Chapter 116
Azula arrived in Ba Sing Se not a week after Yue, Katara and Sokka, as she had planned, but almost two weeks later. The reason for it was not all the publicity events that the officials at the Pai Sho federation kept pushing on her. Rather, it was the investigation into her father's actions, especially in regard to the world championship finals where he had stolen Katara's rightful title. After Zhao Sakamoto had made his statement, confessing to having lost his game to Katara outright, Azula had expected that the proceedings would be concluded swiftly and Katara would be declared world champion in a few days, but unfortunately the gears of bureaucracy turned annoyingly slowly.
Even if it was no longer strictly necessary, the committee set up for said investigation had also wanted to take a look at the tapes from Ozai's match with Katara where he had violated the touch and move rule. Having spent an entire day deep in deliberations, the committee had come up with a decision, and that was to not only award Ozai with a loss in that fateful game against Katara, but to also disqualify him from the entire tournament post factum. This promoted Yue to the second place in the tournament, giving her the still fairly exclusive title of the world Pai Sho vice-champion. It had taken the committee more days still to come up with an official statement, and now Azula was returning home with a copy of said statement in her pocket. It had not yet been made public, so Azula was hoping to give Katara a particularly pleasant surprise alongside the already lovely occasion of their reunion.
As Azula entered the International House of Lesbians, she was hugely relieved that the girls had listened to her and hadn't arranged for some kind of a surprise welcoming party. At this point, Azula was so tired of public events that even a private party with eight or nine of their closest friends would have felt overwhelming. Now, it was just Yue, Katara and Aang at the estate, Yue and Katara rushing Azula to shower her with passionate hugs and kisses. Aang also embraced her, but fortunately for him with far less passion.
"Hey, Azula, I know that the three of you want to catch up in private, so I'm going to head off," Aang said before anyone else had uttered a word. "I just wanted to stop by and inform you personally that I have found an apartment for myself and Mai, so I'm going to head over there and continue with setting everything up."
"Wait, have you already moved out then?" Azula asked, having been taken a little by surprise. She had been meeting Mai and Ty Lee regularly back in Caldera City, and she knew that the girls were making plans to move to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, but Mai hadn't at any point mentioned Aang already having found a place for them.
"As good as," Aang replied. "There's some stuff I haven't moved over yet, nothing much. I'll collect it tomorrow."
"Where is this apartment of yours, then?" Azula asked.
"It's not too far from here, almost like next doors from Toph," Aang grinned. "Once I have everything in order, I'll give you a tour and maybe a housewarming party in a few days?"
"That sounds good, Aang," Katara nodded. Azula thought that she looked a little impatient for some reason.
"Alright, I'll get out of your hair now," Aang said hastily. It seemed as if Katara had successfully given him some kind of a hint to make himself scarce. "Once again, Azula, congratulations on your amazing success," he said all but running out of the estate.
Azula wanted to tell Aang that he should be congratulating Katara as well, but that would have ruined the surprise she wanted to deliver in a more dramatic way, so she kept silent for now. Once Aang had walked down the path to the gate and closed it behind him, Yue rushed to lock the estate doors and then both Water Tribe girls began to shower Azula with more affection to show how much they had missed her over the course of the past two weeks. Azula quickly realized that there was a high possibility of them not making it all the way upstairs, and indeed, an hour later, Azula found herself sprawled on the living room sofa, in a state of partial undress and panting heavily.
"I'm starting to feel as if I have been missed," Azula remarked with a satisfied smile on her lips.
"You could say that again," Yue chuckled, looking a little worn out and still trying to catch her breath. "You know, while I liked having Aang around the estate, I'm not actually sad that we now have the whole place just to the three of us again."
"Ahem," Katara coughed meaningfully. Yue gave her a curious stare. "You forgot Ran and Shaw," Katara grinned.
"Oh, of course," Yue laughed. "Anyway, having the estate exclusively to ourselves definitely opens up some interesting possibilities. I mean, we wouldn't have been able to do this in the living room with Ty Lee, Sokka or Aang running around."
"Hard to argue that point," Azula nodded in agreement. She felt blissfully boneless after the passionate reception she had just received.
"Besides, I've always wanted to take you on the kitchen countertop," Yue said, giving Azula an intense stare as she ran her palm up and down Azula's thigh.
"Or on the gaming room table," Katara nodded with a wicked look in her eyes.
"You two are insatiable," Azula laughed weakly. "What's wrong with a nice and comfortable bed, anyway?" she asked.
"Variety is the spice of life, Zula," Katara smiled promisingly. "We'll make you see our point of view," she added, leaning in for a kiss.
"Anyway," Azula spoke a little hastily after they had broken apart, trying to prevent things from escalating yet again, even if a part of her wanted nothing more than that. "I should probably give you the big news," she said.
"What news?" Yue asked, sounding a little anxious. "I thought you told us everything on the phone every evening," she said.
Azula sighed, knowing that she couldn't really blame her girlfriends for becoming worried. They all had history of keeping things from each other, but Azula's transgressions were the most recent ones, and they had been quite severe. On this occasion, Azula hoped that she wouldn't get into trouble, because she had been keeping her cards close to her chest in order to spring a pleasant surprise on Katara. "I'm sorry for acting somewhat mysterious, but I just wanted to surprise you with something nice," Azula said, reluctantly rising from the sofa and then retrieving her purse and fetching the document with the official statement by the International Pai Sho Federation that disqualified Ozai Nakamura from the world championship finals two years ago and awarded the title to Katara. "I think you're going to enjoy this," she said, passing the document over to Katara.
Katara looked apprehensive as she took the document and began to read it, but when she got far enough to realize what it all meant, she let out a loud cry and tackled Azula again, starting to kiss her. When Katara finally pulled away, her face was awash with tears of happiness. In the meantime, Yue had picked up the discarded document to read it and realize the reason for Katara's reaction. "I can't believe you managed to sort it all out this quickly, Azula," Yue said, smiling and looking delighted for Katara.
"It's why I stayed behind these few extra days," Azula replied, still holding Katara tightly embraced. "I wanted to make sure that it was all done properly and then I wanted to deliver the good news personally."
"Thank you, Zula, thank you so much," Katara managed, barely able to speak. "You didn't have to do this, but I'm glad you did. I had already given up hope, but to know that I have the title, I… I don't know if I'll be able to comprehend it anytime soon. To have it all been worth it in the end…"
"I really wanted to give you this, Kat. It's the least you deserve. And you earned the title fair and square," Azula said. "Also, I think you best prepare yourself for the spotlight, love. The news will break globally later tonight, so I suspect we'll be fielding a lot of calls soon." Katara looked absolutely flabbergasted by that realization.
"Well, it's no wonder," Yue said, grinning broadly. "You both have achieved so much. What you did just now was amazing, Zula, but I think this makes Kat the youngest world champion in the history of the game? And how long has it been since the Water Tribes even had their own world champion? It certainly hasn't happened since the Great War, so Kat… I think you just might have to accept that there will be statues and busts of you erected all across the Water Tribe territories." Katara let out a loud groan at that. "Also, what I suspected did come true. I'm in a relationship and living under the same roof with two world champions."
"I still think that at some point in the future we should make it three world champions in a three-way relationship," Azula nodded with confidence. "Yue, Kat and I will help you make an astonishing comeback and we'll make sure that you sweep to your own world title."
"Oh, that would be great!" Katara exclaimed, seemingly forgetting that she was no longer all that passionate about Pai Sho.
"Hah, well, maybe we will," Yue winked, slipping in between her two girlfriends on the sofa to immediately become the target of the softest cuddles. "No pressure, though. I'm looking forward to simply becoming totally domesticated and just enjoying some simpler times with you two. I seriously doubt we're ever going to get bored."
"No, there's not much chance of that happening," Katara shook her head with certainty.
"So, Azula," Yue began after a period of silence, during which hands never remained idle. "Do you still feel comfortable with your decision to retire?" she asked.
Azula didn't have to think twice about her answer. Over the past two weeks, she had been waiting for the urge to reconsider to rear its head, but it had never appeared. Reaching the very top and unseating her father truly had been the greatest parts of her motivation. Constantly putting in the effort to stay on top and dominate was not something that appealed to Azula. "I think I'll be alright, loves," she said, smiling. "The International Federation will want me to do a lot of publicity stuff over the next couple of years, and I guess I won't be able to wriggle out of all of my commitments, retirement or not. And there are a few other things that are on my agenda."
"You mean like writing that book you mentioned?" Katara asked. During one of her interviews back in the Fire Nation, Azula had let it slip that she was considering writing a tell-all book about her path towards the peak of the Pai Sho world, as well as about her life and upbringing with Ozai, and that she was looking for a prospective publisher. Considering the insane public interest in the disgraced Ozai Nakamura, Azula's statements had absolutely blown up and she had been receiving a lot of calls from many different publishing houses, trying to outbid each other. She hadn't made any commitments yet, but the sums of money promised to her had already reached astronomical levels.
"Yes, I feel like I should do that while Ozai is still in the public spotlight," Azula replied. "Fortunately, I don't think the stories about him will be going away anytime soon." More and more of Ozai's shady dealings were being revealed every day, and the scope of his machinations came as a complete shock to most people, but not to Azula.
"We got some calls at the estate earlier today and I think those were from some of the publishing houses courting you," Yue replied.
"I'm not surprised, they probably caught wind that I have left the Fire Nation, so now they're going to barrage us here to try and convince me to sign on with them," Azula said.
"Ugh, that sounds a little annoying," Katara frowned. "Do you think you'll need a lot of time to decide before you sign?"
Azula chuckled at Katara's reaction. "They know my terms, love," she replied. "The first one who caves in will be the one I sign up with." The terms that Azula was looking for and would not budge on were full editorial rights over her material. Obviously, there were things in her past that Azula would never disclose to the general public, but Ozai with his massive brain trauma was never going to be able to dispute anything she wrote, so Azula figured that she would just make up a lot of salacious stuff about that part of her life to titillate suckers who were willing to pay for their thirst for sensationalism. She was much more willing to open up and actually be honest about what it took from a person to reach the very top of the Pai Sho world. In any case, Azula already knew that whatever she wrote, the book would be selling like hotcakes, which was why she felt comfortable asking for a contract measured in millions instead of thousands. Considering the uniqueness of her story, it was likely that a movie or a TV series would follow at some point.
"I wonder if I should also write a book," Katara mused. "I'm sure that it would sell in the Water Tribes at least. And I seem to have fans in Ba Sing Se as well."
"Oh, you could easily make millions too, Kat, especially after the story about you being awarded the title of a world champion breaks later on today," Azula nodded.
"Wait… millions?" Yue gasped. She and Katara were both looking at Azula with eyes as wide as saucers. "Do you think Katara could ask for an actual million yuan?"
"I think that would be Katara selling herself cheap," Azula shrugged. "I'm asking for at least eight million, and I'm pretty sure I'll get it."
"That sounds crazy, Azula," Katara said. It looked as if she wanted to say more, but the ringing of the phone interrupted her. "Hmm, maybe it's one of those publishers again, Azula," Katara looked at her.
"Alright, I guess I'll better pick it up," Azula reluctantly abandoned Katara and Yue on the sofa and walked up to the phone to pick up the receiver. It turned out that the call was indeed from one of the publishing houses that were courting Azula, and they were her preferred choice, on the account of being a local corporation based in Ba Sing Se, and also owning the Herald, a paper Azula had worked for and still retained some friendly ties with. Two days ago, back in Caldera City, Azula had asked them for ten million yuan and full editorial rights, but inwardly, she already knew that she was prepared to settle for less. The Fire Nation publishers seemed ready to offer her more money, but were quite inflexible about allowing her to retain full editorial rights.
The conversation didn't drag out too long. Azula was not interested in extending this courting process indefinitely, waiting to maximize her payout that she didn't really need. As soon as the executive she was speaking with matched the minimal offer she was ready to settle for, Azula felt comfortable taking the deal. "Alright, I guess I'll settle for eight," she said, closing the conversation. "Let me know when you have the papers ready for me to sign," she added, disconnecting the call and then all but dancing her way back to the sofa to rejoin her partially clad girlfriends.
"Did we hear it correctly that you just negotiated a deal worth eight million yuan?" Katara blinked, appearing disbelieving. Azula merely nodded smugly.
"Azula, you truly are our sugar mommy," Yue laughed. She then proceeded to make doe eyes at Azula. "Sugar mommy, how can we make you happy today? All we want is to serve your every whim."
"Stop that, Yue, her ego doesn't need any more stroking, she might explode!" Katara laughed. She then gave Azula a particularly fond stare. "Still, I guess this does mean that we're in a relationship with an actual millionaire. Any ideas on how we should celebrate?" she asked.
"How about a sinfully self-indulgent shopping spree followed by a dinner at the poshest place that'll have us without a prior reservation?" Azula grinned.
"You don't have to tell us twice!" Yue immediately got up from the sofa with an eager look on her face.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Yue, but aren't you forgetting something?" Katara asked, looking at the other Water Tribe girl. Yue gave her a questioning look in return.
"I think what Katara means is that you might want to get dressed before going out," Azula pointed out, the three of them bursting into laughter.
Jet Patel took another slow drag off his cigarette as he looked out the window of the train speeding down the tracks along the Serpent's Lake and offering breathtaking views as it brought him ever closer to Ba Sing Se. The train was packed like sardines with men, most of them still in their military fatigues of the Earth Kingdom Army. These were mostly the reserves, raw recruits who had been called in to compensate for the mounting losses on the frontlines. Following the declaration of armistice and full cessation of hostilities, most of these surviving reservists had demanded to be released from active duty immediately. Special trains had been arranged to transport them from Yu Dao to Omashu, and then throughout the rest of the Earth Kingdom, majority making their way back to the capital. Having received full amnesty for dodging the draft, Jet had used his natural charm to get on one of these trains to catch a ride back to Ba Sing Se.
After having gone through so much with his fellow Freedom Fighters, it had been very hard for Jet to say farewells to Smellerbee, Longshot, Pipsqueak and the Duke. Upon hearing news that the region of Yu Dao would be granted effective autonomy, Jet's friends had all as one decided to remain in the ruined city and assist with the rebuilding effort. They had tried their best to persuade Jet to stay on as well, but Jet still hoped that he might have something remaining of his old life in Ba Sing Se to return to. Perhaps foolishly he hoped that Suki would be a part of that life he wanted to reconnect with, but Jet held no illusions. So much time had passed that he genuinely wished that Suki hadn't waited for him. In any case, Jet understood why his friends did not want to return to their old lives. Bee and Longshot hadn't known anything but running with petty street gangs, and Pipsqueak and the Duke didn't have much of a past to go back to either.
Jet was aware that he was returning to Ba Sing Se a broken man, both mentally and physically. The violence of war had numbed and desensitized him to so many things, and the horrors he had seen would never be forgotten. He had witnessed humanity at its animalistic worst, giving in completely to its baser instincts. Physically, the last year had been the most taxing, when after fleeing the ruins of Yue Dao, the five of them had been forced to live off the land up in the northern mountain passes. The conditions had been terrible, and they had all suffered greatly. Pipsqueak had lost a couple of fingers to severe frostbite. The Duke and Longshot had been close to death when they had all come down with dysentery. Bee's fucked up foot had become worse and she had been in near constant pain the entire time. Jet had suffered an eye infection that had made him near blind in the left eye, and he was walking with a noticeable limp because of a busted knee. Also, by the time the truce had been declared, Jet had been suffering from a bad case of pneumonia that was making him delirious and ended up nearly killing him. He was still feeling the effects of it after a week of taking antibiotics. His doctor would have probably slapped him if he could see Jet smoking right now, but Jet couldn't really give a rat's ass. He had earned the right to chain smoke after everything he'd been through.
It was about four in the afternoon when the train finally pulled into the central station in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se. The train immediately became like an anthill, swarming with activity, with some men even starting to pick fights when they couldn't get off the train fast enough. Jet thought that they were being ridiculous. After a grueling journey lasting almost two days, suddenly getting off the train a few seconds before the next guy for some reason seemed to matter. Jet was having none of that silliness, waiting until the crowds cleared before picking up his backpack and tossing it across his shoulder, nothing else but some spare clothes and a stolen toothbrush to his name as he stepped off the train, hoping to disappear in the crowd.
Jet hadn't made too many steps forward, when the crowds before him suddenly seemed to part, and that was when he saw her. Suki was standing there in front of him, a look of disbelief in her eyes. As far as Jet was concerned, she was a vision of pure loveliness, somehow even more beautiful than how he remembered her. Suki was wearing a black leather trench coat, wind whipping her auburn hair. He took a few more steps towards her, cursing his busted knee which forced him to walk with a limp. Suki finally stirred from her shocked reaction of seeing him as she bolted towards Jet. As she threw herself into his arms, Jet saw that her eyes were wet with unshed tears.
"C'mon, babe, do I really look that bad?" Jet managed an awkward joke as Suki enveloped him in a crushing hug, pressing her head against his chest.
"You look awful," Suki blurted out, sobbing. She pulled back a little, running her hand across his cheek and the almost week-old stubble that was crying out for a shave. "Sweet Kyoshi, you are alive and real. I'm not dreaming," she managed, appearing overwhelmed.
"I'm definitely not a ghost coming back to haunt you, babe," Jet chuckled. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Did you know I was alive and arriving at the capital? But how could you have possibly known?"
"I didn't know, Jet," Suki sobbed. "This is the sixth train in a row I've been standing here and waiting for, hoping to spot you, slowly losing hope when you weren't on any of the previous trains."
Jet was completely taken aback by Suki's words. A part of him had hoped that Suki would have moved on and had found someone else, but the more selfish part of Jet felt flattered that she hadn't been able to forget him. "I thought I told you not to wait for me, Suki," he said.
"Well, I haven't exactly been sitting around and pining all these years, Jet," Suki said, looking up at him. "There have been others, trust me. I have not lacked for companionship, especially as of late. But as soon as they signed the armistice, all I've been able to think about was you, babe."
"Come here," Jet grinned, touched by Suki's words as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. It was during this kiss that Jet opened his eyes and suddenly spotted another familiar face in the crowd, Ty Lee standing there and looking on at them with a sad and resigned stare. The sight of Ty Lee completely threw Jet off and he broke the kiss abruptly. Suki looked up at him questioningly and he responded by pulling her into an embrace, hoping that Suki wouldn't spot Ty Lee. "It's going to be alright, babe," Jet managed even as he maintained eye contact with Ty Lee, trying to convey with his stare the apology that he owed her, for what had happened in Yu Dao, and for quite possibly breaking her heart now. Perhaps it was narcissistic of him to think that Ty Lee was also here because she still harbored the hopes to be with him, but the disappointed look in the eyes of the Fire Nation girl was hard to misinterpret. When Ty Lee then turned around, looking hurt as she walked away, Jet found it impossible not to feel guilty about how everything had turned out.
"Suki, there's something that you should know," Jet said, eventually pulling away from the embrace.
"You have a wife and a child in Yu Dao," Suki said with a nervous smile, almost as if half joking.
"Well, not quite," Jet replied. "It's true that I was seeing others, however."
"I would be a hypocrite to judge you for that," Suki said. "I want you back, Jet. If you still want me, then nothing what happened during our time apart should matter."
"There is one thing that you should know, Suki, unless you've already been told," Jet said, deciding to be honest. "I met someone we both know in Yu Dao. After she was snatched during the Ba Sing Se riots, Ty Lee was deployed there as a Fire Army nurse and we… well, we got together."
Suki suddenly appeared incensed, making Jet nervous. "She never said a word about that, and we've been hanging out on so many occasions ever since she got back from Yu Dao!" Suki exclaimed angrily. "All the time she kept this from me? Next time I meet that bubbly bitch, I'm going to claw out her eyes, I swear!"
"Please, Suki, stay your wrath," Jet tried soothingly. "She probably didn't want to ruin your friendship over a man who by all rights should have been dead."
"She's been salivating after you ever since you two were introduced many years ago," Suki said.
"And I let her down back on Kyoshi Island when she came on to me, remember?" Jet said.
"You didn't push her away in Yu Dao, it seems," Suki said. She looked more than a little angry with him.
"No, I didn't," Jet nodded. "And I wish I could say that I regret it, but I don't. Hear me out, Suki," he said, noticing that Suki looked even more pissed. "Ty Lee was all alone, being forced to partake in a war that wasn't hers. We were two lonely souls seeking comfort from all the horror unfolding around us. We helped each other get through the darkest days of our lives, Suki. At that moment, we needed each other, and I will always be thankful that Ty Lee was there for me. But now that I'm back, I am making the choice to be with you, Suki. That's the simple truth."
Suki looked conflicted for a while, but eventually relented. "I can see that you have been through something horrible, something that I will never be able to quite understand not having experienced it myself. You've really changed, Jet. But you're still the man I love," she smiled coyly, cupping his cheek. "And if Ty Lee helped you get through those dark days, well… I suppose I won't try to strangle her. If she had only told me the truth, I might even feel a little thankful towards her. Once I got my jealousy reigned in, that is."
"You have no reason to feel jealous," Jet smiled, leaning in for another kiss. "I'm back and I'm here to stay. With you, if you'd still have me, Suki."
"I'll have to think about it," Suki said, having broken the kiss. She made a dramatic pause before speaking up again. "There, I've thought about it… and I've decided to take you back after all," she grinned, savoring yet another kiss, far from the last that day.
Heavy clouds gathered above the rapidly darkening streets of Ba Sing Se, tailoring to Ty Lee's mood as she aimlessly wandered around the Middle Ring, having left the train station behind her. Ty Lee could not stop feeling bitter and frustrated about the way Suki had managed to grab a hold of Jet like that, and from the apologetic expression in Jet's eyes while he had been kissing Suki, Ty Lee had seen the writing on the wall as far as her hopes to reconnect with Jet were concerned. It was obvious to everyone that Jet wanted Suki and not her.
Ty Lee often wondered why she was having such a difficult time letting go of Jet. She'd done a lot of dating back in the Fire Nation over the course of the past two years, but she hadn't gone steady with anyone for more than a couple of weeks, always cutting them off as soon as any talk of moving in came up. Ty Lee supposed that she missed the desperation that had been there with Jet in Yu Dao, when every time they had made love, they had both accepted that it could be their last time together. It had given their relationship an edge that Ty Lee had never experienced with anyone, but it also made her wonder whether that desperation would still be there if she tried to recreate things with Jet in Ba Sing Se. With the war officially over, Ty Lee suspected that there was no going back to how things had been in Yu Dao, and that thought made her heart feel a touch lighter.
Despite this setback, Ty Lee didn't regret her decision to return to Ba Sing Se. She had arrived roughly a week ago, and since her return Ty Lee had spent plenty of time with her family, as well as with Azula and her girlfriends at the Upper Ring estate, and it had been time well spent. Ty Lee had also looked at the employment opportunities for a nurse with her qualifications, and Katara had overheard her speaking with Azula about that. Katara had then promised to ask around her Lower Ring hospital for any openings. Ty Lee hoped that Katara would be able to find something for her. She rather enjoyed the thought of working at the same hospital with someone she already knew and liked. And Katara was honestly pretty amazing, so Ty Lee was convinced that working together with Katara would prove very enjoyable.
Ty Lee was still wandering the Middle Ring streets when the skies suddenly opened and rain began to pour down, soaking her wet in a near instant. Ty Lee had not wanted to return to the apartment she was currently staying at together with Ty Woo and her girlfriend, at least not while she was still visibly upset, but now she regretted that decision. Looking around for shelter from the rain, Ty Lee spotted the neon sign of a nearby Jasmine Dragon teahouse, so she quickly sprinted towards it. Unsurprisingly, there weren't many visitors, not with the weather being so crappy, so Ty Lee didn't have to endure a lengthy queue before she could treat herself to a cup of chai latte together with some mochi. Mochi was the go-to breakup comfort food as far as Ty Lee was convinced.
Ty Lee was deep in thought as she took one of the window seats, staring outside and looking on as large raindrops pelted the pavement so hard that they created actual foam. At least inside the teahouse it was warm enough to quickly dry her wet clothes and stop them from dripping all over the floor. The hot chai latte that the waitress was bringing up to Ty Lee would soon warm her up from the inside as well. Ty Lee was slightly taken by surprise when said waitress did not walk away after delivering her order, instead addressing her in a familiar voice. "Ty Lee, is that really you? My goodness, it's been years!" the girl in the Jasmine Dragon uniform spoke excitedly.
Ty Lee looked up at the familiar sounding waitress, gasping as she immediately recognized her favorite coworker from her days as a Jasmine Dragon girl, Jin Huang. "Jin! Oh wow, I didn't think you would still be working here!" Ty Lee gasped. She jumped out of her seat and the two of them shared a tight embrace. "Oh, damn it, I'm sorry, I forgot I was still a little wet," Ty Lee apologized, realizing that she had gotten Jin's uniform wet in places.
"Eh, don't worry about it, Ty," Jin beamed at her. She looked around the less than busy place, making a gesture towards her two fellow waitresses hanging around by the counter. Both girls winked back at Jin, giving her subtle thumbs up. Ty Lee found herself blushing lightly. She remembered from her days at the teahouse that this was the traditional exchange between waitresses asking to cover for them while they spent a few minutes chatting up someone cute and interesting. Not that it was the case with Jin and her, of course. Jin simply wanted to catch up with an old friend.
"I was so sad and angry when I heard from Azula that you were stuck in the Fire Nation and couldn't get back to Ba Sing Se," Jin said as they both sat down again side by side. "And when people started to return from Yu Dao, I actually caught myself thinking whether you'll be coming back. It's really weird, because I just thought about you a few days ago and here you are now."
"Yep, I'm back again," Ty Lee smiled at the other girl. "I was always going to come back, what with all my family and friends now being here."
"Hey, does that perhaps mean that you're also looking for a job? Because we have an opening," Jin winked at her. "It would be great to work alongside each other again."
"Oh, it really would be amazing, but I think I want to work in my actual specialization," Ty Lee said. Jin looked beyond curious. "I'm now a certified nurse," Ty explained.
"Wow, that's amazing! You should be able to get a job easily!" Jin gushed, looking really excited for her. "I've been taking a lot of community college classes lately, trying to make something more of myself than remaining the eternal twenty-five-year-old waitress, but-" Jin stopped suddenly, her expression dropping a little.
"Is something wrong?" Ty Lee asked. Jin was always so positive, almost like Ty Lee herself, which was why they had always gotten along like a house on fire. For Jin to show disappointment was rare.
"I shouldn't burden you with my problems," Jin recovered quickly to grin at Ty Lee. "You've only just got back, I'm sure you have a lot on your mind right now."
"Just tell me, Jin, I don't want to lose sleep wondering about what was bothering you," Ty Lee sighed.
"Ugh, I really shouldn't-" Jin began, but seeing the pleading look on Ty Lee's face, she quickly relented. "Oh, fine. I've been renting a really nice Middle Ring apartment together with this other girl. It would have been way above my pay grade, but between the two of us, we just about managed to scrape together enough for rent. But a couple of weeks ago, she really threw me under the bus by telling me that she had met someone and was going to move in with them. I was left with a payment for rent that I couldn't cover, and it's forcing me to pull double shifts here. And that means no community college for now," Jin sighed, looking sad.
Ty Lee immediately thought of an idea. Before she had been expelled from the Earth Kingdom, she had been renting a rather posh Middle Ring flat together with Ty Woo and her girl. But without Ty Lee's share of the rent, Ty Woo and her partner had been forced to move to a smaller apartment close to the Lower Ring gates. Even though Ty Woo and her girlfriend were very welcoming, Ty Lee could see that the apartment was not big enough for the three of them. For the past week she had been sleeping on a very uncomfortable sofa which had given her severe back pains. "Actually… you might be in luck, Jin," Ty Lee smiled at her. "I have been thinking about getting a place of my own. If you're looking for a new flat mate, I might be your girl. I'd like to see the place first, though."
"Are you serious?" Jin gasped. Ty Lee nodded quickly. "That would be amazing! I'd love to take you there right now, but unfortunately I still have two hours left on my shift."
"I'll wait for you here," Ty Lee decided. "Besides, it doesn't look like that rain is going to let up anytime soon," she said, pointing at the flooding streets outside, massive puddles forming quickly.
"Good point," Jin said, grinning broadly. She reached a little closer and took Ty Lee's hand in hers. "I'm so glad you came back, Ty," she smiled.
Ty Lee squeezed Jin's hand in return. Less than an hour ago, she was feeling somewhat depressed about her return to Ba Sing Se, but those feelings were now fading quickly. "I'm really glad to be back too, Jin," she replied with a smile on her face.
Katara could have never imagined having a day such as this in her life. As the news of her being awarded the title of Pai Sho world champion broke, she had been fielding countless phone calls from so many different dignitaries, especially from the Water Tribes. It was now the first Saturday of November, and she had just made a flight back to Agna Qel'a to have her achievements properly acknowledged and celebrated. Katara had agreed to it before she had actually realized what it would entail, but when she had then received a phone call from the office of the prime minister himself, telling her all the details of what the celebrations would include and all the dignitaries she would have to meet and shake hands with, Katara had come close to losing it and freaking out completely.
Still, with the support of her girlfriends Katara had managed to keep it together, and now here she was, stepping off the plane and boarding a specially arranged bus with an open roof, slowly taking her from the Agna Qel'a airport and through the city on a slow victory parade, presenting their champion to the people of the capital. The interest in Pai Sho had been steadily on the rise throughout the Water Tribes, and it was largely due to her and Yue becoming such household names throughout the nation. The crowds of people coming out to cheer at her were substantial, certainly nowhere near as impressive as the crowds that came out to celebrate whichever ice hockey team had won the yearly cup, but the gathered masses of humanity were certainly large enough to make Katara feel incredibly flattered.
Katara was happy to have Azula and Yue with her on this victory parade. Their relationship was by now pretty much an open secret in Ba Sing Se, but it wasn't really talked about that much in Agna Qel'a, so they were forced to keep their status of being girlfriends on the lowdown. Fortunately, Azula and Yue had valid and accepted reasons to be there with her, Azula as the reigning world champion and Yue as the vice-champion from two years ago, and someone who was just as popular throughout the nation as Katara herself was. Azula and Yue were standing directly behind her where Katara could feel their presence, her girlfriends also now and then waving at the crowds and drawing plenty of cheers.
The board members of the Water Tribe Pai Sho Federation were also present, accompanying them, a small group of mostly elderly men including Pakku Karetak. All of them had been full of flattery not just towards her but also to Azula and Yue. Not all of it had felt genuine as some of these men were here simply to bask in the spotlight that was aimed at Katara and her girlfriends. Still, most of these men appeared genuinely happy for her success, and Katara appreciated that. She knew that some of these people had over the past few years fought a doomed battle to have Katara's stolen title awarded to her, but with Ozai at the peak of his influence, they had been unsuccessful. Azula had made it all possible, and now here they were, with Katara enjoying the kind of reception she had never imagined in her wildest dreams. Azula had told her a few days ago that her name was now immortalized in the history of the game, but Katara hadn't truly understood what it all meant, not until now.
Katara still couldn't quite believe that in less than an hour she would be shaking the hand of the prime minister during the unveiling of an honorary plaque celebrating her achievements. She had also seen the guest list for the evening gala dinner that was being thrown in her honor, crowded with elites and proper celebrities, not the kind of crowd she usually associated with. Fortunately, her family would be attending as well. Sokka and Zuko had left Ba Sing Se a few days early to drive down to Cape Kuruk and help Hakoda and Kanna get ready for Katara's big day. Katara in particular was delighted that Gran-Gran was feeling well enough to come all the way to the capital, a journey she hadn't made in over a decade. Just thinking about all these events arranged in her honor made Katara so nervous that her knees began to wobble slightly.
"Hey, are you alright there?" Yue asked with concern in her voice, stepping a little closer to support Katara.
"Yes, I just became a little overwhelmed," Katara admitted. "I need to stop thinking so much about what's actually happening. I should just let myself enjoy the moment. Maybe it would work better if I simply pretended that this is all a dream."
Azula reached out and pinched Katara's elbow, causing her to yelp. "It's not a dream, Kat," Azula said.
"I know," Katara sighed. "But a part of me still wishes that it was, and that I would wake up from it to a quiet day in Ba Sing Se with just the two of you."
"Don't be ridiculous," Azula scowled at her. "This is once in a lifetime opportunity, Katara. You would have so many regrets later if you had chickened out of it."
"You're right," Katara was forced to admit. She turned around to face Azula. "I'm just sad that you didn't get your own victory parade, Zula. You totally deserved it."
"I agree with Kat, you really did," Yue nodded in agreement.
"Well, the Fire Nation hasn't fully warmed up to me just yet, because to some of them I'm still a filthy exile," Azula shrugged. "And holding a victory parade in Ba Sing Se for someone from the Fire Nation would not go over well. I think stealing a little bit from your spotlight is all I need, Kat. You deserve it more than I do, because your journey to the top was a lot harder than mine was."
"Don't sell yourself short, Azula," Yue said passionately. "You worked extremely hard for the title. We all worked very hard. Although, I do agree that Katara deserves a special compensation for everything she had to go through."
"Yes, that's what I meant," Azula nodded at Yue.
"I'll go with Yue on this," Katara smiled at the white-haired girl. "We all worked very hard, and we all deserve this. So, as far as I'm concerned, this victory parade is for all three of us," she said, remembering to wave at the crowds again, smiling and making eye contact with a young girl of perhaps seven or eight years of age, standing at the side of the street and holding a framed portrait of Katara in her hands. Katara's heart soared when the young girl beamed happily upon realizing that Katara had noticed her.
It was moments such as these that reminded Katara about one of the reasons that had motivated her to practice so hard and persist with her Pai Sho career for as long as she had, and that was to inspire the younger generation. It truly warmed her heart to see so many children in attendance, especially young girls, and she hoped that her example would inspire more and more of them to follow in the footsteps left behind by her and Yue. It was moments like these and not the prospect of shaking the prime minister's hand that made Katara feel as if everything she had fought for had been worth it, including all the mental health setbacks she had suffered. Katara knew that she would carry some of her mental scars forever, but it was rewarding moments such as these which made those scars feel small and insignificant, and they also made Katara feel as if she could look into the future and see only good things in store for herself and her beloved girlfriends.
Next and final chapter: let's fast forward the story a few months and cap everything off with another Gaang party at the International House of Lesbians.