Under Attack/Child of Two Worlds

1

Stability, peace and quiet: she hadn't known those three beautiful, idyllic concepts during most her life. Whenever all of them converged at once, though, Rei's countless worries would fall to the wayside, and she would indulge in the small, simple pleasures of her small, simple life. She would go to sleep quite late at nights, after watching the stars gleaming brightly in the sky until she dozed off carelessly on a seat in the estate's open courtyard, huddled comfortably in the warmth of her blanket. On some days, she'd sneak into the barn and, instead of only feeding the dragon moose, she would take to riding it across the estate's terrain. If she felt particularly energetic, she might even take to jumping on her bed, making a mess of her sheets, simply basking in the fact that she had a bed altogether – though she always made sure to fix the bed covers right after indulging in her childish fun.

That being said, a twinge of guilt manifested itself often on those days, guilt she often translated into overworking herself by cleaning every nook and cranny in the building, in case Zhao returned that day. She would have her fun later, but she wouldn't risk angering him by disregarding her responsibilities. Her luck had taken a vast turn after he had brought her to live in his home, and Rei didn't intend to displease him, giving him no cause to ever send her away.

So she had fun on her terms, and without ever taking any of it too far, always mindful and wary of making any dangerous mistakes. Living in this beautiful, ridiculously large house was a privilege she didn't take for granted.

That Zhao hadn't returned after two months had passed, however, was… odd. He had spent long periods of time away before, like during that crisis in the Capital that he hadn't explained to Rei upon returning. Was something similar happening now? Truth be told, Rei didn't know. On some days she could bask in her peace, her stability and the silence in these halls… but on other days she would simply sit by the door, waiting for any sign that he was alright, and that he'd come back eventually. She'd had enough food to cook while he was gone, and if need be, he had long authorized her to make purchases for groceries with the money he set aside specifically for her needs. Rei, frankly, didn't know if she wanted to use it at all… though sometimes she dreaded that she might have to. Leaving the safety of Zhao's estate to brave the world beyond it didn't appetize her in the least… but if he wasn't coming back, she'd certainly have to do that at some point.

For now, though, she ate whatever food she could still cook, mainly rice and beans, for there was little risk of any of them going bad in storage. Still, they might run out in time… there were only two sacks left of each right now. No doubt, her diet could be much better than this, and it would be once she finally gathered her courage to go to the market… but for now, she settled for eating small rations, hoping the Admiral would return sometime soon and spare her the need of going shopping altogether by taking care of that matter himself, as he usually did. She wasn't much good with strangers…

She focused on working on her lunch instead of worrying about him: by now, she might have tested every possible way in which to cook beans, and she still wasn't sure she'd found any she liked. She'd seldom cooked any before moving into Zhao's grand estate, thus, she'd never served them to him when he was around. Risking displeasing or disappointing him with a meal below his standards wasn't something Rei intended to do, not now, not ever… but he wasn't here now. He wasn't and the sky was blue, and the sun shone brightly, and she would be delighted to take the dragon moose on a careless stroll once she'd finished her meal…

Deep in the kitchen as she was, she didn't hear any noise by the estate's entrance. She saw no movement through the windows, as they didn't offer a view of the front door. So she continued to hum absentmindedly, tapping her foot to the rhythm of a song she hadn't heard in many years – and of which she could only recall a few verses – as she stirred her carelessly sloppy brew of overbaked beans. They had spilled a little on the furnace, she'd clean that up later…

The front door swung open, creaking loudly enough that Rei couldn't possibly miss it.

She gasped, immediately ceasing her humming and light dancing, turning in a panic towards the door. Oh, no. Oh, not right now… not at lunchtime! He'd returned? She couldn't cook anything good enough for him at such short notice…

But she had to make sure it was him. Maybe something bad had happened and it was someone else, bringing a message to say as much… though, goodness, she hoped that wasn't the case. She drew in a breath, sharply, before striding out of the kitchen quietly, nervously…

Her heart eased when she recognized the tall, respectable profile of Admiral Zhao as she was halfway to the door. He was alright, then… he had returned. The uncertainty, the fear that something bad might have befallen him had been misplaced…

Or so she thought, until she glimpsed the fatigued, displeased frown across his face. A frown he turned towards her once she stepped out into view.

"I… welcome home. I didn't know you'd be returning today…" Rei spoke softly, bowing her head curtly towards the Admiral. He breathed out, loudly, visibly, and stepped towards her.

"It feels like a thousand years since I've been home," he said, clenching his jaw as he stopped right in front of her. "Have you been well? Did you run out of food? Any problems to report?"

"No, everything is well," Rei said, with a small smile that betrayed what little pride she felt over not having failed at her duties. "There was still some food left… I can make rice for you, if you want any."

"No, not right now," Zhao said, shaking his head. "In fact… I know I've barged in here in the middle of lunchtime, but I have very little time to spare. Forget about whatever you were cooking, Rei. Maybe feed it to the dragon moose, instead…"

As cold as Zhao could be in a bad mood, he never was quite so dismissive of Rei's meals. He hadn't even known she'd been working with awkwardly baked beans…

"Is… is something wrong?" she asked, uncertain. "You won't eat at home…?"

"Neither will you," he said, cuttingly. Instinctively, Rei flinched. "We… have someplace to be. You can eat there."

"Oh… we are going out?" Rei asked, puzzled: Admiral Zhao never took her anywhere. Whatever his intentions might be, it would be the first time she'd leave the general safety of the estate ever since she'd had no choice but to run away, after being left alone with Hahn for far longer than she should have been.

"It's… more complicated than that," Zhao admitted, lowering his gaze.

A glint of light played on the hairpiece he carried on his head… a hairpiece Rei certainly hadn't seen on his person in all the years she'd known him. She hadn't noticed it until that moment, when the glimmer's reflection fell upon her eyes: why was he wearing that golden, sharp adornment over his topknot? It felt familiar, somehow… she had seen it before, if just the one time…

"I have been… assigned new duties," he said, swallowing hard. Rei's mind raced as she pondered the possible meaning of his words, but she didn't speak, waiting for further explanations quietly. "I'm not returning to the warfront, however, if that's what you thought… goodness, hell knows if I'll ever return, at this point. At any rate, I… I have been named Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Rei."

Rei's emotions always presented themselves overtly on her face, as she was seldom capable of hiding any of her reactions to whatever events unfolded around her. Thus, her confusion was evident… just as much as her horror was.

She couldn't bring herself to ask questions, shocked as she was, but they formulated in her mind all the same: how could Admiral Zhao become the Crown Prince when, as far as she knew, he had no blood ties with the Royal Family? Though, if he did have them, and he'd never told her… curses, that meant something rather strange for her that Rei certainly wasn't ready to ponder right now. She shuddered at the idea, immediately deciding it couldn't be the case… just as her mind trailed towards another path:

What had happened to Crown Princess Azula?

The hairpiece no longer played elusive games with her: she knew she had seen it once before, and now she realized it was when the Princess had suddenly visited the estate. The young woman had been strong and intimidating, the embodiment of Fire Nation ideals, carrying effortless authority in the sharp tone of her voice, displaying no end of intelligence in her steely eyes. As much as Rei had only seen her that one time, the impression the Crown Princess had left on her couldn't be easily shaken… whereas Rei had likely left no such impression on the royal, whatsoever. Rei was most unremarkable, after all, and the Princess had likely met countless people more interesting than…

She stopped her rampaging thoughts on their tracks: her expression shifted when her need to dispel her confusion outdid her shock.

"Why… are you Crown Prince now?" she managed to ask, before wincing. "If… if I can ask, that is…"

"Ugh…" Zhao huffed, lowering his head. "If only I could say you can't ask at all… but you have a right to the truth. It's not like you'll remain ignorant of it for much longer, either way."

His reluctance to share information never heralded anything good. Rei knew he sheltered her from the darker side of most his work for the Fire Lord, typically sending her to eat by herself elsewhere whenever he shared dinner with his gladiator… Rei, frankly, had never understood what sort of confidential information they'd speak of, seeing as the massive man with the metal limbs didn't appear to speak at all, but she always accepted anything Zhao commanded of her without question. He did not share stories of his time at war, or his learning years at the academy… and Rei assumed he thought this was for her own good. Maybe he was right, too… but she had certainly seen more darkness in the years before he'd found her than she'd ever truly processed or accounted for. If he had hoped to protect her from any and all darkness in the world, regrettably, he had been seventeen years too late to achieve that goal.

"The past months were… trying. Many unwanted developments took place," Zhao started, running a nervous hand over his hair. "I… might explain better once we're on our way to the Palace, but what's most important is, well… I'm Crown Prince because I've been wed to Princess Azula."

Rei's eyes snapped wide open. Of all possible explanations, that one hadn't even crossed her mind.

"I know. It sounds like madness, and I certainly don't feel any more comfortable with it than you must, right now…" Zhao said, averting his gaze from hers. "She is much too young, and I am far too old, and… if you find it revolting, I won't blame you for that."

"I… didn't say that," Rei whispered, jaw tightly set. It was no novel notion for her, older men with women far too young for them… what was novel, however, was the notion of Zhao being one such man.

"Well, if you ever do feel like saying anything of the sort, know it's nothing I haven't already said to myself," Zhao said, rubbing his face with his fingertips now. "At any rate, now you understand, I take it? We needn't drag this out longer than necessary. Pack your bags, and I'll answer your questions on our way to the Capital, if you would."

"Pack… my bags?" Rei repeated, blinking blankly. "I… what?"

"Did you not understand?" Zhao asked, puzzled. "Yes, Rei, pack your bags, any valuable belongings you wish to bring with you. We… are moving, to the Palace."

"But…" Rei flinched, shrinking in place. "W-what about the estate? Who will take care of it…?"

"I'll work something out," Zhao said, dismissively. "I might even sell it, if I can't find anyone else to mind it…"

"I can stay," Rei said, in a soft voice. "I won't cause trouble. I'll keep the house in good shape…"

"You won't stay here," Zhao frowned, and Rei lowered her head immediately, submissively.

Her confused emotions suddenly seemed to have been drained violently, replaced by fearful dread. Without needing to hear his command a second time, she did her best to push aside all thoughts and hopes of remaining in the first place where she had ever felt safe… though her heart seemed to be in denial of Zhao's orders, still. Merely ten minutes ago she had been baking beans awkwardly… and now she was leaving this place, without any warning?

"You will come with me," Zhao continued, breathing deeply. "I've actually put off coming to fetch you for far longer than I should have. I will require your services in the Palace."

"My… services?" Rei repeated, perplexed. "The Fire Lord's servants, are they, w-well… insufficient?"

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Zhao said, though the frown on his face spoke for itself: there was some reason why he wanted her to work as a maid at the Palace, a reason well beyond Rei's reckoning, at the moment.

"T-then… will we come here, sometimes?" Rei asked, eyeing Zhao warily. "It's just, well…"

"You like it here, I know," Zhao said, nodding. "We will see. The Palace may be a complicated place, in many regards… but I hope you will grow used to it, much as you did with the estate."

That, truthfully, sounded easier said than done: Rei had grown to love the estate because it embodied everything she'd never known she wanted in life. It was quiet, peaceful and stable… and something told her life in the Palace would never be any of those things. Maybe it was the persistent scowl on Zhao's face… maybe it was the displeasure of his voice tone. Maybe it was the hairpiece on his head, gleaming and sticking out in an unusual splash of brightness in the Admiral's typically sober armor and outfit.

"So… no more time to waste," Zhao said, hands on his hips. "Go gather your things. I will meet you at the front doors, I have a carriage there. We can carry everything to the Capital in it…"

"Oh… will we take the dragon moose?" Rei asked, a glimmer of hope sparkling in her heart: if they could have the gentle creature in the Palace, it'd most definitely help her adapt to a new home much faster.

Yet Zhao's brow drew together, and he shook his head. Rei's innocent hope was squashed to smithereens, just with that.

"I… will speak to Taoliang," he said. "He's served me for many years, he can keep the dragon moose."

"B-but…" Rei's voice was tinged with a soft touch of desperation as she pleaded with Zhao, uncertain of how successful her request might be. "Can't we take the dragon moose too? There should be stables in the Palace…"

Zhao raised an eyebrow, puzzled: Rei flinched and lowered her gaze. She shouldn't ask for more… he was already far too generous as it was.

"I'm sorry. I… I will go pack, right away," she vowed. Zhao nodded in her direction.

"Please do."

Without another word, the Admiral took off to the stairs, intending to gather his belongings as well. Rei stood in place for a moment, floored by the sudden changes, by the strange conditions under which they'd taken place… by Zhao's apparent need for her services. There was no way she would be a better cook or a more thorough maidservant than any of the people already working for the Fire Lord…

That thought froze her in place: that was when it sank in that she would be living in the seat of power of the Fire Nation.

She brought her hands to her mouth, utmost confusion petrifying her again: what on earth was happening? How come had she landed herself in such a strange situation? She, certainly, had no active role in making it so… but it made no sense. She was nothing special, a mere maid… not even a good one, according to her mother and her fellow workers. Zhao's only reason to bring her here with him was… well, the obvious one. He had protected her from a life she didn't want, even if she was resigned to endure it, once Lady Meili decided it was time… but she could be just as safe from that life by staying here, couldn't she? Winding up at the Palace, of all places… a nobody like Rei didn't belong there. Zhao, clearly, had to move permanently to the Palace if he would be Crown Prince, but Rei couldn't understand why he needed to bring her along…

Of all the things she could have expected when Zhao told her they were going out today, permanently leaving her first haven and marching off to the ominous Palace she'd be serving at, from that day forward, sounded like the absolute worst possibility of all right now. But however unsettling it might be, Rei knew she had no choice but to accept these changes, as she always did.

She rushed to the kitchen first, taking the beans out of the fire. Zhao had sounded quite dismissive when he'd advised her to feed them to the dragon moose, but as she'd have to say goodbye to the creature, her sole friend so far, Rei hoped he'd enjoy these, as a parting gift of some sort.

The dragon moose stood inside his pen, quiet, elegant and stoic as he ever was. Rei sighed, wishing she could have ridden on his back at least one more time before leaving…

"Here…" she said, smiling sadly as she poured the beans on the dragon moose's empty food plate. The creature huffed with interest, sniffing the food before burying his face in the sudden snack he had been gifted so generously.

Rei sighed: interrupting a creature during a meal was, she knew, a bad idea. Maybe she would have hugged his neck if she'd had no gift to bring him… but she hoped the food would serve as a more meaningful gesture to part ways with the dragon moose.

"I will miss you," she said, softly. "I hope Taoliang will be good to you."

She had no reason to fear otherwise – Taoliang had never mistreated the dragon moose, and he even thanked Rei often for keeping it well fed whenever he couldn't take care of it himself, if he was too busy with his other jobs to visit the estate. Still, saying goodbye had never been Rei's forte, and it wouldn't be today, either.

She swallowed back a few tears before returning to the main building of the estate: the beautiful white walls and crimson rooftiles had never felt all that suitable for a girl like her, used to much humbler accommodations… but she had grown to enjoy them, no matter how out of place she felt in such grandeur. No doubt, she'd feel even more displaced in the Palace… would it be white and red, like this, as well? Or would it be golden, much like the Princess's armor had been? That remarkably opulent attire had given away her status immediately when Rei had first seen her… what on earth could have stripped away said status from her? It wasn't like Rei knew her all that well, of course she didn't, she barely even heard about her from Zhao… but she couldn't imagine that powerful woman surrendering her position to anyone else by anything short of being on her deathbed.

Still, she'd understand once they were on their way to the Palace. Admiral Zhao would explain some more, he said… so, hopefully, she'd know how he, of all people, had wound up married to the Fire Lord's daughter.

It barely took ten minutes for Rei to gather all her things. While Zhao bought her clothes whenever he deemed it necessary, Rei didn't have many belongings, in truth. All her garments fit neatly in one bag, and everything else within her room seemed to belong to the estate, not to Rei herself. She bowed curtly to the room as she stepped outside, closing the door behind herself before releasing a sad sigh. She wasn't sure what to expect in the future… but she doubted it would be any better than the peaceful life she had enjoyed here. The Fire Nation's Royal Palace… as much as she knew Zhao was close to the Fire Lord, Rei had never believed, not once, that she'd ever meet the man, let alone that she would wind up connected, in a rather perplexing way, to the Fire Nation's Royal Family…

Zhao's hired carriage, manned by an unknown driver, boasted of far more opulence than the sober one Rei's dear dragon moose had pulled. This one was a tall, smooth black vehicle with gold embellishments decorating the roof and the borders of the doors. The driver, dressed in an elegant uniform, leapt off his seat and offered silently to carry her bags and hoist them onto the carriage's luggage rack, on the back of the vehicle. Rei thanked him quietly and waited for Zhao to appear: by the time he did, he carried six bags, as opposed to her single one.

"We'll make a stop to speak to Taoliang," Zhao said, curtly, as the driver accommodated his bags into place. Rei nodded obediently. "Then we'll be off to the Palace."

The carriage's inside seemed just as luxurious as the outside: if this was what Palace life would feel like, Rei certainly wasn't prepared for it. She sat on the edge of her seat quite literally, unsettled by such comfortable cushions, while Zhao sank at the other side of the carriage without a hitch, releasing a deep sigh of relief… or maybe not quite relief, considering the irritable expression on his face. Only then did Rei wonder if perhaps all these changes sat even worse with the Admiral than they did with her.

She didn't speak, and neither did he. They reached Taoliang's home after about two minutes, as he didn't live far away: Zhao didn't take long explaining his circumstances to the man, and Rei wondered if perhaps Taoliang required less explanations simply because he heard more news than she did. She waved shyly at him from the carriage, but he didn't notice her. Feeling self-aware and somewhat silly, Rei shrank in place until Zhao returned to the carriage. Instants later, they were on their way again… now, to an uncertain, new place that Rei would only hope she'd learn to think of as a home, much as she had with the estate.

Whatever thoughts were crossing Admiral Zhao's mind, he was so preoccupied with them that Rei didn't dare speak to him. She waited quietly, watching him, expecting him to eventually recall he had said he'd share more information about these strange circumstances with her… but it didn't happen. Puzzled by his silence, by the strange expression of mortification on his face, Rei wondered if perhaps she was better off not knowing anything… for, if whatever had happened made Admiral Zhao so miserable, she would do best not to give him further reason to dwell on it by reminding him of whatever his plight was.

The uneven terrains near the Capital forced her to take a full, proper seat against the cushioned backrest that still felt too luxurious for someone of Rei's lowly birth. She couldn't help but imagine the Fire Lord, a huge man with flames for eyes and a furious, flaring temper, pulling the door of the carriage open to demand that she was forced to walk instead, for she was a nobody, unworthy of his fancy vehicles. She shivered in place, glancing out the windows warily: they were close to what appeared to be the large crater of a volcano, and as little as Rei knew about the world, she knew the Fire Nation Capital stood within it.

Twisting her fingers, tightening her toes within her shoes, Rei almost wanted to close her eyes and ignore her reality until she couldn't do so any longer. The carriage continued onwards, Zhao continued to be silent, and she continued to feel entirely out of place until they finally reached a stop: the noise of the city had startled Rei, but by now she could hear next to none of it. Utter, absolute silence reigned in what she expected could only be the Palace.

"We're here," Zhao announced at last, and Rei winced. "Come, then."

He pushed the carriage door open before the driver could pull it, as he intended to. Rei followed him quietly, eager to leave the vehicle… only to wish she could return to it once her eyes fell upon the massive, dark, daunting structure of the Fire Nation Palace. Her treacherous mind's immediate thought even took Rei by surprise: she had never seen an uglier building. Oh, it was good nobody could hear her thoughts, she would be executed on the spot if she spoke them aloud, she suspected…

"Follow me," Zhao called back to her. Rei gasped and did as she was told: he was already halfway to the front doors while she stood, awed and terrified, watching the grim building before her.

The inside of the Palace didn't assuage her dread in the slightest: dark halls, decorated with magnificent but morbid artworks, welcomed their echoing footsteps on the polished marble floors. Rei shivered as she paced a few steps behind Zhao, unsure of where they were going. Was he bringing her to her new room? Or the kitchen, maybe? Worse yet… to the Fire Lord? She most definitely didn't wish to meet him. She was a nobody, a very strange nobody who happened to either have the best or worst luck in the world in virtue of her parentage. There was nothing special about her, not in the least, and the Fire Lord would never find anything remarkable about her, not even a small thing… he would be disappointed in her, immediately. He had to have so many better servants, so why was she here at all…?

Her self-deprecating thoughts accompanied her, worsening her anxiety as Zhao led her to an opulent metal door. Rei's eyes lingered on the floor – those were no doubt the fanciest tiles she'd ever stepped on, and as ridiculous as it was for her to feel like she shouldn't be stepping on them at all, she still did – as Zhao marched forward faster: she heard him sigh before knocking on that metal door softly, and then he turned the doorknob, without waiting for an answer.

The room was just as dark as everything else in the Palace. So far, Rei had no reason to believe there was a single bright location in this place… but since Zhao had stepped inside the room, she followed, quietly.

The daunting four-poster bed on a dais immediately brought a frown to Rei's face: this wasn't the kitchen, evidently, and it couldn't possibly be her new room. More embellished furniture, even more intricate than the carriage's adornments, lined both sides of the room. Curtains hung by the walls, and Zhao stepped towards them, yanking them open: once the light fell upon the room, Rei took notice of the large doors, one at the far end of the room, leading to a closet, she expected… the other one, ajar, led to a private bathroom. To the left, an arch opened the way to a dining room, and a tray of food sat there… amid dust.

There was dust everywhere: on every piece of furniture, on the floor, by the windowsills, on the nightstands and the dresser… it was as though this room hadn't seen any cleaning in months, or only the most basic possible cleaning. She glanced at Zhao as he finished fastening the binds of the curtains, then watched as he approached the bed on the dais…

Only then did Rei noticed there was someone lying on that mattress, underneath the sheets and the crimson blanket.

"Still not up?" Zhao asked, slowing by the bedside: from what Rei could gleam, whoever lay there had their back towards Zhao. "I've brought help, as I said I would. If you need anything done, do not refrain to ask for it."

Rei shivered in place: no answer came from that figure in the bed. There was next to no sign that gave away whether that person was still alive, even. Their shoulders didn't even shift with their breathing… maybe they were ill?

Zhao's apparent exasperation startled Rei. He shook his head and stepped down from the dais, approaching Rei once more.

"I know the filth from about a month is quite a large order to clean up… but please, do so," he asked her, and she nodded promptly. "I will inform Ozai that you're here now, and I'll take care of preparing your accommodations in the Palace. Please, be thorough."

"Yes… I will be," Rei nodded, bowing her head profusely in his direction.

She expected more orders, more indications… not for Zhao to acknowledge her with a nod of his own and a quick step towards the door. Rei's eyes widened: was that it? He was leaving her here with… with whoever that was?

"Wait…" she called, turning towards him.

The only answer she received was that of a firmly closing door.

Oh, curses… oh, damn. She knew the Fire Lord would need to be told, talked to… that there was much Zhao would need to do to smooth matters over. But did he truly need to leave her here without another word…? Rei shivered as she glanced over her shoulder at that hunched, unmoving shape on the mattress. It was almost like being locked inside a room with a ghost…

She swallowed hard as she dared move towards the wall, her eyes on that shape on the mattress. Rei had suspicions as to what was going on… slowly, she grew to wonder if this was why the Admiral had brought her here. If this was, too, why he'd been wed to Princess Azula…

Was she ill, after all? Were the other servants too important to be tasked with cleaning the room? Perhaps they feared they could be contaminated with whatever this illness was… Rei, though, had certainly lived through more than enough illnesses, both on her person and on those around her in her childhood, and she felt little apprehension about diseases, if that was the case. If this was truly Princess Azula – and who else could it be? –, it meant Admiral Zhao's marriage to her might be some sort of last-minute solution for the Fire Lord, for, from what little Rei knew, he had no heirs beside the Princess…

Rei's heart sank at the possibility, and she stopped trying to detail the figure hidden underneath those covers. If she was ill, then the best thing Rei could do was ensure this place was immaculate, as expected of her. It was why Zhao had brought her here… so it was what she'd do.

Where to start? She'd put away whatever needed to be put away, of course… though she had no idea where anything belonged, for starters. The food tray on the dining room… it was still full, she shouldn't toss that, should she? And it wasn't just full… oh, the meal certainly looked delicious to Rei, no matter how cold it might be. Her stomach churned, and she gritted her teeth: there would be a chance to eat later, once she was done. And she'd likely eat something a lot less extraordinary too, so there was no point in even admiring the scrumptious meal on that tray. No, she had to work, work, work…

She walked awkwardly through the room, glancing about herself for any sign of cleaning implements: she spotted no cleaning rags nearby, though. Was she expected to clean by rubbing her apron over the mahogany furniture? That made no sense, did it? There were new and old stains in the fabric of her garment, and she highly doubted Zhao would appreciate furniture that smelled of beans. She gritted her teeth as she continued to pace through the room, headed for the bathroom this time… she glanced about it with uncertainty, pulling cabinets open delicately, far more easily now that she wasn't in the exact same location as the Princess…

After some rummaging, as quietly as she could, Rei finally found a small, red towel. It was clean, it didn't appear to require any urgent use at the moment, and she suspected it was the best option she'd find for her appointed task so far: therefore, she stepped outside and got started with her work.

She dusted off everything she could reach, swiping the dust to the floor so she could gather all of it later. Little by little, the mahogany tables, fancy and beautiful, gleamed better under the sunlight, and Rei beamed for it. She continued to work dutifully, quietly, thoroughly rubbing the towel everywhere, hoping Zhao would be satisfied with her work once he saw it. He never complained, and Rei always took that as a good sign… how long would it be before he returned? She had no idea…

She moved on to clean the bathroom too, though she suspected she should do more than rub a towel on the dry tub. Once Zhao returned, she'd ask him for implements so she could do an even better job at this. If this was what he had brought her here for, she would do her damnedest to keep everything properly clean, yes. That was what she'd done in his house, and that was what she'd do here, no matter how strange this situation still felt…

By the time she was cleaning the dining room, however, her exhaustion started to take a serious toll on her. The long table took a long time to clean properly, as did the chairs around it… and upon finishing her duties, Rei stopped by the food tray again with longing, wrongful and misplaced as she knew it was. Fool… she had to hold back. She needed to be patient, this wasn't a place where she could act out like she would in the estate whenever Zhao wasn't around. He was around, for one thing, even if not inside this room right now… but more importantly, he surely had been far more forgiving, Rei suspected, than any other resident of this Palace would be if she was caught doing anything wrong. She couldn't do anything stupid, she couldn't…

"You can eat it… if you want to."

Rei yelped. The towel flew out of her hands, and she bumped into the table upon hearing the scratchy, hoarse sound of a female voice.

Her wide eyes fell upon that figure again: some of the covers had been reeled back, revealing a gaunt, sickly face, whose features were familiar all the same, for she had gazed upon them long ago…

"I…!" Rei gasped, breathing heavily, nervousness rushing through her: she bowed, lowering her whole torso, much as she had the first time she'd seen that very woman. "I apologize for my behavior. I haven't touched any of it, I swear…"

She lingered in place, in that position, feeling those vacant eyes upon her. Vacant eyes that, the first time they'd met, shone with purpose and determination… whoever this woman was, she certainly appeared to share very little in common with the powerful Princess Rei had briefly encountered in the past.

No response. Rei gritted her teeth, unsure if she should raise her head… no, no, she shouldn't. An apology meant showing proper remorse, and that was done by giving the other person all the power in their exchange… by enduring whatever they might decree necessary in order to properly punish her for her misdeed. Oh, fool that she was… how could she be so stupid? She should have finished the job quickly and then left the room to find food of her own somewhere, even if just berries on bushes in the gardens or something like that. Stupid, stupid, stu-…

"Rise."

The soft tone of her voice when she spoke that word took Rei aback. Did it mean that her apology had been accepted…?

She raised her gaze again: the Princess still lay quietly in bed, gazing at her through half-lidded, crestfallen eyes. By the look on her face, Rei would expect she hadn't smiled in weeks.

"You," the Princess suddenly said, startling Rei again. "I… have seen you before."

"I… y-yes," Rei gasped, startled, her cheeks immediately flushed. "We… we have met. Back in Admiral Zhao's estate. I…"

"You wouldn't rise until I told you to… and you walked backwards, still in reverence?"

"Y-yes… I did," Rei acknowledged, her embarrassment increasing further. Oh, she really had made a fool of herself that day. Where she had seen an extraordinary woman, the Princess had seen, no doubt, a total idiot…

Wait. She remembered her?

"Huh…" the Princess didn't say anything else… but she continued to stare. Rei shivered in place, uncertain of what to make of the woman's generous, forgiving behavior. But maybe this was just a test… and Rei had no intentions of failing it by being greedy.

"I-I will find food for myself later. This is… yours?" she asked, softly. "If you want, I… I can look for a better tray so you can eat it in bed?"

"If you don't want it… you can throw it," Azula said, simply. Rei's eyes widened. "I've had my fill."

Rei blinked blankly, glancing at the tray again. It was untouched: her fill of what? Was this just the way powerful, rich people acted? It sat ill with Rei… for she'd never seen a more delicate, beautiful meal before. If it tasted half as good as it looked…

"I-is it really okay if…?" Rei asked, softly. Azula hummed.

"If he comes back… just tell him I ate it myself," she said, and her eyes fluttered closed. "You won't be in trouble. Do what you will."

This was strange… very strange. Rei half expected the woman to climb off the bed to condemn her if she so much as touched the meal… but somehow, she appeared so broken Rei genuinely doubted she'd do that.

So she dared pick up the chopsticks, ornate and beautiful as they were, and she used them to collect one long-cold beef slab, drenched in a sauce Rei was sure she'd never seen before. She watched at Azula the whole time, wary of her reaction, even if the Princess kept her eyes closed still. Dubitative and terrified, Rei brought the beef to her lips…

The first bite was enough to break her initial resolve: she couldn't stop eating this now. It was delicious, she'd never had anything like this! A soft whimper of happiness escaped her lips, and she sat at the dining table to eat eagerly, careless and unrepentant now. She wasn't sure if she felt the Princess's gaze upon her… but if so, the convalescing woman said nothing. Rei ate as though she'd never had a meal before in her life, and the stomachache she'd been ignoring so far, rooted in her unsated hunger, eased up with each mouthful she swallowed…

Before she knew it, she'd cleaned out the whole tray. Her cheeks flushed as she glanced back at the Princess… to find her asleep. At least, her eyes were closed still, so…

"Oh…" Rei bit her lip, glancing at the empty tray. Where was she supposed to take this now? Should she take it somewhere, to begin with…?

Footsteps outside. Rei flinched, jumping up to her feet as she immediately felt the need to hide. But the Princess had authorized her to eat it, hadn't she? There was no need to be afraid, she'd told her to lie to Zhao if need be and claim she had eaten it instead…

The door swung open, and Zhao didn't enter the room: a soldier in red-and-gold garb stepped through the threshold instead.

The man stopped cold on his footsteps by the foot of the bed, and as much as his helmet hid his expression, Rei had the distinct feeling that her presence had caught him by surprise… he stepped towards her, spotting the tray behind her.

"The Princess ate?" he asked, quietly. Rei gritted her teeth before nodding in silence… she was a terrible liar, even when she wasn't speaking.

The soldier didn't believe her. She didn't need to see his face to know he didn't believe her. But the man turned… and stepped towards the bed.

The slumbering woman ignored him, of course. A sigh escaped the soldier… and then he moved towards Rei. She flinched, expecting a scolding, violence, anything to punish her for her obvious lie…

The soldier walked past her and picked up the tray without a word. Instants later, he was out of the room again, closing the door behind himself. Rei let a breath out, clasping the chair she'd been sitting on before. Oh, curses, this place was unnerving. Everything about it was unnerving. Why couldn't she have stayed in the estate? She would've taken good care of it…

"Thank you."

Rei winced as she glanced at the Princess anew: she'd spoken again. She'd… thanked her?

"I… d-didn't do anything," Rei mumbled, softly.

"Got Renkai off my back… that's something," the Princess replied, quietly. Her eyes were still closed.

Renkai, then? That was the guard who had just entered the room? Rei swallowed hard, more puzzled yet. The Princess was supposed to eat, though… and she'd helped her avoid it? Was she complicit in some sort of crime? The idea didn't sit well with Rei at all, but she couldn't do anything about it anymore. The next time, she'd make sure Princess Azula ate… well, hopefully she'd have enough food of her own to have her fill, and to also help the Princess eat properly. If she was ill, it was certainly important that she ate good meals so she could get better.

Still… if her actions had meant something to the Princess, maybe there was something else she could do. Or many other things, too. She'd willingly talked to Rei… maybe she could reveal where the proper cleaning implements were. If she did, Rei would do a much better, thorough job at cleaning her room…

"Is there… is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, shyly. "I… I'm sorry I used a towel from your bathroom to clean, I didn't know where to find… w-well, anything else."

"Hmm," the Princess's hum appeared utterly unconcerned with Rei's apparently shameful confession. Rei had expected anger, perhaps… displeasure for acting without permission. Nothing, though? "There's… a storage room in the corridor. Two doors down. You might find something there."

"Oh. Yes, thank you, I'll do that right away!" Rei smiled brightly.

The Princess hummed again but said nothing more. Rei rushed outside, finding the storage closet the Princess had mentioned: brooms and proper cleaning rags, buckets, even some incense and flasks containing herbs that Rei immediately recognized for cleansing the air with sweet aromas. She gathered everything she thought she'd need, closing the door promptly before running right back to the only room she knew in the Palace so far, ready to clean it far more thoroughly now.

Halfway through preparing herself to fulfill her tasks properly, busy filling a bucket with water in the bathroom, she suddenly heard the Princess's voice again, calling:

"R… Rei. Rei?"

She knew her name.

Rei jolted upright, dashing outside the bathroom. Had Zhao told her what her name was before bringing her here? Or did she somehow still remember it, from all those years ago…?

"Y-yes, Princess?" she answered, promptly, her heart racing.

"I just wanted to ask…" Azula said, her voice frayed. All of Rei's sudden excitement dwindled at the considerable fragility of the royal. "Can you close those curtains again?"

Rei blinked blankly. That was it? Really? Maybe the Princess's illness would be better off chased away with sunlight… but to be fair, from this angle, it wasn't quite sunlight that poured into the room, but rather, the resulting brightness that fell upon the Palace grounds. In such darkness, even a soft glimmer of light could be blinding, she guessed.

"Yes, Princess," Rei said, nodding in her direction.

It only occurred to her that Zhao might be upset to return to the room and find she'd closed the curtains once again, when he'd expressly seen to opening them… but Rei guessed he'd understand. It had been an order, after all… the only one the Princess had given her. Surely he wouldn't blame her for following it, would he?

With quick tugs, Rei undid the bindings of the curtains. In a matter of moments, the Princess's room was once more flooded by shadow.


The dark period was at its peak. Night was constant, without the mild respite from even the slightest sliver of sunlight at the furthermost shores of the South Pole. It was dark, it was cold, and it seemed that it would remain that way forever.

For Sokka, the past days – or rather, nights – had been bearable. He had attempted to follow through with his sister's suggestions, pushing forward to live whatever life he could in the depths of the large ice casket that had once been his home… that, perhaps, could become his home again if he allowed it to be. Still, some days were harder than others… and that particular day was one of them.

He sat by the lanterns on the edge of Suki's training grounds, at the center of the village. Her apprentices were improving: some women had manifested unexpected aptitude for combat while others still required more practice to perfect their basic movements. Perhaps, because of how successful they were lately, Sokka often found his mind returning to his own lessons to another group of inexperienced women, longing to prove themselves worthy of the honor of serving their nation… and thus, his thoughts inevitably turned towards Azula.

His sorrow didn't tear him down all the time anymore. It hadn't happened yesterday, or the day before… but maybe today was special. Maybe, as today was the solstice, his heart weighed more heavily in his chest… for, even if it was the winter solstice for them, he knew it was the summer solstice on the northern hemisphere. And that meant…

He sighed, rocking the child in his arms gently. Zi was never fussy, she barely ever made any noise – and whenever she did, it was a soft, bird-like chirp. He hardly needed to do anything to keep her calm… but perhaps it was Sokka himself who needed the soothing.

"You don't know what day it is today, do you?" Sokka asked Zi, casually, biting his lower lip. "Of course you don't, you're still too tiny to even know one day apart from the other, aren't you? Also too tiny to understand anything I say, but… it's still interesting talking to you, weirdly. I guess it's because I know you won't judge me…"

He spoke teasingly, and the baby's large, violet eyes gazed at him with utmost curiosity. Sokka offered the child a small, crooked grin.

"Yep. I know you won't judge me because you don't know what I'm talking about," he said. "Well, Zi… it's her birthday today. Your aunt's birthday. No less than that."

He spoke the words softly, another stab rushing through his heart as he said the words. His last birthday had been the best of his life… today, he guessed, might be the worst birthday of hers. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing… how he wished he could be beside her, how he longed to bring her comfort of any sort.

Instead, he simply grieved. He grieved because he couldn't be there after all, he grieved because there was nothing he could do, not from so far away, to ease her sorrows. Weights dragged him down, as they always had since he been torn from her side… but nothing was quite as heavy as the necklace he carried in his pocket.

He was a fool, he knew, for doing this to himself. For carrying that reminder of their past… for carrying her rejection on his person. It still hurt, terribly… and he realized he was growing fond of it. An unhealthy mentality to have, to be sure… but he couldn't shrug it off. Where sharing the stories of Jing and Wentai could soothe him, the necklace broke his heart to pieces anew. His heart remained caught in that unhealthy loop, and try as though he might, he couldn't quite snap out of it… for he didn't want to.

He also refused to burden everyone else with the grief brought about by his memories, however: he shared the story of Jing and Wentai, and he answered questions about them, from time to time… but whenever his misery overwhelmed him, his choice in company was none other than the child in his arms. Zi, the silent, chirping baby, heard his woes and always offered a strangely comforting silence that Sokka hadn't found in anyone else so far.

"You do know, right? Who your aunt is?" he said, softly tickling the child's tummy. She wiggled, smiling, and even her laughter was quiet, a soft chirp as well. Sokka smiled, inevitably. "Yeah, it's a secret from your big sister, alright? But you're right: it's Princess Jing."

He whispered the words softly, as though he were genuinely sharing the secret with the child who couldn't possibly understand it. Still, he spoke this way just for the fun of it: Mari was a few paces away, preoccupied with something other than asking for stories, for today.

"I wanna be Wentai!"

"No, I'm Wentai! You were Wentai yesterday!"

It would be hard to believe that the two brothers who had insulted Mari a mere few weeks ago would fight nowadays over who would play the Wentai to her Jing: never had Mari yielded the role of Princess Jing to anyone else, in virtue of being a female firebender just like her heroine. The boys, of course, had latched onto Wentai once they started listening to the stories: it had taken them some time to warm up to Sokka, just as it had taken their mother some time to take a more active, enthusiastic role in Suki's lessons… but by now, the unpleasantness seemed to have been chased away completely. The Water Tribe, Sokka knew, wasn't remotely as unforgiving as the Fire Nation… mistakes, misdeeds, were amended. If you trespassed, you would think on what you did wrong and you would endeavor not to make that same mistake again. Sokka wasn't completely certain the boys had apologized to Mari properly… but the bright grin on her face as they turned towards her revealed she'd set aside whatever resentment she'd held for the brothers anyway.

"Who'd you think should be Wentai today?" asked one of them, looking at Mari expectantly.

She bit her lip before pointing at the other brother, who cheered and rejoiced as his sibling groaned in frustration.

"Yes! I'm Wentai, and you're Prince Piqi!"

"I don't want to be Prince Piqi!"

"Come on, Jing! We can win against Prince Piqi!"

Mari laughed and cheered, and their wild, chasing game began. The stand-in for Prince Piqi could only flee, trying his best not to be caught by his own Jing and Wentai as they ran within the open area between the training grounds and the many rows of igloos.

"Careful, Mari!" Sokka called to the child he kept under watch. She only grinned at him over her shoulder, waving carelessly at him before returning to her running. Sokka sighed, smiling a little. "She's indomitable, huh? It's like she got all the wild energy, and you got none of it, huh, little Zi?"

Again, the baby said nothing, just eyeing Sokka with her violet gaze. He grinned, releasing a deep breath.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm changing the subject… I just keep thinking she's bound to be lonely today," he said, his smile fading. "I mean… maybe I'm thinking too negatively, huh? It's been weeks and… and nothing's happened. Ozai's had enough time to gather his armies and raze this place into the ocean, but he hasn't done that so far. So… maybe he just won't do it after all? Maybe she did stop him, somehow… maybe she's managed to wrestle power out of his hands by now, don't you think? And then one day she'll just come back here… and tell us all about how things turned out when she returned to the Fire Nation."

Or maybe she was out of reach, and would stay out of reach forever, and he was wasting his time hoping for the impossible when Azula was utterly powerless to put a stop to her monster of a father.

He sighed, shaking his head at his own pessimistic thoughts. Once more, he rocked the child in his arms, calming his ever-breaking heart by soothing her.

"I miss her. Every day that goes by, I miss her more," Sokka whispered, softly. "I… I don't know what I'll do, honestly. I don't know how to do what Katara told me to… what Azula wanted me to. I… I've just never been much good at doing as I'm told, right? So… guess it's just force of habit, feeling like I can't keep up with this…"

The weight of the necklace in his pocket ever reminded him of that horrific, unwanted epiphany… of the cursed realization that, maybe, she'd never return. That maybe their promises would go unfulfilled and broken… all but one, of course: he'd never stop loving her. Whatever surprises he found in his pack, whatever sudden realizations he might have… whatever information they ever found out about the Fire Nation, if they ever learned anything new, it wouldn't change the mandate of his heart. If all that was left in the wake of heartbreak was miserable, overwhelming pain, Sokka would accept it anyway… for, strangely, that pain seemed to bring him closer to her, still bridging their souls together, no matter how far apart they might be.

"I suppose I should just count my blessings instead, huh? Focus on the good things… on happy thoughts. I'm back with my family… and I've gotten to know you, huh, Zi? Though… I can't help but wish she were here, and that she'd gotten to know you too. She always said she was terrible with children, but eh… I never believed it, no matter how many times she said so. She'd be thrilled with Mari… teaching her all sorts of mischief to mess with your dad, huh? And she'd love holding you too. You know, sometimes I…"

Sokka breathed deeply, glancing at the child with hopeless, pointless longing before confessing a truth he knew he'd never dare speak aloud to anyone else.

"Sometimes I can't help but wonder if a child of ours might have been just like you."

His chest hurt, badly, upon uttering those thoughts out loud. Yet a tingle of wishful happiness bloomed within that pain… wishful, pointless happiness that would never be fulfilled. They had loved each other, fiercely and passionately, beyond all control and common sense… they could have come this far, together. They could have shared a beautiful future… they could have had a child like Zi, with that dark hair just like Azula's…

"Oh, well. Pointless to dwell on it, isn't it?" he said, offering the child a tight-lipped grin as he sniffed quickly, violently brushing the tears away with his mitten. "Counting my blessings, yes, that's it. I get to be friends with you, my littlest niece. That's what's most important."

He had found it curious that, as much as Mari loved story time, and had grown to set aside her initial apprehension towards him, she didn't quite like Sokka himself that much… no, she loved the stories above everything else. Zi, of course, was far too young to understand the stories, even… but Sokka guessed she'd grow up hearing them, over and over again, repeated in her sister's voice relentlessly. Either way, it seemed to Sokka that Zi had grown fond of him… she seldom cried when he held her unless she grew hungry or had a small mishap in her underthings. Changing diapers was an art, Sokka had decided, after asking Kanna to help him the first few times, namely so he could truly understand how to help Zi when she needed it… by now, he could handle it fairly well on his own. It might be pointless training, he wasn't bound to ever have a child of his own, after all… but perhaps it'd be some use if his sister and Aang ever set their relationship in motion.

It was still odd to think about that possible romance, but he wasn't quite bothered by the idea, as much as Aang had expected otherwise. If the Avatar ever did anything stupid enough to break Katara's heart, there would be no marvelous bending that could keep him safe from Sokka's defense of Katara, of course… but he wanted to believe nothing of the sort would happen at all. They weren't kids, after all… and whatever relationship his sister wanted to have, it was none of Sokka's business. If anything, the only thing that would be any concern of his was helping her raise their little children, as far as Sokka could tell, if they ever had any…

"I guess I ought to be bitter… maybe I am, a bit," Sokka admitted, biting his lip. "Everyone gets to live their lives peacefully, feels like… well, as peacefully as possible, even if I've messed up everything just by being here. No one's future is truly out of reach… no one's but mine. And yeah, I hate that, but… I want them to be happy too, Zi. I want you to be happy, too. So… grow up healthy and happy, 'kay? That's all Uncle Sokka asks of you, alright?"

Zi remained silent at first, until she made one of her soft, chirp-like sounds, almost as though understanding it was her cue to speak. Sokka couldn't help but smile again. It wasn't the life he'd dreamt of… it wasn't the life he'd wanted. But he was fortunate… for she had made this possible for him. Azula had hoped he'd live in peace… it had been her final gift to him, one he couldn't cherish fully for what it was, but he did cherish her intent, no matter how heartbreaking it might be.

The sound of heavy footsteps, accompanied by a quick-paced canine jog, revealed Zi's father had returned: Sokka smiled at the arriving Gruff, who sped ahead of his master to check on Zi, his tongue dangling out of his jaws. He, much like Mari, had grown to accept Sokka little by little… though he didn't seem half as fond of him as Mari was, by now. Try as though he might, he couldn't win the dog's approval just by feeding him scraps of food. The irony that a wolf-dog wouldn't grow fond of him, when a dragon had grown to like him so quickly and so genuinely, didn't go lost on Sokka…

Zuko's boots sank in the snow as he approached. Sokka guessed he was much more cautious about walking quietly whenever he went hunting, for the haul of food he'd brought today couldn't have been achieved with such heavy footing. He set down the hares he'd found – easy pickings in the unforgiving winter of the South Pole if you found their burrows – as well as his hunting gear, right by the seat Sokka had taken, at the outskirts of the training grounds.

"Back pretty early, huh?" Sokka remarked, raising his eyebrows. Zuko nodded, releasing a breath as he yanked his parka's hood back.

"Got lucky today," he confessed. "Figured I'd do better to return instead of risking… well, ruining my luck, I guess."

"Probably for the best," Sokka acknowledged.

Hunting had turned into an utterly distant experience, though Sokka knew he ought to return to it sooner than later. If he was to live here, to stay here, he couldn't freeload off the product of his father's hunting trips forever. He'd never done that, in the past… Hakoda didn't appear to mind, but Sokka knew he had to return to that habit sooner than later.

Zuko's all-business façade faded quickly: he leaned over Sokka with a smile, stretching a gloved hand towards the child who cooed again upon glimpsing him.

"I'm back, little Zi," he said, using the sweetest voice he possibly could. Frankly, Sokka was surprised Zuko had it in him to make such voices, altogether. "Missed me?"

Zi giggled quietly, stretching her hands towards Zuko, who grinned and stroked his daughter's soft dark hair with as much kindness as he could. Sokka was of half a mind to hand the child over to Zuko, but a cheerful, childish shriek caused the firebender to turn his head quickly towards the source of the noise: he smiled again once he glimpsed Mari playing happily with the two boys.

"And I guess Mari's doing fine, too," Zuko said. "Guess you're a better babysitter than I ever would've given you credit for, huh?"

"What, you expected me to suck at it?" Sokka asked, as Zuko stood up straight again. "Why did you let me do it, if that's how it is?"

"Well, you were never going to be entirely unsupervised. If you messed up somehow, Suki would still notice even if she's giving her lessons," Zuko said, smiling warmly at his wife next.

Suki watched over her students as they performed a set sequence of movements, but she still noticed her husband once his golden eyes fell upon her figure. She grinned brightly immediately, waving in his direction, and Zuko smiled as well, with a much shyer greeting.

"See? She noticed me," Zuko said, matter-of-factly.

"That's just because you two have some sort of mental connection, apparently," Sokka smiled. "Even if she doesn't know for sure that you're back, she immediately senses that you are and her spirits brighten right away. And you're the same with her, too."

"Heh. Guess that might be the case," Zuko conceded, smiling shyly. "Well, anyway, take the compliment for what it is and quit picking a fight. Thanks for keeping an eye on Mari and Zi today."

"You'll take over now?" Sokka asked: it was almost a shame, having to hand Zi over to Zuko, but he'd be up for his own training bouts with the warriors soon enough.

"Thought I would, yeah," Zuko said, smiling a little as he glanced back at Mari. "Might be there's not much work to do with her, though… she's pretty busy with her friends, isn't she?"

"She hasn't even asked for a story today," Sokka said, with a sigh of relief. "Which is, frankly, better for me. She may think I'm an endless source of stories, but…"

"What, you're not about to say you're running out, are you?" Zuko asked, puzzled. Sokka grimaced.

"Well, there's… a lot of stories I refuse to tell your little child, Zuko," he said, simply. Zuko shuddered, paling as he imagined just which sorts of stories Sokka referred to.

"Smart choice," he said, breathing out slowly. "I know you've been, well, embellishing a lot of things, and probably skipping heaps more, but I somehow didn't think you'd ever run out of material."

"Still got a few more up my sleeve… but she can make up her own stories too, if she wants to. I'm pretty sure that's what she's doing now," Sokka said, gesturing at Mari with his chin.

The little girl and her appointed Wentai continued their relentless team-up against the other boy. Zuko watched them with a gentle grin, until he actually paid attention to the words they were saying:

"Blue fire! At Prince Piqi!"

"Take him down, Jing! Prince Piqi is a loser!"

The placid expression on Zuko's face shifted into utmost displeasure: his perfectly calm exchange with Sokka appeared to lean towards their traditional hostility once more. Sokka only smiled guiltily, holding a hand up in a gesture of surrender.

"I… didn't really intend for that to happen," he said. Zuko scoffed, shaking his head.

"Well, you'll have to think about the consequences of your actions sometimes, Wentai," Zuko huffed, pulling off his mittens in a gesture that Sokka found oddly menacing, yet not quite that threatening all the same. "The humiliation you're putting me through…"

"Hey, it's Prince Piqi. Nobody said it was you…" Sokka said, shrinking in place as his voice trailed off under Zuko's disapproving glare.

"Heh. Whatever. I… am going to clear my name," Zuko determined, setting down the mittens atop his bags before turning to Gruff, commanding him to stay put right where he was: the dog, obediently, sat down tensely, ever eager to follow his master's commands.

"You don't have to clear your name: it's Prince Piqi's problem, not yours!" Sokka almost laughed, as Zuko turned towards the three children in the snow. "Your name's all safe and sound! Oh, damn, you're just unreasonable…"

His attempt to reel Zuko in failed as the man strode purposefully towards the kids. Whatever he intended to do, Sokka highly doubted Mari would accept any other interpretation of Prince Piqi other than 'Princess Jing's loser brother', and… frankly, Sokka deserved to be blamed for that, he couldn't deny it. Trying to change the child's mind was quite complicated – to this moment, she still found Toph's stand-in character a most horrific person, no matter if she had become friends with Jing and Wentai.

But Zuko, unbeknownst to Sokka, had a plan. A plan that wouldn't fail… a plan that would make his daughter happy, perhaps even happier than she already was.

"Come on, at least try to fight back!" the boy playing Wentai laughed, nudging his moody brother, who huffed in his direction.

"It's already my turn to be Wentai…!" he had started, when Mari gasped beside him, beaming at someone over the boy's shoulder.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed. The two boys jumped back immediately, looking at the other firebender of the Tribe with reverent fear.

"That's right… I'm your dad, aren't I, Princess Jing?!" Zuko said, with a playfully vicious voice that wouldn't daunt anyone with common sense, as far as Sokka could tell. "And I can see you are having fun! This is unacceptable! By orders of Fire Lord Wunao… you will cease all this amusement and frolicking!"

All the children were silent now, thoroughly confused. It was clear Zuko was playing with them, but that, apparently, was a very strange concept, especially for the boys, to wrap their young heads around… Zuko had to take things a little further, then.

"You will behave yourself as a Princess must…" he continued to scold Mari pompously. "And not be friends with Prince Piqi or with Wentai. Instead… I am taking you for lessons on fishing with Lord Kino, of the islands of Neverwhere…"

"No!" Mari exclaimed immediately, startling her two friends. Zuko gasped.

"No?! You have refused?! Oh, whatever shall I do?!" he said, dramatically, falling to his knees before his daughter.

"Fire Lord Wunao isn't smart! He can't beat Princess Jing!" exclaimed Prince Piqi's stand-in, and Wentai nodded promptly.

"You can't take her anywhere!" said the stand-in for Wentai. Mari gasped but smiled as her father leaned back, horrified.

"No…? I can't? Then, if that's the case… I'll take Prince Piqi!" he roared, with a playful cackle. The kids laughed as he reached for the boy, to no avail. "Come here! I will steal the joy from your little boy's heart and make you a boring adult who knows no fun!"

"No!" the three kids exclaimed, laughing as Zuko attempted to pursue them… while on his knees, a most pointless way in which to attempt to threaten the children.

"You won't take Prince Piqi!" Mari laughed: the two boys ran along with her, looking at Zuko with utmost amazement.

"We will protect him from you!" the Wentai stand-in declared, and Zuko groaned in a playful, helpless way, reaching for the children to no avail.

"I will win! I will not be a loser today! Or else… they'll call me Loser Lord! That can't be!" he exclaimed, and as good as on cue, the boys began chanting 'Loser Lord' as they ran circles around Zuko. Mari laughed and cheered, joining in on their apparent humiliation of her father by singing as well.

Sokka couldn't hold back his laughter as he watched the most unbelievable scene taking place before his eyes. Never had he expected to witness Zuko playing the fool deliberately, let alone genuinely playing with anyone… but his strategy had been perfectly sound. There was no better enemy for Jing and Wentai than the dreaded Fire Lord Wunao, and it seemed that, for once, Prince Piqi had become an ally rather than an annoying rival. Briefly, Sokka wondered if he ought to make up stories along those lines, after what he'd seen today… maybe once they reached the time period of their encounter in Whaletail Island. Maybe…

A sigh shook his body, but he didn't stop smiling anyway as Zuko was attacked viciously by the two boys, one of whom took hold of Zuko's left arm, the other of his right… and then Mari leapt on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck while laughing as loudly as she ever did. Zuko swayed in place, puzzled by his daughter's affectionate hug-attack, no doubt unsure of how to play Fire Lord Wunao in the face of such a sweet finishing blow.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?"

Suki's voice brought Sokka's attention back from the play-fight taking place before him. Sokka smiled, noticing only then that the training of the day had been adjourned. The women still chatted after the lesson, though some had rushed off to tend to their chores and duties already, same as the teenagers who had every intention to run off to the Tribe's outskirts to practice what they'd learned that day.

"You mean, that Zuko's playful? Well… yeah, if I weren't seeing it right now, I'd never believe it," Sokka admitted, with a weak smile. "This place has been pretty good for him, hasn't it?"

"Very much so," Suki grinned at her husband, who had noticed her lesson was over and waved clumsily at her. The two boys seemed ready to fight still, and Zuko would have to think about whether to humor them or surrender to Mari's carefree solution of hugging the evilness away from Fire Lord Wunao. "You didn't get to tell any stories today?"

"She's generously given me some time to ponder how I'll tell her about what's next," Sokka admitted, smiling a little. "But she's having her own adventures, our little Princess Jing… and I'm betting you'll be hearing all about those before dinner tonight."

"Oh, I have no doubts about it," Suki laughed, leaning down to scoop up Zi into her arms. The child cooed happily again, greeting her mother with a smile. "Had fun with Uncle Sokka today, did you?"

Little by little, the title had been catching on. Even Mari sometimes would call him her uncle spontaneously, despite having no grasp, not truly, on how he'd be connected to her family at all… but the tightness of the Water Tribe made it so everyone felt like family. She might not even understand what actual blood ties were, let alone how far they went… but one day, Sokka guessed, Mari would realize he wasn't related to her by blood, just as Katara and Hakoda weren't. One day, she'd piece together the story of Jing and Wentai… and by the time she did, she might realize why, exactly, he was Uncle Sokka. For now, however… the title didn't sit badly with him. It was, after all, an acknowledgement of the truth… of the scar on his hand, of the necklace that weighed heavily in his pocket and his heart.

"You're up now, though… ready for it?"

Suki's voice brought him back to reality: the warriors were already assembling for his turn at giving lessons. Some of the women had chosen to stay for that, too, brandishing some of the newly forged weapons that had been crafted expressly for them in the preparations for the Tribe's defense. Kino, of course, stood among them, waving happily at Sokka while holding his own, brand-new whalebone knife in his eager hands.

Sokka breathed out and nodded, rising to his feet. His foot tripped one of Zuko's spears lightly, without causing it to tumble to the snow… yet again, the gear served as a reminder of a man he'd once been. Of duties he'd have to take up again, sooner or later. Once this conflict was behind them, or once it was clear that Ozai truly wouldn't attack at all – unlikely as that possibility still appeared to be, in Sokka's mind –, he'd have to go hunting once more. He'd have to provide for his family, much as he had back during the worst years of the war…

But for now, he had other duties that beckoned him. He'd return to that life, his old life, little by little. So far, it felt like an old glove, worn and unused for years, fitting awkwardly on his palm and fingers, but slowly, it molded back into place. Whether it was merely a matter of Water Tribe adaptability or simply that his body was well-suited, even from an ancestral standpoint, to this weather and world, the truth was that it seemed every sign indicated that he should return to his roots, to let go of the complications and horrors of a life that had nearly killed him…

But he couldn't focus on the bad without remembering the good… without recalling, whenever he saw Mari's joyful golden eyes, the first woman he had ever seen with irises of that same hue. The woman who had granted him unimaginable, infinite happiness… the woman who had learned to see the world from other points of view, by his side. The woman for whom he would have done anything… for whom he had done everything. The woman who was out of reach, and who might never return to him.

Maybe he would settle for being Uncle Sokka one day, playing with kids, helping his grandmother cook, discussing his ideas on how to protect the Tribe with his sister and his father, going out hunting on occasion, bringing in prey and cooking food that they might share with their neighbors.

But maybe he wouldn't be able to live that way, or maybe not for very long.

His pain, he knew, would never go away… but maybe, against all odds, he'd find a way to make something useful of it. He didn't know what just yet… but there had to be a reason why his heart couldn't seem to settle for this. A reason why his chest ached with that familiar feeling of wrongness that always spread inside him when Ozai, damned Ozai, had his way…

He still had no idea what he'd do, if not living out the rest of his life quietly, with his head down, in the Southern Water Tribe. But maybe he'd feel a calling in time, beckoning him to act rather than waiting in mournful silence… maybe. Until then, he had one certainty: a group of warriors waited for him to continue instructing them in the ways of combat, and he would make them the best fighters they could possibly be in order to protect the Southern Water Tribe.

Without another moment's hesitation, Sokka stepped forward into the group of proud, eager warriors to offer them their next lesson.