to Sokka "Sometimes we'd have to form up, just like this, for activities… though we were usually sorted by height rather than by effectiveness"
"Yeah, sorting all of us by height would be difficult" Sokka smiled "Look at us, you're short, I'm tall…"
"I'm of fairly average height, you jerk" Azula growled, at which he chuckled.
"Though I suppose at least you're not a tiny grump like this one" Sokka said, gesturing at Toph: it was obvious she was eavesdropping on their conversation, standing right in front of them with Iroh. They had been the second team to arrive on the first stage, and that made them the second-to-last to take off.
"Heh, tiny grump…" Toph repeated, raising her chin proudly "If we were sorted by height, Iroh and I would take off first and no one would be able to stop us!"
"Yeah, until Azula and I shot off past you guys with her firebending, sure" Sokka said, smirking, and Toph scowled.
"You ought to do it too, Iroh. Boost us with your bending like she did" Toph said, bumping into her sponsor lightly. He chuckled "Then there's no way they'd beat us!"
"I might try, if need be" Iroh said "But I'd like to think we can win without having to resort to that"
"Well… yeah, actually! Sure we can!"
Whether Iroh's words were poised to undermine Azula's last-minute sprint of the previous day or not, the Princess didn't know. As ever, she held her silence when it came to her uncle, unwilling to acknowledge him or talk to him unless necessary. With how turbulent their relationship was, she had the feeling Iroh was glad to be ignored by her just the same.
"If everyone is ready, then the first pair, Unyielding Storm and his sponsor, Kaemon, are about to set off!"
From as far back as they were, Sokka and Azula could scarcely see the start of the line. They exchanged resigned shrugs as they waited for the countdown for the first pair to finish: everyone was restless, eager to take off, but seeing as they were the last of the entire group, the Blue Wolf and the Princess were content with waiting in general relaxation until their turn finally arrived.
At the command of the chairman, each pair took off in the arranged order, one after the other, with half a minute between them all. As much as the oasis was safe and sound because of this strategy, earth and fire clashed in the distance within moments of the fourth pair's departure, and the more teams took off, the more frequent the fighting was, accompanied by war cries and shouts of all sorts.
"Okay, looks like this will be a bit more chaotic than we anticipated" Sokka said, grimacing: there were still seven more teams ahead of them. The next one to take off would be that of the Lone Star and his sponsor. Kori and Sneers would go after them, followed by Ty Lee and Haru.
"Probably. Makes you wonder what the right course of action will be this time around…" Azula mused, reaching for the bag Sokka kept strapped to his shoulder.
He offered no resistance as she sought the map she had safely tucked away in the pack since the previous day. The next stage was marked to end near some large vegetation mass to the northwest, and the most direct way to reach it would be, of course, by crossing straight through the desert. Which, going by what they could see, was exactly what everyone else was trying to do.
Without speaking aloud, knowing all too well that their main rivals could overhear their conversation, Azula caught Sokka's attention and placed her finger on the map, carefully trailing over the route she wanted to suggest to him. Sokka nodded right away, offering Azula a complicit grin before she closed the map again and tucked it into the bag. There was an unexpected amusement in talking without words, enough to distract them from the race until they heard the next to be called were The Millennium Dragon and Aonu.
"Alright… we've got this one, Iroh. I know we do" Toph said, cracking her knuckles as their two most pesky opponents so far took off in a rush. Iroh nodded.
"Let's do our best, Toph" he said, prepared to run as soon as the thirty seconds were over.
This time around, Toph didn't start off with a frantic earthbending display: the two merely trotted, slightly faster than Azula would have expected from her uncle. Within no time they would be catching up to the stragglers of the race and paying back Aonu and Renzhi for all the strife they had caused them on the previous day.
"And here we are, the last, or rather, the first team! I'm sorry, I suppose the take-off might seem a little unfair to you, Princess…" the chairman said, smiling sympathetically at Azula. She waved a hand carelessly, a proud smile on her face.
"Giving our opponents a head-start might just keep things interesting indeed, I'm not going to hold that against you" she said.
"Well, that's good, then!" the chairman smiled, watching as Toph and Iroh shrank in the distance gradually "Good luck out there today, Princess, Blue Wolf! Get ready…"
Azula and Sokka exchanged another glance, along with a quick grin, before the chairman was finished with his quick countdown: with that, they dashed off, side by side, with Azula moving as quickly as she could, keeping up with Sokka's long strides.
Instead of following the bulk of the group, as Toph and Iroh had, they took to the west instead: it would mean running for longer, but again, it would help them save energies they would likely need if they ran into dangerous enemies. Energies that, going by Toph's dreadful shape on the previous day, they would likely need in case strong gladiators launched any sort of unforeseen attack on them.
Once more, the hot-air balloons hovered above, with staff members surveilling the racers. The fighting was far more controlled this time around, for gladiators and sponsors had enough room to maneuver, many possible routes to take, countless opportunities to avoid unnecessary confrontations such as the ones that had hindered their progress on the first stage. But while some teams were determined to stay in good shape, others weren't so cautious: Harbinger of Chaos was at it again, this time trying to pick a fight with Koshing's gladiators despite it was plain and clear to anyone nearby that it was a losing battle for the long-haired, mischievous non-bender. The Slithering Shadow had taken to chasing the Sentinel Knight, who had passed him earlier and now reaped the consequences of such actions – albeit his firebending sponsor ensured to protect her gladiator from the Slithering Shadow's most dangerous moves. Through it all, the merciless sun above shone its powerful rays upon the gladiators, who were all too used to fighting in sand and fire by now.
Mountains stood near the edge of the desert: that was what had caught Azula's attention as she scoured the map earlier. She guided Sokka towards them, hoping deeply that the tall peaks would offer them some sort of shade, at the very least. But the mountains were far, as well as the thicket of vegetation they were supposed to be racing towards. By the time they finally reached the mountain range, Sokka was groaning with discomfort, the heat getting to him despite all his training to withstand high temperatures.
"If you're tired… water ought to help" Azula said, taking quick notice of his red cheeks as they slowed to a halt, their chests rising and falling with each breath they took "We still have some ways to go, but we might be able to bear with it better outside this scorching desert"
"Are we sure about that, though?" Sokka groaned, wiping the sweat of his brow with his forearm "I mean… let me look at that map again"
Azula retrieved it quickly, just as she found their waterskins. Without a moment's hesitation she offered him the water, and he smiled warmly at her before taking a refreshing swig.
"Alright, what are you looking for?" Azula asked, spreading the scroll for him. He handed her the waterskin before taking the map into his hands, sitting on the ground as he studied it.
"Well… look here" Sokka said, pointing carefully at the mountains under which they were currently hiding under "They continue further south. We can run beside them for however long we want, but if we stick to racing at the edge of the desert, we'll end up running across twice as much territory as the rest of the teams will"
"As long as they tire out first, I would be fine with that" Azula smiled, taking her seat by his side after swallowing a long mouthful of water "We might still get a better result than most of them if that happens"
"Yeah, but we can't be sure everyone will tire out that quickly. There's a few clouds coming up too, so it's not like we should assume they'll all get heat strokes and we'll be able to pass them while that happens" Sokka said, shaking his head "I think we'll have to run through some of the desert again eventually. If we go in a curve from where we are now, we could probably do it safely, reach the edge of the forest or whatever this is, and then keep going around it until we find our destination"
"Though that means very little chances of finding food or water until we reach that forest" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "And we'll be short on the first thing pretty soon. We should've brought more-…"
"I had!" Sokka squeaked, pouting "If they'd let me bring all my bags, we wouldn't be running out of food!"
Azula laughed, unable to help herself as she leaned close and kissed his lips softly. Even so, he continued to pout.
"I wasn't blaming you, silly. Stop kicking up an unnecessary ruckus" she said, stroking his cheek "My point is, simply… we should try and survive, most of all. We already have five hundred points to our name, even winding up last this time around wouldn't be the worst idea"
"Especially seeing as the last arrivals take off first in the next stage" Sokka smirked "Yeah, not the worst strategy, that's very true. Then… we really will take it easier this time around?"
"Doesn't mean we'll half-ass it, no, but we ought to cut ourselves some slack, don't you think?" Azula smiled "As much as there are disadvantages to following this course of action, it seems there are advantages just the same, like you said. So, when you're up for it, we can keep on running and hoping we'll have made the right decision this time around too"
"Feels weird to keep running without fighting any serious opponents, though" Sokka admitted "It's easier, sure, but I'm not sure our luck will last for much longer. I keep expecting Toph and Iroh to turn around and come after us instead of prioritizing taking first place…"
"She's too ambitious and driven to do that" Azula smiled "I'd say we should make the most of the race until they start targeting us. Because, as much as they haven't done it yet, they're certainly going to…"
"And we'll be ready when they do" Sokka assured Azula with a prompt nod: he pushed himself back to his feet, his chest no longer heaving quite so evidently "Alright, Princess. Ready to get going again?"
"As long as you run beside me, I'll always be ready" Azula answered, taking his hand as he helped her stand up too. She didn't waste the opportunity to kiss him briskly, and his arm wrapped around her waist momentarily, a satisfied smile on his face as she pulled away.
"All things considered, maybe we really ought to waste as much time as possible and arrive last just so we can do this safely…"
"Considering those hot-air balloons in the distance might just fly by to check on us… it's probably not the best idea" Azula laughed, tugging at his hand "Come on. Let's go"
Chaotic fights took place in the heart of the desert: the clever strategy to offer an advantage to the underdogs had only turned them into victims of the wild charge of the most dangerous gladiators and sponsors in the League. While some held their own against the advance of the Light Bearer, the Dark Rook, the Millennium Dragon and the Blind Bandit, many others had taken to fleeing for their lives, while others were outright crushed or blown off by the powerful attacks of three of the best teams in the Race.
"Where the hell are they this time?!" Toph growled, as she and Iroh, with a combined attack, took Your Doom's sponsor out of the fray: the gladiator had to run as quickly as possible to find the young man, who had been blown off twenty meters away, tumbling until he fell limp on the sand.
"It's not as important as going forward, Toph" Iroh replied, blocking a fireball sent at them by the Light Bearer.
They were still behind the other two pairs, but Iroh had a few strategies in mind on how to turn the tables around once more. It was too early still, and they had a long way to go, but as much stamina as those two teams had, their constant aggressiveness wouldn't possibly endure for the rest of the race… well, perhaps the Millennium Dragon's would. Of all gladiators and sponsors they had come across so far, three hours into the race, Renzhi was the only one who hardly seemed fazed by the heat or the constant battling.
"I just don't want them to do the same thing as yesterday, dammit!" Toph said, drawing up a stream of sand she launched at full speed in the Dark Rook's direction: it knocked him down, sending him rolling in the sand, but he leapt back to his feet shortly afterwards "If they manage to win at the very last second…"
"I doubt they can do it this time. If they're not taking the direct route, then they're taking a detour. As long as we keep pressing on, they will never gain on us, not even if Azula spends all her firepower boosting them to the finish line!" Iroh declared, brow furrowed in determination.
"I hope, but… shit, I think we need a back-up plan. Something, anything to just make sure we won't fall behind them again!" Toph said, deflecting a boulder an earthbending sponsor had launched in her direction. And even through the sand made it so difficult to read other people's expressions, especially in the midst of such pandemonium, Toph could tell Iroh was smiling.
"I do have one in mind… but we must save it for later. Just like they did" Iroh told her.
It wasn't until then that Toph's constant anxiety seemed to recede… something that alarmed her. She was relieved that Iroh had a plan, and she certainly hoped she could trust it completely, but an unpleasant sensation had been nestling deep down in her gut, growing stronger without her awareness until this very moment: since when was she so afraid of losing? When had she become so insecure, so dubious about being the very best at whatever she was up to? Why would she be so uncertain that they could win when she had never questioned herself this much?
She truly respected Sokka and Azula, more than she respected any other of their rivals in this contest – as much as Ty Lee and Haru were also her friends, she hardly found them worrisome, having passed them easily a long time ago, and having protected herself from Ty Lee's attempt to chi-block her without much trouble. But those two… Sokka had nearly defeated her on their last one-on-one fight in the Royal Dome. If Azula decided to go all out on her, Toph wasn't all that sure she would be able to stand her ground against her. And now they were fighting side-by-side… she wanted to believe that Iroh and her could be as solid a team as those two did, but she couldn't be certain of it. Not unless they won this stage, at the very least.
"Alright… alright!" Toph shouted, offering Iroh an insincere but wild grin "We can do this!"
"Then let's keep going, Toph!" Iroh said, grinning too, his own confidence bolstered by Toph's trust in his plan.
By noon, the leading teams had already covered half the territory of the day's race: it was inevitable that they would need breaks, however. Toph and Iroh retreated behind a dune, to replenish their energies and soothe their parched throats, and the Light Bearer and the Dark Rook did the same at another one, further away: the Millennium Dragon and Aonu kept going without any stops, however, even if Aonu wasn't coping with the heat as well as Renzhi was.
Close to the edge of the desert, Sokka and Azula were nearing the vegetation they had seen in the map. Invigorated and determined to keep going, the pair made their way to the promised shade, chests heaving with each breath they took. The clouds and mountains they had been counting on for respite from the sun through the first leg of the journey had helped occasionally, and right now it seemed they had found the perfect chance to take a proper break…
That was, until Azula saw movement in the shade of the trees.
"Wait" she told Sokka, slowing down to a halt and clasping his arm, so he'd do the same.
"What is…?"
"See that?" she said, concern rising inside her as she scowled at the trees "I think there's someone there"
"Or something" Sokka said, gritting his teeth and releasing his sword in a quick movement.
The shape concealed by the shade of the trees could have brought back disturbing memories for the Princess and her gladiator, but the person concealed by the shadows revealed herself before dark thoughts could come to mind: both were simultaneously relieved and surprised to find the Priestess of Flames smirking in their direction.
"Looks like I anticipated your movements just right! Ha! Told you I would, Raiden!" San shouted at the trees, where her exhausted, red-faced sponsor had been concealing himself.
"Why must you torment me like this…?" Raiden said, chest heaving still "Stupid filthy desert and trees…"
"Doesn't look like he's cut out for these kinds of competitions, eh?" Sokka said, conversationally, but San stepped forward and raised her hands in a menacing kata.
"Might be he's not, but I sure am. And you're not taking a single step closer to the goal until you fight me!" she declared, with a vicious smirk.
"Uh, huh" Sokka said, glancing at Azula with uncertainty "Want to handle this the same way we did yesterday?"
"Might as well, though this one looks a bit tougher than the Ruthless Hero" Azula admitted, with a growing smile of her own "Not that I expect much from her, to be honest, but compared to him…"
"No need to try and rile me up into fighting unhinged, Princess Azula, I'm not the sort who falls for such petty tricks" San snickered "More of the type who pulls them on others, if anything"
"Then let's hope you're just as clever with your bending as you are with your words" Azula said, eyes narrow as she assessed the opponent quickly.
"You do remember we shouldn't waste too much time here, right?" Sokka asked, biting his lip. Azula waved a hand carelessly in his direction as she took a step forward "Azula…"
"Relax. We'll be back on track before you know it" Azula declared.
Without further ado, the Priestess of Flames launched a barrage of fire at the Princess, spinning in place to conjure a tall fire tower. Sokka's eyes widened at the sight of it: it spun fast, and he wasn't sure he could have swatted it away with Wolf's Bane…
He still released the white sword preemptively, just in case Azula failed to handle the attack properly… but the Princess was hardly fazed by it: with two fingers outstretched, she powered a fire blast that struck the tower at its center, breaking its momentum thoroughly and ensuring it would dissipate before it could reach either her or Sokka. A yelp of disbelief came from the trees: Raiden gazed at them in sheer horror, though San appeared thrilled to find an opponent as capable as Azula.
"I knew you'd be fierce as hell! Yes!" she roared, launching into a brand-new spree of attacks so enthusiastically it'd seem as though going up against a superior fighter was far more invigorating for her than victory ever could be.
Sokka watched the two powerful firebenders with wide eyes: it was, as ever, delightful to witness Azula in action, and her timed, controlled firebending perfectly held off San's wild, potent streams of flames. But as much as he would have gladly stood by, offering emotional support to his sponsor, he caught sight of the still breathless Raiden, who looked at him warily.
"Hey… I don't think we have to fight if we don't want to, right?" Sokka said, with an awkward grin.
"I'm sorry… but I can't just fall back when my gladiator's fighting to the fullest" Raiden declared, raising his hands threateningly.
"Ah, I get it. If you fall, you fall together?" Sokka asked, surprised to feel sympathetic towards his opponent, to a fault.
"Who says it's us who'll fall…?" Raiden said, though his bravado was plain and clear. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.
"Fair enough. Guess we'll find out who's the better team the hard way" he said, raising his swords and rushing towards Raiden.
The earthbender retreated into the trees, wielding the soil, the sand from the desert, the rocks scattered amidst the vegetation, everything within his power to fight off a deadly gladiator who could cut down everything thrown at him: whether rocks, shards of glass or streams of sand, nothing seemed to faze the Blue Wolf. San had underestimated the Princess's gladiator long ago, but either he had improved vastly since then, or he was simply a remarkable fighter that the Priestess of Flames hadn't been able to judge appropriately. But the Blue Wolf dared climb trees, attacking Raiden in unexpected ways, tossing his boomerang in the least expected moments and catching his opponent unawares enough times to leave bad gashes across his skin wherever his weapons cut across his fine clothes.
Outside the forest, San wasn't faring much better than her sponsor and it seemed she wasn't bothered by it in the least: Azula had taken the offensive by now, launching charged attacks at an opponent who found it quite difficult to deflect those fierce azure flames. Where carefully aimed blasts of Azula's had easily broken San's attacks earlier, the Priestess of Flames found it impossible to return the favor: the Princess's fire seemed to consume any that came against it, reclaiming and recoloring into her control as she chased down her opponent while making the whole matter look simple, even.
The battle was extraordinary at a distance, and once more, the sight of blue fire in the horizon had brought Yang's balloon to give chase to the Princess from above: before long he found the Blue Wolf as well, as Raiden rushed out of the alleged safety of the trees and into the desert again, terrified and exhausted while hunted down by a superior fighter. Their fight was terribly one-sided, and again, to the Princess and her gladiator's favor. The Priestess of Flames was well within the top hundred, but the Princess seemed to make quick work of her, overwhelming her through superior technique and control that few firebenders could boast of.
San stumbled back, singed after a powerful attack she hadn't been able to deflect fully. One benefit of being a firebending gladiator was having it much easier to extinguish the flames on your clothes and hair if need be, which San did quickly as she gathered her wits again. The Princess had eased on her attacks, breathing in deeply while waiting for San's next move.
"As much as you're not as good as I am… you are quite an interesting firebender" Azula said, analyzing her opponent carefully "I can imagine you'll refuse, but I think I ought to offer you a position with the Enforcers just the same…"
"Eh? Will I fight anyone of substance there?" San asked, with a smirk.
"Not all that likely, but if you joined the soon-to-be-formed intelligence squad, you'd have to deal with the underground movement opposing the Slavery Laws… you might just find plenty to fight against if you were to be part of that"
"Hmm, sounds like I'd have to be stealthy, clever, not-so-straightforward…" San said, raising her fists again "Can't say I'm the right girl for the job, but I'll keep it in mind!"
With that, she launched another fire blast that Azula deflected with her left hand: her right packed a powerful, fast fireball that struck San when the girl had barely touched down on the ground.
She screamed, losing her footing and rolling in the sand as the attack got the better of her. Azula breathed in and watched her opponent falter: the young woman had plenty of potential, but perhaps she was too unruly and undisciplined to make the most of it. Still, someone of such talent could be doing something slightly more useful for the Fire Nation than fighting in the chaotic Dragon's Pit…
"Well, I suppose that's all I can ask" Azula said, nodding in the Priestess's direction "I think you're not in great shape anymore, though, so if you don't mind, I'll just grab my gladiator and…"
"Hell, no! You can't just… you can't just escape from us just because you feel like it!" San growled, pushing herself up "I've waited for this moment since…! S-since yesterday, fine, but you know! I always wanted to fight you!"
"And now you have. And you've been as good as defeated, so why keep going? Wouldn't you rather finish the race than be knocked out in a desert?" Azula asked, matter-of-factly.
"Not a chance, if you're stronger than me you ought to fight me the whole way through! No half-assing it!" San declared, raising her fists once more.
"You really…?" Azula said, grimacing until she sensed unexpected noise behind her.
She jumped out of the way at the right timing: an array of earth blocks had been shot her way. The Priestess's sponsor had slipped out of Sokka's grasp briefly, and apparently he was swinging in to rescue his gladiator… not in a very timely fashion, though. Azula merely stared at him as he passed her by, rushing to reach the Priestess of Flames.
"You alright, Raiden?" San asked carelessly, as he coughed and stumbled to stand beside her.
"T-that guy's… a menace. Look at me!" Raiden exclaimed, gesturing at his ripped clothes, the cuts over his skin and the few bruises he had taken, too. San smirked.
"Heh, first time I've seen you getting your hands dirty. Must be a pretty disturbing experience, eh, Raiden?"
"It's horrifying! Why do you always want to pick fights with people stronger than you?! Are you insane?!" Raiden roared, and San laughed gleefully.
"Maybe so! I don't even care!" she said, watching as the Blue Wolf sorted past the many obstacles Raiden had left in his wake.
"Here I thought you were keeping that one busy?" Azula asked him, once he stopped beside her. He shot her a guilty smile and shrugged.
"I did get him a bunch of times, though. Counts for something, right?" he asked, and she smiled back at him.
"Then I suppose it's time to end this. Together" Azula said, firmly. Sokka's chest surged with pride upon hearing those words, hands tightening around his weapons…
But when the Priestess of Flames and Raiden next moved, it wasn't quite to attack them.
Another fireball had been launched in their direction, and San had to tackle her own sponsor to protect him from the fast, searing fire. Azula's eyes widened as she glanced over her shoulder… to find another team stood not too far behind them.
"HA! I GOT YOU THIS TIME, YOU ASS!"
Azula had bumped into Scoundrel's sponsor a couple of times in the past, and never before had she received anything but cordial respect from her. But as she glared at the Priestess of Flames with a wild grin, it was clear the young woman had been hiding plenty of bite behind that alleged tranquility. Going by Scoundrel's grimace beside her, her gladiator wasn't happy for her outburst in the least.
"The hell do you think you're doing, Naoko?!" he growled.
"Shut up, Sizheng! After what she did to us yesterday, she's got hell to pay!" Naoko roared, gearing up for another attack.
"The Princess is right there, you moron!" Scoundrel yelled, and only then did Naoko slow down and blink in the Princess's direction. Azula merely raised a hand in greeting, and the younger sponsor gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
"I… I'm so sorry! Oh, goodness, I didn't mean to! I just came here for her, not for you, I swear…!"
"Noted" said Azula, with a dry grin, though she was distracted from Scoundrel and his sponsor upon hearing the Priestess of Flames chuckling dangerously.
"You came for me, did you…?" San said, raising her head with a devious grin in her face "Sure as heck was ready to lose to the Princess, but to you? Not in this life, you subpar sparkbender! What do I have to fear from a mediocre weakling like you?!"
"I guess your smoked corpse will be the one to answer that question!" Naoko roared, and before Scoundrel could reel her back in, she launched a new barrage of attacks.
"Ah, you're right, Raiden! It's nice to fight someone weaker than me… so much easier to deflect her fire!" San shouted, quickly muffling some of the flames and returning many others as Naoko came closer.
"You're going to be the death of me…" Raiden groaned, as he geared up to fight Naoko by his gladiator's side.
Sokka and Azula merely stood off in the sidelines, blinking blankly at the chaotic fighting that was unfolding before their eyes. However easier it was to simply allow Scoundrel's sponsor to deal with the Priestess of Flames on her own, it would offer an unexpected conclusion to their fight…
"Well… that's definitely not how I thought this would turn out" Azula said. Sokka snorted.
"Saves us some strength, though, if they'll just kill each other rather than ask us to do it for them?" he said, amused.
"Uh… you two can go on and keep running, you know?" Scoundrel said suddenly, startling them. The non-bender had released his bow and nocked an arrow to it, aiming in Raiden's direction "These two idiots decided they had it out for each other since yesterday's initial brawl, and… well, my sponsor's pretty thick-headed when she wants to be. You probably ought to take off before the pretty Priestess decides to come after you two instead"
"Fair enough" said Sokka, gulping and smiling at Azula "Shall we?"
"Might as well" she conceded "I kind of wished to defeat those two ourselves, but I guess that'll be something we can do in the next stages"
"Thanks, Scoundrel… uh, Sizheng, was it?" Sokka smiled at the guy, nodding in his direction "Try to keep your sponsor alive"
"Don't I always" Scoundrel growled, shaking his head "Friggin' hopeless girl, she's been like this since school and it's always me saving her unapologetic hide…"
Grumbling under his breath, Sizheng joined the battle by shooting arrows that Raiden had no choice but to block with his bending as the two women continued their firebending debacle. Sokka and Azula watched their combat briefly before exchanging a glance and a confused smirk.
"I think we ought to get going, then. It was fun enough while it lasted, but…" Azula admitted, and Sokka nodded.
"At least this way we'll be guaranteed to be… third-to-last, rather than last, even in the worst-case scenario" Sokka chuckled, jerking his head northwards and restarting their race through the desert.
They ran together again, close to the edge of the desert, without expecting the terrain to grow more jagged and difficult to traverse as they progressed. But the sandy dunes eventually shifted into canyons, some smaller than others, and before long they found themselves cut off from the vegetation they had been relying on for occasional shade. The sunlight grew much more merciless as they carried onwards, and even Azula couldn't be as unaffected by it as she had been before. Sokka kept slowing down his pace, jogging in quick bursts only to slow down into a walk before long, his armor and their bag far too heavy under the unforgiving heat.
"I think… more water" he said, chest heaving as Azula slowed down beside him "And food. We need food"
"Fat chance of finding any, we haven't seen any way of crossing this damn canyon back into the trees yet…" Azula growled, glaring at the vegetation that stood so far away from where they had wound up "Well, no way other than climbing down there and climbing back up… which would be a waste of time anyhow"
"Might as well try. We're not going to make it if we're starved and out of strength" Sokka sighed, shaking his head as he produced two waterskins from their bag and offered one to Azula.
"Times like these it'd even be nice to have a stash of wretched Komodo rhino meat to resort to when replenishing our strength…" Azula said, playfully, and Sokka snorted.
"Of all things I was sure I'd never hear from you, that one was always at the top of the list" he said, prompting her to smile and shake her head before taking a swig of her waterskin.
"Goes to show just how hungry I am if even Komodo rhino meat isn't such a disgusting prospect anymore" she said, with a mild shrug "We definitely need to rethink our strategy, though. This canyon wasn't in the map… do you think some earthbender built it recently?"
"I don't know… but we could check it out to know for sure, I guess?" Sokka suggested, stepping closer to the edge of the canyon.
It went deep, too deep for it to be the quick work of a savage earthbender, or several of them. There were no signs of recent earthbending shifts in the ridges that comprised the canyon, and even inside the canyon there was no sign of trouble, or of any other teams of gladiators and sponsors inside it.
"Looks peaceful, even. That's rare, as far as this race is concerned" Sokka said, kneeling as he analyzed the canyon: Azula peered over his shoulder, taking in the sight of the earthen formations.
"Huh… there's even some plants down there. How about it?" she said, raising her eyebrows "That big tree even looks like it has fruits in it, actually"
There wasn't too much in the way of vegetation in the canyon, but Sokka's eyes followed Azula's indications until he found a tall tree. Even at a distance there was something red amidst the green…
"That could be an apple tree!" Sokka exclaimed, his face breaking out into a full grin "We're saved!"
"Uh, are we?" Azula asked, with a dry smile "We'd have to get down there and, in case you haven't noticed, it's not bound to be easy to do so. Not to mention we'll have to climb back up, which will be time-consuming and very exhausting, in all likelihood…"
"Well, sure, but what other choice do we have?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If we fly across the canyon… by which I mean, if you cling onto me and I fly, we could reach the forest across the canyon and look for something to eat there" Azula suggested. Sokka grimaced.
"If the trees around this area are as lousy as the ones I saw earlier while I was fighting the Priestess's sponsor, I don't think there's going to be much in the way of food in them. I climbed a bunch of them halfway through the fight and found nothing to eat in them"
"You really would've taken to foraging in the middle of a fight?" Azula asked, amused, and Sokka shrugged.
"Well, I am hungry!"
"No doubt" said Azula, sighing and shaking her head "Guess this is the sort of situation where we wish either of us could be an earthbender, huh? Then we could make it down there easily, and make it out just as easily too. Heck, we could cross the canyon by building an earthbending bridge…"
"It'd be risky, though, if any opponents caught us doing that" Sokka reasoned "They could tear down the bridge and…"
"And you're right about that, but it's irrelevant considering neither of us can craft a bridge anyhow" Azula said, and Sokka smiled guiltily but shrugged "Ah, have it your way. We'll go down there, see if we can pick up a fair share of apples…"
"And if you're feeling strong enough afterwards, you can fly us out with your bending indeed" Sokka suggested, grinning "We'd waste less time that way, right?"
"We'd still waste little time if I fly us across anyhow" Azula mumbled.
"Possibly, but I think it's better for you to save your energies for now" Sokka said "Once you've had something to eat you can spend them more freely, I'd say. But for the time being…"
"Alright, alright. Off we go to find the tree of our damnation or salvation, who knows which it is" Azula said, smiling at Sokka as she glanced around the canyon, seeking the easiest way to climb down.
Eventually they found an area that offered enough ridges and steps they could use to enter the canyon. Nevertheless, it was a time-consuming, exhausting process: by the time they finally reached the bottom of the canyon they needed water again, and the apples sitting on the tree seemed to be the most delightful feast either one had ever been promised.
"Alright… here we are" Sokka said, breathing with difficulty as they stopped next to the tall trunk "I'll climb up, and you… hold the bag and tuck in the apples as I hand them to you, alright?"
"Oh, so you'll do all the heavy lifting?" Azula asked, and Sokka smirked as he handed her their near-empty bag.
"Only because you'll be in charge of defending us if we run into any teams that need their asses kicked" he said "Besides, have you ever climbed a tree?"
"How hard can it be?" Azula asked, rolling her eyes. Sokka chuckled.
"Leave it to me, then, Princess" he said, breathing deeply and reaching for the nearest branch.
"Hmm… guess I'll do that, then" Azula said, her sultry voice tone betraying she was, as usual, studying Sokka's rear without any remorse. He snorted halfway up the tree, shooting her a disbelieving smile over his shoulder before focusing on the task at hand. The proud grin she offered him would linger in his mind's eye for however long he spent picking up apples, he knew as much.
Azula held out the bag, studying its contents quickly. What little food they had left would have only opened their appetites and crippled their efforts to regain strength: they'd be much better off if they could use these apples to accompany their remaining food. A full stomach would evidently be an improvement over being half-famished, after all.
"Here! First apple!" Sokka said: Azula raised the bag, and he calculated the trajectory carefully so she could catch the apple perfectly.
"Good work" Azula said, sighing in relief at the sight of the fruit. She had never been all that given to fruits, and she knew neither was Sokka… but right now, it appeared the best meal of all time in her eyes.
It wasn't until the third apple that she felt uneasy, a strange breeze blowing against her in an unsettling way. A light prickle on the back of her head brought her to glance about warily: was there another team here? Would they have to fight for the apple tree or something equally ridiculous as that…?
"Uh, new apple, Azula?"
"Sorry, I just…" Azula said, gritting her teeth as she raised the bag towards Sokka again: once more, the apple landed perfectly amongst its fellows "It feels like we're being watched"
"Say what?" Sokka's eyes widened as he clung uncomfortably to a branch. Azula shrugged in his direction and he sighed heavily "Can't even have two seconds to gather apples without trouble, can we?"
"Don't stop doing it, though. Like we agreed, I'll keep an eye out for any dangers" Azula said, scowling at their surroundings.
Sokka sighed, anxiety rising inside his chest. They were hardly defenseless, but it was inevitable to feel some degree of paranoia about some earthbending enemy or another burying them alive inside this deep canyon… but that wouldn't happen, right? Surely that wasn't it…
"You know? Come to think of it…" he said, reaching for the fifth apple "I remember I read there's some weird creatures in the Earth Kingdom's canyons! Maybe that's what this is!"
"And that's supposed to reassure me?" Azula asked, with an awkward grin.
"Probably not. They apparently chase after anyone who has food, too, so if that's what's going on, we're doomed" Sokka admitted, with a chuckle "Ah, anyways, they're called canyon crawlers, but I'd think someone with great, scary fire like you would be able to fry them before they can get close to our supplies"
"I'll have to hope you're right" Azula said, sighing.
"It's strange to me that you haven't heard of them" Sokka smirked, tossing a couple more apples into the bag "Here I thought after our first week-long trip in the Earth Kingdom wilderness you'd have looked up more information about it…"
"I certainly looked up more information about its geography, such as its rivers and the like, so you wouldn't be able to make fun of me for not knowing them anymore" Azula admitted, prompting Sokka to chuckle through his foraging "But I neglected the fauna, I suppose. An oversight on my part"
"Well, at least I did learn a thing or two about it, so one way or another we'll be okay. I'd think" Sokka said, swallowing hard as he spotted another apple dangling at the very end of a branch "Ugh, shit… is there enough room in the bag still?"
"Not that much, no" Azula admitted "You could probably get down here, eat a few of these with me and climb back up for more afterwards…"
"Sounds like a plan, but I'll get this one first…" Sokka said, biting his lower lip and reaching for the fruit…
Azula raised her eyes from the bag, for one more quick scan of the perimeter… and her eyes found two others, dark and threatening, staring at her from further down the canyon.
Just then, the branch Sokka was reaching for gave out under the pressure of his arm.
If he hadn't been holding on to the main trunk of the tree, he would have likely toppled down with the apple that now lay on the ground amidst the twigs and splinters of a broken branch. Sokka cringed, though he guessed he'd still pick it up once he climbed down again…
"Sokka?!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine, it's just the branch that…"
"We've got company"
The urgency and confusion in Azula's voice gave away that whatever she was worried about wasn't anything she was used to dealing with… and that was a bad sign. Sokka gritted his teeth, sliding down the trunk quickly, disregarding the fallen apple as he fell firmly on his feet, right beside the Princess.
She raised a hand slowly to point at whatever she had meant before, her sharp eyes focused completely on the source of danger. And it only took Sokka a moment to understand why:
The brown-furred creature was tall, its large, catlike body doubling Sokka in height easily with the set of its massive shoulder blades and the large antlers that crowned its head. Threatening upper fangs protruded down its large snout, and dangerously large paws, crowned with deadly, sharp claws, seemed to add the final threatening touch to the beast. Its tail swayed from side to side, as though weighing what to do with the two humans it had caught in territories they didn't belong in… of all outcomes they could have planned for today, confronting one of the Earth Kingdom's most territorial creatures would have never made it high on that list.
But that was their current predicament, and going by Azula's current state of paralysis, it seemed she had no idea how to proceed – an improvement, no doubt, compared to her reaction when they had come across a boarcupine long ago. That she wasn't instinctively aggressive, that she'd wait for his input before deciding on their course of action, was a good thing… yet Sokka found himself drawing blanks, just as Azula was: how on earth did anyone fend off an angry beast that seemed hellbent on turning them into its lunch?
"This isn't the canyon crawler you mentioned, is it?" Azula asked him, between gritted teeth "Because to me, it looks an awful lot like a…"
"A saber-tooth moose lion" Sokka finished, his empty stomach lurching as his determined, fearful blue eyes bore into the dark, deadly ones of the creature before them.
A/N:
Sooo, we're on our way to the... eighth anniversary. I don't know if it's any easier for someone else to believe it than it is for me XD but that's how it is. A very persuasive reader (looking at you, Anon-Nemesis!) convinced me a few months ago to do double updates once in a while, and the first time I'll give that a shot is with the upcoming anniversary update! Hope you'll look forward to it, and that you've enjoyed the Race so far!