Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

205. Chapter 205: Gladiator & Sponsor Race 5

The entire world was at a standstill, or so it appeared to the gladiator and his royal sponsor as they faced the deadly saber-tooth moose lion. The creature's stance, the snarl its snout was drawn into, the vicious glow in its eyes… all of it proved alarming enough to put all thoughts of the race out of their minds completely.

"What do we do, Sokka?" Azula asked quickly, her body completely rigid.

"I… I'm not sure" Sokka admitted, swallowing hard "I've never had to deal with one of these before. But, by its attitude, uh… we're probably trespassing. And who knows? Maybe this is its favorite tree, or so…"

"Then do you suppose it'll leave us alone if we back off?" Azula asked, with a dry grin.

"Doubtful" Sokka said "For now, no brusque movements, alright? Let's… think things through"

"How does someone think through an encounter with a beast like this one?" Azula asked anxiously "Isn't it a carnivore?"

"Might be. I honestly can't remember ever reading about their diet" Sokka conceded, breathing deeply "Then… I guess we'll have to convince it that keeping us alive is better than killing us, right?"

"And just what compelling argument do you suppose it'll listen to, huh?" Azula spouted cynically "Honestly, just… grab onto me, and I'll fly us out of here even if I pass out once we've left the canyon. It's the only way…"

"It's one way, not the only one, but alright… let's make that our plan B"

"How's that our plan B when we have no plan A?" Azula growled, and Sokka patted her shoulder gently, without moving too boldly as to not startle the moose lion.

"I'm working on it, okay? Just… trying to think here" he said, gritting his teeth as he analyzed the creature's attitude and intent all over again.

"Should just call Xin Long, he could fry this moose lion for us and we'd be free to go…" Azula whispered, and Sokka chuckled.

"Pretty sure that'd be cheating"

"Pretty sure I don't care as much about being disqualified from this race as I care about survival" Azula grumbled, and Sokka conceded with a brisk nod.

"I suppose that's fair. But… it's also fair for you to trust me a little, alright, dear wife?" he said, with a teasing grin "I know this might backfire on us, but I have something I want to try out…"

"And what's that?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows.

"A way to test if it's a carnivore or not. Which might be the right way to check if it's trying to eat us or chase us away…" Sokka said, biting his lip as he slid his hand carefully towards the bag Azula was still holding, full to the brim with apples.

He picked up one of the fruits and stepped forward: each move he made was slow, careful, and Azula wasn't certain she'd seen her lover quite so cautious before: dealing with such a large, wild animal wasn't anything to take lightly.

Before long, the moose lion growled threateningly at Sokka's slow approach. Azula hissed at Sokka as a warning, prompting him to stop on his tracks just as he took a protective position in front of her. The gladiator breathed deeply, holding the beast's gaze with his own… it was a defiant, stubborn one, without a doubt. It didn't look away, undeterred by Sokka's own boldness, perfectly willing to match it with its own. But if Sokka carried on appearing so threatening for the creature, he knew this would result in a bloodbath. What he couldn't be certain of was whose blood would be spilled: if the creature's, his own, or both.

So instead he fell on one knee, showing the apple to the moose lion before rolling it carefully over the ground. Azula's eyes widened as she watched the fruit's progress, up until it stopped right between the moose lion's hooves.

And there it stayed, as the moose lion continued to glare at an unmoving Sokka.

"It didn't do anything. Sokka…" Azula said, between gritted teeth, as Sokka flinched and returned to a standing position.

"Okay, okay, calm down, at least it hasn't attacked us yet even if it might be a carnivore" he conceded, swallowing hard "So maybe if we back off slowly it will…"

He fell silent, and Azula held her tongue just as well, when the moose lion drew its eyes away at last. It leaned down carefully to sniff the apple, as though distrustful that it would still be edible… but once it had confirmed it was, it wasted no time devouring it quickly. Sokka's breath left him in a relieved sigh.

"Oh, he's eating it. Then we can… we can give him more apples!" he said, with a delighted grin "See, that's the compelling argument! If we feed it…!"

"Quit yelling, or you might antagonize it all over again!" Azula hissed, noticing the creature was glaring at them once more. But Sokka snorted and reached into the bag for another apple.

"None of that. Our buddy here's just hungry and he didn't want us to eat all his food!" he said, showing the moose lion another apple.

And this time, the creature toned down its threatening behavior: its ears were perked up enthusiastically, and its tail swayed in a new rhythm, much more rapidly, as it watched the apple greedily. Sokka rolled the new apple across the ground, and once again, the moose lion devoured it, without bothering to sniff it this time around.

"I think we'll be okay" he finished, with a smile, though Azula hardly seemed to share his certainty.

"That is, until we're all out of apples. By then we'll still be starving, and it might decide it wants something a little more fulfilling than fruit" Azula grumbled.

"Alright, well… maybe I can take a page out of your book?" Sokka suggested, with an awkward smile "Some sort of… moose lion taming ritual!"

"With apples?" Azula asked, blinking blankly. Sokka shrugged, reaching to take the bag into his arms and relieving Azula from holding it.

"Got any better ideas that don't involve burning you out through a quick firebending-powered escape?" he asked, and Azula huffed.

"No, I can't say I do. But that's still a decent idea, whether you like it or not" Azula grunted, to Sokka's amusement.

He was bolder now, closing his distance from the creature with each apple he fed it, and it became clear before long that the moose lion, as vicious and deadly as it had shown itself before, was actually quite amicable as long as they continued offering it a whimsical apple feast. It had even taken to lying down as Sokka rolled apple after apple towards it… until, at last, he was close enough he could offer one with his bare hand.

"Sokka?" Azula called him, alarmed upon noticing his intent "You sure about what you're doing there?"

"Not really, but you know… you'd still love me even if I lose a hand, right?" Sokka asked, with an uneasy smile as he held out the apple for the once-again frowning moose lion.

"If this is about testing the boundaries of my feelings, your recklessness is absolutely triggering my urges to strangle you, and I can assure you I hadn't felt that way about you in quite some time" Azula hissed. Sokka chuckled and shrugged.

"Calm down, Azula. This one is a smart moose lion, isn't that right, Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops?"

Those were the words that finally silenced the Princess, though not out of newfound confidence in Sokka's current endeavor. Still, Sokka was paying more attention to the dangerous creature whose loyalty he was trying to win at the moment, and when Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops finally made a move, it was only to take the apple off Sokka's hand and eat it with the same abandon as before.

"And will you look at that! It worked!" Sokka grinned, glancing quickly over his shoulder at Azula… to find she wasn't quite as thrilled by his triumph as he had expected her to be "Azula?"

"You are hereby forbidden, without any doubt, from naming our future children if we ever do have any"

Sokka's jaw dropped, and yet Azula's appalled reaction to his nickname for the moose lion didn't shift in the least. He shook his head, gesturing at the moose lion that was still munching on the latest apple.

"Didn't you see what I just did? He ate the apple off my hand! Foo-Foo likes me!"

"I can't see how! Who the hell would like someone who's responsible for such a hideous nickname?!" Azula exclaimed, her voice unusually shrill.

"I can't believe that's what you're choosing to focus on, but fine, be that way!" Sokka said, smirking despite himself "You're just jealous I'm the one taming the dangerous animal this time instead of you"

"I couldn't care less for that, all I care about now is coming up with as many children's names as I possibly can so I never, ever, have to ask you for suggestions if I ever end up pregnant" Azula said, shaking her head as she pressed her fingertips to her temples.

Still amused by Azula's reactions to Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops's new name, Sokka decided to test his boundaries further, raising a hand to touch the creature's snout. It offered a warning growl, which prompted Sokka to slow down, smiling apologetically as he held his hand off momentarily. The moose lion sniffed his palm, curious, before allowing him to touch the fur on the bridge of its nose, and Sokka sighed in relief for what seemed to be the millionth time in the past fifteen minutes. Despite all logic indicated it would be impossible, it seemed the moose lion had decided the two humans in the canyon weren't all that threatening to its safety and territory as it originally appeared they were.

Sokka continued to feed the creature, no longer as paranoid and tense as before. He allowed longer intervals between each apple, taking that time to further stroke the moose lion's short, brown fur to ease it to his presence. Azula joined him before long, taking her seat beside him on the ground without daring touch the creature herself.

"You do realize, though, that there's a tiny problem with our current procedure…" Azula said, biting her lip as Sokka offered Foo-Foo yet another apple.

"And what's that? You think he'll get so attached to us he won't let us leave?" Sokka asked, with an awkward grin.

"Alright, then there's two potential problems" Azula grimaced, prompting Sokka to laugh "I mean we're feeding your friend here with all the apples we were gathering for ourselves, remember?"

"Uh… right. Well, there's still a few left in here" Sokka said, glancing at the bag to find only seven apples remained "So… how about we take one each and give him the rest?"

"And how about we actually ponder how we'll get out of here, since you brought up leaving?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows.

Sokka frowned, turning his eyes on Foo-Foo. The moose lion's tail wagged again, as though waiting with hardly contained anticipation for the next apple. The motion of the tail, the glow of its eyes… all of it contributed to the dangerous thought that came to Sokka's mind moments later, and he swallowed hard before pushing himself up to a kneeling position.

"I… might have an idea. Though it's a pretty insane one" he said, glancing at Azula warily "If it goes wrong, we might end up pissing off Foo-Foo here, and who knows, maybe he's omnivorous rather than just herbivorous…"

"That sounds like a brilliant plan already and you haven't even explained it" Azula said, with a sarcastic smile.

"But if it goes well… we might even make it to the finish line without needing much more food" Sokka finished, and Azula stared at him skeptically "Hey, the Priestess and Aonu asked if it was legal to ride a creature to the finish line, and the chairman said it was, as long as it was tamed during the race, right?"

"You're mad" Azula said, eyes wide now. Sokka chuckled and shrugged.

"Might be. The likeliest scenario: it doesn't work, and Foo-Foo decides to leave because we're not as cool as he thought we were, huh?" Sokka suggested, crouching around the moose lion until he was next to the sizeable hump between its shoulder blades.

"Which still leaves us helpless in the middle of a canyon, and a desert, and… alright, what are you doing now?"

Sokka had offered Foo-Foo a couple more caresses before tugging loose the bandages around one of his forearms. He smiled awkwardly at Azula before tying up one end of the bandages to an apple, which Foo-Foo sniffed at eagerly even when Sokka pulled it away from him, and he tied the other end of the bandages to the thicker end of his club. With a deep breath, and another glance at the creature's hump, Sokka gathered his courage despite the unpleasant feeling of uncertainty was growing larger and louder inside his chest.

"Well, Foo-Foo, I just have to say, I… really like you! You're a cool fellow!" he said, grinning as he reached out to touch the hump…

Unsurprisingly, Foo-Foo growled at him for his daring approach. Sokka drew back his hand, grimacing as he fed the creature another apple. This time it wasn't quite so unwilling to let him touch it… but far more unwilling to let him sit over his shoulder blades, which he attempted to do only for Foo-Foo's warning growl to prove as menacing as before.

"Hey, now, no need for that!" Sokka said, grinning apologetically "I get it, it's not cool to have a jerk on your back, but I promise I'll make it worth your while…"

"Don't make promises you can't keep" Azula said with a sing-song voice, and Sokka scowled at her with childish indignation.

"Whose side are you on here, Princess?" he hissed, before taking a deep breath and offering Foo-Foo another apple.

By now, only four apples remained in the bag. Foo-Foo devoured the newest one eagerly, and once more, Sokka readied himself to climb on the creature's back, cautiously, slowly, carefully…

Foo-Foo didn't growl this time. Sokka's heart was racing as he settled carefully right behind the creature's neck, and he even gasped in happy surprise at his success. Azula stared at him in astonished admiration, and he grinned proudly in her direction.

"Now it's your turn! Come on, you have to ride him with me…" he said, and Azula snorted as she rose to her feet.

"I don't think it likes me as much as it likes you" she said, assessing the moose lion warily.

"What nonsense, everyone likes you better than me" Sokka said, shaking his head and raising the bag in her direction: he held the club in his other hand, the makeshift rod he had composed with his bandages and the apple cradled carefully against his chest "Just give him one, get him distracted and climb behind me"

"Why are you so sure it's a boy?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows as she reached for an apple, nervousness digging away at her as she felt the creature's eyes following her constantly.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I guess we can check what it is later" Sokka chuckled "Seems to me Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops is a name that works just as well for a male or a female moose lion"

"Just as well? You mean, not at all?" Azula smiled dryly despite she had drawn out an apple for the creature. Sokka scoffed as Foo Foo raised its head and sniffed at the apple just as before.

"You just can't let me have my fun no matter what, can you?"

Foo-Foo seemed utterly unconcerned by the conflict between the pair, choosing to nibble on the apple Azula offered him instead: it seemed that Sokka's initiative to strike up an alliance with the creature had smoothed matters between Foo-Foo and the rest of humanity, and the Princess breathed deeply before approaching the gladiator. He smiled and jerked his head, encouraging her to climb behind him: once Foo-Foo tensed up upon sensing Azula's weight on his back too, Sokka bribed him with yet another apple… and now the bag was down to two apples.

"Well… I guess we really won't have a lot of apples left by the time we're done" Sokka acknowledged, glancing at Azula warily "Let's hope this works"

"I didn't think it'd work this far, at any point in time, yet here we are. So… whatever you're planning really just might pay off" Azula said, guessing her honesty might not be all that encouraging, but Sokka chuckled and nodded instead.

"Guess we have to give it a try and see how things turn out. Anyways, if worst comes to worst, I want you to keep in mind that I love you more than anything in the world and…!"

"If this insane plan of yours gets either or both of us killed, I'll hunt you down, whether in the Spirit World or the next life, and you'll never hear the end of it"

"Ah, just as I would've wanted it" Sokka chuckled, refraining from kissing her while they were sitting on the back of a barely tamed creature, despite the urge to do so was quite powerful.

But it wasn't time to surrender to his feelings for Azula, he could postpone that for when they were safe and sound well outside the canyon. So Sokka focused on the task at hand again, leaning closer to Foo-Foo's head before stretching out the club above him, still holding the apple close to his chest.

"Alright… here goes nothing" he said, releasing the fruit at last.

At first, it only dangled at a short distance above Foo-Foo's snout –Sokka flinched and reeled back the apple with some difficulty. It wouldn't do for Foo-Foo to chomp down the apple right away, not when it was meant for a slightly more complex purpose before winding up inside the moose lion's stomach…

Foo-Foo's ears perked as it tried to reach for the apple but failed at the first attempt. It was right there, it should be possible to catch it in one go… and yet every time its jaws tried to clench around the apple, it would bob away from him teasingly.

In an impulsive move, Foo-Foo rose to its full height again, and Azula clutched at Sokka hard as he held on with one hand to one of the moose lion's antlers. That he'd grab the antler seemed to bother Foo-Foo, but the apple's constant teasing seemed a lot more urgent and outrageous for the creature.

"Shit, shit, shit, just start running, please…" Sokka mumbled, maneuvering his makeshift apple rod with difficulty.

At this point, Azula had outright buried her face in his shoulder, knowing she was completely helpless right now: the outcome of this situation hinged on Sokka's idea and nothing more. Both their fates were in his hands, and she only hoped he'd hold them just as firmly as he did the club, where the apple so coveted by the creature swayed from side to side, representing either their doom or their salvation…

Foo-Foo growled dangerously, and Sokka gritted his teeth so hard his entire skull resented him for it. The apple continued to dangle right before the creature's eyes…

And then it started moving.

At first, just a couple of steps: the apple swayed towards the snout, and Foo-Foo tried to catch the fruit in its powerful jaws, but Sokka reeled it back again. He had to hold back a disbelieving laugh as Foo-Foo picked up speed, turning its walking pace into a trot until it sprung out into a gallop, all be it to chase the apple that carried on dangling right above its eyes, ever out of reach.

"Hold on tight!" Sokka shouted at Azula, despite she was already doing exactly that, her arms firmly wrapped around his chest and abdomen.

"Sokka, be careful!" Azula roared: Foo-Foo was rushing towards a wall of the canyon at full speed, still chasing the apple recklessly.

Sokka released Foo-Foo's antler to use both hands in the process of directing their rambunctious steed. Azula breathed anxiously behind him, something that didn't help his own nervousness one bit… but he finally managed to sway the apple safely towards the right, and before long, Foo-Foo was racing northwards, presumably to guide them outside the wretched canyon.

"Crisis averted! I… think!" Sokka exclaimed, gritting his teeth as he continued to guide Foo-Foo over the rocks and ridges scattered throughout the canyon.

"I'm taking the front seat next time!" Azula retorted, prompting Sokka to laugh.

"Can't trust me to guide a beast, Princess? You were so confident when asking me to steer a boat only a couple of months ago…!"

"That's different! It's always me sitting at the front when we ride Xin and…!"

"That just means it was about time we switched things up for a change!" Sokka laughed "I'm clutching Foo-Foo with my legs as best I can, but I'm going to need you to keep me in place anyhow, if you can do that!"

"If holding onto you like this works, then sure I can!" Azula said, gritting her teeth as she closed her eyes. Oh, this was truly madness, madness far outside of her control, and that, of all things, was what bothered her most…

They were riding a moose lion. A saber-tooth moose lion.

Sokka had been right, it was perfectly within the rules, all thanks to Aonu's unnecessary attempt to sabotage them: if it hadn't been for San's question, which had sounded utterly ridiculous at the time, and then Aonu's follow-up query, their current situation would potentially disqualify them from the race, in a result just as negative for them as asking Xin Long for help would have been. But as they weren't breaking the rules established by the chairman on the first day of the race, Foo-Foo's assistance would turn out to be quite valuable, it seemed…

The situation was still difficult to swallow even when seen under that light, but Azula couldn't help but smile as she clung to Sokka, her body resentful after the strain and exercise she'd forced upon it through the last two days, along with the new strain imposed by riding a moose-lion without a saddle to ease the process. They seemed to be straddling it perfectly, but every jolt along the way brought Azula to fear they'd be flung off the creature's back at any given moment.

"This is insane…" she whispered, and even though the moose-lion's race was anything but quiet, Sokka still managed to hear her.

"About as insane as taming a dragon?" Sokka teased her, and he was thrilled to hear and feel her laugh against him.

"We're riding a moose-lion! Did you ever hear of anyone doing that?!" she asked, and Sokka snorted, shrugging and holding his club carefully: Foo-Foo carried on seeking the apple even now, clearly more frustrated with every failed attempt to devour it.

"I don't think so! But heh, it's not like being a pioneer of anything bothered you before!" Sokka laughed "We're going to find a way out of here… and then he's going to run us all the way to the finish line!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Azula exclaimed, eyes wide. Sokka snickered.

"Best way to get there as fast as possible while spending as little energy as possible!" he said "And as it's not against the rules…!"

"Foo-Foo might get tired!" Azula exclaimed, wishing she wouldn't feel utterly stupid while pronouncing that name "Are you sure it can carry us all the way to the end?!"

"Damn right we can make it!" Sokka said, beaming "Just trust me, Princess! As you have so far!"

The words resonated in Azula's mind, as she held onto Sokka as tightly as possible. She had trusted him to deal with this predicament, to figure out a way to resolve it without imposing her own ideas over his… not that she hadn't sassed him, or been skeptical, but she had deferred to Sokka completely. Whatever dismissive comments she had made, her gladiator, lover and secret husband knew she trusted him with her life, quite literally in cases like this one… and he wasn't letting her down. If anything, he was absolutely exceeding all her expectations, just as others always claimed she did for them.

A wild grin spread over her face as she finally raised her head: she took in the rapidly speeding canyon, the rhythmical rise and fall of Foo-Foo's powerful legs underneath them, and the strong, sturdy armored body in front of her, poised where it was both to protect her and to lead her out of the obstacle they had ran into.

She had always trusted Sokka more than she trusted most people, even at the earliest stages of their partnership… but right now she felt her chest burning with the knowledge that once more, they had been perfectly complementary: he had stepped in to resolve their current predicament, just as she had dealt with rushing them to the finish line a day ago, and he had allowed her to do so despite the danger posed by the wild burst of flames she had released to power the last sprint of their race. Neither of them had taken a conventional approach to finishing either stage of the race, and the more Azula thought about it, the prouder she was of them for it. This, she knew, was exactly why they were the best partnership of all, regardless of whatever the race's results might be.

So she set her chin on his shoulder, with newfound appreciation for their current traveling method. If only Foo-Foo had been as stable while trotting as Xin Long was with his flying, she would have absolutely kissed Sokka's cheeks and shared her ruminations with him… but for now, all she could do was offer his body a couple of gentle caresses, her embrace less urgent and much more affectionate now. Sokka drew back one of his hands only to return the favor gently, trailing his fingertips affectionately over her cheek before returning to the task at hand: steering Foo-Foo out of a canyon would take a lot of concentration and hard work, after all.

They continued to run, underneath a blue sky that was slowly shifting in color, until Azula finally spotted an upwards slope. She gasped and nudged Sokka, gesturing at their possible escape urgently.

"Okay, let's see if we can make it!" Sokka shouted, focusing again in holding the apple properly to keep Foo-Foo running as fast as possible.

The natural ramp wouldn't have been all that easy to climb for the two of them on foot, but Foo-Foo was strong, agile and experienced in these terrains. It barely took them five minutes to climb the whole way out of the canyon… only to find themselves too far north: the stage's conclusion was supposed to be near the thicket of trees, and the only vegetation in sight was quite far away from them.

"Steer it that way!" Azula exclaimed by Sokka's ear, and he was quick to obey by shifting the apple delicately: if he was too brusque, it was entirely possible that Foo-Foo would fling them off its back by taking a violent turn.

Together, they continued to rush towards the second stage's finish line in the most unexpected, outlandish possible manner. It was entirely possible, of course, that someone else would have already won this stage, especially seeing as the sun was close to setting by now… but the thought of victory was far from their minds as they rode a saber-tooth moose lion across the sand dunes. Surviving a potentially-lethal encounter with the creature was already something to celebrate: making a last-minute entrance in this unbelievable fashion, on a newly tamed creature's back, would surely be something for them to talk and laugh about for many years to come.

---

Building a safe bridge across the canyon had appeared a simple, easy goal, but after running with little interruption for hours, underneath that harsh sunlight's glare, Aonu could hardly carry on. Renzhi encouraged him often, but the gladiator's words hardly gave his sponsor any respite:

"C'mon, we're first at last! What you always wanted us to be!" Renzhi said, pushing Aonu from behind, his hands firmly on his sponsor's shoulders "Keep moving, Aonu!"

"I'm trying, dammit, but…! How the hell aren't you tired?"

"Finally appreciating my stamina?" Renzhi snickered "Tell you what, Aonu, I'll pick you up and carry you all the way to the finish line!"

"Don't you dare! That's humiliating!"

"Gee, you've got to lighten up once in a while, Aonu. You're always so stiff and grumpy! Most stubborn earthbender I've ever met!"

Aonu didn't even deign that with an answer. His running had slowed into a slow, clumsy walk, his cheeks red, his breath short. It was clear that he was in no shape to fight, hardly in any condition to continue running anymore: if they were attacked now, he wouldn't stand a chance unless Renzhi made short work of their enemies for them both. As talented as Renzhi was, the likely people giving them chase were hardly the sort to be made short work of.

So all that was left for them to do was pick up the pace and rush to the finish line as fast as possible. It didn't matter if he was tired: he could rest once they had crossed it. For if they did cross, they'd be first… at last, first place. At last, no one would be able to undermine him, look down on him, treat him as inferior. Even if they did, it would be out of spite and nothing more: he would have proven himself capable, able, powerful on his own right, without needing his father's protection, all by his joint work with his gladiator. He could nearly savor the glory, the sense of accomplishment that waited to be claimed by him. But he had to keep going, just a little further…

The sounds of footsteps treading over the sand behind them reached Aonu and Renzhi just when they caught sight of the tall poles that marked the finish line, less than a mile away.

How they'd done it, Aonu didn't know… but one glance over his shoulder revealed the Light Bearer, the Dark Rook and their sponsor had somehow crossed the canyon and caught up with them, without being half as tired as he was.

"Renzhi!" Aonu shouted, and his gladiator turned quickly, fire ready in his hands.

But to their sheer surprise and chagrin, the only team comprised by three members wasn't alone: behind them came two more teams, neither of which were familiar for either Aonu or Renzhi… though he was certain he had seen the furthermost pair near the Princess on the previous day.

"Haru! Haru, the finish line's not far!" Ty Lee exclaimed, gasping in surprise as both she and her gladiator carried on running "We can make it, Haru!"

Haru had struggled to bend a bridge for them earlier: he had worn himself out until they had decided to team up with a nearby pair, the Winged Champion and her sponsor. As the sponsor happened to be an earthbender, Haru had worked with her to craft a proper bridge, even if it hadn't been too stable.

Halfway across the bridge, they were nearly knocked down by the team of three: with the Dark Rook carrying his sponsor on his back, and the Light Bearer attacking the enemies at the worst possible moment, the bridge would have easily collapsed with all seven people on it if it weren't for the earthbenders' efforts to keep it together. By the time the two temporarily allied teams had made it across the canyon safely, The Light Bearer and the Dark Rook had already taken off ahead, in pursuit of the pair on the lead of this particular race stage.

All of them had taken breaks: Haru and the Winged Champion's sponsor had built the bridge with mutual work, without exhausting themselves as badly as they might have if they had worked alone. Everyone was in better shape than Aonu as things stood, and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it as they gained on him.

"Run! Aonu, keep going!" Renzhi roared, raining fire upon their foes, or trying to: the Emerald Rockman's sponsor was ever agile and quick to evade dangerous situations, while the Winged Champion's sword and shield served her in defending both herself and her sponsor against the dangerous fire.

Aonu wanted to carry on, but he knew it would be pointless if Renzhi couldn't come along too. They would only possibly win together, and now it seemed that his dreams of glory were fading, replaced by the dark, unpleasant thoughts that ever plagued his mind…

He lashed out with a sand-stream attack at the rapidly approaching Light Bearer, only for the firebender to punch through it with a deadly, precise fire blast. As things stood, he was the only line of defense for his team: the Dark Rook carried their sponsor on his back and there was no way he could fight if he was stuck with being Koshing's human steed. But it seemed the Light Bearer would be more than enough to keep a weakened Aonu at bay, especially when Renzhi was caught up fighting so many other opponents as well…

Just then, an earthbending explosion behind Aonu sent him and many of his opponents rolling across the desert's sands.

As ever, only Renzhi could keep up with the happenings, sturdy and strong against most threats. His small eyes widened, though, upon glimpsing a sand-covered Blind Bandit standing at the center of the sand explosion, pulling her coughing sponsor up with a brisk yank of her hand. If something was clear, however, it was that the young Beifong heir couldn't possibly be more satisfied by the outcome of her latest stunt: Aonu had been flung off in the opposite direction to the race's finish line, same as the Dark Rook and the Light Bearer.

"You, Toph… you are better at digging than a badgermole ever could hope to be!" Iroh declared, beaming at last as Toph laughed proudly.

"Your plan was brilliant, Iroh! Ha!" she exclaimed, jumping powerfully in the sand and generating a quick but intense earthquake just for good measure: Renzhi wasn't knocked off his feet by it, but the two teams he had been fighting couldn't hold their ground easily.

"Toph!" Ty Lee shouted, clinging to Haru: his spread legs offered them both stability against Toph's chaotic bending.

"Stretchy! Awesome! Good to know someone gets to see us win, Iroh!" Toph declared, before wrapping an arm around Iroh's waist and using the other to bend them towards the finish line faster.

"And off we go!" Iroh laughed, as Toph bent the earth underneath them, jogging in such a manner that the sand itself aided them, pushing them faster to where they wanted to go.

All the teams that had still hoped to win the stage watched in shaken chagrin as the two sudden arrivals hijacked the race's leadership without a hitch. But it wasn't enough to deter some of them from trying to catch up to them, even if by now it appeared the situation was as good as hopeless: the Light Bearer offered his back to his brother, and to everyone's surprise, he carried two people on his back as he dashed to the finish line after the Blind Bandit.

"We've got to keep up, Haru…!" Ty Lee said, and her gladiator nodded just as the Winged Champion and her sponsor took off at full speed as well.

Renzhi didn't bother fighting back anymore. Hindering the opposing teams seemed an exercise in futility when his sponsor seemed to be out cold: if he truly was in no shape to keep fighting, Renzhi would have no other choice but to carry him, as he had proposed earlier.

To his surprise, Aonu was still functional, to a fault. His half-lidded eyes were darker than usual, his breathing jagged and heavy.

"Aonu…"

"Did we lose…?"

"Are you alright, you stubborn dumbass?" Renzhi growled, urging his sponsor to sit up. He was trembling violently.

"Did we lose?!"

"Maybe! So what?!" Renzhi huffed, quickly scanning Aonu with his eyes to ensure he wasn't harmed severely.

"We have to keep going. They can't win…! We were winning the whole damn race, they can't just…!"

"Pretty sure they can just, it isn't against the rules" Renzhi said, shaking his head and clasping Aonu's forearm "Come on. If you're so hellbent on winning, we have to keep going"

"It's too late" Aonu said, gritting his teeth as he finally focused his eyes on the horizon "It's too…"

Indeed, it was far too late for his ambitions and his immediate goals: a wild earthbender and her cheering, laughing sponsor had just crossed the finish line, triumphantly winning the second stage of the Race.

Aonu roared in frustration, beginning a slow trot again as he tried to catch up, to no avail. So now he'd be second, at best… third, the Light Bearer had already made it through, and on his back, both his partners. Worse than second again, then, just like yesterday… but no: the Winged Champion was crossing now. And soon enough, the Emerald Rockman would…

It didn't matter how hard he pushed himself, for the damage was done. All his strategy, all his passion for victory, his every effort had gone to waste. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, he had no one to hold responsible for that but himself.

It took them five more minutes to reach the finish line: no other teams crossed between them and the rest, despite their progress was slow. The Millennium Dragon and his sponsor had secured the fifth place in the second stage of the race, and as much as it wasn't as good a result as first place, or third, as they'd achieved on the previous day, Aonu seemed as angry and frustrated as though he had arrived last or been disqualified instead.

The final point for today's stage had been drawn near a forest, but now that they had reached it, it appeared more akin to an eerie jungle instead, with tropical plants and a dark, even foreboding ambience hidden deep within the vegetation. Just outside the thicket stood a makeshift camp the staff members were crafting: they erected several small tents, after having built up a few larger ones. There were wooden chairs and a few tables too, available for the gladiators and sponsors to sit at after spending so many hours on the road, and that was exactly what the first arrivals of the race had done:

"Oh, how did you even do that?!" Ty Lee was asking a rejoicing Toph at one of the tables, as the staff members offered them towels, food, water and any refreshments they might need "You just hid underground and waited to get out, or…?"

"Hell, no!" Toph laughed "Iroh suggested we should give everyone a fun surprise to finish today's race! When we found that canyon, I made this earthbending slide that got us all the way to the bottom, and then I bent us a tunnel all the way up from there… until we got out here!"

"That's insane!" Ty Lee said, laughing "I mean, it's awesome, but insane!"

"Yeah, that seems about right" Toph declared, grinning broadly.

"But then… you guys really won?" Haru asked, and Toph nodded promptly.

"Seems like it! That's what the staff people said, anyhow" Toph said.

"So… what happened with the Princess?" Haru asked Ty Lee. The girl merely shrugged.

"I have absolutely no idea" she said "To be honest, I kind of assumed she'd already be here by the time we arrived, but…"

"Seems like something got in her way this time. That is, truthfully, quite unusual" Iroh commented: it didn't escape either Ty Lee or Haru's notice that Toph tensed up upon hearing Iroh speak about Azula.

It was strange how their absence seemed to be just as important as their presence. Merely the previous day, the golden pair of the Gladiator League had taken off on a quick sprint and stolen the first place right out of Toph and Iroh's grasp… they had determined the same thing wouldn't happen today, and the Blind Bandit and her sponsor had succeeded at making it so. But the question of whatever had happened to them still hung in the air, and it would continue to linger there until the Princess arrived, at one point or another…

One more pair appeared in the horizon by then: the closer they came, the easier it was to tell they weren't Azula and Sokka. Only once they were a few meters away did Toph recognize the man: the same gladiator she had fought alongside Sokka with in Gladiator Brawl, the Sentinel Knight. His sponsor sounded exhausted, but he remained steady and strong as the two continued to walk quickly towards the finish line.

"Not them either" Toph said, biting her lip.

"This is starting to worry me" Ty Lee admitted, uneasy "Do you think something could've happened to them?"

"It's those two. They've survived crazy shit without batting an eyelash" Toph said, frowning "No way something could've…"

"What is that?" Haru's voice interrupted them, a hint of uncertain anxiety accompanying his voice.

Toph could hardly sense anything – as much as she had improved her sandbending over the years, she wasn't an expert to the extent that she might recognize distant objects as easily as she normally could. But there was a presence, a strange sound… an animalistic sound, even, if she was judging it correctly.

Those with eyesight, however, were far more appalled by the creature they could glimpse in the distance, approaching in their direction with a rhythmic trot.

"What manner of beast is…?! Kei! Sei! You'd better protect me!" Koshing exclaimed upon sighting the creature: he had already taken to drinking and eating to replenish his energies, despite both his gladiators had spent much more of them than he had. Still, he was perfectly willing to forget about his sustenance when a wild, dangerous creature seemed to be approaching their campsite.

Ty Lee was speechless, her mouth open as she pushed herself up to her feet warily. Haru accompanied her, just as the staff members began to panic around them. Was their camp seriously about to come under attack by some huge, wild animal?

"I thought we'd be safe here! From nature, or criminals, or whatever that is!" Koshing insisted.

The movements in the campsite alerted the Sentinel Knight and his sponsor that something was wrong: with one glance over their shoulders, they managed to spot the approaching creature and, alarmed, they speed up for the remaining distance between them and the finish line – if they were going to deal with some sort of dangerous animal, they were better off doing it with company.

Even Aonu, exhausted and angry as he was, couldn't help but raise his head in confused horror at the sight of that creature, as it grew larger with every step it took. But while he was slowly beginning to recognize it, he wasn't sure he understood what it was, not entirely…

"It looks like a saber-tooth moose lion" Iroh said, blinking blankly "But… there's something else. I… I think there's something on its back"

"Huh?" Toph exclaimed "Something… like a parasite?"

"No… like a rider"

Iroh's words gave everyone pause: the staff members began clearing them away from the potential landing area of the massive creature: the hot-air balloons that had landed were quickly loaded with the food they had previously unloaded, all be it to protect the crates from that massive beast that approached at full speed…

With every step closer, it became clearer that Iroh's impressions were correct: there was someone riding on the moose lion's back.

By the time it was possible to discern the shapes of the riders, the entire campsite was shaken by a mix of confusion, admiration and fear.

All six teams and the many staff members scrambled out of the way, watching in fascinated horror as that incredibly large creature powered through the rest of the run… the closer it came, the more confusing the scene became: there was something dangling in front of the moose lion's snout, from a makeshift rod of a sort… it only took Ty Lee and Haru a few moments to identify the rod as Sokka's club.

"We're nearly there! Hang in there, Azula!" Sokka shouted "And you too, Foo-Foo!"

"Not like I have much of a choice!" Azula said: her legs were sore and not quite pleasantly this time around. Never before had she appreciated Xin Long's smooth flying as much as she did after this wild experience.

They could see the camping site, and the paranoia that had seized all the staff members and already finished teams. And as much as they could have been discouraged by discovering that, indeed, they hadn't arrived amongst the very first competitors, the situation was still surreal enough that they barely cared for absolute victory: all that mattered was that they would cross that finish line and wrap up this irksome, never-ending trek through the desert for once and for all.

"Alright, Foo-Foo…! It's going to be time to slow down!" Sokka said.

"You have any idea how to get it to stop?!" Azula asked.

"Eh… yeah? Letting him have the apple?" Sokka said, with an awkward grin.

"If it stops suddenly, we'll get flung off its back!"

"Yeah, well… brace yourself for a crash landing, I guess!" Sokka said, and Azula's arms tightened around him for good measure.

They didn't quite cross the finish line: Foo-Foo crashed into one of the poles as they were rushing through, and he even stumbled upon a half-finished tent before Sokka could maneuver the apple's rod: in a quick motion, he steered Foo-Foo away from the rest of the campsite and towards the jungle. And as they passed, Azula caught perfect sight of all the dropped jaws and utterly astounded faces of their peers: no one could quite give their eyes credit as they witnessed the Blue Wolf and the Princess's latest, outlandish entrance.

Once Foo-Foo was near the trees, Sokka relinquished the apple enough that Foo-Foo finally had a chance to take it into its waiting jaws: as predicted, Foo-Foo stopped bluntly right then and there, flinging off both its riders and tossing them into the air: Sokka turned in midair with difficulty, as ever seeking to protect Azula as best as he could by wrapping his arms defensively around her… but his measures didn't prove necessary when they landed on bushes that, as prickly as their branches could be, were nowhere near as harsh to land on as the sand could have proven to be.

Sokka's club had fallen out of his hands when he had endeavored to protect Azula: it lay on the ground, the bandage still tied to it… or what was left of the bandage, anyways. Foo-Foo had, expectedly, munched on the end of the bandage the apple was attached to. It had taken its seat awkwardly now, taking a break from all the running to savor its prize… and then it spat out the fabric it had munched on by mistake, unwilling to eat that part of his bounty.

"Azula?! Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed, running towards her friend with Haru hot on her heels. They made a point to avoid the massive moose lion, hoping to reach the bushes without catching its attention.

Laughter rang in their ears when they finally reached the bushes: still wrapped in each other's arms, it seemed Sokka and Azula were so relieved and amused by their wildest stunt yet that they could barely contain their reactions. Haru kept shooting wary glares at the moose lion, just as the staff members did, while Ty Lee helped the pair out of the bushes they had fallen on.

"What the hell was that?!" Ty Lee exclaimed… and yet she got no answer other than further laughter, as Sokka fell on his knees and doubled over with more laughter, Azula propping her elbow on his back as she did the same thing "Oh, you two are just out of your minds…!"

The terrified frenzy that had taken hold of the staff members and the other contestants had faded away, leaving everyone to admire the situation in sheer confusion. Some people seemed amused, others were still too befuddled to react in any manner, and one particular gladiator needed more than just the ringing laughter of her friends to grasp the reality of what had happened moments ago.

"So, uh… clarify this for me" Toph asked Iroh at the edge of the campsite. Her sponsor was staring at the scene with wide eyes, responsible of one of the dropped jaws Azula had noticed as they crossed the finish line "They… rode in on a moose lion?"

"That… appears to be the case, yes" Iroh said, swallowing hard "I… I can't remember hearing of anyone taming a moose lion before. If that's taming, that is… I'm not so sure that creature is fully domesticated"

"Then… they just lost, but still had the flashiest entrance of all?" Toph asked, and Iroh snorted.

"I suppose Azula just needs to make an impression everywhere she goes" he conceded, prompting Toph to laugh too.

"Hell, they're crazy. Crazier than we are, and that's saying something…"

"Huh… well, that certainly appears to be the case" Iroh said, though his amusement receded at his gladiator's latest assessment.

The Blue Wolf and his sponsor took a moment to gather themselves again, disbelieving smiles still spread over their faces. Their friends remained nearby, asking questions they hardly managed to answer.

"So, you just fed it apples and it decided to let you ride its back to the finish line? Really?" Ty Lee asked, amazed.

"It's… a little more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it, sure" Sokka said, with a careless shrug "Now, though… we ought to ask around, see if they might have apples lying about somewhere. Foo-Foo's calm so far, but I doubt that'll last…"

"You should look after yourself too, silly" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "We haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, remember?"

"I'll get to it in a sec, just got to give Foo-Foo the last apples first, before he decides to eat someone or knock down more tents" Sokka said, smiling weakly at her "You can go find something to eat, I'll join you before you know it"

"Honestly, you guys always get up to the craziest things…!" Ty Lee exclaimed. Sokka huffed, shaking his head as he pushed himself up to his feet: his legs ached after the ride, and he made no efforts to hide his flinching "It's an uncanny talent! Say, can I watch you feed it, Sokka?"

"You can, but keep some distance. I don't think Foo-Foo's going to be very happy with me after I pulled that stunt with the apple rod" Sokka said, with an awkward grin "Ah, everything hurts, dammit… alright, here we go"

Azula watched Sokka walk away, cringing with each step he took, the bag slung over his shoulder. Ty Lee followed him, enthusiastic albeit not quite as energetic as she generally was: Haru, despite Azula's expectations, lingered behind with the Princess.

"She's not wrong, you two really have the best or the worst luck. I can't really decide which it is" Haru chuckled.

"Neither can we, believe me on that" Azula smiled, despite cringing as well at the pain on her legs "Though I can't deny this was much more fun than I ever thought it would be. Then again, when it comes to Sokka, nothing ever turns out the expected way"

"Are you alright, though? Did you get hurt?" Haru asked, and Azula shook her head.

"I'm just sore after riding that crazy moose lion for… I don't know, an hour? Maybe it was less than that, but it sure doesn't feel like it was" she grimaced "I don't advise you to ever try it, frankly. I can recommend riding dragons, but moose lions…?"

"Noted" Haru chuckled "I think they have some food set up over there, if you want to… oh, no. Oh, crap, Ty Lee's going to try riding it"

"What?" Azula said, as Haru grimaced and scrambled towards the moose lion: Ty Lee had taken to offering one of the two leftover apples Sokka still had in his pack, and she stood dangerously close to the creature now: clearly, Haru knew his bride well enough to understand her true intent.

Azula only laughed as Haru froze at a certain distance of the beast, having earned its animosity temporarily because of his hectic movements. Sokka tried to appease Foo-Foo, offering the last of the apples just as a staff member appeared, carrying another barrel with food – though Azula couldn't see apples in it. She only hoped Foo-Foo's diet was slightly more varied than it had appeared so far.

As thoughts of food were easily doing away with whatever self-control she still had left, Azula followed Haru's directions and found a staff member assembling many packages with food. She wasn't silent in her approach, and the woman was startled by the famished look on the Princess's face.

"Oh, you must be starving! Here, here…! Oh, we should've known this whole thing about sending you all off into the desert without enough provisions would be a bad idea" the woman said, offering Azula a fully prepared package that brought a smile to the Princess's face "Don't you worry! I'll make sure to convince the chairman that you should all have your own packs of food to eat during tomorrow's stage!"

"That… would be very agreeable. I'd show more support for the idea if I had any energy to do so" Azula said, with a small laugh "Thank you"

"No problem! I'll go distribute these, I'm sure more of you poor competitors must be starving…" said the woman, stacking up packages on one arm.

"Make sure to bring one to my gladiator" Azula said, and the staff member nodded eagerly before taking off, balancing the food carefully in her arms.

Azula was quick to devour the first rice ball she found inside the wooden box, and she closed her eyes in bliss as the food made its way through her weakened body. As exciting as the day's developments had been, she truly had needed to eat something, anything…

"You look pleased with yourself"

The hostile voice barely surprised Azula, though she truly resented hearing it right now: she was enjoying the meal happily enough without Aonu's bitter meddling and judgment, but it was no surprise that he'd decide to offer them freely, as he ever did. He looked tired, and he probably wasn't in much better shape than her… but that, apparently, didn't stop him from wanting to confront her, if that was what this was.

"Pleased with the food, if anything. You, as ever, look like the concept of pleasure eludes you altogether" Azula said, finishing the rice ball with a happy sigh.

"You arrived seventh" Aonu said, scowling "And yet, by your attitude, anyone would think you've won the race just because you rode in on some wild beast…"

"Sounds to me like you're just bitter that my gladiator actually tamed a creature, which, thanks to you, was well within the rules of the race" Azula said, with a proud grin "Or is there another reason why you're bitter? There's bound to be thousands, I suppose, but I'd think that's what bugs you the most right now…"

"Wrong" Aonu growled, leering at her with narrow eyes "Every time we've crossed paths you've been out for absolute victory, even making your gladiator fight to the point of near-killing my own. I thought you were ambitious, I thought you never settled for anything less than the best… and yet here you are, relishing in some mediocre result just because you were flashy and impressive. You should be ashamed of yourself"

"I should be ashamed because I arrived seventh?" Azula repeated, raising her eyebrows "Am I to assume, then, that you won the stage and you're irritated that my entrance was more impressive than yours in spite of that?"

"I…"

"Huh, that look on your face says you didn't win either. All the more reason why your criticism makes no sense, sounds to me like your result was no less mediocre than my own" Azula said. Aonu huffed.

"Fifth is better than seventh, if anything…!"

"Huh. Fifth, is it?" Azula asked, amused "And how did you allow yourself to stoop so low, if I might ask? Don't tell me you've become a liability for your gladiator…"

"I'm not a…!" Aonu exclaimed, but the words seemed to catch inside his throat, and as much as Azula had wanted to make fun of him, she found it difficult to do so suddenly.

The dismay on the sponsor's face was palpable, as though Azula's playful accusation had been a dagger through his heart. It seemed an exaggerated reaction for what she had thought was mere banter… but all in all, she hadn't meant to make him quite so miserable either way.

"Alright, you're… you're not a liability. I was only joking" Azula said, and Aonu averted his gaze angrily "Fifth place is clearly nowhere near as good as first, but you still have more stages left. You might win another one if you…"

"As if. Like… like I haven't told myself that a thousand times all these years" Aonu growled, clenching a fist and shaking his head "Like I haven't believed that the next time I'll pull it off, next time I'll overcome the enemies that truly matter…! And when it comes down to it, I falter, and every time I do it's like I've proven that I…!"

Azula's silence seemed to alert Aonu that she was listening to his every word… that he was actually speaking them aloud, before someone he considered an enemy. The blood drained from his face.

"I… I didn't say anything. Forget it" he grunted, reaching for a food package and storming off.

Azula watched him go with an uncertain frown. It wasn't long before she caught sight of Renzhi, following his sponsor wherever the angry man had stumbled off to now. It seemed odd that Aonu would bare his soul to Azula so easily… his reaction over realizing what he'd done had been awfully reminiscent of Zuko's typical outbursts, if she thought about it. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she found Aonu strangely familiar, despite not knowing him very well… yet in some regards he reminded Azula of herself instead of her brother.

She breathed deeply, deciding she'd leave Aonu alone for now. However fun it was to pester other people, especially pretentious ones, she knew Aonu had battles of his own to deal with, far more valid than those of many other sponsors she had met in the past years. It wouldn't be fair to judge him, not when she had been much like him before finding Sokka in Hui Yi.

She approached Sokka, Foo-Foo, Ty Lee and Haru again, finding the staff members and other competitors appeared most unwilling to approach the creature: yet the moose lion tamer appeared to be enjoying himself as he continued to talk to his new friend; he didn't expect Azula to drop her half-finished food package on his lap once she reached him.

"Hey! Food!" Sokka exclaimed, eyes gleaming as he opened the box.

"I told that staff member to bring you some, but I guess she might be daunted by your friend here" Azula said, gesturing at Foo-Foo.

"Then… this is yours?" Sokka asked, his voice small "Then I shouldn't…"

"Don't be ridiculous, eat" Azula said, cuttingly "Once she gives us another package for you, we'll share that one too. It's no big deal"

"Oh, Azula… you're too nice sometimes and I should just hug you for it, but I can't because we're in public" Sokka sighed, offering her a grateful grin "Thanks for this"

"Don't worry about it" Azula said, smiling gently and patting his head "We both know I have to look after you, can't expect you to do it yourself, can I?"

"Best wife ever, really…" Sokka sighed, leaning against her leg gently before getting started with the package.

Azula watched him eat with a small smile, tempted to sit beside him and join in… but the sensation of being watched prevented her from doing so. And she froze, utterly stunned, by the vicious grin on Ty Lee's face.

"I heard that. You know I did" she said, beaming.

"Huh. I guess we forgot you were there" Azula said, willing the blood to stop rushing to her face… but it was a failed enterprise for sure. Haru chuckled softly behind Ty Lee, who clapped eagerly and enthusiastically.

"I knew it! I mean, we all knew it, but I knew it so much, Haru! Haha…! Wait, then this means you two went and eloped and you didn't…?!"

"Ty Lee!" Azula said, raising her voice to silence her friend. Ty Lee blinked blankly, biting her lip guiltily afterwards "Please… refrain from speaking your mind quite as freely as Sokka did just now, can you?"

"I'll try…"

"Moreover, aren't you exhausted and hungry as well?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "Might be better if you go digest the news and the food at the same time…"

"Gee, you're always such a grump when we catch you red-handed, honestly…" Ty Lee said, rolling her eyes before leaning closer to the pair, to whisper, with a bright grin on her face: "Congratulations, though! I guess it can't be legal, but being married is wonderful and I'm sure you guys have realized it by now…"

"That we did" Sokka said, smiling despite himself "Can you keep it quiet, though?"

"From these people, sure. From Mai? Not a chance" Ty Lee snickered, clasping Haru's hand in hers and guiding him away.

"Congratulations!" Haru said, before letting Ty Lee ferry him off to find more food.

Azula sighed and turned a skeptical grimace on Sokka, who grinned innocently at first before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, alright, I should be more careful and not call you that when we're not alone…" he admitted.

"If I hadn't been careless myself too during the race, I might actually give you a hard time for it" she said, sitting beside him "But it wouldn't be fair, now, would it? I told Kori, outright, so…"

"Yeah, and I suppose she probably will have told Sneers by now" Sokka said, biting his lip "If not, then… guess I'll tell him myself? Otherwise, things could be a little weird before we switch tents tonight"

"That's something to worry about when we… uh, Foo-Foo's getting up"

The moose lion had indeed pushed itself up after enough rest: the extra fruit the staff members had brought Sokka to feed the creature with had run out by now, and it seemed Foo-Foo had its fill at long last. But before Sokka could make any moves to figure out what to do next, Foo-Foo approached him, sniffing at his armor and clothes before pressing its snout to Sokka's chest. The gladiator grinned awkwardly, patting the creature's head.

"Well… that's nice of you. I was so sure you'd be pissed at us. Thanks for everything, Foo-Foo" he said.

Without further ado, the moose lion turned around, tail swaying sideways as it slipped into the trees to the south. Sokka hadn't even lowered his hand by the time the massive beast had faded out of sight… though it didn't vanish before revealing its actual sex to the team that had ridden it:

"Looks like you were right. Foo-Foo was a boy" Azula smiled awkwardly, and Sokka chuckled, sighing in relief.

"I thought he'd eat the whole campsite, at the rate at which he gobbled down the fruit" he said "So… we made it, huh? We weren't last, were we?"

"According to Aonu, no, we were seventh" Azula said. Sokka frowned at the mention of the Millennium Dragon's sponsor.

"Aonu? You talked with him?"

"Just before coming here, when I was fetching the food" Azula said, reaching for the package to fish out something else worth eating "I… probably said something too insulting to him, but in my defense, I didn't expect he'd take it that seriously"

"Guess you'll have to apologize to the insulted guy" Sokka smirked, though his smile faded quickly enough "You don't think whatever you said got him angry enough to come after us exclusively, do you?"

"No, I doubt that, but… I do think I may have triggered a nasty breakdown for him, to a fault" Azula said "I think he's every bit as an overachiever as I am… just, not as effective at it as me"

"No one is that effective, as far as I know" Sokka smiled "Well… maybe track him down later, try to let him know you don't have anything against him? If you think it'd help, that is. Can't say I'd be too thrilled about talking to that guy if I were you, not after he tried to marry you…"

"True" Azula said, sighing "But I suppose I'll try to talk with him, yeah. Still, I'll do it later. For now, we feast and relax"

"Oh, boy, do we need it" Sokka sighed, and Azula chuckled, holding back the urge to rest against his body.

More teams arrived over the rest of the afternoon, some of them even showing up well into the evening: the final ones were ferried into the camping site by hot-air balloons, exhausted, tired and in terrible shape. By nightfall, everyone gathered around many bonfires that had been built by the staff members, and they were enjoying a decent dinner provided by the organizers of the event. Some teams turned in quickly, so tired they could barely bother to stay upright any longer, some ducked away from the fire to find more privacy in the darkness instead. And while Azula and Sokka had been sitting with their friends and acquaintances around one such fires, the Princess was ever glancing about herself in hopes of finding Aonu somewhere.

She didn't quite find him, but she spotted his gladiator before long: Renzhi, looking exasperated and irritated, made his way from the far end of the campsite to a bonfire nearby, sitting amongst gladiators and sponsors that Azula didn't know. Aonu wasn't amongst them.

"Found him yet?" Sokka asked, and Azula sighed.

"Got a suspicion as to where he might be, if anything" she said, glancing at her gladiator "If I don't find him at all, I'll be back pretty soon. Otherwise… I might take a little longer"

"That's alright" said Sokka, smiling a little "I'll save you some food for when you return, if you want"

"Huh, will you, truly?" Azula asked, amused "Sure you can resist the temptation of eating it yourself?"

"I'll do my best, I promise" Sokka said, raising his hands defensively and prompting Azula to laugh as she pushed herself to her feet.

She didn't have to walk far to find Aonu's silhouette, sitting on a rock at the western edge of the campsite. He was hunched over, and Azula feared he would only send her away angrily… something she wouldn't exactly be opposed to, anyhow. Part of her didn't understand why on earth she wanted to talk to him, in the first place.

"Enjoying the scenery?" she asked once she reached him. He didn't even flinch at the sound of her voice, and she frowned as she wondered if perhaps he had fallen asleep while sitting upright…

But he was brooding, it seemed. It wasn't his usual, bitter brooding… it was melancholic instead, with a heavy cloud of sadness hanging around him. And he didn't speak, not even to send her away… so Azula took a deep breath and sat beside him on the rock, wondering briefly if he had conjured it himself.

"I probably should have measured my words better…" Azula started, but Aonu huffed.

"Trash talk is… essential to a business like this one. That's all you thought you were doing. I'm the fool for taking it seriously"

"Maybe, but against what you might believe, I think I understand why my words bothered you as they did" Azula said, and Aonu frowned "You're not the only one who struggles with feeling unworthy and who's fighting for acknowledgement with everything they've got"

"I'm not?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically "What does that mean?"

"It means you remind me of myself, clearly"

"Why? Everything falls into place for you" Aonu said "Your gladiator has beaten mine every time they've fought, you've risen faster in the ranking than anyone else but that Blind Bandit, you're Crown Princess, of all things…"

"And yet I wasn't Crown Princess for around eleven years, all because everyone still thought my brother would be my father's heir" Azula finished: it gave Aonu pause to hear such words "And what did he do to earn all that recognition, that general certainty that he was meant for the throne? Why… he was a firstborn son, nothing more, nothing less. His talents, his training, his natural charisma… none of those things really mattered with him, because he was my parents' firstborn son. Whereas I… I had to fight and prove myself an adequate replacement for him for years. It didn't even matter that my father clearly preferred me… the entire nation saw Zuko as the future Fire Lord and it took over a decade for them to change their minds. So… no, not everything falls into place for me. And not everything has to"

"You've already succeeded, though" Aonu said, shrugging "You've won: everyone loves you, everyone thinks you're remarkable and extraordinary. You can even arrive seventh in a race and people will act as though you were victorious…"

"That hardly means my plight is over" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "I may be Crown Princess now… but if my father were to succeed at forcing me to take some unwanted husband, I'd still not be Fire Lord. And if that unwanted husband were smart enough not to be manipulated by me, I wouldn't even have a puppet through which to rule. So… even now, when it seems like I have it all, everything can still be taken away from me in a single stroke of bad luck. I can't lower my guard, not for real…"

"Then… why don't you care about winning here?" Aonu asked, perplexed "Why were you satisfied with a result like this one? If you know any missteps can be your undoing…"

"Because this is a race, Aonu" Azula said, looking at him skeptically "This is the Gladiator League. And while I certainly have taken advantage of this business to further my goals, I didn't push the chairman and his board to hold this event merely so I could show off my firepower: I did it because I wanted to fight side by side with my gladiator and be involved in the action in more ways than I usually am. The results are important, I won't deny that… but even if we arrive last in every upcoming stage, all I'd care about is having the chance to stand by him as I have over the past two days. All I want is an opportunity to test our partnership in new ways, to witness how much we've grown together. That matters a lot more than mere points and rankings and first places or seventh"

"That… is so much more sentimental than I expected" Aonu admitted, though he didn't sound appalled by Azula's words. She shrugged.

"It's the truth" she said, simply "I have trained my gladiator for nearly four years, I have fought by his side in many other regards, and I have encouraged him to become the best fighter he can be… we've worked together to come as far as we have, and the Ranking will still be there for us to rise through in the future. Taking something easy for once, to actually sit back and enjoy an event for what it is… it's hardly the biggest crime someone can commit, is it?"

"So, it doesn't bother you not to do your best every time?" Aonu asked "You… you think I should lighten up, don't you?"

"Everyone does, not just me" Azula said, with a dry grin "If anything… this is a race about your partnership with your gladiator, isn't it? And as far as I've seen, you and Renzhi are quite a powerful combination… but if you're all business, and you hardly bond with him, you'll never quite reach your full potential as a team. At least, I suspect as much"

"I take it you've bonded with your gladiator?" Aonu asked, skeptically "Well… it all sounds awfully romantic, but I can't say I share your beliefs. Yes, I understand most people would think I shouldn't take everything seriously , but because of what you've been through, as the first female sponsor in the League… I thought you should be even less willing to drop your guard than I am"

"Perhaps I should be" Azula conceded "And no doubt I was, for many years. Back when we were starting off there was an entire movement, for a short time, of sponsors with earthbending gladiators trying to oust me and Sokka from the ranking because he had proven weak against earthbenders. Dealing with obstacles and judgment for years hasn't been easy, but the easiest way to let it get to me is by giving it more importance than it's due"

"Well… maybe it's not just about the League" Aonu said, closing his eyes "Maybe it's about something more than just this"

"It's about your status, then…? It can't be easy to get by as an illegitimate son of a nobleman" Azula said "Though… if it's not too bold of me to say so, your situation certainly confuses me. It sounds like you should've had nothing, yet you were involved in the first fight ever in the Superior League… you sponsored the Millennium Dragon even then, I remember watching that fight in person"

"Yeah, well… my father didn't treat me as poorly as he could have" Aonu admitted "It's everyone else that's the problem. Everyone I have to convince that I'm worth something, because they take one look at me and they decide I'm… I'm too Earth Kingdom to deserve respect. And the worst days are the ones when I… when I start to suspect they might be right"

"And what I said mustn't have helped in that respect, huh?" Azula said. Aonu shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter. At least you were honest" he whispered "Maybe I truly am a liability in the end. Maybe I am a burden for my gladiator…"

"I doubt that, frankly" Azula said "And… even if I were wrong, I highly doubt your shortcomings as a sponsor have anything to do with your social status"

"You sound so… accommodating, towards a man of mixed heritage" Aonu said, frowning slightly "Why? Most highborn people think those like me are… well, scum"

"I suppose they do, huh? There's still some ways to go before that general mindset fades away… but see my friend back there, Ty Lee?"

Aonu turned his head, in the direction Azula was gesturing at: Ty Lee and Haru were sitting by the bonfire near Sokka, and Haru's arms were protectively wrapped around his wife as she talked eagerly to him, a bright grin on her face.

"She married her gladiator not long ago" Azula said, and Aonu's breath caught in his throat "As you can see, he's Earth Kingdom… and she's Fire Nation, though admittedly, she's a much freer soul than most in the Fire Nation are. And just like her, there are countless others who have accepted those of different heritage without harsh judgments. Kori Morishita is just like you, a Fire Nation-born earthbender with noble parents, one born to the Fire Nation, the other to the Earth Kingdom…"

"I'm aware" Aonu mumbled.

"And my gladiator's maid, as much as she may be a slave, is currently in a pretty successful relationship with the former Captain of my Royal Guards" Azula said, with a proud grin "My point is… the world is changing slowly, but it is changing. Maybe it won't be perfect for the remainder of our lifetimes, but as far as I can see, it's moving along in the right direction. And I'd like to think that, once I'm Fire Lord, I'll be able to help it along further"

"Why?" Aonu asked, frowning slightly "Why do you care about the plights of people who… who might never thank you for it? So many Earth Kingdom-born people are suffering, they're angry… even if you show them kindness, they'll hate you because you're you. So… why do you bother?"

"Oh, I started out on my quest for acknowledgement for selfish reasons, no doubt" Azula admitted, with a nostalgic grin "My gladiator and I were at odds for a very long time. I didn't really care for whatever problems befell others because all I could possibly see was my own situation: I wanted recognition, I wanted respect, I wanted all those things nobody seemed willing to give me until I proved my worth to them. I wanted to change my lot in life, but it didn't even occur to me that there were countless others going through worse struggles than I could imagine. He's the one who shed light on the subject for me… and I have been learning to see the world from another's eyes throughout our partnership. If it weren't for his influence and support, I wouldn't have even thought about writing the slavery laws. I probably wouldn't have created the Social Rehabilitation Center either… all the people who benefit from either thing have had it much worse than I ever could. It probably takes seeing it for yourself to truly understand it…"

"Probably" Aonu admitted, lowering his gaze "Renzhi is a slave too, but he doesn't like talking about the past much. But when I bought him and his mother… I did it because I understood how he felt, even if I didn't really know him at the time. He was cradling her, and he seemed to beg me to have some compassion, any compassion… and I knew what it felt like to hope for mercy and receive none in return. So… I helped them. I do understand, to a fault…"

"Good, then" Azula said, glancing at him sideways.

"You don't think they're lesser, then?" Aonu asked "Your gladiator, slaves, those people from that rehabilitation center… you don't think you're superior to them?"

"I did once, long ago. In those regards, I was no better than the snobs from the High Tier, and I'd do best to admit it" Azula acknowledged, and Aonu huffed with a soft, humorless laugh "But that crazy saber-tooth moose lion tamer has taught me countless lessons since we first partnered up… and one of them was that, for all my sense of superiority, I could find myself respecting and admiring common people of other nations far more than I did with the nobles and highly ranked military officers of my own. By your birth, even if you're an illegitimate son, you're socially superior to your gladiator, aren't you? And yet ever since our fight at the Slate, I've had the sense that you respect him, perhaps more than you respect anyone else"

"Maybe. He is my only true friend" Aonu admitted, with a sigh.

"So you as well as I do that someone's origins are no reason to judge them" Azula said, closing her eyes "There are a lot more Fire Nation people who deserve a swift kick in the rear than those who come from other places, in my experience"

That elicited a proper grin out of Aonu, one that brought Azula to realize she had never seen him smile so far. It was a true relief that her attempt to reach out to him was proving successful, despite he had ever held a wall between himself and the rest of the world. She had always known they were similar in some regards, but only now did it seem Aonu had begun considering that other people had plights akin to his own.

"So, with all this in mind…" Azula continued "I suppose you can understand now why I didn't want to marry you. You're probably exactly the type of husband I mentioned earlier, and even manipulating you would prove a chore because you seem to think for yourself, so…"

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me" Aonu mumbled "And I mean no offense, but in truth, I… I didn't want to marry you either"

"Not even for the social boost that would have given you?" Azula asked, amused "Here I thought that was the entire reason you wanted to do it"

"It was, but I mean… I wouldn't have wanted to do it if I'd had another choice" Aonu whispered.

"Another choice? And what does that mean, exactly? Were you being pressured to find a highborn wife? If so, there must be plenty to choose from…"

"That's not it. I… I probably shouldn't talk about this. Especially with you" Aonu said, sighing and rubbing his temples with his fingertips "I just can't fit in. Fire Nation society has made it plain and clear that being illegitimate makes me unworthy, but that's… not the only thing about me that makes me an outcast. And I've tried my hardest to gain the respect I thought I deserved… but it won't ever work. I know it won't. The truth is, I… I'm always angry because I know there's nothing I can do to win in the end. There's nothing I can do to obtain anything but the second, third, any other place but the first. I'm fated to lose every time"

"What exactly convinced you of something so depressing?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "Sounds like a really extreme conclusion to reach…"

"There are more reasons why I shouldn't have married you" Aonu said, closing his eyes tightly "And the main one is… I can't even speak it aloud. I… I'm sorry, like I said I probably shouldn't even say anything…"

Azula frowned as she studied him carefully. Shame: that was what she could sense in the man beside her. He couldn't hold her gaze anymore: he was conflicted, troubled by whatever other reason he had not to marry her.

"Are you involved with someone else already?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Aonu tensed up and shook his head "If so, it makes very little sense for you to even try to marry me in the first place…"

"I'm not involved with anyone, no. I never have been" Aonu said, his voice weaker now.

"Then…"

Another possibility sprung to mind then, but just like Aonu, she held back from speaking it aloud. Her silence made him apprehensive, perhaps even anxious, and he gazed up at her with uncertainty.

"It's not just me, is it?" she asked: Aonu gritted his teeth "You wouldn't want to marry any woman, I take it…?"

"Don't…! Please don't tell anyone. Please…" Aonu said, gritting his teeth as he covered his face with his hands. Azula grimaced.

"Calm down, there's no reason why I'd run my mouth about that…" she said, holding back the impulsive urge to pat his back reassuringly, a habit she had picked up from Sokka without realizing as much.

"No one will understand this" Aonu shook his head "You'd think it's bad enough that I'm a bastard, but…"

"If there were something inherently wrong with not being attracted to women, I assure you there's a lot of people in this world who are on the same boat as you, male or female" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "If most women I know cannot be condemned for that, I can't see why men, why you, should be"

Her interruption of Aonu's self-deprecating tirade was surprisingly effective. He froze and stared at her with wide eyes, and she offered him a weak shrug.

"I… I mean, that sounds unexpectedly sensible, but…" he said, gritting his teeth "That's what's expected of men, isn't it? What's expected of… of me"

"It might be. I guess this has further driven you to chase total victory and social advancement" Azula said, biting her lip "All be it so you could be accepted in our world? Yet… it seems to me you'll never be accepted at all if you merely pretend to be everything you're not. They'll still scoff at you for your mixed heritage, and if your preferences were ever known there are many who would judge you for that too, however unfair and ridiculous as it might be…"

"Then what am I supposed to do, just take it?" Aonu asked, looking at Azula in disbelief now.

"Oh, I didn't say that either" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "What you need, Aonu, is to decide what your true goal is, and figure out how to get there. You want acknowledgement? There's many ways to find it, the Gladiator League isn't the only way to achieve that. It helps, without a doubt, but it's also a system that offers you more opportunities than is obvious at first glance"

"For the likes of me?" Aonu said, raising his eyebrows "As similar as you may think we are, you already had power of your own, you were born into it even if you had to fight for it in your own ways. What kind of opportunities could I possibly find in the League…?"

"Ah, if I'm no example, then I guess Yang can be one…"

"Yang?"

"The main writer of the Gladiator Chronicles" Azula said, pointing at the spiky-haired author, who finally seemed to find a chance to talk with Sokka… only to get dragged away elsewhere by a staff member moments later "He was living in pretty dreadful conditions, but after we challenged him and his gladiator to the Slate, his writing skills were discovered by the Slate's staff and the League hired him. He's the founding writer of the Chronicles, pretty much… and now he makes a living from that. As for his gladiator, she's currently working for me in the Social Rehabilitation Center, no less. Therefore, there's possibilities. Maybe those possibilities aren't exactly what you envisioned: you may not be Fire Lord, ensuring people of mixed heritage will be respected properly by becoming the most powerful man in the world… but who knows? Maybe you could be part of the solution for that problem anyhow, just as Haiyan is helping with the Rehabilitation Center"

"How?" Aonu said, frowning "I… I can't imagine anything I could do to help fix the stigma against people like me. To make it so no one judges those of mixed heritage for simply being born as they are. I admit, I haven't thought about it beyond… well, outlandish, impossible dreams of having enough power to punish those who dared say anything against me because of who I am, but…"

"There will be ways to do it, in time" Azula said, with a weak shrug "I won't lie and claim I have the exact, perfect answer right away… but perhaps you could start by making a name for yourself in other regards. If, for instance, you're also concerned with how slaves are treated, slaves like your gladiator… then perhaps I could offer you a job with the Enforcers"

Aonu's eyes were wide as plates upon that last suggestion. Azula only answered his astonished silence with a simple grin.

"W-why would you…? A-after everything I've done, after all I've said, I…! Goodness, how are we even talking about everything we're talking about?" Aonu rambled suddenly, though there was no bitterness in his sudden regaining of his senses.

He stared at Azula warily, fear in his eyes, as though he hadn't been himself while sharing some of his innermost secrets with the Princess… as though he feared now that she might attempt to blackmail him because of them. He had allowed his walls to crumble, when all along he had been antagonistic towards the Princess, when he had tried to shame her for her own actions, for her complacency… now the shamed one was him, as she looked at him with compassionate eyes he had scarcely ever found in anyone of noble birth before.

"I guess you just don't talk often with people who might understand some of what you're going through" Azula said "Clearly, I don't understand all of it… but I think I grasp enough. And amongst the many things I've learned in recent years, being understood is definitely one of the greatest amenities life has to offer"

"M-maybe. But that doesn't mean I deserve a job with you, or with your Enforcers" Aonu whispered, lowering his eyes "I've… I've been obsessed with my own problems, haven't I? And instead of trying to help more people like Renzhi, I just… kept going on and on about me, about whatever I had to accomplish for myself"

"Again, something I've been guilty of as well" Azula said, with a weak grin "I spent ages set on my own goals… it took forever for me to realize I had to fight for more things than just myself. Which means you're quite fortunate I'm the person you're holding this conversation with, since I'll gladly give you a chance to fight for other causes even if you ignored them willfully for however long you did. That is, if you truly want it…"

"Why?" Aonu said, shaking his head "Of all people… what made you think I could be worthy of a second chance?"

"The fact that this isn't a second, but a first chance, probably compels me all the more" Azula said, standing up and taking a deep breath: the pain in her thighs after riding Foo-Foo was finally receding, albeit slowly "You've never had a real opportunity to prove yourself, have you? Therefore… first chance"

"Right, but I've given you no reason to think I deserve it" Aonu said "I… I was curious about you and your gladiator when I challenged you to the Slate, but ultimately, I assumed I'd win, and I was outraged when I didn't. Then I tried to marry you just to obtain power and acceptance… why would you think I'm anything but scum?"

"Well… there's enough reasons why. Like I said, I think we share enough similarities, and that convinced me you weren't some rotten, good-for-nothing fool like many other of my would-be suitors" Azula answered earnestly, with a weak smile "Your fight isn't my own… but if I am to be Fire Lord one day, I'd do best to listen to the plights of people who will be under my rule, such as yourself. Such as slaves, such as honorary citizens…"

"Right…"

"Also, in my experience, anyone who thinks the High Tier is a pain in the ass is worth listening to, at the very least" Azula smirked, and that again brought a small laugh out of Aonu "Either way… my offer is just that, an offer. I'd need someone to travel often across the cities in the Colonies to supervise the Enforcers, to ensure they're being assembled correctly and doing their jobs as expected… it seems to me that someone with a killer glare like yours could easily daunt fools like Governor Kuan into submission if need be, huh?"

"Hopefully, but I've never had a real job before" said Aonu "It… it seems too important a role to entrust it to someone like me"

"True enough. If you're no good at it I'll just fire and replace you" Azula said, with a cruel grin. And yet even that only brought Aonu to smile again.

"Maybe I'd deserve it, then. But if you gave me a chance that'd still be more than what most people are willing to do" he whispered before raising his head "I… I will have to think about it, a lot. But… thank you, Princess. I hope not to let you down if I end up working for you"

"I hope so too" Azula said, nodding "And even if you're not quite asking for it, there's one last lesson I've learned in the past years that you might benefit from too: you don't have to fight your battles alone. You don't have to face the brunt of the world's cruelty on your own… and you can help those you care about by supporting them as they face their own hardships, too. Maybe there's strength to be found in dealing with everything by yourself, but in my experience, finding the right partner, the right team, also means you can solve your problems a thousand times more effectively than you would if you insist on handling everything without help"

Aonu nodded briskly, and Azula offered him one last smile before making her way to the bonfire her gladiator still sat at. Aonu followed her with his eyes, breathing out in relief after that unexpected conversation: it seemed like the first time he had spoken with someone in years, despite he obviously had more than enough conversations with his relatives and Renzhi. But as patient as Renzhi had ever been, he seldom knew how to reason with Aonu. Instead, they would butt heads, argue in circles and make no progress… something that, surely, had frustrated the Millennium Dragon for years now. Aonu's constant bitterness and resentment had ever kept him from admitting he regretted troubling his friend… only to find himself regretting his actions when it was far too late to make amends for them.

No one had ever thought him worthy of listening to, not in this manner. No one had ever held off all judgments as genuinely as the Princess had. No one had ever thought he had something useful to offer the world, let alone had they offered him the tools to do so. And perhaps it had been his own fault: obsessed with gaining acknowledgement, he hadn't sought opportunities for success but single-mindedly powered his way towards an impossible first place in the Gladiator League. He had always known that, even if he outdid Admiral Zhao and his combustive gladiator, people would still scoff at him… but he had hoped that proving his superiority would ensure their judgments would no longer affect him. Deep down, though, he knew they still would bother him.

The opportunity she was offering him, though, was a new start. A clean slate to prove himself in a completely different manner: he would help slaves this way, people like his own gladiator, even people like himself. That it had never occurred to him that he could do something else, something like this, was nearly embarrassing, if he thought about it… but it was brilliant. A cloud had been lifted from his troubled, turbulent mind, and for once, he could see clearly. He could forge a path for himself, one that didn't need to be tied to his family name, to his father's complicated legacy, to a half-brother who had treated him like vermin to get rid of from the moment they'd met…

"You okay, Aonu?"

Renzhi's apprehensive voice startled him. Aonu jumped to his feet nervously, regarding his gladiator not with the rage and bitterness the man had grown to expect… and that brought a prominent frown to the Millennium Dragon's face.

"I… saw you talking to the Princess?" Renzhi said "Figured you wanted no interruptions, but I thought I'd check on you now that she's gone…"

"It is, it… it's fine" Aonu said, swallowing hard and nodding "I… I'm sorry, Renzhi"

"'Bout what?" Renzhi said, raising an eyebrow.

"About… everything, actually" Aonu said, and now Renzhi's face contorted into a disbelieving sneer.

"That can't be right. What'd she do to you? Fed you some weird mushrooms or something?" he asked, and Aonu rolled his eyes "You can't be sorry for everything, you're never sorry for anything!"

"Well, maybe I am and I just don't feel like saying it because you…!" Aonu started, flustered "Ugh, I'm messing up again. No, it's not your fault, it's mine. I've… been short with you without any right to be, I know it. I could've been a better partner, but I've been… so hung up on my problems I barely could see past my own nose"

"And you just figured all that out in… in a single conversation with the Princess?" Renzhi said, skeptical "You kidding me here?"

"I know, right? It's… ridiculous. Insane" Aonu admitted, grimacing "I barely know how it happened, but… I think she gets me, in a few ways. Not all ways, no, but… enough that I actually ended up rethinking a lot of stuff about myself, even about our partnership"

"That so?" Renzhi said, blinking blankly "Huh. Well… guess you'll have to explain everything from the start, Aonu, because I'm as confused as can be, here"

"I don't blame you" Aonu said, with a weak grin as he got ready to start talking.

For once, Aonu did his best not to hide behind his pride, behind his arrogance, behind all sorts of preconceived notions of what he should behave like… instead, he embraced who he was. By the time he was finished, late at night once they were bound up in their respective sleeping bags, Renzhi couldn't seem to stop smiling proudly at his sponsor. It had taken him long enough, far longer than Renzhi would have liked… but it seemed the troubled man had finally found a true calling in life, one that suited him better than the social-climbing warfare he had waged on the world since before their partnership had been born. Tonight, it seemed as though their bond was no longer as strained as it had been throughout the race. He could only wonder if perhaps they'd perform better on the third day of the event, after all this…

---

"I can barely believe you rode that huge moose lion!" Kori laughed that night, in the tent she'd share briefly with Azula "I saw a glimpse of it, just before it took off into the trees again and it must have been terrifying…!"

"Somewhat terrifying, but most of all… amusing, for some reason" Azula admitted, with a smile as she sat on her assigned sleeping bag "Today was certainly a day full of surprises"

"Well, that one surprise was already big enough as it is to outdo any others, I'd think" Kori said, ruffling through her bags as she looked for a fresh set of clothes to change into for bed.

"In a sense… and yet there's one more I'm still trying to digest" Azula said, her eyes on the tent's ceiling.

Azula had returned to the bonfire, and she had shared her achievement with Sokka quietly: he had been quite impressed by her progress with Aonu, though he had smiled proudly at her for it just as well. After dinner was finished, the staff members had assured them the next stage would be less harsh, not as demanding as this one had been. Lanterns lit up the night and even now, after everyone had been guided to their respective tents, some lights could still be visible through the fabrics and flaps of the rudimentary pavilions.

"What are you trying to digest?" asked Kori, raising her eyebrows "If I can ask, of course… I don't want to pry"

"No worries, you're not prying" Azula said, smiling "Actually… come to think of it, you must know Aonu, right?"

"Oh, the Millennium Dragon's sponsor? Yeah, though he's…"

"A grump who's always in a bad mood?" Azula said, smirking: Kori chuckled and nodded "He has his reasons to be like that, I guess… but I may have impulsively offered him a job that he might end up turning down"

"A job? Such as… with the Enforcers?" Kori asked, eyes widening.

"Yeah, I… huh. Wait a moment" Azula said, smirking slowly "I could offer you one too, come to think of it"

"Wait, what?!" Kori exclaimed, cheeks flushing as she stared at Azula in disbelief "Woah, woah, you… you're not serious, are you?"

"Well, you're always free to say no if you don't want it, but…"

"Of course I wouldn't say no! B-but what kind of job?" Kori asked, eyes gleaming brightly under the candlelight. Azula laughed and shrugged.

"I've offered him the job of supervisor of the Colonies at large… you, I suspect, could be in charge of Yu Dao in particular. So, it's possible you'd have to report to him, and him to me, but…"

"Then… I'd have to work for him?" Kori said, her enthusiasm waning. Azula waved a hand in her direction.

"Only if he accepts the job, and I can't say for sure that he will. But who knows? Maybe over the next two days he'll prove there's more depth to him than everyone thinks there is, and he'll turn out to be someone worth working for…"

"Huh… well, I'll give him a chance if you really think I should" said Kori, but she grinned again before long "I'd be in charge of Yu Dao's Enforcers, though…?"

"Considering you're already your father's appointed liaison for such matters, is it really that big a surprise?" Azula smiled "If anything, I should've definitely offered you the position sooner"

The young woman squealed and laughed, hugging her pillow excitedly. Azula grinned at her reaction, her chest tight with unexpected satisfaction. It had definitely been an odd day, with more triumphs and successes to it than she could have envisioned, regardless of the race's result. Riding a moose lion had certainly been the biggest highlight of it all… but finding new allies and means to help the Enforcers reach their full potential was ever an important success for Azula, too.

Their tent's flap rose moments later when Sneers raised it quietly: the tent he was supposed to share with Sokka was right across the women's own, and Azula could see Sokka grinning at her even in the shroud of darkness of his own tent. Kori couldn't seem to hide her joy, and she surely was eager to share her new job offer with her lover… so Azula only gave her a quick wave before dashing as quickly as she could across the tents, reaching Sokka's almost imperceptibly as the night covered their bold escapade.

"Ah, here you are. Finally" Sokka sighed happily, cradling the Princess in his arms and kissing her lovingly right after closing their tent flaps properly.

"Ah, we certainly need this" Azula said, beaming as she pressed her brow to his "You're one very clever moose lion tamer"

"And you're one very clever Princess who could even pacify the grumpiest of sponsors. That's no easy feat either, you know?" Sokka smirked and Azula laughed against him.

"If you must know… I just offered Kori a job too, supervising the Enforcers in Yu Dao" she said, and Sokka snorted as he embraced her and fell back into the sleeping bag with her.

"And you just keep on doing it! Impeccably efficient at everything, you're just incorrigible that way" he smirked, holding her tight against him as she rested atop his body.

"I guess I am" Azula smiled "I mean, I did have to choose people for those jobs eventually, and I'd think you should be pleased that I have made progress with this…"

"Do you think I'm displeased? Is it so dark in here you can't see how big my smile is?" Sokka asked, prompting the Princess to laugh again.

"Honestly… I'm really enjoying this absurd race, Sokka. More than I ever thought I would, and I had high expectations to begin with" Azula said, beaming.

"Let's hope tomorrow's just as fun and satisfactory, huh?" Sokka asked.

"But for tonight… we do sleep. Properly. No crazy fun or we might tear down this lousy tent by accident" Azula determined, and Sokka chuckled before nodding in agreement.

"Alright, alright… I think our legs are still too sore from all the moose lion riding for us to afford doing anything inappropriate, anyway" he said, sighing as he closed his eyes "I love you, my Princess wife…"

"And I love you, my gladiator husband" Azula smirked, leaning in to kiss his lips thoroughly, in one last celebratory gesture before closing her eyes and settling down for sleep.

A powerful, foreboding breeze pushed through the thicket of tropical trees outside the camp: the sand was bright, open and safe, but the same could not be said for the dark mire that spread beyond the boundaries of the desert. Their current peace, the joys of their small victories, the strength of their very partnership, would soon be put to the test by mystical, spiritual secrets hidden within a swamp's foliage…