A/N:

And here's my first sequel this year. Sequel to the longest oneshot I ever wrote, too. This time, I'm afraid you'll definitely be better off reading that insanely long story first before trying your hand at this one, otherwise a lot of things will be very difficult to understand, not only of the setting but of the characters' dynamics.

In short, this is a Dragon Age AU. To summarize things, Sokka is the king of a nation in the world of Thedas, Ferelden, as well as a member of the Grey Warden order. Azula is an apostate, a mage who lives in defiance of the authority of the Chantry, the ruling religious order of that world. Last time, the two of them had to part ways after Azula performed a dangerous, illegal ritual to save Sokka's life. This story begins around seven years after that... and where the first one was the storyline of Dragon Age: Origins, this one will verse around the plotline of Dragon Age: Inquisition instead.

In case there's anything I didn't explain properly, feel free to visit Dragon Age's wiki/fandom site to investigate anything you need to know. I may not have finished every character's plotline properly here, but it's mostly because this time, Sokka and Azula aren't taking the place of the protagonists, but rather, of secondary characters in the game. Thus, their points of view were a lot more restricted... which also allowed me to make this story half as long as it was last year :'D

For anyone who would like to know which characters correspond to each other, feel free to scroll to the bottom of the story, where you'll find the full "cast" for this particular installment of Leap of Faith :'D

And that's that. Hope you enjoy it!


As far as most of his staff was concerned, the King of Ferelden might just be a vain man. Nothing else could have explained the strange choice he made to bring a massive, ancient, beautiful elven mirror into his bedchambers about two years after the beginning of his rule. Arl Zuko, the newly appointed Arl for the city of Denerim, had no opinion on the matter, choosing to deflect all questions about it and urging everyone to focus on their duties and the successful running of their kingdom while allowing King Sokka proper time to mourn his losses and sacrifices…

Unaware, entirely, of the magical properties of the mirror in question.

Since the mirror's arrival, King Sokka had made it clear that he would generally be unavailable after dinnertime. He locked himself in his room and no one would hear from him until morning. Where his friends had assumed it was simply a manifestation of grief, however, the truth the monarch hid was quite different.

"Well, now, fancy that! You already know that much about the Seekers of Truth, do you? Kazuo, you dragonling, you're a genius!"

"Mother taught me, Father."

"Oh, naturally: but see, she's a genius too, and you take after her, so…"

"How fortunate that he does take after me, is it not?"

Sitting with his parents by the fireplace, Kazuo smiled in a sweet, if guilty sort of way at the barb his mother shot shamelessly at his father: the King of Ferelden was a respectable man, but in this hut, he was simply 'Father' for Kazuo… much as his mother, a daunting Witch of the Wilds, was simply 'Mother'.

That a so-called swamp witch would go to the lengths she had to ensure their son would have an education had always warmed the king's heart: at the moment, she and Kazuo had taken residence in a small cottage near a village where she handled the young man's education personally, on a daily basis. Today, Kazuo had learned much about the Chantry's hierarchy, a most necessary topic for him to know about, for that meant he'd know exactly who the more dangerous sorts of templars were, which members of the Chantry to ensure to avoid, and how to act like a proper Yangchen worshipper if needed, even though his education had ensured that his grasp on religions would be too broad for him to settle on any single belief system. Much like his mother, of course, it was likely that Kazuo would never become a particular believer of any religion: he, perhaps, believed in magic, something much more tangible, much more real…

For magic was weaved into the very core of that child's existence.

Nothing about their family was conventional: Kazuo and his mother moved from location to location every few months, never staying anywhere for too long. Their father didn't truly live with them: he visited them through the Eluvian, the ancient elven mirror Azula had provided for him, a magical portal that led him across the ethereal Crossroads – a mystical plane of existence where the ancient elven mirrors were linked to each other. Azula's discovery of this ancient elven magic had been monumental: if the world at large knew of it, if they learned how to work the Eluvian system, everything would change in the blink of an eye…

Which was one of the reasons why Azula was determined to keep her investigations on the matter as quiet as could be.

She had worked hard through the years that had followed Sokka's coronation to understand the Eluvian network. She was far from an expert on the matter still, though she had made great progress on that front over the past years. The main progress, of course, had been her development of means to activate Eluvians, to test them and enter them to find, possibly, worlds unknown, lands unexplored, places untouched for centuries where the ancient elves had left their magical relics well before their downfall. Were the circumstances any different, Sokka would have explored each of those locations alongside her and Kazuo…

But their years of adventuring together were supposed to be over by now. Instead, Sokka could only visit them at night, as long as his royal duties weren't too demanding. He would always check on his family, bringing them food from his royal palace as well as toys, gifts, even clothes that they might use to better conceal themselves in the world they braved without him. The time he could spend with them was a true gift, no matter how brief it might be: sitting by the fire right now, after hearing what Kazuo had learned on that day, Sokka couldn't stop smiling, an arm around his beloved Witch of the Wilds, her head comfortably resting upon his shoulder.

"Mother says… she says you were a templar before. Is it true, Father?" Kazuo asked, with a guilty smile. Sokka scoffed, eyeing Azula with disbelief.

"Your mother loves pretending I was a full-blown templar, but no, dragonling. I didn't finish my education, and she always mocks me for that, too," Sokka growled, leaning down to nibble Azula's neck playfully. She laughed, playfully smacking his arm.

"Behave yourself, you fool…" she said, shaking her head. "Or are you keen on proving I have every right to mock you?"

"Well, it's not like it matters whether you have the right or not, because you do it anyway," Sokka declared, slumping atop her shoulder and eyeing her with a pout. "It's like me being a king means nothing to you, somehow."

"Uh… 'tis because it doesn't, indeed," Azula confirmed, with a devious smirk. Sokka yelped, and Kazuo laughed at the promised argument that was bound to erupt between the two.

To anyone watching, theirs would appear to be a perfectly normal family. Their behavior wasn't the expected one from people of such dissonant, disparate social strata: Sokka had been raised as a commoner even though he was the bastard son of King Hakoda Theirin. He had taken his place on the throne after defeating the Archdemon successfully in the Fifth Blight – for along with being trained as a templar briefly, Sokka had been recruited into the Grey Wardens and effectively saved Ferelden, and the world, from the darkspawn horde.

Meanwhile, Azula was an apostate, a clandestine mage, raised in the swamps of the Korcari Wilds. Born to the legendary Ursa, Witch of the Wilds, her magical abilities marked her as an outcast in Chantry society, for she refused to be corralled and lumped together with the subservient mages who were controlled by the Templar Order and the Chantry. She had scarcely known grand civilizations, big cities, anything beyond the wilds she had been raised in, until she had joined Sokka in his journey to defeat the Archdemon.

They had fallen in love through that journey, in which Azula had offered Sokka the means through which to preserve his life in the confrontation against the blighted Old God: together, they had performed a ritual that had resulted in the conception of a child tainted with darkspawn essence, much as his father, a Grey Warden, was tainted with it as well. When the Archdemon was slain, the Old God's soul had sought to reform within the child's body rather than latching onto Sokka… and the combined corruption of both forces had destroyed the taint altogether somehow.

Thus, Kazuo was a perfectly healthy boy, with dark hair and large blue eyes: he appeared perfectly innocent, a normal child… and yet he hosted that Old God's soul within him. He probably would for as long as he lived.

He had been raised by Azula to be part of society: she had even sent him to school a few times until she had grown sick of the poor education systems in the towns they visited and taken upon educating the boy herself. Even so, whenever she had the opportunity to show him new locations, to bring him to new societies, she'd ensure to seize them: it was heartwarming, and heartbreaking, that she would go to every possible length to ensure her son would never grow up isolated and ignorant of human culture, the way she had been raised due to her mother's selfish choices.

At this point, it was easy to forget about the Old God's soul more often than not: Kazuo would occasionally blurt out strange words that no seven-year-old should be speaking, but beyond that, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He had manifested no magical aptitudes, so the likelihood that the Old God within him might take advantage of a potential connection between the boy and the Fade was rather slim, if not non-existent.

It wasn't an ideal life – Azula and Kazuo had to remain on the run constantly, never staying too long in the same place to ensure that Ursa, supposedly dead but unlikely to stay that way forever, would find them –, but it was better than the alternative. As much as he teased her, as much as he let her tease him right back, whatever whining and protests Sokka might offer Azula were utterly empty, and she knew as much: there wasn't a single day in which the King of Ferelden wouldn't be grateful for the opportunity to have her and Kazuo in his life, in any capacity. He had missed out on some of Kazuo's earlier years, since Azula had yet to unlock the secrets to the Eluvian system, but if he could get away with it, he wouldn't lose another day. Not a single day…

Of course, it was fitting that Azula would choose to test and break his resolve to do so on that very night.

After sharing a fun fireplace conversation, Kazuo went to bed at a reasonable hour. His parents didn't follow his example, indulging in their intimacy freely instead: the bed in this hut wasn't great, and Sokka constantly teased Azula about bringing her through the Eluvian one day, so she could feel how soft his royal mattress was… but all such teasing ended abruptly when Azula announced the last thing Sokka wanted to hear:

"My latest investigations into the Crossroads and the Eluvians have led me in a rather… unexpected direction. Orlais is, without a doubt, the last place where anyone would expect to find me… and so, the very place where I must go, next."

Sokka blinked blankly. He rolled on his side, staring at the mother of his son in disbelief, and Azula, long hair splayed upon the mattress, returned his gaze with undisguised remorse.

"You're saying… there's something going on with the Eluvians there?" Sokka asked.

"One of the Eluvian I have researched in the Crossroads recently appears to lead there," Azula explained. "I cannot say for certain if I will learn more within the Orlesian Court… but 'tis been years since my mother was slain. I can almost feel her closing in, at times. It may be unsafe for me and Kazuo to remain in rural outskirts for much longer… he has proven to be a well-mannered boy; he won't stand out in court. The soul of the Old God lays no claim upon his own."

"How exactly do you intend to make your way into the Orlesian court, though?" Sokka asked, perplexed. "And you're sure Ursa can't follow you in there? She doesn't seem like the type to hold back from showing up, in dragon form, to trash a fancy party or two…"

"She is not so uncivilized… though she most certainly would do so if she believed she has no better alternative," Azula acknowledged. "Nonetheless, I can only hope a public appearance of that magnitude would not be in her best interests, much as it never has been. The Empress of Orlais appears to have taken an interest in the occult, magic beyond the understanding of the Circle. The current Enchanter to the Imperial Court appears not to have the abilities to provide what she seeks… 'tis an opportunity I mean to exploit. If there truly is an Eluvian within Orlais, I may yet unlock new secrets of the Crossroads and the Ancient Elves that have eluded us still. I cannot presume to be sure that I will be successful…"

"Knowing you, it'll work wonders," Sokka said, with a weak grin. "I hope you make your way into that court really fast, though. Get access to that Eluvian so that we can…"

The look on her face caused his smile to fade quickly, and he let out a deep sigh.

"You can't afford to bring the King of Ferelden into the Orlesian Palace just because you feel like it, can you?"

"I'm afraid it would be a rather dangerous choice to make," Azula said, eyeing Sokka warily. "Were we caught in any of our dalliances, it would represent a considerable political complication. If my ties with you are proven to still exist…"

"Your mother will hunt me down to get to you," Sokka recited. Azula sighed. "Are we really doing this again?"

"You know I would not ask it of you if I did not believe it to be safer," Azula said, scooting closer to him in the mattress and gazing at him with her heartfelt gold eyes. "I have grown to cherish every night we can share just as much as you do, you know as much. But…"

"You need to make sure Kazuo is safe from your mother," Sokka finished. Azula nodded. "Have you learned anything about her recently? Any other rumors that she's still out there?"

"Only those of her sighting in the Free Marches, years ago," Azula said, her voice darkening. "My attempts to gather any further information have yielded nothing. If true, 'tis apparent she bides her time and expects me to lower my guard, assuming 'tis but folk tales… I cannot let her get any closer to us. The day may yet come when we will be free to live our lives together in peace, my love… but until then, I fear this may be the only path that could bring us closer to that future."

Sokka sighed, pressing his brow to hers. Azula eyed him with uncertainty: seven years ago, she had forced him to accept her terms to leave him indefinitely after the Battle of Ostagar. As it happened, she had returned much sooner than anticipated, but she had taken off for years afterwards all the same. The Eluvian network had allowed her to come back to Sokka, once she had succeeded at making it work… and she had seen to providing one such priceless artifacts to Sokka so that he would always have access to the network of portals. They had been together almost every night since then…

Forsaking that now would mean returning to the days of whispering into the magical ring she had given him, hoping she might hear him. Hoping that it would guide her to him one day, regardless of the distance between them…

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Sokka asked. Azula gritted her teeth. "I can't just offer to protect you in Ferelden, can I? You need to learn more of the Eluvians…"

"I need to learn more of ancient magic beyond my mother's abilities. Only then will I be able to stand against her, once she inevitably comes to either possess my body or steal our son away," Azula said. "Not to mention… Iroh continues suspecting us of foul play, does he not? Even after you sent him to Amaranthine…"

"He handled that responsibility better than I expected," Sokka admitted, with a sigh. "But yeah, he always looks ready to question just about anything I do."

"Even if you try to convince your staff and guards to overlook my presence there, 'tis certain that Arl Zuko will visit often enough to see me eventually. And he'd be sure to share the tale with Iroh…"

"Well, now, Arl Zuko for all his fancy titles, is still your brother…"

"Oh, please. Shared parentage does not guarantee a filial bond of any nature, and it certainly did not in our case," Azula said, carelessly. "He and I have as good as no bond, you are more his brother than I ever was his sister."

"I suppose, but still… maybe he wouldn't be that quick to sell you out?" Sokka suggested. Azula snorted and shook her head.

"Unlikely," she said, leaning close and kissing his cheek softly. "I appreciate your attempts to keep me within reach, my love, but I cannot risk your safety. Your crown, as well, may suffer if your entire kingdom happens to hear that your paramour is none other than a Witch of the Wilds, so…"

"They've been pestering me about getting married and fathering children for ages. If I marry you and acknowledge Kazuo as my child…" Sokka said, with a weak grin.

"Ah, your people shall thrive in a perfect little royal family, you expect?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows as Sokka smirked and nodded enthusiastically. "And then whatever my mother is hoping to achieve, be it her possession of me or an attack to obtain the Old God's soul within our son, will be all the more dangerous…"

"Oh, I know. I know," Sokka groaned, gazing at Azula helplessly. "Maybe I should just train Kazuo in my templar skills, you know? You'd never send him to the Chantry…"

"I'd sooner become a Broodmother," Azula hissed, and Sokka shuddered at the concept.

"Ew. Ew. Never say that again, please," he said. She couldn't hold back a smile at his reaction.

"I wouldn't mind you training him, but I cannot say it would suffice, as powerful as you are," Azula said, caressing his chest gently. "That I ever came to respect, let alone care for someone who once served as a Templar is still as good as a miracle… but I fear my mother has yet to show the full extent of her power."

"And considering my attempt to kill her didn't succeed, I'm certainly not strong enough to defeat her…" Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess that's not a promising alternative, no matter if it means we'd be together still."

"I know this is difficult, love. But… we won't be apart for good," Azula said, pressing her brow to his. "It won't be long before we see each other anew, King Sokka…"

"It better be sooner than either you or I expect," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Say… maybe I could make a diplomatic visit to Orlais once you're established there?"

"That sounds as idealistic of you as ever," Azula smiled, shaking her head. "Establish proper diplomacy with the Empress first, or else they'll never agree to host you."

"I hate how stupid politics can be," Sokka sighed. "I was not born to be king."

"And what were you born to do, if so?"

"Probably… to be your husband, I'd say," Sokka smirked. Azula scoffed, smiling affectionately at him all the same.

"If so, oh mighty King Sokka, perhaps you should exploit your position in the world further so that one day you will be able to fulfill that goal of yours," she said, prodding his nose with hers. "I do believe you have passed a few reforms, but…"

"The Circle and the Chantry continue to be unnerving about mages. More so as of late," Sokka sighed, gritting his teeth. "What happened in Kirkwall has caused chaos to spread all over Thedas, sounds like. Guess the only place where nothing's affected by it is Tevinter… they're probably feasting while watching the rest of the world falling to shambles, looking forward to picking up all the pieces themselves after it does."

"See? A man who has no business being king would not be as concerned for the state of world affairs as you are," Azula remarked, smiling. "You do have a terrible penchant for underestimating yourself, Sokka."

"And you have one for… uh, making me feel fuzzy inside when you look at me that way," Sokka said. Azula chuckled, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "Say… when do you plan on leaving?"

"A couple of days," Azula answered. Sokka grimaced.

"Can it be… a little longer?"

"Sokka…"

"It's not just because I want to be with you and Kazuo for longer, which I do. I just… have something in mind, something I want to give you. So that you may wear it once you reach Orlais…"

"Wear it?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "I certainly hope you do not intend to gift me some crown to match yours…"

"No… not yet anyway," Sokka smiled, caressing her cheek before pressing a kiss to her lips. "Still, something fancy… something I hope can help you present yourself in court with the grandeur you'll need to be taken seriously. As far as I know, the Orlesian court is even more obnoxious than the Fereldan one… they outright think we're idiots because we love dogs, don't they?"

"Oh, Fereldans are idiots for many reasons, the dogs have little to do with it," Azula said, curtly. Sokka chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Though the same can be said for each nation known in the world of Thedas, I'd say. All of them tend to be despised for the wrong reasons, in my frank opinion…"

"I'm aware of your very controversial opinions, love, and I thrive in discussing them with you… but I just want to be sure you won't be gone right away, okay? Just stay for a week or so…"

"Will your gift take that long to prepare?" Azula asked. Sokka shrugged and pouted.

"It might," he said. Azula sighed, but to his relief, she nodded. "Oh, so you really will wait?"

"'Tis the least I can do after putting you through the ordeal of being deprived from my company," she said. "Do not misunderstand, distance between us is no easier for me to bear than it is for you… but we are not so helpless that we would fall to pieces without each other, are we?"

"No, we're not," Sokka smiled sadly.

"Now, then… rumors about me are sure to surface," Azula said. "Ensure to act the offended former lover once news reach you that I have betrayed you greatly and taken off to your enemy nation instead of staying with you…"

"Heh. I hadn't even looked at it that way," Sokka frowned, eyeing her suspiciously. "Is that why you picked Orlais, then? And not because you think some of the Eluvian will lead back there…?"

"Ah, if only. I would gladly admit as much, if it were," Azula chuckled: Sokka growled, and his fingers danced over her flanks as he tickled her as a playful punishment. "Stop! Oh, you fool…!"

He ever finished such playful moments with kisses, the best way to keep her in check after his spree of tickles were over. Her arms and legs wrapped around his body afterwards, and he climbed atop her while pressing his lips to her face: at first, it was no different than any other night… soon, the heartfelt affection they shared grew more poignant, more intense: they never coped with separation as well as they pretended they did. This undetermined separation, while not as terrifying as not knowing where his lover and son would be, would be difficult for Sokka to cope with. No longer having the chance to use the magic she had embedded into his ring to cross the Eluvian and seek her in whichever new hideout she and Kazuo were living in as of late…

He'd have to endure it. He had to hope it would be what was best for them… even if deep down, his heart would always ache with the keen need to be with them, and with self-deprecation over his inability to protect those he loved most.

He visited them constantly again through that week: by the final days, he brought sizable bags with him once he crossed the Eluvian. His advisors had been perplexed by his requests, by his behavior during the past week, and rumors that he had some secret mistress and lovechild would be certain to stir up all over again – not that they ever died down much, partially caused by his chatty staff admitting that his bed was seldom slept in, even if their attempts to spy on him leaving the Royal Palace had never yielded any fruit. Yet his urgent commission to the royal tailors of numerous pristine, beautiful clothing garments for a woman and a child would be likely to spread quickly…

A month later, the first rumor of the presence of a female apostate of raven hair and keen golden eyes in the Orlesian Court reached the Fereldan Palace. Sokka had immediately demanded for more information than Zuko could offer just yet: three weeks later, all suspicions about the identity of the Empress's new occult advisor were proven correct.

"Do you wish to reach out to them?" Zuko had asked Sokka, who sat on his throne with a heavy scowl upon his face. "We have questions, countless questions to ask her… why not take advantage of this opportunity now?"

"We have nothing to offer Orlais in exchange for Azula," Sokka said, curtly. "Besides… heh. She's only there because she wants to be. If she wanted to be here, she would be. She'd know I've never taken another wife, so…"

"If she's giving you backhands of this degree, it may be time for you to start considering finding one, my King," Zuko said, skeptically – he knew the answer he'd receive for that suggestion even before speaking it. Sokka scowled.

"Hey, I have an idea: move on from my sister too, see how damn easy it is to forget someone you love," Sokka huffed. Zuko's cheeks flushed crimson.

"I know I'm out of line as your advisor, but as your friend…"

"Bleh. I'll think about what to do about this later," Sokka huffed, shaking his head. Pretending to be disgruntled rather than sad about being away from Azula was working quite well, going by Zuko's reactions. "Ferelden is more than enough trouble on its own, I'll lose my mind if I try to get into whatever's going on in Orlais too… no matter if it's her. So… let's focus on our own country, shall we?"

Zuko sighed and nodded before proceeding with the actual business of the day, pertaining economic complications, trade routes and, of course, the worsening political disputes of mages, templars and the Chantry. Sokka listened half-heartedly, his heart still back in the beautiful cabin in which he had spent those last days with his family, where Kazuo had welcomed him with bright grins, eager to show him everything he had learned that day… where Azula had offered him that affectionate smirk of hers that never failed to set his heart on fire.

All he could hope was that his gift of grand dresses and suitable outfits for court would have given them a hand in being welcomed in Orlais upon their arrival. It was the last thing he had been able to do for them… all so that, in a not-so-distant future, he would reunite with them again once Azula gained the strength needed to protect their family from Ursa, for good.


A year passed.

Another year passed.

The third year arrived, and Sokka hadn't seen Azula or Kazuo again.

News of Orlais continued to claim that many alarmed nobles didn't trust the witch in the Empress's closest circles. As long as that continued, Sokka could rest assured that she was still there, still protected to some degree… but his heart churned with fear often. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but stories of the Orlesian bards – the ones Ty Lee had told him, namely – scared him irrationally. The surging political tensions in their world didn't help matters, either: the conflict in the Chantry had only worsened in the past years. The Divine had called for a Conclave, a meeting to establish peace between both factions of mages and templars, and to Sokka's utter annoyance, she had chosen no other place to hold it than in the Temple of Sacred Ashes, one of Sokka's grand discoveries during his year of fighting to stop the Blight. It was in Fereldan territory, and he had to deal with the logistical complications of the matter even if he was all the way in Denerim, at the easternmost territories of the nation whereas that damn Temple stood at the western borders of Ferelden…

Iroh and Suki had made their way to Orlais, offering their aid both as allies to Ferelden and as envoys of the Grey Wardens, a neutral party in the chaotic conflicts within the Chantry. Zuko helped Sokka back in Denerim, attempting to keep up with the information they were being sent, and Sokka did his best to make the right choices, not solely for the success of the damn Conclave, but for Ferelden's sake as well. At times like these, he longed for the chance to simply head into the Eluvian and seek out Azula, talk to her, find respite in her arms, in the laughter of their son…

All such fantasies ended when he felt a ripple of power bursting in their world, so distant and yet so strong that he couldn't ignore it.

He climbed to one of the tallest towers of the Palace, eyes towards the southwest… towards the location where the Temple of Sacred Ashes stood, hundreds of miles away.

He had slain an Archdemon before, delivering the killing blow personally.

He had heard of the destruction of Kirkwall's Chantry, that beam of light that shot into the sky…

None of it was as confusing, as damning, as disturbing as that emerald scar that now streaked across the sky, with no apparent explanation.

His heart clenched: not another world-breaking event. No, he'd already lived through enough of those, and damn it, not at the stupid Conclave he had nearly refused to hold…

"Fuck this shit," Sokka blurted out, hanging his head as he gripped his hair with undisguised despair.

Oh, he missed her. He missed her terribly. He couldn't pretend he could have sorted out this crisis, whatever it was, simply by having her by his side… but it almost felt like it. It almost felt like it.

He didn't need more than those thunderous magical tendrils, seemingly tearing the sky apart, to know that life in Thedas was bound to change forever.

Which, after everything he'd been through across the past eleven years, sounded like the description of any regular Tuesday in Thedas, anyway.


It had been years since the last time Jet had visited Denerim. Typically, he would do so to greet Sokka after sabotaging operations of Antivan Crows within the city. This time, he dropped by just as Sokka's already complicated situation, in a world with a massive Breach across the sky, had become more complicated still:

"I do understand you're rather busy, what with Arl Bato having been evicted from his own Castle somehow…" Jet smirked, tagging along with Sokka as the king marched through his Palace, scowling heavily. "But what I wish to speak of with you requires, uh, some privacy, if you wouldn't mind, my king."

"I can't afford it right now: save it for the road. I have to go to Redcliffe Castle, now," Sokka growled.

"Ah, what fond memories that brings to mind!" Jet laughed. "Your tales of saving a possessed child and fighting an undead horde, our preparations to slay a mighty Witch of the Wilds, the healing of Arl Arnook, our gathering of forces for the final push against the darkspawn… my friend, you and I have been through far too much together, haven't we?"

"And we'll endure more yet if you stick around," Sokka hissed. "If you want to talk to me about something, you'll do it on the road."

"Fine by me, though I certainly hope you have improved the Imperial Highway to some degree, King Sokka. The poor maintenance, the brigands, the incomplete treks of it back during our years of chasing down darkspawn…"

"It's somewhat better. Somewhat," Sokka sighed – as hard as he had worked to repair the chaos in Ferelden, fixing everything wrong with his country was no easy feat.

A large group of mounted soldiers would escort Sokka as he rode all the way across his nation. The Highway would keep them safe, he hoped, but he dreaded what he'd find in Redcliffe…

Too much had happened since the green scar, the Breach, had appeared across the sky: The Divine, leader of the Chantry, was dead. In the wake of her demise, a new Inquisition had risen: Sokka had to brush up on whatever that meant, for the name had been somewhat familiar, and yet he remembered nothing about what that institution represented.

His research brought him to learn the Inquisition was the precursor to the Seekers of Truth and the modern-day templars. The Inquisition had been the militaristic branch of the Chantry, out to spread the faith of Yangchen by force. They had built the world order as Sokka understood it, down to the Mage Circles, the Templar Order, the Chantry itself… and hearing that someone, somehow, had the harebrained idea of creating a new Inquisition right now was blood-curdling. From what he had heard, some unknown nobody – a Tal-Vashoth, a Qunari who lived outside her culture's strict order – had been present during the Conclave and miraculously survived the explosion that had resulted in the formation of the Breach. She had been suspected of being the artificer of the explosion at first, from what Sokka knew, only for the Inquisition to change tunes quickly: allegedly, this woman was the Herald of Yangchen and she was the only person who could seal the Breach, contain the multiple Fade rifts that were breaking across the land and, ultimately, save the world.

Sokka had already experienced that same story in his own flesh before, and he certainly didn't want anything to do with it for a second time.

The rifts in question, and the Breach itself, appeared to be physical cracks between their material world and the Fade. Sokka had no shortage of memories of locations where the 'veil was thin' according to Azula or Yagoda, the two mages of their adventuring party eleven years ago, and he supposed someone had exploited said locations to create direct, physical gateways between both worlds… that the Herald would happen to be the only person who could seal them was suspicious, but Sokka also pitied the woman for it, frankly. She'd have a very miserable life going forward, stuck cleaning up after whatever mess she or someone else had made, depending on who was responsible for the brutal destruction of the Temple of Sacred Ashes and the disruption between both the spiritual and material planes of existence.

He would have been content to stay home, to watch everything from afar, as most kings would when it came to such things… but he had been in a complicated spot due to his efforts to support the mages as of late. The Conclave's two factions, the surviving mages and templars, were now at full-blown war – surprising no one – and Sokka had the brilliant idea to accept a plea of help from the rebel mages by allowing them to take residence in Redcliffe. His soft spot for apostates had long caused him trouble with the Chantry, and he had no doubts the templars hated him for it, too… but that soft spot would cost him dearly if these damn rebel mages were truly working with Tevinter, which was what Arl Bato, mortified by his failure to retain control of his own castle, had conveyed to him. The Tevinter magister with whom the rebels were dealing with had somehow evicted the local ruling order from Redcliffe, and it was but the first step before a full-blown invasion, as far as Sokka could tell.

Oh, he couldn't believe it. After all those years, after long uprooting Iroh's old conspiracy to sell elves to damn Tevinter, after establishing clear rules in the hopes of making Ferelden an alternate, positive environment for mages where magic was not the ruling, oppressing force, just as it wasn't an oppressed force either…

After all that time, he had wound up trusting them too much and now his nation was bound to be invaded by one of the worst possible foreign powers, hellbent on consuming and enslaving everyone in their wake.

He would nip this bud at its root. He would not allow Tevinter to get away with whatever they were doing… and his trust in these mages would be gone for good, too. If only all of them could be as clever, independent and strong-willed as Azula…

He shared his problems with Jet while they rode together, as well as when they made camp for the night – after two days of hard travel, they would be certain to reach Redcliffe soon. The elven assassin, however, had his own business to discuss:

"I mentioned I had matters to talk about with you. Urgent matters, at that," Jet said. "I have made, uh, a friend, you could say, in the Free Marches…"

"A friend?" Sokka repeated. Jet snickered.

"Now, now, not because you have become a consummate celibate after the vanishment of your dark-haired temptress does it mean you can judge me for succumbing to the charms of my own," he said. "Though it bears admitting that our relationship is not quite as heartwarming as yours was. What we have is, uh…"

"Entirely physical, I bet," Sokka said. Jet gasped in outrage.

"It almost sounds as though you believe me incapable of forming a meaningful bond!" Jet said. Sokka couldn't help but smirk. "And now you smile? Oh, how cruel you are, my king. I, too, wish for love…!"

"Do you, now?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Jet snickered.

"Sometimes, yes. At times, once a night. At times twice. I'm sure you remember still," he said. "Though I am not here to rub my romantic conquests in your face, I know better than to do so, especially when…"

"If you do know better, maybe just don't do it?" Sokka said.

"Don't do what? Bring her up?" Jet asked. "I will admit, I was startled to hear of a mysterious woman in the Orlesian court… it boggles the mind that she would go there rather than be here with you. Quite a cruel choice, for she seemed as taken with you as you were with her. Perhaps she only means to destroy Orlais from within and gift it to you as a wedding present…!"

"How very delirious of you. She wouldn't do something so reckless, not even to annoy me," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "Cut to the chase: what do you want, Jet?"

"Well, my friend Hawke is worried, you see," Jet said, and Sokka frowned. "Oh? Do you know her?"

"Hawke?" Sokka repeated. "June Hawke?"

"Ah! So you are acquainted with the Champion of Kirkwall?"

"The woman famed for drinking the Hanged Man dry, doing as she pleased in the Blooming Rose, destroying a Qunari invasion with a ragtag band of misfits like herself, and being an ally to the man who started the Mage Rebellion?" Sokka asked, with a dry grin. Jet smiled and nodded. "I did meet her once, briefly, when I had to visit Kirkwall one time. She seems to be even less keen on respecting people than you are. I suppose I pity you now: if you truly hoped to forge a meaningful connection with her…"

"It is meaningful in its own way, believe it or not," the elf laughed. "Ah, but it makes no matter. What does matter, however, is that Hawke is in trouble…"

"After the explosion? Yeah, I think that's a given…"

"No, after the Grey Wardens started to act in a rather unsettling way, rather."

Sokka frowned. He glanced at Jet, who met his inquisitive gaze with raised eyebrows.

"She asked me to reach out to you. It is common knowledge that you are, royal or not, a Grey Warden," Jet said. "The taint is in your bloodstream. Therefore… have you experienced an unsettling sensation recently, King Sokka? What your kind have dubbed… the Calling?"

Sokka frowned: the Calling was the signal of the end of a Warden's life. After thirty years of service, give or take, the taint in a Warden's body would begin to override all else, and the Warden's final days would be spent in the Deep Roads, killing darkspawn one last time before death claimed them.

"You mean… have I felt the Deep Roads calling for me? A connection to any Archdemons?" Sokka asked. Jet shrugged. "Not really… not as of late. My dreams have not been plagued by the taint as much as they used to be. Certainly not as much as during the Blight…"

"Hmm. Then it is entirely possible that this is primarily happening in Orlais," Jet said. "You see, Hawke has been in touch with Iroh and Suki. She met them during the Qunari conflict because, by some odd chance, those two happened to be in Kirkwall when that happened. Hawke's mage sister, Jin, happens to be in the Grey Wardens' ranks as well… and she lost all touch with her fellow Wardens stationed in Orlais. The rumors say that Orlesian Grey Wardens may have had some connection with what happened in the Temple of Sacred Ashes… for they've vanished without a trace ever since."

"And Iroh and Suki…?" Sokka frowned.

"Fortunately, Iroh is among the Wardens who did not go missing, though I cannot say the same for Suki," Jet said. "Iroh has gone to Weisshaupt to inform the Order's leaders of these irregularities. Neither one has sent word since the Conclave, and Hawke is growing uneasy. As wild as she used to be, the events at the end of her brightest years as Kirkwall's champion have changed her. One of her friends, it seems, has been taken by the Inquisition…"

"Of course," Sokka sighed.

"I assume you're already aware that there may be more familiar faces for us in the Inquisition?" Jet asked, raising his eyebrows. Sokka nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

"I'm aware: Ty Lee's part of their big institution," Sokka said. Jet chuckled. "Who would have thought, huh?"

"Could she be involved in what is happening in Redcliffe?" he asked. Sokka shrugged.

"She sent a raven to explain the establishment of the Inquisition at first, but I don't know if she's in Redcliffe now. I suppose you approve of her means of communication nowadays, though, even if it's a raven and not a crow," Sokka said. Jet snickered again.

"Ah, perhaps I could judge that as her confession of her undying, secret affection for me, but how to get in the way of the love affair between the Arishok and the Divine's Left Hand?" Jet said. "Truly, it seems all my closest friends do not know how to settle for casual romances. Forbidden, secret love everywhere, it seems…"

"Sounds like the kind of stuff you thrive in for the sake of gossip," Sokka said. Jet grinned deviously at him. "Either way… what do you want me to do about Hawke? I can't offer any form of diplomatic support for her, no matter if she's Fereldan-born… they still want her head in Kirkwall, and the Prince of Starkhaven would likely charge against Ferelden if he thought I'm harboring her here. She has far too many enemies, so whatever risk you want me to take with your friend is…"

"I do not want you to take any risks to protect her: I want you to be of some help in figuring out whatever is happening as of late with the Wardens," Jet said. "Sentimentality isn't my thing, but I would rather she finds answers as to what is happening, and as to whether her sister is in danger or not. Is that unthinkable?"

"Not really… but I don't think I can be much help," Sokka said, with a shrug. "I haven't experienced the Calling, Iroh and Suki haven't been in touch with me for a while either… I don't know what's going on with the Grey Wardens and I'm as good as not a member of the Order anymore, since I'm King of Ferelden and all. By all physical effects, I'm still a Warden, but that won't mean much for your friend, I fear."

"Ah, well," Jet said, with a sigh. "Perhaps you will yet experience it yourself? I'll stick with you just in case… you have not come anywhere close to the Breach so far, have you?"

"No… the closest I'll ever be is during this trip, I expect. I hope," Sokka said, glaring in its direction: even now, at nighttime, the green flashes and flares of the Breach streaked across the sky.

The trip to Redcliffe seemed to take too long: fear gnawed at Sokka constantly, dread that he had somehow opened the gates to Tevinter and their wretched purposes in his own country. Foolish, long-discarded thoughts of the spinelessness of some mages kept rearing their heads: how could they waste their opportunity to be safe and protected in Ferelden? Why the blazes would they turn to Tevinter when Sokka was perfectly willing to vouch for them?

He'd find answers for those questions soon: their progress to the growing city of Redcliffe was constant, and they reached it on what already appeared to be a rather chaotic day in the rift-ridden Fereldan Hinterlands. The Herald of Yangchen had been said to have sealed several of the rifts in the area but many more remained, as well as in numerous places across Ferelden and Orlais. Sokka ought to be grateful that the Herald's heavier work had taken place in Ferelden, he supposed, for the Inquisition was aiding his nation somewhat freely… but he dreaded they would overextend their welcome sooner than later.

Inquisition forces appeared to have taken Redcliffe's Palace when they reached it: Sokka scowled as he marched up to the building with determination, expecting the Inquisition's members to protest or to attempt to threaten him out of his own lands. Some of their soldiers reacted to his presence, but most of them only did so by backing down, quickly recognizing him as the Hero of Ferelden, the King to whom they used to owe their fealty before pledging themselves to the Inquisition…

Sokka marched into the familiar castle unopposed, troops marching behind him – Jet blended with the shadows, presumably hoping to keep an eye on the situation while being ready to strike at any enemies, if need be. But where Sokka had expected to find the Herald sitting on the castle's throne and smirking down at him, making a grab for power, he came across a rather odd group of disparate people crowded around a Tevinter magister who knelt on the floor, apparently defeated. Well, then, at least one problem was dealt with. The other, however…

"King Sokka…!"

The gasp came from the leader of the rebel mages. Sokka scowled at the woman: he had only met her a few times, and her delicate, distraught elven features would not sway him:

"Grand Enchanter Kya. How thrilling to see you're doing well after giving Redcliffe Castle away to a Tevinter magister," Sokka said: a strange, cold sarcasm permeated his voice, perhaps with a hint of authority he had grown used to wielding without his awareness. "Considering I didn't gift you the castle itself, let alone any locations in this village, it's quite interesting that you still managed to sell it, as well as yourself, to a magister, of all things."

"I… I apologize, my King. I never intended…" Kya said. Sokka scoffed.

"I'm not entirely certain I care to hear of what you intended," he said. "The mistake you've made is severe: an alliance with Tevinter, in Fereldan land, behind the back of the very king who was willing to support and aid you in your rebellion? Do you fools know no boundaries, or should I hold you alone responsible for this ghastly error of judgment?"

"Woah, woah, woah… I know you're King, no need to remind me of that, but you really don't have to speak to her in that tone, do you?"

The female voice that spoke to him next was charged with an insolence that he might have found amusing years ago. That he might have even accepted, were the situation any different. Today, though, Sokka leveled a glare at the dark-skinned female Qunari in the bloodstained armor, with a mage's staff over her shoulders.

"We don't know each other… but I suppose we know who the other one is regardless," Sokka said, coldly. The horned woman offered him a shameless grin before stepping forward, purposefully positioning herself between Sokka and Kya in that large hall.

"I'd heard you were tall. Guess it's true, huh?" she said: their eyes were on the same level. She twirled her staff and set it down before extending a hand towards Sokka. "It's nice meeting you, King Sokka: I'm Korra Adaar."

"The Herald of Yangchen," Sokka said, an eyebrow twitching: he didn't clasp her hand, and Korra grinned awkwardly before withdrawing it.

"Not in a friendly mood, huh. We did just fix this mess for you, though, so you really shouldn't be too upset. Magister Raikou's in custody now, so…"

"And I'm sure you did this for free, with no intentions of cashing out even more favors than you have of me?" Sokka asked: Korra froze on the spot. "Not that I hold you responsible for the Inquisition's actions, but it does appear that you're the face of that institution now. Hence..."

"Perhaps we could consider this… an even trade? Our stay in Haven for the safety of Redcliffe?"

Sokka's heart churned with recognition at the sound of another familiar voice: so Jet had been right to guess she'd be here… whether that was a good or a bad thing, Sokka couldn't know, but the Ty Lee who stepped forward to speak with him was no longer the enthusiastic, optimistic woman he had known during the days of the Blight. Her dark attire, the hood over her head, complemented the heaviness of her duty. She might feel the many years of hard work had gone to waste now that the Divine, the woman she had faithfully served after the Blight's end, was dead. He didn't think he had ever seen such a bleak, dark expression on Ty Lee's face, no matter if her suggestion was not quite so dark and unacceptable.

"Making fashion statements wherever you go! I see you have not changed much, my dear Ty Lee," Jet's voice drifted out into the open: it seemed he had decided to reveal himself now, making the most of this rare reunion between Sokka and two of his former allies.

"Ah. I see you brought Jet along," Ty Lee said, meeting his gaze and nodding in his direction before glancing at Sokka anew. "I understand this is not the way in which you wished for matters to proceed with the rebel mages… but we need their aid."

"We really, really do," Korra said, nodding. Sokka scowled.

"Well, I didn't need their aid: they needed mine and stabbed me in the back when I offered it anyhow," Sokka said. "You lot are in a much worse position, if that's how it is."

"We won't make the same mistakes…" Kya said, glancing at Korra helplessly. Korra offered her a quick grin.

"You'd better not: you're no longer welcome in Redcliffe, or in Ferelden," Sokka hissed. "Whoever has to deal with you and your Tevinter-pleasing ways, it won't be me."

"Sokka…" Ty Lee sighed. "We won't allow Tevinter to gain a foothold in Ferelden. We have circumvented this threat now. Please…"

"Please, trust us?" Korra chimed in, with an awkward smile. "Look, I've heard stories of what your old adventures were like. I'm not really saying this is comparable…? Because honestly, this is weirder still. Like Teo says…"

"She's haunted by weird shit," a dwarven man behind the Herald spoke out. He sat on a wheelchair, one Sokka suspected wasn't very convenient for the kind of traveling the Herald had to do… but the heavy, artful crossbow the dwarf carried on his back suggested he was a strong ally to the latest hero of Thedas.

"No kidding," Sokka said, eyeing the Herald again. Her innocent, awkward smile almost reminded him of what Ty Lee had been like when he had first met her… but there was a strong streak of mischief there that he couldn't unsee. "You're throwing your lot with the Inquisition for good, Ty Lee?"

"It's my duty to see to its success. For the Divine's sake," Ty Lee spoke her heartfelt vow, and Sokka let out a deep sigh.

"So, what you're saying is you'll get the mages off my back to a fault, because you'll drag them to Haven, which is still Fereldan territory?" Sokka asked. Ty Lee grimaced.

"We won't stay in Haven for good. We do intend to seek a different location for our headquarters. Our forces…"

"Will outgrow that tiny village? I fear as much," Sokka said, with a dry grin. "I… will attempt to trust you. Make sure your lot won't become a problem as big as Tevinter. I shall bear with your Inquisition… to a fault."

Ty Lee nodded, and Sokka let out a deep sigh: Korra appeared slightly uncomfortaible with his harshness, but Sokka guessed the young Qunari, as well as all these Inquisition sympathizers and members, had relaxed too much in the safety of their grand institution and disregarded the major political squabbles and struggles waged across Thedas. He wouldn't have minded the Inquisition much if only he knew more about this Herald of Yangchen, enough to genuinely trust her judgment.

Yet as she extended an alliance to Enchanter Kya – who constantly eyed him with guilt, and Sokka wondered if there was something deeper to her expression than that –, Sokka pondered if the tables had been turned. If he was experiencing now what others had experienced because of him, so many years ago… had Arl Arnook been as uncomfortable with his choices during the Blight as he was with Korra's? Perhaps he had been…

Jet had a chance to speak with Ty Lee in private before all forces left the Castle anew… though Sokka noticed, too, that he stopped by next to the dwarf on the wheelchair. Of course Jet had made numerous friends over the years, but Sokka wondered where he had come about this one, in particular…

It was a question he'd see answered only some weeks later… once he was back in Denerim. Jet sent word to him about a meeting with him, Hawke and Suki, in a village called Crestwood. Suki, Sokka's long-time dwarven Grey Warden ally, had miraculously turned up a few days ago, and it seemed she had quite the story to share regarding whatever was happening within the Order nowadays.

But that wasn't all that had happened in the world so far: the Herald had sealed the Breach in the sky with the help of the mages, but she hadn't done so without consequence. On the very night of her success, Haven had been overrun by what Sokka had been perplexed to hear were Red Templars – former templars who had somehow consumed Red Lyrium, a corruption of the liquid mineral that provided mages and templars with their power. The Red Templars, from all reports, appeared to be monstruous creatures, who knew if stronger or more corrupt than the darkspawn… and an army of them had nearly overrun the Herald, destroying Haven altogether in its wake.

An unsettling entity had revealed himself as the creator of the Breach and the instigator of Thedas's latest chaos: Unalaq, another Tevinter Magister… but this time, one who had become a darkspawn personally. He was an ancient creature from who knew what age, and who had somehow sprung back to life and decided to destroy their world over some mad delusions of grandeur about usurping the Maker – which suggested he was thousands of years old…

The Herald, somehow, had survived the battle against Unalaq and the apparent Archdemon under his command. In doing so, Korra had been officially named the Inquisitor and legends of her extraordinary magic, of the mark upon her hand, with which she could seal rifts and even the Breach itself, were sure to follow. After that battle, the Inquisition had relocated to some defensible, distant location Sokka had never even heard of. The fortress was in Orlesian territory, at the very least, so if they went mad and started striking alliances with Tevinter, it would be their Empress's business to deal with it, not his…

… At least, he'd feel that way if only Azula hadn't been in the Orlesian Court for three years.

Everything was becoming increasingly complicated once more, to a point where his head hurt constantly. He needed to see her again… he needed to hold her and their son, to know they were safe, to forget about the strain and anguish of their chaotic world and to leave the burdens of ruling and leadership to someone who wanted them.

It was, in a way, what he did by handing the control of Ferelden temporarily to Zuko before making his way to Crestwood with Jet. He had probably been a fool for not bringing a full retinue of soldiers with him, but Jet had insisted that the less attention they attracted, the better.

The two women who awaited them sat within a cavern at the outskirts of Crestwood's area. Reaching them required for Sokka and Jet to fend off numerous wild wolves and to fight against mercenaries and bandits prowling in the area: it was a relief for Sokka to discover that his combat abilities hadn't dulled much over time. They reached the rendezvous point without further complications, and Suki hugged Sokka in relief upon seeing him again… though her disturbed expression spoke for itself regarding the struggles she was dealing with.

"You're okay… you're not feeling it, are you?" Suki asked him, as she pulled back, staring up at him in the dimly lit cavern. "The Calling… please tell me you're not. Tell me at least you're not…"

"I… I haven't so far. Not that I know of anyway," Sokka said, frowning. "How do you know it's the Calling, to begin with? As it is, I just have a headache… and it could just be a lot of stress, right?"

"Could be… I hope it is," Suki said, swallowing hard and stepping back to smile at Jet. "Thanks for helping us out. I know I don't have much to offer to make it up to you, but…"

"At times like these I end up missing Kirkwall, somehow. Everyone had coin to spare and then some whenever something needed to be done."

June Hawke spoke with a potent charge of sarcasm and dismissiveness in every word… but they failed to hide the heavy baggage she had been carrying on her shoulders through her years on the run from all authorities. She glanced at him, offering him a half-hearted, unamused wave.

"Joining the party, are you, Your Highness?" she said. "Fancy having you here. Got any clue of why the fuck the Calling is trying to kill my sister?"

"I'm as lost about this as any of you are," Sokka said, with a shrug. "All I know is Orlesian Wardens have heard the Calling? All of them at the same time?"

"It makes no sense," Suki said, firmly. "We're all different Wardens, we had our Joining rituals at different moments, it's…"

"It's bound to have some connection with that weird darkspawn that rose from the dead or whatever it did…" Sokka said: Hawke tensed up. "Did you hear about that?"

"Did I hear about it?" June said, with a dangerous smile that faded quickly: "I killed Unalaq with my own daggers."

"Wait, what?" Sokka frowned. Suki breathed deeply.

"Hawke's been involved in some complicated business…" Suki said. June snorted.

"And that's putting it mildly," she said, shaking her head.

"She told me about a secret Grey Warden prison that most of us never even knew existed," Suki continued. "It's where Unalaq had been sealed with magic connected to Hawke's father, I believe. The seals were fading or something, because Unalaq was causing nearby people to worship him, to act madly, all of them saying they served, uh, the Elder One, was it?"

"They were going to break him free at all costs, and from the papers and journals we found scattered within the prison, there were a few Grey Wardens who dealt with similar urges to set the bastard free even if he was supposed to be fully trapped under many spells," June said. "I freed him because I… well, I wanted to figure out whatever the hell was going on. My mistake, I know I messed up… but I swear to you I murdered that bastard right after his seals were gone. Me and my allies, we killed him. He was dead. There's no reason why he wouldn't be. So… as to how he attacked the Inquisitor? Beats me. But I know he died. I did it myself. I…"

Sokka raised a hand to stop her rambling, and June frowned in his direction. The King breathed deeply as a theory, complicated as it was, composed itself in his mind.

"I… I'm just thinking about what happens when an Archdemon dies," he said. "I know it sounds crazy but hear me out: an Archdemon summons a Blight, and if it's slain in battle by anyone other than a Grey Warden, the essence of the Archdemon travels to the next tainted creature on the battlefield. In a matter of, I don't know, hours at best, the Archdemon regains its strength and takes its full form all over again, in a different host. It's… it's madness to think that an entity other than an Archdemon could do this, but if someone vulnerable to possession happened to be nearby, namely someone like a Grey Warden, or a darkspawn, in short, someone who was a host to the taint, it means that even if you killed one Unalaq, he could come back again in a second body. So…"

"Wait, what?" June gasped. "You're fucking shitting me, aren't you? Whose body could he have possessed? My sister's not…! You're not saying that creep possessed her somehow just because she's a Grey Warden, are you?!"

"I'm not saying that for sure," Sokka said, eyes wide at the usually nonchalant woman's rather violent reaction. No doubt she cared about her sister… from what Jet had told Sokka on their way to Crestwood, she was the only family she had left. "But if there were other Grey Wardens around, even if not too close by, I'd think maybe it would go for one who was vulnerable, perhaps even those he primed to be his hosts during the years of his imprisonment…?"

June seemed about to rebuff him… until she scowled heavily, eyes aglow with realization. Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with a hand before letting out a huff of utmost frustration. Suki and Jet eyed her in confusion.

"Guess there was another Grey Warden after all," Suki said, grimacing.

"Fuck!" June roared, throwing a fist so hard at a wooden reinforcement in the cavern: it shattered quickly under her utmost outrage. "That bastard…! An old fucking Grey Warden who was supposed to be off on his Calling soon, Dock! He guided us through the prison and then just… left! He left, and we let him because we thought he was… ugh!"

"You're not trying to say that whatever's going on is…" Suki started, eyeing her warily.

"My fault?" June repeated: her outrage cooled down as she stared at the ground in disbelief. "My… heh. Well, what else is new, huh? Mother's dead, my fault. Chan's dead, my fault. Jin's a Grey Warden because I nearly got her killed, Qunari ravaged Kirkwall, the viscount got killed too because I couldn't get there on time. Then the Chantry, and the Circle and the Templars and… it's always on me. I'm a fucking…"

"Magnet for chaos."

The new voice broke June from her self-deprecating tirade. It was welcome both for her and for her companions: by the cavern's entrance, the male dwarf on a wheelchair smiled kindly at June. The expression on her eyes softened immediately, and Sokka recognized her reaction, just as he recognized the dwarf's: they had been companions. They had been friends in Kirkwall…

"Wow, place is kind of crowded, huh? Should've brought less people with me…" said the woman who followed Teo: Korra Adaar, the Inquisitor herself, smiled awkwardly as she entered the cavern, followed by another Qunari and a bearded human man who immediately gazed at Sokka in admiration. "But hey, we made it! Good to see you again, Hawke."

"Good to know you made it safely, Inquisitor," Hawke said, with a sigh. "And thanks for bringing Teo, too."

"Someone's got to reel you in before you start going wild thinking all the crazy shit that goes on in this world is your fault," Teo chuckled, wheeling his way up to Hawke: the woman hugged him tightly once he reached her. "There, there. Unalaq's out there… we saw him ourselves, yes. But we'll get him, we will. The Inquisitor's unorthodox, but she gets results, you hear me?"

The unorthodox woman in question smiled awkwardly before glancing at Sokka. He nodded in acknowledgement, and she swallowed hard.

"Uh… hey there," she said, waving at him. "Nice to see you again, King Sokka."

"Nice to know you survived the madness of Haven, Herald… Inquisitor," Sokka said, nodding in her direction.

"It's a great honor to meet you, King Sokka," said the sole human companion of the Inquisitor's. She chuckled, patting the man's shoulder and nodding at Sokka.

"This is my inner circle's contact with the Wardens, Warden-Constable Ghazan," she said before pointing at the other Qunari. "And this one over here is…"

"The Boulder," the man declared, purposefully flexing his muscles as though to make a point that went entirely lost on Sokka. Sokka nodded in his direction.

"And this one is… Teo?" Sokka asked, glancing at the dwarf on the wheelchair. "As in… Teo Tethras? The book author?"

"Heh, you have a royal admirer, Teo," Hawke smirked. The dwarf let out a laugh and shook his head.

"I'll sign autographs for your court after this mess is dealt with, alright? But for now… we've got a lot of weird things to deal with, don't we?"

Hawke explained herself anew to Inquisitor Korra: Teo vouched for her, having fought alongside her against Unalaq the first time around. Korra was perfectly willing to believe their claims, and she thanked Suki for offering a strong lead that directed them towards the deserts in the Western Approach, the location where the Wardens were up to no good, it seemed… but when asked when they'd move out, when they'd begin their next military operation, the Inquisitor hesitated.

"Look… I know this is very urgent. I want this sorted out as fast as all of you do," she said, breathing out heavily. "But you see… I've got another big problem to sort out too, in about a week."

"What could be bigger than this?" Sokka asked, perplexed.

"Well, you see, me and Ruon Jian – one of my companions, a surprisingly nice Tevinter mage who isn't a blood mage or anything of the sort – we fought Magister Raikou in Redcliffe, right? Remember? That day when you and I first met and…?"

"I remember," Sokka said, frowning.

"Well, believe it or not, me and Ruon Jian got flung into the future through a strange rift that disrupted time," Korra said. "While we were there, we understood what Unalaq's plan was, and it's not pretty: he wants an army of demons, and from the sound of it, he's using the Grey Wardens to get one. But among his big victories… the biggest one was that he assassinated the Empress of Orlais."

Sokka tensed up at once. He froze up, fists tightening as he stared at Korra with disbelief.

"I know, I know, maybe he went after you too, you're a king and all, I don't know if he did," Korra said, misunderstanding his concern entirely. "But the thing is… I don't know for sure when the assassination is going to happen, but it looks like it will be soon. And I'm not going to waste time trying to warn them again only for them to disregard all sense, you know?"

"Okay?" Sokka said, frowning heavily. "Explain what you intend to do about this, then. Do you know who the assassin is?"

"My people have their suspicions," Korra said. "The Empress is going to hold a ball in Halamshiral, the Winter Palace, ten days from now. It's a typical Orlesian thing, with all the pomp and nonsense? And she'll be holding peace talks with the other two factions who are fighting for power in Orlais against her: her cousin, Grand Duke Amon and Ambassador Zhu Li. There's no telling which of them is associated with Unalaq so far, but Orlesian stuff is just backstabbing and betrayal and some more backstabbing again for good measure, right? It could be a simple infiltrate in the ranks of either the Ambassador's elves or the Grand Duke's forces – the military of Orlais appears to be quite fond of him, from what my own ambassador tells me. So, anyway… the point is that this Ball is the best chance they're going to have to sneak in assassins without anyone's awareness and kill her before anyone can stop them. My ambassador, Asami, secured our invitations and our way in, and we have to be there to stop this madness. I know it means delaying this investigation, but…"

"Can I…?"

Sokka blurted out the words suddenly, before he knew what he was saying: he was the one with the least connection with this whole matter… he had a kingdom to look after, for crying out loud. And yet…

"Can you… what, lead the rest of us to the Western Approach?" Teo asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the heroics, King Sokka, but I fear doing anything without the Inquisitor's magic hand isn't a good plan. Whatever she's got in there, it fixes all those rifts if she waves it the right way, you see."

"I wasn't going to say that…" Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Just… maybe I shouldn't say this, but… do you think there's a chance that the King of Ferelden could be of some help for you in this Orlesian Ball?"

Everyone fell silent at once. For a long time. Sokka grimaced, unsettled by the stares… especially by Jet and Suki's knowing ones.

"You clever bastard," Jet cackled, finally breaking the silence. Suki raised an eyebrow.

"Woah. Are you sure about what you're saying?" she said. "I mean… y-you don't think she's, well, the…"

"No," Sokka said, firmly. "I… I mean, sure, I haven't seen her in ages, but that doesn't mean she'd be up to something like this! She'd think Unalaq is revolting for sure, she never would want anything to do with that. She's too smart to be swept up into whatever nonsense he's stirring his supporters to believe. So… no, she's not the assassin. I'm sure she's not."

"And who's, uh… she?" asked Korra, puzzled. She glanced at Hawke, who shrugged, and Teo, who smiled awkwardly.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Inquisitor," he said. "Though that sounds like a juicy story…"

"Uh, one that you don't need to turn into a novel, thank you," Sokka grimaced, sighing. "Either way… it means I could get us extra information, inside information, on the Orlesian court. I could hopefully help us find the right direction for your investigation as long as I can talk to her…"

"Provided she'll want to talk to you," Jet smirked. "I mean, I'm sure you can be very persuasive…"

"He sure was ten years ago," Suki said, with a smile. "Hope you've still got it, Sokka…"

"I… come on!" he huffed, and his former companions laughed at his bashful reaction. "Anyway… can you arrange it with your ambassador, Inquisitor? Is this a possibility?"

"Well… heh. I mean, I'm already going to be scowled upon, you know? The horns, being a mage…" Korra said, with an awkward grin. "Could be having you around will help? Though…"

"Don't get your hopes too high," Sokka smiled slightly. "As far as Orlesians are concerned, it doesn't matter if you save the world and killed an Archdemon personally: once a dog lord, always a dog lord."

"Yeah, that's exactly what they're like," Hawke said, with a sigh. "I'm definitely skipping that whole Halamshiral ordeal, myself. The last time an Orlesian noble invited me to a party, one of us ended up falling off a cliffside to their death… and it clearly wasn't me."

"Eh, if that's your track record, definitely better if you stay here. We are trying to save an Orlesial royal rather than killing her, after all…" Korra smirked, and Hawke shrugged.

"Do you have a single happy story?" Sokka asked the Champion of Kirkwall, blinking blankly. "Not that I have much basis to criticize, considering what my own life has been like, but…"

"Oh, excuse you, that's a bloody amazing story. One of my best adventures," June smirked. "It even has a happy ending: neither you nor the Inquisitor nor any of your friends had to know Lord Butahka de Monfort. I did you lot a favor, see? Happiest ending of all time."

Teo laughed, and even the Inquisitor joined in – as did her Qunari companion. Sokka blinked blankly, quick to realize why Jet was so keen on the woman – her sense of humor and morals appeared to match his perfectly.

"Well, then… I'll tell Asami to set things in motion," Korra said, glancing at Sokka. "Gotta say, though… this is pretty wild. The Hero of Ferelden, the Champion of Kirkwall…"

"And the Inquisitor, Herald of Andraste," Ghazan said, faithfully. Korra smiled awkwardly.

"It's a little insane that we're all here, but it's kind of cool that we are," she said. "Feels like maybe we're not so crazy if we've got allies who have already fought dangerous, wild stuff in the past, right? Maybe… maybe we can still win. I really hope we can."

"We'll do our best to see to that," the Boulder declared, patting Korra's shoulder heavily.

Sokka breathed deeply: he should be focusing, yes, on saving the world, on fixing all that was wrong with it…

But he'd see her again.

She would be in Halamshiral for sure, she would be at the Empress's side, in all likelihood… he would see her again. She and Kazuo had been away for far too long… and his heart seemed to start beating properly again now that he'd finally reunite with his family once more. He didn't know on what terms, or if it would go swimmingly… but even if this meant leaving Zuko in charge for a little longer than intended, he'd be there. He would go to Skyhold, the Inquisition's new headquarters, and then he'd join the Inquisitor and her people on their journey to the Winter Palace…

He'd see her again.


The tight, formal, embellished and exuberant Winter Palace did not feel welcoming in the least when the Inquisition and its guests arrived. King Sokka's former companions, Jet and Suki, had not joined today's revelry – that would feel nothing like revelry to the King, he knew –, instead electing to stay in Skyhold, keeping Hawke company while the Inquisitor and her entire retinue of advisors and followers, the members of her inner circle, partook in that evening's celebrations. This event was meant to be centered around peace talks… and yet every new person who walked past Sokka wore a more ornate and exaggerated dress, all be it to impress and draw gazes of disdain and envy alike. The Inquisition's own formal attire was rather awkward, Sokka thought: it was a red uniform, so stiff and sober compared to everything else, thus, all members of Korra's inner circle stood out like sore thumbs. Perhaps it was Ty Lee's intent, or Asami's, whoever had ordered the outfits… Sokka had no idea. He, clad in the traditional Fereldan king's formal attire, also felt like a sore thumb in the middle of that luxurious hall, waiting eagerly to see any sign of Azula.

So far, he had gotten to know a few members of the Inquisition: a wild young elven woman called Smellerbee was hard at work sneaking into as many rooms as she could right now. She was a rogue, an archer… and apparently a Red Jenny, a member of a group of defenders of the poor that Sokka himself had dealt with on occasion in Denerim. She wasn't as uncomfortable as Sokka in the Winter Palace simply because she had set out to cause chaos, he suspected…

Teo, the famous author of The Champion's Tale, June Hawke's biography, had drawn a considerable crowd of fans to himself, and he relished in their attention… while occasionally showing true glimmers of his frustration over the discussions his readers wanted to have with him, typically to question the veracity of his story about the Champion.

Ghazan, the Grey Warden Sokka had met in Crestwood's cave, stood aloof within the trophy room, same as The Boulder. The two appeared the least intellectually inclined members of the Inquisition so far, whereas Lord Tahno, the court mage of the Orlesian court and a Chantry supporter who had chosen to join the Inquisition, was mingling smoothly with his numerous acquaintances. Ruon Jian, the Tevinter-mage-who-was-not-a-magister, was also quite happy to mingle with the high class in the inner gardens of the Palace, for they appeared as fascinated with his status as a rebel to Tevinter's ruling class as they were with his opinions on fashion. Ty Lee and Asami, the spymaster and the ambassador of the Inquisition, were in the ballroom already. They were two of the driving forces that had strengthened the Inquisition, and the two knew exactly how to navigate their way through high society: the other two who had been part of the Inquisition's construction, however…

"I can't wait to go home," growled Commander Mako, arms folded, standing close to Sokka with a most displeased scowl upon his face. Sokka smiled awkwardly.

"Here I thought I'd be the most uncomfortable person in an Orlesian ballroom. Good to know I'm not alone in my apprehension," he said. Mako scoffed.

"You certainly are not. Battles ought to be fought on battlefields, with weapons, even with magic: not with words or dance moves or outfit choices. It's unnerving," he said.

Mako wasn't a total stranger for Sokka: they had met once, back during the Fifth Blight. The man had been the sole surviving Templar whom Hama had taken hostage for her gruesome blood magic experiments during her rampage in Ferelden's Circle Tower. Sokka had always known the man was profoundly traumatized by those events… and so, profoundly fond of blunt and direct solutions, down to even disregarding moral righteousness entirely if his goal required as much. His discomfort with mages appeared to be decreasing slightly, compared to how volatile it used to be… and it was quite possible that Inquisitor Korra had something to do with that. But whether his feelings about mages would ever evolve into genuine respect or not, Sokka could not tell just yet…

"I cannot help but concur," said the last member of their small cluster: the Seeker scowled at a giggling woman who blew her a flirty kiss. "Nothing is happening."

"We've been here for about five minutes, haven't we?" Sokka smiled.

"It feels like five hours instead," the woman growled, shaking her head.

She was abrasive, she was harsh, she had been hardened by experiences Sokka could scarcely imagine: she was the Champion of Orlais. She was the last remnant of the Order of the Seekers, if what Sokka had heard was true. She was part of the Nevarran royal family, though according to her, so was half of Nevarra: her name was Lin Pentaghast, the Right Hand of the Divine, and she was the woman who had declared the new Inquisition's foundation.

Lin was, if possible, even more abrasive than Commander Mako. Everything appeared to displease her… and yet she had some respect for Sokka, perhaps due to his rank, perhaps due to his history. Either way, Sokka welcomed her company, as well as Mako's, if it meant they could help each other fend off the annoying nobles who giggled and threw tantrums, who wept and chatted non-stop about every single thought that crossed their minds, from the sound of it.

Yet someone else from their group was rather chatty, too: Sokka frowned upon glimpsing the young man again, one who kept vanishing from view and somehow from his memory, at times. He stood near one of the nobles, one who appeared to be waiting for someone.

"Feet run on dry land, splatter of mud after the river greets you. The lashes hurt, 'I didn't mean to,' but the shame is louder than the pain–…"

"Oh, for crying out loud… Bolin!" Mako exclaimed marching up to yet another member of the Inquisitor's group. The dark-haired, eerie Bolin glanced innocently at the Commander.

"I wanted to help…" the young man said, and Mako sighed. "You need help, too?"

"I don't need help, I need you not to cause trouble," Mako huffed. The guest, beside them, appeared to have been in some sort of trance before reacting to Mako's words.

"U-uh, can I help you?" the man said. Mako grimaced, and an instant later, Bolin spoke a simple word:

"Forget."

With that, the person seemed to blank out entirely and walked away. Mako groaned.

"I thought the Inquisitor had told you to stop doing that…"

"Uh… okay. What the hell was that?" Sokka said, his voice shrill and quiet as he averted his gaze from the scolding session that was sure to begin between the Commander and one of the strangest members of Inquisitor Korra's group.

"Wouldn't we like to know," was Lin's response to Sokka's question. "No one knows whether it's a spirit or a human. Whatever it is, it's an anomaly and it represents a hazard… as far as I can tell, at any rate. It calls itself Bolin…"

"Presumably a name borrowed from the young man he takes after, yes."

Another voice chimed in, interrupting Lin's words. Had it been anyone else, perhaps she would have lashed out for it… but she seemed to treat the bald apostate with distant respect, strange as that might be.

Sokka glanced at the tall elf, raising an eyebrow at the odd hat he had taken to wearing. The man offered him a blissful smile.

"You needn't worry, King of Ferelden: Bolin is perfectly harmless."

"That is hardly something for you to determine as freely as that," Lin said, firmly. "I understand you have your theories… but you do not have all the answers to every mystery in this world, Aang."

"There is wisdom in self-reflection, if that concerns you in the least, Seeker," Aang said, smiling still before turning his attention to Sokka again.

The elf was the final member of Avatar Korra's group: he was almost as ignorable as Bolin, though it seemed unlikely that he was a strange spiritual entity as Bolin was. He was quick to fade into the background, didn't look for more attention than he required: he seemed to observe and even judge matters silently instead of taking action, unlike most his companions. He was an unusual mage, and an even more unusual elf, for in all his apparent, boundless knowledge of elven lore, he was no Dalish, and he was no city elf either. He was a strange man, and Sokka couldn't pinpoint what was it that unsettled him about Aang, exactly… but he felt unsettled near him, anyhow.

"We have not had much opportunity to speak so far, King Sokka. I am Aang, and I merely wished to thank you personally for your role in saving Thedas from the Fifth Blight when you did," he said, bowing his head towards the King. "I myself have witnessed the Battle of Ostagar…"

"You… what?" Sokka blinked blankly, and Lin let out a heavy sigh.

"He… dreams in battlefields," she said. "It's something beyond the understanding of those like us, I fear."

"Perhaps it is so," Aang laughed. "I witness the events that transpired eons ago in ruins of ancient civilizations. Where blood was spilled, where emotions were at their strongest… the Veil is responsive to such things."

"The Veil?" Sokka asked, perplexed. "As in, the boundary between the Fade and the material world?"

"Indeed," Aang nodded. Sokka blew out air in a quick sigh.

"Well, heck, I suppose you could put that ability of yours to good use, shed some light upon battlefield mysteries then, maybe to learn the truth about presumed dead people who may not be dead in the end…" Sokka said, with a shrug. Aang laughed. "What? You can't do that?"

"I fear it may not be as easy as that. The spirits, you see, mimic what happened, what they witnessed, the imprint of events that have long passed by. They recreate them for me… it is an extraordinary feeling. I can only hope others may experience it someday," Aang said.

"Being quite so gifted at magic must feel lonesome," Sokka said: he couldn't help but inject sarcasm into his tone, and Aang responded with a soft huff.

"It almost sounds as though you did not believe my accounts… should I recite the Battle of Ostagar back to you, so that I may convince you?"

"I believe you, alright. I'm just weirded out by magic being used in such a way, I suppose," Sokka said, uncomfortable by the man's sudden confrontational reaction. "Anyway… perhaps I should head inside the ballroom and make sure everything's going well?"

"I meant to infiltrate the servants' staff," Aang said. "I will do so now. I may yet find leads that could help the Inquisitor."

"Go on and do that. The sooner we're done here, the better," Lin sighed, rubbing her brow with her fingertips. "If you must bear with events of this nature often, King Sokka, I do not envy you in the slightest."

Sokka smiled awkwardly as he left Lin's side, marching into the ballroom, pleased to put some distance between himself and Aang. That it didn't cross the elf's mind that Sokka wouldn't like to hear about a horrific, traumatizing battle where his choices had made no difference, where he'd lost his mentor and many friends, irritated him. It felt as though Aang was eager to prove something or another… and Sokka didn't know what it was, much as he didn't know why he should care for it, either. Most mages he had met in recent times were a far cry from the best of those he had worked with eleven years ago…

The Winter Palace was large, of course, and ridiculously crowded, which annoyed Sokka: how could he possibly find Azula in such a large building where, it seemed, most rooms and areas were off-limits? He stood out too much to disregard rules about where to sneak into and where not to in order to find her… though he had to admit that Inquisitor Korra's own take on stealth was more than a little questionable. Climbing a lattice in the middle of the crowded gardens to reach the upper floors of the White Palace was a rather confusing choice on her part… but even if he saw her doing that, Sokka pretended to be perfectly ambivalent to the matter, seeing as most people, apparently, didn't seem to find it all that inappropriate, for some reason. He threw a few caprice coins in the fountain, spoke with the rare few nobles who cared to speak with him – who, of course, made him feel self-aware and irritable over the fact that they'd feel any superiority over him when he was a damn king, for crying out loud –, and he wandered about aimlessly until he came across Ty Lee, who appeared mostly outraged by what she deemed crimes of fashion by the Orlesian nobles…

"No sign of her yet, is there?" Sokka asked, softly, bringing his bubbling drink to his lips. Ty Lee sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm afraid not," she said. "I don't believe she could be involved in this personally, but…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Sokka said, bluntly. Despite herself, Ty Lee smiled.

"You're as smitten as you were back then, aren't you? This should be delightfully awkward, if so," she said. "Perhaps you ought to dance with her, once she shows up?"

"I'm sure she'll expect I'll embarrass her," Sokka said, with a slow smile.

"I cannot say I know anything of whatever dealings she's had with the Empress," Ty Lee said, eyes drifting towards the dark-haired woman in question: she appeared graceful, but Sokka couldn't help but read into her every practiced gesture a certain determination, a dangerous precision that suggested she was just as likely to have her enemies murdered as she was to fall victim to their schemes. "The Empress is interested in occult nonsense, like foreseeing the future… things even she couldn't possibly procure for her. But I do wonder what she could have had to gain by coming here, of all places."

"Perhaps she simply did it to annoy me," Sokka suggested. Ty Lee laughed, shrugging. "To test my resolve and find out if I would be likely to…"

He flinched, trailing off mid-sentence as a flashing image in his mind took form: a dragon, dark and unsettling, roaring…

"Sokka?"

Ty Lee's voice brought him back to himself, and he snarled while shaking his head. The spymaster sighed.

"Another one?" she asked. Sokka gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Didn't happen at all while I was in Ferelden. It started here… in Orlais," he said. "Either someone's tampering with the Grey Warden taint, like we suspected… or I'm so out of place in this party that my entire body is asking for death instead."

"Don't be foolish. It's an enjoyable occasion. Would you like me to introduce you to…?"

"No."

"But you didn't let me finish…"

"I know I don't want it even if you don't finish," Sokka smirked. Ty Lee rolled her eyes.

"And I thought Mako and Lin were bad enough," she said. "Either way… let me know if it grows overwhelming. If you feel it's compromising your ability to focus…"

"I'll be fine," Sokka said, breathing out slowly. "All I need is…"

Bells had chimed twice by now, urging nobles to return to the grand ballroom: Sokka dared glance towards the large doorway, noticing the unmistakable horns of the Inquisitor as she marched into the ballroom… but she glanced back behind herself as she did.

Towards someone with a burgundy dress who slipped away quickly, too quickly for her face to be seen.

Sokka's ring shot a familiar warmth through his hand.

He left Ty Lee where she stood and he nearly raced his way out of the ballroom, utterly disregarding the perplexed, confused gaze of the Inquisitor upon him as he walked past her.

He made it to the vestibule, and Lin, Mako and Bolin watched him as he frantically scanned the area, searching for that burgundy dress in the sea of greens and pastel hues… he found it close to the back of the room: in the direction of the Royal Apartments, an area that was off-limits to anyone but a select few, Sokka suspected.

He bit back the smile as he rushed further: many people watched him with interest, though no doubt some with disdain, for his behavior was far from appropriate for a man of his standing. He couldn't care less, though… no, all that mattered was reaching her before she could fade from view…

She stood at the top of a set of stairs, a hand on the doorknob that led into a room, when Sokka finally caught full sight of her.

"So! It's true, isn't it?!" he exclaimed, ensuring she would hear him regardless of the noise in the Winter Palace. Perhaps he spoke too loudly: now the attention of most people nearby had been drawn to them, instead. "The Empress of Orlais… has a sneaky witch-thief in her court?"

Her hand had frozen on that doorknob when his voice rang across the hall. His words, so uncouth and careless, would likely sound utterly insulting in the ears of all the onlookers, who immediately took to whispering, perhaps even giggling either at his uncivilized behavior, or at the fact that he had chosen to inflict his thoughtless remarks on her, in particular…

But the only reaction that mattered to him was hers.

His eyes brightened as she turned around, as the features that had long cast their spell upon him greeted him with a dismissive sneer.

She wore the most luxurious dress out of the ones he had prepared and gifted to her, three years ago.

"Well, well. What have we here? A failed templar who would lick lampposts in winter, yet Ferelden deemed him worthy of a crown…"

It didn't matter if her words were poised to irk him, to annoy him… for they were her words. For it was her voice. For it was her… and it was all he could do not to run up those stairs and kiss her fully right then and there.

"Oh, but it has been too long, has it not?" Azula said, smirking still as she walked down the stairs, her hips swaying in a suggestive manner with every step she took.

Sokka's heart pounded fast, but he tried to disregard it as he smiled at his true companion, partner, lover… the mother of his child. She performed an elegant reverence once she reached the floor's level, almost at no distance from Sokka now, as she said the words that were likely to coax his strongest emotions.

"My king."

He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as she rose to her full height, still smirking. She seemed unsurprised to see him… and yet he knew her all too well to believe that.

"Now, now. If you continue to look at me that way, I shall mistakenly assume you had hoped to see me again, Sokka," Azula said, dismissively. He couldn't hold back a wide grin. "And that smile does nothing to dismiss that belief. Perhaps you intend to tell me now that all your bitter bickering and arguing with me from eleven years ago were merely childish attempts to conceal your attraction and interest in me?"

"What if I did?" Sokka said, bluntly: he didn't expect that anyone in Orlais would have the slightest inkling of what relationship he'd shared with the Empress's arcane advisor, and Azula's behavior and words confirmed as much. She let out that devious laugh he adored as a response to his words.

"Careful, lest I take such confessions seriously. You would not wish to persuade me, after all this time, that perchance you were not looking at my nose back in the day, now, would you?"

Sokka couldn't hold back his own laughter, and her smile softened as well: whatever they needed to act like in court, it seemed as though the familiarity they shared, the relief upon meeting anew, triumphed over every foolish pretense the Orlesian Game required them to abide by.

"How about if I say… that we've both grown older since our early days of adventuring?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. "And, in doing so, perhaps slightly wiser, Lady Azula?"

"Oh, wisdom? You? Perish the thought. I much prefer you as foolish as you ever were," Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head fondly.

"I'm not entirely surprised to hear that. But be that as it may, Lady Azula… you look beautiful tonight."

Had anyone else spoken the words, she might not have reacted with a burst of bashfulness manifested by the redness in her cheeks. But as it was Sokka, it seemed the words meant more than usual to her.

"Such a straightforward manner of conveying your thoughts… you certainly are new to Orlais and its delightfully twisted ways," Azula said. "I fear you may require some lessons in etiquette, King Sokka."

"Would you be kind as to provide them, perhaps?" Sokka asked. "I wouldn't mind a private lesson or two…"

"Private? Do not overstep your boundaries, no matter if you're the monarch of a sovereign land," Azula said, raising her eyebrows suggestively regardless of her negative. "Yet I shall not decline the opportunity to offer a lesson indeed… a lesson in dancing around each other, speaking in circles, hinting at what needs to be said without saying it at all. Does that idea beckon you at all, my King?"

"I… have no idea what you mean, exactly, but sure," Sokka smiled. So did Azula.

"If so…"

She raised a hand in his direction. His heart nearly broke free from his chest as he took it delicately… and she stepped forward, guiding him back to the ballroom.

If the Inquisition's members were watching him, Sokka didn't care. If the entirety of Orlais was disturbed by the strange, unexpected connection between the King of Ferelden and the Empress's favorite advisor, none of them could hope to sway him: all that mattered was that she had led him into the dance floor, and he found himself grateful not only for the irksome protocolar lessons he had endured upon becoming king, but also by having watched so many dancing pairs while he waited for any sign of Azula…

"Now, then, do be so kind as to not embarrass yourself, or me. I would never live down the shame, if you did," Azula said, dramatically, as they took up the initial position for their incoming dance. Sokka smiled and shrugged.

"I'll try to think of it as a battlefield. Take the lead, and I'll respond," he said. Azula smirked fondly at him.

"Still so frightened by the notion of leadership? After all these years, my King?" she asked. Sokka bit his lip.

"More like… aware of the fact that I'm not always the better leader in every circumstance. Hence, I gladly cede leadership to those who are worthier," he said, bowing his head respectfully in her direction. Azula smiled.

"Such flattery… such boldness. Your Fereldan roots are undeniable," she said: she raised their hands, still linked, as she took her position beside him. The beginning of their dance, then… and the beginning of their honesty, too, for their words would not be overheard here, in the noise of the ballroom, where too many dancers took advantage of the occasion to spill their own secrets to each other rather than spying on other pairs. "And they are as charming as ever, too."

"Hell, I missed you," Sokka blurted out, gazing at her wantonly as they took the first steps forward on the dancefloor. Azula smiled, meeting his eyes without a hint of fluster anymore. "I wish I could've done this sooner, but…"

"But chaos has erupted yet again. How unusual that you would throw yourself at it once more…" Azula said, sarcastically. "But your presence here is welcome. I heard you were a last-minute guest on the Inquisition's part? Curious that you would join their ranks so boldly…"

"I wouldn't call it joining their ranks. I merely wanted to help out with a few matters… and then I heard they were coming here. Can you blame me for making the most of this opportunity?"

They had to separate their hands now and perform a flourishing reverence for each other. Azula held back her answer for after she rose to her full height anew, a smirk upon her face.

"Most certainly, my King," she said: their hands linked anew as their palms touched, and they had to step in circles around each other now. "What Fereldan monarch would willingly set foot within Orlais, I wonder?"

"What Witch of the Wilds would willingly join the Orlesian court?" Sokka retorted. Her genuine smile spoke for itself as an answer to that question.

She twirled, their hands still linked as she slowed to a halt far too close to him, their faces inches away. Sokka's profound temptation to kiss her nearly overcame him then, but he knew better than to embarrass his lover through displays that, for all he knew, would be seen as out of place in the ballroom – just as it would thrill the incurable gossips who would never cease to talk about the King of Ferelden's lack of etiquette and foolishness upon being swept off his feet by the Empress's mysterious advisor.

But now they danced in each other's arms fully, his hand firm on her lower back, hers upon his shoulder, eyes locked as they cherished this reunion, stiff and awkward as it had to be due to the circumstances that constrained them.

The onlookers indeed appeared most taken by the unlikely match they appeared to be: talk spread across the ballroom, even compelling the awkward Mako to enter the area just to watch them with confusion, the composed Asami to gasp in amazement at the unlikely match they made – even the inflexible Lin eyed them with a hint of curiosity she couldn't quite suppress.

Out of the Inquisitor's advisors, however, only Ty Lee smiled fondly at the sight before her, laughing to herself as she relaxed against the nearest column: to think the dark days of the Blight now could be a welcome source of nostalgia after the terrible things that had happened since then… but even if she had never seen Sokka and Azula dancing in this way eleven years ago, there was new life in Sokka's eyes – Azula's know-it-all smirk had scarcely changed in the years that had gone by, it seemed. Seeing them together again made Ty Lee yearn for Sten-Mai, herself… for the twisted yet beautiful days when an unlikely group of strangers had banded together, becoming a family that saved the world from the darkspawn invasion.

"One would think no time has passed at all, you two…" she said, with a fond smile. With the world being as it was, perhaps she'd never have a proper chance to see Sten-Mai anew… but knowing Sokka and Azula might still have a chance of their own at happiness was enough for her on nights like these.

Their dance continued, though they didn't speak as freely yet as they longed to. There was far too much to talk about still, and the music would cease eventually: their round on the dance floor would be over once it did. As they twirled one more time, the pair prepared to end their dance with yet another few steps taken side by side, hands joined and longing to never let go.

"I must say… you kept up remarkably well, King Sokka," Azula said, with a raised eyebrow. "If you sought to impress me with your newly discovered dancing abilities, however…"

"I know it takes more than that to impress someone like you," Sokka said. "A dead dragon or two didn't cut it, why would a dance be any different?"

She let out a soft chuckle, their hands breaking contact most unwillingly. She bowed, and so did he. But instead of each going their separate ways, as was traditional in these dances between strangers, Sokka followed Azula up the stairs… towards the balconies where each of the three leaders of the warring factions in Orlais had taken residence. The peace talks hadn't begun yet, and Sokka supposed they were being delayed chiefly due to how fruitless they were bound to be…

Azula marched with her head high, in a dignified posture that seemed to suggest she belonged in ballrooms of this nature, in uptight, pretentious societies… that she hadn't been born and raised in some dark swamp in the Korcari Wilds. Sokka briefly wondered if perhaps the Empress did not know of Azula's past… for that very Empress welcomed them with a warm smile, performing a practiced reverence in their direction.

"Empress Kuvira," Azula said, curtsying as well. Sokka followed her example, as the dark-haired woman before them rose to her full height anew. "If I may be so bold, I wished to introduce you to King Sokka."

"Oh, your boldness is appreciated, Lady Azula: my greetings, esteemed King Sokka. I'm deeply honored that you would visit our Winter Palace on this momentous occasion," Empress Kuvira said, her voice ringing with the practiced, paternalistic kindness of a nation's sovereign – that was exactly the kind of king Sokka had never wanted to be. "Welcome, and may you have an enjoyable evening as we strengthen the Orlesian nation through the peace talks we will be holding today."

"I'm honored to be here, even if I must apologize for not offering you further notice that I meant to be a guest on this eve," Sokka said, bowing his head in Kuvira's direction. "Feel free to consider me an ordinary partygoer, regardless of my diplomatic status."

"Oh, we could never do such a thing. Not to our esteemed leader of Ferelden," Kuvira said, her voice mellow and reassuring. Of course, Sokka's gut churned with the knowledge that he was being lied to, blatantly… a knowledge that reiterated itself constantly from the moment he set foot within the Winter Palace. Still, the Empress's attention shifted to Azula now: "You have told me you once adventured with King Sokka, Lady Azula. What a delightful reunion, and how fortunate that we witnessed it in the Winter Palace."

"Indeed, Your Majesty," Azula said, with a graceful smile.

"You never regaled me with sufficient tales of your journey to defeat the Archdemon and drive back the Fifth Blight," Kuvira said. "Perhaps, once the peace talks end, I shall burden the both of you with a request for all such stories that you may deem worth sharing with me?"

"That sounds agreeable to me," Sokka said, smiling down at Azula, who offered him a smirk of her own.

"Am I correct to assume you expect me to hold back when retelling our misadventures to the Empress, King Sokka?" she said. Sokka chuckled, as did Kuvira.

"And now my curiosity is stoked further," Kuvira said. "I look forward to the end of the peace talks all the more. But I take it you have much to catch up on, do you not?"

"Ten years, to be precise," Sokka said, nodding.

"Feel free to speak privately in my personal balcony," Kuvira said, gracefully waving a hand in its direction. "The peace talks shall begin shortly, so I will not be using it once they do."

"My thanks for your generosity, Your Majesty," Azula said, as she and Kuvira bowed respectfully to each other.

With that, the way was clear for them to speak freely – if only to a degree, for Sokka knew that any genuine gestures of intimacy would result in trouble for Azula within the Orlesian court. Azula smiled as she walked into the balcony, and Sokka followed with a relieved sigh.

"Kazuo…?"

"Safe and sound, in his bedchambers," Azula responded, as she slowed to a halt right by the balcony's banister. "I have been efficient at developing better defenses for him. Most members of the court don't even know he is my son. They assume he's a distant relative of the Empress's, perhaps, or a guest of another noble family…"

"So… they assumed he's a political hostage?" Sokka asked, stopping beside her. Azula nodded and gazed at him with much more affection now. "Well, I hope that's not a problem for him, or for you."

"It has not been one, thus far. He misses you dearly," she said. Sokka smiled.

"As I miss the both of you," he said. "These three years have been… well, the loneliest of my life, I suppose. Maybe my youth in Redcliffe should be lonelier, objectively, but since back then I'd never experienced the companionship I shared with you later…"

"'Tis much harder to let go of something treasured than to live without it all along, yes," Azula remarked, nodding. "But the world has continued turning since last we met…"

"And that didn't stop you from wearing this dress tonight," Sokka smirked. Azula smiled, shaking her head.

"Call me sentimental, if you must…" she said. "For I suppose I was. Upon hearing that you might be a guest tonight… well, the truth is I had hoped to greet you properly on my own terms rather than doing it after defeating an assassin and bumping into the Inquisitor."

"Oh? Did you find the assassin already?" Sokka asked. Azula shook her head.

"We would be fools to assume there aren't others. I merely meant to prepare further measures to protect Kuvira, but you interrupted me before I could do so," she said. "You needn't worry, however. So long as I'm near her, I can protect her personally just as well."

"I'm sure of it. I'd offer to help, but I'm sure you have everything covered… not to mention I don't have my weapons here, heh," Sokka said, simply.

"Would I be correct to assume this assassination attempt is the reason why the Inquisition is here? I can only hope their political interest in Kuvira means they intend to protect her rather than let her die only to strike an alliance with whichever warmonger follows her…"

"As far as I know, she's quite a warmonger herself," Sokka said. Azula smiled.

"A clever one, however. Her cousin, Grand Duke Amon, is straightforward and blunt in his attempts to take control of Orlais. He's adamant about his support of the Templars, however… a man of arms, and a profound opponent of magic. Any alliance the Inquisition intends to forge with him would be tenuous at best, meaningless at worst."

"And what of the other member of the peace talks?" Sokka asked.

"The elven ambassador, Zhu Li?" Azula raised her eyebrows. "She is clever as well, of course. 'Tis entirely possible that she has had the elven servants of Kuvira's court in her pocket all along. Even so… nobody in these peace talks could pretend to be blameless in the chaos Orlais has been plagued by well before the Mages and Templars began their conflict, or before the Breach tore the sky asunder. Amon has been waging a brutal civil war against Kuvira for years. Kuvira purged the elven alienages of Orlais and Zhu Li, now a faithful advocate for elves' rights, used to stand by silently and do nothing while her lover destroyed whatever she pleased…"

"Lover?" Sokka repeated. Azula shrugged.

"You and I are not the most unlikely match made between a commoner and someone of royal blood, believe it or not," she said. Sokka smiled.

"The best one, though."

"Heh. Confidence suits you far too well for your own good," Azula smiled. "As for the Empress, she is not beyond her own measures of cruelty. I cannot pretend I know all her secrets, but her mastery of masks is second to none in this empire. She will do anything to retain her power, but she knows she cannot hope to quell both Amon and Zhu Li at this stage with anything other than diplomacy. A greater war would devastate Orlais entirely."

"And we cannot afford to let Orlais self-destruct right now," Sokka said. "Not with that creepy magister Unalaq creating breaches in the sky, corrupting mages and templars… and potentially Grey Wardens, too."

"Grey Wardens?" Azula frowned: for once that night, she reacted without masks, without pretenses, showing her true feelings immediately. "Is that so? 'Tis why you're working with the Inquisition, I take it?"

"Well, working with the Inquisition… that's not entirely right," Sokka admitted, with a small smile. "You could say we're allies for the time being, but I can't pretend I'm fully comfortable with them, or what they represent."

"I heard the rebel mages caused you much strife recently," Azula said: her hand slid over the banister, gently brushing his fingers with her own. "Some even sought to bring Tevinter mages into Ferelden, is it?"

"I admit… I can barely believe I found myself repeating the exact things you used to say about Circle Mages being weak and spineless, but that situation brought that out of me for sure," Sokka said, shaking his head. Azula laughed softly.

"It's quite wonderful to know I've been such a terrible influence on you, my love," she said. Sokka smiled fondly at her.

"Magic stops looking like such a pain when it's you who wields it, though," he said. "I wish they were more like you."

"Well, I certainly do not wish they were anything more like myself. I would have far too many rivals for your affection, if so," Azula said, with a teasing smirk. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.

"You'd have none, and you know it," he said. "My heart has been yours for eleven years, and it will be yours for as long as we may draw breath. Which…"

Which he hoped would be for a long time indeed, regardless of the flashes of dark shapes, of dragons, of claws and steel and teeth and rot that burst in his head once more.

"Sokka…?"

Azula's voice reached him. Her hand tightened around his. He winced, shaking his head before smiling weakly.

"Sorry. I just… well, this is the problem with the Grey Wardens, I guess," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Save for the guy the Inquisitor is with. Might be he's less tainted or something, I don't know, but… apparently every Grey Warden in Orlais is experiencing the Calling. This happened to Suki too shortly after we crossed the Fereldan border to reach Skyhold. The Inquisition's current headquarters, as you may have heard…"

"They're residing somewhere in the southern mountains, yes," Azula said, nodding. "But you say… the Calling? That's impossible. Neither you nor Suki have been Wardens for long enough that…"

"It's not just us. It's… all the Wardens, basically," Sokka said, breathing out slowly. "Everything suggests it's some twisted ploy by that bastard, Unalaq. Who the hell knows what he's up to, in the end, but… the Inquisitor and one of her companions somehow dabbled in time magic, saw the future, Kuvira had been assassinated in it, and the world had fallen into chaos because of that. There was also an army of demons, apparently? And it seems the Grey Wardens are the source of that army, somehow. I don't really understand it, but…"

"But we have witnessed enough armies of demons, undead, darkspawn and such to question matters solely because they're unlikely," Azula sighed, shaking her head. Sokka nodded in agreement. "Time magic… I would be intrigued by the concept, but I fear I have my hands full with my investigations as it is."

"Do you?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. "Have you learned anything new about…?"

"Ah, you'd be surprised," Azula smirked. "As it turns out… the elven ambassador, Zhu Li, somehow has control of a portion of the Eluvian network herself."

"What?" Sokka's jaw dropped. Azula sighed.

"I was correct to choose Orlais as my next location to investigate, it seems, but I admit I may require more power, more knowledge, than I have at my disposal to continue," Azula sighed. "I may need to set my sights elsewhere next."

"Then… you don't think you'll stay here anymore?" Sokka asked.

"Not for much longer… for, depending on tonight's results, should power shift in any considerable way, I will certainly be safer away from here," Azula said. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "We shall see if it comes to that. But…"

"You'll let me visit you more often?" Sokka asked. Azula smiled.

"Perhaps," she said. "Though it hinges on whatever your future choices will be, as well. For how long do you intend to be with the Inquisition, if I can inquire?"

"Until this Grey Warden business is settled, I suppose," Sokka said, with a sigh. "I don't know what's happening, but I do know I don't like it. Grey Wardens being used by that creepy darkspawn magister just because we're tainted? It's… unnerving."

"Be that as it may, perhaps once you return home we could continue our former arrangement," Azula said, with a small smile. "'Tis not much, I'm aware of that, but…"

"Not much? That's so much better than the last three years for sure," Sokka said, with a sad smile. "Do you think I could meet with Kazuo before I leave with the Inquisition, or…?"

"If we're furtive about it, perhaps. You do not need rumors to spread about your secret child being held hostage in Orlais, now, do you?" Azula smiled. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head. "But yes, I would be delighted to provide you with that opportunity. He will be thrilled to see you anew."

"Good," Sokka smiled warmly: his fingers squeezed Azula's gently once more.

"About the Calling, though…" Azula said, eyeing him warily. "It's a false Calling, as far as I can tell, but one Unalaq will be taking advantage of to drive you and your fellow Wardens to madness. Is it possible that… it resembles your dreams of the Archdemon, from the Blight?"

"Well… somewhat. Though it happens during the day, at any given moment, such as… well, just now," Sokka said, with a shrug.

"And at night?" Azula asked. Sokka nodded.

"It's worse at night."

"I see…" Azula blinked before offering him a weak grin. "Is there any chance that I may, uh, provide you with a reasonable, magical solution to your sleeping problems?"

Sokka let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as memories of their days on the road returned to mind. Azula leaned over the banister, smiling warmly at him.

"There's a chance indeed," he said, raising an eyebrow. "If you could do it, I would be grateful. Ferelden would be grateful. You'd even be elevated to a title of nobility…"

"Ah, the Lady of the Sleeping Spell. What an extraordinary position, isn't it?" Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled.

"The Lady of my Dreams…"

"Oh, how could you make it worse? Sokka, truly…"

"The Lady Protector of the King's Rest?"

"Why… slightly better and yet I can only wonder if many would assume that I would be protecting your rest in a most different manner. Not that I would be against that, of course…"

"You can go about it however you like, Azula: as long as I get to be with you, I don't ask for anything more," Sokka said, earnestly. Azula sighed, smiling gently at him.

"Your frankness and boldness would infuriate me, once. So straightforward, so reckless…" she said. "Now, after years of this endless charade of masks and dishonesty, I can only cherish your inherent sincerity all the more, my love."

"And I'm honestly shocked the Orlesian court was such a drag that even you find yourself missing the straightforward nonsense of a Fereldan dog lord," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed, shaking her head. "Have they been cruel to you, though? To Kazuo?"

"More to me than him, and 'tis better that way," Azula said. "I believe Enchanter Tahno is among the Inquisitor's companions, yes? He was particularly affronted by my very existence and, worse yet, my presence in his beloved court. He's one who chases for power rather ambitiously, from the looks of it…"

"And yet he intends to use it to corral others, from what I've understood of the man," Sokka said. "I've never heard of a mage as keen on the Circle's methods as him. I thought the rebel mages had made terrible mistakes by aligning with Tevinter and nearly causing a catastrophe in Ferelden… but I'd take their clumsy rebelliousness any day over Tahno's willingness to submit to something so long as he can climb to the top of that system and subjugate others beneath him, too."

"He's shrewd, but yes, I consider him untrustworthy as well. Perhaps the Inquisitor's experience with the man will yield different results, but I would not be surprised if even she loses her respect for him in time," Azula said. "Though 'tis none of our business, of course. At any rate, sneers and derision have followed me constantly, but my position at the Empress's side has seen to my safety. No one dares contest my role in her court if merely out of fear of the consequences. Yet… I did not intend to stay here forever."

"Good," Sokka said. "Not that I want you and Kazuo to have unstable lives, but… has he made friends?"

"I wouldn't say so. His best friend, it seems, is the one he carries within him," Azula said, with a sad smile. Sokka raised his eyebrows. "He has become better acquainted with the Old God's soul. I'm growing used to hearing ancient wisdom from a child as young as he. I cannot say for sure how deep their connection is, but I do believe their connection has only been beneficial, so far. Kazuo is no mage, so…"

"Takes after me in that sense," Sokka said. Azula scoffed, eyeing him with amused skepticism.

"Oh, I remember all too well how a shapeshifter came to my rescue in the Fade, so long ago…" she said, smirking. "And he seemed quite keen on making the most of magic, to the point where he mourned not being able to use it anymore once he was back in the material world."

"I… well. I mean, sure, I suppose…" Sokka chuckled, shaking his head as Azula smiled warmly at him. "Ugh, I hate that we'd have to reunite in these circumstances, seriously. I wish I could just take you into my arms right now and…"

"Soon. Soon, my love," Azula whispered: she cast a glance over her shoulders to find that the Inquisitor had taken to the dance floor… but not with any of her companions.

She danced with the final person of interest in this complicated situation instead: Grand Duke Amon's brother, Duke Tarrlok, the very artificer of tonight's peace talks.

The night flowed on, and hours passed by through awkward tensions and complications after that: the Inquisitor kept vanishing, off to unravel whatever secrets she could get her hands on – and going by Ty Lee's ever-increasing amount of dirt on their enemies, gathered by Korra herself, she'd found a lot of secrets indeed. The peace talks began in earnest in due time, but the arguments between the three parties were nowhere near as civilized as the joyous celebration pretended they'd be. Sokka and Azula witnessed them personally, allowed to stay nearby and watch by Kuvira herself, though they mourned the loss of their privacy nonetheless.

Nothing appeared to have been settled by the time the so-called peace talks were over. Sokka rolled his eyes, mouthing something to Azula about how politics would drive the world to shambles, when the three parties split off to their own sides of the grand hall once more. Azula and Sokka watched, then, as the Empress reentered the ballroom, intending to address her court with a speech in which she would explain the current standstill between all factions…

And halfway through her speech, she decided to thank Tarrlok, the Grand Duke's brother, for his pristine work in organizing the peace talks for that day.

It was then that the Inquisition stepped forward: clad in full armor and carrying her staff, Korra suddenly roared that Duke Tarrlok had been the assassin all along, and where it could have appeared to be a fantastical, ridiculous accusation that anyone would be able to shrug off easily, Tarrlok had cemented her claims by shouting:

"FOR UNALAQ, KILL THEM ALL!"

"Wow. That sure makes everything easier," Sokka growled: Azula, without even her staff, set up her trademark magical Force Field around the Empress, ensuring she would be immobile and also beyond the harm of swords or magic for a brief period of time. "And damn! It's been ages since I saw you do that! You're as epic as you ever have been, love!"

"Oh, please, just find a sword and get to work," Azula huffed, smirking as Sokka reached for the blade and shield of one of the fallen soldiers of the Inquisition.

Together, they fended off the harlequins, entertainers of the party equipped with weapons and trained in stealthy combat – it seemed they had been in league with Tarrlok all along. The nobles were in the way, simultaneously fascinated and terrified by the bloodbath while the Inquisitor chased after Tarrlok personally. Grand Duke Amon himself, it seemed, was shaken by the discovery of his brother's strange schemes while the elven ambassador almost seemed disappointed that the Empress hadn't been killed…

But none of this seemed to matter to the Fereldan King and his apostate lover who fought side by side, knowing themselves quite irrational for enjoying the occasion so thoroughly. By the time the grand hall was clear of apparent threats, Ty Lee, who had taken to aiding Asami and Mako in guiding everyone to safety, approached them while shaking her head.

"You two have simply slipped back into your old roles without even a moment's hesitation, haven't you?" she said, smiling warmly at them. "It's almost beautiful, I'd say."

"Almost? Ah, ever so petty, are we?" Azula smirked at her. Ty Lee laughed, shaking her head. "I cannot believe it's good to see you, Sister Ty Lee… but I suppose stranger things have happened, haven't they?"

"A swamp witch in the Empress's court is, without a doubt, something stranger still," Ty Lee smiled, stepping forward and offering Azula a hug she had certainly not asked for.

"I do not believe our acquaintanceship was quite on a level of closeness where I would welcome such displays from you…" Azula said, an eyebrow twitching. Sokka chuckled as he watched them, noticing Ty Lee had grinned deviously while hugging Azula more tightly still.

"Are you quite sure? As far as my upbringing dictates, we are best friends by now, Azula!"

"Oh, you've always been insufferable," Azula sighed, as Ty Lee laughed and pulled back anew.

"The peace talks are a disaster now… but we have some hopes that, as long as she survives this encounter with Tarrlok, Inquisitor Korra may yet find a way to resolve this matter," Ty Lee said. "One way or another, the Inquisition will establish an alliance with Orlais tonight."

"And after that… we'll find out what's going on with the Grey Wardens," Sokka said, firmly. Ty Lee nodded.

"We shall."

The chaos in the ballroom was settled gradually once the Inquisitor returned, with Tarrlok's corpse slung over her shoulder. At this point, it was clear Korra was done playing games, whether those that suited Orlais, those that suited Tevinter, or those that suited Unalaq.

Another conversation was held, but this time, Korra was part of it: she argued that all three clashing members of the peace talks had dirtied their hands in various ways, and that they would work together, whether they liked it or not, for the sake of Orlais. An uneasy truce was announced then: Kuvira would remain at the head of the Empire, but Zhu Li's demands for the elves would be heard, while Grand Duke Amon would have primary control over the nation's armies, it seemed. A happy ending… until they started gauging each other's eyes out again, Sokka knew, which was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

He had no real opinion on who should be the ruler of Orlais – much as they, of course, had no say on who ruled Ferelden. What did matter to him, however, was Kuvira's conversation with Azula afterwards, in her private balcony anew.

"I fear my situation is not as stable as it used to be, much as it may be stronger than before. I may not be able to offer you the protection you require, Lady Azula," Kuvira said. "Nevertheless, it would be in my interests for you to serve as my liaison in the Inquisition."

"Liaison?" Azula repeated: Sokka's heart lurched. He'd had another burst of visions from his Calling, but he still managed to focus on their conversation anew. "Then… you wish for me to represent the Orlesian monarchy in the Inquisition?"

"I will spare no expense to ensure the Inquisition succeeds in its quest to establish proper peace in Thedas anew," Kuvira said. "Your magical talents and inclinations may provide them with help they will require in order to save our world. I part ways with you most unwillingly, my dear friend… but I hope you know you have been of much help to me across the past years, and that I look forward to our eventual reunion, should you choose to come back once the Inquisition's quest has been completed."

"'Tis possible my investigations will carry me elsewhere, yes," Azula conceded, nodding. "But I shall ensure to think upon returning, should it be an option for me at all by then."

"I ask for nothing more," Kuvira said, smiling before turning her eyes towards Sokka. "You will be traveling with the Inquisition as well, King Sokka? It seems your own reunion with my dear friend shall not be cut short after all."

"If I may be so bold, I'm relieved it is so," Sokka smiled at Azula. "As you no doubt are aware, your arcane advisor is a most extraordinary woman."

"Indeed. One you appear quite taken with, if I do say so myself," Kuvira said, showing them her first genuine smile of the evening. "I hope all efforts to restore peace will pay off… and may both our nations benefit from the outcome, King Sokka."

"Likewise, Empress Kuvira."

The Empress left them to themselves in the balcony then, and Azula stood for a moment, shaken and confused, before turning towards her amazed, smirking lover.

"Well, well. It appears we have an excuse not to part ways just yet, my king," she said, smiling. "Kazuo will be stoked. Though… journeying to Skyhold is not what I had intended, initially."

"I can only hope you'll find it fulfilling," Sokka said, taking her hand in his. "For, frankly, I don't care where we may go, wherever we may be, as long as I get to be there with you."

He leaned down, careless for who might see them, pressing his lips to hers unabashedly. Azula sighed into the contact, knowing she should have refused it… too desperate for it, however, to exert any manner of self-control.

"You will know better than to expect us to act like the youthful fools we used to be, once we're in Skyhold… won't you?" Azula asked, smiling up at him. Sokka snickered and she sighed in defeat. "Ah, goodness. Won't Ty Lee be obnoxious enough as it is?"

"She knows I never stopped loving you. Probably knows you feel the same way too," Sokka smiled. "Therefore…"

"You're maddening," Azula sighed: her hands clasped the lapels of his handsome suit and she reeled him in for another heartfelt, deep kiss.

They didn't set out until the next day: the chaos after the peace talks made it so no one caught an instant of sleep… other than Kazuo, that was. But the young man was woken up by the most unusual, surprising and welcome of sights on the next morning…

"Good morning, dragonling."

"Father!"

The word had escaped his lips before he knew what he was doing: Kazuo jumped into Sokka's embrace, and the two shared a tearful reunion while Azula sighed in relief over having set up a magical barrier, knowing her son and her would-be-husband all too well: no sound escaped that barrier, hence, no casual passerby near Kazuo's assigned bedchambers would learn that Orlais had been hosting the secretive child sired by the Empress's arcane advisor and the King of Ferelden.

Kazuo was a gentle-mannered, calm young man, but that day seemed poised to prove otherwise: his enthusiasm at meeting Sokka almost overwhelmed him, and Azula laughed while she explained to the child that, for a brief time, at least, the three of them would be together. They would be the family they always had been meant to be…

And so, their preparations to relocate to Skyhold began.

It didn't surprise Sokka that Azula's traveling would be as complicated as it was: she insisted on bringing one of the Eluvians she had reactivated in the Orlesian Palace, and while traveling with it was no easy feat, she ensured to install it within an empty room of Skyhold after they arrived.

Skyhold itself, of course, was a magnificent bastion in its own right. While nowhere near as opulent as the Winter Palace, it still seemed far more dignified than the modern building, and while several areas were still being rebuilt, Azula found it rather interesting to inspect an ancient fortress that she identified, quickly, as having been connected to Ancient Elves, to Sokka's utter surprise.

"A most interesting development, is it not?" Azula smiled, as she gazed about herself in the garden. "'Tis not elven architecture, of course. Humans occupied and fortified it next. Bones upon bones, silent until the Inquisition's arrival."

"I see," Sokka smiled: hearing her speak of what she had investigated thrilled him as much nowadays as it had when they had first met, as well as in the years during which they had met in secrecy.

Azula glanced at him with a crooked eyebrow: she had donned her usual attire once more, perhaps in a gesture of mockery at Ty Lee, who appeared convinced that Azula would no longer dress in her old rags. It appeared that being contrary continued to thrill the apostate, especially with people she found quite irritating, no matter if she had a soft spot for them anyhow, try as though she might to deny it.

"And what does that smile translate to, King Sokka?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you inspecting my nose again, by any chance?"

"All of you, perhaps. You're offering me yet another terribly revealing glance at your bosom, after all," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed.

"Shameless as when you were but a foolish young man, I see," she said. "Well, then…"

Her words trailed off, though, when she noticed Kazuo was speaking with someone a few steps away… with the Inquisitor, no less.

"You're very tall. Mother didn't say you were a Qunari."

"Oh? I'm told it's the first thing anyone notices about me," was Korra's response, with a smirk.

"I noticed your blood," Kazuo said: his words immediately caused Korra to blink blankly. "It doesn't belong to your people."

"Wha…?"

"Kazuo, are you bothering the Inquisitor?" Azula stepped forward, interrupting her son's strange, revelatory and confusing words.

"Of course not. Did you see what's on her hand, Mother?" Kazuo said, smiling brightly at Azula.

"I did see," Azula smiled stiffly at Korra, who appeared to have been frozen solid by a mage upon realizing the child was Azula's son. "'Tis time to return to your studies, little man."

Kazuo let out a sigh, but he shot Korra one last smile before walking away… right into Sokka, of course. He grinned brightly at him, and Sokka messed his hair gently.

"What are we learning today, huh, Kazuo?" Sokka asked.

"The history of Lyrium trade," he said. Sokka snorted.

"When I was your age, the Chantry sisters would scold me because it took me about five sessions to learn the name of Yangchen's betrayer husband. And look at you…"

"Why, Kazuo learns of subjects that contribute to his education, you see," Azula smirked at him. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.

"Can't argue with that," he said, patting Kazuo's shoulder. "Let me know if you want some help. Or… you know, if you want someone around to marvel at how smart you are, once you're studying all these complicated matters."

"I will… King Sokka," Kazuo said: he hesitated over concealing his connection to Sokka, having forsaken any attempt to do so with Azula. Azula had known it was likely that most people would realize Kazuo was her child… but even now, she sought to protect Sokka from the complications of having an heir out of wedlock with the least appropriate woman.

Yet the situation had taken the Inquisitor by surprise entirely. Korra blinked blankly as the boy of ten leapt past a few ledges, sorting around the delicate pots where useful plants were harvested by the Inquisition's botanists and marching into the room that had been assigned for his mother's use.

"My son," Azula sighed. "Never where you expect him to be, naturally."

"I didn't know you had a son," Korra said.

"Why would you? I take great pains to keep my reputation from affecting him in any way," Azula said. "To most in the Imperial Court, he was a but a quiet, gentle-mannered boy, perhaps the heir of an important family. But ultimately, he goes where I go. Your fortress is large, but even so, he and I won't take up much space here…"

"I see," Korra smiled awkwardly. "Can we expect his father to join us too, then?"

Azula stiffened. Sokka, behind her, balked. If his previous display of familiarity with Kazuo hadn't sufficed to give away the truth, their reactions did now.

"Uh… wait. Waaaait…" Korra said, smirking as she eyed the pair before her. "Oh, wow. Oh, Ty Lee wasn't talking out of her ass, was she?"

"Well… I would certainly hope she doesn't do that as often as she used to, in her younger years," Azula said, with a devious smirk. "Otherwise, she would make a poor spymaster."

"Inquisitor…" Sokka sighed, running a hand over his hair. "This is a rather important secret. Not one you should be spilling everywhere, so…"

"Oh! I'll keep my mouth shut, I will. It's just… wow. You and… him. King and… apostate. Wow," Korra smiled, utterly astounded. "I mean, I seriously would have never thought about this possibility, I didn't even know for sure that you knew each other until Ty Lee said so and now… wow."

"Well, I'm pleased we are so impressive," Azula said, eyes widening as Korra chuckled softly. "At any rate, do you require anything of us, Inquisitor?"

"Oh, not really. Simply… well, now I'm just wondering if this whole arrangement won't be a problem," she said. "It's great if you're all so mature and don't have any issue with this situation, but I know I'd be a mess if I had to work with my ex, or so…"

Both Azula and Sokka froze again, and Korra blinked blankly while staring at them in confusion. After a moment, her jaw dropped and she tensed up anew.

"I, uh… should stop assuming things, shouldn't I?" Korra said. "I feel like the more I know about you two, the less I actually know, so…"

"Yes, assumptions are probably best withheld for the time being," Azula said, with an awkward grin while Sokka chuckled to himself. Korra sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm an idiot, aren't I? Yeah, well, I guess everyone's an idiot too for making me Inquisitor," Korra said, hands on her hips. "Whatever, uh… we'll be setting out to the Western Approach in a couple of days, King Sokka. I figured I'd let you know, in case you had anyone to send word to, or anything to do…"

"I probably should report the situation to Arl Zuko, come to think of it," Sokka sighed. "He'll be stoked, getting to be king for so long again, after all these years…"

"All his ambitions finally realized," Azula smirked mockingly. "If this is so, however, I would request a moment of your time, Inquisitor. There is something I must show you, if you would be so kind as to humor me. Ah… Sokka, perhaps you could ask Kazuo to help you in composing this letter you'd send to Arl Zuko? It could be a handy exercise in writing official documents for him..."

"Eh? I can't join in on whatever it is you'll show her?" Sokka asked. Azula snapped her tongue mockingly.

"My, my. Are you so jealous that I'm monopolizing the Inquisitor's attention? You'll have a chance to better acquaint yourself with her once you're on the road, won't you?" Azula smirked. Sokka scoffed.

"If I'm jealous…!" Sokka said, and Azula rolled her eyes. "Well. You know what I'm going to say, so I'm just not going to say it. Which is not at all mysterious, let alone is it dignified, but according to you…"

"Dignity is not part of the package for you, King of Ferelden," Azula smirked. Sokka's attempt to retain some manner of seriousness crumbled then, and he laughed while shaking his head.

"Oh, fine. You win. You always do win," he said, smiling fondly at her as he marched towards the room Kazuo had taken off to.

One glance into the room revealed that the Eluvian was there: Sokka breathed deeply, guessing Azula would introduce the Inquisitor to her greatest secret investigation. On the road, Azula had commented that she suspected Unalaq might wish to seize the Eluvian network for himself in order to obtain access to all of Thedas, and to use the ancient mirrors as means to transport his massive army instantly. Sokka certainly hoped she was wrong… but it did appear that Unalaq had been investigating elven ruins everywhere. Perhaps her hypothesis wasn't as far-off as Sokka hoped… if it wasn't, it meant he'd have to fight harder than ever to ensure his beloved apostate would stay safe.

It was a perfectly joyful afternoon, however, and Sokka and Kazuo enjoyed themselves and each other's company, first by writing that letter to the boy's uncle, then by carelessly sightseeing in Skyhold. The boy was happy to greet the horses, to meet new people – he took a liking to Bolin, something unsurprising considering they both spoke in rather strange ways that only seemed to make sense to the two of them –, and to enjoy fulfilling meals that the boy promptly compared to the feasts of Orlesian cuisine, which had been so complicated and strange and very amusing for Kazuo, from the sound of it.

Sokka thrived in this opportunity to better understand who his son had become in the past three years, though he wished Azula could have been present with them, too. She had been busy with the Inquisitor and her advisors all day, and Sokka even tucked Kazuo in that night, once the boy was sleepy.

"Rest well, okay? It was awesome seeing this crazy castle with you today, dragonling," Sokka smiled. Kazuo smiled warmly at him.

"You shouldn't go," he said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Go where?" he asked.

"Into the nightmare. Mother will be sad."

Sokka blinked blankly before smiling at Kazuo. He pressed a gentle kiss to his brow, squeezing his son's shoulder.

"I will make it up to her. Whatever I do… I'll always do my best to bring happiness to you and your mother, Kazuo. I swear it."

Kazuo smiled, rolling on his side. Sokka smiled as he tucked the boy in carefully, blowing the candle by his nightstand and making his way out of the room.

His own assigned chambers weren't too far away, on the upper floor. He sighed as he made his way there, still missing Azula but cherishing the beautiful days on the road he had enjoyed with her and their son. He cleaned up as best he could in the adjacent bathroom in his quarters, and then he made his way to bed…

A knock on his door saw him tensing up and marching towards it quickly. He doubted anyone in the Inquisition could mean him harm, but still…

"I don't suppose you expected your nights to be entirely devoid of danger, or did you, my king?"

A smile spread over his lips as Sokka pulled the door open quickly.

Azula offered him a genuine smile, stepping into his room and closing the door immediately behind herself: Sokka's arms wrapped around her body, and he tilted her back with the force of his heartfelt kiss.

"I didn't think… w-well, I mean, we could get caught here, is all, but…" Sokka said, in between a spree of kisses. Azula laughed softly against his lips.

"Hush. You heard the Inquisitor, did you not? Two days and you'll be out of my reach anew. How could I ever waste two nights with you?"

"You never do, if you can help it," Sokka smiled, pressing his brow to hers. Azula sighed.

"I've… thought of being forthright. She already believes, of course, that our relationship is not a thing of the past, but…"

"We can't make it official, can we?" Sokka said. Azula shook her head slowly. "Well, maybe we'll figure something out once this is over. Who knows? Could be the Inquisitor, with all the crazy miracles she's supposed to be able to achieve, can keep your mother at bay. Right?"

"Right. Though… if this matter has taught me something, it would be that my mother may not be the greatest threat out there," Azula said, earnestly. "Unalaq… he intends to obtain godhood somehow. I do not know if he can genuinely gain sufficient power to proclaim himself a god, but if he can genuinely break the world apart as he already attempted to… in his madness, he may doom us all. At that point… what good will it be to have hidden from my mother?"

"And what use would there be in hiding our love from the Fereldan court just because you're not highborn enough?" Sokka said, caressing her cheek gently. Azula offered him a frail smile. "Maybe… we should talk a lot about what we want to do once this nonsense with the Grey Wardens is over with. How does that sound?"

"Exactly what I hoped to hear," Azula smiled, leaning closer to kiss him anew.

They would talk things over. They would sort everything out. They would decide, for once and for all, how to proceed with their relationship. Once Sokka returned from the Western Approach, once the Grey Wardens had been brought back into control, Unalaq's army would be out of his reach and they would be able to defeat him, so long as they ensured to take control of the Eluvian Azula had pinpointed existed within the Arbor Wilds. If she could take that mirror's key, if she could seize control of it, Unalaq's chances to spread his chaos and corruption through the world would diminish. The Inquisitor, unorthodox and strange as she was, had been effective at thwarting him as well…

So they might succeed. They truly might succeed. And once they did, Azula and Sokka might finally tempt fate and brave the waters of change, raising their son together… facing life by each other's side without letting Ursa's menace dictate how they did it anymore. This was what they wanted… they were what each other wanted. And as they gave themselves gladly to their love that night, Azula's heart pounded in a blissful way, compelling her to believe this was the right choice. This was the future they had to work for.

A future of love, a future of family, a future of happiness, in a world they'd rebuild together.


The Grey Warden mages had been sacrificing their fellow rogue and warrior Wardens to summon and bind demons. That concept alone was disturbing and distressing enough, to begin with.

The army the Inquisitor and her allies found in Adamant Fortress, then, was alarming, but it was possible to fight against it. Commander Mako led the Inquisition's forces successfully while the Inquisitor and a few allies of her choosing, including Sokka, charged into the Fortress to dismantle their defenses from within.

Ghazan, Korra's Grey Warden ally, succeeded at making his fellow Wardens reason with the horrors they were committing. Their leader, then, had betrayed Unalaq's lackey, the one who had schemed to wreak havoc in their organization…

Then, everything had gone to hell.

It was almost a literal statement, too.

Unalaq's strongest ally, a strange manner of Archdemon, had taken to attacking and nearly killing the Inquisitor's group. It was a most unwanted reminder of the past for Sokka as he raced through crumbling buildings, away from the creature… but then he, Korra, Hawke, Ghazan, Teo and Aang fell into nothingness, only for the Inquisitor to impulsively open a rift that swallowed all of them and took them into the Fade.

It was one thing to be in the Fade spiritually: it was a whole other matter to be there physically. Even if Sokka's memories from the Fade during his unwanted adventures in the Circle Tower weren't all that accurate anymore, what he was seeing here was a distressing, magically charged and hostile wasteland with cracks and formations of various qualities, corpses, walls, items that made no apparent smidge of sense, and of course, demons of all types he knew and even others he had never confronted before, which presented themselves in different forms to each of the members of the group.

But the true threat was the larger demon presiding over this area of the Fade. They realized eventually that it was the creature connected to Unalaq, and the one controlling the Grey Wardens.

It called itself the Nightmare. It was a fear demon, and it preyed on all their fears, one by one, speaking them out loud as to humiliate them all in front of each other.

"Did the king's bastard think he could prove himself? It's far too late for that. Your life has been nothing but a collection of failures. You could not slay the Archdemon without aid… and the woman who provided it will die, just as the child you sired with her. You were always a failed leader… and now, your failures will destroy everything you ever fought for."

The words tormented him, even if he knew they weren't true. They kept going until they finally reached a potential rift they could exit through: the Nightmare presented itself physically there, however, and battling against it proved remarkably difficult, more so once Hawke, in a near-suicidal attack, took a severe wound to her flank that caused Teo to scream in anguish as he sought to protect his friend with his crossbow's attacks.

Sokka snarled, reaching deep into himself for the power he had not needed to use for years: without hesitation, he unleashed a smite… and with it, the Nightmare's corporeal form disintegrated.

The rift was ahead. The others ran to it. Sokka urged Teo to take the wounded Hawke across quickly, as she now nestled in his wheelchair with him. The rest of them ran as fast as their legs could carry them: Aang crossed, then Teo and Hawke, then Ghazan…

Only Sokka and Korra remained when a massive creature appeared above them.

Sokka didn't need to reason with reality to know it was the same Nightmare, or at least, another portion of it. It stood between them and their path to the rift… and only the Inquisitor had the power to seal it from the other side. If she didn't do so, the Nightmare's influence on the Wardens wouldn't end. This battle wouldn't end.

"Inquisitor…!" Sokka said: the blood chilled in his body as Korra glanced at him, desperate for a solution before the creature killed them both. "Tell Azula… tell her I made a fool of myself, as always."

"K-King Sokka… I can't leave you here!" Korra exclaimed. Sokka huffed.

"Not like you have a choice," he said: he unleashed a second smite at the demon, and he ran. He raced away from the rift, away from the Nightmare… and the Nightmare followed him.

He continued to taunt the demon away… he did it repeatedly, until the green glow of the rift was gone.

Korra had sealed it, as she had been supposed to.

Sokka's heart clenched. Azula would never forgive him… but this way, she'd be safe. She and Kazuo…

"Fool… they will never be safe!" the Nightmare roared: ah, so it was regaining its faculties, was it? Grand.

Sokka snickered, waving his sword in careless circles as he glared at the monstruous creature.

"You can't reach them, so… I think I fulfilled my duty to my family. Which means… my fear's not going to get the best of me, like it or not, demon," Sokka hissed. "They're strong… so much stronger than me. She'll never lose… and your master, Unalaq, will be vanquished for sure. Sorry, though, because you won't get to see it happen: I'll get you first, you miserable, leggy deformity…!"

Well, Azula always said eloquence wasn't his strongest suit. He had never even tried to prove otherwise.

"DIE!" The Nightmare roared, as it charged against him.

Sokka raised his sword and his shield, giving out the very War Cry with which he had beckoned his allies in battle during the Fifth Blight: he jumped powerfully, fearlessly, into the very final battle against the Nightmare…


The ring was inert.

The ring that connected her to Sokka was inert.

The connection between her ring and his was gone.

For a moment, she wondered if he had lost the ring in battle.

Then, she dreaded his finger might have been severed.

Then she took to dismissing the possibilities, choosing unlikely ones instead: he had decided he no longer wanted her. He had chosen to take a bath without it, and he had misplaced it afterwards. He had been foolish enough to gamble it for some drinks in the army campsite and then lost it.

Anything was better.

Anything was agreeable.

Anything but the revelation the Inquisitor hardly had wanted to give her once her group, her army, returned to Skyhold.

"He… he stayed behind. Inside the Fade, so I could close it safely and save everyone. Asked me to… to tell you he made a fool of himself as always. I… I'm sorry."

Korra seemed to be on the verge of tears… Azula couldn't even process this grief enough to cry.

He wasn't gone.

He wasn't dead.

He wasn't stuck in the Fade for good.

It was a bad joke… one of his bad jokes.

He'd come back.

He had to come back.

He…


She would have wasted away over books and experiments, whether with the Inquisitor's assistance or not, were it not for the leads in the Arbor Wilds. Were it not for the Eluvian that needed to be protected so Unalaq couldn't access it.

Her heart, however, wasn't into it: a void, sucking in everything she ever was, appeared to have taken the place of the organ within her chest.

The ring remained unresponsive. She couldn't bear it. She needed to find him. She didn't know how, but she needed to find him.

The wretched Tahno had condescendingly told her it would be impossible for anyone to survive in the Fade for longer than a day or two. The obnoxious elf, Aang, had offered her false sympathies, claiming to understand her grief while urging her not to give in to its darker callings. Only Ruon Jian, the Tevinter, had offered her any aid, providing her with books from the north, with his own knowledge and theories, and with any support she happened to ask for as she desperately sought any solutions to save her lover's life.

Kazuo was distraught. She had told him the truth, though refusing to say Sokka might have died. For she refused to believe that was possible. The boy had comforted her, though… her own ten-year-old son, hugging her and telling her his father was strong, and that he would survive for as long as it took them to find him… of course he would. She knew he would do his best to survive, but how would she break him out of the Fade before it consumed him? The rifts? Any suggestion she made of using one caused the Inquisitor to recoil… and that enraged Azula beyond her control. She wouldn't be so unprofessional as to exteriorize that rage in front of the Inquisitor… but she almost was. She almost was.

So, whether she wanted to be there or not, she had no choice but to be part of the Inquisition's assault of the temple in the Arbor Wilds. A temple that, Azula suspected, was connected to the matriarch of the elven pantheon, Mythal.

It was but an irksome process at first, fighting off whichever agents of Unalaq showed up in the area… until Unalaq himself made an appearance. Azula had never seen him before, but her experience with darkspawn urged her to assume he was one of their ilk at once. His presence was that of darkspawn… but his unsettling aspect was morbidly human at times, even if not much about him appeared human at all. He commanded his forces to fight and they did as much: the Inquisitor responded with her own initiatives, up until they arrived at the very entrance of the Temple: Unalaq and his favored lackey, Hasook, stood against a strange man… an odd elf who appeared to defend the temple from the invaders.

"These are but remnants. They will not keep us from the Well of Sorrows," Unalaq declared. Azula scowled, and Korra glanced at her questioningly, puzzled by whatever Unalaq was talking about. The only answer Azula could offer her was a shrug.

Strangely, the magical defenses of the Temple appeared to succeed: Unalaq's attempt to cross the small bridge that led into the Temple resulted in a magical reaction that appeared to make him explode into nothingness, right before their eyes. The flash of light was nearly blinding… but going by what they had learned from the Grey Wardens and Hawke's tales, there was no doubt to be had that Unalaq, as destroyed as his current body might be, would return in a new one just as Archdemons were wont to do.

Proof of it being, of course, that Unalaq's forces, survivors of the explosion led by Hasook, simply charged ahead into the Temple now that its key defenses were gone.

"Let's cross that bridge at once, before…" Azula started: mere instants later, a Grey Warden who had been knocked down, one of Unalaq's own allies, began shifting and twitching unnaturally.

"Oh, fuck!" Korra roared. "RUN!"

They barely survived their escape into the Temple. Unalaq was restored, he summoned his Archdemon again, and their group was saved by the miraculous magical wards within the Temple itself, preventing the damage the dragon fire would have been guaranteed to deliver to any other building.

"What was that about this… Well of Sorrows?" Lin asked, scowling as they marched deeper into the Temple. Azula sighed. "Didn't you always say he was after an Eluvian?"

"It appears my understanding of Unalaq's strategies was flawed," Azula said. "He does not seek an Eluvian, and I cannot say I have any guesses as to what this Well of Sorrows may be. Certainly something that he expects will provide him with sufficient power to be victorious in this war, but beyond that, I cannot presume to venture any guesses on the matter."

"Your certainties appear to backfire on you," Aang said, earning himself a sharp glare from Azula.

"Play nice, Aang," Korra sighed.

"I do not understand why you would require an elven expert of human heritage," Aang told her. "Her understanding of this Temple, of this culture, is already proving to be incomplete."

"And yours is better?" Azula retorted, bitterly. "What evidence have you of your grand delusions in battlefields? Of your ventures into the Fade to relive grand combats? You have nothing to show for it, nothing but tragic retellings that may very well be your own embellishments of the matter. If you have any factual, tangible information as to the inner workings of the Ancient Elves that no one, whether myself or the rest of your kind, are privy to, perhaps you'd do best to offer it instead of behaving like a child… well, perhaps worse than one, for my son was never quite so immature."

"Mind your tongue, sorceress," Aang retorted. Azula rolled her eyes as Korra sighed.

"I don't have the patience right now to deal with your arguments, alright? We'll find out what this Well of Sorrows is, we'll ensure Unalaq can't get it and then we'll get the Eluvian if there truly is one…"

"There is one indeed," Azula confirmed.

"And then we can all go home. The end," Korra sighed, shaking her head. "Come on, all of you."

Their trip through the temple wasn't straightforward, predictably: they had to walk through strange puzzles in order to properly respect the Temple and earn the right to access its chambers. For once, Azula and Aang were in agreement about obeying the elven guidelines while Lin rolled her eyes, no doubt wishing for a much more direct approach. But once their initial push was done, they came across Unalaq's forces anew. After dispatching them and performing more complicated rituals, they entered a chamber… only for more mysterious elves in hoods, with ghastly pale appearances, to step forward while aiming weapons at them. Azula sighed, scowling at the obvious leader, who stood ahead of them at the top of a set of stairs.

The elven man introduced himself as Afiko, a Sentinel, guardian of Mythal's Temple. He spoke of the Well of Sorrows, assuming immediately that they had come to drink from its waters… and Azula frowned at the notion. She had read in the inscriptions of the Temple murals that a great boon was granted to those who drank from the well, if at great cost. Yet…

"It is not for you. It is not for any of you," the Sentinel declared, firmly.

"Well… great!" Korra said, with a shrug. "Honestly, keep your Well if you can protect it, pal. All I really want is to make sure Unalaq can't steal it or use whatever weapon he's trying to use to destroy the world. Is that alright with you?"

Afiko appeared perplexed, but he was easily persuaded.

"You did follow the rites of petition. You have shown respect to Mythal," he decided. Azula scowled. "We will aid you in destroying your enemies. Afterwards, you may depart and never return."

"Okay. Cool. Whatever you say," Korra shrugged. Azula frowned.

"Wait," she said. "The Well of Sorrows, whatever it may be, could be of use for us. It's a source of knowledge, a way of understanding our world, its magic, the elven rites that sustain…"

"Your companion seems greedier than yourself," Afiko said: Azula shot him a wary glare.

"The Inquisitor has made her choice," Aang said, smiling in relief at Afiko. "We shall not fight these Sentinels for the right to drink from the Well."

"Azula…" Korra eyed her warily as the apostate balked.

"You refuse to learn more, then? You'll simply leave and never return, never gain an opportunity to find…?"

To find out more about their world. Perhaps enough to enter the Fade and save Sokka from its clutches… if he could still be saved.

"You shall have our assistance with your enemies. As for the Vir'abelasan, it shall not be despoiled, even if I must destroy it myself!" Afiko declared: he turned around firmly, and Azula's heart lurched.

No… she didn't know what manner of knowledge would exist within that damnable Well of Sorrows, but she couldn't allow it to be destroyed. She had sought to restore as much Ancient Elven knowledge as she could across the past years… and she needed that knowledge now, more than ever. She needed it to save him. She needed it to…

"NO!"

The cry left her lips before she knew it: her body shifted, and she transformed quickly into a raven, taking flight after Afiko.

Her attempts to keep up with the Sentinel were madness: he attacked her, misled her, but she knew better than to let him get away with whatever deception he attempted. Soon enough, she followed her own sense into the depths of the Temple, avoiding his schemes to trap her – as well as the arrows his fellow Sentinels shot at her, and he rushed with her into the depths of the Temple's sanctum… just when the Inquisitor and her group were finished with Hasook, it seemed.

"Azula!" Korra shouted upon glimpsing her bird's form.

She wouldn't listen. The Inquisitor could be however powerful as she pleased, she could bear elven magic upon her palm… it didn't matter to Azula in the slightest: this was a chance to save Sokka and she would be damned if she didn't make the most of it.

She landed between Afiko and the Well of Sorrows, a large pool of water at the depths of the building, and she shifted back to her natural human form. Her fierce scowl took Korra aback once she reached them.

"You heard his intent to destroy the Well of Sorrows just as well as I did, Inquisitor," Azula hissed. "I will not hear of it."

"To keep it from your undeserving, grasping fingers," Afiko growled.

"And to let your people's legacy rot in shadows, I see," Azula rebuffed, turning towards Korra. "The Well clearly offers power, Inquisitor. Power that may serve you well in your next battles against Unalaq. Can you afford not to use it?"

"You don't understand what you ask for," Afiko said, shaking his head as he glanced at the pool in question.

It wasn't deep, but a powerful magic appeared to permeate it. Azula felt a strange tug to it, an odd pull… it seemed familiar, somehow. She didn't quite place the feeling, but she didn't care to do so, either: all that mattered was repurposing that magic to save Sokka. As selfish as she was for wanting as much, it was all that mattered to her anymore.

"The knowledge of each servant of Mythal has been gathered in this location," Afiko declared. "All that we were… all that we knew. It would be lost forever."

"It'll be lost for sure if it falls in Unalaq's hands," Korra said, breathing out slowly. "I understand it's not a decision you'd make lightly, but…"

"Those who drink from the Vir'Abelasan pay the great price of being bound to the service of Mythal for eternity," Afiko said to Korra. Azula frowned. "You have shown respect to Mythal, and there is a righteousness to you that I cannot deny. Is it truly your desire to partake of the Vir'Abelasan as best you can, to fight your enemy?"

"I…" Korra froze for a moment: a single glance at Azula offered her clarity, it seemed, for she nodded quickly. "If I'm allowed… yes. Though not without your permission."

"One does not obtain permission. One obtains the right," Afiko declared. "It may be too much for a mortal to comprehend. Brave it if you must, but know you this: you will be bound forever to the will of Mythal."

"Bound forever to a goddess that may or may not have existed?" Azula scoffed: Afiko glared at her.

"Bound, as we the Sentinels are bound," he said. "The choice is yours."

"So… you're saying Mythal was real?" asked Korra. "Is she still alive somehow? Drinking from this would genuinely make someone her thrall?"

"Mythal is supposed to have been banished, along with all the other gods, to the Beyond," Azula responded. "Elven legend says the Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel, tricked them with his schemes."

"Elven legend is wrong," Afiko said, dismissively. "The Dread Wolf had nothing to do with her murder."

Azula frowned.

"Murder?" she repeated. "So… you do believe she is dead? Then the concern you display for the potential connection between any who drinks of the Well and this dead goddess is hardly necessary…"

"If a god can be slain, she was indeed slain by those who destroyed this temple, of which only we and the Vir'Abelasan remain," Afiko remarked.

"Well… that's not confusing at all," Korra said, but she nodded in Afiko's direction. "Thank you for this opportunity. We will make sure to honor Mythal."

"May it be so," Afiko said, turning around and marching away – though not before Aang spoke with him in elven. Azula understood but a few words, yet she focused on the magical waters of the Well instead.

"I'm surprised he would be as reasonable as he was in the end," Azula said, breathing out in relief.

"No thanks to you," Aang snapped. Azula rolled her eyes.

She gestured at something that stood at the other end of the Well: a tall mirror, much like the one she had brought into Skyhold.

"The Eluvian. I was not off-base on all accounts, was I, elven expert?" she hissed. Aang huffed.

"What's the key to opening it?" Korra asked. Azula breathed deeply.

"In this case, I'm certain the Well is the key," she said. Korra's eyes widened. "By taking its power in full, we prevent Unalaq from using the Eluvian and accessing the Crossroads. Therefore…"

"And I'm sure you wish to be the one who drinks from it, don't you?" Aang said, dismissively. "Bound to Mythal for eternity… a most appropriate fate for you, I must say."

"If so, all the better," Azula growled, turning towards Korra. "I am willing to pay the price. This Well could be…"

"The answer you seek?" Korra asked, compassionately. Azula's chest tightened. "I… guess that's true. If so… I fear my failure to protect him, and to protect Ferelden in doing so, demands that I step aside now."

"Are you quite sure?" asked Tahno – he and the Inquisitor's other companions had been most quiet through their journey so far. "Handing immeasurable power to someone like this… it is not a decision to be made lightly, darling."

"It's anything but light," Korra said, lowering her head and stepping back. "The Well is yours, Azula."

"So many voices… they would be in your head, talking over you," Bolin remarked, downcast. "You don't want them."

"Enough," Azula hissed: she could ignore the voices. She could disregard them. She would purpose them. She would use them.

She would endure anything, as long as it meant bringing Sokka back and ending the madness that had overtaken their world.

She stepped into the pool: magic danced around her, and that strange sense of familiarity seemed more pungent and noticeable, but she disregarded it as she leaned down, drinking of the Well directly.

The water seemed to blast out in the wake of her choice. The magic poured out from the liquid… and into her body.

The next thing she knew, she was coming to in Korra's arms.

"Azula?"

"Ellasin selah. Vissan… visannalla…" Azula blinked blankly as she regained her senses… as the overcharge of information seemed to shake the very core of her existence. "I… I apologize. I am intact. There is… much to sift through, but for now…"

A wrathful scream, from the other end of the chamber, brought her attention to reality quite effectively: Unalaq was here, and he was ready to unleash his power and frustration over losing yet another battle against the Inquisitor.

"The Eluvian!" Azula shouted: she raised a hand in its direction, successfully unlocking it with one burst of magic.

One by one, the Inquisitor's companions marched through it: this time, however, Korra ensured to be the last one through: none of them knew what happened to the Temple afterwards, for once Korra crossed, the Eluvian's connection faded away quickly.

"I… I saw something. Someone, floating within the… uh, well, never mind," Korra said, eyes wide. "I've had enough of seeing vague, spiritual women floating and saving my life for a lifetime."

"We are safe here," Azula said, breathing out slowly as she began to lead the others through the Crossroads. "And we will be back in Skyhold much sooner than your army, Inquisitor. We'd best be off."

"Right," Korra frowned, following Azula quickly. "Are you alright?"

"Shaken… but I have not lost my sense of self," Azula confirmed. "The power, the will… it's difficult to comprehend, truly, but…"

Was this what Kazuo felt like, with the Old God within him, matching his soul? The question brought her to frown as she finally reached Skyhold's Eluvian within the maze of tall mirrors: she sealed it after they crossed, and her heart weighed heavily as she wondered if she'd ever sort through the new chaos in her mind.

The Inquisitor's meeting with her advisors took place three days later, once all of them had returned from the Arbor Wilds. Most of the army had yet to return, but the leaders were once more ready to discuss war: Unalaq's forces had as good as been vanquished, he had abandoned them to their deaths after losing the Well of Sorrows…

"If he is wise, he will wait and rebuild his strength before he attacks again," Ty Lee said…

He will not hide

Azula froze as the foreign thought solidified in her mind. Mythal's knowledge? Her will? What ever it was, it unsettled her… but she knew she had to speak.

"He won't hide," she said, firmly.

"You think he'll attack us here? In Skyhold?" Korra asked, frowning.

"Not necessarily, but he won't remain idle," Azula responded.

"And you know this how…?" Ty Lee asked, perplexed.

"The Well speaks to me," Azula said, simply. "I hear its voices. 'Tis not easy to interpret each of them… but it will become easier, gradually. Even these voices, however, understand the danger Unalaq poses for us all. Fortunately, he has a weakness."

"Does he?" Korra asked.

"The dragon he summons is not an Archdemon, but a high dragon he has sought to corrupt with his own essence. It is no Old God, but even so, the dragon itself is the key to his ability to transfer his being into other bodies. If the dragon is slain, it means Unalaq, too, may be slain."

"The dragon has not been exactly easy to defeat thus far," Korra pointed out. Azula nodded.

"A way to defeat it will arise. I may provide it through the knowledge the Well shares with me. But we may discuss this further once I finish unraveling it," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I require a moment to myself."

"Right…" Korra nodded, and Azula breathed out slowly as she stepped out of the War Room.

The voices in her mind… Unalaq was dangerous, powerful, a magister of old, he had sought to usurp the Maker, all this she knew. But in doing so, had he become the first of the darkspawn? Or had he been infected by an already existing corruption that nestled within? The Titans, too… lyrium infused, powerful beings connected to the dwarves, and yet connected to Mythal? The Theirin bloodline, as well, red lyrium was blighted lyrium…

Her head hurt as she made her way towards her rooms. Kazuo… she simply needed to speak with him. He could help, if only with his presence. He had known something was wrong, something was off about his mother as soon as she had returned to Skyhold, he understood they were more alike now than ever before, so surely he had wisdom to share with her. She needed him. She needed…

She froze where she ambled, her head held upright by one hand, when she noticed Kazuo wasn't in his room… but instead, standing by the Eluvian's room instead.

"Kazuo?" Azula called him.

The boy glanced at her once.

Then he sprinted into the room without warning.

"Kazuo!" Azula shouted: she was not one to raise her voice to her child, but a sudden surge of fear told her that whatever he was doing was not the typical mischief of a little boy.

She reached the room in a frantic hurry… only to find a familiar power had been triggered.

Her son had just stepped through the Eluvian.

How? He didn't have the key. Azula had it, it was only her, he couldn't have unraveled…

How? This made no sense. Why would Kazuo…?

Kazuo was in the Crossroads. Kazuo might go someplace strange, bidden to do so by the Old God, perhaps.

Azula snarled, wasting no time at all: she raced after her son, disregarding Ty Lee's voice as she called her name – she had followed her, it seemed – and plunging into the Crossroads at once…

Only to find they weren't the Crossroads in the least.

She froze on the spot, a gasp leaving her throat: even if the Well's voices hadn't revealed it to her at once, she would have realized the truth right away.

The Fade.

She had entered the Fade physically.

The sensation was even more unsettling and wrong than during her time stuck in the Fade while in Ferelden's Circle Tower. Darkness, strange colors, a toxic cloud of magic appeared to hover around her, above her, permeating her being and abating her very soul. Azula snarled, though: within the chaos inherent to the Fade, she could still make out a path that she could follow. A path she hoped Kazuo had followed, first.

"Kazuo! Kazuo!" she shouted, before sprinting down the strange pathways of the Fade.

To think she had chased after the image of a child once, within the Fade, long ago. To think she had found the matter rather irksome, that she had done it mostly to please Sokka, to cut short the most dreary and overdrawn matter of saving Redcliffe… she hadn't cared much, not really, for Yue's soul. Saving her was but part of a mission then…

Saving Kazuo now was her life's very final purpose. For if she failed… what the Inquisitor needed of her would no longer matter. That her power was ideal for the destruction of Unalaq and his Archdemon wouldn't matter… for Kazuo was all she had left. She refused to lose him. She couldn't lose him.

Her voice echoed across the Fade, and she knew it would reach him in time. She struggled with the tumultuous emotions taking her heart by storm, desperation threatening to break her mind and heart on equal measure… why had he done this? What madness had caused him to use the Eluvian so impulsively…?

Kazuo was not a mage. He had never tapped into the power of the Old God because he had no natural affinity with the Fade. How, then…?

Someone else had done it for him. Someone else had opened her Eluvian, redirecting its power into the Fade.

The culprit she had been looking for presented itself when she finally spotted the silhouette of a ten-year-old… and a much older woman, kneeling before him.

"No… NO!"

A strange light had glowed in Kazuo's hands. He withdrew it, turning towards Azula with a smile as she raced towards them, feeling unhinged, torn apart by desperation, by fear… by the voices inside her mind, growing restless suddenly as poured all her strength into reaching her son at once.

"Mother!" Kazuo exclaimed.

The little boy made matters easier: he sprinted towards Azula too, smiling brightly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Azula, however, couldn't share his enthusiasm. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the elderly woman… who looked nothing like what Azula last remembered of her.

Where she had once been frail-looking, decayed, threatening in her humble, rundown appearance, now she was imposing, clad in leather, her hair styled in spikes that were reminiscent to a dragon's horns. Yet that golden glare… it was as cold and cruel as it had been since Azula's childhood. That knowing smirk, that proud sneer… they were unnervingly familiar, for Azula had been raised by them, by the harshness of a Witch of the Wilds who had demanded too much from her, constantly, without ever caring for the toll her cruelty might take on her own daughter's soul.

"You," Azula hissed, snarling.

"Well, now, is that any way to greet your old mother, Azula?" Ursa smirked, a hand on her hip. "After I went out of my way to find you, too…"

"How did you…? How could you?!" Azula roared. "Oh… but it does not matter in the least: you will not so much as touch a hair from my son's head, Mother!"

She raised a hand as to defend Kazuo with a powerful blast of magic. Kazuo hardly seemed to understand her need to be so defensive, so violent…

"Now, that's enough," Ursa said, firmly.

The magic Azula had tried to use sputtered out without warning.

Then, her arm moved on its own.

No: Ursa had raised her own hand… and each of her movements resulted in an impulsive, unnatural jolt in Azula's arm.

Somehow, Ursa was controlling her body's motions.

"What are you…?!" Azula gasped, glaring at Ursa, who forced her daughter's hand down firmly.

"Oh, I'm merely basking in your newfound obedience, my dear," Ursa smirked. "What an unusual feeling, I must say…"

"How are you doing this?" Azula exclaimed: her hand was free once more, but Azula's fear had only worsened as her mother chuckled.

"You chose it for yourself, my dear. You gave your will to me, did you not?" she said. "Upon drinking from the Vir'Abelasan… must I spell everything out for you, girl?"

Azula's eyes widened slowly. Her jaw dropped… as Ursa's knowing smile widened.

"Y-you're… Mythal?" Azula said. "No. No, I didn't… I didn't become your thrall. I wanted…"

"You wanted magic. You wanted knowledge. You had to pay a price, and you have," Ursa smirked. Azula's entire body trembled now. "I did not expect it would come to this, admittedly… but fate, as it turns out, is far more fickle than it needs to be. Countless things that needed to happen did not… and countless things that shouldn't have happened did. You have eluded me for as long as you could do so… but the time was ripe for me to take what I came for."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Azula growled.

Kazuo, still holding onto Azula, glanced up at her with remorse. She frowned as she met his eyes.

"I… I'm sorry, Mother."

"Kazuo…!" Azula said, and she glared at Ursa again, just as new footsteps rang behind her. "You will not take him from me, Mother! I'll never allow it!"

"Woah!" the Inquisitor's voice reached her, and Azula shot her a wary glance before focusing on Ursa again. "A… family reunion?"

"Don't…! This doesn't concern you, Inquisitor! Go back!" Azula snapped.

"Ah, if it isn't the Herald herself," Ursa smirked, nodding in her direction. "Perhaps you are regretting drinking from the Vir'Abelasan now instead of giving the opportunity to her, Azula?"

"Nonsense… that woman has powers this world requires, power that should never be anywhere within your grasp," Azula hissed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Korra blinked blankly.

"My mother… she's Mythal," Azula growled. Korra's jaw dropped.

"Uh… wow. You look pretty good for someone who's supposed to be dead, according to the Sentinels? Good on you," Korra grimaced. "Okay, jokes aside, how's that possible?"

"You of all people ought to be able to accept the impossible," Ursa said, breathing out slowly. "Alas, I don't believe we should dawdle here any further. I will have what I came for, whether you intend to grant it or not, Azula."

"Never," Azula growled again, standing before Kazuo. "You will not have him. He will have no part in whatever wretched schemes you have been plotting…"

"You know plenty about schemes yourself, do you not, girl?" Ursa smirked. "Or are you pretending to be innocent now, when it was your choice entirely to save your Warden's life by creating that child?"

"What?" Korra grimaced as Azula tensed up, before Kazuo. "You… uh… what's that supposed to mean?"

"You have not been friends with my charming daughter for long, have you?" Ursa chuckled. "Ah, but it was my own ritual, one I explained to her, one I tasked her with performing in order to preserve the soul of an Old God…"

"The… Archdemon," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "The one we vanquished in the Fifth Blight. We preserved its soul… through the ritual that resulted in Kazuo."

Korra seemed utterly perplexed by the notion, as Ursa laughed and shook her head.

"Thus, it becomes obvious you, too, had your own secret motives and schemes, your own thinly veiled interest in preserving the Old God's soul…!"

"That was then!" Azula roared, glaring at Ursa. "But Kazuo is more than that. He's more than an Old God's soul, than my plans, than yours…! He is my son, and I will not hand him over to you! I will not allow him to live a life of fear like the one you inflicted upon me! I… I am many things, but I will not be the mother you were to me."

Strangely, the words appeared to deliver a low blow to the so far impassive older woman. She breathed deeply and shook her head in a dismissive gesture.

"So be it," she said. "Then you should suffice, shouldn't you?"

Azula winced. Ursa smirked.

"No…" Azula shook her head.

"Either you turn yourself over and allow me to possess your body, as I always meant to… or you'll allow me to take your son. That is the choice I offer you now, Azula," Ursa said. Azula roared in frustration. "Refuse, and you will never know peace. You know I will always find you… after all your years of cleverly hiding from me, you are bound to me now, whether you wish to be or not. So… hand over the boy and I will leave you be forever. Otherwise…"

"You… you can't do this to me. You…" Azula gritted her teeth, fists clenched before she raised her head. "Then fine! Take me! Inquisitor, bring my son back to Skyhold now!"

"What?!" Korra winced. Kazuo shook his head.

"Mother, no…!"

"I don't care… I will not allow it. I will not allow it. I cannot lose you… I will not lose you, Kazuo. You cannot… I cannot lose… no more…" Azula's words spilled, even if a magical field appeared to hold her in place. She winced as she realized she couldn't move, couldn't evoke her power at all… as her mother powerfully controlled her, instead.

"Azula…! Let go of her!" Korra roared, realizing her ally hard lost control of her body. Ursa sighed.

"This has dragged on for too long," she said.

With that, she gestured at Kazuo, and the boy stepped forward.

"No…! NO!" Azula exclaimed: the magic continued to keep her in place, but her mother knelt before her son once more, offering him a strange, reassuring grin.

"You wish to do what's best for your mother, do you?" Ursa asked. Kazuo nodded. "Good boy."

"Kazuo…!" Azula winced: Korra leapt forward, and Ursa responded by controlling Azula into attacking Korra from behind. "N-no! Inquisitor, I…!"

"She's really controlling you?!" Korra asked, resisting as Azula attempted to restrain her. "Azula…!"

"Stop! Just leave him alone!" Azula roared…

But it was too late: again, something flashed out of Kazuo's body… and it floated slowly into Ursa's.

The glow faded… and Kazuo blinked blankly. He gazed at Ursa in perplexity as the magical field controlling Azula faded as well. She released Korra from her hold, marching up to her son again… and yet she hesitated to intervene as Ursa smiled unusually kindly at Kazuo.

"No more dreams?" the boy asked.

"No more dreams," Ursa responded, before raising a heartfelt gaze towards Azula. "A soul is not forced upon the unwilling, Azula. You were never in danger from me."

Azula winced: that couldn't be true. What she had learned over a decade ago, what she had discovered of her mother's intentions…

That she'd had a chance to discover what her mother was plotting always had struck her as odd. But for the first time, Azula wondered if Ursa had been multiple steps ahead of her constantly. If, perhaps, she had always meant for Azula to learn everything that she had… for Azula to become as powerful as she was, independent and unwilling to further the Witch of the Wilds' legacy. A shudder ran through her body as Kazuo returned to hug her, and Azula held him while gasping for breath, as if she had forgotten how to take in air…

"Listen to the voices," Ursa said, and Azula shuddered. "They will teach you… as I never did."

The Witch of the Wilds turned on her heels then, offering her daughter one last sly grin before marching away, deeper into the Fade.

"Wait…!" Azula called for her: Ursa owed her answers. So many answers. What did she intend to do with the Old God's soul? She had taken it from Kazuo, that was what she had taken, of course it was… but she truly wouldn't possess her? Had she truly never meant to do so? Had the cruelty of her childhood been purposeful, to build Azula's resolve to break the cycle of Ursa's legacy? A cycle in which her soul, Mythal's soul, had been passed on from witch to witch for countless generations until now…

Her mother walked away, and Azula realized she'd never have the answers to any of those questions. The voices in her head whispered many things… chief among them, that she would never see Ursa again.

"Mother…" Kazuo said, squeezing her tightly. "I'm sorry. She called for me…"

"It's… it's no fault of yours. You're safe, though. You are," Azula breathed out slowly as she knelt before her son, cupping his face delicately. "Kazuo, I…"

It was only when her hand touched her son's skin that she realized the ring was vibrating.

Every intent to speak further, to explain herself, to tell Kazuo more about his grandmother, vanished altogether when she focused her attention, her magic, on the power of that simple ring, charged with a simple spell…

A spell to locate the holder of the other ring it was connected to.

"Kazuo…" Azula said, pulling her hand back, eyes upon the ring.

"Mother?" Kazuo blinked, glancing at her in surprise. "The ring is working?"

"It… it is," Azula said: her heart suddenly raced as she gazed at the boy in utmost shock. "Kazuo… go with the Inquisitor. Return to Skyhold, now."

"But Mother…" Kazuo said.

"I will… I will find him, if he may still be found," Azula said, her body shuddering violently. "But I need you safe. I will come back, and you will be safe."

"What's going on now?" Korra asked, utterly perplexed as Azula rose to her full height. "I'll keep an eye on him if you want me to, but…"

"Go back to the Eluvian. Stay in Skyhold. Do not cross again. I will return as soon as I am able," Azula said, firmly.

"What if Unalaq strikes?" Korra asked. "You said he wouldn't wait, that he'll gather his…"

"I won't take long. But I will only have one chance to do this and I will be damned if I do not take the opportunity now, Inquisitor," Azula said, firmly. "I will find the man I love. I will be back once I'm successful."

Korra's jaw dropped as Azula turned around: she felt the tug of the magic, subtle in the wake of so much conjoined, confusing magic within the Fade… but it was powerful enough to guide her, to lure her in the right direction. She didn't know how far away she'd have to go… but she'd go. Whatever she needed to do, whatever distance she needed to travel, she'd do so…

In a new form.

The voices in her head whispered new instructions, and Azula closed her eyes as the knowledge she had obtained in Mythal's Temple infused her anew. Letting the newfound power mingle with her own, the last Witch of the Wilds spread her arms out… arms that became powerful, larger, clawed and scaled.

Her body shifted in a matter of moments and, for the first time in her life, Azula took the form of a high dragon.

Spreading her wings wide, Azula didn't hesitate to follow the magical beacon, the ring she had offered Sokka so long ago. The Fade was a hostile place, she knew that just as any reasonable mage did… but even the demons appeared to know better than to hound her. Wraiths and Despair Demons hovered below, even a few Pride Demons, but none attempted to attack her. It was all the better: she needed to find him. Whatever the cost might be, she needed to find him.

She didn't know for how long she had been flying when the magical signature of the ring strengthened further: he was closer. Her draconic heart pounded painfully in her chest as dread reared its head, as she inevitably feared for his life, for whatever might be left of it, after the long time he had spent in the Fade, without aid, without rescue…

The next demon she saw was a corpse.

Then another corpse.

Then another.

How they hadn't been consumed by the Fade all over again, Azula didn't know, but she hardly knew how the Fade handled its dead to begin with. Moreover… an unsettling feeling crawled over her body when the massive corpse of a much larger and threatening demon presented itself before her: an eloquent 'fuck you' had been carved into its side, and if she hadn't been in dragon form, she might have even laughed upon seeing it.

It had to be the Nightmare. The one the Inquisitor had fought… the one that had Sokka had meant to distract while the others escaped.

The beacon pulsated again, and Azula sped up further.

The trail of dead demons led her into what appeared to be a half-crumbled tower. The magic echoed even more powerfully now as she felt the signature beacon of the ring within that tower… he was there. Whatever she'd find in the tower, it would answer the question she had dreaded might have no answer.

She landed heavily, taking her human form anew before rushing into the tower, unthinking.

"SOKKA!"

She called for him, just as she had called for their son before.

But this time, there was an answer:

"Oh, no. Not her, you fucking bitch of a Fade, not her…"

That simple sentence, so hostile and harsh as a response to her voice, seemed to bring her back to life.

He was alive.

Sokka was alive.

"Sokka!" Azula cried out again: the tower was a mess of debris and filth… but in a dark corner, behind large chunks of crumbled wall, she sensed movement.

She didn't hesitate to go there, raising her staff to summon light quickly:

The alarmingly pale visage of her lover, marred with blood streaks spilling down his brow, greeted her with heartbroken, bloodshot eyes.

"No… oh, you're alive, you are, but you're…!" Azula snarled, tears surging in her eyes as the magic of her staff changed in nature: she aimed her basic healing spell at Sokka, who winced away from the magic even if it seemed he lacked the strength to so much as move anymore.

"N-no, no, no… that's not fair, cut it out…" he said, grimacing. "I… can't torment you with the one you love… so fuck off, Fade, just fuck off…"

"Sokka, it's me!" Azula exclaimed: she knelt before him taking his face in her hands. "Sokka…!"

The healing spell did what work it could, offering Sokka more strength, more awareness… enough to flinch when her lips crashed into his.

"O-oh, no, no… now you're getting me into trouble…" Sokka grimaced. "Azula's… not going to be happy… a desire demon kissed me, that's trouble…"

"I'm a desire demon?" Azula asked, with a chuckle. "You… you marvelous fool, you. I'm not going to be mad at all. You've survived, you… you're wounded. Where are you wounded? Sokka…"

"Everywhere… feels like," he said, with a chuckle. "But you really shouldn't heal me… Fade's going to be rude to you if you do, desire demon…"

"Desire demons would not heal you, you fool," Azula said, caressing his cheek gently before casting another healing spell into him. "Just… oh, I can't do enough here. I have to bring you back…"

"Bring me… where?" Sokka grimaced. "Thedas? You… you wouldn't be that nice, would you?"

"Oh, I certainly would be. And I have the means," Azula said, focusing as she summoned a more powerful spell than the ones she had used so far:

Sokka winced when the Lifeguard glowed upon him. It was a familiar sensation, one he had felt before many times… back during the Blight. Back when Azula or Yagoda had cast it upon him…

"See?" Azula smiled, cupping his face as the magic warded his lifeforce, protecting him from the Fade's clutches. He blinked himself into awareness as he stared at her in confusion.

"You… you can't be real. You can't be…" he said, though there was a speck of hope in his voice that said he was finally giving reality some credit, at least.

"I am, my love. And I'm getting you to safety now, all be damned. This blasted world may do as it pleases, but it will not take you or Kazuo from me," Azula declared.

Sokka smiled warmly: it still seemed he couldn't believe that she was here, at least not fully… but his trembling, armored hand rose to caress her cheek.

"If this is some wacky Fade shit… it's terribly convincing," he said, with a chuckle. "You're always the most welcome sight there is… my love."

Azula smiled, tears spilling down her eyes before she shook her head.

"I cannot treat you fully on my own. Come," she said. "We will leave this wretched place and get you proper help."

"Uh… sure. How?" Sokka smiled carelessly.

"There's an Eluvian connection to the Fade now. It seems… it seems my mother redirected it here somehow, instead of to the Crossroads," Azula said. "I cannot be sure I will be able to redirect it anew later, but for now, I don't care to worry about that: you'll climb on my back and we shall fly out of here…"

"Heh. Okay. You learned how to fly?" he asked, amused. Azula nodded. "This is such a weird dream… but it is the land of dreams, isn't it? Guess it adds up…"

"You're an adorable fool," Azula sighed, cupping his face and kissing him again. "Yes, yes, I'm a devious, terrible, evil demon who will save your life. To be entirely fair, it's not as if our relationship started out too differently from that, now, did it? You certainly didn't think much better of me than that…"

"I thought… you were fascinating. Beautiful. Wonderful to argue with," Sokka laughed: her arm slid under his body, hoisting him with difficulty: his limbs were damaged too, and Azula winced as she took in how much strife Sokka had endured so far, how much pain the Fade had inflicted upon him while he had been out of reach… "And then… I wanted to marry you. I wanted you… to be my queen. So… how about it, eh, Desire Demon? Do you think… do you think she'd go for it? If I told her to be my queen…?"

"Would you accept a dragon queen, by any chance?" Azula smiled, stepping past the boundaries of the tower. Sokka hummed. "If so… yes, Sokka. I would be your queen."

"You're such an odd Desire Demon…" Sokka blinked blankly. Azula sighed as she wrapped his arms around her neck. "W-what are we doing…?"

"You love this Desire Demon, don't you?" Azula said, pressing a gentle kiss to his hand. "Then… hold on, my love. Hold on."

Sokka didn't understand… he didn't know how much she had changed since his disappearance in the Fade. She would explain eventually… but his health concerned her deeply. She dared cast one more healing spell upon him before focusing anew…

Sokka screamed in a most adorable way when he found himself clutching the spikes on the back of a High Dragon.

"What the…?! Desire Demon?! B-bad Desire Demon! W-what the hell are you doing?!" Sokka squealed nervously – perhaps that last healing spell had been a problem, he might have regained more of his faculties than expected… Azula sighed, focusing her magic by listening to the voices within her mind…

Voices that helped her access the power she required to communicate ethereally with him:

"Hold on. And do be so kind to stop screaming, lest you'd rather the entire Fade hounds us on our way out."

"B-but…!" Sokka whimpered: his hands found the spikes, clutching them firmly before Azula spread her wings. "Holy fucking…!"

"Ugh, you're impossible."

At least, he didn't scream constantly as they took flight. After a while, the shock and confusion seemed to abate as he started rambling, resting fully on her back as her wings flapped, as she sped up as best she could…

"… Teo said something 'bout Hawke riding a dragon, heh, but I didn't believe him. Maybe it did happen? Who the hell rides dragons? Fong'd be so jealous of me, hehe… remember Fong? Oh, wait… it's a Desire Demon. Haha. Never mind. Well, maybe I can tell you the story: I fought Yangchen, you see, and she was a dragon like you. Just, not so friendly, haha… as long as you're friendly…"

The king, it seemed, was losing his mind over the completely confusing events that had transpired as of late. Azula couldn't blame him for it in the slightest, and she ached with the need to hold him, to reassure him, to let him know he was safe now, that nothing would hurt him…

That chance would arrive soon: after another strange, indefinite period of flight, her personal connection to the Eluvian saw her reaching it anew. She dove towards it before carefully tilting herself to the side, enabling Sokka to dismount awkwardly. He couldn't stay upright, winding up on his knees instead, and Azula shifted back to her human form before collecting him anew.

"Here… we're here. We're safe. You're safe, my love," she said, pulling him towards the mirror: his gaunt, pale face didn't reflect off its surface, nor did hers, as its magical power was triggered upon their crossing into Skyhold anew.

"Holy… Holy shit!"

The eloquent scream that greeted them once they crossed didn't surprise Azula as much as it surprised Sokka: he blinked, suddenly noticing himself in a different place… in a different world entirely. The magical energies he had grown so used to in the Fade over the past weeks… they were gone here.

His jaw dropped, too, as his eyes fell upon Inquisitor Korra, and another familiar voice exclaimed, joyfully:

"Father!"

Sokka gasped as Kazuo rushed up to him, wrapping his arms around both his parents. Azula sighed, rubbing the boy's back gently with a hand.

"Help me… help me get him food and healing, Kazuo. Please…"

"I… I can do that too. I can…" Korra said, a slow smile spreading over her face. "King's not dead. King's not… holy shit!"

She let out that last exclamation with such joy Sokka could only shudder at the meaning of her words. Weakened, confused as he was, his eyes shifted towards Azula, lips parted.

"Y-you… you're real?" he said. Azula smirked.

"Took you long enough to notice," she teased him. "Though I admit… t'was almost amusing to be told I'm a Desire Demon. Quite flattering to learn I'm the form it would take, were one to seek to tempt you…"

"O-of course it would take your form, but… Azula…?" Sokka said, a slow, tearful smile spreading over his face. "Azula, you…"

"Does it surprise you still to confirm that I will always find you?" she said, squeezing his waist gently, affectionately before focusing on Kazuo again. "Help me with your father…"

The boy smiled brightly as he wrapped an arm around Sokka's waist too: together, the small family marched out of the room, emerging into a most shocked, confused and amazed Skyhold that had mourned the death of a king… only for him to emerge back into the world of Thedas on what was yet another of the strangest days Skyhold had seen so far.

Most everything was a whirlwind then: healers pored over him, food was brought to him, which he devoured eagerly. His allies paid him quick visits, always understanding he needed his rest… but Azula and Kazuo never left his bedside. When he confessed to being tired, Azula was quick to offer him her usual solution of a sleeping spell, and Sokka was free to rest without dreams, as the woman he loved pressed a gentle kiss upon his brow.

His survival was a miracle. He wouldn't know it yet, but people spoke his name with the same reverence with which they spoke that of the Herald of Yangchen: he was another fade-walker, a miraculous survivor, a king fated for greatness. Word had already been sent to Denerim of his apparent death… and now, word of his retrieval and survival was sent, too.

"You certainly put Azula through far too much, don't you?" Ty Lee said, smiling fondly at the convalescing Sokka two days after his rescue. Sokka smiled awkwardly as Azula performed a quick magical check of his health, hands aglow with skills she had learned from Yagoda, long ago.

"Oh, I would pretend I'm used to it…" Azula said, with a twitching eyebrow. "But in his defense, he was much more resilient this time compared to what he did in the Deep Roads, back in the day…"

"Heh. You didn't have to pick up my sword to murder a Broodmother this time… wasn't that bad, was it?" Sokka smiled. Azula let out a bark of laughter.

"If you ever put me through that again, I may wind up threatening to kill you myself," she said.

"As if… you haven't saved me so many times just to kill me, have you?" Sokka huffed, shaking his head and glancing at Kazuo, who sat by the bedside. "Oh, my dragonling, whatever shall we do with your mother and her empty threats?"

"Laugh at them?" Kazuo said. Azula scoffed.

"Ridiculed by both the men in my life? 'Tis outrageous," Azula said, shaking her head as they laughed indeed.

Ty Lee smiled fondly at them before stepping forward, squeezing Azula's shoulder gently. The mage raised an eyebrow at the gesture.

"If you can make it… join us in the War Room," Ty Lee said. "We must discuss our next steps to defeat Unalaq. The Inquisitor says your newfound powers to… become a dragon, is it? That they will be necessary to defeat Unalaq's own dragon. So…"

"I… I will be there shortly, then," Azula nodded – leaving Sokka even for an instant was a terrifying prospect, but she knew this was necessary. Duty called… and Sokka was safe now.

Ty Lee left them alone in their room, and Kazuo smiled as Sokka sighed, brushing the boy's hair gently with his hand.

"How are you feeling, dragonling?" he asked. "Your mother explained… your grandmother took the Old God's soul?"

"I… feel lonely," Kazuo admitted. Azula, sitting by the other side of Sokka's bed, tensed up – now she had an array of chaotic voices in her mind where her son had none. He had grown used to the Old God's soul, its company, its identity mingled with his… whereas she still had much left to do before she grasped the power of Mythal's Well of Sorrows in its entirety.

"I'll make sure to chat with you so much that you'll be desperate for some quiet, then," Sokka huffed. Kazuo smiled at that. "I know this is going to be hard for you… but we're here for you, Kazuo. And I will stay with you, because… well, you're my family and I'm done hiding it."

"So are we," Azula said. Sokka blinked blankly, glancing at her in surprise. "Well… Ursa has what she wanted now. I… I can tell I won't see her anew. I don't really understand her purpose, not even with Mythal's knowledge in my head now…"

"That's still difficult to understand," Sokka said, eyeing her with concern as he reached for Azula's hand, squeezing it gently. Azula let out a soft laugh.

"'Tis even more difficult for me, if you must know," she said. "Either way… we are free from the threat that dangled over us. All that remains is… well, for you to sort out whatever you shall do about Ferelden's nobility and their guaranteed distaste of me, I suppose."

"They can shove it," Sokka huffed. "After stuff like the Fade… I'm sorry to say I don't give a damn about any angry mobs of whiny nobles. I love you. I love Kazuo. I love our family and we won't be torn apart anymore. As long as you wish to do so, you'll come back with me and… and it will be odd, I guess, to have a full-blown royal family all of sudden, but we will be one. Kazuo… you'll be prince dragonling now, how about it?"

"I like it," Kazuo giggled.

"Great!" Sokka grinned, messing his hair again before turning towards Azula. "As for you… we should just make it official, right? It pretty much is already, isn't it?"

"What… our marriage?" Azula asked. Sokka grinned. "Huh. Is it, now?"

"Marry me," he said, bluntly. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

"Not a smidge of romance, then. Not even an attempt to sway me with a fancy speech?" she asked. Sokka scoffed.

"We both know you like things blunt and direct best, my love," he said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't like me at all."

A soft chuckle spilled from her lips again as she gazed at him with heartfelt eyes… knowing, truly, that they were long overdue to call each other husband and wife.

She opened her mouth to offer him his answer when a sudden burst of magic shot through her system.

Magic Sokka sensed too, and that startled Kazuo at once.

A glance out their window, in the direction of the Valley of Sacred Ashes, revealed the sky had been torn asunder once more: the Breach had opened anew.

"Unalaq…" Azula said, frowning. "He is ready to see the world destroyed, himself included, then. The Breach…"

"Not this again," Sokka groaned, dropping heavily on his mattress. "Fuck this madness, just… let the Inquisitor handle it."

"I cannot quite do so," Azula sighed, making her way around the bed to kiss Kazuo's brow. "I… I shall be as swift about it as possible. But they need me."

"Mother…" Kazuo grimaced, touching her hand as she pulled back.

"You're too heroic for your own good," Sokka said, grimacing. "But I bet you'll say I can't join you…"

"You and Kazuo will wait here," Azula said, firmly. "You're nowhere near recovered… and you've scared me enough, you fool. You're staying here, and that's final."

Sokka sighed, pouting but nodding. Azula stepped towards him, pressing her lips to his without restraint… in a way awfully reminiscent of the last kiss they shared before facing the Archdemon, almost twelve years ago.

"I love you," she whispered. "Do not do anything foolish, or else I will strangle you when I return."

"Hmm, in a good way or a bad way?" Sokka asked, amused.

"Both, so long as it isn't too foolish," Azula smirked, pulling back. "Kazuo, keep him on his best behavior."

"I will try, Mother," Kazuo smiled.

Azula gazed at them one last time before leaving the room, marching with heavy heart to the War Room, where of course, the Inquisitor and her core council had been waiting for her. This would be their final stand against Unalaq… the last battle they would wage against the wretched darkspawn magister to save their world.


The shattered ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes hovered in the air. The maddened Magister had raised it in a gesture of greatness that only he seemed to appreciate. His grandiose speeches amounted to nothing when Inquisitor Korra responded to them with appropriate dismissiveness: when he summoned his false Archdemon, a Witch of the Wilds in the form of a high dragon pounced on it and prevent it from attacking the Inquisitor and her companions.

It was a fierce fight, in which Azula couldn't know what was happening with the Inquisitor's group. Whatever aid they might need, she couldn't provide it, since the fierce creature she confronted proved more difficult to battle than expected. Fire clashed to no avail: the false Archdemon held nothing back, instinctively determined to destroy whatever threats it came across… Azula targeted its wings, but tearing them, rendering the creature incapable of flight, was no easy feat.

She flew high, as if to charge through the Breach: the creature followed her, and she tore debris from the floating walls of the Temple to deliver some damage against the false Archdemon…

Then she dove down, changing directions abruptly, too suddenly for the Archdemon to prepare itself for it.

It bit her neck and she ignored it. Her own claws and fangs were tearing apart its wings, rending them even more violently, committing to her need to deliver as much damage as possible – if she couldn't finish off the creature, she would at least cripple its ability to fly and ensure the Inquisitor would have it that much easier to kill it herself. It was all she had to do, and it was working – they plummeted to the ground anew, their speed rising as Azula tore and tore, breaking both wings, careless for the damage she was sustaining, for all that mattered was…

They crashed into the floating debris. Into the walls. Into the ruins of what the Temple had once been…

And ultimately, into the ground that Unalaq had raised: the Inquisitor and her group had a perfect visual of the violent impact of the two dragons against the solid stone ground…

And then there was but one dragon, as Azula took her true form anew.

Her body seemed to carry over the damage she had sustained in her dragon form. She coughed blood… and everything turned black.


He wasn't supposed to be out of bed, but he had wanted to try to reclaim the strength of his legs. Kazuo walked with him that evening, with an arm around Sokka's waist as they visited the gardens of Skyhold: the king's eyes drifted towards where the Breach had been reopened…

No Breach stood there anymore. Whatever had happened in that battle, the Inquisitor had won.

She would be on her way back now with her forces… and Azula would be with her. Azula had to be with her, no matter how irrationally concerned Sokka was for her wellbeing. She was an extraordinarily powerful mage, more so now that Mythal's knowledge had been bestowed upon her… so she had to have survived this. She'd come back. She…

"Mother will be fine. She is the inheritor… she who awaits the next age," Kazuo said, with a hint of sadness.

"Hmm. I believe you, dragonling," Sokka sighed, squeezing his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I'm too anxious, Kazuo. I just… I suppose I'm scared. I shouldn't be, should I?"

"Fear is not so bad," Kazuo said. "It means you have something to protect."

"I suppose," Sokka smiled weakly. "I want what we talked about. To live in Ferelden with you and your mother. I know you'll have some pressures upon your shoulders, what with becoming Crown Prince of Ferelden…"

"Will I be allowed?" Kazuo asked. Sokka smiled and nodded. "You're sure?"

"I'm king, and you're my son. It's only natural," he said, stroking his hair gently.

Kazuo smiled, hugging him tightly… but he pulled back with a gasp, just as Sokka frowned at the sudden burst of unusual noise in Skyhold.

The answer as to what was happening arrived when Suki, who had remained in Skyhold as the official envoy by the Grey Wardens to the Inquisition, stuck her head out of the window to call out to them:

"They're back! They're just crossing the bridge, Sokka!"

Sokka didn't need to hear the words twice before urging Kazuo out of the garden and to the front gates of the grand castle.

A huge crowd had gathered in Skyhold's front yard: the Inquisitor was marching in by the time they arrived, and Sokka ensured he and Kazuo made it down the stairs and as close to the front gates as possible: the way had been cleared for the Inquisitor's group to march up to her top advisors. Sokka and Kazuo walked past Ty Lee, Asami and Mako on their way down, disregarding their concerned warnings about Sokka's health as they sought any chance to confirm that Azula was…

All thought of his own wounds and health vanished from Sokka's mind once he saw her, an arm slung around Lin's shoulders, bandages across her flank… but conscious. Moving. Alive.

"Azula!" he cried out, as he and Kazuo sped up further, rushing towards her.

Azula raised her gaze, as though she hadn't noticed they were already in Skyhold at all: she had lost consciousness but regained her senses after the Breach had been sealed anew. Her stunt to weaken the dragon had paid off, she had nearly killed the creature and the Inquisitor had finished the job indeed… and now she was back, along with most of the Inquisitor's allies – the elven apostate, Aang, had seemingly survived yet he had mysteriously vanished on the wake of Unalaq's defeat, for some reason. Azula, though, had returned to her family, to the reckless fool of a man who should have been in bed rather than rushing up to her and…

And kissing her publicly, in front of every available member of the Inquisition, from the lowest to the highest of ranks.

Azula couldn't even protest: she realized she wouldn't have, even if the chance had come up. Where she raised an arm in surprise after Lin released her from her grip, shocked by the King's boldness, Azula soon found herself locking both her arms around Sokka's neck, kissing him just as willfully, just as gratefully, just as boldly. Kazuo's laughter eased her heart further: it was done. Kazuo was safe… so was Sokka. She had fulfilled her duty… so, whatever came next, it meant the chaos was over.

The world would know of their love now: the incurable gossips within the Inquisition would see to that. Tahno, she noticed, appeared to sneer dismissively at the most uncivilized Fereldan display of affection, but Azula couldn't care less for the court mage's reaction: her embrace tightened around Sokka, and Kazuo joined their hug as well. The Inquisitor smiled upon them briefly, but she continued on her path to where Mako, Asami and Ty Lee awaited her. They bowed to her once she arrived, and after exchanging brief greetings with them, Korra stepped forward, facing the crowd… and she threw a victorious fist into the air, at which her faithful followers unleashed a joyful celebratory cheer that seemed to reach up to the unscarred heavens their Herald had healed for good, at long last.


The years that followed the final, ultimate sealing of the Breach and Unalaq's defeat were peaceful for most people, if not for the Inquisitor. Her work to amend the damage of Unalaq's war on Thedas continued, though it became much more complicated in a world that now seemed to question the need for an Inquisition. Arl Bato, who had inherited command of Redcliffe after Arl Arnook's retirement, hadn't lost his resentment towards the rebel mages who stood with the Inquisition still, whose choices had nearly seen their land invaded by Tevinter… and Empress Kuvira, as well, grew less amicable as the years passed. It wouldn't be likely for Inquisitor Korra's Inquisition to remain one of the world's leading powers for much longer…

But the King of Ferelden wasn't a source of strife for Korra, or for any other leaders in Thedas. In fact, if one solely looked towards Denerim, it would seem as though no concerns would be plaguing anyone at all.

After having Azula acknowledged as Zuko's trueborn sister, hence, having strong ties to nobility, her wedding to Sokka had been an inevitability. Their friends – save Yagoda, who had passed away some years earlier – were thrilled to attend the ceremony, including a female dwarf with bushy hair: Toph had succeeded at restoring her dwarven form in Tevinter somehow, and while she missed being a golem at times, she had grown used to her new life all the same. Sten-Mai and Ty Lee had taken advantage of the occasion to reunite, as they couldn't see each other all that often: their complicated romance would become all the more complicated still, as the Arishok's lover would soon be crowned as the next Divine of the Chantry. Ty Lee had rather controversial ideas for her future role already, such as welcoming elves, dwarves and even Qunari properly into the Chantry, offering them equal standing with humans, as well as the dissolution of the Circles and the end of Chantry control over the mages. They weren't popular decisions with some circles, while utterly popular with others: the ruthlessness the spymaster had developed over the years, however, would see to the success of her ventures.

The blissful wedding ceremony would thus be held in Denerim's Palace… but as Azula began preparing on the morning before it happened, her soon-to-be-husband knocked on her door, a sly smirk upon his face.

"You most certainly timed your intervention correctly, did you not?" Azula smirked, glancing over her shoulder at the closed door. "I'm naked."

The door burst open then, and Sokka's greedy, eager grin greeted Azula as she stood in the torchlit room, before the dress she would soon be clad in. Sokka snickered as he closed the door behind himself, and Azula shook her head dismissively at his behavior.

"What? We already have a son, everyone knows we've seen each other naked like a million times," Sokka snickered, stepping up to her and wrapping his arms firmly around her bare skin. Azula sighed into the embrace, pressing her lips to his cheek.

"You truly are eager, my king. I haven't even begun dressing and you're already fully clad in your ceremonial garb…" Azula said, with a smirk. "You do look rather handsome, no matter how foolish your smiles may be."

"You'll look much more beautiful than I could ever hope to," Sokka smiled still, and Azula laughed, pressing her lips to his.

"I shall hope so, if just in your eyes. That would suffice for me," she said. "That being said, 'tis my understanding that you should not be here right now, my king. Aren't spouses supposed not to see each other until the ceremony?"

"Heh, boring ones, maybe," Sokka smiled, kissing her cheek again. "Me, though? Oh… I always wished I could be there with you in Orlais, to help you with just about anything you could have needed. To dress you up, or undress you, with those fancy clothes I gave you…"

"And you intend to make up for it now?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka grinned. "Is that so? So, you're not here to take advantage of my bare body?"

"Oh, I could do that, if you truly…"

"We don't have the time for it, you loveable fool," Azula laughed, turning in his arms and cupping his face gently. "You will help me, then?"

"Gladly," Sokka grinned.

He kissed her again before delivering on his promise: he slid every garment of her dress into place, one by one, both of them laughing at the unusual design of the outfit. Azula even had to explain certain elements in the dress to a most perplexed Sokka, unused as he was to Orlesian fashions and their penchant for complication. This time, the dress had been a generous gift from Empress Kuvira, sent as congratulations to her former advisor, as well as a gesture of gratitude for the years of her work in the Orlesian court: it was the perfect mirror to how Sokka had first sent Azula safely to Orlais with an opulent gift of the same nature.

But this time, Sokka dressed Azula himself. This time, they enjoyed every moment of preparation that would lead them to speaking their wedding vows to one another shortly, vows they had already lived out long before stating them outright. That the day had finally arrived when they would no longer need to be apart, when they wouldn't need to hide at all, was still difficult to believe as they held each other intimately, sharing numerous kisses once Azula was fully ready.

"Father… Mother."

Kazuo, twelve-years-old now, smiled fondly at them as he stood by the door. He was growing taller, his voice was deeper, and as much as he had never stopped missing his friend, the Old God that had resided within him, Kazuo had been genuinely happy in the years he had spent in Ferelden so far.

"Everyone's waiting," Kazuo grinned. Sokka chuckled, still unwilling to relinquish his hold on his beautiful wife in the pristine, white and gold dress.

"Fine, then. Let's not make them wait any longer, shall we?" Sokka said, pressing his brow to Azula's. "You're ready?"

"Ah, am I ready to state the obvious? I suppose I am," Azula smirked, caressing his cheek. "Let us go and profess our undying love to each other while Ty Lee helms a ceremony. It should go perfectly smoothly, should it not?"

"Heh, at least she's doing it before becoming the Divine, else she wouldn't have had the chance to come here…" Sokka chuckled, stepping forward with Azula: they wrapped their arms gently around Kazuo too, and he giggled happily into the embrace. "How about you? Ready for your parents to be married, dragonling?"

"You'll be just as you are now… so there's not much I need to prepare for," Kazuo chuckled. "Let's go."

Hand in hand, led by their precocious, kind-hearted son, Azula and Sokka marched together to the ceremonial hall of Ferelden's Royal Palace… the very same hall where Sokka had been crowned, and where Azula and Kazuo would be crowned as well today, pronounced as official part of the Theirin Royal Family.

All the ceremonies proceeded smoothly, and while a few nobles continued to behave with distrust towards Azula, their reactions fazed no one. The new Queen of Ferelden never had imagined she might occupy a seat of power alongside the man she loved, and she certainly hadn't imagined doing it would prove as satisfactory, as blissful and thrilling, as it did.

Inquisitor Korra, of course, couldn't be there personally, heavily swamped with work as she was: she sent an envoy instead, one that surprised Sokka profoundly once she offered him her congratulations, about an hour after the wedding and crowning ceremonies were finished.

"I… I'm grateful that I could witness your union today. So grateful," Enchanter Kya said, wiping tears off her eyes. Sokka raised an eyebrow in perplexity as the mage rebel leader he had clashed with so long ago smiled kindly upon him. "Though… I'm not here solely for revelry's sake. I… I bring a gift, you could say. A chance, I hope, to extend your lifespan further, my King."

"What?" Sokka frowned, perplexed. Azula blinked blankly.

"Do you speak of…?"

"Blood magic? No, nothing quite so simple," Kya said, with a weak smile. "You see… I, too, was a Grey Warden once."

"What?!" Sokka's jaw dropped. Kya sighed.

"It's a story that has been kept secret for numerous reasons… chief among them, that the taint has permanently been cured from my system," she said. "While I would understand it if you wish to be a Grey Warden for the remainder of your life, King Sokka, I must offer you this opportunity in case that's not how you feel. I have investigated the matter with some of the Inquisition's best, with information sent from Weisshaupt by Warden Iroh, as well as what Warden Suki could offer while we stayed in Skyhold together…"

"But… wait. You can… get rid of the taint?" Sokka's eyes widened. "T-that means…"

"You may live a full life. A longer life," Kya said, with a heartfelt smile. "You may even… even father more children, should you and your wife wish to do so. No more dreams beckoning you to your demise… no more threat of the Calling hanging over your head, King Sokka. We have ensured to make it a safe procedure, unlike how it was when the taint was drawn from me… and while you certainly will lose the benefits of being a Grey Warden, I expect you should not need them too desperately in these days of peace, should you?"

"Peace has a way of being terribly brittle in Thedas…" Azula remarked. "But admittedly, I would not expect you to require your Grey Warden powers all that direly going forward, my king. This… is a generous offer."

"A very generous offer," Sokka said, gazing at Kya with amazement.

"Consider it my… my apology for the chaos I caused in Redcliffe. As well as for other things that I… I would do best not to explain now, lest I might dampen your celebration day," Kya said. Sokka frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah… perhaps I will explain in the future. Perhaps," the elven mage said, with a kindly smile. "It is nothing you should be alarmed by, however. Nothing that will harm you. For now… enjoy your day with your wife. We shall speak again by morning… and if you choose to accept my offer, we shall prepare for the procedure at your choosing."

"Right… I mean, right now it sounds great, so I'll probably go for it," Sokka said, with a nervous smile he shined upon Azula…

Her golden eyes glowed with wonderment, with certainty and determination: a longer life… a life with her. He wouldn't leave her any sooner than they were ready to part ways… the Calling, that wretched feeling he had experienced, false and caused by Unalaq's twisted magic, would never truly reach him. Nothing would take him away from her… nothing.

It was the final touch, the last gift of utter happiness they had needed to experience on that day. They danced, they laughed, they feasted and they stood together at all times, thriving in the beautiful life they'd lead forevermore… as the elven mage Kya smiled upon them kindly. Inquisitor Korra had been terribly generous, too, by allowing her to come here… to witness the wedding ceremony of her son.

He had no notion of the truth about his parentage, no true understanding of why their features shared some similarities, dismissing it as sheer chance solely because she was an elf. Elf-blooded humans, however, always took after their human parents… thus why Hakoda and Kya's relationship had resulted in a son who looked entirely human. A son she had given to Hakoda, and she had asked him to hide the boy's true parentage, namely when it came to her. Sokka had grown up free from the burdens of being locked in an alienage – Denerim's own alienage had almost shed the name entirely by now, for it had become one of the brightest spots in the city after Sokka had taken the throne – based solely on his heritage as related to her. He had grown kind and strong, even if his life had not been easy… but he had built a beautiful family with the wife who now laughed with him, eyes aglow with hope over a future in which she would share a long life with the man she loved…

It was a gift Kya had to give her son, no matter what. She smiled warmly as the King and Queen shared the news with their son, her grandson… perhaps she'd never truly be part of that family, but it mattered little: their happiness, their wellbeing, the peace they would find together and that they would spread across Ferelden, was everything Kya had ever wanted for her son's future.


Arl Zuko of Denerim was more than ready for peace. For managing a city peacefully. For nothing seriously troublesome to dampen his days, which he intended to live out as placidly as possible.

Hence, that the main source of conflict in his life these days would be his once-estranged sister was a surprising relief.

"I would believe you raised in Orlais, with how often you're late to appointments," Azula smirked as he stepped through the vestibule of the Palace – her palace, ever since she had returned from Skyhold with Sokka and Kazuo.

"As kind and forgiving as ever, sister," Zuko said, bluntly. Azula made a face, and he smirked. "To this day you refuse to get used to that, do you?"

"Can you blame me?" she huffed, as they marched together to the private dining hall where their family would share their dinner that evening. "T'was not long ago, it feels, that we were utterly unaware of any filial connections between us. We were never raised alongside each other as siblings…"

"And yet nowadays we bicker as if we had been," Zuko smirked. "At any rate… how is the next little Theirin?"

"Quite well so far, if you must know…" Azula said – the inflection of her voice as she touched her prominent womb failed to conceal her pride, her joy, in bearing Sokka's second child. She had even admitted to looking forward to it, even if at first she hadn't taken the possibility of more children all that seriously…

But Kazuo would be a wonderful older brother. The boy would soon be thirteen, and he looked forward to meeting his younger sibling already – his primary hope was that it would be a girl, it seemed, and Azula shared in his hope… for no longer would she fear that Ursa would steal her own body, let alone that of a daughter, as she had before.

So much had changed for the better that it almost felt as if they were living a dream: she entered the dining room to find the servants were finished setting up all preparations: Sokka grinned brightly, greeting Zuko with a firm handshake – Kazuo jumped to hug his uncle, instead – and they sat at the table to enjoy their meal while chatting about the latest happenings in their lives.

They would often take their time to watch the stars at night too, a habit Zuko had developed long ago and into which he had roped the rest of the family, Kazuo in particular.

"How are you feeling?" Azula asked, as the two of them stood further back at the heights of the Palace's towers while Kazuo scanned the sky through a magnificent telescope his uncle had gifted him, procured from the Wonders of Thedas. Sokka huffed.

"I'm the one who should be asking you. Baby's being good?" Sokka asked, caressing her womb kindly. Azula smiled and nodded.

"I do not understand, entirely, how two people as prone to conflict as the two of us would raise perfectly amicable and peaceful children. But Kazuo was a rather calm baby as well… this one, it seems, will follow on their brother's example," Azula smiled before focusing on Sokka again. "Your dizziness, though…"

"It's decreased. No need to worry," Sokka said, caressing her back affectionately now. "I didn't think I'd still be getting a few aftereffects from the taint cleansing so many months later, but…"

"Kya did say it might take time for your body to adjust to the changes," Azula whispered. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"I'm taking it easy, as you said I should. Just breathing in the fresh night air… enjoying life. Not thinking about whatever's going on in the Exalted Council…"

"Sokka…"

"I mean, Bato is there. He'll handle anything that needs to be handled," Sokka said, breathing out slowly. "I do feel bad for the Inquisitor, though. If I'd been thanked for all my work with this sort of pressure and figurative kick out the door, I'd have probably just… uh, packed my things and taken off to live with you, I guess. Hmm. Maybe she should just fall in love with someone and do just that…"

"Perhaps she already had," Azula smiled. "Not that I know for certain, of course. I didn't make it my business to learn of her personal life. All the same… if we're at peace, is this not for the better? She shouldn't spend her entire life patching up every foolish mess anyone gets into in Thedas. She has worked too hard already, hasn't she?"

"Definitely. I'll invite her to visit us once the Council ends," Sokka resolved, smiling at Azula. "We can share some advice on how to cope with no longer being the big hero who saves the day…"

"Oh, I certainly can. You? 'Tis what you still do every day of your life, my love," Azula smiled deviously, and Sokka groaned affectionately before kissing her heartily.

It was a peaceful life. It was a wonderful, calm, blissful life. Two people who had never truly experienced having a proper family had built one of their own… and they intended to protect it. To protect their allies and friends, too… to live their lives in peace indeed, forevermore.

Three mornings later, Sokka stirred awake when someone knocked on the door urgently. He unwillingly climbed off the bed, away from his wife, who groaned and grumbled that he should return to her side at once. Chuckling as he pulled up his trousers, Sokka opened the door to find a young messenger standing by the door.

"Your Majesty. Excuse me for coming to your door so early… but a raven arrived with this urgent missive for you."

While still keenly requiring her rest, Azula's attention was caught by the messenger as soon as the word 'raven' left his lips. Both her and Sokka reached the same conclusion even before Sokka picked up the message.

"Thank you. You may go now," Sokka said, with a reassuring smile.

Once the door was closed again, Sokka marched back to bed: Azula pushed herself up as Sokka sat beside her, and they unfolded the message Ty Lee, for it could be no one else, had sent them…

King Sokka and Queen Azula.

I regret to interrupt your well-deserved times of peace and comfort with dire news: the Exalted Council has dissolved the Inquisition. A faction of Qunari attempted to invade the Winter Palace. The Inquisition handled the matter as best it could, but representatives from both Ferelden and Orlais would not accept any answer other than dissolution or submission. Inquisitor Korra has chosen the former.

The Inquisition will be needed, however, now more than ever: numerous elven spies have caused havoc throughout Thedas as of late, all in the Dread Wolf's name. At first, there were indications that the missing apostate who once helped us, Aang, was one such agents, but Korra's pursuit of this matter to the bitter end has revealed otherwise:

Aang intends to break the separation between our world and the Fade. It was by his hand that Unalaq gained the power he did, while no one was the wiser.

Aang himself is the ancient elven god, Fen'Harel. He is the Dread Wolf.

And if we fail to put a stop to his machinations, he will destroy the world as we know it.


A/N: Just to clarify... Aang was cast as Solas not because I think Aang is some sort of evil destroyer of worlds, but because of the numerous similarities between both characters, especially the whole concept of being frozen in time and waking up in a world many, many years later, a hundred in Aang's case, about a thousand in Solas. If any Aang fan read this and thinks I'm trying to trash him, that was absolutely not the intent... yet again, much as the case was for Iroh and Ursa in the previous installment, the role of the Dragon Age character he's based on is what forced me to write Aang this way.

Anyway, here goes our cast list!

Sokka – Alistair + The Warden

Azula – Morrigan

Ursa – Flemeth

Ty Lee – Leliana

Mai – Sten

Yagoda – Wynne

Katara – Cailan

Zuko – Anora

Jet – Zevran

Toph – Shale

Iroh – Loghain

Bato – Teagan

Arnook – Eamon

Yue – Connor

Suki – Oghren

Hakoda – Maric

Hama – Uldred

General Fong – Kolgrim

Yangchen – Andraste

Korra – Inquisitor

Asami – Josephine

Mako – Cullen

Lin – Cassandra

Aang – Solas

The Boulder – The Iron Bull

Smellerbee – Sera

Bolin – Cole

Ruon Jian – Dorian

Ghazan – Blackwall

Teo – Varric

June – Hawke

Jin Bethany

Chan Carver

Kazuo – Kieran

Tahno – Vivienne

Kya – Fiona

Kuvira – Celene

Amon – Gaspard

Tarrlok – Florianne

Zhu Li – Briala

Unalaq – Corypheus

Dock – Larius

Hasook – Samson

Abelas – Afiko

Butahka – Prosper de Monfort

Raikou – Alexius