The boulder struck Sokka on the left side of his head just as he tried to fend off the other rock with his weapon. The impact of the strike sent him rolling through the sand pit, losing track of what was happening after receiving such a powerful blow.
He had been holding up well until then, even managing to get the upper hand of the fight every now and then, but the Giant of the Rock had torn down the well in the Arena and he was currently using the stones that comprised it to his advantage. He would be discounted twenty points from his total score, but given how the battle had turned around completely when he had genuine rocks to use, the twenty points had been worth the sacrifice for the Giant.
Sokka struggled to get back on his feet, feeling lightheaded after the blow. He had to command his hand to grasp his sword before rolling out of the way of another rock, and he had a hard time making a stand against the boulders the Giant was tossing his way. Sokka had fought many times in the Grand Royal Dome by now, but he had never thought to face an opponent who would use the well against him in this manner. It was quite an unexpected take on using your surroundings to your advantage.
He sliced another rock in two, and the Giant proceeded to perform a punch with which he threw another large stone straight at Sokka.
"I can't go on like this, damn…" Sokka muttered under his breath, jumping out of the way. He had defeated an earthbender before, he could take this one as well, it couldn't be so hard!
Yet the maneuvers of the Giant had almost convinced him of the opposite by now. Time was running out, and each attack was reinforced by the next one. The Giant wouldn't let him get any closer, pushing him away as he sought to win the battle through his prowess with the rocks. Sokka grimaced and jumped away, cutting one rock and avoiding the next almost as a routine by now. The man was putting more distance between them with every attack… but that might work for Sokka's favor. The rocks were coming constantly, but they weren't moving any faster. They couldn't cover the distance between them so quickly. And he could make use of that.
Sokka walked backwards, evading the rocks effectively until he reached the spikes that lined the sand pit. He gulped at the memory of the last time he had been so near the edge of the ring… the scar in his right shoulder often reminded him bitterly of his first encounter with Toph. She was the strongest earthbender he had faced so far, without a doubt, and he wouldn't reach the top of the ranking if she remained undefeatable for him. In order to become strong enough to beat Toph, he had to start by beating this guy. He just had to.
He pulled his boomerang out of its sheath and began sprinting by the hem of the sand pit, too close to the spikes to his liking, but doing so with the intention of keeping the most distance between him and the Giant, who was having a hard time tossing his rocks in the right direction when Sokka had started to run. The Blue Wolf took a bomb from his belt, attached it to one of the holes in his boomerang and, with all the strength he could muster, he hurled it straight towards the Giant.
He would do it… he could do it! If the boomerang reached the Giant and the bomb released its smoke right away, the Giant would be wounded and confused. And when he was, it would be Sokka's time to attack with Space Sword…
But his plan didn't work as efficiently as planned, just as it usually happened when he faced earthbenders. The Giant saw the combined weapon coming straight at him and, to Sokka's chagrin, the man bended the sand around him and sunk into a makeshift crater. The boomerang soared past him and returned straight at Sokka…
"Oh, crap," he said, when he caught the boomerang and the impact caused the bomb to release its content all over him.
Up in the sponsors' balcony, Azula's face sunk into the palm of her hand. She had liked Sokka's plan, it had been quite witty… but there was never a plan B with him. He never knew what to do when things went awry. And it seemed like they always did when he was facing earthbenders. She had no doubts he could defeat them, but he needed to rely on more than just his instincts when faced with opponents such as the Giant of the Rock.
Sokka stumbled in the smoke: he could breathe it easily, but the cloud had compromised his vision. He had trained himself since his times in the South Pole to inhale the smoke, but it was quite difficult to continue fighting when you were at the core of the gas cloud. This method of fighting often came in handy for him, but it was useless when his opponent wasn't trapped along with him. The Giant was no genius, but he had been very clever at turning Sokka's schemes against him.
Sokka stumbled through the dark cloud, his eyes squinted as he attempted to find his way to safety. He heard the Giant's heavy footsteps behind him, knowing the man had the upper hand right now. Sokka turned his head around to find the Giant was ready to unleash a new attack on him.
Upon seeing the man was ready to strike him down, Sokka jumped and twirled in the air, flinging his boomerang at his enemy in one desperate attempt to survive the fight for a while longer.
And this time, it worked. The Giant had been bending a rock at him: he couldn't protect himself from the Blue Wolf's attack on time. The boomerang struck him in the left flank, and it would have been a dreadful blow if the earthbender's armor had been any less sturdy.
Sokka snarled, frustrated to see that his blow hadn't been as effective as it should have been. He took the Giant's distraction as an advantage and he got out of the smoke cloud, as far from the Giant as possible, hoping to think of a new strategy now.
The smoke began to dissipate, and Sokka caught sight of his boomerang lying only a few feet away from him. He could run quickly, pick it up and throw it right away, aiming now at the man's uncovered head...
But as soon as he was ready to start out on his new scheme, the megaphone man spoke up.
"The time is up!"
Sokka's face fell as he stared at his opponent in dismay. Why did the battles always end when he had finally found an advantage? He sighed and shook his head, walking towards his boomerang with his head tilted down. The Giant was sure to take the victory.
"Good fight," said Sokka courteously, nodding at his rival.
The Giant merely groaned and wiped his sweaty brow with a hairy fist. The man was broad, tall and extremely hairy. Sokka had never seen a man who had such thick fur covering his skin. He seemed more beast than man, and given his response to Sokka's polite words, he probably was.
"After our long deliberation..." said the judge at the megaphone. "... And after the skillful display by both gladiators, we have decided to award the victory to the Giant of the Rock."
Cheers from the stands celebrated the earthbenders triumph, yet it seemed the public had come to witness the Princess's powerful gladiator in action instead. After Azula's epic entrance into the city, riding on the back of her dragon, most of the Fire Nation's populace had grown interested in the Fire Lord's daughter's deeds. Azula had strived to earn the recognition of her people for a very long time, hoping they would be able to acknowledge her as Fire Lord Ozai's heir. She didn't require them to look down on Zuko, being seen on the same standing as him would work for her all the same.
Since she was the talk of the town right now, and since Sokka's first fight in the Arena after their return had been sold out, she could tell was getting closer to the goal she had wanted to accomplish for many years now. She could be proud of herself, proud of her deeds... but she wasn't all that proud of her gladiator's latest performances.
Princess Azula was earning the respect she deserved now, that was true, yet her intervention in the Superior Gladiator League, despite how stellar it had been at first, was starting to weigh her down. Commoners had grown to admire her over her dragon and her capture of the Rough Rhinos, but the noblemen who were involved with the League were quite determined to set aside her accomplishments as a public figure, and instead they only focused on her gladiator's shortcomings in an attempt to crush the Princess's career as a sponsor. They had been challenged by twenty different sponsors of earthbenders upon their return home; it seemed word had spread that the Blue Wolf wasn't too skilled at fighting earthbenders.
Given that Sokka had defeated the Twin Hammer with a week of exhaustion weighing over him, Azula had assumed Sokka wouldn't fare so badly against the Giant of the Rock. She had hoped that her daily training with Sokka would serve to keep his skills sharpened, and she had also hoped he'd defeat the Giant so that all those who had issued those condescending challenges would come to regret having done so.
But Sokka had failed to win, and the noblemen who had challenged her were certain to regret nothing. If anything, this turn of events would make her look like a joke in front of them. Now that she was rising, now that her name was imbued with fame and glory, and that people were starting to take her more seriously as her father's likely heir, most noblemen were keen on bringing her down. And unless Sokka managed to turn the tables on his next fights against earthbenders, the two of them would remain the laughingstock of these men. And if there was something Azula couldn't fathom was that she would serve as a form of amusement for the noblemen she despised.
"Well, that was an interesting fight," said the Giant's sponsor next to her, a large smile on his face as he stretched his hand towards Azula. Begrudgingly, she gave him the bag of money she owed him for his victory. "Send my regards to your father, Princess. I look forward to pitting our gladiators against each other on another occasion."
Azula only nodded in his direction and the man slinked out of the room, holding his earnings proudly. Azula grinded her teeth and stood up, frustrated by the way things had turned out. She didn't blame Sokka for what his losses meant to her, he wasn't the reason why these men didn't have a shred of honor… but that didn't stop her from feeling quite disappointed upon his failure in battle again. She had hoped he would have learned to handle himself against earthbenders, but one victory against them didn't mean he could beat all of them. She should have kept that in mind.
She arrived in the waiting room to find Sokka being tended to, the wound on the side of his face had morphed into a very nasty bruise. He looked in her direction when he heard the door open, and he gave her an awkward grimace as a greeting.
"Sorry I lost," he muttered.
Azula sighed and shook her head, her arms crossed.
"It's not your fault entirely. Maybe we shouldn't have taken up these challenges against earthbenders yet," she replied.
"But skipping over those challenges would have seemed…"
"Cowardly, I know," retorted Azula. "It's why I did it. I thought you'd be able to hold your own against them, but it seems I was wrong. That trick with the boomerang and the bomb would have been wonderful had it just worked."
"That was such a disappointment… It's the first time one of my bombs backfires like this," said Sokka, before flinching when the medic rubbed an ointment on the wound on his cheek. "Ouch! Be careful, please…"
"Making up plans as you go isn't working for you, Sokka. It's not going to work when you're facing earthbenders," said Azula, sighing. "Their defense is impeccable. Ploys you come up with on the spot won't bring us victory."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" asked Sokka, as his wound was covered with a bandage. "I've always fought like this… I try to take my enemy by surprise and defeat him that way."
"And it had worked wonderfully all along until you were up against earthbenders," grunted Azula. "I'm sorry, Sokka, but you can't carry on like this. Not when you're facing these sorts of fighters."
"So you want me to develop a new style of fighting?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow as the physician excused himself and left the sponsor and gladiator to themselves.
"I want you to improve the one you already have," replied the Princess. "At this rate we'll become the joke of the Superior Gladiator League. You can defeat fighters in the top half of the ranking, but if you go against a newcomer who happens to be an earthbender, you're completely helpless. It's a given that you won't be strong against all kinds of fighters, but you need to find a way to hold your own against earthbenders somehow."
"Well… how?" asked Sokka again, picking up his weapons and following Azula out of the waiting room. "You're already training with me, and that's keeping my skills well-honed."
"But that alone is not enough," replied Azula. "And you should know that by now. I might be helping, but I'm not strong enough with swords to be a real challenge for you just yet. So, despite it all, your training is currently stalled."
"Then what should we do? We'll stay clear off the Arena until you're strong enough to help me train for real?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"No, that's… that's not going to help," sighed Azula. "There's another alternative… which I'm not too fond of, but that's the single thing I can think of right now. And that is for you to find an earthbender to train against."
"We've been over this before," muttered Sokka. "Who could I possibly ask this from? The only earthbender we meet frequently is Toph, and…"
"Not a chance," declared Azula. "Even if she were willing to help you, it would be the most counterproductive thing we could do. You're supposed to grow strong enough to defeat earthbenders and, in time, to defeat her. If you trained with her, she'd learn everything she'd need to know about you, and beating you in battle would be even easier than it already is for her."
"Exactly what I was thinking. And that's why I don't know what to do," said Sokka, sighing. "I suppose I could keep fighting against earthbenders until I find one who's willing to train with me, but that sounds like a long shot…"
"I rather doubt the sponsor would agree to that, and our position in the ranking is bound to suffer heavily if we do that," said Azula, sighing as they walked down the stairs towards the vestibule.
"Would the opposite sponsor have a say upon the matter?" asked Sokka, surprised. "You're the Princess, you get away with everything!"
"Well, I suppose it shouldn't be so hard for me to intimidate the sponsor of whoever you choose for your training partner," said Azula, shrugging.
"Intimidate?" repeated Sokka. "How about you pay them or something? Isn't that a little more civil?"
"Don't you think you've cost me enough money as it is?" asked Azula, with a grimace.
Sokka froze for a second before shrugging and smiling with a hint of guilt.
"Well, when you put it that way…"
Azula walked towards Shoji's counter, trying to ignore the gazes upon her and her gladiator. Keeping her head held high was difficult when she knew just what they were whispering behind her back. How could it be so easy to shift from being the most revered person in the Fire Nation to the main focus of people's gossip and jokes?
"Are you okay?" asked Sokka, as they reached the counter. It wasn't hard for him to see how tense Azula had become. He hadn't seen her like this since she had been angry at him less than a few weeks ago. The Princess looked at him from the corner of her eye and nodded curtly before turning towards Shoji.
"A loss, huh?" he said, smiling sympathetically at them. "So sorry it turned out like this, Princess. It shouldn't have been that way…"
"Never mind the 'should have been's', they'll get us nowhere," retorted Azula. "It's been too long since I checked that ranking. What's our position?"
"The Blue Wolf is currently our 311th fighter," said Shoji, nodding. "Your win against the Twin Hammer gave you quite a boost, but…"
"If we don't keep winning, we'll be stuck in the 300's forever," sighed Azula, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her finger and thumb.
"Do I dare ask where the Blind Bandit is?" muttered Sokka, gulping as Shoji scanned the ranking rapidly.
"Well… she got ahead of you guys again," said Shoji. "You had the advantage for quite some time, but the tides turned once more. She's the 300th right now."
"Brilliant," said Sokka, his eye twitching, "Well, when will we surpass her again? Should I go fight the leader of the ranking to get enough points to leave her behind for once and for all?"
"I wouldn't recommend that," said Azula, grimacing. "You might have had better luck with firebenders, but that one isn't a fighter you should go up against…"
"Combustion Man has never lost a fight," said Shoji. "He's ruthless, and he doesn't hesitate to kill his enemies if they're not strong enough to stand up against him. If you really want to get ahead of the Blind Bandit, I'd suggest you do it through a different approach."
"Well, then, how about I go against the second guy in the ranking?" asked Sokka, with an ironic smile on his face. Azula merely glared at him, knowing he wasn't serious about what he had just said.
"The Millennium Dragon? No, I wouldn't recommend that either…" said Shoji, shaking his head.
Sokka's eyes snapped wide open at the boy's words. Azula was quite startled as well when she made the connection.
"W-wait… did you just say the Millennium Dragon?" asked Sokka, aghast. "As in, the Millennium Dragon?"
"Yeah, I did," said Shoji, blinking a few times, unable to understand what was the source their astonishment. "Why are you so surprised?"
"T-that's the guy I met in the Golden Eye!" squealed Sokka, staring at Azula in dread. "He was second in the ranking?!"
"Why are you looking at me like that? I had no idea!" Azula replied. "I knew his name was familiar, but I never thought…"
"He's always been second," said Shoji, nodding. "Well, save for when the Lava Masquerade came in second for a while, but that only lasted until he challenged Combustion Man and he got blown to smithereens… literally."
The color drained from Sokka's face upon that statement.
"Y-you can't be serious…"
"Uh…" Shoji could tell just how uneasy Sokka was growing upon these inconvenient truths. He smiled uncomfortably, trying to find a way to appease both the Blue Wolf and his sponsor. "Nevertheless, to outdo the Blind Bandit quickly you don't need to do anything as rash as to fight people from the top of the ranking."
"They probably wouldn't accept our challenges anyway," said Azula, matter-of-factly.
"Well, aside from that, and that I doubt you're ready to face them yet, there are other things you can do to earn enough points to surpass the Blind Bandit. And that is to take part in gladiator events!"
Azula raised an eyebrow at the Shoji's cheerful declaration.
"Events?" she repeated, dumbfounded.
"From time to time, the Superior League hosts events in which the gladiators can earn points far more quickly through some unique fighting experiences," said Shoji, beaming. "The fights that take place during events don't always go into a gladiator's streak of victories or losses in the ranking, but all the points go in, and usually, winning in these events will give you more points than you'd obtain through regular fights! The events tend to be divided by categories within the ranking, there aren't any events that are open for all gladiators. For example, in a week there will be a Pairs Tournament in Ba Sing Se for those between the slots one and a hundred in the ranking…"
"And we can't take part in that one?" asked Sokka.
"Not yet, but there will be other Pairs Tournaments open for your level in a few months or so," said Shoji, smiling. "Although there's an upcoming event open from 200 to 400, and it's quite a fun one at that!"
"Huh, really? And what is it?" asked Sokka, surprised by the boy's enthusiasm.
"The Gladiator Scavenger Hunt in The Ring of Ash," replied Shoji, smiling cheerfully. "That's the arena down in Fire Fountain City. The event is about finding some special objects that will have been placed in the city for the gladiators to find. The goal is to bring each object back to the Arena to earn two hundred points in the ranking. And if you manage to find the ten objects… well, that means two thousand points for you!"
"Woah! Two thousand?" asked Sokka, shocked. "Just for a scavenger hunt?"
"It is impressive, no kidding," said Shoji, chuckling. "But it's not as easy as it seems. Gladiators often take each other out in order to get the objects. You have to bring them back safely to the Arena, and you'd be at risk of being attacked as you return…"
"Sounds like a lot of trouble… but it also sounds like it would be worth it," said Sokka, looking at Azula expectantly. "What do you say, huh?"
"When will this event be held, Shoji?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"In about two months… but it's the closest one in which your gladiator can participate," said Shoji.
"It seems too risky a gamble, Sokka," grunted Azula. "You can't even fight an earthbender in even terms. Imagine what would happen if they were to attack you in the middle of an event like this one."
"Well… I guess you have a point," pouted Sokka, having been quite enthusiastic about the prospect of taking part in the event.
"So, how about we go back to what we came for?" said Azula, turning towards Shoji. "What challenges do we have available?"
"Well, heaps of them…" muttered Shoji, looking for Azula's stack of challenges. "And almost all of them by sponsors of earthbenders, as you already know."
Azula nodded as Shoji showed her the many challenges she had available. Azula looked at them all, with Sokka gazing over her shoulder, and she gritted her teeth as she realized these men, every single one of them, aimed at destroying her and her gladiator. And what irritated her the most was that, if things didn't turn around for them soon, her enemies would achieve their ends eventually.
"So, these are our challenges," said Sokka, gulping. "Which one are we going for this time?"
"No idea. They all look the same to me," said Azula, sighing. "Any suggestions, Shoji?"
"Ah, well," said the boy, peeking at the challenges. "You have challenges from all sorts of sponsors, some even have gladiators amongst the first hundred gladiators..."
"In an attempt to thwart us," grunted Azula, her glare turning glacial.
"So I wouldn't suggest going against those" muttered Shoji "There are a few gladiators who are close to your level, though... And there's one right here that I believe could be a good match, and the Blue Wolf could win it if he's smart about it."
"Aren't I always?" asked Sokka, proudly.
"No," was Azula's harsh reply, making Sokka wince.
"Hey!"
"Which is the one you're talking about, then?" asked Azula, focusing on Shoji again.
"This one," said Shoji, taking one of the challenges and showing it to the Princess. "The Emerald Rockman."
Sokka raised his eyebrows in appreciation at the name. Azula took the challenge in her hand and she read it carefully as Shoji began briefing her on the reasons why he deemed this combat to be worth fighting.
"The Emerald Rockman is a very good earthbender, but he's in a lousy slump as of late. The Blue Wolf might not have it easy against him, but out of all the fighters challenging you, he's the one you're most likely to defeat, I believe. You'd earn a large amount of points from him, 203, if I'm correct."
"Huh, that ought to come in handy," said Sokka, approvingly. "I guess it won't be enough to beat the Bandit, but we'd get pretty close, right?"
"Close enough. And if there's a chance you might beat this one… well, I say we take it," said Azula, though she didn't seem half as enthusiastic about the prospect as Sokka was. "Hopefully you'll win and with that we'll send a message to all those who have looked down on us as of late."
Sokka agreed with her wholeheartedly, but the look on her face only served to worry him. His losses didn't please her, they never had and he was certain they never would, but his failure at seizing victory couldn't be the sole reason why she seemed so bothered by the situation. After all this time, he had grown a little more skilled at reading what Azula was refraining from saying out loud.
"Then the Rockman it is," said Shoji, smiling as Azula wrote down her acceptance of the challenge. "The fight is due in a week."
"Then we'll see you again by then," said Azula, nodding in Shoji's direction.
"Sure," said the boy, smiling. "Have a good day!"
Azula didn't reply, she turned on her heels and started for the exit. Sokka waved goodbye at Shoji before following the Princess.
The palanquin wasn't awaiting then by the sidewalk, Azula had dismissed them before entering the Arena. As much as she would rather ride it than walk, it wasn't much use to have her palanquin bearers lounging at Sokka's house as they waited for their training sessions to end. They would arrive at the house by dusk to bring her back to the Palace, but meanwhile they would leave the Princess to her own means.
"Where's my favorite flying lizard today?" asked Sokka, hoping to change the mood by annoying the Princess. She looked like she could use getting her mind off her concerns.
The thought of Xin Long helped improve her mood, yet the way Sokka spoke of him could only earn him a glare.
"Flying lizard? You really don't know any respect, do you?"
"After being around me for such a long time, I expected you'd know that by now," replied Sokka, chuckling.
"You can't blame me for hoping you'll change for the better. It's futile, I know, but it's in the human nature to hope for the impossible," replied Azula, as they made their way through the streets of the Capital. "He's fine, currently flying over the volcanoes west of the Fire Nation. He's growing to love the Fire Nation more with every passing day. He's happy to have found a place where he belongs."
"Has he found any other dragons yet?"
"No, I don't believe he'll find them here. I suspect he would have to make a long trip into the Earth Kingdom in order to search for others of his kind."
Sokka raised his eyebrows at hearing Azula referring to the Earth Kingdom without adding the word 'former' to it. It was surprising, but he approved of it even if Azula hadn't been completely aware of what she had just said.
"And I'm sure you'd want to tag along in those trips," said Sokka.
"I would like to, but it depends on the responsibilities I'd need to heed," said Azula. "Xin Long knows I can't travel leisurely, so a new trip to search for dragons will likely have to wait until I have time to spare."
"It would be cool for us to do it once I'm able to beat earthbenders," said Sokka, carelessly. "We could go on a new tour, and this time I wouldn't be an embarrassment to-…"
"Wait, how come are you counting yourself in?" Azula asked, lifting an eyebrow. "If I don't need to bring you, I won't."
"B-but… but if you don't sponsor me, I won't be able to fight and we'll be kicked out of the League!" Sokka squeaked.
"I'll just authorize someone else to take my place as your sponsor for a while," said Azula, with a small smirk. "That way I can get rid of you as I look for other dragons along with Xin Long…"
"But that's…! I want to go too!" Sokka protested childishly, at which Azula could only laugh.
It took them about ten minutes to reach Sokka's home. Song welcomed Sokka with a smile and Azula with a low bow, fidgeting nervously while in the Princess's presence. Azula found it perplexing that Song would keep behaving like this after all this time, but she wasn't bothered by her attitude. Her latest experiences had changed her views on several things, but not regarding her ability to elicit fear on almost everyone around her.
After sharing a meal, during which Azula was once again disgusted by Sokka's lack of table manners, the Princess and the gladiator went to the backyard of the house, their preferred training area. They would train in the Palace grounds from time to time as well, but it was far more comfortable to practice swordsmanship someplace where servants and noblemen wouldn't intrude upon their daily sparring.
"So, if you won't take me to the Earth Kingdom with you when you go find dragons, at least can we participate in the gladiator event Shoji told us about?" asked Sokka, stretching and bringing Space Sword out of its sheath.
"Neither thing is a good idea," replied Azula, imitating him and releasing Wolf's Bane as well. "You're no use against earthbenders yet. Until you are, I'd rather you focus on improving your skills as a fighter than to have you ruin what little fame we have obtained."
"Well, you can't live off fame alone, can you?" said Sokka, pouting a little.
"That's actually not true," replied Azula. "And especially in a business such as this one. Here, fame is everything. With fame you can instill fear into your enemies, and you could intimidate even those who might stand a chance against you. Thanks to your fame we have obtained challenges from people in the highest levels of the ranking. If we lose that edge, you'll have to face off against fighters on your same level and our progress will become much slower. Not to mention that those sponsors who had feared us are starting to think we're just a joke…"
"What, they think we're not serious about this?" asked Sokka, shocked.
"No, they think we're getting exactly what we deserve for daring dream of joining the Superior Gladiator League," retorted Azula, bitterly. "There are no female sponsors but me, remember? They believe women have no place in this business. And now that it's out that you're weak against earthbenders, they will use that knowledge to their advantage in hopes to kick us out of the ranking. They want to prove I made a mistake by becoming a sponsor."
"But you're the Princess," said Sokka, frowning. "Why would they treat you that way? Shouldn't they revere and adore you, and feel like miserable bugs in your presence?"
"Why, yes, they should," declared Azula, proudly, performing a stab with her sword.
Sokka jumped back at her attack and smiled slightly. For some reason, he had grown to find an unusual amusement while fighting against Azula. In most instances, combats would always bring his darker side to the surface and he would enjoy nothing about it. Yet he felt in the exact opposite way when he trained with the Princess.
Azula twirled and changed her sword to her right hand in order to reach Sokka with more ease. The gladiator was patient and he used his sword to block the blow she had aimed towards his shoulder. He sought the opening he required to strike her, but Azula pulled away as soon as she realized she was in danger. Her instincts were remarkable, and her movements with her sword became more fluid with every passing day, but she was still a beginner in the art of the blade. Despite her numerous attempts to defeat Sokka and prove the truth behind her sword's name, she had yet to best him with her sword alone. She would bend at him if she became too frustrated by the training, which would often lead to arguments, but she knew as well as he did that defeating him through anything but the sword would amount to nothing.
Sokka darted forward and sought to hit her in the chest, but Azula parried the blow and proceeded to attack while he was still steadying his arm after it was shaken by the recoil. Nonetheless, Azula's attack, which should have worked in her favor, was no threat to Sokka once he twisted his body around her arm and struck her sword with such strength that he forced Azula to drop the weapon.
The Princess cursed under her breath before leaning to pick up the blade. Sokka was no stranger to how unpleasant she could be when she was in a bad mood, and thus decided to return to their discussed topic immediately before her aggravation over her performance grew beyond what he could handle.
"They should, so why don't they?" he inquired.
"Because in their eyes, I have no business doing what I'm doing. And I can be kicked out of the business in a just manner so long as they find a weakness they can exploit."
"And I'm getting higher in the ranking, which I bet isn't much help."
"Defeat the Princess and earn two hundred points while at it, without risking anything because, if she complains about it, she'll come off as immature and undeserving of being a sponsor," muttered Azula. "There's nothing to lose, from their point of view."
"Well, not unless they lose," added Sokka. "If that happens, the one to be ridiculed won't be you."
"That's the plan," said Azula. "And it has been the plan all along… so do both of us a favor and stick to it, will you?"
"I'll try my best," said Sokka, smiling awkwardly.
"This is the most challenging moment of our career in the Gladiator League, Sokka," sighed Azula. "It's no longer about our personal conflicts… now it's to prove we actually deserve our spot in the ranking. From here on, we're fighting to show them what we're made of, to gain their respect or to lose it forevermore."
"Well, that's going too far, I think," said Sokka, frowning. "When I beat Combustion Man I'm sure I'll get that respect back no problem!"
"You think you can take on Combustion Man, yet the measliest of earthbenders can defeat you?" Azula asked, her eyebrow twitching. "You really need a blast of reality straight in your face."
"Well, then, the Millennium Dragon," said Sokka, shrugging. "Maybe I can beat him! And that would help to get me back into the radar, wouldn't it?"
"Sokka, you can't go against the second gladiator in the League," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "The man has only ever been defeated by Combustion Man. The fact that he's been able to fight him and survive is proof enough of how powerful he is."
"But I'm going to have to go against them one day, whether you like it or not," said Sokka, frowning. "Or is it you don't want to get me to the top of the ranking anymore?"
"Of course I do, but as you are, you'd be toast. Literally," said Azula. "You're not in a fit state to fight either of them. Once you've grown strong enough to fight evenly against earthbenders and firebenders alike, I'll start thinking about pitting you against those men. But for now, this is our reality."
"It still feels surreal, you know? That the guy I talked to was the second in the ranking…" said Sokka, gulping. "Well, that's enough talk about bothersome stuff we can't do anything about as we are. Back to business! Hold that sword steadily or else you'll be done for in battle!"
Azula's eyebrow twitched and she glared at Sokka before lounging at him swiftly, her blade deadly enough to chop his head off if he hadn't bended over backwards to avoid the weapon's sharp edge.
"That's better, much better!" declared Sokka, smiling as he attacked Azula again.
It bugged her slightly to hear him cheer her on while she was trying to defeat him in such a violent manner, but eventually she was smirking as well as she blocked his sword and proceeded to attack him in the best way she could. If Sokka was surprised at how much fun he would have while sparring against her, the same could be said about her. It had been a very long time since she had actually enjoyed herself in a battle as she did with Sokka nowadays. The memory of the boy he had been when she had first fought him in the South Pole often returned to her: it was hard to believe the master swordsman she was sparring with was the same Water Tribe warrior who had tried to stand up to her so long ago. Back then they had been enemies… and now they were partners. What other unexpected twists did the future have in store for them?
Sokka waited for Azula on the steps of the Arena, keeping his eyes set on the palanquin once he saw it approaching down the road. He waved at the Captain and smiled as a greeting towards Azula once she stepped down from the vehicle.
"We'll be at the gladiator's home by nightfall, as you commanded," said Rui Shi, bowing his head towards her.
Azula nodded and walked up to Sokka, who showed her his teeth in as wide a grin as he could muster. Azula merely raised an eyebrow.
"Ready for your fight, then?" she asked, as they made their way into the Arena.
"As ready as I could be," said Sokka. "You've been helping me train all along, so you ought to know if I'm ready without needing to ask."
"I've found your emotional state has a lot to do with your performance in battle," said Azula. "And for all I know, you could be upset over not having breakfast, or not having enough courses for your liking…"
"You think food is what sets my mood?" asked Sokka, scowling.
"I don't think so, I know so," retorted Azula, smiling slightly.
Gazes followed them as they progressed through the vestibule, gazes that made Azula restless. She knew what they were thinking. She knew what they were expecting, and she hated to think their suppositions could be proven right today…
"You alright?" asked Sokka, when he caught sight of the frown on her face. "You seem rather tense, yet again."
"I wonder why," said Azula, rolling her eyes.
"Don't worry about any of them," Sokka recommended. "Even if we don't blow their minds away today, we'll do it on another day. The world won't stop no matter what the result of this battle is."
"That would please me if it didn't sound as if you were implying you're going to settle for another loss," grunted Azula, glaring at him.
"Hey, I'm serious here!" said Sokka. "There's nobody in that public that should concern you in the slight-…!"
"Azula!" squealed a familiar voice beside them, startling Sokka and interrupting him in his speech.
Azula didn't have time to react before she felt a pair of arms flinging around her shoulders. A grimace appeared on her face as she waited for Ty Lee to let go of her. She ought to be accustomed to the girl's enthusiastic attitude, but even after all these years, her cheerful greetings were often unexpected.
"It's been too long!" she declared happily, finally releasing Azula from her grip. "I've heard all about the crazy stuff you've been up to, but we haven't even had the chance to talk lately!"
"Indeed, we haven't," said the Princess. "I took off rather suddenly, so…"
"Yeah, you did! We had no idea you were leaving," complained Ty Lee. "Mai has been alright, in case you were wondering. Yuudai is getting bigger and he's sprouted the softest hair EVER!"
"Well, that's good news," said Azula, with a weak smile. "Is that all I've missed so far?"
"Regarding Mai, I guess so," said Ty Lee, trying to recall if there was anything else to rely to Azula.
"And about you? Are you here gambling again?" asked Azula, judgmental.
"Hey, I'm getting better at it every day!" Ty Lee retorted. "I've been making so much money I can hardly believe it! I'm on a winning streak right now."
"I don't know whether to congratulate you or to tell you to lay off the gambling once and for all," said Azula, sighing.
"Ah, don't be such a spoilsport!" said Ty Lee, pouting before turning towards Sokka. "And it's been ages since I last saw you! How have you been, handsome? You managed to get out of the Colonies in one piece, from what I can see…"
"Not even I know how I did that, honestly," said Sokka, chuckling. "It was the weirdest trip ever."
"You caught the Rough Rhinos and you found a dragon," said Ty Lee, turning towards Azula again. "You were pretty busy, huh? And… in more than one sense, perhaps?"
The glare Azula presented her with was enough of an answer for the girl. She gulped and took a few steps away from the Princess, grimacing.
"I'm going to take that as a no."
"It's a very long story to tell, and there's a fight awaiting us, so it'll have to wait for another day," said Azula, sighing.
"Oh, I know, I came here to watch it!" said Ty Lee, cheerfully. "I hoped to see you and ask about your trip, since you've been out whenever I drop by the Palace…"
"You could have waited until I came home. You could kill time by bothering Zuko or something," said Azula. "But right now, I don't have much time to talk."
"Oh, speaking of Zuko… it's odd he's not here today," said Ty Lee, gazing around herself. "Your brother has been coming to the Arena often lately, did you know?"
Azula had wanted to ditch the conversation as quickly as possible until Ty Lee spoke that last sentence. A frown appeared on her features as she tried to digest the information, staring at her friend while expecting her to confess she was merely jesting. Yet no confession of the sort came, and Azula was left staring at Ty Lee in disbelief.
"What… Zuko? To the Arena?" Azula repeated, puzzled.
"Yeah, I've seen him around a lot ever since you two were off overseas," said Ty Lee. "I come here to bet nearly every day, so I've seen him when he drops by. He keeps wearing this black hood to keep people from recognizing him, but everyone knows who he is anyways."
Azula couldn't help but smirk at that statement. It was very much like Zuko to think he was being clever and mysterious when it was the entire opposite of that. Yet she wasn't sure she welcomed the situation at hand. Even if Zuko had grown interested in the Gladiator Business, which had seemed unlikely to her after Zuko had met Sokka, it was odd that he would follow through with the urges to watch more fights. Much like when she had asked him to come to the armory with her, his sense of righteousness had always kept him from doing whatever seemed wrong according to his moral code, even if it was all he wanted to do. What was so different this time around?
"I never thought Zuko would come to enjoy gladiator fights," muttered the Princess.
"He didn't seem too interested in them, from what I could gather," said Sokka, frowning. "I invited him over to watch-… uh, a fight, and I don't even know if he came by."
Azula's eyes widened upon Sokka's words, recalling just what fight he had asked her brother to come watch. The memory of that day came crashing on her with the force of an avalanche, yet instead of thinking about the dreadful consequences it had had, she found herself recalling just what had happened between her and Sokka in that waiting room…
"Oh, he did!" said Ty Lee, ignoring Azula's reaction. "I dragged him here to watch it. He wasn't completely bored by it, but I never thought he'd be as interested in it as he is right now. I haven't talked to him in ages, though. Whenever I see him I try to say hi, but he just covers up his face with the hood and walks in the opposite direction. I wonder what's his deal."
"I'm sure he's convinced himself he's being so stealthy while fleeing from you like that," said Azula, the malicious glint in her eyes returning. Having new reasons to make fun of her brother often cheered her up.
"Why is he interested in this all of sudden, though?" asked Sokka, confused.
"I wonder. He would have a reason for it, I'm sure," said Azula, shrugging. "It's bound to be a ridiculous reason, yet he'll have one all the same."
"I want to ask him, but he always ignores me," sighed Ty Lee. "I really wonder what's up with him."
"I wouldn't worry much about it. It's Zuko after all," said Azula. "Just take this as a wonderful chance to tick him off and forget everything else…"
"I knew you'd see it that way," said Ty Lee, and Azula's smirk widened. The noble girl smiled as well and turned towards Sokka, cheerfully. "Anyways, good luck in your fight! You've changed a little after that trip, haven't you, Sokka? You're a little skinnier, and your beard is getting a little longer…"
"Uh, well…" said Sokka, his hand instinctively going to the stub of beard he had in his chin. "I have forgotten to trim it lately."
"It looks great on you, if you ask me," said Ty Lee, winking.
A vein palpitated dangerously on Azula's temples. She glowered at Ty Lee, who was surprised to find herself at the receiving end of the glare, before deciding they had dawdled in the vestibule for too long.
"Sokka needs to worry about more important things than facial hair, Ty Lee," grunted Azula. "And we're supposed to get him signed in right now, so if you would be so kind as to take your leave…"
"Oh, sure," said Ty Lee, blinking rapidly before a small smirk appeared on her face. "By all means, go ahead…"
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Azula demanded, irritated.
"No reason at all! I'm just thinking I might earn some money from another bet that has nothing to do with gladiators soon enough…" said the girl, chuckling as she walked away. "I'll be watching your fight! Good luck! I'm betting on you, so don't let me down!"
Sokka stared at Ty Lee as she walked away, as clueless as Azula was regarding whatever other bet the girl had been speaking of.
"You've got one seriously weird friend right there, Princess," said Sokka, as they resumed the way towards Shoji's desk.
"She's always been an odd soul, but she's getting weirder with every passing day," said Azula, shaking her head.
"And honestly, whatever her deal is with my beard," said Sokka, chuckling. "From the first time I met her I've thought Ty Lee is strange. I mean, a guy really can't complain about getting a girl's attention, because she's quite a pretty girl and all, but even so…"
Sokka stopped on his tracks when he saw the way Azula's eyes were narrowing. He had a pretty good idea as to why that was: it wasn't hard to guess her anger was only being fueled by his every word. And it wasn't hard for him to guess what had upset her, either.
"W-wait, I didn't mean…!"
"Sign us in, Shoji," said Azula, taking the last strides towards the boy's counter as quickly as possible. Sokka was left chasing after her with a grimace of dread in his face. He didn't need to get to her bad side again after almost two weeks of getting along so well…
"Sure thing," said the boy, smiling at Azula and completely oblivious to the strife between her and her gladiator. "Is the Blue Wolf ready for his fight?"
"You know, you can just call me Sokka…" said Sokka as he stood next to Azula, whose eyebrow twitched when he stood too close to her.
"W-why, I…" said Shoji, gaping at him in surprise. Since when did gladiators tell other people to address them so casually?
"He'll call you as he sees fit, that's his problem. Write down his weapons and let's get this matter over with," grunted the Princess. Sokka winced.
"Oh, sure. What weapons will you be using, Blue… Sokka?" asked Shoji.
"Blue Sokka?" Azula repeated, slightly amused.
"I'll be using my sword, my boomerang, my club and two bombs," said Sokka, all the while glancing at Azula worriedly.
"Are you sure about that?" asked the Princess, raising an eyebrow. "Two bombs…"
"I think they'll come in handy," said Sokka, smiling weakly. Azula didn't mirror the gesture.
"If you say so," she replied, as Shoji scribbled Sokka's weapons on a paper. "Is the other party ready for the fight?"
"Yeah, they came in about half an hour ago," said Shoji, smiling uncomfortably. "The Rockman's sponsor is a bit extreme regarding punctuality."
"We're on time, though, aren't we?" asked Sokka, surprised.
"Yeah, you're even a little early," said Shoji, nodding. "He's just a bit neurotic, always has been."
"He mustn't have much to do with his spare time, I assume," said Azula, shrugging. "Let's go, then."
"Good luck!" said Shoji, as Sokka and Azula walked towards the stairway.
Sokka could still sense some hostility from the Princess, though he counted himself fortunate it wasn't as intense as it had been a few weeks prior. Perhaps an apology, or explaining what he had really meant to say… because as much as Ty Lee was a pretty girl, she wasn't as beautiful as Azula was! And that was something the Princess ought to know before she decided to start despising him over the nonsense he spouted with his big mouth again…
So, once they had reached the stand-by room, he made up his mind to speak and amend the mistakes he had made previously… yet Azula didn't allow him to.
"The Rockman is supposed to be quite skilled," she muttered, making Sokka grit his teeth as he waited for the right moment to talk. "He'd be higher in the ranking if he didn't happen to break furniture by mistake as often as he does. Perhaps you can trick him into destroying objects or so, it might be of use to break his concentration. Yet he's not supposed to be as foolish as most gladiators we've faced. So, as ever, don't underestimate him."
"Sure thing," said Sokka, nodding. "Uhm, Azula, about what happened upstairs…"
The Princess's frown grew more pronounced as she looked at Sokka sideways. How would he recover from it? She truly wanted to see him try…
"I didn't mean to say Ty Lee was all that pretty, or well, that I had enjoyed her attention because I actually didn't…! It was more uncomfortable than anything, really! I hardly knew her back then, so… well, it's not as if I knew her any better right now. I would have to know her a little better to… wait, I'm not saying I want to get to know her more! T-that's not what I…!"
Azula would have continued being angry, but watching him babble as he did only brought her to smile slightly at his awkwardness. It wasn't as if she had any right to tell him whom to like or not, no matter if her heart ached for it to be otherwise. And despite whatever he might say about Ty Lee's looks now, Azula could tell he wasn't really interested in the girl. She had seen men smitten over Ty Lee enough times to spot the difference between their attitudes and Sokka's.
"Sokka," she said, walking up to him. "I'll give you a little piece of advice."
"W-wha…?" said Sokka, staring at Azula with dread written all over his face.
"If you have nothing useful to say…" said the Princess, lifting a hand towards his chin and taking his beard stub in her hand. She pushed upwards and forced him to close his open mouth. "… then shut up."
Sokka blinked a few times as he stared at her in utter shock. So was she upset, or wasn't she…? Was he supposed to do something to make amends for this or wasn't he?
"Good luck out there. Don't make a mess of things," said Azula, releasing his hairs from her grip. "We really could use a win today. Do your best."
"I… I will," said Sokka, nodding promptly.
"See you later," Azula said, so calmly Sokka grew reassured. Perhaps she wasn't as angry as he had thought…
The Princess patted his armored shoulder before walking out of the stand-by room. Sokka sighed, relieved that she wasn't actually angry, and he walked to the golden grid, getting himself ready for the fight that awaited him outside this room.
Azula couldn't help but smile all the way to the sponsors' balcony. There was an undeniable amusement in being able to get Sokka as nervous as he had been just a while ago. She chuckled to herself as she entered the sponsors' balcony, but the grin fell off her face as she approached her seat, remembering that the man awaiting her was one of the noblemen who wished to thwart her by earning winnings from Sokka's inexperience against earthbenders…
"You're just on time. I would have expected the Princess to be here earlier than this," said the sponsor, glancing at her sideways.
He was a slender man, with a sharp nose and gray hair. His hands were together in front of him, his fingers intertwined as if he were calculating matters carefully. Azula raised an eyebrow as she took her place next to him.
"I'm as punctual as needed. The fight was scheduled at eleven, and eleven it is. Perhaps it seems fitting in your opinion that I would be here sooner, but unbeknownst to you, a royal has a tight schedule, and wasting hours doing nothing but waiting for a fight to begin is pointless when you have as many responsibilities as we do."
"Do not believe I haven't got a tight schedule of my own, Princess. That is the reason why I want this battle to be finished immediately. I have business to attend to other than the gladiator fights."
"Is that so? Then, if your business is as important as it is, why did you waste your time and mine with a fight that seems so irrelevant to your interests, oh, great businessman?" asked Azula.
"My name, your Highness, is Tiao, and I do not appreciate your mockery," he groaned. "I take part in whatever businesses will bring me profit. Nothing other than that."
"Then if you're so certain you'll profit from this fight, why don't you spare me the pointless lecture on my inexistent unpunctuality?"
Tiao was unable to find a good counter argument, but to his relief, the usual staff member came in to ask about the time limit. Tiao insisted on ten minutes, hoping to end the fight as quickly as possible, but Azula didn't let him get away with it. In the end, they agreed on twenty minutes, even though Tiao was anything but happy about it. Azula smirked at having gotten her way, pleased by frustrating the man as she had. Even if Sokka didn't win, she would have attained a personal victory over Tiao.
Sokka had taken his seat inside the stand-by room, waiting patiently until the golden grid began ascending. He stretched his arms and stood up, ready to face his opponent.
"Coming from a lousy streak while he was overseas, Princess Azula's gladiator is ready to fight and get back to the crowd's good side!" shouted the megaphone man, as Sokka strode into the sand. "Give a big cheer for the Blue Wolf!"
Shouts and screams welcomed Sokka, and he lifted a fist into the air in a proud gesture, at which the audience grew wilder. Sokka walked to the center of the pit while the golden grid at the opposite side began to slide upwards. Sokka watched as a tan man with long, brown hair walked into the ring. His outfit was so humble Sokka began wondering just how cheap his sponsor could be that he wouldn't provide the man with any better clothes. He seemed to be about his age, and he had a stub of beard not unlike his own, though he also wore an unusual mustache Sokka hadn't seen on anyone before. His eyes were green, and his forehead sported an emerald bandana to keep hair and sweat from falling into his eyes.
"On another slump, yet the best earthbender to come from the Former Earth Kingdom mines, I give you the Emerald Rockman! Let's see which fighter will break his bad streak today!"
Sokka was surprised to see how serene his opponent looked. Sokka unleashed his sword from its scabbard even before the megaphone man gave out the call for them to begin the fight, knowing that earthbenders would often be absolutely unpredictable. He didn't want to be caught off guard by this one.
"START!"
Sokka braced himself for an attack, but it didn't come right away, to his relief and his unease at once. This probably meant the guy he would be fighting was smarter than most… which wouldn't bode well for him, most likely. Dumb earthbenders could beat him… smart ones could nigh kill him, just as it had happened a few months ago in this very sand pit.
"Not attacking right away, I see," said Sokka, smiling and aiming his sword at his opponent. "Quite unusual for an earthbender. The others of your kind I've fought will always try to wreak havoc all over the place in one go."
The Emerald Rockman chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't think that's the best way to use my bending skills," he said, with a raspy voice. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. We're here for a combat after all."
"You seem so civilized you're scary, you know?" said Sokka, chuckling as the Rockman took a steady stance. "What's your name?"
"Don't you think it's rude to ask someone's name without giving yours first?" asked the earthbender, and before Sokka knew it, the Rockman ducked and struck a fist into the air.
And array of sand on the very spot Sokka had been standing on flew upwards and molded into a single spike of glass. Sokka jumped back right on time to avoid a deadly injury, and he knew at once he hadn't judged his opponent rashly when he had assumed he would be a dangerous fighter.
The Rockman proceeded to crack the glass and attack Sokka with the shards, sending them all straight at the non-bender. Sokka brought out his club this time, and he did his best to use it to swipe away all the glass that had been sent his way. One shard got through his defense, but it shattered against his armor, to his relief. It wouldn't have boded well for him to be wounded so early in the battle.
The Rockman ran out of glass and Sokka had a chance to attack. He jumped forward, his sword in hand, but the Rockman conjured a shield of sand. Wary of the technique, Sokka only tried to cut through it once and jumped back immediately after he discovered the shield wouldn't fall apart with a single blow of his sword.
"You're a tough one, aren't you?" he asked, as the Rockman dropped the defense. "Well, my real name is Sokka. Now are you willing to tell me what yours is?"
The Rockman smiled and brought forth a stream of sand, ready to unleash it straight at Sokka, who gulped and braced himself for the impact even before it struck him.
"My name is Haru."
A/N:
Happy holidays to all! I wanted to have this one up earlier, but this time of the year has the cruel knack of eating up my time. I'll try to get the next update up sooner!