Both gladiators had heard that word in the ring countless times, even before they first crossed paths in this very Arena. All thoughts of friendship, of camaraderie, were best left behind: regardless of how the fight unfolded, both fighters knew that only one of them would attain true victory today.
"START!"
The sand underneath their feet tightened into rock when the Blind Bandit's hands balled into powerful fists: those fists shifted moments later as she commanded the rocks to break with her fingers, and with quick, violent motions, a spree of pillars began to rise at rapid speed, serving not only as a vicious, quick yet potent attack against her opponent, but as a shield that would conceal her from sight. So many towers of earth between her and the Blue Wolf should serve as one initial line of defense…
When the wave of pillars neared him, however, Sokka leapt powerfully onto one that had already stopped moving, mere instants before the one meant to rise right underneath his feet could do so. Toph snarled upon sensing him, shifting the pillar he stood on now… he jumped to another one just as she shot the pillar upwards powerfully, and then another, and then another…
Toph had used this tactic against other foes in the past, but it seemed he had somehow anticipated it. Or perhaps his instincts were spot-on regarding how to counter her attacks now? Toph continued to shoot the earth pillars upwards erratically, guessing she'd get him eventually: no matter how fast he could be, his rhythm would be thrown off once he landed in the wrong place, or with the wrong leg or ankle angle, and then he would be in trouble…
The pillars only grew taller and taller, driving the crowd to scream wildly… and Azula to clutch at her armrest with one hand, studying the situation in the Arena with uncertainty. Toph was controlling the entire fighting area, apparently, making it so Sokka couldn't possibly stand still and ponder how to counterattack… but the serene manner in which he was dodging all damage so far certainly suggested he didn't need to ponder anything at all. Did he have a plan already? Azula bit her lip as she watched him, her very gut pulling at her with protective feelings she had first experienced when Sokka had crossed paths with Toph for the first time. The sensation had become familiar after all these years, yet its intensity only appeared to increase over time. Her nerves were twisting and toiling inside her, all as she waited to see if Sokka would break out of the earthbending trap he was stuck in…
His foot gave way.
Azula froze, watching her gladiator and lover falling to the side of the accumulation of constantly surging pillars… and reaching for the boomerang he carried on his back while he remained airborne.
"No…!" Iroh gasped beside her. Azula's chest seemed torn between concern and pride: had Sokka merely feigned an injury to attack Toph when she couldn't sense it…?
The boomerang spun expertly, and due to a mix of the noise caused by the large crowd, as well as the still-shifting pillars of earth, Toph couldn't hear the whooshing sound of the encroaching weapon until it was too late.
The constantly rising pillars had mostly ceased movement by the time Toph noticed Sokka had seemingly fallen off the last pillar he had leapt to: she had intended to attack him while he was falling, even conjuring a powerful new pillar right where she calculated he might land… and that new pillar now crumbled into sand again as she rolled on the ground, pain bursting from the side of her face: the boomerang had hit her directly, even cutting into her skin. The blow broke her focus, even her stance: she should have known he would do something like this, but her clever foe had withheld from picking up a weapon for as long as he had stood in her trap. She hadn't expected he'd be able to aim in midair, let alone that he'd be able to move so fast as to release his dangerous weapon with expertise enough to injure her…
Said dangerous weapon spun its way back to Sokka, just as he landed without issue, his feet unhurt: he grimaced upon glimpsing the trickle of red staining the blue of his boomerang, but he raised the weapon anew, as though aiming it at Toph… an obvious taunt.
Was that his plan? He would rile her up, make her lose control until she left a gap in her defenses that he could slip through to tear her down? It could be a good plan, Azula reasoned… if only his opponent weren't the type to cover up for all her defenses as soon as he landed his first blow on her. It had been that way in their first fight, and even though Sokka had managed to concoct a few strategies to deliver some damage to Toph back then, she had nearly killed him in retaliation. The second time, of course, was different: Sokka had fought back, countering many of Toph's powerful moves, frequently striking against her when she didn't expect it. But where her pillars from that time had achieved their purpose, throwing off Sokka's balance, this time Sokka had been the one throwing off Toph's… and within only a minute, he remained completely untouched, unscathed, while the earthbender's headwound bled across her face.
The snarling Blind Bandit roared: yet another sign that she was up to one of her signature moves against Sokka. As soon as the ground underneath his feet gave the first sign of crumbling, he leapt away, in unpredictable directions, forcing Toph to change the focus of her quicksand move constantly: the sand was loose but Sokka wouldn't sink in it, at this rate: she conjured a stream of sand, attempting to give Sokka chase with it, but again his erratic, unpredictable movements made the endeavor utterly pointless. A second stream, from the opposite direction… and he leapt over it, spinning in midair yet again. Toph snarled, losing control of the sand to draw up a quick shield, not knowing Sokka's boomerang remained safe in his grasp… or that his free hand rose to his belt once again when Toph couldn't sense him.
He tossed the bomb powerfully at the shield, most purposefully to ensure Toph would believe he had attacked her fruitlessly… and the impact caused the thick bomb filled with stench and smoke to release its contents just as Toph smirked, believing she had successfully defended herself from his projectile weapon… never expecting said projectile to be one of the mechanisms through which Sokka had caused her most trouble during their second fight.
The smell was even worse this time than it had been back then, and the smoke was so thick it nearly rendered her unable to breathe. Toph coughed and dropped on the ground, her mind clouded just as the fighting area was: people in the nearest stands cried out loud as well over the spreading stench, for it was so potent it reached even them.
A crack on the ground, powerful yet unsteady, spread out from the center of the smoke cloud and towards where Sokka stood: an attempt at retaliation that, again, might lead Toph nowhere, and she knew it. Sokka leapt out of the way… and stepped into one of the unstable sand pools Toph had started crafting for him earlier.
She noticed the opportunity, yet was too weakened by the scent to act on it as quickly as she might have otherwise: Sokka jumped out of the mild quicksand, as Toph crafted more of it while she dug herself a tunnel underneath the sand: the air wouldn't be clean right away, but if she connected to the other side of the Arena, where the damn smoke bomb wasn't polluting her air, she might actually stand a chance.
Sokka scowled upon noticing some sand movements that weren't outright hostile: it started close to the cloud, but by now he could see a shape making waves of sand as it progressed away from the cloud. She really had to be desperate not to hide her movements as zealously as she ever did… his choice for today's stench cocktail had been rather unpleasant, hadn't it?
She wouldn't be in a good mood once she got out: he had to brace himself for an explosion, or faster quicksand this time. It wasn't, despite he wished it were, the moment to attack anew.
So when Toph finally broke out of the sand with the predictable explosion with which she did, Sokka jumped… and landed carefully on one of the Arena's spikes, balancing himself atop it. The crowd appeared awed by his bold decision, though he didn't take note of their reaction as he shielded his face from Toph's attack while retaining his balance with difficulty.
It was going well for him, Sokka knew as much. The serious wound he had delivered to Toph's head had to give him an important advantage already, her state after the smoke and stench bomb was even worse. He was no fool, he knew Toph had turned around worse odds than these – he had witnessed the fight where she had discovered her ability to metalbend, when it had appeared as though she was fated to lose a fight for the first time –, and he couldn't drop his guard… but for the first time ever, he found himself wondering if he truly would earn a victory over his long-standing rival today.
His brow drew together as he pondered all his available options for this fight: the disperser still hung on his belt, ready to be used. Would he need it at all, though? Giving Toph any chances to turn around the fight to her favor was a bad idea… but humiliating her by outright stealing her ability to bend when she was already in terrible shape appeared an unnecessary resource…
A loud war cry interrupted his ruminations, and the barrage of rocky projectiles that Toph launched at him prevented him from pondering the situation any further: he leapt again, tucking away his boomerang in midair as he endeavored to land on the same spike after the rocks shattered against the wall. Once he landed successfully, with two quick movements, both Space Sword and his club stood at the ready to fend off the potent projectiles that flew in his direction, fueled by Toph's desperation.
His sword cut the smaller rocks, his club shattered the larger ones and knocked them off-course: his footing was unsteady and not too reliable, but he still managed to retain his position on the spike. He knew, as would anyone who had observed Toph's fighting style carefully, as well as confronted her, that she couldn't metalbend at range. She needed direct contact with the metal to do anything with it, which meant that, ironically, where a spike had damn near killed him on their first fight, today it appeared one such spike would turn out to be his greatest asset.
Toph coughed, still doing her best to clear her lungs after the distressing bomb she had been forced to inhale. One whole area of the ring was as good as poisoned, as far as she was concerned. She could still attack at range if Sokka was crazy enough to run in that direction… but perhaps that wouldn't suffice. She was the greatest earthbender in the world, she knew as much… and yet this non-bender kept her on her toes, forcing her to extreme measures she didn't wish to take.
This wasn't the full extent of what she could do. She knew it wasn't the full extent of what he could do, either.
Toph started racing towards Sokka with the help of her bending, caution be damned, and his eyes narrowed: if she wanted close quarters, it was evident she intended to metalbend his weapon, perhaps even his armor, or the spike on which he stood. And he certainly saw no reason to sit by and wait for her to seize an opportunity to do so.
He crouched down on the spike for an instant, gathering all the power he could for his next jump: he soared past Toph, whose hand landed on the spike moments after he had left it. She snarled again, collecting the spike as she had in the fight against Combustion Man – all the spikes she had used that day, much as the ceiling, hadn't been restored yet. If she intended to use them as weapons, she would find them in short supply.
This certainty convinced Sokka to rush in once he landed, to attack Toph just as she tossed the spike at him… only for him to dodge the projectile, while his black sword sliced it cleanly in half.
He was too close, and not on her terms: she would take to defensive mechanisms now, such as her favored waves of rock, pouring out as pillars that would knock him back…
Diagonal pillars, in this case, rather than vertical ones: she wanted to put distance between them, instinctively.
Sokka leapt in Toph's direction, escaping the closest pillar narrowly by drawing his legs into his chest: the rush of the earth was, undoubtedly, scary, but not enough to make him stop in his tracks now. He had landed where Toph didn't intend him to, finding a foothold on the side of the leaning pillar, from which he could launch himself straight ahead at the earthbender, his weapons at the ready.
Unlike before, Toph did know which weapons he wielded. Unlike before, she knew to brace herself for an attack that certainly would arrive next. And unlike how it had been so far, she intended to defend herself as best she could.
A wall sprung up between Sokka and Toph, one that rushed him just as he readied himself to jump. Sokka snarled, changing the angle of his next jump mere instants before acting on it: the wall would have run him over, just as now Toph shattered the earthen pillars she had crafted, restructuring them into spikes… spikes she launched mercilessly at the airborne Sokka.
He wouldn't linger in the air forever, and dodging every spike would be impossible… yet there was one way to defend himself that had often worked in his experience so far: instead of angling himself away from the spikes, he drew in his legs and arms, basically crouching in midair… and aimed for one spike.
It shattered against his armored chest, and while it shook him powerfully, he made it back to solid ground before Toph could conjure another spike in his direction – not that she didn't try, but Sokka's club shattered the sharp end of a spike she was conjuring, and he launched himself at her once again.
Oh, but he was persistently annoying today: after starting off in a rather defensive, evasive manner, now he was constantly taking the offensive, aggressively so… much as he had, back during their second direct confrontation.
Yet the despair of that day wasn't present. He fought with the serenity of a man who had grown into truly understanding his own talent, his own power, his own potential. He no longer had the doubts that once as good as controlled his very soul, doubts that held him back when it came to combats as intense as any fights against foes in the top hundred could be. It seemed as though Sokka had come to understand himself… as though many of his experiences had strengthened more than just his body. His confidence wasn't arrogance: he was level-headed… perhaps even cold-blooded. And while Toph knew he wouldn't want to hurt her severely, she also knew he wouldn't hold back from doing so, if it came down to that.
To think he was the very fool she had once deemed unworthy of killing… today she found herself realizing his strength as a warrior had increased exponentially: she would never again hold his fate in her hands, the way she had that day.
She gritted her teeth as she brought forth a new barrier to defend herself, one of her thick cylinders, knowing it would take him no time to break it… hoping, however, to slither out of his reach before he did.
Sokka wasted no time cutting the cylinder with his sword, slamming it broken with his club upon noticing Toph was no longer inside it. Where would she go next?
"If I were a desperate earthbender who can make tunnels under sand, what would be my next move…?" Sokka mused quietly, casting a wary glance, naturally, at the stone well.
He couldn't have timed his suspicions better: the well shattered, and the large, fully solid rocks were Toph's for the taking. It was ammunition she could use against him as she pleased, but Sokka wouldn't be deterred by her projectiles, and she knew as much…
Hence why she took to bending the ground once more, solidifying the sand with one hand while the other continued to launch projectiles at him: the sand attempted to capture Sokka's feet, slithering up to his ankles yet failing their purpose as he leapt quickly to ensure Toph wouldn't get away with her plans. That he'd have to stay wary of two techniques at once was no comfort, for it was clear that her desperation was starting to shape into actually useful, creative fighting techniques she might actually gain an upper hand through. Yes, the rocks from the well would run out eventually… but whether he knocked them off course with his club or sliced them into pieces with his sword, the rocks would still linger within the vicinity. She could use them again, if she so pleased… oh, but he wouldn't allow it. He had done well at keeping her on defense over the last part of their fight, and he'd endeavor to do so again sooner than she knew…
He took to dashing fast, as quickly as his feet could take him, no longer striking down the rocks or settling for jumping out of the grasp of the solidifying sand. Again, it was obvious Toph couldn't be quick enough with her earthbending to catch Sokka, let alone to set up enough traps across the Arena to ensnare him eventually. She gritted her teeth, attempting now to anticipate to Sokka's next location, no longer relying on the remaining stones of the well to attack him: she would catch him, eventually: the whole Arena would become impossible for him to step through, she would see to it…
Sokka breathed deeply before stepping into the area where some of his smoke bomb's lingering stench still affected the nearby spectators. Toph snarled, shooting arrays of sand at Sokka this time: solid projectiles were better, but sand was still enough trouble for most opponents…
Yet where she had once been able to do away with his old helmet with a single strike of sand, this time Sokka wouldn't be so easily taken down: the sand rushed at him, colliding with his armor, with his visor, and then failing to find its target once he dashed away too fast for Toph to do any further damage.
It made no sense. She hadn't landed a single, significant blow yet. She gritted her teeth, reclaiming some of the pride she had thought was completely gone after her first loss against Combustion Man: she could accept losing nowadays… but not on these terms. Not without giving it her everything.
It was her turn to jump, changing her position, even if putting further distance between herself and Sokka might hinder her bending efforts. He managed to get away from the chaos she kept wreaking across the Arena, only for Toph to fall back… and find one more spike in the wall. A spike that, this time, she molded to her liking before Sokka could launch a new attack with his boomerang.
Equipped now with a makeshift metal hammer, Toph roared and rushed towards Sokka, zigzagging away from the boomerang: it would return to him, she knew, and this time she intended to calculate its trajectory better than ever before. She leapt towards the weapon only to strike it away with her hammer, but Sokka managed to reach it and quickly tuck it into his sash before she could sink it under the sand, her favorite way to get rid of the pesky weapon. Even so, Sokka's stance was broken, and that meant she had a chance to strike.
He held up his club, defensively, when the fully metallic hammer attempted to strike him. He wasn't in the most comfortable position, and Toph shifted the sand underneath him to further sabotage his stance… Sokka retaliated by swinging Space Sword violently at the metal hammer. The weapon's tip grazed Toph's shoulder, startling her even before the pain set in… and her makeshift weapon was broken with that effort alone.
Yet she was close. Close enough. He hadn't been cautious about their distance this time, which meant…
She conjured an earthen spike right underneath him, aimed at his chin: Sokka sensed the sand's vibration, jumping back on time… only for Toph to violently push him towards herself with a wall she conjured from the sand. Sokka fell on all fours on the sand, still clasping his weapons when he sensed the sand quickening underneath him. A violent attempt to jump, before all was lost…
And Toph answered it by slamming the remains of her broken hammer into his left arm. The sliced weapon was still dangerous, certainly sharper now than it ever had been intended to be: the Blind Bandit's fans finally rejoiced upon seeing their hero delivering damage, even if superficial… Only to gasp collectively when Sokka returned the favor by swinging his club at Toph's own arm.
Where he had only snarled before retaliating, the earthbender screamed: he had been moving away from her, preventing her attack from landing as painfully as it could have. She, however, was only just recovering from making that first successful strike. She couldn't move back fast enough, and now her arm was a burst of pain, much like many such bursts she had only grown acquainted with in her previous fight.
She jumped away, despite Sokka appeared not to intend to attack again. She gritted her teeth, shaking her head as she touched the arm that would soon be painfully bruised.
"You okay?" Sokka asked, wary. Toph scoffed, and he knew she would have glared at him if she could have, though her brow was perfectly furrowed regardless.
"Like hell… like hell I would be…" she growled "Save that nonsense for after the fight, Dog. I… I'm not going to play nice in here, and neither will you, so…"
"I didn't say I'd ease up on you. It was just a question" Sokka said, simply, raising his weapons in her direction again. Toph let out a bark of laughter… but there was no amusement in it, whatsoever.
"Shut up… shut up" she hissed "You really think I'm done yet? That I'll back down just because of this?! There's no way, no way I'll let you beat me this easily! I can't…!"
"Easily?" Sokka repeated… and in his case, there was no end of amusement in his tone. Toph's snarl only intensified for it "You're kidding, aren't you?"
"This fight may be a joke to you, but it's not to me! I'm not kidding, I…!"
"I've spent FOUR years working my ass off to beat you, Toph!"
His words struck her harder than a boulder might, than a tsunami or an avalanche, perhaps. Her frown eased slightly, as her own words, her own insecurities and doubts sank in inside her soul.
"All these years, learning to fight earthbenders, figuring out every strategy I could, coming up with answers for any attacks you'd hit me with next?" Sokka continued, staring at her in disbelief "All the training, all the efforts I put into reaching this level? It's taken me this long, damn it… but I'm finally here. And easy is the last damn thing it was, Dirt Worm"
Dirt Worm. For a long moment, longer than she should have allowed herself, Toph merely stood in place, letting those words reverberate inside her head… words she had only ever heard from Azula before. Words that she took as a badge of pride, to this very moment. Words that only offered further evidence of the tightness of the bond between the Blue Wolf and his sponsor… of how deeply they had influenced each other. Of the fact that, although Azula sat in a balcony now, she always fought alongside Sokka, in every sense that mattered.
Yet even that was but an awakening… a reminder of reality. A chance to ground herself again… as everything in her clouded mind grew clearer: all her fears, all her uncertainties, born from that traumatic incident at the factory, had erased her perspective. She had forgotten herself, her strength, the true power she wielded in the fists she tightened right now. The fear of bumping into a wall, of finding someone she couldn't overcome, had been bad enough with Combustion Man, experiencing that fear over Sokka too had taken her by surprise… and that was what Sokka had lived with for years. How many times had he faltered, lost faith in himself? How many times had he stumbled and assumed, like in their very first fight, that any resistance was futile when faced with likely death? There was no way Toph would know the answer to such questions… but she could feel it: he had been where she was now. That he had worked as hard as he had so far was but proof of the inner strength he'd required to reach her level, or to surpass her, as the case may be…
She had been his target, much like Combustion Man had become her target a week ago, when she had learned what it felt like to not be infallible. To lose when it mattered… despite, in truth, it hadn't mattered as much as it would have in a conflict like the one at the factory. It was only her life on the line, not that of hundreds of people… her life, her pride, even her honor as a gladiator.
The very notion of honor in this violent, frivolous line of work would be laughable… but it hadn't been something Sokka took for granted. He had come from an Amateur Arena Toph was utterly unacquainted with … he had lived when others had died. He had paid prices she could never begin to imagine to rise as high as he had. He understood the stakes… and he also understood himself enough to reach for victory now that it was within his reach.
So, if she were to lose to him today… it truly wouldn't be the worst thing ever, would it?
She huffed… and her lips curved into a smile for the first time in the whole day, it seemed. Sokka scowled, raising his weapons once more: he was taking her seriously, completely. Even when he was damn near victorious as it was, he took nothing for granted. He didn't underestimate her, not for a second. And that… that was enough, at least for now.
"Heh… if that's how it is, Dog, I guess I can live with that" Toph smiled: the grin twitched into a grimace when she attempted to move her injured arm but failed.
Naturally, that meant she would have to attack through other means: she raised her healthy hand and crafted a new spree of attacks, streams of sand that arched towards Sokka, forcing him to jump back as Toph made her way to one of the available metal spikes by the edge of the Arena. She wouldn't be able to create another hammer, but now that Sokka was away, she could attempt to sabotage him while preparing a powerful attack.
She stomped on the sand, so hard the whole building seemed to tremble: the sand solidified, cracking wherever Sokka ran, and with another powerful stomp, and the commands of her uninjured hand, the earth became another field of unstable, shifting, dangerous spikes and pillars that would strike Sokka if he wasn't careful.
A pillar nearly struck his left foot, a spike soared towards his shoulder, another came hurtling towards him from behind, and all of them were shattered by a powerful club he slammed into the earth without restraint. He continued to run towards her, unconcerned with the obstacles she crafted, intending to reach the earthbender before she could make use of the new projectile she was preparing…
And then she vanished, sinking underground with the metal spike.
Sokka snarled, stopping on his tracks: he knew Toph was a hazard while she was out of sight. She was, in all likelihood, intending to use that spike to deliver serious damage to Sokka at last… and she might succeed, if the projectile reached its target. He couldn't tell where she was this time, for she wasn't quite as weakened as she had been before… ugh, maybe he shouldn't have given her that much of a chance to fight and sprayed her with the chi-blocking pollen already. It was still a good final measure, naturally… but one he had hoped not to need. Now, with Toph completely hidden underground, he could only recall her massive fight with Azula… the Princess had taken to flying with her bending to ensure the earthbender wouldn't catch her. Toph was at home within the earth, that much was beyond obvious… but he couldn't fly the way Azula could. The best thing he could do was climb on another metal spike on the wall, although there were only a handful left… and even, then he risked Toph showing up right underneath him when he least expected it.
Showing up underground… it was exactly what she'd done to Combustion Man at the point where she had done away with his prosthetic leg. If that was her goal…
It was likely, wasn't it? So perhaps the best course of action was…
He raised his weapons, closing his eyes… wishing he could close his ears, too. The noise had decreased as the battle raged on… but not enough that he could trust his hearing to pick up any sounds underground. No, what he needed to count on was something else, another of his senses…
A light vibration under his left foot.
He drew back his foot violently before stabbing the sand to Space Sword's hilt. The sword slid easily but ran into no noticeable obstacles: he had missed, which meant…
The burst of earth came from behind him, and he spun fast, but not fast enough to stop the metal spike from ramming into his armor's flank, despite Toph had been aiming for his arm. It hurt, and he'd surely be bruised from the impact… but she hadn't delivered as much damage as she had intended to.
Sokka's club slammed into the spike, knocking it off course. Toph stumbled out of the sand, still grabbing onto the metal spike, which she had sharpened even further while she hid underground. She drew it back, angling it towards Sokka, towards the spaces where his armor didn't protect him: his armpit, his elbow, his legs…
Sokka jumped forward before she could finish aiming: one slash, and the spike was cut in two pieces, yet Toph appeared to have counted on him doing as much. The now-twin spikes would have nabbed him dangerously in the exposed skin of his arms, even though Toph's injured hand shook upon using it, if only he hadn't dropped on the ground at the very last moment, upon predicting what her new move would be.
Toph roared after she failed to hit her target, angling the makeshift weapons downwards… just in time to fail to defend herself from a potent kick to the stomach.
She hovered in the air for a moment, rolling on the sand and unintentionally dropping her two weapons. Curses, she had let her guard down… she had done that so many times today. She could do better than this, she certainly could…
She reached for the two projectiles, tossing one at Sokka just as she sensed him running towards her, withholding the second one until he reached her, though she didn't really think it would serve any purpose. But something else might…
He had been working so far through timing and caution above all else: he was patient and careful, holding back when others might have been desperate or aggressive unnecessarily. He kept predicting her moves, having known them as well as he did after fighting against her as many times as he had, in training or outside it. So, instead of acting recklessly… she should follow his lead.
It happened just as his foot landed: the sand around it solidified, knocking him down when his impetuous momentum failed to account for Toph finding the proper way to break his rhythm at last. Sokka fell, breaking his landing with his hands just as Toph jumped forth, her metal projectile aimed straight at his head…
Sokka pushed himself back: maybe he couldn't release himself from the solid rock that easily, but his movements weren't exactly locked with just one foot under Toph's influence. The metal spike landed hard where Sokka's head had been before… and a black sword cut it thrice, tearing it into a mostly useless weapon before Toph could deliver any further damage.
Yet with his foot in her control, she could drag him under, painfully. Sokka snarled once the sand rose over his legs, and the grounds upon which he had stood grew unsteady so quickly…
In a quick, desperate movement, Sokka switched his sword to his left hand, clutching both it and his club… only to reach for a weapon at his sash once more. Toph sensed what he was doing, and no doubt intended to send him under before he could resort to any of his stench bombs again…
But despite her best efforts, his reaction time outdid hers: Sokka had only sunken to the waist by the time he finished casting his new projectile at her.
Blood splashed the ground most violently as Toph fell backwards, squirming and screaming in pain: it hadn't lodged into her leg, but Sokka's boomerang had nonetheless cut across the skin of her thigh. It was a deeper wound than the one in her arm: she couldn't simply walk it off or ignore it, for she couldn't even stand up anymore.
"Fuck… fuck!" she roared, kicking sand at Sokka impulsively with her uninjured leg.
Though… he was sinking. He had been sinking, right? If she merely continued to send him under, she could suffocate him underground…
Sokka reached out for the more solid ground and sand with his club, attempting to find further stability… and then felt the sand engulfing him again, albeit not as fast as before. He cursed under his breath just as he heard a welcome, swooshing sound moved in his direction: the very weapon that had delivered most of the damage to Toph during their fights so far had returned, just in time. He tossed his boomerang hard, upwards. It wouldn't return in such an angle… but it would have to suffice nonetheless.
The weapon spun fast, and Toph could tell he had tossed it… but couldn't easily tell where it would come from. She gritted her teeth: with her arm and leg in such state, she couldn't possibly craft a full defense before the damn weapon hit her. She still tried… but a crumbling shield of sand wasn't enough to protect her from another blow to the head.
The quicksand stopped shifting when Toph took to bending her shield, and while it was still a struggle, Sokka as good as swum over the unstable sand until he reached the nearest piece of furniture, using it to lock down a stable position with which to hoist himself out of the sand. Relying on the club to exert his strength, he managed to get out of Toph's latest trap… only to find the earthbender was writhing after the latest wound she'd sustained, but still using her left hand and right leg to push herself upright. Her face was covered in blood, and her snarl was ferocious…
She was too resilient and persistent for her own good, but that was what unyielding stone should be like. She embodied earthbending in all its forms, it seemed, and intended to pull no stops before striking at Sokka again… weakened as she was, she still crafted herself a rock-solid glove with which she intended to hit Sokka safely… only for Sokka to slam the fist mercilessly with his club, shattering the earth around it, and then striking the bloody side of Toph's head with his sword's hilt.
Her body flopped, facedown, on the sand, with a loud, heavy thud.
It seemed the whole Arena had gasped and fallen into awestruck or horrified silence. For Toph lingered on the sand, unmoving, without so much as writhing in resistance to the last blow she had received.
Sokka's chest heaved, his breastplate rising and falling with each intake of air. Where he had been as calm as possible earlier, now he found his whole body burning as his heart raced with anxious abandon: she would get up, wouldn't she? It wasn't likely that she wouldn't. It was Toph Beifong, no less, and she hadn't even allowed Combustion Man to knock her out… but had Sokka succeeded at it? So much as pondering the possibility appeared to further shake up the very unstable ground upon which he stood, no matter how persistent he had been about retaining his footing throughout the fight…
Every set of eyes was focused on the frozen scene in the Arena: horror surged in the hearts of every supporter of the Blind Bandit, while a fragile, unbelievable hope took wing in those of the Blue Wolf's fans. Yet those feelings extended well above the stands, too…
Azula gritted her teeth when her very seat, next to Iroh's, shook when he punched his armrest impulsively. He rose to his feet, his trembling hands reaching for the banister… and from there he watched, in horror, muttering constantly:
"No, no… no, Toph, no… get up, Toph, please, don't do this…"
Azula couldn't hold back a rare, unexpected feeling of empathy for the old man… for she had been where he was now. Their roles were reversed, just as those of their gladiators were: today she was the one who could remain level-headed, to a fault. Meanwhile, Iroh looked as though he might fling himself off the balcony if he could help Toph by it somehow…
But it was too late. And as shocked as everyone remained, the Blind Bandit didn't move at all as the Blue Wolf held his weapons at the ready, ever wary that she might have a plan under her sleeve, that she might be tricking him into lowering his guard by feigning a knockout…
Such was the tension and astonishment that spread across the Arena that even the megaphone man neglected starting the countdown until a judge nudged him to do so: nervously, the fight's narrator stepped closer to the megaphone and began his countdown.
"Ten…" he said: there was no chorus from the crowd this time. Nobody joined him, and yet, he continued to count "Nine… eight…"
She'd get up. Of course she'd get up. She'd try to fling him off his feet, toss him through the shattered ceiling, or she'd sink him, and this time she'd absolutely fulfill her creepy threats from their first fight. There was no way she would let this fight end like this… for Sokka could tell she was still breathing. Her shoulders shook, very lightly, so his blow evidently hadn't killed her. He couldn't check how severe the damage had been, though… not yet. Not now. Not when the countdown was still ongoing…
"Seven… six… five…"
"Toph, Toph!" Iroh actually shouted, startling the audience: it wasn't common for sponsors and gladiators to interact in the middle of fights. The urgency in his voice might have compelled the Blind Bandit's fans to encourage her again… but the state of their hero was much too worrisome still. Nobody even dared join him, but Iroh continued to shout, regardless of that "Toph! Toph, please…!"
"Four… three…"
Azula's blood seemed to turn to ice. She wondered if Sokka felt the same way: was this when she'd get up? Was this when she'd jump to her feet and strike mercilessly?
Or was Toph truly defeated?
"Two…!"
A slow, deep breath, drawn in: her chest filled up, her shoulders shifted again…
"One…!"
And then she released it. Slowly, yet again.
She didn't move. She didn't push herself up.
She was awake. Sokka could tell: she was still conscious. Maybe she had been out of it for a second… but she wasn't anymore.
And even then, she wouldn't get up:
Toph had surrendered.
"THE WINNER IS… THE BLUE WOLF!"
He staggered, just as the crowd's sudden silence was replaced by the loudest, wildest cheer he had ever heard until that day. No… it was impossible. Those words… he had heard them so many times, but never like this. Never against Toph. And yet…
It was real. It had to be real. She wasn't moving beyond breathing, even now… she wasn't making any attempts to contest that claim.
He had defeated the Blind Bandit with a knock-out.
Azula's limbs had run cold, unfathomably so, once the countdown had started. She had been completely unaware of that fact, however, until she heard those words and a warm, surge of energy suddenly shot through her brain, releasing a mewling gasp she was sure she had never uttered until that day. Her wide eyes flooded with disbelieving tears, her hands covering her mouth…
He had done it. Sokka had finally done it.
Never before had she truly appreciated the wild crowd, the passion of his supporters, until now: the loudness of their cheers, of his fanclub's instruments, appeared the perfect echo to the storm of emotions rushing through her heart right now. He had done it… the incredible, extraordinary warrior that he was. After so many years, he had overcome that impossible hurdle Toph had always represented for them… and going by how he breathed more and more heavily with each passing moment, hyperventilating as he tried to process the magnitude of his actions, it was clear he was just as shocked as she was, if not more so…
For he had never truly believed in himself, not to this extent. He had never thought his strength would suffice: she had told him he had more than strength to his name, and he had seemed reluctant to believe her. He had spent so long chasing after shadows, attempting to rise above his station, to break every limit known to men like him… unaware that he had long broken them, soaring towards stars that had never been closer to his reach than they were now.
In his frantic panic, he glanced at the balcony: she had once asked him not to interact with her while he was in the fighting pit, embarrassed by his antics… but this time, instead of dissuading him from attempting to communicate at such a distance, Azula rose to her feet… allowing him to see her better. Allowing their eyes to meet, even if he remained in the sand, while she was so far above him… turtle and hawk, as it ever had been, and yet today, Azula couldn't help but think he had learned to fly on his own, just as he had always dreamt to.
Perhaps her smile could convey as much, once she lowered her hands. The pride, the genuine appreciation for the immensity of his latest deed… they were so plain across her face she was sure the entire Arena could see it.
Even then, Sokka remained frozen cold, staring at her as though he couldn't process the truth yet. As though she were the only beacon that could guide him home after a wild storm… and she did as much by nodding once, her neck's lingering pain be damned. By letting him know with her gesture that this was no dream… for he had fulfilled it already. This was no trick, no strange joke he couldn't seem to unravel… and also conveying she couldn't have been prouder of him than she was today. Her whole heart soared, and even if she didn't dare test it, she was certain she could conjure the most powerful gold fire if she tried…
That nod, though, appeared to finish shattering through Sokka's disbelief. Again, he staggered… and yet this time he smiled too, as he slowly removed his helmet gazing at the world around him more clearly than before. The whole world came into focus, as did the cheers, the screams, the music, even the words spoken by the megaphone man:
"It has taken him over four years, no less, but yet again, the Blue Wolf has made history! What a fight, what a mastery of his weapons! Any foe who tries to stand up to the Princess's champion will be felled! None can withstand his might! This is a victory to be sung about for ages to come!"
Sokka breathed slowly, his head light, his heart racing still. The reality of the matter was only starting to sink in… and with it came the awareness of his opponent's considerably bad shape, too. She would need more than just a week to recover from these injuries…
"Toph…! Toph, I…!" Sokka exclaimed, dropping to his knees before the Blind Bandit.
Staff members were already rushing into the sand… but she startled everyone, even the raging, wild crowd by pushing herself up with her healthy hand. Sokka swallowed hard, watching as she dragged herself up to a sitting position, letting her weight rest on her uninjured leg.
"Toph…?" Sokka swallowed hard, as she raised her palm towards him in a gesture to slow him down, or stop him outright.
"You… you did it, huh, Dog?" she said, and it seemed a hint of a smile hid underneath her wild bangs "You sure got nasty over the years, eh…? Now you sure would be worth killing… but I don't think I can do it anymore, can I? You're… you're too strong, damn you. I don't even know how you did it, but… you did"
"I… I mean, well, it did take me forever, and I couldn't have won if I hadn't gone as far as I did, so…" Sokka said, swallowing hard… and then Toph laughed, throwing her head back, letting the whole Arena see her bright smile.
"The hell are you trying to do, excuse yourself, dumbass?" she smiled "You won, you asshole. Don't be all wimpy about it now, eh? Go. Celebrate like you should, damn you, or I'll kick your ass for it. If you worked this damn hard to come this far… you'd better make the most of it"
"Toph…" Sokka laughed too, tears blinking in his eyes.
"Uh, Blind Bandit, miss…?" said one of the staff members, who had finally reached her "We've brought a stretcher, we can hoist you onto it…"
"Look at that… a stretcher, even. How pathetic" Toph laughed again "Make the most of this, Sokka. You're not getting another chance to beat me after today"
"We'll see about that" Sokka smiled "Though… if it makes you feel any better, you will always be the biggest pain in the ass I ever faced in this business"
"Likewise" Toph smirked, as the staff members lowered the stretcher towards her.
Before she could push herself onto it, however, she sensed Sokka stretching his hand towards her. For a moment she thought he meant to help her… a completely cringeworthy notion, no matter if they were friends. And yet… that wasn't his intent. One hand wouldn't be enough to help hoist her onto the damn thing, so…
"What're you…?" she asked, puzzled. Sokka chuckled.
"It's… probably something stupid for you? But… it's a greeting of respect in my Tribe" he said "For the best gladiator I've ever fought"
Toph huffed… but a slow smile spread over her face as she raised her hand and clasped his forearm. He did the same, with a firm grip…
And now it seemed as though the Arena would collapse under the cheers of the crowd: the whole Capital would have to be hearing this, Sokka reasoned between laughs, for it was overwhelming. His hearing would definitely be terribly fatigued after today, but that was something to worry about later: right now, he merely focused on offering respect to his most formidable opponent in that ranking. While Combustion Man had always been the ultimate goal, defeating Toph had slowly risen into becoming one of his utmost priorities in the League. All those years of chasing after her and Iroh, of arranging strategies with Azula to overcome them, or at least reach their level… all of it had paid off at last. And his heart couldn't seem to withstand the onslaught of rushing pride as he finally accepted his victory.
The Blind Bandit and the Blue Wolf's fans had always held a constant rivalry with each other, just as their favorite gladiators did: today, they screamed together, regardless of who had won and who had lost. Today, the Blue Wolf's fans rejoiced, for the Blind Bandit had accepted their hero's victory with a smile, and the Blind Bandit's fans were moved by the rival gladiator's respectful gesture towards their admired champion. For one rare day, it wasn't violence and bloodlust that reigned supreme in the Gladiator League: it was respect and honor, values none would have expected to see embodied in gladiators… and yet on a day like this, it seemed anything was possible.
The joy in the Arena would appear unanimous… but it wasn't. Azula would have gladly continued to watch over her gladiator with a blissful smile on her face, but movement at her left startled her: with a sudden twirl, and a prominent scowl, Iroh had turned to toss the bag with the fight's money on the chair Azula had vacated. He didn't speak, didn't congratulate her bitterly, didn't play the feeble, kind-hearted, careless uncle who laughed off her greatest achievements. And just as it happened whenever Azula caught any glimpses of Iroh's true self, an unsettling shiver rushed up her spine as she watched him storming out of the balcony.
Whatever he was angry about, it made no matter, Azula knew: Sokka had won fair and square, even Toph had acknowledged as much. There was no protesting these results, no chance to fight back anymore. One day, Azula supposed, they'd fight anew… but for now, for once, the victory had belonged to Sokka. And even letting herself think those words brought back her smile as she cast another glance at the Arena.
There he stood, in the sand, sheathing his weapons while still laughing in disbelief: Toph was already being carried away on her stretcher for the second time in her life, and even though she had been so chaotic and desperate through the fight, it looked like she had found peace, to a fault, at this point.
Even so, Azula's attention was on her gladiator, who was still at the receiving end of countless applause and cheering. He glanced around the crowd, no doubt never having felt as triumphant in a gladiator fight as he did today…
But his eyes only settled on one person: his smile was just as earnest as hers, if not more so, when he gazed upon her once more. Azula's shoulders shook with light laughter: to think the first time he had fought in this very ring she had been so cross, so outraged by his shameful behavior against the Red-Striped Hornet… and today, over four years down the line, everything was completely different. Today, Sokka was the undisputed strongest non-bender in the League… and he had defeated their greatest rival and challenge. Today, he gazed at her with warm, heartfelt eyes rather than with uncertainty and doubt. Everything had changed… and Azula couldn't have been prouder of who they were now.
She would have been pleased, amused, with another thumbs-up, his trademark gesture… but Sokka was never predictable, and she knew that too. Instead of greeting the crowd, of rejoicing with them, Sokka gazed only at her before dropping his helmet… and he raised his wounded hand, and pressing his fist to his palm.
Azula's amazement only increased as he leaned his torso forward: her damn heart, already aflame with blissful pride and love for him, as good as hurt when he, the most unruly man in the world, performed a deep, respectful, genuine reverence towards her. A reverence the crowd appeared to find absolutely delightful, going by their loud screams and applause.
Perhaps she should have been worrying about what the commonfolk would think, now that Sokka was bowing towards her in such a heartfelt gesture. Perhaps she should have panicked, suspecting everyone would unravel the nature of their relationship now…
Instead, she only laughed warmly, perhaps too warmly, at the man who offered her the greatest respect he could muster after a remarkable battle that they had taken so long to win. He wouldn't take credit for it alone: his reverence spoke for itself. If only she could jump off that balcony now and kiss him, Azula certainly would. The impulse, no doubt, surged inside her… but she couldn't act on it. Later, without a doubt, later…
For now, she only raised her hand towards him, in a gesture far more meaningful than any she should have dared make. The crowd's screams alerted him that something had happened… so he broke his reverence to find that pure, beautiful smile on his secret wife's face.
He couldn't contain a grin, a laugh of his own, before he answered by following her example and raising his hand in her direction. Yes, it was bold… perhaps outright careless, for they should never be so obvious in front of others, let alone in front of such a large crowd…
But the acclaim only continued, as though even if they saw through them, the people saw no harm in the intimacy and closeness between the ever-celebrated gladiator and sponsor. It might be a wishful hope, they both knew as much… but one day, perhaps, it would become a reality. For now, they basked in their achievements, in the strength they had nurtured together, and the heights they had reached, ever inspired by one another.
The city would be abuzz with the news of what had transpired in the Grand Royal Dome very soon. Surely, word would spread far outside the city too, reaching every crevice of the Gladiator League across the world… but the Princess and her gladiator could only cherish this moment, knowing they would look back on it one day, proud of what they had accomplished, of their greatest triumph so far, deeply hoping that this was but a herald of the heights their partnership might raise them to in the future…
Toph had to admit she was rather fortunate that the thick crowds that witnessed her second loss were, indeed, as thick as they were. Otherwise, Iroh would have caught up with her at the stand-by room, and she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with his frantic, furious attitude just when she was accepting her new reality as best she could. Even now, as the staff's physicians struggled to help her, Iroh fumed, pacing back and forth.
"Your leg… is it serious?" he asked.
"Don't think it's that bad… I can move it anyway" Toph said "Just annoying… but I'll be okay"
"Well… she will need stitches" said one of the physicians, eyeing Iroh warily.
"Sounds like a hoot" Toph smirked "Meh, get on with it. Can't be that bad, right?"
"Toph…" Iroh huffed, stepping closer to his gladiator. The earthbender rolled her eyes at his tone.
"What? You're worried my leg's going to look gross with stitches? Well, that's too bad, because I can't even see it, so it won't look like anything to me…"
"I'm worried about you, Toph. Not about what you'll look like or… or anything so frivolous" Iroh growled, kneeling beside her. Toph smiled and sighed "I… I shouldn't have let you do this. I shouldn't have…"
"Why not?" Toph asked "You set up these challenges… you wanted us to find out who was stronger. Turns out… it's not me. He'll… he'll go against Combustion Man next. And maybe he'll beat him, you know? If he does… then he'll be the one to beat next. And damn, I'm going to do my best to tear him down if it comes to that. I'll train, and work hard, and one day…"
"It's not… it's not fair" Iroh said, shaking his hung head as a child in denial might. Toph scoffed "You've worked harder than ever, your bending is sharp and clear…"
"And even that wasn't enough to get him" Toph finished "Which… is kind of cool. I… I didn't think I wanted him beating me, you know? But maybe… maybe it really is a good thing. It should make things more interesting going forward, eh? How long can he keep a streak of having beaten me, huh…?"
She wasn't focusing on the past, or the present, but the future. Perhaps there was a wisdom in that… but for Iroh, it was a tragic sort of wisdom, at best. She looked so peaceful, just as she had after Combustion Man had defeated her… but she had to have conflicted feelings. She had to be frustrated to lose against Sokka… because Iroh certainly was frustrated about losing against Azula. Just the thought felt like tasting bile: she had no right to win, to conquer everything as she pleased, to never know how to stop… even if things weren't intentionally made easier for her, she'd still find victory eventually. Her persistence with the Superior Gladiator League was but another manner of acquiring power… of crushing all resistance that might ever rise against her. Even witnessing the way her gladiator attacked and hurt someone who considered Azula her best friend hadn't fazed her… she had even smiled upon her victory.
Everyone was but a steppingstone for her: her gladiator, her friends, but most of all, her family and her people. She was, without a doubt, every single bit the monster he had always feared she would grow up to be, the spitting image of her mother while her very soul was as rotten, if not more so, as her father's own…
"C'mon, Iroh…" Toph's voice broke through his bitter ruminations. Iroh raised his gaze towards her, remorse plain across his face "Don't be so miserable. I'll be okay…"
"I know you will be, I do, but… seeing you like this isn't easy" Iroh said. Toph scoffed, with a playful grin.
"Can't say I know the feeling… never seen anyone like this, myself" she said. Iroh laughed, shaking his head "Just… calm down, Iroh. It's over, alright? It's… it's done. We'll get another chance to fight back one day, but… it's done now"
"You are much wiser than I, in many regards" Iroh sighed, lowering his gaze.
Yes, she was right. It was over, and there was no chance to retaliate anymore. No chance to fight back and contest the result of the fight. All they could do was accept it as a reality… and go home, once they had a chance to.
But that chance wouldn't present itself for another hour, at best: Toph's fans would likely want to see her again, and Iroh was just as unwilling to accept it this time as he had been the previous week. Aside from that, the noise behind the door made it clear the building remained impossibly, unhealthily crowded, even now… perhaps it would only be safe for Toph to be helped to a carriage and brought to the Palace after all this pandemonium of Blue Wolf and Blind Bandit fans had headed home.
It took several staff members to open the way through the wild crowds so the Blue Wolf could climb up to the vestibule, and then to the upper floors for his medical check. Everyone wanted to reach for him, to offer him congratulations, to let him know they had supported him since the very beginning… though Sokka appeared to be too overwhelmed by the situation still to truly appreciate all their compliments and cheers. He smiled as he followed the staff members, laughing to himself, mostly ignoring everyone around him… for paying attention to a single one of his admirers would eventually mean paying attention to all of them. But not now… not yet. Later, after he'd seen the one person that mattered. The one who had started it all, the one who had brought him this far, the one his racing heart was beating for…
He was brought to a waiting room two doors down from Toph's: once he was safe and sound inside the room, the staff members who helped him there took to forcing the wild supporters of either gladiator to stay in the vestibule or the stands – naturally, with how large the crowd had been, and how many people had been left without seats to watch the fight, it would take a long time for the building to be vacated that day.
Sokka knew, of course, that Azula wasn't bound to be within the room once he reached it, she never was… but he couldn't help his heart's desperation. He needed to see her again, to talk to her, to embrace her while they both attempted to accept and process what they'd done today… oh, he needed her, right away, far more than he needed the ointments and bandages the physicians were ready to relieve his few wounds with. He had to take off his armor, as well as his shirt, for them to treat the bruises at his ribcage…
And yet he didn't feel any of those injuries. Such was the mad exhilaration he experienced that he couldn't feel the pain. He stood up as they helped him with his bruises, sat down as they bandaged his arm, obeyed every order and nodded at their recommendations… and all the while he continued to smile, even if he couldn't seem to bring himself to say a single word. For the first person he wanted to talk to, now that he was out of the ring, was her… and she wasn't here yet. But the longer she delayed, the more he suspected her genuine reasons not to barge into the room…
He bit his lip in nervous anticipation as the physicians opened the door: they closed it behind themselves, and his anxiety only surged further. How long would she wait? Until it was safe? He wasn't sure it ever would be, truth be told…
The doorknob turned, and he leapt to his feet by sheer instinct, even before seeing who was behind it.
Yet the smile on her face only strengthened his own, as laughter tumbled from his lips. Azula imitated him, whether intentionally or not, laughing as she slammed the door closed a little more violently than she should have… before sprinting towards Sokka, who ran towards her all the same.
Nothing should beat this feeling of having reached the pinnacle of a really tall mountain, of having overcome everything that stood between them and the success they had chased together. And yet something, inevitably, did: Azula leapt into his arms, embracing him so tightly he couldn't help but think her strength had returned for good, even if he knew it hadn't yet. He hugged her the same way, the two of them spinning in circles within the waiting room as they laughed with abandon, knowing themselves free of the long shadow that they had attempted to outgrow for so many years…
"Y-you did it! You did it, Sokka, you did it!" Azula nearly shrieked of excitement, her trembling hands gripping his body with all the force they could muster. Sokka laughed, covering her cheek in relentless kisses.
"We did it, love! It was you and I, Azula… it was the two of us!" he responded, laughing still as he finally stopped spinning in place…
Azula let him lower her, only so her hands would be free to capture his face between them to press the most powerful, reckless kiss she dared offer him. Sokka was breathless even when it began, and yet he didn't pull away: he held her tightly, hands touching her lithe body as though he couldn't believe she was truly here, despite she always was. As though he could barely accept their new reality… for he truly hadn't, not yet. Did this mean he was the second-best gladiator in the League? If he defeated Combustion Man, though…
Could their first promise, Azula's long-term goal, finally be within reach? Were they truly that close to making it a reality?
In a moment like this one, trading relentless, winded kisses with the love of his life, feeling her warm breath, her mischievous tongue, her full lips against his own, it felt like nothing was impossible. All the fears, all his uncertainties, all his doubts about his own capacity and abilities… all of it had been chased away by the woman in his arms, who had encouraged him, strengthened him, even given him wings when he had believed he was never fated to fly.
"You're… you're amazing…" Azula gasped, laughing between quick kisses again, once the lengthy, deep exchange ended "You're the greatest… the greatest gladiator there ever was, you're just…!"
"It's because I have you, Azula, it's all because of you…" Sokka laughed too: tears burned in his eyes, and he could tell hers bore similar ones as well.
"No, don't you dare…!" Azula shook her head, though Sokka dove in for another kiss, attempting to stop her from deflecting the credit he had given her "You're… oh, Sokka…"
"We did it, Azula… we did it" he said, finally giving her respite, his brow against hers.
Her golden eyes shone so brightly surely even the sun would pale beside her right now. And as ever, they went at everything evenly: their happiness fed off each other's own, and for a long, blissful moment, they could only gaze at each other in amazement, in nearly reverent silence combined with childish glee.
"Now do you see what I saw?" Azula laughed, caressing his cheekbones "What I always knew you could be…"
"You… you're damn incredible, because I never… hell, I don't think I even realized what I was doing until it was done!" Sokka exclaimed, laughing harder yet as he embraced her tightly, pressing his face to her uninjured shoulder. Azula's hands now rubbed his back, as her own shoulders shook with laughter "Azula, you… oh, you're the greatest damn visionary, the most amazing partner, the very best wife…"
"And you're the strongest warrior, the most delightful lover and the grandest husband…" Azula retorted teasingly, though the mischief in her voice was completely enveloped with warm glee "How could we not come as far as we have, truly? You and I, together…"
"We could conquer the world if we tried?" Sokka laughed, pressing his brow to hers again. Azula nearly fell over with laughter now, closing her eyes as his hands found hers "Because, love… I feel like we already did"
Azula's slight embarrassment at his initial question faded immediately when he answered it as he did. Her disbelieving smile couldn't have enticed him any more than it did: he embraced her again, catching that smile with his own, joining her again in one more passionate, wild, heartfelt kiss.
Long ago, some time after Sokka's first fight with Toph, a waiting room just like this one had seen them committing their first transgression, boldly daring to kiss when they had believed they could never be together: years later, they had proven their younger selves wrong on every level that mattered. Their hearts beat as one, their arms held each other upright and closely, their lips, ever connected, bridged their very souls together, merging into one just as their energies answered one another perfectly…
The whole world appeared different today, changed by the love they professed one another, by the virtue of their extraordinary partnership. Though perhaps it wasn't only because of how they had changed the world… but due to how they had learned to see it through each other's eyes.
The passion that had guided them in the past had only increased over time: the devotion they owed each other couldn't stand more stalwart, or shine more brightly than it did that day, and when two lovers were so overwhelmed by the depths of their affection, by the overpowering strength of their feelings for one another, it was only natural that hands would begin to caress with bolder intent, for all the overflowing emotions needed to be translated, unleashed, otherwise they might consume them completely…
Her hands trailed over that bare chest, while his own slid lower than her armor, cupping her rear, squeezing it gently. There was but one way to exteriorize their feelings, and even one round wouldn't suffice, they knew as much… though it would help, to be sure. Yet…
"You… sure about this…?" Sokka asked: Azula's hands tugged at the sash he had kept fastened over his trousers. She kissed him willfully again, undoing the fastening, allowing Sokka's clothes to drop to his calves, kept in place by his boots.
"Mostly…" she whispered "Just… we should lock the door? Though, if someone has a key…"
"Maybe we should block it somehow…?" Sokka asked, his voice coated with desperation. Azula laughed and shrugged.
"Maybe… push a couch to the door? So, if anyone tries to get in, we'll notice…" she suggested.
Sokka smirked proudly, nodding in approval before pressing his lips to hers one more time. Such a measure should suffice, he expected… though with the staff members working so hard to ensure the fans wouldn't pour into the corridor, he couldn't help but think they were safer than ever now. Who could possibly interfere, in these conditions?
He left Azula for just one moment, walking to the nearest couch and raising it with ease, no matter how heavy it might be, or how injured he was. Such was his drive, his excitement, his bliss for what they had achieved that day, that he couldn't care less about the wound over his arm. Once the long piece of furniture was safely lodged before the door, ensuring to block the way of anyone who attempted to enter the room, he returned to his lover, his secret wife…
His left hand clasped the back of her head, his right wrapped around her waist: his kiss was now so powerful and potent he could have knocked her down with its momentum if he hadn't held her as he did. Even so, Azula betrayed no fear of losing her footing: her arms wrapped around his neck, and she even dared jump, embracing his waist with her legs as Sokka walked them to the opposite end of the room.
If the situation were any different, he would have removed all her clothes gladly as they gave themselves to each other. As it was, he could only do away with her armor, carefully unclasping it and removing it from her body with one hand, while the other ensured she'd stay locked around him.
Relief flooded her face when that weight was gone: the longer she went without wearing her armor, the freer she felt. Perhaps it reminded her of the careless, blissful life they had led in Shu Jing… it reminded Sokka of that sometimes, too. All the eagerness to join together as one, to give themselves to one another completely… it seemed ten times as powerful today as it ever had been.
He only set her down briefly, though he continued to walk towards the wall with her until her back pressed against it: all the clothes of her lower body had been discarded by then, tossed aside by both his and her efforts. And as awkward as it was for Sokka to walk this way, with his clothes pooled at his calves, he disregarded all discomfort with the same ease with which he had disregarded all concerns once he had pressed that couch to the door.
With one more powerful kiss, and after once again raising her to his level, encouraging her to hug him with both arms and legs, Sokka pressed her into the wall in full… and thrusted his ready, hardened shaft through her wet folds.
The noise hadn't dwindled at all. Toph was resting now, choosing to take a nap until the way was clear for them to leave – as bad as many of her injuries had been, and as many bandages as she now sported over her body, her wounds weren't so severe as to require intensive attention immediately. Iroh, however, only sat on one of the couches, watching his gladiator sleep… and fuming, even now, about the developments. About what all this meant to his long-standing attempts to frustrate Azula's rise to power. If she carried on at this rate, there was no doubt she would power her way to becoming Fire Lord… and with each moment he pondered everything he had learned from her, each time he thought back to their conversation in Crescent Island, he grew further convinced that the only way to save their world was to ensure she never obtained that throne at all.
But cutting off her recognition through Toph was no longer a good idea. The whole nation appeared to revere the Princess, unsurprisingly… she had played her cards right for a very long time, staging an impossibly long game to earn their admiration and loyalty. Even her father's council appeared to respect her, speaking to her with the same tone with which they would address each other. They even looked to her as a leader… she had succeeded at everything. He had been utterly powerless to stop her.
So what now? Without Zuko nearby, with Azula proving to be unstoppable even when she was still allegedly recovering from that strange chi-poisoning… what plan was there left for him to follow? It appeared as though there was no way out… as though all their efforts to straighten out the world would be in vain. Was there truly no hope at all? Had all of Roku's prophecies been correct in saying there would be no salvation for their world after Sozin's Comet's second passing…?
Had they truly taken such a wrong approach to setting the world on a better course? Or was the Fire Nation simply utterly unstoppable, regardless of whatever anyone did? He didn't want to believe that… but every shred of hope he'd ever held onto seemed to wither now. Today, it was more than just one loss against Toph: today, Iroh's own ambitions, his goals to amend what his forefathers had broken, appeared to have taken a lethal blow. He had been dejected, defeated, many times in the past… but now, it seemed as though it was all for nothing. As though there was no stopping Azula indeed…
The lingering noise outside only worsened his mood: so much revelry and celebration for what? For the daughter of a murderer, who surely would follow in his footsteps in no time, killing her own father for power. Ozai certainly had lowered his guard plenty around his daughter, more than he ever should have, in Iroh's opinion. The fool trusted her with his very life… and he'd pay for that trust, direly. Those people outside trusted her the same way, not knowing they were praising and celebrating someone who only saw them as disposable pieces on her Pai Sho board. How had she expertly manipulated so many to her favor? How had she come this far, earning herself far more allies than enemies? Anywhere he went, she would be praised to no end for her grand achievements and alleged devotion to her nation… but she was only devoted to herself. Even someone like Toph, who had called herself her friend, hadn't earned even the slightest courtesy from the damn Princess… for, if Azula wanted to do right by Toph, she would have left the Dome by now. She would have, and all that celebration and revelry would either disappear or decrease enough so that Toph might be able to go home already. But she just wanted to continue rubbing their failure in their faces, didn't she?
How long had they been waiting already? Iroh snarled: it had to be at least thirty minutes since the fight ended, more than enough time for Sokka's wounds to be patched up. What sort of excuse could they possibly have to delay their departure for this long?
It had been several months since his blood had boiled this much over anything… though even then, the source of his rage tended to be his niece. First by getting rid of Zuko as she had, then by taking over as Toph's sponsor when he had intended to find his nephew, then by proving herself just as monstruous as he had ever believed she was, in the Summit… and now, yet again, over the final straw she had dared exploit to her benefit, and to ridicule him and Toph as much as she dared.
He pushed himself up, making his way to the door. With one last glance at the slumbering Toph, he stepped out into the corridor and glanced down, towards the vestibule: the pandemonium was so wild there were very little chances anyone would be able to cross that tight sea of wild supporters who wanted to catch sight of their heroes. It looked even worse now than it had when he had come downstairs to check on Toph…
"Azula…" Iroh hissed, closing the door behind himself and stepping towards the next room.
He knocked on it to no answer: he snarled, trying to force it open, but he found it locked. One glance through the keyhole revealed nothing but darkness in this room: the curtains were closed, and no lanterns were lit. Not here, then? Had they taken another room, or escaped shamelessly on the dragon through the roof, perhaps? No, that wasn't likely, the people would've heard about it and raced out of the building already, hoping to give them chase, or just catch one last glimpse of them… and it wasn't like Azula to skip out on relishing in the people's acclaim, was it? Of course not. They were still here, without a doubt, costing Toph valuable time to rest and recover, no less…
The next door, then. He approached it, finding the noise was slightly less bothersome here than in the room he had been at with Toph. He raised his hand to the doorknob… but a sound caused him to slow down, mere inches away from the pommel. A female voice… he could have mistaken it for someone within that large crowd, but he was sure he had heard it from inside this room instead.
He frowned, waiting to hear it again. It didn't happen.
He lowered his hand, though, uneasy. A sudden shudder rushed through his body: he hadn't imagined that. He knew he hadn't. So…
So he knelt before the door. And once again, he dared glance through the keyhole.
It was hard to tell if there was anything but darkness in the room, yet again. But there were dimly lit lanterns here, as opposed to the other room…
And that dim light was enough for Iroh to identify movement inside that chamber.
He couldn't tell what it was at first, not fully. The shroud of darkness and shadows was still so prominent that anyone else might have ignored what lay within the waiting room, but not Iroh…
For soon enough, his eye grew accustomed to that shape. It identified it… as a male body, fully bare, from the looks of it. Pale legs… wrapped around that waist. Arms, around those shoulders. The skin tone between them was vastly different, noticeably so, even under the room's poor lighting, and within the trappings of Iroh's very limited field of view…
The man lowered his head: he thrusted powerfully, noticeably, again and again, while presumably biting his lover's neck… and by doing so, he had left her face fully exposed for Iroh to see.
His jaw dropped.
He stepped away out of instinct, so shaken by the sight his whole body trembled… but then he stepped closer again, his heart boiling with a wild mix of astonishment, disbelief and rage.
Another glance… and she had forced her lover to raise and turn his head towards her. And as much as his typical hairdo was undone, and his dark hair fell down to his shoulders, there was no doubt to be had about the identity of the man passionately kissing the woman he kept trapped against the wall, no doubt by her own volition, for that face of ecstasy spoke for itself…
He genuinely tasted bile as he watched the pair continuing their relentless tryst without a care in the world: he knew he should pull away, step aside, stop witnessing such an outrageous transgression… but he couldn't do it. His fury only surged further as the reality of their crime sank in…
The reality of a most unforgivable crime a Princess and her gladiator had been hiding from the world, who knew for how long.
He had to brace himself, a hand against the frame of the closed door, as he breathed heavily… again, one of her moans appeared to escape her control. They were trying to be quiet, to be stealthy, but failing utterly, weren't they?
Oh, but she was bold and shameless. She was utterly amoral beyond belief. How had she ever thought this was a good idea? How had she ever decided to go forward with such a foolish, doomed enterprise…? Was she truly this arrogant, this drunk on her own power and so-called greatness, that she truly thought she could get away with this affair?
It was exactly what he had accused her of, in Crescent Island. It was what she had denied, categorically, with the certainty of a woman who thought nothing of the man currently pinning her to a wall and plowing into her recklessly. She was, then, a hedonist, as he had suspected she might be… this was but a game to her, a game only she could win. So spoiled, so pampered, so used to getting her way…
Not anymore. Never again.
Iroh dared venture one more glance, finding her clawing at her lover's back, biting onto his shoulder. He didn't stop his motions, no matter what she did. He had attained victory against a foe who should have been undefeatable… and now he serviced his sponsor, no doubt, on her terms.
Toph had been thoughtful, considerate, trying to make things easier for the Princess by switching the order of the fights and going against Combustion Man instead of the Blue Wolf. The Princess, however, was able to witness the first fight, regardless of Toph's efforts. Her damn injuries, her chi-poisoning… how could she claim to be crippled by them at all, when she dared indulge in trysts as violent as this one?
Everything about her was deceit, manipulation and lies.
She was unworthy of her triumphs, of her acclaim, of the reverent respect she had commanded from so many: she was unworthy of the five-pronged crown of the Fire Lord.
Iroh stepped away from the door. His sandals' footsteps went unheard, both by the passionate lovers and the slumbering earthbender he left behind in their waiting room: he had but one goal now, one final way to put an end to the ultimate downfall of harmony, to the Fire Nation's certain destruction of everything left of value in their war-torn world, and he intended to cross that massive crowd by any means necessary to achieve it.
Some staff members intended to help him, but Iroh disregarded their words, relying on nothing but his furious glare and his relentless pushing of anyone who dared stand in his way as he made for the Dome's large, twin doors…
It had been a long time since their last wild, reckless tryst of such an impulsive nature, yet the adrenaline that coursed through their systems wouldn't allow for anything less. Nothing could suffice yet, not all the wild thrusting, not all the relentless kisses, not the pleasure turned physical as it poured through them, and into each other, with the force of a hurricane unleashed. They should've held back, controlled themselves… but they had failed to do so. Their hearts raced at unison as their bodies bucked together onwards, thrusting relentlessly, their breaths merging together through the constant contact between their lips.
It wasn't the most comfortable position for Azula's wounded shoulder, without a doubt, but she seemed as willing to disregard pain as Sokka was: he held her in place, the cut on his arm be damned, even if it seemed to be bleeding through the bandage all the same. Pain, occasionally, served to reel them back into reality… not today. Not when the overwhelming emotions were tearing through all their willpower, turning them into as good as thralls to their urges and desires, showing just how desperately they cherished and craved the other with every exchange of their engaged lips and sexes.
"Just… there… S-Sokka, I'm…!" Azula gasped, pressing her face to his cheek as the rising excitement finally appeared to crystalize inside her.
Sokka groaned in the most sensual of manners, drilling harder and faster inside her: it would be the most delightfully violent release, and Azula nearly screamed in bliss for it, but this time, Sokka managed to catch her lips with his own so her most honest sounds would pour into him instead of being released into the open. So driven by reckless lust, Sokka had disregarded caution a few times earlier, allowing Azula to moan when she shouldn't have… but this time he caught her on time, and her sounds couldn't have been more delightful as they vibrated through him, across his overheated, sweaty body that continued to merge with hers…
The recklessness of his thrusts as he reached his own climax thrilled Azula: tingles of delight surged inside her body as a second peak broke through her, for she couldn't possibly help herself. His passionate dedication, his devoted affection, all of it poured out with his seed, leaving him delightfully lightheaded, weakened, spent… and free. Free to love her, to fight for her, to be hers in every sense that counted.
He couldn't slow down his kisses, even when his hips stopped thrusting repeatedly. He swayed against her, and she moaned into him willfully, kissing him back with just as much passion as he kissed her. As ever… they would go at things evenly. They were matched in every way that counted. Every step they took, they took it together.
Even now, they panted at the same rhythm, foreheads together, lips parted at a minimal distance from each other… allowing them to laugh at the same time, as their eyes met again. Sokka kissed her with the brightest grin he could muster, and Azula held him intimately, returning the gesture with as much enthusiasm as he offered it.
"I love you… I love you so much…" Sokka gasped between kisses. Azula laughed, hugging him tightly.
He stumbled back awkwardly, making his way to a couch: he sat in place, carelessly, letting his body return to normal while Azula sat on his lap, straddling it just as she had so long ago, in a room much like this one, if not the very same room…
"You… said it once, didn't you…?" Azula pressed yet another smiling kiss to his neck. Sokka raised his eyebrows, curious and amused by whatever she found amusing too, despite not knowing what it was just yet "That these waiting rooms… were too well-furnished to be meant for just waiting"
"I… heh, I guess I did?" Sokka laughed, hugging her warmly, pressing kisses to her brow and cheeks "And I'm pretty sure you once said… they must've wanted gladiators and sponsors to get frisky after battles, eh?"
"I suspect what we just did… qualifies under that term?" Azula laughed too, pressing her face to his neck "Though… maybe we shouldn't have taken so long. I mean… if the vestibule is anything like how it was when you fought the Mad Alchemist, it means a lot of people will be pretty eager to congratulate you now, right?"
"Congratulate us, rather… but yeah, I guess so" Sokka smiled awkwardly "I should put on my clothes again… and my armor. And then… we'll go home?"
"Yeah. I'm not done with you yet" Azula said, with a sly smirk. Sokka snickered, cupping her face and kissing her willfully one more time.
He set her down on the couch, standing up to collect their clothes and her armor. It was a struggle to focus on anything but gazing at the blissful smile on his lover and wife's face, but Sokka did as much anyway, grinning while pulling up his trousers and cladding his torso with his usual shirt.
"I… scratched you a bit, huh?" Azula said, biting her lip.
"And you bit me, too" Sokka said, smirking. Azula groaned, covering her face with her hands as she laughed guiltily "Don't be embarrassed now, I enjoyed it more than I should have. If you're already scratching and biting… it also means you're reclaiming further strength, right?"
"I guess… that's one way to look at it?" Azula reasoned, smiling awkwardly still as Sokka returned to her, pulling up her own trousers, underwear and boots.
He didn't ask if she wanted to do it herself, delicately sliding each garment over her legs. She had to raise herself slightly on her seat, so he could dress her adequately, and then waited as he fastened her boots in place, ever careful, flowing with unexpected grace through every action. Perhaps, just as she had started to take after him in some regards, he was taking after her in many others… such as calling Toph a Dirt Worm, as Azula recalled, with a weak grin.
"Just your armor now" Sokka said, smiling and kissing her nose "Beautiful Princess"
"Beautiful gladiator" she retorted. Sokka snorted as he rose to his feet, picking up her black armor as Azula glanced at his own, which he had to take off for his medical check earlier.
He finished readying the Princess, buckling the black armor carefully, offering her many kisses as he did, before moving to put on his own armor. She rose to her feet by then, helping him fasten it over his body, sneaking as many caresses as she dared to his toned abs.
"Are you ready to go face your hordes of fans?" Azula asked, smiling as she embraced him from behind. Sokka grinned, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"Our, I said. You keep giving me sole credit for everything, that's beyond wrong…" he said, turning in her arms as she laughed.
"Fine, then, fine. Our fans, our victory, our great achievement. If it's what you want to hear" Azula said, cupping his face gently… to realize she had, as ever, left him covered in lipstick marks "Oh, hell… give me a second"
She was laughing again as she dabbed a nearby towel with water, cleaning his face as best she could… not expecting Sokka to take the towel and return the favor by wiping off the remnants of her lipstick upon her own lips – albeit there wasn't much left.
And then he kissed her, willfully, recklessly, taking advantage of her unpainted lips to do as much without any consequences for now. It was the last kiss they would share before stepping out of here… and so, understanding his intentions fully, Azula returned the kiss just as devotedly, pressing her body against his, letting their armors clash where their chests had earlier.
"We did it" she finally spoke against his lips. Sokka grinned and nodded, and she laughed as she pressed her brow to his "There truly is no better gladiator…"
"And no better sponsor" Sokka grinned.
"We just keep proving it over and over, don't we?" Azula said, caressing his cheek "Ah… but if we keep this up we'll start all over again. So…"
"I'll fix your hair, you fix your makeup" Sokka laughed. Azula grinned and nodded, turning in his arms to follow fit with his words.
That she couldn't kiss him anymore with her newly painted lips didn't mean he couldn't press his own kisses to her cheeks once he finished assembling the perfect half-knot, setting the hairpiece in place. Once ready, they exchanged one more smile, holding hands as they ever did, until they reached the door…
Which Sokka had to clear, by dragging the obstructing couch back to the spot it had been on earlier. Azula laughed for it, watching him with a heartfelt grin as he smiled back at her. He rose again after he had fixed the furniture, and as much as he had a gentle smile on his face, the tall, strong, armored and fully weaponized man before her was nothing short of the ideal gladiator in that very moment. Was it her loins were singing his praises as they pleased? Perhaps… but Azula's heart ached warmly as she watched him. Going by how tender his own smile was, and how he raised his hand to caress her face, his own heart wasn't doing any better.
"Ready yet?" Azula asked. Sokka released a breath but shrugged as he unlocked the door.
"To go home, sure. To deal with all those people… eh, doubtful" Sokka chuckled "But… let's do it. Can't be that scary, can it?"
"Guess not" Azula smiled, taking his hand in hers, squeezing his fingers gently…
Together, they clasped the doorknob and turned it, their hands still linked until then. They separated them after that, still exchanging one last, secretive smile, before they stepped out into the corridor…
The effect of their sudden reappearance in public was gradual, but no less apparent for it: as soon as the first people caught sight of them, by the stairs, their frantic screaming resulted in a chain reaction. Before long, the whole building was nothing but noise, and Azula and Sokka grimaced as they stared ahead at what they'd be facing next.
"Well… don't worry" Sokka said, patting her back "I'll go first, make way for you, the staff members probably will help too…"
"Let's hope…" Azula smiled "We've definitely riled them up far more than we ever should have, haven't we?"
"Your people just love you this much, you see…" Sokka smirked. Azula scoffed, shaking her head lightly.
"This is for the both of us, silly. You've already established that" she smiled "Alright, then… it's better if we get it over with, right?"
"Let's go" Sokka smiled, stepping forward just as she did the same.
At first, they walked side by side: ever equals, ever as even a partnership as they could make it. Then, upon reaching the thick crowd, Sokka had to step forward: the wild supporters wouldn't cease to congratulate them, while the staff members helped hold them at bay, walking with the Princess and her gladiator to the stairs.
If any of their friends were among those countless, cheering supporters, neither Azula nor Sokka could tell. They didn't even have a chance to visit Shoji's counter, despite they knew the likelihood was he would have been in the crowd somewhere too, as he had intended to watch the fight directly. Yang was, surely, somewhere about as well, and perhaps more of their acquaintances would be there too… but they'd have to speak later. For now, they had to get out of the insanely packed Arena that rejoiced in their triumph and only furthered their own enthusiasm about their achievement.
It was a wholly different atmosphere than the strange sensation of defeat that had permeated at least half the fans during Toph's previous fight. This time, even the Blind Bandit's supporters were thanking and congratulating Sokka – though occasional ones would remind him not to lower his guard, for their hero would strike him down again once she could. Yet both musical squads had joined forces, it seemed, playing the Blue Wolf's song as he and his Princess finally reached the twin doors.
Xin Long struggled to find a landing site, though the street was slightly easier to clear up than the intensely packed vestibule of the Arena. Before long, enough people had scattered out of the way for the Princess and her gladiator to reach their dragon, climbing on his saddle as quickly as their respective injuries allowed, while the dark creature proved daunting enough to deter all their supporters from approaching him.
"Alright, let's…" Azula said, reaching for Xin Long's mane, but Sokka reached a hand to touch her arm.
"Wait" he said, and while she wasn't looking at him, she could tell he was smiling.
He reached for her wrist, grinning still before raising their joined hands in the air. The gesture was most confusing at first, even for the Princess… but he let go of her hand to tighten his own into a fist… raising only his thumb for everyone to see.
Azula laughed before following suit with his example: unlike that day, with the Mad Alchemist, they could do it together. They had achieved the unthinkable, and while they couldn't possibly greet all their supporters directly, this much was enough to convey their gratefulness for all their support. Going by the loudness of those cheers, they had conveyed it successfully: now people struggled to leave the Arena to congratulate them with thunderous applause, and all their cheering and rejoicing could be heard even as the dragon finally took to the skies, putting distance between his riders and the large crowds that adored them.
So much noise would, naturally, bother someone with normal senses: it was far worse for someone whose hearing was far sharper than that of most people. Toph groaned as she came to her senses, waiting impatiently for all the noise to die down… and to her relief, it diminished at last. She guessed they were gone now… good. Surely they'd want to celebrate their big victory alone, rather than amidst all those wild crowds…
As for Toph, she would gladly just go home and be done with it. Tomorrow would be a new day, and once she was fully healed she'd work harder to develop new skills and strategies to defeat both Combustion Man and Sokka. They were hers to defeat, just as she had been Sokka's target for a long time… and she wouldn't let them rise above her for long, not a chance.
Though… she set her uninjured leg down, carefully depositing her foot on the cold floor, to find she was completely alone in the waiting room. She couldn't feel Iroh's presence nearby… maybe he was somewhere within that large crowd, she didn't know, but he certainly wasn't in here, or just outside. Why, though…?
"Where…? Ugh, you'd better come back for me soon, old man" Toph sighed, dropping again on the couch and closing her eyes.
Tomorrow, yes, would be another day. She wanted it to be tomorrow already, quite badly. Sleeping off her loss was the best thing she could think to do… and unless the staff members checked the rooms and resolved to kick her out, she'd stay right here until Iroh finally came back… he surely was in the bathroom, someplace irrelevant, really. It was Iroh, after all… where else could he possibly be?
Song had known better than to get in the way of the two lovers once they arrived home, beaming far too brightly for the aftermath of a fight against Toph. Even so, she had helped Sokka with his arm's wound, cleaning it and replacing its bandages once they entered the house. She knew she'd likely need to do it again soon, considering how, even during the healing process, Sokka and Azula couldn't seem to stop smiling lovingly at each other, even indulging in occasional caresses despite they held back from kissing openly.
They shared the story of the fight with her, conveying just how thrilling their victory had been, how the crowds had rejoiced and rallied around them, regardless of whichever gladiator they supported. They certainly skipped the part of their exchange in the waiting room, but the poorly contained laughter they stifled as they reached that part of the story spoke for itself. The young woman shook her head reproachfully, despite she couldn't help but smile anyway: seeing her two friends in such heights of joy was rare, even when she thought she had seen them at their happiest across the last years.
It was no surprise that, once she was busy putting away her things, her roommate and his secret wife would rush upstairs in another spree of laughter. Accustomed to their antics, Song had slipped her earplugs into place, working on dinner as she ever did… only, she went overboard with her cooking for the second time that day: however inconsiderate the relentless lovemaking upstairs might be, it was too momentous a day to let it end without a grand meal. Seeing as Sokka and Azula would likely spend all their remaining energies upstairs anyway, surely they would appreciate this once they left their room…
Hours passed, as dusk settled, while the two passionate lovers finally gave themselves to each other to completion. They breathed heavily, lying side by side on Sokka's bed, trading no end of kisses as their legs remained intertwined: even after he had finished anew, Azula seemed most reluctant to let his manhood slip outside her.
"It's… getting late" Sokka whispered, prodding her nose with his.
"I know, but… I have a right to stay with you a little longer when you achieve the unthinkable, don't I?" Azula smiled, pressing her brow to his "I… thought I'd have dinner with you, too? It's probably the best way to explain why I've stayed out so late…"
"True" Sokka chuckled "Though… you do have to eat, if that's how it is. So…"
"So we have to get up… and get dressed" Azula finished. Sokka smiled and nodded "How depressing"
"I know" Sokka laughed, hugging her closely "How I wish I could just… stay in bed with you forever. Heck, I'm not even picky, doesn't have to be a bed…"
"Definitely doesn't" Azula smirked, kissing his neck "Ah, my love… I'll never be able to thank you for everything you've done, everything you've continued to do for me…"
"Shouldn't it be me saying those words?" Sokka smiled. Azula shook her head, raising her eyes to meet his.
"We were both lost, hopeless, when we first crossed paths, whether we knew it or not. The world… it wasn't going to change just because we willed it. But when we joined forces…"
"There was nothing the two of us couldn't do, as long as we were together" Sokka finished, smiling warmly "It's still true to this day, eh…?"
"We've just proven it, yes" Azula grinned, pressing her brow to his "When I'm at my weakest, you're at your strongest, inspiring my very soul to heal so that soon I may stand by your side as I ever did…"
"You can stand by my side no matter what, and I'll always stand by yours" Sokka said, softly, trailing his fingers over her face gently "You've changed my world… you've taken a broken man and taught him how to be whole again. Every day of my life… I'm grateful that our paths have brought us to each other"
"So am I" Azula smiled, tears surging in her eyes "So am I"
Good sense still won out in the end, convincing the Princess and her gladiator to rise from the bed and get ready for their inevitable farewell. For Azula's comfort, Sokka refrained from dressing her in her full armor for now, leaving that for later. She would be better off eating at leisure without heavy weights upon her shoulders, whether literal or metaphorical… despite it appeared, once they left the room hand in hand, that Azula had never been more liberated than she was now.
"Ah, you're done?" Song asked teasingly once they entered the kitchen. The guilty laughs of her friends spoke for themselves "Go on, now, go on: you had a crazy breakfast, you can have a crazy dinner too, right, Sokka?"
"You… are too damn good to us, Song" Sokka nearly sobbed at the new feast available at the table.
Azula laughed as he tugged her to sit beside him, and within mere moments, the two were eating ravenously, hungrier than they had realized they were. After finishing cooking the last desserts, Song took her seat with them and ate while laughing at their frequent praise of her culinary abilities. They were missing one member of their usual group, a fact that weighed especially on Song's heart… but Rui Shi would return tomorrow, for sure. He would have likely already heard of the fight's results, and he would intend to congratulate or tease Sokka over it, to be sure.
The large quantities of food had certainly decreased by over half when Song finally decided to put a stop to Sokka's persistent consumption of every single dish that caught his eye: she took to putting away the food while Sokka, satisfied in countless regards, walked with his secret wife to the backyard. Xin Long waited for them there, no matter if he was difficult to glimpse in the dark of the night.
"I… will try to drop by tomorrow?" Azula said: Sokka smiled before setting her armor on her shoulders carefully "Not that I can guarantee anything, but…"
"I'll welcome you gladly, if you do" Sokka grinned, buckling in the armor as he gazed at her lovingly "If you're too busy, I'll wait. But if you're not…"
"We should probably reprise what happened today in your room, anyway" Azula smiled "I know we're okay now, but reality will probably get to us again sooner than later…"
"I know" Sokka chuckled, pressing his brow to hers "But for now… I'd think we can relax for a few days before deciding on our next move, right? It's been a lot of work, and we both deserve some downtime after all the crazy things that have happened lately…"
"Definitely" Azula agreed, reaching up to kiss his lips softly "Then… I'll try to be here early. As early as I can get away with anyhow"
"I'll wait" Sokka smiled, gathering her in his arms, and startling her as he raised her from the ground.
Azula laughed quietly as he hoisted her on Xin Long's saddle delicately. Her feet slid into the stirrups, and Sokka stroked her waist and hips gently after he had set her down on the front seat.
"I love you. More than you could ever begin to imagine" Sokka whispered, kissing the side of her head "Thank you… for helping me become who I am now"
"Should be me saying that" Azula grinned, turning her head carefully to gaze at him, her right hand clasping his own: their wedding scars brushed together, and the two smiled warmly at each other for it "I owe you everything, feels like…"
"I owe you even more than everything…! If that makes any sense" he smiled awkwardly, prompting her to laugh as he pressed his brow to hers.
"I love you too, Sokka… so damn much" she sighed, diving in for an impulsive kiss he returned warmly, carelessly, holding her as closely as he could while she sat on her dragon's saddle.
It was a long, deep, heartfelt kiss, of the sorts that ever reminded them of the profound union of their souls. Xin Long would usually interrupt them when they took too long… but even he seemed to know, this time, that his riders' emotional state was a rather delicate one, even if for good reason, for a change.
He still rose to his full height once the kiss ended, leaving Azula to hold Sokka's hand while still offering him that genuine, loving smile she only ever had discovered with him. His own wasn't too different: he was sure he had never experienced this kind of happiness until he had experienced it with Azula.
"See you later, Sokka…" Azula said, teasingly. He chuckled and nodded.
"See you, Azula"
Words that had never failed them… words that had always warmed their hearts were spoken once again as their hands parted unwillingly for the day. The dragon's dark shape sped into the darkness of the night, vanishing from sight for the ever lovestruck gladiator, who closed his eyes and smiled to himself, reliving what had been his most memorable fight in the League so far. Reliving, more than anything, the feelings of blissful satisfaction he had indulged in with Azula ever since the fight had ended.
He turned at last, heading inside the house, mentally wishing Azula a safe flight… and a safe return to his arms, as soon as possible. He knew he wouldn't stop longing to be with her through the night, but the promise of a new day spent with his beloved wife was enough to ease his heart for now, and it would suffice once he laid down to rest that night. He hoped, if she was feeling just as desperate for his company as he was for hers, that she might find relief in the same notions, in the same promises that longed to go unbroken…
He had waited patiently. He had timed it to the best of his ability. Playing this off as a mere familial visit was far better than attempting to score a meeting with his brother in the middle of a workday.
Even so, it was only expected for Ozai to scowl prominently when Iroh stepped through his bedroom door, just as he sat before his dinner table. That Iroh appeared to be just as displeased as him did nothing to reassure Ozai, for all the Fire Lord could want was to toss his brother out of his room at once.
"You're not welcome to share my meal with me, Iroh" he said, curtly "Feel free to leave the way you came"
"I intend to share no meals with you, brother" Iroh said "I'm here to convey… alarming, urgent news"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ozai scoffed "Is this a confession of treason at last, brother? Or are you truly intending to pretend you've discovered some threat to the Fire Nation that somehow only you have been able to uncover?"
"I wouldn't know, Ozai, if I'm the only one who knows of it… but I can certainly testify that it is treason. And not my own"
Ozai frowned. His appetite was already dwindling because of his brother's presence… and those words did nothing to bring it back. He set down his chopsticks as he glared at Iroh questioningly.
"Not your own?" he repeated "Then who, pray tell, is this urgent traitor that you absolutely had to bring to my attention right now?"
Iroh took a deep breath before answering the Fire Lord's question.
A/N:
And… chapter over. So… yeah. That happened.
I expect a few of you picked up enough signs in the latest arcs that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later, those who follow me in any social media probably also noticed I was anxious and slightly terrified about posting this arc, especially from this chapter onwards, but it is what it is. The warning from the end of the previous arc still stands, just figured I'd put that out there…
But this author's note has two main purposes: the first, to let you know the next update will be a double, for the first time in this arc. I've already scheduled for myself how the double updates will work throughout this final arc, so I have everything pretty much figured out in that sense. I'll drop a warning in the second chapter, as I did the last time, in case any of you skip to the last chapter by instinct… though in this case, I even suspect a few people might feel more comfortable by skipping 236, heh…
The second thing I wanted to mention is that the upcoming update will drop on March 25th… which means it lines up with this year's anniversary. Nine years and finally I'm posting some of the very first things I plotted for this story. If that sounds insane… it's probably because it is. Either way, this year's anniversary features the actual biggest project I've worked on… which sounds pretty repetitive because I constantly say that, don't I? But in this case, I've literally worked on this project on and off for five years, no joke, and it's finally ready. I'll post a link to it on my profile and on the author's notes for the second chapter of that update.
I honestly think the majority of you will be better served by seeing the anniversary project… but if you're a strongly anti-spoilers person, I suppose you won't care much for it. Basically, this anniversary project serves as a gateway into Part 3. It's a glimpse at a lot of things ahead, both to dread and to look forward to. If the next two chapters leave you desperate to know what the hell is going to happen from now on… the ninth anniversary project might just help to either hype or appease you. There's still a LOT of story left to be told, so… brace yourselves, I suppose?
Alright, then. Thank you for reading so far. To those who mean to stick around regardless of the darkness looming in the near horizon… see you in two weeks.