Sokka could hardly believe he was happy to see the Royal Barge. He had never been fond of the vessel, seeing how it was the very ship that had taken him away from his home, but he would pick the rocking motions of the ship over the constant jolting and clatter of the train-tank any day.
They had left Gaoling after a week of putting up with Governor Kuan. The man had been in a sour mood during their last days in the town, but nobody in the Royal Procession cared for his attitude. Leaving the estate had cheered Sokka up quite a lot, but the same couldn't be said about Azula. Even though getting rid of a nuisance such as Kuan was a great relief for her, she was currently distraught over not having received any messages from the Captain for over a week. According to what he had said in his last letter, they had been chasing the Rough Rhinos north through the desert, which filled Azula with a strange sense of foreboding. The Procession's next destination was Ba Sing Se… and there was a chance that the Rough Rhinos might try to escape into the city to shake off their pursuers. If the Captain proved unable to take care of the matter by himself, she might have the opportunity to avenge her fallen guard with her own hands.
A hatch was opened at the front of the Barge's keel, and the train-tank was loaded onto the large ship before the ramp was lowered, allowing the Procession to climb onto the main deck. Azula was brought aboard on her Palanquin, her mind in overdrive as she pondered the chase of the Rough Rhinos, but her train of thought was interrupted when she stepped down on the deck to find quite an odd sight before her.
"Ah, I missed you, ship…!" said Sokka, lying on the deck with his arms and legs spread widely, and with a dumb smile on his face.
"I don't recall having requested for a rug on my deck," Azula muttered, glaring at him. Sokka deliberately ignored her, which irritated the Princess "Well, then, if you're so eager to be the floor on which I tread…"
Sokka's eyebrow twitched when he realized what she was about to do, and he squealed when he felt her right foot stomp on his back. Azula walked away from him with a cruel smirk on her face, and for once in a very long time, Sokka couldn't control the wild urge to stand up for himself.
"HEY!" he yelled, but it seemed it was his turn to be ignored.
He got up and walked after Azula, determined to give her a piece of his mind… but one of the ship's sailors caught up with the Princess before Sokka could reach her, waving a piece of paper in his hand. The devious smile on Azula's face had disappeared by the time the man stopped in front of her.
"A messenger hawk just arrived for you, Princess," he exclaimed, entrusting her with the letter.
Azula opened the fold of paper without another word. Sokka lurked over her shoulder, curious about the content of the letter. He frowned as he read the Captains fluttery handwriting, explaining he had been unable to send back the messenger hawk while they traveled through the desert. And according to the latest information he had acquired, the Rhinos were headed…
"To Ba Sing Se?!" Sokka exclaimed, startling Azula.
The Princess glared at him, not having noticed he was right behind her until just then.
"W-what are your orders, Princess?" asked the man who had brought the message.
Azula frowned as she finished reading the content of the letter. She folded it again and grasped it tight in her hand, her eyes ablaze with determination.
"Full speed ahead. We need to make it to Ba Sing Se at haste," she commanded. The man bowed down and bolted inside the ship, to convey Azula's order to the captain.
Sokka stood in place for a moment before realizing the Princess was heading into the ship's tower as well. He shook his head and walked right behind her, calling out for her before she left.
"Azula… wait!" he exclaimed.
The Princess wasn't pleased to be stopped by him, she wished to reply to the Captain as quickly as possible, but she halted regardless.
"What do you want?" she asked, turning around to glare at him.
Sokka reconsidered talking to her after she gave him such a glacial stare, but he shook his head promptly and spoke regardless.
"The Rhinos… they're headed to Ba Sing Se, the Captain said."
"Yes," muttered Azula. "And for the record… it's considered ridiculously rude to read other people's correspondence over their shoulder. I wasn't even sure you could read in the first place, given you're a savage, but even if you can…"
"Uh… sorry about that," he said, gulping. "I figured, well, I… Okay, okay, I have no excuse."
"Indeed, you always look for them, but none of them work," said Azula. "No excuses will ever stand for the stupid things you do…"
"Uh, I guess not…" said Sokka, his eyebrow twitching. "Anyway, we got sidetracked here. About the Rhinos…"
"What of them?" said Azula, frowning.
"I'm thinking… well, I don't really know, but it's weird that the Rhinos would manage to enter such a large city," said Sokka. "From what I've heard, there's a big wall isolating Ba Sing Se from the rest of the world…"
"Which the Fire Nation breached years ago," said Azula.
"And the Fire Nation would have been foolish to leave the city's entrances unguarded," Sokka replied. "There should be soldiers in place at all times, watching the people that enter and leave the city, just as it has been in the other cities we've been to. If the Rhinos are headed to the city, those soldiers might be able to stop them… so maybe you should send a warning of some sort, so that they can intercept the Rhinos when they get to the city."
"Maybe…" said Azula, raising an eyebrow as she eyed Sokka with curiosity.
The warrior stared back at her, slightly nervous under her gaze. She was judging him with those amber eyes of hers, trying to figure out why he had come up with this idea and why he hadn't mentioned it sooner…
"I'll consider your suggestion. Do you have anything else you need to tell me?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh… n-not that I can think of right now," said Sokka, smiling nervously.
"Well, then, I need to send a bird now. You can go stuff yourself in the kitchens if you want for the time being," said Azula, waving a hand carelessly as she walked away from Sokka.
Sokka sighed in relief as Azula left, his anxiety vanishing along with her. His conversations with her had been too smooth as of late. He constantly feared that one of them would take a turn for the worse eventually. He stared after her until she vanished, knowing there had been another thing he had wanted to talk to Azula about, but he had forgotten what it was…
He struck the palm of his right hand with his fisted left when he finally remembered what had been bugging him.
"She stepped on me. She stepped on me!" he said, pouting angrily before shaking his head and storming to the kitchens, knowing it would make no sense to try to confront Azula about using him as a rug. She probably didn't even remember she had stepped on him by now.
The trip on the barge was somewhat livelier than traveling in the train-tank. Azula was still as aloof as ever, focusing on her plans and keeping an eye out for any other messages from the Captain. Sokka often visited the mongoose dragons down in the ship's basement even though he had no obligation to spend time with them anymore. The creatures were still as weird as ever, but he could have sworn they were happy to see him. Whenever he wasn't visiting the lizards or eating wildly in the kitchen, he would go up to the main deck and train, whether solo or with Taro, who had agreed to become his sparring partner during their trip. Azula had watched them fight once or twice, yet she never said a word or showed any interest in joining their practice matches. Her attention was devoted to her mission. Anything aside from it was irrelevant for her at this point.
No more letters from the Captain arrived as they progressed through the salty waters on the east of the Earth Kingdom. Azula grew anxious as she waited for a response, any response, but none came while they were on the ship. All her men noticed how distressed she was, but they were faced by the same helplessness that she was suffering from. There was nothing they could do to ease her worries, and there was nothing Azula herself could do to get rid of them either.
Sailing towards Ba Sing Se seemed to take ages for the entire crew. The tense atmosphere on the ship was almost unbearable. Sokka would spend his leisure time with watching their surroundings, since it was the only thing he could do to entertain himself when bored. He kept pestering the guards, asking them where they were, until Taro finally handed him a map and told him to reach his own conclusions. From there on, Sokka distracted himself by deducing which lands they were passing by. He saw a mountain range from afar, and he used a spyglass to make sure he was right to guess what it was. When he caught sight of the buildings atop the mountains he knew he had been spot-on.
"The Eastern Air Temple…" he said, smiling a little. He hadn't expected to catch sight of any of the Air Temples in his life. He was impressed upon finding the structures had endured the war and the passage of time. It would seem the Air Nomads had been quite knowledgeable in regards of architecture.
The Temple was the most interesting thing Sokka spotted during their trip, yet he didn't stop looking at his surroundings with curiosity. After a week and a half of traveling at the barge's fastest speed, they found the channel of the river that would lead them to Ba Sing Se. The trip became somewhat slower then, their progress held back by the water's current. It took them two days to make it past the meanders of the river to finally reach the first wall of the great city.
Sokka gazed at the structure in awe from afar, and his amazement only grew as they approached the tall barrier. He didn't make sense out of how the ship would make it past the wall until he caught sight of a group of earthbenders perched atop it. A Fire Nation soldier commanded them to open the wall once the barge was a few yards away from it, and thus they entered Ba Sing Se at last. Azula was sitting on her great throne on deck, gazing about with mild interest yet always wary and distrustful. The Fire Nation soldier ordered the earthbenders to bow down while Azula passed by, and the men complied most unwillingly. Azula didn't pay them much attention, for she was busy analyzing the terrains between the two walls of Ba Sing Se.
Sokka stared eagerly at the next wall. It probably stood as tall as the one they had just gone through, which the earthbenders closed right after the barge had passed, yet it stood so far he couldn't see it properly. He couldn't even see the ends of the inner wall…
The barge docked by the river bank, and the Royal Procession climbed down the ship once more. The ship and its crew would wait for them by the river until Azula's visit to Ba Sing Se was over with, and once they returned, they would take off to Garsai.
The Procession made its way to Ba Sing Se's inner wall under the merciless sunlight. Everyone kept their eyes on their destination while trying to ignore the dryness and the heat. Azula was somewhat anxious while they approached the wall, eager to see Ba Sing Se for herself for the very first time. She wished the palanquin wouldn't have those long drapes covering it so that she could look upon the city at once…
Another group of earthbenders opened the inner wall upon their arrival, and Sokka couldn't help but feel completely insignificant when he found an incredible metropolis spreading before them. They entered the city's Lower Ring, and Sokka was astounded upon seeing houses and buildings covering what seemed like miles on end.
"It… it never ends," said Sokka, amazed. "This place is huge!"
"Not in vain is Ba Sing Se the largest city in the world," said Taro, next to him.
Azula could hear the boisterous crowds nearby, and for once she wished she could see them properly. The other cities had been interesting in their own way, but Ba Sing Se had always held the most appeal for her, even if only through books and stories. The city had been strong enough to hold its own against the Fire Nation for years, and it was the place where her uncle had fled from battle. It also was the place where her cousin Lu Ten had been buried… She frowned at the thought and shook her head, trying to forget the matter for now… and then she realized her palanquin wasn't moving anymore. She frowned and, against her better judgment, pulled one of the curtains out of the way to ask her bearers why they had halted their progress.
But she didn't get around asking any questions. As soon as she got the drape out of the way, she knew why her men had stopped. An odd woman with a large smile on her face and long, dark brown hair was standing right before them, blocking their passage deliberately while the rest of the crowd stood at the sides of the streets, some gazing at the palanquin in awe while others glared at it with distaste.
Azula frowned at the woman, the ridiculous smile on her face angering her right away.
"Welcome, Princess Azula, to Ba Sing Se!" said the woman, beaming. "My name is Joo Dee, and I shall be your guide…"
"I did not ask for any guides," said Azula, glaring at the woman. Joo Dee still smiled, yet Azula's fierce statement made a few beads of sweat to stream down her forehead.
"Oh, but it is my duty to guide you! My job is to assist all the important people that come to our wonderful city so that they can enjoy what Ba Sing Se provides to the fullest…"
"Do you believe I came to your city for sight-seeing, Joo Dee?" Azula asked, almost mockingly. Joo Dee's smile started to fade away at Azula's voice tone.
"I… I'm certain you wish to see what the city has to offer…"
"And I will do that on my own time, with the people I deem worthy of showing me around once I've had some rest. I don't need you to tell me where to go or what to do. I am, after all, the Princess. Therefore, Joo Dee, you're dismissed," said Azula, before turning to her bearers. "Get moving. To the Imperial Palace."
The bearers obeyed her immediately, walking towards the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se and leaving behind the woman, who seemed quite horrified upon being shrugged off like that by the Princess.
"She's quite cranky lately, huh?" said Sokka, surprised.
"She has every right to be," Taro replied, sighing. "We have had no word from the Captain in weeks… for all we know, he might have fallen to the Rhinos as well. She has no time to waste dawdling in a city like this one."
"Huh. Makes sense when you put it that way," said Sokka, gulping. Could the Captain have failed in his quest to capture the Rough Rhinos?
It took them even longer to progress through Ba Sing Se than it did to walk from the ship to the inner wall; such was the size of the great city. People scrambled out of the Procession's way as soon as they sighted the Palanquin, some amazed to see Princess Azula was in town, others downright terrified. The Fire Lord's daughter's presence was rather daunting to the regular townsfolk.
The sun was setting by the time they arrived to the Imperial Palace. The palanquin bearers panted in quite an undignified manner after placing Azula's vehicle on the ground. Azula climbed off the palanquin, relieved to finally have the chance to stretch her legs. A dark-haired man was approaching her from the Palace's gates, with a young woman treading behind him.
Azula felt somewhat at ease at the sight of General Tiang. The man was one of the few military figures she truly admired, one of the few who respected her. He had been chosen to lead the Second Siege of Ba Sing Se, and he had succeeded where the Dragon of the West had failed. As a reward for his deeds, Fire Lord Ozai had named him governor of the great city. Tiang smiled when he sighted the Royal Procession, and he bowed down to Azula before speaking.
"Welcome to Ba Sing Se, Princess Azula," he said. The woman who accompanied him bowed down as well.
"It's been a while, General Tiang," said Azula, as the pair raised their heads again.
"Indeed, you were only a child when I last saw you," said Tiang, chuckling before turning to the woman next to him. "Ah, Princess, this is my wife, Jin."
Jin smiled at Azula and bowed down again. Azula raised an inquisitive eyebrow, surprised to see the girl dressed in green.
"How, exactly…?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"We met in a teahouse in the Lower Ring," said Tiang, smiling. "I've always thought that to rule over a large city as Ba Sing Se, you must know your people first-hand. I was visiting the Lower Ring and I entered an old teashop just to refresh myself… and there she was. After a long conversation, I realized I couldn't live my life without her in it… and a few months later, we were married."
Jin blushed at his words but her smile widened as her husband told the story.
"You make it sound as if I had been that easy to sway," she said.
"Oh, we both know well enough it was anything but easy," said Tiang, chuckling.
Azula stared at them, impressed. An Earth Kingdom commoner and a Fire Nation official… no, not just any official. He was the man who had taken over this city, who had brought down the last defenses of the Earth Kingdom. The girl was obviously a former Earth Kingdom citizen… but, somehow, they were together. Their differences hadn't hindered their union. They seemed happily in love, judging by the way they looked at each other. How had they overcome the barriers that should have set them apart, Azula didn't know, and she doubted she would come to understand it any time soon.
"How is our Fire Lord faring?" asked Tiang.
"Well enough," replied Azula. "The war against the Northern Water Tribe is progressing too slowly for his liking, but he hasn't lost his patience with it yet."
"Which is a relief," said Tiang, chuckling.
"I assume you are ready to host my Procession…" Azula said, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Indeed, I am," said Tiang, glancing over Azula's shape to catch sight of the panting men behind her. "I was under the impression you were traveling with more men… Well, no matter. Everyone will have a room in the Palace, as it should be."
"Good," said Azula, nodding in approval.
"Shall we, then?" said Tiang, smiling as he stood to the side to allow Azula entrance to the Palace.
The Princess followed the governor into the large building. She frowned upon realizing it was larger than the Fire Nation Royal Palace, yet she decided not to let the matter bother her. Even if this Palace was larger, it was under the control of the Fire Nation as it was. It's size and might hadn't been enough to keep the Fire Nation from taking over.
Tiang gave them time to refresh themselves in their rooms before serving a mid-afternoon tea for his guests in a sitting room. Azula's men took their seats in cushions as they drank the tea while the Princess sat on the highest chair in the room. She was undeniably pleased, seeing how Tiang and his wife – who had also joined them for tea – knew just how to respect a visitor of her standing.
"Jin is quite fond of tea," said Tiang, smiling. "She's an outstanding brewer."
"None of that…" said Jin, blushing and smiling too.
"It is good tea," said Azula, mostly out of courtesy than actual enjoyment. She wasn't too knowledgeable in regards of tea; she thought it was a waste for people to spend days on end trying to brew the perfect batch of tea, much like her uncle often did.
"And so… this is the famous gladiator everyone has been talking about," said Tiang, looking at Sokka with curious eyes.
Sokka had been sipping his drink as silently as he could before the landlord spoke to him. He lifted his eyes towards him, blinking repeatedly.
"F-famous?" asked Sokka. "Am I, really?"
"Well, of course," said Tiang, chuckling. "You're Princess Azula's fighter. She's the very first woman to sponsor a fighter, and you've done a few deeds worth recognizing…"
"I have?" Sokka asked, aghast. Even Azula seemed surprised by Tiang's words.
"People thought the Savage Hook wouldn't get back to the ring anytime soon," said Tiang. "He even had to forfeit a couple of matches after fighting with you. He got back to fighting about a month ago, give or take."
"You seem knowledgeable about this…" said Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, I frequent the Green Gates when I have some time to spare," Tiang confessed. "Gladiator combats are interesting to watch. Long Feng is a well-known sponsor, and nobody expected his gladiator to wind up unable to fight for such a long time. You must be really strong to have accomplished such a feat."
"Well, I wouldn't say…" said Sokka, smiling in a careless manner.
"He's not that strong," Azula declared, making Sokka cringe. Oh, that was it for his reputation. "The Savage Hook took his toll on him as well. He didn't forfeit his next fights simply because I wouldn't let him. It didn't mean he was in a much better state than Long Feng's gladiator."
"I think I beat the Savage Hook worse than he did me…" Sokka grunted, but Azula ignored him pointedly.
"He's not that strong, you say?" said Tiang, surprised. He eyed Sokka again, curious. "Well, I guess he doesn't look too powerful, but he's got the eyes and vibe of a good warrior. And speaking of which, are you from a Water Tribe?"
"Uh… yeah," said Sokka, nodding curtly. "Southern Water Tribe."
"From the south?" Tiang repeated, surprised. "Well, that's unexpected. I figured you'd be a slave from the north, if anything. Not that I've heard from many slaves from up north in the first place…"
"There's only one I've heard of," said Jin "A gladiator… what was his name?"
"Oh, the Notorious Stingray!" said Tiang, nodding. "I saw him fight a couple of times. He was a fearsome thing to behold…"
"Huh? Who's that?" asked Sokka.
"Is it really of any importance who he is, considering he's not your opponent?" Azula snapped quickly. Sokka pouted and glared at her.
"I guess not…" he muttered grumpily.
"Ah, indeed, who will be your fighter's opponent?" asked Tiang, looking at Azula.
"The Lady of Laogai, I believe was her name," said Azula.
"Oh… oh," said Tiang, grimacing. "That's going to be a tough gamble."
"What?" asked Sokka, worried. "Why?"
"She's crazy strong, that one," said Tiang. "She used to serve with the Dai Li. She knows just how to handle her surroundings to her advantage… her earthbending prowess is truly remarkable."
"What are those surroundings like, if I can ask…?" Azula inquired, frowning.
"The Green Gates' Arena is a sand pit, but there are also solid rocks and stones in it," said Tiang.
"So it's another stage favorable for earthbenders," stated Azula.
"Just as the ones in the Fire Nation tend to favor the firebenders," said Tiang, smiling and shrugging. "But for those in disadvantage due to the conditions, it makes for quite an interesting challenge. Their skills are put to the test, and if they triumph it'll show what they're truly made of."
"Huh… sounds interesting," said Sokka, smiling a little.
Azula couldn't share his confident smirk. His skills had been put to the test these past two fights, and even though he had been quite impressive in the last opportunity, it didn't imply he would be able to fare well against this new opponent.
The conversations continued for a while, yet Azula's mind wasn't in the talking anymore. She had gazed out of a window that opened to the south wing of the city, and she had caught sight of a hill she knew she had to visit soon. She wouldn't go right now, but she could do it tomorrow. She felt obligated to drop by that one place… both by her honor and because, deep down, she wished to go. She wouldn't be able to live with herself unless she did.
Sokka was startled when he saw Azula gathering her palanquin bearers and Royal Guards in front of the Palace Gates on the next day. He had been about to look for Taro, to ask him to spar with him if he had spare time… and he was surprised to discover he wouldn't be available.
"Where are we going?" he asked, approaching Azula warily.
"We?" Azula repeated. She had been about to climb on the palanquin before his question caused her to stop and turn around to face him. "You're not coming."
"Huh? Why?" Sokka asked, somewhat indignant.
"What gave you the idea you were coming?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.
"W-well…! I just… I figured I was a part of the group or something," he said, dropping his head.
"Oh, so you're one of the Royal Procession now, aren't you?" Azula asked, amused. "You see me as your liege lord by now?"
"W-what…?" Sokka gaped at her, surprised.
"I thought you despised me so that even though you were my slave, you would never ever acknowledge me as your master…" said Azula, dramatically.
"Huh, did you, now?" Sokka couldn't help but grow uneasy at her words, scowling.
Azula sighed before looking at him earnestly.
"You don't need to come along, Sokka. You're free to go sight-seeing in the city if you please, I couldn't care less…"
"And… what if I want to go with you instead?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Azula's hand balled into a fist before looking at Sokka coldly.
"You might, but I don't want you to," she declared.
Sokka's eyes widened at her statement. Azula could see her words had stung him, but even though she felt somewhat troubled by the look on his face, she still wouldn't let him come along.
"You're free to do as you please today… except for following us," she insisted. "Make sure to return to the Palace before midnight. You'll be fighting tomorrow, and you'd better be rested if your opponent is as fearsome as Tiang said she was."
"But…" said Sokka, still somewhat distraught by how she kept pushing him away. What was she going to do? Why did she refuse to have him around?
Yet the Captain's words returned to him at full force shortly enough. The Princess needed her space. He had to give it to her, even if he didn't want to. She would be safe, she would be taking her guards along, so he shouldn't have any reason to worry. Yet he longed for her to trust him enough to let him come with her… but given how her attitude towards him had improved as it had, it would be best if he didn't push his luck any further.
"Okay… okay," he said, nodding "I'll do fine on my own. I'll get you a souvenir or something!"
Azula raised an eyebrow before climbing onto her palanquin, shutting the drapes behind her. Sokka sighed as he watched the Procession walk away, still wondering why he hadn't been allowed to tag along. Yet as he looked at the city his curiosity prevailed over his frustration. He smiled weakly before making up his mind to explore Ba Sing Se, and he started down the streets of the Upper Ring with steady footing, his eyes wide open as he took in what the largest city of the world had to offer.
It took the Procession hours to reach the southern border of the city. Azula would have arrived to her destination quicker if she had decided to take the monorail… but she wouldn't so much as consider climbing aboard massive public transportation. It was simply out of the question for her.
The guards and bearers were exhausted when they finally arrived to the small hill at the southern edge of the city. Azula told them to replenish their energies in a nearby inn, and she started towards the hill on her own. She had refused to bring Sokka along because she knew he would have insisted on accompanying her to see what she was going to do, and she truly wanted to be alone right now.
An elm tree stood at the top of the hill. A few rocks were placed by its roots, and they revealed that the hill stood as a grave for a fallen soldier. Azula dropped on her knees before the tree, her head tilted as she wondered what to do, what to say, where to start...
"Does it make any sense to speak with a tree and a pile of rocks?" she muttered after a few minutes of silence. "I guess not. But I also guess you wouldn't have cared about how little sense it made if our roles had been reversed…"
She closed her eyes and her cousin's features reappeared in her mind. She sighed and raised her head a little.
"I didn't really want to come here. But the mere thought of Ba Sing Se drove me your way… I couldn't visit this city without coming to see you. You might be glad to know your death wasn't in vain after all. General Tiang managed to take over the city a few years after your passing. I'm sure you'll be relieved to know that… you got along with Tiang, didn't you? You had learned your firebending forms with him when you were kids, right…? Your father seems fine now, in case you were worried about him. I don't believe he has had the chance to come to see you, but I'm certain he wants to, if that's any use…"
She couldn't help but picture him right in front of her now, smiling at her and asking her about everything that had happened in the world ever since he had left it… it was the way he had always been, cheerful and kind, even to someone like her. She couldn't remember what her cousin looked like without a smile on his face.
"My father became the new Fire Lord… I guess that must come as a surprise to you," she whispered. "I don't really know how it happened. I knew my father wanted the throne, but I still don't understand how he seized it. I've never had the courage to ask him. As his heir, I'm not supposed to question him… If you're wondering what I mean, he sees me as his rightful successor. He banished Zuko a few years ago over a few faults of his, and even though he allowed him to return home, he refuses to see him and to acknowledge him as his son. You're not bound to be pleased to hear this… you used to get along with Zuko as well. But it's the way things have developed lately… there's nothing to be done about it anymore."
Azula sighed, looking away before biting her lip and bringing herself to speak again. Her hands turned to fists on her lap and she stared at the grass beneath her, trying to find a way to talk about that one topic she knew she'd have to tell him about…
"My mother…" she said, with an uneasy feeling on her throat. "… s-she left one day. In fact… she did right after grandfather died. I don't know why she did… I don't know if she had anything to do with his death. Maybe she did… I don't know. I-in any case, though… s-she never… I don't think she ever… stopped seeing me as a monster."
Azula grimaced when the tears began streaming down her face. Oh, how she hated to cry… why couldn't she speak of her mother without breaking down? Why couldn't she face the truth without growing so emotional about it?
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to come here to cry," said Azula, wiping her eyes. "I'm sure you… you wouldn't want to see me like this. You were always the only one who… the only one who cared enough to hold me when I cried. B-but I… I was so selfish that I never shed any tears for you… and you know why? B-because… because being angry at you was so much easier than being sad…"
Azula buried her face in her hands as her shoulders shook slightly with every sob. She knew he would come by to embrace her if he ever saw her like this… of course he would. He always did. But he couldn't anymore… he couldn't.
"I was… so mad because… b-because you didn't keep your promise…" she said, trying to stop the tears from leaving her eyes. "I felt betrayed. I was so angry… I thought you had never cared, that you had gotten yourself killed… you were always so strong, so who could have possibly beaten you? N-nobody could defeat you… y-you were so powerful, so smart, so talented… all I ever wanted was to grow up to be like you. So… how could you die? How could you let anyone kill you? And so… I was mad instead of being sad. It always has been easier for me, you know…? Anger can fuel you so that your actions are more powerful… sadness only weighs on you, it brings you down and you're rendered helpless…"
She lifted her head again, looking at the strong tree before her, the tree that had been born from Lu Ten's ashes…
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I never mourned you as I should have," she cried out. "I'm so sorry you were killed… y-you were always the rightful heir to the Fire Nation's throne… I never knew how hard it would be to make a life of my own as the Crown Princess. Y-you always made it look so easy, being the Fire Lord's heir… you would always smile and have enough time to spare for me when nobody else would. I miss you… I miss you so much, Lu Ten… everything was so much easier when you were here…"
She couldn't say another word. She shut her eyes and hugged herself tightly, finally releasing the tears she had been holding for her cousin for over ten years. Oh, how she hated crying… it was never any use. Tears wouldn't bring Lu Ten back to her. Tears wouldn't soothe her aching soul. They would only serve to make her feel worse with every passing moment… but she had held those tears back for far too long. Holding them for any longer had proven impossible.
Her hands went up to her hair as she bowed her head down, still unable to stop crying while holding onto the feeble illusion that, perchance, her cousin's spirit was sitting by her side right now, an arm draped around her shoulder as he waited for her to stop crying, just as he had done when she had been merely a child. She felt like a child again today, longing for his embrace and his soothing promises, even longing for those he hadn't kept. Her chest ached as she wished she could return home from her mission to see Lu Ten in the Fire Nation's Palace grounds, greeting her with that cheerful smile of his… that smile she knew she would never see again.
Sokka spent the day wandering through the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. He dropped by the monorail station just out of curiosity, wanting to see how the system worked. Afterwards he went out to eat… yet he didn't have enough money on him to afford more than a loaf of bread and a glass of water. The Upper Ring was a very expensive place to live in.
The sun was setting when he walked by a small square where he spotted a group of women in opulent clothing putting on a performance of some sort. He made it through the crowd that was watching them eagerly, and he listened intently to one of the girls as she recited a short poem.
"What's this?" he asked at the man right next to him, who was smiling and clapping as the girl took her seat with the others.
"This is a haiku recital! The Five-Seven-Five society performs open recitals once every month, so that the common folk like us can listen to how they make magic with words!"
"Huh…" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow as he listened to another poem.
Before he knew it, he had been completely hooked on the event. He couldn't help but laugh at the witty constructions one girl had composed, and he was almost moved to tears by another girl's poem. He had never thought he would be so allured by something like poetry… After being raised in the Water Tribe, he had grown up with his mind set on becoming a powerful warrior, and poetry had nothing to do with that. Yet perhaps precisely because it was something he hadn't enjoyed before, he could appreciate listening to these poems as much as he did.
"The power of words," he said, awed as he smiled goofily while a new girl took the stage.
It didn't take him too long to understand the structure of haikus. Five, seven and five syllables would comprise every poem. He smiled after he made sense out of it, amazed by how the girls managed to join the words together in a perfect string, always abiding by that single rule…
The recital ended too soon for his liking, even though it was already past dusk by the time it was over. He returned to the Imperial Palace, his mind still full of the poetry he had listened to while wondering if, perhaps, he would have the skill to write haiku in the way those girls had.
Azula hadn't returned yet, so he dined alone in a small sitting room. After he was done he asked Tiang's servants for some ink and paper, and once he had the items he had requested he decided to put his mind to the test.
Most the poems he started ended up discarded. He would manage to construct one phrase, but the others wouldn't flow properly. He frowned as he kept working, finally finishing one piece to discover he had added an extra-syllable to the haiku.
"Ugh! How did they do it?! They made it look so much easier! I thought this wouldn't be so hard," he grunted. "I underestimated poetry…"
He figured he needed a topic, something to inspire him. What could help…? What could bring his words to make some sense…?
He gulped when an unexpected idea came by his mind. Oh, it seemed so wrong for her to serve as inspiration, but at the very least he could give it a try. He grimaced as he wrote the words down on paper, fearing it might not work… yet when he looked at it closely, it did. He smiled before taking another sheet and allowing himself to write something more regarding the same subject… and again, it worked!
He couldn't help but shake his head at the irony of the matter. Writing haiku about his boomerang, about the Water Tribe or about the mongoose dragons wouldn't work, but writing it about her would… The universe was certainly laughing at him right now, wasn't it?
Yet he decided to make the most of his stroke of inspiration. Anything regarding her, no matter what it was, would always come into paper in the form of a short poem comprised by the exact number of syllables he needed. He had been unable to write anything earlier, and now he couldn't bring himself to stop…
Azula and her men arrived to the Palace much later than she had intended. She had taken her time to wipe away her tears and regain her proper appearance, but she hadn't been completely able to conceal the breakdown she had suffered from up on Lu Ten's hill. To her relief, her guards hadn't asked her any questions. They knew they had no business prying into Azula's private life.
That was why she had refused to bring Sokka along with her. She knew he would have followed her to the hill no matter if she had told him not to, and even if he stayed at the foot of the small mound, waiting for her, he would have asked her what was at the top of it, and he would have pestered her non-stop over why her eyes were so red. She had wanted to be alone during that moment, and she had wanted be alone after it, too. Pushing him away as harshly as she had might have taken him aback, but it had been for the best. He had already seen her in a frail state too many times before. She couldn't allow herself to show more weaknesses in front of him.
She failed to notice all her thoughts were centered around the gladiator as she entered the Palace. Was he back yet…? Or was he, by chance, still out there, in the city? The mere idea made her innards twist as she relived the memory of a very unpleasant night in which he had gotten entangled with a woman he had only met that very same day… could he have done the same thing tonight? No, he couldn't be that crude, there was no way he would have gotten involved with some woman this time around…
Despite her better sense warned her not to do so, Azula walked to his room and opened the door slowly, in hopes to find him inside, resting… Her eyes widened when he wasn't there. She gripped the doorknob tightly before storming off down the hall. She couldn't even let him out of her sight for a few hours, that wretched womanizer! She hated the way her chest pained her at the thought of him with another random woman. Why, why did she care so much? She shouldn't! He was revolting, he was the worst kind of man…!
Her thoughts stopped on their tracks when she passed by the open door of a small sitting room. She frowned when a few sheets of paper were blown from the room into the hall by a strong breeze. She picked one of them up, and her eyes widened as she read the words written on the paper.
Molten, deep, rich gold
Unique eyes, unique Princess
You set me ablaze
Azula read the paper's content many times, a look of utter disbelief on her eyes. She looked inside the room and found an unexpected sight within: Sokka was lying on the table, his mouth wide open as he drooled in his sleep. The room was covered with scattered sheets of paper, and he had fallen asleep in the middle of writing. Collapsing while writing had resulted in him drawing an unintelligible doodle on the paper, followed by a line of ink he had drawn after his body had fallen on the table.
Azula picked up another of the papers to find an unfinished drabble about a dark, spooky cave. She found another completed one… and it only took her a second to realize it was about her again. Most the poems around seemed to be about her, at least, all the completed ones. But she couldn't bring herself to read more of them. She didn't want to.
She dropped the papers she had been holding and looked down at Sokka's sleeping figure. She had suspected he would have been sleeping around with other women again, when all along he had been sitting in this room, writing poetry about her…
"Why did we start expecting only the worst out of the other…?" she muttered, sadly.
She shook her head, deciding not to disturb his rest and determined to find some sleep as well. His fight would take place tomorrow, and she needed to be at her best shape just as much as he did.
Yet she stopped before leaving, and she picked up that one poem about her eyes again. Sure, she could set him ablaze in the literal sense… but she knew that he hadn't been referring to that. She felt stupid at wanting to keep this one haiku. Why should she want anything written by him? Yet the pain born by thinking of Lu Ten had faded away and been replaced by an unusual tingling feeling on her chest just by holding that sheet of paper. He had so many poems around him that he surely wouldn't realize this one was missing, right…?
She folded the paper and slid it into her pocket before walking away from the room, feeling quite foolish… but also experiencing an unusual sense of joy after allowing herself to be foolish, for once.
The Lady of Laogai had kept true to Tiang's description. Not only was she a fierce bender: she would also use sand to her benefit by bringing the small grains together to create shards of glass that she sent Sokka's way. Fighting glass and solid rock was easy for the Blue Wolf so long as he had his sword with him… but he found himself at a loss whenever she would use the sand itself to attack him. Even if he tried to shake it off, it would envelop him again. It was almost as useless fighting against the sand as it was to fight against a stream of water: trying to cut his way through it was impossible.
And so, even though he fought a lot better this time around and he succeeded at defending himself from the female gladiator's attacks, Sokka wasn't declared the winner for the third fight in a row. Azula had gripped her chair tightly with one hand and she rubbed her forehead with the other, enraged by the slump Sokka had fallen into. It wasn't entirely his fault, he probably should have been awarded the win against the opponent he had faced in Gaoling, but in the other two occasions he had been on the losing side, constantly. He hadn't been able to land a single blow on the Lady of Laogai.
They returned to the Palace silently, and Azula didn't utter a single word to him on their way back. Sokka sighed, having expected this treatment after losing for the third time. Everything had been too smooth between them for the past few days.
Azula walked off to one of the many sitting rooms of the Palace after finishing dinner. Her arms were folded firmly across her chest, her mind churned by her frustrations.
Sokka saw her from afar and sighed, knowing it would be best to face this matter once and for all instead of letting it stem as he had with everything else. He walked into the room as quietly as he could, trying to stop himself from feeling so helplessly nervous.
"Azula…" he muttered. The Princess didn't move an inch. "About… about my fight…"
"What of it?" she snapped back, frowning. "Did you come to excuse your pathetic performance?"
"I… I'm sorry, alright?" he said, making Azula roll her eyes in irritation before turning around to face him.
"How about you do things right for a change one day?" she asked. "Maybe that way you wouldn't have to apologize over every single time you prove to be a failure!"
Sokka was taken aback by her statement, but for the first time in quite a long time he found himself utterly unable to hold back. He wouldn't let her walk all over him anymore.
"I'm sorry, then, for being sorry all the time!" he said. "But you were the one who got these crazy earthbenders as my opponents! You saw how my fight against the Blind Bandit went, with your very eyes! I'm no good against earthbenders!"
"You're no good against earthbenders… that's the understatement of the month," said Azula, rolling her eyes again.
"Well, then, you should have thought this through!" exclaimed Sokka, frowning. "If you knew these guys would make me toast, why did you pit me against them?!"
"I had no choice!" Azula yelled back. "You think I wanted to get you the worst fights ever to make you pay for your idiocy? Well, I didn't! I tried to contact sponsors of non-benders, but they all declined to fight us save for the Butterfly Lady's sponsor! What else was I supposed to do? How was I to know you would be as incompetent as you're proving to be lately?!"
Sokka grew silent for a moment, still frowning as he watched Azula pace angrily in the room.
"And in case you're forgetting, you are not the reason why we came here in the first place," Azula grunted. "We're here because of my mission, you were only ever supposed to be a smokescreen! I was pretending to boast about your great power, but you've only embarrassed me! People thought you were strong, people throughout the Fire Nation Colonies wanted to watch the Princess's fabled gladiator in battle! And your wonderful performances have made me look like a joke! Tell me, am I supposed to sit here listening to your excuses?! Do you really think I want to listen to anything you want to say?!"
Sokka stared at her, disheartened. Well, she was right after all… she wouldn't want to listen to anything he had to say. And the good thing was that she was being direct and honest about how she felt for once, even if her words would tear at him like knives.
"At this rate, you'll end up risking dropping out of the ranking altogether!" she said, angrily. "Wasn't that exactly what we were trying to avoid by coming here? Wasn't it?!"
"I…" said Sokka, lowering his gaze. "Azula, I…"
"Save it," she grunted, shaking her head. "I don't want to hear you say that useless word ever again. It won't change anything."
Sokka dropped his head altogether, in signal of rendition. He had no choice but to concede her the victory this time around. It wasn't as if he thought he could win in the first place.
"I'll… I'll try to avoid embarrassing you again…" he muttered.
"Where's the point of trying when you never succeed?" Azula said, glaring at him.
Sokka looked up at her, aghast. Azula glared right back at him, those golden eyes daring him to defy her again. The very same golden eyes he had written about last night…
"Princess…! Princess!" shouted a guard, running into the room and interrupting their eye contact.
Sokka stood out of the way as the man in the red uniform gasped for breath before looking up at the Princess. Azula wondered for a moment about what could have caused him to run to find her in such haste… until she saw the paper on his hand.
"T-the Captain…" said the guard, standing up straight while still panting.
Azula's eyes widened, her previous spat with Sokka vanishing from her mind immediately.
"What? Spit it out! What happened?!" she asked, growing anxious.
The guard handed her the paper as he answered her question, his voice shaking slightly.
"H-he says they're here… the Rough Rhinos… They're here, in Ba Sing Se!"