Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

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

244. Chapter 244: The Ultimate Gladiator 15

A/N:

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

THIS WAS A DOUBLE UPDATE!

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER (243) BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS CHAPTER!

---

Landing a hot-air balloon on the deck of a moving ship might have been an easier task for more experienced pilots, but the five Imperial Guards steering their flying vessel struggled as they worked together to reach the Royal Barge. None of them steered hot-air balloons often, even if they had learned how to do so back when the vehicles were still being developed by the Mechanist: reaching solid land delicately was a simple enough feat, whereas doing so on a moving vessel proved to be a wholly different challenge.

"More fire in the engine!" Rui Shi commanded, and Qiang obeyed: Rui Shi glanced down at the ship, recognizing they had slowed down far too much to land safely. They were losing altitude and speed, and the second thing could prove catastrophic if their descent wasn't timed correctly…

Fei Li tugged at the steering wheel, ensuring they would hover right above deck as best as possible, but his maneuverability was hindered by the extra luggage they had brought with them: bags and crates of clothes and food separated the passengers from each other, as unintentional barriers positioned between them. They had loaded them quickly when the balloon landed on the house's garden again: as slow as their subsequent trip had been, compared to that of a dragon, they had moved as quickly as they possibly could, rushing out of the Capital while hoping desperately not to be shot down by the confused soldiers who had spotted them in the middle of their escape. That the Fire Lord had kept so much of the current situation under a shroud of secrecy had certainly played in their favor: if their status as traitors to the crown were widely known already, there wouldn't have been much of a chance for them to escape the city without being attacked.

"We're getting close…!" Han exclaimed, watching as the Barge's metal deck loomed merely a few meters ahead.

Xin Long had been perched on deck until he caught sight of the hot-air balloon in the horizon. He had made room for them to land, making himself as small as could be as he curled up by the ship's prow. The guards already present on the Barge had aided in relieving him from the saddle which, as sturdy and resistant as it was, had been damaged after being scorched by the Grand Royal Dome's fire. It was a wonder how Azula and Sokka had managed to stay on the dragon's back safely for as long as they had, since many of the leather straps had been burned off. It wouldn't be likely for the dragon to take to the skies with a rider anytime soon unless someone aboard could fix the delicate, complex saddle successfully… and he wasn't likely to take to the skies on his own either just yet, for even if the fire hadn't burned him quite as painfully as it would have burned his much more delicate riders, the flames had still battered and damaged his scales, and the full-speed flight towards the Barge hadn't been all that comfortable, either. He could only help the newly arriving hot-air balloon by getting out of the way, offering the guards as much room to land as possible.

"Just how ridiculous would it be to pull off everything we have and then just crash the damn getaway vehicle…?" Haoren grumbled, tugging at the balloon's lid gently as Rui Shi continued to assess their descent.

"Slow down!" he shouted next, and his fellow guards took to muffling the fire instead: Haoren let go of the rope, closing the lid of the hot-air balloon, and their descent halted, outright "Open it, just a little less than before!"

"I'll… I'll try!" Haoren said, grimacing as he obeyed again, delicately raising the lid to release just enough hot air.

They were at the right speed, hovering just above the deck: Rui Shi breathed deeply, once they descended just a few more meters…

"Release it, now!"

The balloon descended faster, and the five guards nearly lost their footing when the balloon's cabin landed brusquely on the metal deck. Yet they had been close enough to the deck that the momentum hadn't tossed them across the ship in any direction: Rui Shi sighed in relief as he clung to the balloon's railing with a hand, clinging tightly enough to it that his knuckles turned white underneath the fabric of his gloves.

"We… we did it?" Fei Li said, breathing out as the tense guards gazed about themselves in wonder "We did it. We made it. We're…"

"Safe, sound and alive on the Barge" Rui Shi confirmed, closing his eyes and nodding "It's… it's done"

Whatever came next… well, they'd figure that out later. He had no doubts the Princess had her own plans for the future, and they had served her well by giving her a chance to execute them. That all of them were still alive was as good as a miracle – as long as Sokka's injuries hadn't been too severe for Jianghuo to treat, that was.

"We should… go check on Tai Wei" Haoren said, breathing out slowly before leaping over the side of the hot-air balloon "They might need help below deck"

"I'm coming too" Qiang declared, following Haoren after pushing open the balloon's small door.

Han seemed to have taken to the task of cutting off the engines and deflating the balloon, and Fei Li made to assist him regardless. Rui Shi had intended to follow Qiang and Haoren, but just as he stepped off the hot-air balloon, he noticed his fellow guards had stopped halfway towards the tower: two people stood at the tower's threshold, one a easily recognizable guard, the other covered in bandages and dressed in Fire Nation clothes that he seldom wore.

"Sokka" Rui Shi breathed out, nearly racing off the hot-air balloon towards his friend "Sokka!"

Jianghuo's awkward smile didn't appear to herald any good news, and neither did Sokka's miserable expression. For a man who had very recently escaped death's claws, he hardly seemed to be relishing in his survival as he held himself in place by clasping the tower entrance's threshold with a hand… and that only worried Rui Shi profoundly as he raced past Haoren and Qiang.

"Rui Shi…" Sokka called him, his voice emotional, yet dry "You guys… you made it safely?"

"We did, as you can tell" Rui Shi said, gritting his teeth "Are you alright? Jianghuo, is he…?"

"He's bound to recover," Jianghuo nodded "As long as his wounds are taken care of, and we'll see to it that they are, he'll be alright. He should be out of danger now, and he's sturdy enough, so…"

"That's… that's good news, then" said Rui Shi, looking at Sokka again.

"We, uh… borrowed your hot-air balloon" Haoren said. Sokka blinked a few times and nodded "We've brought a few of your things in it too, mainly clothes. We hoped you'd get away, so we figured we'd bring some of your belongings…"

"Thanks" Sokka said, nodding "I… I didn't expect you'd have a chance to bring any of my stuff with you… means a lot that you did, though"

"No problem. We're just glad you made it" Qiang smiled, stepping forward and clapping Jianghuo's shoulder "You did well too, Jianghuo. We were off to check on Tai Wei now…"

"Ah, then I should go with you" Jianghuo said, nodding "Shuren, Wuhan and Taro have been working hard to get us here, probably doing the work of five sailors each… it's bound to be madness"

"No time to waste, then" Haoren said, breathing deeply as he followed the other two inside the tower, towards the stairs that would lead them below deck.

The three guards left immediately to relieve their fellow officers: Rui Shi suspected he ought to follow them, but he didn't dare move to do so, not when Sokka stood before him, averting his gaze from Rui Shi's own.

"Sokka…" Rui Shi whispered, and Sokka breathed sharply.

"Is she… is she alright?" he asked. The question brought a frown to Rui Shi's face "I… I couldn't do anything for her, when the guards showed up, but… I hoped, maybe, since she wasn't dragged to prison with me, that Song had gotten away…"

"You… you weren't told yet?" Rui Shi asked, surprised. Sokka tensed up at those words, despite the tone wasn't as ominous as he would have expected if the news were dark.

"I haven't… been entirely myself for the last few hours" Sokka admitted "I'm only thinking a little more clearly now, and… I should've asked sooner, I know I should have, and I'm sorry…"

"Sokka, after what you went through…" Rui Shi said, frowning "You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm the one who… who ought to apologize to you"

"You? Why would you?" Sokka asked, puzzled "Rui Shi…"

"I… I was there, that night" Rui Shi admitted, swallowing hard: his amber eyes reflected far more remorse than Sokka had seen in them so far… and for good reason. The gladiator's heart sank, and he gazed at the man before him in puzzled, horrified chagrin before Rui Shi continued "I heard… of what would happen. I knew they'd come after you… I feared they'd go after her, too. I infiltrated the assault team, but only so I could… so I could help her stay silent and go unnoticed, until it was over. I didn't do anything to help you, Sokka, because I knew it wouldn't have gone well if I'd tried, but even then, I could have…"

"You… you saved her?" Sokka asked: Rui Shi froze when Sokka's dread seemed replaced by hope instead "You protected Song. You did…? B-but then, where is…?"

"I couldn't… couldn't keep her with me. With us" Rui Shi said, swallowing hard: uttering the words made his throat close in, painfully so "She's someplace safe, with people I can trust will protect her. I don't know what the future holds, and I… I couldn't force her into an unstable, chaotic life with us. Especially when I didn't know if we'd survive, in the first place"

"I see…" Sokka said, and sadness clouded his eyes now, yet again "I… I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who's sorry, Sokka, if I'd come up with any other solution and had helped both you and Song, you wouldn't have… you wouldn't have been through all that pain. I…"

"Don't… don't torture yourself thinking about that anymore" Sokka said, shaking his head "I'm… alive. It's hard to believe, but I survived. If Song is alive and safe too, then… maybe things aren't ideal, but it means there's hope that we can fix them. At least, I'd like to think so. If anything, I'm… I'm really glad you could help her. I don't care if you couldn't save me back then, Rui Shi, if Song is safe, then…"

"She should be. I… I hope I will be able to return to her, eventually" Rui Shi admitted, swallowing hard "I don't know how long it will take, but… I'll do whatever I can to make it so"

"Please, do it" Sokka said, his voice trembling. Rui Shi frowned "Whatever it takes… find your way back to her. It's good that she's safe, but… but she loves you, more than anything. She'll want to see you again… she'll probably wait for you forever, if need be…"

"I… I know" Rui Shi said, eyeing Sokka warily "I intend to go back for her even if it takes a long time, yes. Once it's no longer dangerous for her to be anywhere near us, I'll go to her"

"Good" Sokka said, nodding "That's… that's what's most important"

His voice sounded strained, even past the obvious sorrow that clung to it. As though he wasn't merely being empathetic about Rui Shi and Song's struggle… as though his words were conveying something deeper that Rui Shi wished he could ignore, despite knowing he shouldn't:

"What's wrong?" Rui Shi asked, warily "And I mean… beyond all that's wrong. Clearly, very few things are right within our current circumstances, but as affected as you may be by all of this, there's… there's something off about you. Hell, there's something off about… about the fact that you're right here, in front of me, alone. Where… where's the Princess?"

Sokka tensed up, unwilling to answer right away. The foreboding feeling tearing through Rui Shi's very soul only worsened because of it: the Princess had to be here, she couldn't have taken off on her dragon, Xin Long was still on deck, he'd seen him… why on earth would she waste any time at all when she could be with the man she loved again? Was she working with Tai Wei, or was she simply isolating, for reasons Rui Shi could scarcely fathom…?

"We… had a bit of a fight" Sokka mumbled, almost unwillingly.

"You… are you serious right now?" Rui Shi blurted out, in disbelief "After everything you've both been through, why would you…?"

"Do you know what her plans are, going forward?" Sokka asked, point-blank, turning his sharp, emotional eyes on Rui Shi's own. The Imperial Guard froze in place "You don't, do you? I… I have no idea how much you two have managed to communicate over the past days, so… I guess not a lot. Guess… she made her own decisions and didn't wait to hear how anyone felt about them, huh?"

"Wait… what's that supposed to mean?" Rui Shi asked. His uncertainty only worsened now, for as stupid as he had found the notion that Sokka and Azula might have reunited only to have an unpleasant argument, the last thing he'd expected was to find that perhaps this time, the argument might have been completely warranted… and that there was a chance Sokka might be the one in the right, in this case.

"She… she means to take me to the South Pole" Sokka said, bitterly, to Rui Shi's utter confusion.

"And… isn't that a good thing?" he asked "For you, I mean…"

"The part I'm not so big on is her plan of leaving me there while she goes back to the Fire Nation" Sokka finished, harshly, his blue eyes vacant just upon uttering those words.

Rui Shi couldn't answer Sokka's last revelation immediately. The man's ghastly mood suddenly made perfect sense… and Rui Shi certainly found himself sharing his apprehension, entirely.

"She… intends to go back?" he asked. Sokka shrugged.

"So she says. She'll… minimize the damage if she turns herself in, or so she hopes" Sokka said, swallowing hard "And before you ask… no, I don't know what she intends to do about you and the rest of the guards. But… you know her. She's not likely to let you guys face what's coming with her, just as she's refusing to let me stay by her side, so…"

"So she's bound to have plans for us too" Rui Shi said, frowning "She can't expect to sail this ship herself, though. Even now, with the ten of us working, the Barge is considerably understaffed and we're basically…"

"Overworking yourselves, I figure" Sokka mumbled. Rui Shi sighed.

"It's necessary" he said "We're aware of that. What worries me now, though, is that she might actually believe we should stay in the South Pole with you somehow…"

"I… don't know if she'd do that" Sokka whispered "She knows she has to travel out of the South Pole somehow, Xin Long's not bound to be enough… though I guess she might think of using my hot-air balloon?"

"She might. You… you taught her how to use it, didn't you?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka sighed and shrugged.

"I did. Fascinating, huh?" he said "One way or another, she'll… she'll do whatever she wants, won't she? And even all this… we can elaborate and imagine a thousand possible outcomes, we might still not know what her actual plans are, and once we do know, she'll refuse to change them unless we somehow manage to come up with something that… that deposes her father with no bloodshed whatsoever and doesn't worsen the already bad course the Fire Nation's bound to take, after this"

Rui Shi sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed his brow with his fingertips. Just when he had hoped the tension would decrease, to a fault, a blast of reality could be counted on to prove him wrong in a matter of moments.

"You've tried to talk her out of this?" Rui Shi asked "To find another way…?"

"I realized something was weighing on her, something other than… well, everything we've left behind" Sokka said "I finally coaxed it out of her, but she shut me down every time I tried to find another way out. In the end, when I asked why on earth she'd saved me if my death would have resulted in less chaos, less pain and destruction, she… she pretty much walked out on me. I… I don't know what to think anymore, though. I know this is wrong… I know I should be beside her, that much is clear to me and always will be… but it doesn't matter how hard I try to make sense out of this, I can't seem to find another way out that she'll accept, Rui Shi. I'm… I'm stuck with my back against the wall and I don't think I can talk her out of this. At least, I can't right now, she's not going to listen to anything I say…"

"If she won't listen to you… there's probably not much use in me attempting to get through to her, either" Rui Shi admitted, lowering his gaze. Sokka snarled, shaking his head "I will try, don't get me wrong, but…"

"She's so stubborn…" he said, covering his face with his bandaged hands "She thinks she knows best, and the worst part is I… I can't even say she's wrong? Maybe this is the best way forward, the only way that won't result in immediate, absolute carnage, but I… I can't accept it. I can't. What the hell is the point…?"

"Even if… if she turns out to be correct, and there's no better alternative, it doesn't have to mean you'll say goodbye forever" Rui Shi said, clasping Sokka's shoulder with a hand: his words still stung Sokka deeply, but he didn't stop talking "Just as Song and I may find each other again… if this is the only way out right now, it may still be possible for you and her to find your way to each other. It may take time… but it's not impossible. Sokka…"

"I can't…" Sokka said, shaking his head, his body trembling violently "I can't say… I can't say goodbye. Not to her. Not to… to everything we built, to everything we fought for, I just… I just can't, Rui Shi…"

Rui Shi breathed out slowly, squeezing Sokka's shoulder gently as the gladiator struggled, and failed, to contain the tears that now slipped down his cheeks. How had it been so much easier to wrap his head around the notion of dying against Combustion Man, of being executed as a result of Ozai's hubris, than to accept parting ways with Azula? No, it wasn't as though their relationship had failed, as though they hadn't worked hard enough to find their rhythm, to understand each other… they had learned from their early mistakes and crafted a bond that had strengthened with each day that passed. It wasn't like he had to regret not giving her his all or failing her when she had needed him most direly… by all means, after their early missteps, they had done everything right. They had been together, so intimately bonded their very energy was one and the same.

It made no sense to break apart a bond like theirs. It was unbearable to break apart two souls so intricately connected they barely could be distinguished as parts of one whole. It didn't matter how difficult it was, he had to think of something, of anything… of absolutely any measures he could take in order to save Azula from the fate she was resigning herself to. He had lost loved ones in the past, and his dreams of becoming a warrior had been cemented in the belief, the desire, to protect them… He had to protect Azula, even if she didn't want his protection. Clearly enough, it didn't matter to her if he wanted hers either, for she was extending it over him as she pleased just the same.

"I'll… try to see if there's anything I can do" Rui Shi said, through gritted teeth "Try not to despair too much, alright? I'll… I'll talk to her. I can't promise anything, but… I'll do whatever I can. None of us want the Princess within her father's reach… there has to be an alternative to that, somehow. We'll figure it out, Sokka…"

"I know I… I have no right to ask anything of you…" Sokka said, dabbing his eyes violently in a hopeless attempt to dry them "After everything you've done, Rui Shi, I… I can only be grateful that you chose to stand by our side, especially when you've had to make so many sacrifices of your own. I'm… I'm sorry we've cost you so much, Rui Shi. I wish we hadn't. You're a true friend, the best either she or I could've asked for, when we needed you the most"

Rui Shi swallowed hard but nodded, patting Sokka's shoulder in a supportive gesture once more.

"All the more reason why I ought to try to do something, even if you won't ask it of me" Rui Shi whispered "I'll see you shortly"

Sokka eyed Rui Shi wistfully one more time before the firebender walked past him, entering the Barge's tower. The gladiator was left to stand alone, under the light of a setting sun, with the vast view of a sprawling ocean ahead… with a twisting, unbearable feeling seizing his gut, reminding him that, unless he found a solution soon, chances were this would be the very last time he'd ride this vessel.

He couldn't let it happen, he reminded himself of that a thousand times, over and again… but his mind still yielded nothing. He still couldn't see clearly through the darkness of the future. Short of actually kidnapping Azula and taking her away on his hot-air balloon – a pointless endeavor, seeing as she'd likely have Xin Long carrying her back to the Barge as soon as she was done giving Sokka a piece of her mind –, there was nothing he could do other than let his mind slowly process the fact that he was going back to the South Pole… back to the Southern Water Tribe.

Those had been Azula's orders, and by now, Rui Shi had confirmed as much: he had made for the bridge first, doubtful that Azula would be there, but intending to question her orders, if he did find her. If he didn't, he'd still make certain their intended trajectory was indeed what Sokka had reported… if so, he would act upon that knowledge once he tracked down the Princess, expecting to find her, in all likelihood, in her cabin.

"She just came here right after they landed and told us we were off to the South Pole" Tai Wei confirmed, with a shrug, as he gazed out through the bridge's large windows, ever keeping a watchful eye on the horizon "I was surprised, but I guess it makes sense that we'd look for allies elsewhere, huh? Though I don't know if the Water Tribe will be much help against the Fire Lord, but…"

"That's not what she's planning" Rui Shi said, surprising both his fellow guards.

"Then… what does she have in mind?" Taro asked, puzzled "We can't waste valuable fuel heading south if that's not our intended destination…"

"No, it is the destination… the first one, anyway" Rui Shi sighed, shaking his head "Is everything going well, though? I know the men down at the engine room will have been overworked, and I'll gladly take over for them whenever they need me to…"

"I'd say that you shouldn't worry, you've had a hard enough day yourself…" Tai Wei said, grimacing "But I think these hours may be vital yet. Perhaps by tomorrow, if we haven't been chased, or bumped into any resistance, we'll be fine…"

"Isn't it lucky the navy's still mostly in disarray after the madness caused by the Kinslayer…?" Rui Shi whispered, closing his eyes and shaking his head "Otherwise, we would have likely been intercepted already"

"It's also lucky that the Fire Lord hadn't given out any public orders to chase us, or released any information about the Princess's situation" Taro said, biting his lip "I suppose that's the one good thing about how prideful he is, he makes dreadful choices because of that…"

"And it's up to us to make the most of those dreadful choices" Rui Shi said, frowning "I'll go check on everyone, then. The Princess, first… then I'll make sure the men below deck are still working smoothly"

"We may have a few more chances to rest if we succeed at maintaining course, sharply south, as we are right now" Tai Wei said, pointing at the map he'd been relying on to chart their trajectory towards the South Pole. He traced his fingers in a straight line, towards the mountain chain of islands where the Air Nomads had once dwelled. Rui Shi nodded "I'd think, once we're below these islands, we'll be safest. But with the currents, it'll likely take us three or four more days to reach them, at the very luckiest. Still… I'd say I'll give our temporary crew a break in about twelve more hours. We'll still be in Fire Nation waters, but far enough that we might avoid trouble as long as we notice any potential threats before they identify us"

"I'll help arrange shifts for each essential duty, then" Rui Shi announced, nodding "Good work so far, both of you"

"Likewise, Rui Shi" Taro said, with a gentle, though sad, smile "We've made it this far, all of us. It's not ideal, but… we're not doing half bad, I'd say"

"Fortunately" Rui Shi said, breathing deeply "We're fighting against a powerful opponent… though he's blinded with wrath. That wrath may be our undoing… but if we're careful, we can make it backfire on him, instead"

"Let's make it so" Tai Wei said, nodding. Rui Shi released his breath and ducked out of the bridge: for all his apparent optimism, the former guard captain couldn't bring himself to believe they'd succeed at turning Ozai's fury against him completely, despite he would gladly do anything to that end.

The steps that led up to the Princess's cabin felt longer than ever before: dread built within Rui Shi's soul as he progressed towards it, uncertain of what this conversation's outcome might be. The last he had seen her, Azula had been distraught, shaken by how close she and Sokka had been to death in the Arena… but that had been hours ago. He didn't dare predict what the Princess's current emotional state might be: he had seen her in some of her darkest moments, but he wasn't sure he was prepared to face her right now.

He slowed to a halt by the cabin's threshold, letting his eyes travel past the open door, settling on the figure that sat by the edge of the bed. Her hair had tumbled out of its usual half-knot, and she had discarded her hairpiece somewhere, Rui Shi couldn't see it anywhere nearby. Her armor was a careless heap on the floor, as were her boots. Under any other circumstances, Rui Shi would only expect to find her so disheveled after she had spent a lot of quality time with her lover… but he knew no such thing had happened today: she sat with her elbows on her knees, holding her head in place with hands that clawed at her dark, disorderly hair.

He didn't dare speak at first, though he suspected she was aware of his presence anyway. Whether she knew it was him or not remained to be seen, Rui Shi supposed… but he'd have to gather his strength to speak first, a much more difficult ordeal than usual when he understood, quite deeply, the pain that plagued his charge.

"We… we arrived safely, Princess" Rui Shi finally said, stepping inside the room as he spoke "We weren't followed or attacked at a distance. So far… we seem to have escaped detection, and it's likely that the Fire Lord has yet to give out any orders to pursue us"

Azula didn't answer right away. For a moment Rui Shi pondered if she had simply fallen prey to the exhaustion of the past few days as she sat where she did, but before he could gather his courage to speak again, her voice cut off his thoughts.

"It won't be long before he does" she determined, with a weak voice "Are we still going at full speed?"

"Apparently so, though…" Rui Shi said, breathing deeply "Our resources are limited. They will continue to be limited by our current circumstances, too. I've been told you intend to travel to the South Pole… whatever the next stage of the journey may be, it's entirely possible the Barge will run out of fuel and food before we reach it"

"The next stage, huh…?" Azula's vacant tone only alarmed Rui Shi further.

"You do have more in mind than just… dropping off Sokka in the South Pole, don't you?" Rui Shi asked. Azula's eyes narrowed.

"If you know that much… clearly he's told you more than that" Azula said. Rui Shi breathed deeply "Yes, Rui Shi. I'm going back to the Fire Nation"

"What is your intent?" Rui Shi asked, frowning "Will you gather the Enforcers, start a struggle for power within the Fire Nation…?"

"That's not what the Enforcers have been trained to do" Azula said, simply. Rui Shi breathed out, shaking his head.

"You are too much of a strategist not to have something in mind" Rui Shi said, bluntly "You wouldn't be acting impulsively on a half-baked plan, and as I'm assuming the rest of us will be part of it… at the very least share it with us, if you won't share it with him"

"You were sworn to serve me… to serve the Fire Nation Royal Family" Azula said. Rui Shi's eyes narrowed "In many ways, that means you must protect us from all danger, but it also means…"

"Following every order, as well as professing absolute loyalty to our assigned member of the Royal Family" Rui Shi finished, scowling "Is it really the time for me to follow your orders blindly, Princess?"

"It is" Azula said, simply. Rui Shi's brow furrowed further.

"I understand what you're attempting to do. I know why you're attempting to do it, too" Rui Shi said, stepping closer to the Princess, who raised her head, even if she didn't meet Rui Shi's eyes yet "You've never seen the sense in letting others protect you or do your work for you. You've always treated us as a responsibility, not as a commodity. It makes you a great leader, there's no denying that, Princess… but this isn't the time for you to commit political suicide to shield the rest of us from danger. If you truly intend to turn yourself in…"

"If I do… I expect you'll follow my orders to the letter until my political suicide has been accomplished successfully" Azula said, simply. Rui Shi snarled.

"It's not the time for jokes…"

"I'm not joking, Rui Shi" Azula finally dared meet his eyes: there truly was no sign of amusement in the Princess's visage "You've worked this hard for us… to make sure we could escape. Without you… there's no way any of this would have paid off at all. We owe you a lot more than I can say…"

"You don't owe me a thing: I did my duty…"

"Then consider my actions for the next stage of my plan to be payment for your duty" Azula said, simply. Rui Shi frowned "You're clearly aware that I wouldn't drag you and the rest of the guards right back to the Fire Nation with me. You know, as I do, that my father will execute you all if he gets his hands on any of you. A soldier who has been as loyal and true as you have been would never deserve such a fate"

"A soldier… fights for his commanding officer" Rui Shi said, frowning, his hands tightened into fists "A soldier protects, defends, his duty is to others, not to himself. And even if you refuse to acknowledge that, you can't truly expect to sail this ship on your own…"

"I certainly have no such expectations, if that's what you're concerned about" Azula said. Rui Shi eyed her with utter perplexity.

"Then… you won't leave us with him, will you? You wouldn't… drop us off at the South Pole as well?"

"Not unless you choose to stay there" Azula said "If you did… I'd find another way to turn myself in. If you'd rather sail away with me, then you'll abandon ship elsewhere"

"Then… you're saying we'll only be of help to you if we leave you to your own devices?" Rui Shi asked. Azula nodded "It… it makes no sense"

"Not to you, it doesn't" Azula said, closing her eyes "But what else is there for me to do, Rui Shi? What else can any of us do? Isn't it clear that my father will stand for nothing but the full satisfaction of his wrathful whims? Fighting back won't attain us any better outcomes… all of us might wind up dead in the end. Sokka is badly wounded, I'm not even a shadow of the bender and fighter I've been, all of you are exhausted: how will we fight back against my father's forces? Just… be objective and tell me if you truly believe the odds could ever be in our favor in these circumstances"

Rui Shi held his silence, frowning as he pondered the Princess's words. Again, the Enforcers came to mind… a green, small branch of an army, as opposed to the experienced, large branches the Fire Lord had in his control. They somehow could contact them, and the Enforcers were willing to fight for the Princess… but they might just be further collateral damage if Ozai tightened his grip around them first, to ensure they remained in his service in the wake of Azula's apparent betrayal.

"I'm not… I'm not choosing this because I've lost my mind to grief and I'm trying to punish myself for everyone's crimes, Rui Shi" Azula said, intertwining her fingers as she brought her hands to her lips "I'm not trying to be a martyr for the sake of it. That's not… it's never been the point. If there were any possibility of success in any other plan beyond this one, I'd give it my all to ensure it paid off. But every idea Sokka offered was just… just more ways for all of us to die, his whole Tribe included, even my brother, the niece I've never even known… I'm not stupid enough to think my father will offer me any genuine mercy just because I turned myself in, but there would be less carnage if I did. He wouldn't… he wouldn't go berserk, attempting to track down anyone we know to get information and answers from them. If I go back, there's less chances that he'll try to look for Song, even…"

"She's but a slave in his eyes" Rui Shi said, frowning "He wouldn't expect her to give him any answers, he's probably unaware of her existence…"

"Others are aware of it" Azula said, simply "Fei Rou… to name one. If my father questions him about whoever visited me while I convalesced, he might remember there was another slave. Even if you've hidden her well, she'd be far safer if my father simply never goes after her. And he's not likely to go after anyone if I just…"

"If you turn yourself in" Rui Shi finished, frowning.

"I'm not asking you to approve of my plan. I never have" Azula said.

"No, but you are asking me to go along with it" Rui Shi said, eyeing her remorsefully "You're asking me to let you put it into practice. To stand by and do nothing as you immolate yourself for all of us. I… I can't accept this"

"Well… going by our progress rate, you'll have around ten more days to figure out how to accept it. Probably a little longer than that, until we're caught" Azula said, monotonously.

"Princess…"

"Make up your mind, Rui Shi" Azula said, covering her face with her hands "You told me, ages ago, that following my orders quietly was what you'd do as my guard, not as my friend. That by watching silently from the sidelines, you hadn't helped me when I needed you most. This time, I'm telling you, outright, what I need from you. This time, you've helped me in more ways than I can ever put into words. You haven't stood by the sidelines at all, you've protected both me and the man I love… you've done everything I could have asked of you, even more than that, and I didn't even have to ask. Resist against my orders now if you will… I'm past the point of fighting about it. Without a better alternative, this is the path I'll take us on. If you won't obey me as my guard, then at the very least listen to me, as a friend would. It's… it's all I ask anymore"

Rui Shi's fierce frown had shifted into a pained grimace as the words sank in. Even if they hadn't been sensible words, the vacant defeat in the Princess's eyes had certainly taken him aback. He had expected an outburst, fury, stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to any other possibilities. Yet now he could see the truth she hadn't spoken out loud:

She did want another way out. She craved a chance to fight for her dignity, to continue to stand by the beliefs she had developed across the years, by the growth that had brought her to where she was now. But she refused to take it unless the alternative yielded less casualties, objectively, than her current, devastating strategy. She refused to take it unless the consequences weren't as severe as to cost the annihilation of another whole nation… of the many friends they had left behind in the Fire Nation. Just this getaway meant trouble for anyone who might be reckless enough to claim support and loyalty for her if confronted by Ozai without knowing what the cost of their loyalty might be.

From birth, her firebending skills had been praised as extraordinary. As years passed, her strategic mind and her resourcefulness had become just as revered across the Fire Nation as her fire. She was synonymous with achieving the impossible, with overcoming any and every expectation anyone ever dared set for her… but as Rui Shi held her gaze with his own, he found himself confronted with the truth the Fire Lord wasn't likely to acknowledge: what made the Princess the most valuable leader in the Fire Nation wasn't anything as easily weighed or tangible as her skillset, or anything as easily recounted as her successes in every mission she set out to accomplish. It was, instead, the unexpected purity of her heart, the willingness to take responsibility for her actions, whether they were mistakes or not. For a woman like her, the throne wasn't the endgame, it wasn't the ultimate goal she would strive towards: she would carry the world across her injured shoulders if she had to, fighting to protect it… to better it, to reforge her nation, her people, in a new kind of fire that would teach them to rise above the dreadful ideology the latest Fire Lords had submerged them in.

She hadn't been this woman all along, Rui Shi knew as much. Her ambitions had been so much smaller… so much more contained, and mainly centered around her personal goals rather than anything else. She had never allowed anyone to talk back to her, she would do as she saw fit without any concern over whether she was doing the right thing or making an unforgivable mistake in the eyes of others. It had been a long journey, and a slow one, too… but if there were ever any doubts about Azula's worth, about whether she belonged on a throne or not, she had dispelled them upon becoming the magnificent woman and leader she was right now.

His awareness of all these truths could have felt triumphant… but there was no joy to be found in these revelations right now. That very extraordinary leadership was poised to be his Princess's undoing, and as noble as her intent to sacrifice herself might be, the horizon ahead couldn't be darker and more foreboding if she effectively committed to this course of action. Not only did he doubt Sokka would ever understand this, not only was he certain that the gladiator would fight Azula's decision across every league that yet stood between the Barge and his hometown, but he also knew that whatever awaited Azula in the Fire Nation would be much worse than what she'd left behind. She might save many lives indeed… at the cost of letting go of every dream and hope she'd ever dared hold for her nation's future.

"You… you are worth far more than this" Rui Shi whispered. Azula tensed up upon hearing those words "Serving as your guard… it was a greater honor than I ever expected to receive in my life. I know how valuable you are… I know how wise, how strong, your heart is. I've stood by you in many of your worst moments, and I've done whatever was within my power to ease your pain. If the Fire Nation loses your leadership… it will be all the worse off"

"Rui Shi, I…" Azula said, breathing out as she struggled to find the words to counter his own this time… but Rui Shi interrupted her before she could say more.

"Even so… I believe I understand" Rui Shi said, swallowing hard. Azula gritted her teeth as she gazed at him hopelessly "If… if you weren't willing to do this, would you still be the extraordinary leader we know you to be? If you cowered, and hid… would you still be a royal worth following to hell itself?"

She held her silence, as Rui Shi averted his gaze from hers. His sad eyes were unfocused, and his stance was uncharacteristically slanted, as though he could barely find the strength to keep his body functioning properly anymore.

"I… I came here with little hopes of changing your mind" Rui Shi admitted. Azula swallowed hard, lowering her gaze "I might have expected your reasoning to be close to what it is… I knew it couldn't be a simple whim, or a choice you were making lightly. But… even if I understand you, I also understand him. I know why he can't sit back and let this unfold as you've predicted… for I barely want to do the same thing. I know why you believe this must be done… and I admire you for your courage in facing this future even if it's as bleak and sorrowful as it appears"

"You'd have to understand… wouldn't you?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "I'm in the same place you were, that night. When you… when you chose to save Song by sending her away. The situation isn't entirely the same… but you of all people should understand what I'm trying to do. It's just as what you tried to do for her"

"Perhaps it is far more similar than I'd like to admit" Rui Shi sighed "Perhaps you are far wiser than I could ever hope to be. If this is indeed the anguish I've subjected Song to, in my plight to save her, then I'll deeply regret not having found another way to spare her this pain, far more than I already regret it"

"You knew it was the right thing to do… and that's why you did it" Azula said, simply "Even if it killed you inside… you had to preserve her life, by any means necessary. This… all this is what I could do to save Sokka. To keep him alive, just as well. And now… what I'll do in the next days is just an extension of the same thing. Only, this time I'm attempting to save more than just him… I'll try to save you, and the rest of my guards. I'll try to protect my people, as well as Sokka's. It doesn't matter how much it may hurt, Rui Shi… it's what needs to be done. You've said it yourself: how could I call myself a leader, worthy of any of the praise I've received, if I acted any differently? How could I take pride in anything I've done if my actions happened to condemn far more people than just Combustion Man? I can't do it, Rui Shi. I can't run away from my father, not for good"

Rui Shi tightened his fists again… but he nodded. He conceded. He understood.

Strangely, Azula had braced herself for far more resistance. For far more rejection of her plan. He had protested… but now he complied? If that nod meant he wouldn't fight back anymore… shouldn't she rejoice in it? Shouldn't she be relieved that he'd accepted Azula's likeliest fate? Her stomach shouldn't sink with dread, not when she was fully conscious that this was the only choice, going forward… not when she knew the likelihood of finding any other way out was close to non-existent.

How quaint to find, only now, that she still had held onto some hope, imperceptibly, unconsciously. That she had still thought the men under her command would turn around this situation somehow, just as they had during her home imprisonment and Sokka's own time in jail. That she had clung to the wistful, deceptive dream of staying by her husband's side for longer than this voyage… that there might be a way, some way, to ensure they wouldn't have to say goodbye.

"I don't like this… I don't think anyone will" Rui Shi whispered, closing his eyes "But… perhaps, if this is what needs to be done, we can find our way back to you eventually anyhow. Once it's safer, I'd hope…"

"It won't be safe until my father's gone" Azula said, bluntly.

"However long it takes… I'm sure the others will also wish to wait until then, no matter if it's a decade or two, even longer than that" Rui Shi whispered "He won't feel any differently, you know? He will want to come back to you at all costs. Even if you don't want him to, even if you're safe… he will fight tooth and nail to return to you"

"He… he can't. He mustn't" Azula said, gritting her teeth.

"You'll have to dissuade him while we travel, if so" Rui Shi said, breathing deeply "But I don't expect you'll be able to. He is… well, just as stubborn as you are. Perhaps he's even worse than you, come to think of it"

"Well… we'll see" Azula whispered, leaning on her knees as she breathed deeply "I guess… thank you for the warning. And… for not putting up a worse fight. It's… it's bad enough to have argued with him as it is"

"He's scared" Rui Shi said. Azula clenched up, her whole body shuddering at those words: Sokka, scared? He was so brave, so strong, capable of facing death itself as he had proven that very same day… and yet he was scared, now? "He fears for you. If he says anything stupid, if he reacts too passionately… it's simply because he doesn't want to lose you"

"He'll never lose me" Azula whispered "No matter how far apart we may be, or what my father may do to me… I'll always belong with him"

"Just as I'll always belong with Song. But even I don't know if I'll ever return to her" Rui Shi said, closing his eyes "None of us knows what the future will bring, Princess. None of us knows if we can face it on our own. That we may have no other choice is a given… but it's no less harrowing because of that"

Azula gritted her teeth as Rui Shi nodded one more time in her direction: he ducked out of her cabin right afterwards, leaving her to ponder his words, and all the unwanted emotions they had woken within her: it was so much easier to fight, so much easier to argue… it was so much more difficult to face that kind of resigned acceptance. It sent shivers across her body, of the most unpleasant sort: it filled her with the awareness, the knowledge, that they might indeed fail to find any other way out. As determined as she might be to do what she believed and knew to be the right thing… it was difficult enough to put it into action without letting her emotions run away with her.

She breathed deeply, letting her fingers slide through her disorderly hair again, her head throbbing, her throat closing in. There was nothing else to it: she knew what needed to be done and she'd do it. That her heart would shatter in the process was guaranteed… but she didn't care to protect her feelings more than she cared to protect those she loved. Whatever pain she had to suffer, whatever anguish her father intended to subject her to in the future… just as she had told Sokka earlier, it would be worth it. Perhaps he'd never believe her, perhaps no one would… but as long as she could convince herself of it, she could go forward into that darkness, no matter how deep and all-consuming it might be.

---

Rui Shi walked slowly as he returned to the deck, his chest heavy, knowing he'd offer no relief whatsoever to Sokka. The gladiator had little expectations to begin with, but that Azula had somehow persuaded Rui Shi that her proposed course of action might actually be the most honorable one wouldn't sit well with Sokka, by any means.

The voices he heard on deck came as no surprise, though Rui Shi raised a confused eyebrow once he crossed the threshold of the tower to find Fei Li and Han were busy unloading the hot-air balloon's contents. Sokka had somehow decided to involve himself in that heavy duty, though, a rather ridiculous choice that was completely in line with the gladiator's typical behavior.

"… You don't have to worry, we can carry all this without help, Sokka" Fei Li was saying as Rui Shi approached. The gladiator's usual humor and leisurely behavior were utterly absent, unsurprisingly.

"I have nothing else to do anyway. Might as well give you guys a hand…"

"Why would you exert yourself if you're convalescing?" Rui Shi sighed, stepping closer to the three men, who turned towards him upon noticing his arrival "Get some rest instead, Sokka"

"It's what I've been telling him, but he won't listen" Fei Li sighed, and Sokka lowered his gaze.

"I don't have anything else I can do to help. And I'm not in pain anyway, something Jianghuo gave me is keeping it in check" he said, simply "I can just… carry this stuff to my cabin, it's fine"

"Your… your cabin?" Fei Li repeated, blinking blankly "Uh, you don't have to do that, you know? You can just…"

Rui Shi's pointed stare silenced Fei Li quickly, albeit he still didn't grasp the nuance or complexity of the situation. It seemed most unnecessary for Sokka and Azula to keep up a pointless pretense, more than anyone for the man who had overheard occasional echoes of their conversation and subsequent action back when he was waiting for their reunion in the Prison Tower to end. There was no purpose in continuing to stay away from each other when their relationship was no longer a secret for anyone…

"Take everything inside, to the dining deck if you can" Rui Shi said to Fei Li and Han, pointedly. Sokka frowned, eyeing Rui Shi with confusion "Not just his luggage, but everything else. We'll sort it all out by tomorrow, he can pick out whatever he needs later"

"As you say, Rui Shi" said Han, smiling awkwardly as he tugged Fei Li back to the bags and crates they had brought with them. Fei Li's confusion wouldn't abate yet, but he proceeded to work with Han regardless.

Sokka bit his lip but made no moves to join the two guards in carrying the luggage inside the ship. Instead, his eyes shifted towards Rui Shi, immediately recognizing the defeated expression on the man's face.

"Guess she didn't relent, huh?" Sokka whispered. Rui Shi lowered his gaze.

"I… I did try to reason with her, but the truth is that in some ways, Sokka…"

"In some ways, she's right" Sokka acknowledged. Rui Shi froze in place "As… as difficult as it's been to admit it to myself… I guess it's better if I just say it, isn't it? To you guys, to our friends, we're the victims of an unfair deal, of Ozai's wrath… to the rest of the world, we'll be two fools who would only add further fuel to the fires of a destructive war because we were too stupid to resist the attraction between us. If… if I were anyone else, if I had never left the South Pole and heard that two people had the chance to change the world, to fix it, but then they blew it because they were thinking with their loins, I'd definitely resent them for it"

"Not because people would resent you does it mean you'd be wrong to want to be together" Rui Shi said, eyeing Sokka warily "Popular opinion is… well, a box of surprises. Sometimes people can have the best understanding of a situation… and sometimes they'll refuse to believe the truth and cling to utter nonsense to explain the world to themselves in the most convenient way"

"I suppose that's true… but it's still something that would plague her, no matter what comes next" Sokka said, frowning "Truthfully… once Ozai releases any sort of announcement about what happened, if he does, chances are the people will still think lowly of her, no matter if they were acclaiming her in the Arena less than a week ago. If he doesn't release anything… well, he still shut down the League without any explanation. I won't ever be seen in the Fire Nation again, so… more than enough people are bound to do the math, aren't they?"

"I'm afraid so" Rui Shi admitted. Sokka breathed deeply and shook his head.

"She's ready to jump into a volcano, Rui Shi, and I… I don't know how to stop her. I don't know how to convince her to let me jump with her. I don't… I don't know what to do" Sokka said, shaking his head "I know why she's doing this… I know why she's choosing this. But I can't accept it… I can't accept what it entails"

"You have a choice to make, then…" Rui Shi whispered, softly "Either you find a way, like you said earlier, any solution she'd listen to… or you spend the rest of this trip accepting her plans for the future. It's not an optimistic, encouraging look at our future, I know it's not, but… but I don't think it will be possible to dissuade her otherwise. She has already told me that, if me and the rest of the guards were to choose to stay in the South Pole with you, she'd simply find a way to leave on her own, without needing us to steer the Barge for her. So… in the end, I can't even suggest that we do anything irrational like trying to keep her with us against her will. Not only am I sure you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to do so… but she'll find a way out anyway, just to protect you"

Sokka sighed, shaking his head as he stepped towards the ship's railing. He placed his hands on the metal enclosure, his whole body trembling as he tried to contain the emotions he barely knew how to placate. He couldn't allow everything to end this way, he just couldn't, but how on earth was he supposed to put a stop to their fall when they were on crash course? How would he shield Azula from the worst of the damage, as he always did, if she wouldn't let him take that fall with her this time?

"If it helps…" Rui Shi said, stepping closer to Sokka. The gladiator glanced at him from the corners of his eyes as the guard gritted his teeth "I think she wants you to find another solution. I think… I think she's not challenging you, or rather, us, to figure one out: she hopes we'll be able to see something she overlooked. That we'll find another way, and if we do, she'll be free from having to sacrifice herself as she intends to. Maybe we won't find anything, in the end, but… but I suspect she wishes we would"

Rui Shi's words dawned on Sokka slowly… he should have understood that possibility much sooner than he had. Blinded by pain, by his emotions, by his powerful rejection of Azula's plans for the future, he'd foolishly failed to read deeper into her soul, despite all the signs were plain in sight. More elements of Sokka's mind and soul would reawaken upon this sudden jolt of reality: his analytical brain had certainly shut down painfully at some point after too many beatings, too many injuries, whether to his body, skin and bones, or to his very heart.

"She…" Sokka said, his breath hitching as he snarled, tightening his grip on the railing "That's what she wants, then. That's…"

"She may listen yet. She probably will want to" Rui Shi whispered "If you don't have any ideas yet, you still have time to think of something. Several days, at least… it's better than nothing, isn't it?"

Sokka nodded, as hope weaseled its way inside his chest, taking root in his heart. Rui Shi's hand fell on his shoulder once more, gently squeezing him supportively. The stoic man who had once been so harsh, so aloof, keeping him at a distance and frowning upon his closeness with Azula now offered him a chance to think, to see more clearly when his mind and heart had been so clouded before…

"Thank you, again. Rui Shi…" Sokka started, but Rui Shi shook his head.

"That's enough thanking me, for sure" he said, gesturing at the tower "For once… I'll be the one to encourage you to get up there already and talk with her again. No one wants this outcome, Sokka… at least, no one but the Fire Lord. Seems like the worst possible thing for that bastard to get what he wants after everything he's done, doesn't it?"

"You can say that again" Sokka said, his eyes narrowing "I want what's best for Azula, above all else… and I know that would never involve him. Not after everything he's done to her"

"Then I guess it's up to you and her to figure out how to do what's best for her indeed" Rui Shi said, breathing deeply "If there's no other way… then I'll accept it, even if I won't like it. But for as long as there's a fighting chance, we ought to reach for it, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah… absolutely" Sokka said, nodding with determination.

"I'll make sure your things are kept safely in the dining deck" Rui Shi said.

"Thanks… yeah, I know you said I don't have to thank you so much, but I still think I do" Sokka said, with a frail, small smile "If there's still hope for Azula and me… there's hope for you and Song, too. Whatever comes in the future… we'll make sure you can see her again"

Rui Shi tensed up but nodded. The words were certainly reassuring… despite he had no idea how that would ever come to pass. Song didn't deserve to live with them as a fugitive of the Fire Lord's justice… but he missed her dearly all the same. Wherever their future plans might lead them, he would inevitably keep his sights on making the decisions that would bring him closest to returning to her, no matter how reckless such hopes might be.

"I know. We'll all do our best" Rui Shi breathed deeply "Now… go to her. Just go"

Sokka nodded as well, as Rui Shi withdrew his hand. The gladiator held his hopeful gaze for a moment longer before making for the tower: had he been healthy, he would have pressed himself to go as quickly as possible, skipping five steps of the stairs at a time on his way to Azula's cabin… but as much as he felt no pain thanks to Jianghuo's painkiller brew, he couldn't bring forth enough energies to sprint across flat terrain, let alone to do so in an uphill climb. So he moved slowly, pondering Rui Shi's words, his advice, his insight on Azula… his certainty that, if Sokka came up with a solution, anything that might persuade her, she'd give in. They wouldn't be apart if he thought of something… they would be free to fight side by side, for as long as they lived, if so. She would be safe, he would see to it… and one day they'd reclaim everything they had lost. One day, far in the future, these dark moments would feel like a nightmare that hadn't quite fulfilled itself completely, if only he found the right way to persuade her…

Yet he reached the top of the stairs without an answer. He gritted his teeth, though: they could talk things over and find a way out, any other way out. But, for starters… for now, perhaps there was something he could try to do… something that might convince her to work with him so they could find another way out of their predicament.

The door was open once he reached it: Rui Shi presumably had left it that way. Azula, clearly, hadn't had the strength to stand up and close it… though upon recognizing new footsteps approaching, she had raised her head, tensing up, casting a wary glance through the open door: a glance that met Sokka's eyes.

After she had been so fierce, so blunt and unyielding merely a few hours ago, now Sokka's heart clenched at the sight of his lover, almost crouched in place, her appearance in uncharacteristic disarray. He had seen a thousand different sides of her, she had shown him everything she ever kept hidden from the rest of the world… but her current state of utter desolation caught him by surprise, despite knowing he should have been prepared for it. She leapt to her feet, turning her back on him as she quickly dabbed at the tears that threatened to run away with her.

Sokka breathed deeply, walking past the threshold without waiting for her to allow him to enter her cabin. He moved slowly, giving her ample time to demand he stopped, to send him away… but even after she turned, unable to cover for her current, emotionally chaotic state, she said nothing. She allowed him to come closer to her, to stand before her; they no longer had anything in common with the image of perfection they had projected after their victory against Toph.

It wasn't often that they'd struggle to find the words to say, but even when they'd shared prolonged silences in the past, they had never been as tense, as distressing, as this one was. Sokka's lips parted, but every time he attempted to find the words to say, none would come to mind anymore. Azula, averting her gaze from his, wasn't much better off.

"Guess Rui Shi sent you up here, huh?" Azula finally said, her strained voice triggering every protective instinct Sokka had ever experienced "If you hoped to change my mind…"

"I'd have to do better than I did before. I know that now" Sokka finished. Azula tensed up, daring meet his eyes now, wary, yet hopeful.

"Sokka…" she whispered: it was as though she were begging him not to do this… not to give her any hope, any new dreams to fight for. But wasn't that what they ever did? When anything dark hung over them, they made new memories to chase away the darkness of the past… if it had been the remedy for so many of their hearts' ailments so far, why wouldn't it work now, too?

"Things are looking bleak… I know they are. I understand why they are" Sokka nodded "I know why you want to do this. Rather, I know why you think you have no choice but to go forward with your plan. I understand, and the truth is, if our positions were reversed… I might be the one insisting that this is the only way to go forward"

"You were ready to die out there. You were" Azula said, looking at him accusingly "Surely this… this can't be worse than that, can it?"

"It's not up to me to decide if it's worse or not" Sokka said, closing his eyes and breathing slowly "It… it's up to your dad, if anything, because if he decides to punish you further when you go home, there's no telling what he'll be capable of. Every time I let myself think of what he's already put you through, and everything he'll probably put you through in the future, if you do go back, Azula, it's like I'm impaling my chest with one of the Dome's spikes…"

"I know, Sokka, I get it hurts, but…" Azula said, breathing deeply as she covered her nose and mouth with her hands.

"If I can come up with another solution… then we'll have a way out. A solution where you won't have to fight him alone… a solution where I won't have to die like I nearly did" Sokka said, stepping closer: he dared stroke her hair delicately, and Azula only seemed to shrink further into herself for it "Maybe I'm not smart enough to think of one on my own, but… but I'm not alone. Neither are you. We have all the guards with us, we have Xin Long… more than anything, we have each other. We've always been better together, isn't that right?"

Azula gritted her teeth, lowering her head and dropping her hands, avoiding meeting his eyes yet again. Were his words reaching her? Was his plea successful, or did her refusal to so much as look at him mean she was rejecting the future he wanted to present to her, even before he finished uttering the words?

"Azula…" he whispered, letting his hand move further, cupping her cheek as she shook her head.

"Don't…" she said, and Sokka's heart felt squeezed dry upon hearing the word, even if she could barely bring herself to finish the sentence "If you keep… if you keep going, I won't be able to… I won't have enough strength to go forward, Sokka. Please…"

"You don't have to be strong on your own" Sokka said, as she shook her head again… yet just before he resigned himself to withdrawing his hand, hers rose to meet it, trembling, unstable, uncertain "Azula…"

"I don't want this, Sokka…" she said, and admitting that truth finally seemed to shatter the last defenses she still had left "I'd choose you, to stay with you, you know I would, but if I do…"

"If you do, a lot of bad things will happen? I… I won't deny it. I won't pretend otherwise, it can happen" Sokka said, as his other hand rose to cup her free cheek "But there's bound to be ways to fight back. We won't be alone, Azula, we'll have all your men, and Xin, and… and my tribe. I know, it's not much, fighting back against a full army with just the Tribe's warriors would be no easy feat… but if we're smart, if we put our knowledge of your father's forces to work, we can find their weaknesses, we can stall them, we can… we can even relocate the Tribe if need be, set up decoys, use their settlement against them! The waterbenders in the tribe… my sister and whoever that other person is, they can help too. You and I, we can instruct them to make barriers. My dad… he can make seriously powerful explosives, better than anything I ever made: we could even lace the waters near the South Pole with them, make it clear that they can't get close unless they want to risk sinking! And… and if we're attacked by airships, I guess maybe you and I, with Xin Long, could take them down, right? They won't be armed, so if we fly above them, we could just break their formation and knock them down. If they lost all their resources, all their forces… they might just be too afraid to come back. Don't you think?"

Azula trembled, listening to his every word, tightening her grip on each of his hands. Sokka took the absence of an answer, of instant retaliation, as a good sign. It had to be a good sign… right?

"If… if we give them a good enough scare, we'll buy us time" Sokka said, swallowing hard "Enough time… to find strength in numbers. To reach out to everyone who still might support you over Ozai. With their help… we could continue to keep him at bay, no matter if he tries to bring you back to the Fire Nation. This way… he'll never hurt you again"

His hopes that she'd be unhurt, he knew, were unlikely to be realized: she was already in such pain that the mention of her father only broke her heart further. It was entirely possible that Ozai would resort to taking hostages, to using other people they cared about as shields, as bargaining chips, as means to attaining everything he wanted… truthfully, Sokka hadn't imagined a proper solution for that obstacle just yet. Something would have to come to him eventually, but for now…

"And after that?" Sokka said, his voice spiking upwards, as his emotions threatened to overcome him "Hell, even before that… you'll stay with me. You'll be with me, in the South Pole, with my family, with yours, too. You'll get to meet your niece, and you two can pull so many pranks on Zuko together… you'll spend more time with Katara, and she'll realize just how much good you've done for the world, for sure this time. Gran-Gran… she'll be thrilled to meet you too. She'll be so happy I found love that she won't care about the past… only about our future. Dad, too, he'll… he'll see you're extraordinary. That everything I've ever done, it was worth it if it meant someone like you could become part of our family one day…"

Her grip on his hands tightened, and her shoulders shook with a sob. Sokka gritted his teeth: his own tears were streaming down his face, and he couldn't contain them despite he still believed he had enough strength to keep going…

"And you and me…?" he said, softly "We'll… we'll have our own igloo. I'll build it, just for us. You… you can help me, if you want to. We can… we can go hunting together, I bet you'll be amazing at it, once you get the hang of it. We'll make everything we need, we'll… we'll put our cooking lessons to practice, even if the food will be very different from what you're used to. M-might be hard, finding proper spices for your food, but we'll find a way…"

"I don't… I don't need the spices…" Azula surprised him: Sokka gazed at her in confusion, yet she clung to his hands still "T-that's… that's not so important…"

"No?" Sokka said, with a slow smile: his breaking heart suddenly seemed to mend with her sudden intervention. Was this truly working? Was she considering his proposal…? "Well, then… I'll still find a way to get you what you want, b-but I guess it'll take time. Though… heh, we'll have to borrow clothes from the others at first, parkas and such, it's very cold… we'll make our own later, I'll ask Katara to teach me to sew, u-unless you'd teach me yourself…"

"I'm not… n-no good at sewing…" Azula shook her head, and Sokka laughed softly, pressing his brow to hers.

"It's okay. We'll get better" he said, quietly "At all chores we have to get better at. Eventually… we'll be able to invite everyone for dinner at our place. And we'll… we'll make big dishes, for the open dinners at the tribe's fireplace. We can have more snowball fights, as many of them as you want… we can see the otter-penguins, and the tiger-seals, too. Though I'll say, I won't let them eat my pants this time…"

"No…?" Azula asked, and to his delight, she smiled a little "That's… that's almost a shame…"

"You really want me to run around the South Pole without pants?" Sokka smiled warmly, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. Azula laughed quietly, though tears still rolled down her cheeks once she did "Well, then… you can have that. I can even stick two fishhooks in my thumb if you want, that might make you laugh as well…"

"S-Sokka, please…" Azula smiled, shaking her head as his heart soared.

"We can also… see the southern lights" he said, swallowing hard "D-doesn't happen that often, but it's pretty when it does. Ah, and we can go sailing… I won't be shirtless, sorry about that, but we could: I can take you ice-dodging… you've already learned the basics of sailing, so you'll do great at it, better than I did, I'm sure…"

Azula breathed deeply: the smile had faded from her face, but a strange mantle of peace seemed to have settled upon her as his words illustrated a future she hadn't dared imagine for herself. Sokka's chest tightened as he swallowed hard, his thumbs brushing delicately against her beautiful face.

"We'll… we'll make decisions together. Move forward, towards the future, together" Sokka said, trembling "We can… can get married again, like we said we would. This time… everyone will know, and they'll celebrate with us. And if you ever want to… we can start a family, too. Azula, our future… it can be so vast, so beautiful, if we fight to protect it. Maybe our old dreams can't come true anymore, maybe our old plans won't be put into action, but…"

"But we can… we can build new dreams. New plans" Azula finished for him. Sokka's drumming heart was almost making him dizzy now, as he nodded enthusiastically.

"If it's you and me, love…" he said, his breath hitching.

"If it's you and me… nothing is impossible" Azula finished, finally meeting her tearful eyes with his own "As long as we have each other…"

"We can't lose. We won't lose, not unless we stop fighting" Sokka said, earnestly "And I'll always fight for you. That's who I am, that's what I've been born to do. You… you are my destiny, Azula, by choice and conviction. My heart will always beat for you. The only life worth living… is a life by your side"

Azula closed her eyes tightly: the peace she had seemed to attain moments ago had fled her again. Conflict, anguish, crossed her features, just as the tears continued to gain strength, to pour down without control. As much as Sokka had learned to read her over time, it was much harder to do so now, when he had bled out his emotions, his every single hope, into the words he had just uttered… and fear gnawed at him, stronger with every moment they stood there, in that silence barely interrupted by their respective, contained sobs.

Suddenly, her fingers eased on his own. His heart sank, as that fear grew stronger. It wouldn't be the first time Azula rejected him, the first time she put distance between them and pushed him away… but it would hurt far more than it ever had in the past.

Maybe that was what she had in mind indeed, for she drew back her hands, and her head tilted lower and lower, as though ashamed of what she was doing…

Only for those same, trembling hands to suddenly reach up, clasping the back of his neck and pulling him in for a reckless kiss that seemed to stop the slow shattering of his heart just moments before he gave up completely.

Relief flooded his heart, his mind, even if he nearly lost his footing to her enthusiasm. His own hands moved to her shoulders first, stabilizing himself, before he wrapped his arms around her body, tightening into the most intimate embrace he could possibly offer her. Oh, but she was brokenhearted, desolated, desperate for any way out, any chances to survive, any future worth fighting for… he could feel it in every single one of her kisses, in the anguish he tasted in them, in the frantic way in which she touched him, as though she were terrified that he might vanish in thin air any second now unless she held on tightly enough. But he wasn't going anywhere… no, not anymore. He would stay with her, wherever this ship might take them. They could sail into an endless sea, into the stars above … it didn't matter where life might take them, as long as they obeyed the mandate of their hearts, following through with every eternal promise they had ever made.

The draught Jianghuo had offered Sokka earlier was far more helpful now than before: as much as Azula's fingers hesitated to touch any of his countless wounds, quickly shying away from the bandages across his body, all of Sokka's pain had been muffled, hidden behind a veil that contained it, if just temporarily. Whether this was reckless or not, he couldn't care less: Azula wanted this, Azula needed it… just as she had needed it in a dark night, many years ago, when he had first confessed his love for her. He wouldn't hold back this time. He would give himself completely to her this time, every shred of his body, heart and soul, all be it in the hopes of persuading her fully that this was the right choice. If she still had any doubts left, he would dispel them. If she still feared the consequences, he would help her find her own courage once more, by offering her no shortage of his own. The more he thought of it, the more apparent it became that the only future that wouldn't frighten him was a future by her side. Perhaps Azula felt the same way: perhaps that was why she had given in when he had expected she'd do the exact opposite thing…

But now she leaned in, pressing her body into his, disregarding her own wounds, whether those over her body or deep within her soul. She matched his pain with her own… all be it in the hopes of overcoming it together. When her fingers slid through the fastening of his belt, Sokka answered in kind, tugging loose her long tunic, which he pulled off her body quickly, just as she pushed his open shirt off his shoulders. Every movement was crowned with another kiss, another heated, desperate exchange where pleasure wasn't merely an end goal, but as good as a lifeline. After the anguish they had experienced while apart, after the sorrows they had suffered while dreading they might not escape the Fire Lord's wrath, every sensation that chased away that pain was more than just welcome: it was a necessity. A muddled pool, unsteady and turbulent, grew calm with each drip of purifying water that fell at its center, sending ripples that soothed every particle, every spike of unpleasantness that would simmer and consume it otherwise.

Sokka's touch almost seemed to burn Azula's sensitive, tender skin as he pushed open her shirt, finding the body he had known and loved in this manner across the last years. The skin over the three scars across her left shoulder was swollen and reddened over the damage done to her by the brutish, forceful Imperial Guards. Sokka gritted his teeth at the sight of it, even if Azula didn't acknowledge the swelling of her partially healed wounds: instead, she gazed upon the many bandages that looped across his torso, now that he was topless.

It had been too much for the two of them. They had been through a living hell to come back to each other … only to find themselves willing to disregard their personal pain, but not the other's. Azula gasped, her fist tightening upon his bare chest, one of the few areas of his body that had been safe from the brutal attack of the guards when they had first captured him: his abdomen, however, was hidden away behind many layers of bandages.

"Azula…" Sokka groaned, yet his voice didn't carry the same devious desire she had ever come to associate with him in the heat of the moment: remorse, instead, permeated her name once it escaped his lips.

"Y-you're…" Azula said, gritting her teeth as her hand moved carefully over the abdomen she had cauterized for him so long ago.

"What did they do to you…? Oh, Azula…" he said, his hands spreading over her back as he pulled her closer.

His face moved to that left shoulder, and his hot tears fell upon her skin, just as her own rolled down her cheeks, as she raised her head, trying to clear her mind… only to find it was impossible to do so right now. The man before her had been beaten so badly, burned, hurt in so many ways, and even after she had unwittingly put him through such ordeals, he still wanted her. He still wanted her so genuinely he'd ask her to stay with him… to live out the rest of their days together.

Her hand moved to his head, to the loose hair, the scalp across over which other sets of bandages had been wrapped as well. That anyone would ever hurt him, that anyone would think such a warm, kind, selfless man deserved to suffer as he had, was utterly unforgivable in her eyes. He would heal, though… he would. Jianghuo had said he would, and that was what mattered: no one would hurt him again. No one could ever touch him, not while she stood between him and the world, not if she shielded him as best she could, embracing him tightly as though to envelop him, to hide him from whoever might mean him harm…

His lips trailed over her shoulder gently, softly so they wouldn't worsen the lingering pain as they traversed her wounds, not even when her shoulders shook upon the strength of her uncontained sobs. He had intended for them to kiss each other's wounds better, Azula remembered it vividly… and it seemed he did it now, too, just as he had every time he'd had a chance to, in the past. The caresses of his lips were tender as a soft breeze, as silk upon her aching skin: her own touch was careful, cautious wherever her hands might move, her mouth pressed to the top of his head as she cried with him.

They had never been so broken, so lost, so weak. After everything they had endured, there had always been an underlying certainty that the future would be better… a certainty Sokka sought desperately, that he had tried to offer her through his proposal. Yet in fragile moments like these, no such horizons could be seen. All they could do was share each other's pain… offer each other the comfort of companionship and true understanding.

Sokka's hands moved to her waist: her trousers dropped to her knees after his fingers tugged at their hem, same as her underwear: all of it fell down along with the rest of her clothes. Azula struggled to retain her balance this way but Sokka, holding her closely, walked her to the bed they had shared so many times, leaning down with her in his grasp, firmly holding her until her back touched the mattress delicately. He wasn't quite that strong tonight, but he didn't hesitate to give her everything he could offer, as his lips returned to hers quickly before traveling across her face, stealing away each tear he could make off with.

She pushed herself up to a sitting position, beckoning him to stay close to her by reaching for him with her right hand, and Sokka answered her silent request with a kiss, intense and soulful, upon her waiting lips. She worked with his remaining clothes as well, shoving the pants and underwear down to his knees in one quick move, only removing them completely once Sokka rolled on the mattress, giving her freedom enough to strip him bare aside from his bandages, though Sokka did undo Azula's sole bandages expertly: her breasts were in plain sight quickly, revealed before his loving gaze.

His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, making her climb over him as he covered her chest with willful kisses: her heart drummed within her chest, he could feel it as his lips pressed countless kisses upon her left breast… grateful for each beat that signified they were still alive, still strong enough to offer themselves to each other, to find further strength yet in the intimate joining of their very souls. Azula struggled far more to caress him, finding so many bandages, so much damaged skin, all the signs of the pain he had been through, the pain he was happy to ignore as he devoted his energy, all of it, to her.

Her fingers trailed over the bare skin of his upper body, her lips kissing the top of his head. His enthusiasm made up for the strength his weakened body lacked, proving that pain-cancelling drink had been remarkably effective on him. Sokka wanted to give her his all, everything he could offer her as he laid her down upon the mattress anew, endowing her chest, collarbone and neck with further kisses: Azula welcomed all of it, despite her heart was conflicted, in many more ways than she dared speak aloud, even now. Should he do this? Was it alright for him to cave in to passion, to pleasure, when his body was so badly wounded? Perhaps it wasn't… but she lacked the strength of heart and mind to warn him, for his own good, not to overdo this.

So even if she should have known better, she arched her body into his caresses. She spread her legs, giving him ample room to bury his face between her folds, devouring her with such eagerness she could only cry out pitifully, tugging at the bed's sheets, her knuckles white as physical pleasure she hadn't expected to experience anew rose through her body.

It was Sokka… it was Sokka, and he was making love to her again. After fearing they would lose each other, after she had thought she'd witness his death, they had broken free from a dark fate and stolen back their right to choose their own future. They had overcome the worst odds, even if the cost had been steep… and what fools would they be if they allowed this second chance to go to waste? She couldn't even fathom it… not after she had been so desperate to save him. That his lips would still trail over her body, that he would still touch her with such loving desire, that he would be offering her a beautiful future by his side… her heart burned with bliss, careless, wondrous bliss, for their love had survived… and it would continue to survive, no matter what might come next.

The intensity of the moment reminded her of their prison encounter, even if the circumstances were different enough to be considered an improvement. Her legs trembled under his devoted lips, her heart raced furiously, demanding she obeyed its mandate: with every intimate caress Sokka offered her, she found herself forgetting every reason not to obey it indeed. Her mind, so clouded and troubled, had its dark clouds lifted by his affection, and just for a moment she could let herself believe nothing had happened… to believe they were back in time, back in easier days, where their recklessness hadn't cost them more than they could ever regain.

That loss of perspective, that temporary forgetfulness, pushed her forth without fear to the peak he had built for her. She clenched up, then released, aware of the shameless sounds that were pouring from her lips, unconcerned with concealing them. Her legs trembled violently as her body eased up or attempted to: he wouldn't stop, even now. Sokka lapped at her folds hungrily, more than willing to offer her another climax… and Azula didn't see the point in slowing him down. She shivered and shuddered again, her moans were all the more pitiful and desperate, and Sokka groaned as he received her for the second time in a matter of moments.

His ministrations were less intense after the second peak, despite he still was devoted to offering her every possible spark of bliss he dared beckon within her through his mouth and tongue. He breathed heavily as he pulled away, his breath brushing against her soaked folds: if she needed more convincing than this, he'd offer her his all, right here, right now. Her chest heaved, and her fingers were finally loosening up on the sheets. Sokka leaned closer, trailing his lips over her abdomen, kissing her womb softly, up to her navel, and then to her ribcage. He relished in doing this, lavishing her with as many kisses as he could, right after she finished explosively… it was familiar, comforting just as it was thrilling for Azula to feel his love in every single one of his actions.

"S-Sokka…" she called him, her voice trembling, unsteady: his lips had reached her chest, pressing new, warm kisses upon her breasts, but his own arms shook as he braced himself, climbing over her "Don't force yourself, Sokka…"

"I'm not… I'm not…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss her neck: he still trembled once she hugged him, forcing him to drop on her body so he wouldn't have to exert the strength he lacked.

His violent shivering matched hers, though at this point it wasn't easy to say whether pleasure, overexertion or anxiety were the causes in either case. Sokka's heavy breaths saw his chest rising and falling against her body: he took his chance to regain his strength as she held him this way, just before climbing over what distance was left before he could catch her lips with his own.

She rolled them on the bed once he kissed her: she flinched, however, when she carelessly allowed her wounded shoulder to bear the brunt of her weight. Sokka gasped.

"N-no, no, Azula… here" he said, helping her roll onto her back again… and then she turned in the opposite direction, letting her healthy shoulder bear with her weight instead "Are you…?"

"I'm… I'm fine… I'm fine" she breathed out, closing her eyes, trying to retain the tears: her shoulder had hurt, but her heart seemed to bleed out when she was at the receiving end of his loving concern yet again. Sokka's lips found her neck, once his fingers brushed her hair out of the way "I'm alright, Sokka…"

"You sure…?" he asked, softly: his hand slid around her abdomen protectively, embracing her gently, compelling her to slide her fingers between his own.

She bucked against him gently, rotating her hips lightly enough he might have assumed she sought nothing but a more comfortable position, if only her rear hadn't pressed against his manhood as it had. He breathed out slowly, covering her neck and wounded shoulder with tender kisses: once his free hand guided his cock to her entrance, she spread her legs to offer him further ease of movement, and he slid inside her cleanly, smoothly, both groaning together, tightening their grip upon each other's hand.

Sokka didn't rock forth, didn't thrust immediately, as he often did. Much as Azula had earlier, he seemed utterly paralyzed by the awareness that he was with her again, that their previous tryst hadn't been the last: that he was inside her once again, that she was around him, enveloping him, offering him warmth enough to chase away the cold dread and fear that had threatened to overwhelm him after their previous encounter.

Azula threw her head back, attempting to glance at him, even if her muscles pained her for it. Sokka's uneven, heavy breathing was accompanied by tears that spilled upon her skin again, by shudders he couldn't suppress.

"Sokka…" she called him: he raised his head, letting his brow brush against hers, seeking stability and peace in that gentle contact after the storm of emotion that had ravaged his heart. But her voice was a beacon, a shelter in the pouring rain… and with her in his arms, he knew his way home by heart.

"I love you… I love you, Azula…" he managed to whisper, his voice nearly inaccessible for him as his tears burned in his eyes "Azula…"

She might have tried to reason with his emotional reaction, to put a stop to what they were doing in fear that it might only hurt rather than healing his broken heart… but then he thrusted, and her body shivered pleasantly, inevitably, at the brush of his cock against her sensitive walls. She arched herself against Sokka, releasing a cry that was a mix between a loud moan and a gasp, prompting her lover to kiss her neck and shoulder all the more lovingly. The hand he kept upon her abdomen helped him hold her closely as he eased her into his new rhythm, erratic and unsteady as his breathing was.

They gave themselves to their turbulent intimacy, no matter how difficult their movements would be, no matter if their wounds suggested this was the last thing they should be doing: they gave themselves to pleasure carelessly, knowing full well that was the very crime that had landed them here… unwilling to take back any of the steps that had brought them down this path of life, all the same. It was too late for regrets… but it didn't matter whether it was late or early, not anymore. They had freed themselves so they could escape from Ozai's reach, completely removed from the dark reality that attempted to condemn them. No more hiding, no more lying… no more pretenses were necessary at this point. Their love, and every beautiful fruit it had ever yielded, filled them both with pride and strength… and that was how it would be until they drew their very last breaths upon this earth, until their souls passed on into a different existence, until their every incarnation returned to each other over and over again, finding their way back to one another without fail, as they had so far…

Azula took to thrusting as well, letting her legs lock with Sokka's, urging him to fill her fully, occasionally trailing kisses upon his face when she turned her head towards him. He groaned in response, slowly gaining further power in his erratic rhythm, finding his strength in her, as he ever did. Her moaning whimpers filled the air as her fingers tightened upon his own, still pressed against her lower belly. Her free hand clung to the mattress anew once the pleasure started to overcome her, and she gasped, cried out and shuddered violently when her newest release took hold of her system.

He followed soon enough, surrendering himself and his seed to the jolting, tender walls that coaxed him into climaxing smoothly, without any regard for sense anymore. He groaned and unleashed himself, losing strength across his body as he invested all of it into making love to her, for nothing else could matter as much as she did. If his body couldn't withstand the strain, that his last act would be to offer her his everything in their intimacy was, certainly, a much better death than the one he expected to face in such a dark day, in which he had escaped his demise more times than most people had to in a lifetime…

But he didn't come undone completely, regardless of his fears that he might. He breathed out slowly, shivering as his grip around her weakened at first, a consequence of that blinding, impossibly pleasant orgasm, only to strengthen once more once the aftershocks of his release had subsided.

Even under the influence of Jianghuo's medicine, Sokka knew he couldn't try this again a second time, no matter if his heart yearned to be joined with Azula for a whole night if possible. He breathed out slowly, letting himself slip outside her body: she wasn't trembling anymore, even if she had climaxed briefly before he did. Had this helped her calm down? Had it helped her strengthen her resolve…?

She had kissed him. He had asked her to come with him, and she had kissed him. They had landed in bed together, they had made love… all of it in such a whirlwind of passion Sokka could barely process it yet. But where he had been completely certain that Azula meant to say yes… now he found himself realizing she hadn't answered him, in the end.

Perhaps it was simply because he hadn't asked directly. He had talked… he had attempted to paint a future for them with words, a future he had no doubts she wanted just as badly as he did. She had answered those words, and then his actions with her own. She had seen to it that they wound up in bed together, tightly wrapped around each other… yet where she'd had her back against him by necessity before, now she lay where she did, in silence, unmoving beyond each breath she took. Sokka swallowed hard, exerting just enough strength to push himself up to look at her: her eyes were closed, though she still seemed far too restless to have fallen asleep that easily.

Sokka breathed out, letting his face rest against hers, his brow against her cheekbone. Azula made no move to push him off, but she didn't respond to the closeness, either. She might have been too tired… maybe she had needed this for more reasons than just to calm her aching heart. Perhaps it would ease her into sleep soon… Sokka could feel the pull of tranquility leading him down that path as well. But before that… before he was claimed, completely, by his need for rest, he needed to be sure he hadn't misread the signs before. He needed to know what she had chosen… what her truth might be.

"Stay…" he whispered, echoing words she had spoken the first night they had shared a bed. Azula's whole body clenched up in response to his voice… to the words he spoke with it "Stay with me. Stay, Azula…"

No answer right away. No response to his request. No acknowledgement of their previous conversation.

"Stay…" he said again, and now his voice wasn't as wistful, let alone as steady. A hint of despair spilled into it, throwing his previous peace into disarray as fear took hold of his soul "Stay with me, Azula…"

She shifted in the mattress: Sokka frowned, as she drew her knees up, as she gripped his hand as tightly as she dared. Her body curled forward as she hung her head, even while lying horizontally, on her side, across a bed…

He knew what the answer to his request would be even before the first sob shook her shoulders.

She didn't need to speak. She didn't need to do anything at all, not at that point. For when the first tears had dropped from her eyes, his heart had broken fully along with hers.

It hadn't been enough, then. What he'd said… what he'd done just now, none of it had sufficed. He had failed.

He could have been furious, frustrated, storming out of this cabin, urging the guards to mutiny against Azula for her own good… the very possibility of reacting that way, however, didn't so much as present itself in his mind.

For all he could see, all he could understand, was how broken Azula felt right now. How devastated, how desperate, how miserable she would be. His words… she had responded to them, she had allowed herself to dream of that future for just that moment, for just that instant of bliss they had shared. She had closed her eyes to reality, letting him guide her across what she no doubt had seen as a hopeful fantasy of a tomorrow that would never arrive. It had been blissful, beautiful…

But it was impossible. She wouldn't come with him. She wouldn't stay with him.

He gritted his teeth, feeling the tears surging in his eyes as well. His breathing had been easing up, but it grew labored again as he gripped Azula's hand, as he held her against himself, struggling to find any more words, to find anything else he could say… to fight back when he lacked the strength to do so.

She didn't want to do this, he knew as much. She wanted that future he had offered her, she longed for it so badly she couldn't bring herself to reject it with words, even if she had surely been resolved, all along, to turn him down. She cried now, as desperately as she did, because she wanted to say yes. Because her terrified heart longed to say she'd stay with him, even if she couldn't do so without lying… because the future she was expecting to walk towards was dark, unsettling… and it might destroy her. But just as she didn't regret their love, she didn't intend to run away from the consequences forever. Even if those consequences killed her… she intended to face them, for him. For his people. For her guards. For their friends. For everyone they had ever intended to protect.

He snarled, as his tears burned past his eyes, down his cheeks, falling upon her bare skin. The sensation of those tears upon her skin only worsened Azula's sobs: she curled up further into herself, and Sokka embraced her tighter yet because of it. He wrapped himself around her completely, unwilling to let go… if just for now.

For every second left would be vital… every moment left for them to share would end too soon. Even if the journey were long – and he doubted it would be that long –, it would seem to be over in a heartbeat, in the blink of an eye, and he had to cherish every instant before she was out of his reach forever.

He couldn't fight back. He couldn't resist anymore. If he tried, he would only hurt her further. He would only devastate her, and she had already been through enough pain. She had shed so many tears, used all her strength to fight back against her father's demands… she was exhausted. She didn't need him adding to her load…

And yet he cried because he couldn't stop himself. He cried, because his heart grieved already for what he'd lose… because he couldn't fathom a world, a life, without her in it.

But that was what they were condemned to face. That was what Azula had chosen… and as hard as it was to accept it, perhaps it was the right choice. Perhaps she wasn't wrong to sacrifice herself for the greater good… perhaps, if he hadn't loved her desperately, with every single fiber of his being, he'd understand far more easily. As he was, though, he had no choice but to surrender bitterly, for her sake more than anything. He couldn't fight back anymore. He couldn't hurt her anymore. She had been through enough.

He didn't ask again. She wouldn't be able to answer him with words, even if he had.

Broken, defeated and hopeless, the two lovers clung to each other as tightly as they dared, as they sailed into an uncertain night, to a dark fate… to a most unwilling and most unwanted ending.