The next days were hellish for Sokka. His only functional limb was his left arm, and he couldn't even move it properly at first. The pain-killers he was given by the Palace physicians were hardly any use, and even though there were times when his ache would subside, allowing him to drift into a momentarily peaceful sleep, the pain would return at full force only a few moments afterwards. He was lying in bed, twitching and whining at all times. Azula came by to visit him whenever the physicians decided to give him a break from the healing, and she seemed to believe that, if he was strong enough to complain, there definitely had to be some improvement to his status. Sokka disagreed strongly, but the fact that he was able to bicker with her only served to prove her point.
His meals were quite unpleasant at first, mostly because the damage in his inner organs was hard to assess. Eventually he was allowed to eat as he pleased, once it was clear that the fight had mostly damaged his bones and skin. The wound on his right shoulder was by far the worse one, even after his skin and muscles had been sewed together. He was certain that the fever he kept suffering from was a consequence of that particular injury. Due to the depth of the wound, the physicians decided to focus most their treatment upon it, but all the ointments to accelerate the healing process induced so much pain that Sokka feared they were damaging him rather than helping him heal.
"It's… damn it, it's no use," he said, panting as he tried to ball up a fist with his right hand, but he stopped his motions when a bolt of pain had ran down his arm.
"There's no point in forcing your recovery," said Azula, frowning as she watched him sternly. "It's been four days, you can't expect to be fully functional so quickly."
"Well, damn, I should be," said Sokka, sighing. "For how much longer am I supposed to waste time lying around in bed?"
"Your body is still very weak," said one of the doctors tending to his wounds as he applied more curative herbs to Sokka's shoulder. "At the very least, you have an entire month of treatment ahead of you before you can start thinking about returning to the Gladiator Arena."
"A month?" said Sokka, grimacing and not because of the pain. "That's… that's too much."
"Try not to get your body smashed next time, then," said the doctor cruelly, earning himself a glare from Azula. Physicians had a knack for being rather harsh towards their patients. At Azula's scowl, the man coughed and turned around to leave, seeing how he had nothing else to do with Sokka, and Azula was considerably terrifying when she was mad. "Very well, then, if you'll excuse me now…"
Both Azula and Sokka followed him with their eyes as he left the room nervously.
"I don't remember all too well right now, but I think you mentioned I have to be back in the ring within a certain period of time or else I'll be disqualified, right?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed," said Azula, sighing. "The time span is of three months. If you don't return by then, you'll be out of the business for an entire year before you can get back to fighting."
"A… a year?" he gasped, surprised.
"We don't want that, do we?" muttered Azula, frowning, deep in thought.
"No… not at all," said Sokka, his left hand curling up in a fist. If his recovery took longer than three months, he would wind up delaying his imminent return to the Water Tribe for another year…
"Then do us both a favor and don't force your recovery recklessly," said Azula, looking at him now. "Pushing yourself over the limits won't help you, it might get you in even worse shape. So please… don't do it."
"I wouldn't have thought you'd be so worried about me, Princess…" he said, smirking suggestively at her.
"Why, I'm relieved to see you've regained your stupidity, at the very least," she replied, making him wince.
"That was mean, Azula… I'm badly wounded, you know?!" he said, moving in bed as he got overly enthusiastic with the subject… but his pain forced him to sit back down as he gritted his teeth, holding back a howl of agony to avoid embarrassing himself before the Princess.
"The one who doesn't seem to recall you're wounded is you," said Azula, rolling her eyes as he bit his lower lip and leaned down on the soft pillows of his mattress.
"Sadly, the pain reminds me of it every single time I try to forget about it…" he said, his chest heaving with every breath he took.
The sight of her injured gladiator made Azula frown with worry. Could he be ready in three months? She would seek to confront him with a weak opponent… but even doing that could bring forth horrid consequences if he wasn't fully healed by the time he returned to the Arena.
But her musings were interrupted when the door swung inwards suddenly, startling both the Princess and the gladiator.
"Oh, my!" squealed a familiar voice. "You poor thing!"
Ty Lee stood at the threshold for a moment, aghast to see Sokka's deplorable state. She approached him hastily, gazing at the Water Tribe man with horror in her eyes.
"You're so badly hurt, this is so awful! How are you holding...?" she spoke hurriedly, as Mai entered the room behind her.
But before Ty Lee could come any closer, Azula stretched her arm in front of her, forcing her to halt her advance and stopping her from flinging herself at Sokka.
The other three people in the room stared at the Princess in surprise. Sokka looked at her, not understanding what was this new protective knack she had developed towards him, Ty Lee was plainly dumbfounded, and Mai raised an eyebrow, analyzing Azula's unusual behavior silently.
"Azula...?" asked Ty Lee, eyeing her with caution.
"He's injured, as you can plainly see," she stated, not looking at anyone or anything. "Don't fling yourself at him like that, will you? You'll only worsen his condition."
"Oh... sorry," said Ty Lee, taking a few steps back and smiling awkwardly.
Azula lowered her hand then, folding her arms over her chest. She kept the usual stern look on her face, without any blushes that betrayed her true intent. Regardless, the other people inside the room couldn't help but find her behavior to be suspicious.
"How did this happen?" asked Mai, to Azula's relief. Despite she remained firm in her act, and doing her best to make it seem as if she had been protective rather than jealous, she was quite irritated by the confused stares the others were giving her.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" she retorted.
"But… how?" asked Ty Lee, her eyes blazing as she looked at Sokka with concern. "He's been trained by Piandao, and he had always been so strong…!"
"Clearly, someone was stronger than him this time," said Mai, looking at Sokka's bruised and scratched body. "Who did this to you?"
"It was a very tough earthbender…" said Sokka, gulping as he intentionally left out the defining features of his last opponent.
"Really?" asked Ty Lee, surprised.
"Yes, a tiny, blind, female earthbender," said Azula, making Sokka glower at her as the other two looked at her in shock.
"A blind girl?" asked Mai. "How could a blind girl beat him so badly?"
"I have no idea," said Sokka, fuming now. "Before I knew it, I was fighting for my life. I didn't have much time to figure out how she did it."
"But… a tiny blind girl injured you like this?" said Ty Lee, worried.
"She was the worst challenge I've ever faced," said Sokka, sighing. "The deadliest foe I've met… and I'm including her on that list," he muttered, pointing at Azula with his left hand.
"Oh, really now?" asked Azula, glaring at him. "From what I recall, I managed to reduce you to your worst possible shape in less than fifteen minutes and with… what was it, two or three blows only? Not to mention you were supposed to have the advantage in that environment… should I add that the doctors say you'll take a few months to recover? Yet you're still facing the consequences of fighting me. Care to say which fight was worse now?"
"Why so defensive, Princess?" he asked, raising his eyebrows inquisitively at her.
"I'm merely proving my point," she grunted, their eyes colliding again as they defied each other through fierce looks.
"Could you two keep your pointless fights to yourselves?" said Mai, sighing. "I didn't come all this way to mourn over him losing against a blind girl."
Azula's attention turned to her friend. Mai was looking at her with an inquisitive quality in her eyes.
"I've heard rumors," said Mai. "People are saying he's back. Is it true?"
"Yeah, some gossip about that reached me too…" said Ty Lee, biting her lower lip.
Sokka stared at them with confusion, seeing how he was the only person in the room who had no idea what they were talking about now.
Azula took a deep breath before speaking.
"Indeed, he's back. He returned empty-handed, but he returned regardless."
Ty Lee winced at that. She knew little about the issues regarding royal honor and whatnot, but she was certain that failing on such an important mission wasn't good news for anyone… especially for the Fire Lord's son.
"I see," said Mai, her face growing clouded with concern. "Where can I find him?"
"Where can she find who, exactly?" asked Sokka, his confusion growing more with every waking moment. "What's going on?"
"We're talking about Zuko, Azula's brother" said Ty Lee. "He returned home not long ago…"
"Wait, he's back?" said Sokka, surprised. "And you didn't tell me?"
The disappointed look in his eyes took Azula aback. Why did he think she should have told him? Zuko's return wasn't that important over all. Why would it matter so much to him?
"Was I supposed to?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"W-well… it's kind of a big deal, isn't it?" he asked, confused.
"I don't see why it would be a big deal for you, you don't even know him," said Azula, looking at him warily. "In any case, Mai… he might be in his room. Still, I've only seen him once since he arrived, so I don't know his whereabouts for certain. But he's definitely in the Palace someplace. You can go look for him, if you want to."
"I'll do that, then," said Mai, nodding before turning around and leaving the room without another word.
"I thought of seeing Zuko for myself now… but I'll wait until Mai's turn is over," said Ty Lee after Mai closed the door behind her.
"A wise choice… perhaps too wise coming from you," said Azula, with a devilish smirk.
"Hey!" Ty Lee protested, although she was already used to the way the Princess had fun at her expenses. "Oh, never mind… say, why was that blind girl so hard to defeat? I mean… you're tough as you are, and you always made cool plans to beat your enemies! So… how come? Did she outsmart you?"
"It's hard to explain," said Sokka, his mood dampening at the mention of the subject again. "She was just… extremely powerful. Being blind wasn't a handicap for her at all…"
"But if she's blind, she can't see…" said Ty Lee.
"Uh… yeah, that's what makes blind people blind," said Sokka, starting to understand why Azula made so much fun of the girl's wits.
"I meant, if you threw something at her, she wouldn't have seen it coming," said Ty Lee.
"Oh, yeah, I thought about that," said Sokka, sighing. "Long-distance combat should have been the trick, and it worked when I threw my boomerang at her. But then she sank it into the sand and… and…"
"And…?"
"M-my… MY BOOMERANG!" he squealed, jumping on the bed and making his entire body ache as he did. "Owww… damn it! W-where's my boomerang?!"
"Well…" said Ty Lee, at a loss for what to say.
"Azula!" Sokka called the Princess, taking both girls by surprise by his familiarity towards her "W-where is…? What happened to my boomerang?!"
"Would you calm down?" she exclaimed, shaken by his outburst. "I… I don't have a clue, really. It sank in the sand, so… it's probably still there."
"WHAT?!" Sokka squeaked, his voice higher than ever before. "B-but… M-my boomerang… Why didn't you get it?!"
"Oh, gee, I wonder!" said Azula, rolling her eyes as she glowered at him. "So carrying your almost dead body through the Arena wasn't enough of a feat, no! I was supposed to fetch your silly toy as well! How dared I forget something so important?"
Sokka wanted to retort before realizing how unreasonable he was being. She had carried him, on her own. He towered over her easily, he was pretty well-built and no longer underfed. The Princess must have made quite the effort to carry him as she had. He sighed and looked away for a moment, slightly ashamed of himself.
"Sorry for that… b-but the sarcasm wasn't necessary," he muttered, flushing slightly upon his reply.
"Apparently, it was," said Azula, still glaring at him. "I doubt you would have gotten the message through any other means."
Sokka pouted for a moment. He should be used to Azula being so hard on him, but at times her words felt harsher and colder than dumping a bucket of ice over his head.
"W-well… I do appreciate what you did for me, a whole lot," he said, gulping. "B-but… is there any chance you can get my boomerang now?"
"What?" she said between gritted teeth.
"It's… it's my boomerang, you know?" he said, sighing before looking at her with those huge blue eyes, begging her to go along with his request. "I'd go get it myself, honestly… but you know I can't right now, so… pretty please?"
"Pretty…?" said Azula, looking at him with disbelief. "What the hell is the matter with you? Who says 'pretty please' in this time and age?"
"I guess… me?" he insisted, still looking at her in the same manner. If he could have gotten away with it, he would have knelt down and hugged her knees to intensify his pleading, but he wasn't able to move his legs just yet.
Azula was disgruntled by Sokka's current behavior, knowing he was simply trying to convince her to follow fit with his wishes by looking at her with such eyes. But how could she refuse him? It wouldn't hurt to drop by at the Arena to ask where his boomerang might be…
"Something must be seriously wrong with me…" she said, shaking her head as she averted her gaze from his.
"Then… you'll do it?!" he asked, his eyes lit up with hope now.
"I…" she grunted, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "I hate you, damn it…"
"That means you'll do it! Yes! You're the best sponsor ever!" he squealed, almost starting a strange celebration dance before the pain reminded him to keep still.
"And you're the worst gladiator ever," she replied, although this claim didn't help her ruin his high spirits. "Don't pull anything weird on him while I'm gone, Ty Lee."
"Oh, I won't, no worries," said the girl, who had remained silent as she enjoyed watching the spat between Azula and Sokka as she would have watched a theatre play.
"Thanks, Azula!" Sokka called out as the Princess stormed away from the room, relieved to get away from him and his enticing blue gaze.
He had no idea why his feet had dragged him towards the fountain in the outer yard so many times now. It was a somewhat special place for him, but visiting it every day would only deepen his current heartache.
Had she forgotten about him altogether? Had she truly moved on? Was she happy with her husband? He couldn't believe she would be. They had always been meant to be together, always. They were soul mates, there was a bond between them he couldn't explain to anyone… or had he been imagining things? Perhaps he had felt this way, and she hadn't. She probably didn't remember him anymore.
Little did he know that she had actually come looking for him. Mai had given some thought to Zuko's likely location, and she had the hunch he might have come to the fountain in which they had fallen together so many years ago. It had been a silly joke back then… but their relationship had become so much deeper thanks to that event. Mai didn't just drop by at the Palace to see Azula after that. She had started to spend more time with Zuko and he enjoyed her company far more than he thought he would. She used to be his sister's friend… now she was his friend too. And there was the chance they could be so much more… but he had been banished for speaking without permission, and their blossoming relationship had been doomed.
Mai stood a few meters away from him, her eyes fixated on his fallen shoulders. He looked defeated. Would he be able to move on? Could they remain friends despite it all? She couldn't hold back a sigh as she wondered if this conversation would be any use…
"When was the last time you gave your hair a trim?" she asked, her voice steady despite the anxiety twisting up inside her.
Zuko jumped at her voice. His back stiffened as his breathing grew agitated. He turned around in slight haste, his eyes alight with hope.
It only pained him further to realize the girl had become even more beautiful after all this time. Her belly bump even enhanced her splendor. Whereas him… he was a mess.
He didn't miss the way her eyes studied his features, especially the scar over his left eye. Zuko had momentarily forgotten that she hadn't seen his wound before. He lifted a hand as if to cover the flaw on his face, but halfway there he realized there was no point in covering the scar once she had already seen it…
"Y-yeah, I…" he muttered, trying to find an answer to her question. "It's been a long time since I cut it…"
"I can tell," she said, eyeing him with concern. She was still looking at the scar over his eye. Zuko usually hated it when others looked at him in this manner, but he didn't mind so much if Mai was the one to do it. "Does it still hurt you?"
"At times," rasped Zuko, looking down. "It's not as bad as it used to be… but it's said that burns never stop being painful."
"I've heard," said Mai, sighing. "How did your trip go? Did the crew treat you well?"
"Not really," said Zuko, shrugging. "I never got along too well with them… I've never gotten along too well with anyone, for that matter."
"You know that's not true," said Mai, finally lowering her eyes as well.
Zuko eyed her with uncertainty, glad to see she hadn't forgotten about the bond between them, but still doubtful. If she hadn't forgotten, why was she with another man…?
"Azula, she told me about your… m-marriage," he said, hardly finding the strength to utter that last word. "Is it true?"
"Why would she lie about it?" asked Mai, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it's Azula," he said, shrugging. "She likes making me miserable, so…"
"What use would there be in making you miserable when you've only just returned home?" asked Mai.
"What use was there in making me miserable all those years ago?" asked Zuko, folding his arms over his chest.
"She was a child, and so were you," Mai replied. "She's grown a lot in these ten years."
"Has she, now…?" asked Zuko, grimacing. Azula had seemed the same annoying younger sibling she had always been when they had spoken in the Gallery…
"In any case… she didn't lie," said Mai, looking down at the ground. "And you can see that clearly enough."
Her hand caressed her prominent womb. Zuko grit his teeth as he felt his chest split with worse pain than any he had ever experienced before. That child… it should be his. He should be the one she was married to… why had the spirits toyed around with his fortune? Why couldn't anything work the right way in his life?
"Is he… is he a good man?" he asked, his fists balling up and shaking as he tried to restrain his temper. He wanted to yell at her, to ask her for an explanation for why she hadn't waited for him, to tell her that the man she was with couldn't have anything on him…
Mai could see the pain in his eyes even though his long bangs were covering his face slightly. He had shaved his head partially before leaving on his long travels, but it seemed he had found no point in sporting such a strange hairdo after some time. He had allowed his hair to grow unevenly, while still keeping the longest strands tied up in a ponytail.
"Zuko… I'm sorry," she said, bowing her head. Zuko jumped at her apology, never expecting her to speak those words. "I understand you must be shaken up, since nothing is the way it used to be before you left… and I'm sorry that you expected me to give you something I couldn't deliver. Still… Ruon Jian is a good man. He's a wonderful husband, and I'm certain he will be a great father also."
Zuko had to struggle to keep the tears of rage and frustration from leaving his eyes.
"Just as you will be," continued Mai, making him look at her in surprise.
"W-what…?" he stuttered, looking at her with disbelief.
"I'm sure you'll be a great husband and father one day, Zuko," she said, looking up to him and letting him see that it also pained her to accept they would never be together. "For another woman, and other children… and that woman will be the luckiest girl in the world to have a man like you."
"Y-yeah… sure," he said, and she didn't miss the disbelief in his voice.
"Zuko…"
"Mai," he said, looking at her with intensity. Their eyes were locked together for a moment before he found the courage to speak again. "Does he… make you happy? Are you happy with him?"
A part of her wanted to lie, just out of curiosity. She wanted to know how far he would be willing to go for her sake if he thought she was unhappy… but she wasn't a child anymore. She wouldn't ruin her life with her husband over a silly whim. Maybe she loved Zuko… but she had grown to love her family above anything else.
"Yes," she declared, and his eyes fell at her statement. "I am happy, Zuko."
And that was it. It was the wake-up call he needed to realize his life would never be what he wanted it to be. His father would never let him become Fire Lord… the girl he had loved and trusted had been taken from him when he hadn't been around. What was left for him? What was he supposed to do with his life now? He was just a hollow prince, a failure. There was nothing left for him anymore. His life had been ruined.
Still, he found the courage within himself to give Mai a smile. Both of them knew his smile was dishonest, that he truly felt like crying rather than grinning…
"I'm glad…" he said, nodding. "I'm glad… that he makes you happy. That's all there is to it, right? It's what matters the most…"
"Zuko…"
"I hope your child is strong and brave," he said, still smiling. "Just like his mother. Thanks for… for talking to me. It was good seeing you again, after all this time…"
Mai knew this was her cue to leave, despite her heart was begging her to run to him and embrace him. Still, she knew how inappropriate that move would be… so she just nodded, knowing she was better off staying far from Zuko from now on. He had to heal the wounds she had inflicted upon his heart, and being around her would only injure him further.
"It was good seeing you also, Zuko," she said. "I suppose… we'll see each other around."
"Y-yeah, once in a while," he replied, trying to shrug carelessly.
"Thanks for… for understanding, Zuko," said Mai, sighing. She knew how hard it had to be for him to relinquish all the dreams he used to have about the two of them being together… but he had to accept they would never come true, just as she had accepted it when she had decided to start a new life with Ruon Jian. "Fare well."
"Yeah…" he mumbled, as she turned around and walked into the Palace again.
He couldn't hold the tears once she was gone. He sat at the edge of the fountain, feeling even more crushed and miserable than before upon acknowledging that his fate wouldn't be anything like what he had always imagined it would be…
Azula spent the entire trip on the palanquin wondering why she had accepted to fulfill Sokka's request. She didn't know how to gather the courage she needed to walk into the Grand Royal Dome after her shameful display not too long ago… she didn't want to face the questioning looks she would be given by the gossipy people who attended the gladiator fights often. Some might even make fun of her… well, they'd better not. She was the Princess, after all, and there would be dire consequences for such disrespect.
She stepped off the palanquin once they arrived to the Arena and she stopped to look up at the building ahead before walking to it.
"Is everything alright, Princess?" asked the Captain of her Royal Guard, concerned.
"Yes, Captain," she replied. "Wait here. I'll be back shortly."
"Understood, Princess," he replied, bowing curtly at her as she walked up the steps that would lead her to the gates of the Grand Royal Dome.
The men at the double doors opened them at once when they saw Azula approaching them. She didn't acknowledge their presence or anyone else's for that matter. She simply strode towards Shoji's counter, her head held up high proudly.
Still, she couldn't ignore the way she was attracting everyone's eyes. Azula was certain she wasn't imagining things when several people in the vestibule looked at her in awe; some even smiled at her, making her discomfort grow even further. It seemed the distance between the door and Shoji's counter was longer than she imagined, seeing how it felt like it had taken her ages to get to reach the boy.
"Good day, Shoji," she said, startling him and making him put down the scrolls in his hands.
"Princess!" he gasped, surprised at seeing her. "I'm… I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry about what happened to your gladiator…"
"Spare me that nonsense of an apology, it's not as if you had anything to do with it," she said, rolling her eyes.
"N-no, I guess I didn't…" he muttered. "But I could have done more research on the Bandit and told you not to fight her if I had known she was so deadly…"
"Well, I won't deny that would have been helpful," said Azula, shrugging. "But it's useless to say that at this point. The fight is done, there's nothing more to it."
"I suppose not," said Shoji, sighing. "Is he okay, though? The Blue Wolf…?"
"He's alive," said Azula. "He will be fine in a few months' time, according to the Palace's physicians. In any case, I didn't come here to update you on his status, I came here to…"
Azula interrupted herself when someone else approached the counter. A kid was looking up to her with wide eyes, making her frown down at him. She had no idea how to deal with children.
"Zhou! C-come here, silly boy!" said his mother, a chubby woman of dark brown hair, who took the kid by the arm before looking up at the Princess and giving her a kind smile. "Please excuse his behavior, Princess…"
Azula didn't say a word. Since when did peasants like that woman smile at her?
"Don't mind them," said Shoji, chuckling as the woman walked away with her child. It seemed he understood why so many people were acting in such an unusual manner… "What were you saying, Princess?"
"Right, I… I came here to find my gladiator's boomerang!" she said, struggling to focus on the issue at hand. "Where can I find it?"
"Oh, it's likely in one of the storages on the back… did it fall in the sand during the fight?"
"It sank in it, to be precise…" said Azula, sighing.
"Well, it's still likely back there," said Shoji. "The staff arena always check the sand after a day of fighting and every object they find, they leave in the storages. Wait here; I'll go get it right away."
"Fine… make it quick," said Azula, wanting to leave the Grand Royal Dome as fast as possible.
The muttering in the vestibule only increased her unease as she awaited Shoji's return. She had expected people to disdain her after what had happened during Sokka's last fight… but this was a notch beyond what she had anticipated. The way that kid had looked at her… something about this wasn't right. She looked at the people on her left from the corner of her eye, and again, they were looking at her as they muttered amongst themselves. What was going on here?
"Here! It wasn't hard to find," said Shoji, bringing the blue boomerang with him. "There you go, Princess…"
"Shoji…" she muttered, anxious now. "What's going on here? Why are they looking at me like that?"
"Oh, you mean… you don't understand, huh?" he said, smiling. "If you'd been around for longer, you'd get it…"
"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.
"Well, the way you carried your gladiator the other day… everyone was impressed," he said, beaming.
"What? They were impressed?" Azula's frown deepened at that. "What was there to be impressed about…?"
"You see… it was something most unusual," said Shoji. "When gladiators lose, their sponsors are upset and angry, they even leave them to die at times as if to make them pay for their failure… but you didn't."
Azula was confused now. If that was the usual behavior… why would people be impressed rather than displeased?
"You're the Princess… you have lots of servants and slaves," said Shoji. "You had no reason to carry him after he lost as he did. But you still did… and with this you taught everyone a lesson about something they had no idea existed!"
"W-what was that?" asked Azula, also unaware of whatever lesson she had supposedly taught the people of the arena.
"That sponsors should treat their gladiators honorably, of course!" said Shoji, beaming.
Azula was startled at that sudden assertion. She had treated Sokka honorably? She was certain it had been the other way around…
"Most people treat slaves like inferior people," said Shoji. "It's a generally accepted notion that they are. But gladiators… they're not just people who pour the drinks of the noblemen and give them bubble baths. They're the ones who walk out into a sand pit representing their sponsors and fighting for them. But rarely are they thanked for their performances… sponsors still treat them as if they were nothing more than the average slave, not caring for their efforts, not respecting them as the fighters they truly are. But you… you're the Princess, and you've set such a great example by respecting and honoring your gladiator!"
Azula frowned and looked around the vestibule. She truly hadn't imagined it, then… people were still smiling at her, gazing at her with admiration. It didn't make much sense to her still, but it was truly a relief that her actions were seen under a better light than she thought they would be.
"I didn't think people would be pleased by that…" she muttered, turning towards Shoji again.
"Why wouldn't they have been pleased?" asked Shoji. "You stood by the sidelines, waiting until the time limit was over. No matter if your gladiator seemed to be near his death, you abided by the rules and allowed him to fight until the end. And then you went to him, and rather than shaming him, you saved him with your own hands. Everyone's amazed… well, to be honest, not everyone…"
"What do you mean?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you see… your gladiator has become an icon of some sort," he said, chuckling. "Well, both of you, really. People are making a fuss over you two being the best gladiator and sponsor combination even when you lost… and it's because you stood by him as you would have done with a fellow warrior in a battlefield or so. It looks like an amazing partnership. Many sponsors have grown to admire what you did, and their points of view on the gladiator business have changed. But… there are others who think that what you did was offensive to them."
"How come? Is it because they would have preferred it if I had left my gladiator to his death?" asked Azula, folding her arms over her chest.
"It's what they would have done. They're just angry since you make them look bad," said Shoji, laughing. "And that only makes you even more famous, Princess. You were already pretty interesting before because you're the first girl to sponsor a gladiator, and you're the Princess, of course… but now you're making a breakthrough in the business like no one else has done before. You're revolutionizing the gladiator establishment!"
Azula's eyebrows moved higher and higher as the boy spoke. She was doing what, now…?
"Anyways… here!" said Shoji, handing her the boomerang. "I hope the Blue Wolf improves soon… there are many challenges awaiting him."
"Really?" asked Azula, surprised, taking the weapon in her hand and discovering it was a little heavier than she had thought it would be.
"I meant it when I said you guys had become famous now" he said, chuckling. "You're really popular. About five or six sponsors have sent challenges for you, there are lots of people asking about when you will fight again… Everyone is eager to see the Princess and her gladiator in action again!"
"Huh…" Azula hummed, deep in thought. "Very well, then. Thanks for the information, Shoji. I'll return when my gladiator is ready to get back in the sand."
"Sure thing! I'll be right here, as always!" he said, beaming.
Azula walked towards the exit, followed by many pairs of eyes again. She could make out some of what they were muttering, and it seemed they were amazed to see she had come all the way to the Arena to retrieve the Blue Wolf's weapon herself. She didn't miss their awe, although she still couldn't make heads or tails out of it. She was certain her deeds had been simply been shameful… but it would seem several people thought otherwise.
She climbed aboard her palanquin without a word, and soon enough she was being carried back to the Palace. She couldn't understand how her actions had been interpreted in the way they had been, seeing how the Fire Nation citizens weren't ones for pity and respect for slaves… but it worked to her advantage if they were suddenly growing softer. People were starting to acknowledge her for something other than being her father's daughter. She smirked at that thought… she had been certain she had ruined her plans completely after Sokka's fight against the Blind Bandit, but it seemed her assumptions were wrong… and she was pleased to know she had been mistaken for once. She couldn't accept any of the challenges Sokka had gotten at the moment, but they were proof that her name and her gladiator's were starting to become renowned through the Superior League, just as she had wanted them to. Only time would tell if they could be able to retain the attention they had earned…
By the time Azula returned to Sokka's room, Ty Lee was already gone. Sokka was napping lazily, his mouth slightly open as a trail of saliva descended over his chin. Azula frowned at the sight, wondering if the snow savage could show no manners even while he was asleep…
She woke him by pushing his head with the tip of the boomerang. Sokka opened his eyes groggily; unaware of what had woken him until Azula pressed the weapon to his chest, making him snap his eyes wide open before shouting.
"BOOMERANG! Oh, damn, I missed you!" he said, clasping it with his left hand and hugging it with one arm. Azula seemed slightly uncomfortable by his reaction, although he failed to notice that.
"Reunited once again, the man and his better half," she said, rolling her eyes. "Make sure you don't tell 'boomerang' you forgot about him for four days."
"Y-yeah… I won't," he muttered, slightly embarrassed. He hadn't quite registered she was in the room.
"I don't get it, really," said Azula, raising an eyebrow. "What's with this boomerang of yours? It's old and dented… you could make a better one if you just put yourself to the task."
"I won't do that," he replied, growing stern all of sudden as he looked at the boomerang in his hands. "I can repair it if it's needed… but I'm not replacing it. My father gave it to me a long time ago, and it was always one of my most prized possessions even when I was still living in the Water Tribe. I can't relinquish it, not now, not ever…"
Azula froze. Only now did she realize she knew very little about Sokka's past… and it was strange that he seemed comfortable sharing his stories with her, of all people.
"I see now…" she muttered, still surprised by the trust he seemed to have developed towards her.
"Was it hard to find it?" he asked.
"Not particularly…" said Azula, absentmindedly.
"Good, then…" said Sokka, eyeing her with concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just…" she mumbled, brushing away her thoughts quickly. "It's nothing. Don't mind me. Everything went well over at the Arena."
"Good to know," said Sokka, sighing as he rested his back on his cushions. "I bet I've fallen back in the ranking, haven't I?"
"I didn't bother asking," said Azula. "I rather doubt your position in the ranking is so important, seeing how you defeated a man who was 234th, yet a girl who was just 412th destroyed you. We should care more about our rivals themselves than about their position."
"You have a point," said Sokka. "But there's no use worrying about any of those things until I'm better."
"Indeed," agreed Azula. "So how about you just focus on getting better for now?"
Sokka flashed her a grin and nodded positively. Azula stood up and got ready to leave the room, but Sokka managed to stop her this time.
"Hey, Azula," he said, prompting her to turn around and face him. "Thanks for… for everything you've done for me lately. I mean it… thanks."
She walked away without another word, making Sokka's heart sink slightly. He wasn't aware that she had stormed off just to avoid letting him see the blush that had taken over her cheeks, not knowing how to respond to his gratefulness.
The next weeks were hard on Sokka, but they brought a few improvements with them as well. He was sick of lying down in bed with nothing better to do but whine about his pain, so he welcomed the moment when the physicians decided his legs needed therapy so that he could finally walk again. Flexing his legs and stretching them again were difficult motions to execute, but even though he complained, he also complied and performed every exercise he was given, in hopes his enthusiasm would help him get back on his feet sooner.
Regardless, it still took a week after he began his physiotherapy before he would finally begin walking, and there would always be someone holding him up in case he would fall. Sokka didn't mind being assisted at times, but he didn't think he needed as much help as they kept providing him with. Azula discovered he thought this way one day when she dropped by to visit him and discovered him limping across the room, using his Space Sword to support his weight, because he wanted a glass of water and he wasn't about to call for anyone's help to obtain it if he could just as easily pour it himself. He didn't achieve his goal, seeing how he couldn't use his right hand well enough yet, so Azula was the one who had to get him his water, to Sokka's frustration.
The days came and went, and both Sokka and Azula worried more at the thought of him not recovering at the pace they had expected. A month and a half had already passed and only his most superficial wounds seemed to have healed completely. He was able to stand on his own after two months passed by, to Sokka's relief, but he couldn't move much without the help of his crutches.
Azula walked into his room one day, hoping that by some miracle he would be fully healed by now… and she was surprised to discover him standing by his bed, swinging his sword expertly with his left hand.
"Sokka…" she called him, but he was so focused he didn't notice her presence.
He stepped forward carefully, wincing at the pain he felt on his legs when he stabbed the air with his sword. He continued his motions, moving his feet slowly to accompany his weapon. He was smoother than he used to be, perhaps because he was being more careful than ever before as he moved about. He bit his lip and changed his sword from hand, gripping the handle with his right hand… but even though he managed to hold it, he didn't have the strength to lift the blade.
He huffed with frustration, dropping the sword to the floor, feeling utterly useless… although his grimace vanished when someone else leaned down to pick up Space Sword.
Azula held his weapon in her hand and looked up at him, concerned. He caught the look on her face, and the sensation of being a failure clung to him more now than ever before… because he had been the one to worry her so much. He lowered his gaze, ashamed.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered.
"You should be," she said. "I've told you time over and time again to stop pushing yourself, but you just won't listen."
"I just… I feel like time is running out," he muttered. "And I'm not ready yet. What if I can't make it? What if the three month span ends and I still can't move…?"
"You have already moved, Sokka," said Azula. "And you're getting better every day, so it's just a matter of…"
"Time, I know" he muttered, as he sat on his bed again. His legs were still not strong enough for him to keep standing for too long.
Azula had no idea what to say; especially since she had the feeling that anything she told him would be useless. Words wouldn't help him… at least, not her words. She frowned before making up her mind and extending his sword towards him. Sokka placed his left hand over hers, thinking she'd let go of the weapon, but she didn't. He looked up at her and saw she seemed determined to do something, although he couldn't tell what it was just yet…
"Azula?"
"You're right… we'll run out of time at this rate," she muttered. "We still have one month, though… and that's enough time for us to get moving. We'll be taking off to Shu Jing tomorrow."
Sokka's eyes lit with expectation at those words, and he regained his usual spirits thanks to Azula's unexpected decision.
"Maybe Piandao will know other methods to deal with your wounds… and you need to discuss the matters of your last fight with him as well," she said. "So the faster we're done with that, the better for us. You can walk already, so you're ready to go back to his lair."
"Yeah… yeah," said Sokka, smiling and nodding. "Finally… Something that'll get me out of this damn room."
Azula smiled back at her accomplice. They had lain in wait for far too long. It was finally time to set out on their adventures once again.
The Princess sent out commands so that her vessel would be stocked up and ready to travel to Shu Jing on the very next day. A carriage awaited Sokka by the Palace's main gates, but to reach it he had to make it through the entire building, seeing how his room was on the other end of the Palace. He wanted to try his luck by walking all the way to the gates, but Azula refused to allow him to continue straining himself, thus she forced him to use his crutches, no matter how much he hated them.
"This is really horrid, you know?" he told her, wincing with every movement. "To have these things stuck up to your armpit… it hurts!"
"One would suppose you'd be used to pain by now," said Azula, earning herself a glare from Sokka.
"Very funny," he grumbled, staggering as he struggled with his props. "And my right arm still hurts… this is going to be the death of me."
"What do you want me to do, carry you bridal-style or something?" asked Azula.
"Would you be so kind?" he asked, smiling stupidly at her. Azula narrowed her eyes before shaking her head.
"You're shameless, truly."
"I could use some help, though," he said, wincing again. "If you act as my support on my right side I could stop using this damn thing and avoid getting my right arm in an even worse state…"
Azula sighed at the idea, but she figured they might progress faster if she aided him. It felt as if they had spent half the morning on this, and he wasn't in the main hall yet…
"Hand that thing over, then," said Azula, taking his crutch from him as he supported himself with his hand on her shoulder.
"Let's do this," he said, wiping the sweat off his brow as he took another step.
Azula slipped a hand around his waist, making him stare at her in surprise. Azula blushed slightly before turning her face away from him quickly.
"It's easier like this."
"Oh, really now? So you're not just groping me?" he asked, smirking mockingly at her.
Azula's eyes flared with rage, but before she could tell him there was nothing grope-worthy about him, an unusual laughter filled the hall they were strolling down from. The loud cackling was also accompanied by some chatter, and Azula managed to recognize one of the voices involved in the conversation. She frowned as two people turned around the corner and walked down to where she was holding Sokka…
And both Azula and Sokka forgot immediately about their argument when they caught sight of the other pair that was walking down the hall: an old man with a huge, round belly… and a small, slender girl with black hair and gray, sightless eyes.
"You're really something, Iroh!" she laughed, as the man beamed brightly.
"I meant every word I said," he insisted. "I'll show you the basement later, you'll see. Not a single decent batch of jasmine tea to… Oh?"
Azula would have been embarrassed to be caught in such a strange situation with her gladiator, but she was too busy trying to give her eyes credit to think about whatever Iroh would interpret from the sight he was witnessing.
"Well, well…" he said, giggling. "Do you need any help carrying him, my niece? It seems you struggle bearing such a large man…"
Sokka frowned at Iroh, not knowing for certain who the man was, but he pulled away from Azula while looking at him warily.
"What is… what is the meaning of this, Uncle?" she asked, looking at the Blind Bandit with utter aversion.
"Ah, my apologies," said Iroh, laughing. "Where are my manners…? Toph, these are my niece and her gladiator. Azula, this is Toph Beifong… my new gladiator."
Azula's eyes widened as her grip tightened around Sokka's crutch. She knew her uncle could be up to no good, she had always expected the worst from him… but this was too much.
"Hey there, Sokka," said Toph, as Sokka snarled in her direction. "How are you? Why does it feel like you've got three legs?"
"Y-you…" he muttered, enraged. He had been hoping he'd never see have to see this girl again… and he had mostly hoped she would never sense him in such deplorable state. He hated the idea of her knowing how badly their fight had damaged him…
"Oh, you're mad at me?" she asked. "Well, gee… I guess I should apologize for my harshness. I shouldn't have gone all out on you, but my former sponsor had told me I had no other choice but to kill you… so sorry about that! Good to know you're on your, uh, three feet again."
Iroh chuckled, making Azula glower at him, as she still tried to find some sense in what was happening.
"How… how come are you her sponsor now, Uncle?" she asked, her angry glare seeming powerful enough to set anything on fire.
"It's a funny story," said Iroh, smiling. "Her old sponsor dumped her so I took her under my wing. I've been helping her move from the lousy department she lived in, by the outskirts of the city. She'll be staying in the Palace now, I hope that's fine with you…"
Azula couldn't believe his insolence… she could understand, though, why had he done it. She knew him well enough to see right through those amber eyes so similar to hers. He was placing his tiles in the Pai Sho board, trying to drive her into a corner through his moves… but she couldn't let him. She refused to let him.
But how could she avoid it? How could she stop from letting her emotions show in her face when she felt so enraged, so cheated…? This was the lowest thing he could have resorted to. Iroh was shameless. Those ten years at sea apparently had done nothing but enhance his urges to ruin her life…
"Well, Ozai already said he doesn't mind, so I suppose you'll be fine with this also," said Iroh, after realizing Azula was too indignant to reply. "I hope you recover soon, gladiator. Let's go, Toph."
"Hear hear, captain," said Toph, smirking. "See you around, Sokka! Nice meeting you, Princess…"
The Blind Bandit waved at them as both Iroh and her walked around them, continuing their way down the hall and returning to their previous conversation about tea. Sokka turned to glare at them from over his shoulder, not quite understanding what had just happened. He looked at Azula and was slightly worried to see her so displeased. Her body was even shaking as her gaze fell to the ground, still unable to react at that nasty surprise.
"Azula…?" Sokka called her, bringing her back to reality effectively.
"S-Sokka…" she replied, blinking repeatedly and shaking her head. "Let's… let's get moving."
"Who was that…?"
"Let's get moving, I said," she commanded between gritted teeth. Sokka gulped, realizing the last thing she needed right now was somebody pestering her. He nodded and took his crutch back, thinking it would be better to quit complaining for a while. Azula looked angrier than he'd seen her since their argument after his second fight in the Superior League, and Sokka didn't want to displease her further.
After what felt like ages, they finally reached the carriage that took them down to the port. Azula spent the entire journey in silence, a hand on her brow as she mulled over what her Uncle had done by taking the Blind Bandit as his personal fighter. Sokka didn't bring up the subject, knowing she would be best left alone for now.
It wasn't until they were on the deck of the ship, already sailing over salty waters, that Azula sighed and shook her head, walking to the edge of the ship. Sokka had been performing some of his exercises on the deck, and he figured it was finally time for him to speak with her.
Struggling with his crutches, he walked towards her and stood beside her quietly, looking down at her troubled figure.
"I never… said anything about having an uncle, did I?" she asked, knowing she owed him a few answers.
"I don't think you did, no," said Sokka, leaning against the ship's rim.
"He and I… we've never gotten along," she muttered. "He always saw through me, you could say, but I can see through him as well. He pretends to be nothing but a funny old man, an addict to tea and Pai Sho… but that's just his exterior. He carries a history of failures and shame with him, in the same way my brother does… yet he waves it all away carelessly, as if his mistakes were just a joke gone wrong. People buy his act all the time, thinking he's such a nice man with so many fun stories to tell…"
"So he goes around pretending to be a good guy," said Sokka, frowning. "Yet he went out on his way to get the Blind Bandit as his gladiator…"
"He only did it to ruin our chances," she growled. "He saw how she defeated you… so now he wants to use her against us. He knows what I'm trying to pull, so he's going to do his best to stop me… and the Blind Bandit is his best chance to make sure we won't get to the top of the ranking. He's certain that, with her, he will frustrate our attempts completely…"
"Why, though?" Sokka asked, confused. "You're his niece… what's his problem? Why would he go out of his way to sponsor the Blind Bandit? I mean… if he had chosen anyone else, I'd say you're being paranoid and maybe the dude is only trying to have some fun…"
"Which is what everyone would say, of course…" interjected Azula.
"But it's the Blind Bandit, of all people," said Sokka, shaking his head. "And that shows he's got some nerve indeed. Picking out the worst foe I've faced proves you're right. He's not doing this without some sort of ulterior motive…"
"So… you believe me on this?" asked Azula, surprised. People didn't usually take her side whenever she spoke about how Iroh kept trying to bring her down. They laughed it off, saying she was imagining things… that her uncle cared for her deeply, and he was just teasing her. It was an incredible relief to talk with someone who didn't seem to think she was wrong about her Uncle…
"Why wouldn't I?" said Sokka. "I hardly even know the guy, and you've been right in a few things in the past… so I wouldn't think you're wrong. Especially after he's taken the Blind Bandit… he's really trying to stop me from getting to number one, isn't he?"
"Clearly enough," said Azula, frowning. "She's an opponent you couldn't defeat…"
"I wonder if there's anyone who could defeat her," said Sokka, sighing. "So… is there any point to this? If I won't be number one because of him…"
Azula gritted her teeth and shook her head.
"Oh, no. I'm not going to give up, least of all now," she grunted. "I admit I thought of giving up on this gladiator madness before, I figured this wasn't going to lead us anywhere… but I'm not going to take a step back just to let him mock us for surrendering in a fight we couldn't win."
"But… if you can't win the fight, you're better off…"
"Fighting it, to the very end," said Azula, glowering at the horizon. "I'm not one to encourage suicide missions and the sort, but I won't let him get away with this. I can't give in, not to him… never to him."
Sokka thought he was still far from understanding the fray between Azula and her uncle, but he nodded encouragingly anyways.
"Got it, then… I just have to get better at fighting, and one day I'll find a way to beat her," he muttered.
"I know this is a lot of pressure on you…" said Azula. "Still, it's not as if we were fighting against them again tomorrow. There's a long road ahead of us, Sokka… but I think we can make it. We just have to be…"
"Patient, cunning, strong and whatnot," said the gladiator, smiling down at her. "No worries. Piandao will help me find a way to defeat tough earthbenders like her. He'll have great ideas, I'm sure of that."
"I hope you're right," Azula replied, her eyes set on the horizon. Piandao wasn't their only hope, but he was their best option indeed. He could ease Sokka's burden just by giving him a few tricks on how to face earthbenders.
They arrived in Shu Jing after two days of sailing, as usual. Azula had made sure there would be a carriage brought along with them so that Sokka wouldn't have to walk the long road back to Piandao's home. They both climbed on the vehicle as two of her guards steered the dragon moose that pulled the carriage. Both the Princess and gladiator remained quiet during the journey, both wondering what sort of advice Piandao offer Sokka…
Azula knocked on the doors of the huge palace when they had finally arrived, seeing how Sokka wouldn't be able to do it himself. Several minutes passed, yet nobody came to open the door.
"Call again," suggested Sokka.
Azula struck the door once more, but there was still no response.
"Maybe there's nobody home right now," said Sokka, shrugging. "They might have gone out shopping…"
"They might have," muttered Azula, frowning. "Then maybe we should wait inside. I don't feel like standing around here, doing nothing, until they finally make it back. You pretty much live here too, so it's not trespassing or anything of the sort…"
"Weird to see a Princess coming up with excuses to break rules," said Sokka, smiling. "But I agree. Let's go inside."
Azula pushed the doors with some difficulty and she entered the mansion, followed by the limping Sokka. They strolled down the usual passageways to reach the main building, both frowning at the unusual state of disarray in the garden that Fat would always keep so tidy.
"This is weird…" said Sokka, concerned. "Maybe Fat's sick?"
"Perhaps…" said Azula, although she wasn't looking at the situation from the most optimistic point of view, unlike Sokka. She was getting a bad feeling about this…
They continued until they were finally inside the house. Dust covered the remaining furniture in the living room. Piandao's calligraphy table was gone along with several more items that used to decorate the house.
"W-what… what happened here?" asked Sokka, his eyes growing wide as he limped about, looking at the room in shock. "Was it… s-some sort of robbery, or break in…?"
"I don't… I don't know," muttered Azula, thinking it would be too cruel to spell out the truth to Sokka just yet. "Stay here. I'll go take a look at the upper rooms."
Sokka nodded, but even before Azula was gone he knew she wouldn't return with good news. It didn't matter how hopeful he wanted to be about this, he couldn't kid himself when the evidence was spelling out to him that this place had been vacant for months.
Piandao was gone.
A/N:
My deepest apologies for the long wait for this chapter, though I'd like to think I made it up to you all by making it so lengthy! Sorry again for the delay, I doubt it'll happen again and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! See you again on the next one!