Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

230. Chapter 230: The Ultimate Gladiator 1

The roaring crowd had never broken her focus. Their loud cheers, or even their attempts to discourage her with booing, were secondary matters: she had never cared for being acclaimed, she only cared about winning.

She had thought, for a long time, that her eagerness to win was a matter of rebellion, of chasing after freedom desperately, of turning her back on her parents' expectations and making of herself whatever she wanted to be: she vividly recalled her fury upon hearing them plead with Master Yu so he'd take her as his pupil in her childhood, to teach her nothing but the basics of earthbending when she was already a far more advanced earthbender than the man himself could ever hope to be. It was the same fury she had felt upon demanding to be allowed to live her life, for she was finally of age and capable of making her own choices, only for her parents to shut her down again, assuring her she would be cared for, that they would eventually find a proper husband for her, that she would never want for anything in life. What they failed to understand was that she already wanted something, and she would stop at nothing to achieve it.

But was it truly freedom? Or was it her true desire answered to another necessity she had yet to understand, at the time?

Ruminating about her past and reflecting on her deepest thoughts was certainly not what Toph expected to do while facing the Vengeful Stone. It wasn't what anyone else would do, she knew, in her place: the man was a menace, capable of such potent bending that the entire ring was shaking. She could hear people in the stands screaming, some fearful, others delighted by the vibrations, while a certain, faithful group was outright chanting her gladiatorial name in a steady rhythm, trusting she would emerge victorious regardless of the prowess of her enemy.

The man was collected and strong, not the sort to taunt or throw jabs at his opponents. He was methodical too, striking hard with his feet and fists, but commanding the earth with more ease than most earthbenders in the Ranking could.

Unfortunately for him, however, the constant quaking felt like home for Toph. Like the caverns of the badgermoles, like the training she had undergone with them as she dug caves with them, tunnels, tunnels that led across the land, deeper and deeper, and then the sounds of battle, a fearsome battle, and she was exhausted, but she had to keep going – so many wounded, so many dying, on either side, and then that wave of water, rushing down the valley, threatening to wipe them out, every last one of them, and she couldn't hesitate or else…!

Toph clenched her fists, her short nails digging into her palms: her reaction put a drastic stop to the shaking ground directly underneath her, as she wrestled that area of the ring out of her opponent's control.

She had tried to shake it off: she had won that day. She had been victorious. Her deed had saved many lives, though she hardly knew how many, but still… she had proven herself above that challenge, hadn't she?

So why did it feel like she had failed?

It wasn't true failure, Toph knew. That wasn't what plagued her, and that was what had brought her to reflect on her past, just as well… for maybe it wasn't about freedom, but rather, powerlessness: being told, all along, that she needed to be protected, that she was frail and weak, that she couldn't be left to her own devices, had filled her with the certainty that she had to prove otherwise, constantly. That she could fend for herself, better than most people could, and she didn't need anyone holding her back. Being blind had never felt like a failing to her: why would she feel incomplete over lacking something she'd never needed, anyways? But she had been stubborn, she had been proud, and she had always been reckless. Never had she faced any odds she couldn't conquer: she had outright shattered and thrown a whole flight of stairs on the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se once, for crying out loud. Yet the Fire Nation, her friends, had relied on her on that dark day… and she hadn't been strong enough to help in the steadfast way she ever did. Any hesitation, any weaknesses, and she would be dead right now, along with hundreds of others, for sure.

She hadn't been able to put aside those fears, those thoughts. The knowledge, too, that Azula, the unbeatable Princess who ever seemed to walk off every hurdle, every challenge, without breaking a sweat, had suffered a near-fatal wound by the enemy, was but another factor in her growing fears: no one was infallible. No one could win every match. No one could hope for a victory streak to last forever. One day they would lower their guard, or they would be unprepared for a new conflict, and then…

Then it'd be over. Everything would be over.

She gritted her teeth and roared before shooting her arms forward, her fingers commanding the earth between herself and The Vengeful Stone to rise and surge towards him. The man shielded himself, and stopped shaking the Arena upon doing so: Toph lunged forth, pulling along the pillars of earth, the shifted sand and every broken rock from the typically destroyed well, and she had launched them in quick succession at the shielded man.

There was no way he'd be able to defend himself against the barrage of projectiles: it was known that one of the Blind Bandit's greatest strengths was her skill to take advantage of the enemy earthbenders' moves and feats for her own benefit. She wrestled earth out of their control quicker than the fastest cutpurse could make off with a stolen coin pouch: perhaps that was the truth behind her choice of name in the League?

The sturdiest of shields The Vengeful Stone could erect would still falter, he knew, but he had to try. Multiple layers of defenses, quickly crafted, served to protect him from different dangers, but by the end of the barrage of attacks, his final shield was as good as a liability, crumbling and pierced by the enemy's assault. The Vengeful Stone brought the earth down, summoning it anew in a more composed manner, ready to make the whole Arena shake again, his best technique to gather power and strike fear into the hearts of his enemies…

Only to raise his gaze and find that the Blind Bandit was nowhere to be found.

Was she underground? Or was she hiding behind the pillars he had left across the sand pit? The Vengeful Stone snarled but took to tearing down the pillars while continuing to shake the earth powerfully: she wasn't going to get away. He knew she meant to steal off with his hard-earned honor of being deemed the greatest earthbender in the Ranking, and he refused to let her get away with it.

With powerful strides, the Vengeful Stone took not only to shaking the earth but outright cracking it: the sand solidified, creating large rifts as he condensed the element. If she was underground, he'd find her eventually. If she was above ground, he'd still catch her: it was only a matter of time.

Then, an explosion of earth, right behind him.

The Vengeful Stone turned around at haste, whipping up an immediate defensive shield that stopped a rising spike of earth, aimed towards his head. The shield shattered, as did the spike: another stalemate, the Vengeful Stone assumed…

Until a sudden, subtle and efficient blow to the back of his neck saw him collapsing where he stood, falling face-first into the sand as his body refused to answer his commands.

Making a tunnel in the middle of a shaking arena was surely a fool's errand, as far as anyone else was concerned: not Toph. Not after what had happened that day, where so much had ridden on her ability to break and mold the earth as fast and effectively as possible. She had known to attack with a decoy, to distract the Vengeful Stone, and to strike at him from behind, while she surfaced on his other side… because no one could ever trust the enemy to show mercy, or to fight fair. It hadn't been fair that day at that factory, or by the bay…

She gritted her teeth again, reaching down to clasp the immobile, chi-blocked Vengeful Stone by the back of his neck: a fast strike at the bridge of his nose and he was out like a light. Toph dropped him on the sand again and breathed slowly: it wasn't over until the countdown was finished, so she couldn't drop her guard. Maybe he was faking it, maybe her chi-block hadn't been that effective, she would do best to be prepared to counter anything he might do if…

"… Eight! Nine! Ten! The winner is… the Blind Bandit!"

She tuned in the sounds again, almost snapping back to her senses upon hearing those words. Then… it was over? She had won. She had done it.

"It's a historic moment, ladies and gentlemen!" the megaphone man announced, as the crowd grew wilder and wilder – though some spectators, naturally, would be aghast over her victory. The Vengeful Stone was, after all, the top-ranked earthbender in the Ranking, with no shortage of faithful supporters… but he hadn't been strong enough. Today, Toph had prevailed against her foe… against every earthbender in the Superior Gladiator League "With only ninety-nine fights, and of course, ninety-nine victories in a row, there's nothing the Blind Bandit can't do! She has redefined the very meaning of earthbending! What an extraordinary fighter!"

The praise could barely be heard over the sound of the Blind Bandit's loudest fanclub members, screaming her name to the top of their lungs. Toph, however, remained puzzled as reality dawned on her slowly: she had done it, then. She had proven herself the best earthbender for good. Her side of Iroh's challenge was finally finished.

She didn't know why she couldn't be more enthusiastic. Deep down, she knew she should be… yet the League that she had been so passionate about, so determined to conquer for years, suddenly seemed a secondary, lesser concern. She couldn't find herself as delighted by her victory in such frivolous battles when her mind was still plagued, constantly, with thoughts of how close she had been to death's door merely a few weeks ago…

But it wouldn't do to show her uncertainties and fears when all attention was on her. She clenched a fist and threw it up in the air, offering her crowd a tight-lipped smile, and the insincerity of the gesture was lost on all of them: they went wild all the same, failing to see their admired gladiator wasn't the same girl who had fought Deadgaze with overflowing confidence earlier in the month.

For she couldn't seem to shake off her feelings of powerlessness. She couldn't let go of the dread that had stolen into her thoughts every night as she woke up from nightmares, feeling that wave of water rushing towards her but being too weak, too slow to act, and then the torrent crashed through, meaning to destroy her whole world…

One day, she feared, she wouldn't be strong enough. One day, she wouldn't be able to build that wall against the oncoming barrage. And what on earth would she do then?

Excited staff members congratulated her as they offered to guide her to her medical check, which Toph knew she wouldn't need, but she followed them regardless. The whole building was bustling with noise and celebration… and Toph could only wish, bitterly, that she had achieved this milestone three weeks ago instead. Then she would gladly join in the revelry, gloating about her great triumph, even… but today she only wished to get away, despite she knew it wasn't reasonable or rational to want that. This should be her day, and she should be rejoicing…

For Iroh was rejoicing quite openly: he crossed the threshold of the room Toph had been guided to, laughing in delight as the physicians confirmed Toph hadn't suffered even a minor scratch while in the battle.

"You've done it! Oh, Toph, you are brilliant!" he exclaimed, rushing in for a hug that Toph returned somewhat awkwardly: despite her lingering misery and uncertainties, Toph allowed herself a small grin, far more genuine than the one she had sported while in the ring.

"If that's really the best the ranking had, there was no way I'd lose" she said, though her voice lacked the usual arrogance it carried in her every boast.

"I knew as much, but confirming it was no less thrilling" Iroh chuckled, pulling away and patting her shoulders in another congratulatory gesture "The best earthbender in the League! Not that there was ever any doubt, truly, at this point the ranking itself is a formality. Everyone knows your true worth!"

Did they? The words rang hollow, for Toph wasn't even sure what her true worth was anymore. Was it just a matter of physical strength and prowess? Was it determination and fierceness? Was it her unapologetic behavior? Most of those things hadn't been much use against that accursed waterbender…

The lack of response from Toph wasn't the first alarming sign Iroh had noticed over the past few days. She had grown more withdrawn than ever while recovering her strength, and as many times as she might have assured him she was alright, he wasn't foolish enough to believe her. Still, Iroh had learned more than enough from his experiences with Zuko: if Toph was undergoing her own inner turmoil now, he wouldn't force her to share those burdens with him. He would support and encourage her as best he could and, once Toph was ready to share, he would listen and offer to help however he could. For now, though, it was better to reassure her, to let her know he trusted her completely, so that one day she might trust him just as fully too.

"Well, then! That's been quite a lot of fights against earthbenders in a row. I suppose you'll be happy to move on to other kinds of fighters in the future" Iroh said, dropping his hands. Toph's eyebrows twitched, though.

"I would be, but… y-you don't mean I should fight them now, do you? I mean…" she said, frowning "I haven't really checked on them so far, but I don't think she's in any condition to sponsor Sokka, so…"

"Ah. I wasn't even thinking about that" Iroh lied, chuckling carelessly "I merely thought to offer you a chance to fight a few less important firebenders, or even non-benders if you wished to, though you've always said they're not that impressive. I know continuing with our challenge against them is, well, as good as impossible right now. She probably can't even accept a challenge yet, altogether"

"Not likely, no" Toph mumbled, swallowing hard. Iroh sighed, shaking his head.

"That being said…" he whispered, and Toph's frown gained an edge of distrust he knew he had to smooth over quickly "You don't have to fight him quite so urgently, do you? All things considered, you've proven your superiority against him in the past. As far as your track record is concerned, you've defeated him on at least three different opportunities, right? Your first fight, then the Scavenger Hunt, then your second fight…"

"And then we tied in the Brawl. And he beat me in the Race" Toph finished, bluntly. Iroh's eyes widened.

"You mean 'they' beat 'us'" he determined "It wasn't only Sokka, after all"

"Didn't have to be. I could tell he's changed" Toph whispered "I could tell since the Brawl anyway. He's way stronger than he was back when I first fought him, Iroh. I… I don't even know if I could beat him, if we fought one-on-one"

"Perhaps you don't, but I do" Iroh smiled "You're the best gladiator there is, I have no doubts of it. You've been working harder than anyone else for the last years, and you've been training intensively for the past months, too. I sincerely doubt anyone can beat you, at this point"

"Anyone?" Toph repeated, raising her eyebrows "What about that Combustion Dude? You think I can beat him?"

"You weren't that far from doing it during the Brawl, were you?" Iroh grinned. Toph blinked blankly "You even said afterwards you had a few ideas on how to get him the next time you fought. What I'm saying is… you could simply fight him instead of waiting for Azula to recover. You don't need to prove anything to anyone else. I'm sure she'd understand"

"You are?" Toph asked, breathing deeply "Well, I… I don't know. Doesn't really feel right, does it? You're the one who set up this whole thing, aren't you? If I was going to fight Combustion Man first, shouldn't we at least talk to them about it? Or, well, I guess I should. I don't know if it'd go over well if you do it…"

"And here I thought you were proud of me for getting along better with Azula as of late" Iroh sighed, shaking his head. Toph smiled a little "I suppose you're not that proud, then?"

"I am, but I'm not going to risk it" she said "The two of you are damn impossible when you want to be. I'll ask them about this when we go home, if you really want me to…"

"If they don't think it's fair, you can just fight other gladiators while we wait for them to be ready to fight anyways" Iroh smiled, patting Toph's shoulder "So… cheer up? No need to fight your friends just yet, no matter what"

"Ah, well… yeah" Toph said, though her smile wasn't truly heartfelt yet "I know I should be screaming at the top of my lungs and all that, Iroh, it's just… too much weird stuff's happened lately. I'm still trying to digest it all"

"I know, I know" Iroh said, guiding her towards the waiting room's exit with an arm around her shoulders "But you shouldn't deny yourself life's pleasures even so. So many of your supporters are waiting to acclaim their hero right now… I know you may not feel like indulging them, but they've believed in you for a long time, and they mean no harm. I doubt you can be your usual self yet, but… maybe try to find some enjoyment in their attention, too? If you can?"

"I guess I'll try" Toph smiled weakly: she could hear the ruckus by the vestibule, she could even sense it with her bending… she knew they were excited, far more than usual, and she truly wished she could indulge them as they deserved it. It was simply the worst possible timing for her greatest feat so far, she guessed…

But she abided by Iroh's advice regardless, joining the revelry half-heartedly while her many fans cheered her on, offering her ink and paper for her to sign – they went wild with every nonsensical doodle she drew, and that did make her smile more honestly, as much as she knew it was a silly, small pleasure indeed. Iroh watched her from Shoji's counter, having left her with her many admirers so he could deal with the numbers himself, the side of the business Toph only used to care about in order to know by how many stages she had outdone Sokka and Azula. That specific drive of hers had been notoriously absent since the Race had ended.

"With this victory, the Blind Bandit stands at 44009 points!" Shoji announced, delighted after setting down his abacus "And that's… the seventy-ninth spot, actually. Not bad at all, especially for a gladiator with only ninety-nine fights under her belt. So far, the only fighters with less than a hundred fights within the top-hundred are the Blind Bandit and the Blue Wolf! Isn't that amazing?"

"Quite so" Iroh smiled, though he knew the Blue Wolf would be the exclusive member of that category soon: whether Azula agreed to let Toph fight Combustion Man right away or not, Toph's next fight would be her hundredth.

"And the Blind Bandit's lifelong victory streak is no simple matter either" Shoji grinned "She's truly the best earthbender in the League, altogether. And to think I learned earthbending from her, too…"

"Did you, now?" Iroh asked, puzzled. Shoji froze before blushing, scratching the back of his neck.

"W-well, it was just, we were invited to lady Ty Lee's wedding and she took to teaching me earthbending, b-but I was kind of drunk so I forgot what she taught me… please don't tell her that, though"

Iroh laughed loudly, and Shoji hoped the Blind Bandit's seismic sense wouldn't be so potent she'd overhear their conversation. One quick glance revealed she was still scribbling nonsensical autographs for her many fans and, as the crowd around her only grew thicker still, it was likely it would take several hours before she was free from their attention.

"Anyways, feel free to choose your next fight" Shoji grinned at Iroh "The Blind Bandit always receives lots of challengers after all, but if you'd rather look at the ranking…"

"Ah… I think I'll refrain from choosing yet, if just for now" Iroh smiled "Thank you for the offer, regardless. I'll drop by again once Toph and I decide on our next course of action"

"Oh… sure! Of course!" Shoji smiled, failing to hide his perplexity: it wasn't common for the Blind Bandit to take pauses, ever jumping from one challenge to the next… but perhaps today's achievement was big enough to slow down her progress, for a change.

The fight between the Blind Bandit and the Vengeful Stone had been scheduled for noon: the sun was halfway across the horizon, however, by the time Toph and Iroh finally had the chance to leave the Dome's premises, and the earthbender was most unwilling to sign another autograph ever again.

"It's not like it'll even matter, will it?" she growled, as they walked together to the Palace that loomed not far ahead "They could just doodle nonsense on paper themselves and claim I'm the one who did it, right? No one would know better"

"That, I suppose, makes the whole thing all the more ironic" Iroh chuckled "It's entirely likely they'll be accused of falsely claiming to have your autograph when there's never any proof that it was truly you who signed anything"

"See?" Toph said, shaking her head "Makes no sense, I tell you… uh, did you challenge anyone in the end, though? I heard you were having fun with Shoji somehow, but…"

"Yes, he told me something interesting about you" Iroh grinned "You taught him earthbending, apparently"

"A-ah, yeah. I did" Toph said, lowering her head as Iroh chuckled "It was a random thing to do to pass the time, nothing else…"

"It suits you, whatever your intent was" he said "Either way, no, I haven't challenged anyone new yet. We'll decide on what to do next after you talk with your friends. For now, I think we can have a few days of uncertainty, right?"

"Right" Toph nodded, grinning to herself.

She wasn't one to run away from fights, nothing further from the truth… but the idea of taking a break, even if only for a few days, was appetizing. Surely Sokka would fly into a wild frenzy, demanding to fight Toph before she went against Combustion Man… so she would have time to train some more until Azula was in the right shape to sponsor Sokka anew.

She had refrained from visiting her all this time, uncertain if she would help or hinder Azula's recovery. She had asked Iroh to check on her, and Toph had no doubts he didn't do so directly either, probably aware that he wouldn't be all that welcome in Azula's vicinity while she was at her weakest. Still, he had offered her the occasional kernel of information, perhaps obtained from the Palace's servants or the physicians: Azula had woken up, and she was recovering slowly, but still far faster than most people had expected. And, of course, Sokka had been beside her for virtually every day and night during her recovery.

If the situation had been any different, perhaps any less urgent, she would have offered to take Sokka's place on occasion, just to lower the obviously rising concerns and suspicions about their poorly hidden relationship. It was quite strange that Iroh wouldn't seem fazed by it anymore, especially when he had been so keen on discovering the truth behind their association only a few months ago: if he tried now, he'd be able to unravel their secret within five minutes, Toph suspected. Which only meant Sokka and Azula were rather lucky he hadn't tried at all lately.

She thought to warn them of it, as she entered the physicians' wing – a physician offered to help her find her way, but she didn't need any assistance to find the vibrations of the Princess and her gladiator in the largest room within the physicians' wing. She stopped right by the door, however, raising an eyebrow as she listened in on their conversation:

"You sure you want to try now, then? You've gone far enough as it is, I think…"

"If it's too much I'll stop. But I think I can go for it today. Just… don't pull away, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Princess"

Toph nearly scoffed in disbelief. Oh, she knew they weren't doing what their words could imply, she could sense it with her own two feet, but that only made matters all the worse. Now even their more innocent actions were lined with obvious, suspicious behavior? She definitely needed to remind them of reality soon…

Standing where she was, Toph could feel as Azula's feet came into contact with the marble floor: Sokka's hands were stretched out, perhaps placed on her own… or on her body? Ah, one held her right hand, the other at her waist. Then, she exerted her strength to push herself up, and her knees trembled violently, causing Sokka to wrap an arm around her waist protectively, ensuring she wouldn't fall, even though her footing was quite unstable. A soft laugh, and the sound of rustling fabric: she was pressing her face against his shirt.

"Bad start. But… I think I can get used to it. Wobbly knees and all" Azula whispered, teasingly.

"You're sure?" Sokka asked, his voice soft, coated with concern.

"I have enough experience with wobbly knees as it is" was the response, and that was enough for Toph.

She snorted and shook her head, knocking on the bedroom's door gently, notoriously startling her friends, who hadn't expected any visitors at the moment. Sokka helped Azula sit by the edge of the mattress, approaching the door warily and gasping upon finding the short earthbender on the other side.

"You two sure like to trust walls are thick as hell, don't you?" she said. Sokka flinched at her words at first before shaking his head and stepping out of the way, letting Toph inside the room.

"No reason to think they're not, is there?" he said, grinning before closing the door once Toph entered the room with them "Not like there's anything to hide here…"

"Sure, Dog. The stuff you were saying sounded way dangerous from where I was standing…" Toph smirked, hands on her hips.

"Is that what you came to do? Scold us?" Sokka asked "You've dropped by for the first time since… well, you know since what, and you just tell us off for being careless?"

"If you guys deserve it, yeah" she smirked, though she turned towards Azula, sitting on the mattress where she was: it was, undoubtedly, the Princess… yet something felt strangely different about her. Perhaps it was simply because she was sitting, rather than standing… but Toph doubted it. She appeared thinner, and her heartbeats were nowhere near as strong as they usually were "Still… it's good to know you're sitting up and trying to stand, Spicy. I'd heard you were put through the wringer… so it's good you're getting better now"

"Here I thought you'd make fun of me for being a wimp now" Azula grinned "There's no better chance for you to claim you're a better bender than me, you know? I'm definitely in no shape to prove otherwise…"

"Heh, where'd be the fun in beating you when you're not at your best? That'd be stupid" Toph smirked as Azula laughed softly.

"It's good to see you, Toph" she said. Toph raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"Well, I'd say the same…"

"But you've never seen us" both Azula and Sokka finished at unison, prompting Toph to laugh genuinely for the first time in weeks.

"Fine, fine, I need new jokes" Toph grinned, as Sokka patted her back gently "I'll come up with something, sure will…"

"We'd never doubt you" Azula answered, though she raised her gaze towards Sokka, who had walked past Toph and returned to standing before her.

"Want to take a break for now?" Sokka asked "Since Toph is here and all… I figured you might rather just kick back and chat instead of working out, right?"

"It's a little embarrassing that merely standing up counts as working out" Azula sighed, lowering her gaze, but her golden eyes gleamed with determination once she raised them to meet Sokka's anew "I… I think I want to try again. And maybe even go for a little walk, if I can"

"You sure?" Sokka asked, swallowing hard "It might not be easy…"

"Ah, I know you'll catch me if I fall, turtle. I'm not worried" Azula grinned, raising her right hand towards Sokka's left "I thought fresh air might be nice… and I figure we can chat with Toph outside this room anyway. I feel like I've been here too long…"

"It's been two weeks, but it must have felt longer than that for you" Sokka agreed, biting his lip "If it's too much, Azula…"

"Yeah, I know. I won't push myself too far if I can't make enough progress, I promise" Azula said, stroking the back of his hand gently with her thumb "That's the kind of stuff you do, not me"

"Heh. You're so funny" Sokka smirked, shaking his head.

"If you get tired of walking I can just bend you nicely to wherever you want to go, too" Toph offered, mischievously, only for Azula to scowl in her direction.

"You're not messing up the Palace's marble, you hear me?" she said, and Toph snickered at her reaction.

"I'll check with Fei Rou first if it's okay for you to take a short walk, though" Sokka whispered, squeezing Azula's hand before leaning in to kiss her brow "Better to be safe than sorry if he thinks you can't risk it yet"

"He said I had to start moving around or I'll have muscular atrophy…" Azula said, with an unusual pout. Sokka chuckled and pressed his lips to the top of her head next.

"You're too cute for me to bear it, Azula. Toph will give us an earful if we keep this up, remember?"

"Oops" Azula grinned, glancing at Toph with uncertainty. The Blind Bandit only huffed derisively as Sokka finally pulled away from the Princess "I, uh…"

"Forgot I was here, of course you did" Toph smirked. Sokka offered her a guilty grin before stepping out of the room quickly, leaving the two benders to themselves "You two don't change, do you? Though you really ought to be more careful with this kind of thing… granted, I hear better than most people can, but you know… no one ought to walk in on you two making out or something like that, should they?"

"No… though it hasn't happened yet" Azula whispered. Toph raised an eyebrow.

"The making out part, or the walking in part?" she asked. Azula's smirk, and the slight acceleration of her heart, answered Toph's question easily enough "Here I thought I'd find you snapping at everyone and everything because you're tired of being stuck in this bed, but apparently you're having enough fun with him, are you?"

"It's not quite that much fun, no" Azula smiled "But… it's helpful to have him around all day. I don't really know how I'm staying sane either, but I'd bet it's mostly thanks to him"

"I'd bet as much too, you're the only weirdo who finds him comforting and soothing and whatever it is you find him to be" Toph snickered "Still… it's good to know you're way more cheerful than I expected. You had it tough, from what I heard…"

"Yeah, I've heard that too. I can't seem to remember everything that happened, though" Azula smiled sadly "I've mostly had my dragon's memories, and other people's retellings to go on, other than a few flashes of memories I can't really make much sense of… Sokka keeps telling me not to worry anymore, that everyone else will take care of things now, and for once I guess I'm listening to his advice, huh?"

"It's weird that you are" Toph said "But it's probably better this way. I'd offer to fill you in on stuff, but… I only know what happened on my end anyway"

"I've heard even less about what happened to you guys than what happened to me" Azula admitted.

"And if we're going to listen to the Dog, you're not supposed to learn anything about either thing anyway" Toph grinned. Azula scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"So stingy…" she mumbled, to Toph's amusement, just before Sokka and Fei Rou arrived.

Exasperation clung to the physician's façade – his eyes were decorated with dark bags, proof of how difficult the past weeks had been for him. Sokka had already revealed what Azula had asked permission to do, and he seemed to be of half-a-mind to refuse already.

"If it were up to me, you wouldn't leave this room for the next three days, at least, Princess" he snapped "You've recovered far faster than anyone expected, but that doesn't mean you should be reckless"

"Fresh air is reckless for someone in my condition…?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "And here I thought it might even help my chi flow better…"

Fei Rou rolled his eyes and tightened a fist. Toph smirked – whatever had happened to the Princess, her wits and manipulation skills hadn't decreased in the least. Unsurprisingly, the physician shook his head and turned to Sokka, with a menacing glare.

"You're in charge. If she shows any sign of being unable to keep walking, you're to snatch her up and bring her back here immediately" he said. Sokka nodded immediately, agreeing to the man's terms without hesitation "You're also not going far: there's an exit to the gardens merely past this hallway. If she really wants fresh air so badly, you'll sit at those steps and move no further. Understood?"

"Loud and clear" said Sokka, nodding reassuringly.

"Now, you…" said Fei Rou, turning towards Toph and surprising her for it "Will you assist too?"

"Uh… maybe?" said Toph, shrugging "If I'm needed…"

"Then clean up. At the very least dust off all that sand on your clothes and wash your hands. She is a high-risk patient, and I won't have her growing sick over whatever pest you could have been carrying out of an Arena, if that's where you were"

"I…! Well, I was, but why would the Arena have a pest of any sort?" Toph huffed, scowling "You're weird, dude…"

"Weird as I may be, I'm the physician in charge of the Princess's health. Do as I say, or you won't go with her" he declared. Toph rolled her eyes and shook her head but strode off to the nearest basin.

"Fine, fine, whatever, Sourpuss" she growled. Fei Rou breathed deeply and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.

"Don't make me regret this" he told Azula, who smiled with as much innocence as she could muster.

Toph had scrubbed her hands and forearms several times when Fei Rou finally left. Sokka watched her with a raised eyebrow: he had only taken notice of the grains of sand that clung to her clothes and hair after Fei Rou had pointed them out.

"So, you had a fight today?" he asked "I mean, with all the sand and stuff, I figure…"

"I did, yeah" Toph answered, finally satisfied enough with her clean hands. She picked up a nearby towel and wiped herself as casually as possible, making nothing of their silence until she sensed they were waiting for her to say something else "W-what is it?"

"Nothing, just… I figured you'd say more than just 'yeah', but okay" said Sokka, grinning weakly.

"She must have won, just like she's always won" said Azula, smiling too "I guess there's not much novelty to it after you've done it… what, a hundred times?"

"Technically? Ninety-nine" said Toph, with a dry grin "But who's counting, other than the entire Arena…?"

"Why does it sound like it bugs you?" Sokka asked, amused "I'm not that close to a hundred fights, shouldn't you be rubbing in that I'm half-assing it while you're tearing everyone to shreds because you're awesome and whatnot?"

"Uh… yeah, I could be doing that" said Toph, blankly "Guess it didn't come to mind, huh?"

"I bet you're insanely high in the ranking by now, too" said Sokka, grinning a little "Breached the top ten yet?"

"What? No way" said Toph, shaking her head "I think… seventy-nine, is what Iroh said? So yeah, no, I'm not that high yet"

"Is that what's bugging you? You want to rise higher and faster than you already have?" Azula asked "As far as Shoji always tells us, both you guys and the two of us have risen far faster than anyone else ever has…"

"I know, I know, I'm not bothered by that" said Toph, smiling and shrugging "It's nothing, really"

"You sure?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Toph huffed, shaking her head.

"Weren't we trying to get Spicy out to the hallway or whatever?" she said "What do I do, eh? Need me to bend the floor like I suggested, or…?"

"That's a last resort, if anything" Sokka chuckled. Azula huffed.

"It's not a last resort, it's outright forbidden. No bending the Palace's tiles" she growled. Sokka and Toph chuckled at her reaction, inevitably.

"Good to know you're as uptight about your fancy house as you always have been, eh?" Toph said, as Sokka moved towards Azula's right side.

After sitting beside the Princess, the gladiator draped an arm around her waist and took her right hand in his own. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes with difficulty – any brusque neck movements would send unbearable jolts of pain and discomfort down her body, no matter how much she had healed so far –, waiting for his next indications. Trusting him, completely, knowing he would be there to catch her if she were to fall, their wedding scars in contact, ever a reminder of their commitment to each other.

"I'll hold you, no matter what" he said, smiling reassuringly "I'll try not to grab you too tightly, don't want to hurt you or anything, but you can lean on me if you're not strong enough to walk on your own this way. Okay?"

"Sure" said Azula, grinning back.

"Toph, you'll stand by her left" Sokka said, glancing at the earthbender "But you won't help directly unless she falters somehow. The worst damage is on her left shoulder, so if you need to support her, hold her by the waist and do your very best not to touch her arm, okay? I'll try to support her myself, but in case I fail somehow…"

"I'm on stand-by duty, then?" said Toph, smirking "Sounds like you're hoarding her for yourself, Dog"

"Hey, now, that's not it…" Sokka pouted, though Toph chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm messing with you. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to your favorite person in the world, okay?" Toph said, hands on her hips "I'm ready when you guys are"

Sokka nodded and turned towards Azula. He caressed her waist gently as she breathed deeply, once, twice, then thrice… and she tensed up before beginning to exert her strength as she could, aided by Sokka's strong grip, as she rose to her feet once more.

Her knees were still trembling, but she managed to take one step forward. Sokka kept up with her, his arm the reassuring support she needed as she took a moment to breathe, standing up as she was.

Amused as she had been before by their obvious, inappropriate behavior, Toph couldn't find the humor in the situation anymore. Unpleasant shivers rushed through her body as she waited for Azula to take another step, for once she did, maybe her thoughts would stop being so irksome. Maybe she'd be able to shake them off by knowing that, however broken and weak her friend was, she was truly recovering, strong in ways Toph could barely understand…

Yet the contrast between this Azula and the one she had always known was stark and painful. That she would need a helping hand wasn't anything to frown upon… but a woman so independent and capable should have never been hurt to such extent… surely Sokka thought so too. Surely that was why he couldn't leave her side, why he was offering all the support he could, in order to keep Azula strong, and hold her up through her recovery as best he could…

"Take your time" Sokka whispered softly, his lips hovering close to Azula's ear. She closed her eyes and resisted the urge to nod, ever restraining her neck's movements out of fear of causing herself pain by pulling at her torn muscles when they were still mending.

She raised her foot and stepped forward. Sokka moved with her, and Toph immediately followed. After another pause, a new step. Toph was sure Azula had never moved this slowly in her life, surely even as a child she had been a lightning-quick menace… her slow pace was necessary, but no less jarring for it. And yet the Princess expressed no exasperation, no genuine frustration with herself or anyone over her slow recovery. It was an unexpected sign of maturity, Toph supposed… a sign she found herself envying, suddenly. How she wished she could put aside all thoughts of what could have been, what should have been, to stop tormenting herself with the thousand possibilities of their last, life-threatening catastrophe…

It wasn't hard to tell that Sokka wasn't doing much better than Toph, though he was surprisingly better at hiding it, surely by focusing on Azula's recovery instead. But there was a tension in his behavior, a certain dark fierceness in how he held the Princess, that spoke of how difficult it was for him to see the woman he loved in such shape. But instead of crying, or losing his patience, he only kept going, helping Azula through the bedroom door, and then across the physicians' wing, which was mostly empty by now, fortunately. It was hard to say if Azula would be able to maintain a level head if she had even a glimpse of the casualties of the battle, or even the wounded soldiers with the violent, piercing wounds inflicted by the Stingray and his allies.

The exit Fei Rou had ordered them to sit at was merely twenty seconds away from the physicians' wing, for a healthy person's walking rate. For Azula, it took far more willpower and strength than she ever had thought she'd need: her legs weren't in good shape, not even when Fei Rou and the physicians had helped her perform simple exercises on the bed over the past two weeks, to ensure she wouldn't lose her mobility in her other extremities. Yet the corruption of her chi had taken a fierce toll across her body… enough of it that she felt as though she'd raced all across the city once they finally stopped at the steps by the garden.

"There we are. You did it, Azula" Sokka smiled warmly, squeezing her waist affectionately.

"Guess… guess I did" she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Need help sitting down?" Toph asked. Azula swallowed as Sokka stepped forward, still holding her closely as he made to stand in front of her.

"Hold her from behind, okay?" said Sokka "Just little by little, Azula. You can stop using that much of your strength now, Toph and I will take care of the rest"

Azula relaxed, trusting Sokka's word: both of them were physically strong enough to hold her body upright even when she eased her knees. Toph followed Sokka's lead slowly until they had lowered Azula onto the steps, and she released a breath once her strained leg muscles were finally free to relax for good.

"There" Sokka said, smiling at Azula as he stood before her "And here we are, fresh air indeed. Are you feeling alright?"

"Uh… maybe" Azula mused, as Toph moved quietly to sit by her left "My shoulder's… hurting some more now. Might be the painkillers aren't working that well anymore…"

"I think Song once said bodies get used to the effect of some medicine…" Sokka explained, sitting by the free space by Azula's right "Which renders it kind of useless. And it can even cause, uh, unwanted addictions"

"I'll be addicted to painkillers, then?" Azula asked, with a weak grin "Sounds like a blast. I'll be walking like a granny and unable to live without medicine… guess I aged fifty years in two weeks"

"I thought you were taking this way too well" Toph was slightly amused too as she sat by Azula's free side, too "Figures you'd be annoyed about it after all"

"It is annoying. I'd rather not have been hurt at all, of course" Azula said, simply "But… I guess I'm strangely not so worried. I did my duty… even if I can't remember most of it"

"And here I thought you were mostly dealing with it so well because you weren't dealing with it all alone…" said Toph. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Well… it's funny. I didn't even fear I might have to" Azula said, grinning as she reached for Sokka's hand with hers. He smiled too, gazing at the contact between their fingers.

"Guess that's the perk of marriage, huh…?" said Toph. Azula snorted, releasing Sokka's hand, despite he would have gladly held hers for a little longer.

"Weren't you scolding us for saying incriminating stuff earlier?" Azula said. Toph chuckled and shrugged "You're impossible, Dirt Worm"

"And you're no fun, Spicy Princess" Toph retorted, proudly.

Azula glanced at Sokka from the corners of her eyes, nudging him lightly with her tired leg. Despite his silence, he had gazed at her as she spoke to Toph, and he grinned weakly as he enjoyed their quiet closeness.

The garden was quiet just as well, touched by sunlight that lit up each blade of grass with a unique shade of green. The Palace's walls were manned by guards… men who had survived the battles safely and could serve their nation as they ever did. Despite knowing she shouldn't torture herself by pondering such questions, Azula wondered how many had been lost… how many hadn't survived, while she had, if just narrowly. How many might resent her for her choices… how many would think she had failed them, no matter if she was trying her very best for her people.

"Say… we're in the garden, sort of" Sokka said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts as though he'd known she was letting her mind travel down unwanted paths "Maybe… you could call Xin? If he'd like to see you. Though, you know, warn him not to jump on you or anything crazy like that…"

"That's… that's a really good idea" Azula smiled, closing her eyes as she sent those thoughts to her dragon.

Xin Long had been wounded by the battle too, but not as severely as his rider. Within a few days, the bruises had eased up, though the damage to his armor wouldn't be amended easily. In all likelihood, Sokka would need to make a whole new set of armor for the dragon, but he'd have to put off the potential project for later, once Azula was in better health.

"When do you think you'll be able to go on trips with your dragon, huh?" Toph asked.

"Not yet" Sokka said, immediately "I know you might think she's in bad shape now, Toph, but Azula has actually recovered a lot, and way faster than most people expected…"

"Really?" Toph said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah. I was languishing and bedridden for weeks" Azula said, with a grimace "Imagine that, huh?"

"Sounds boring as hell" Toph said, and Azula smiled.

"Yeah, well, boring or not, the point is she's still recovering and it's a good idea to keep all those big activities on hold until she's better" Sokka determined, with a light pout "It's better if she doesn't fly just yet"

"Fine, fine… then, uh… I guess you guys aren't going to fight in the League anytime soon?" Toph asked, and her voice sounded strangely hopeful upon saying so.

"Well, no" Sokka said, frowning "Why would we? With Azula in this shape…"

"We don't have pending challenges… I didn't accept any, I was trying to focus on my work as my father's substitute, so…" Azula said. Toph bit her lip and shrugged.

"That's fine. I mean, I'm not saying you guys should go fight or anything. Actually? It's… it's better this way, I bet"

"Huh? Better why?" Sokka asked, as Azula sighed beside him.

"Are people so pissed at how I sent them underground and mishandled the situation that they want my head on a stake, or…?"

"What?!" exclaimed both gladiators at the same time, though the Princess remained impassive.

"If anyone wants your head on a stake, I'll be the one to put their heads on one! Multiple ones!" Sokka snarled, tightening a fist and slamming it into his hand "If anyone dares even think you did anything wrong, I…!"

"No, no, no! No one thinks that!" Toph exclaimed, groaning and shaking her head "Damn, you two just love to jump to conclusions… the Fire Lord hasn't even released that official announcement about whatever happened, has he? Iroh said he hadn't, I think, so if he hasn't done it, how would anyone be acting like scumbags over what you did, huh, Spicy?"

"Well, I didn't know he hadn't released it" Azula smiled awkwardly "He sure takes his time whenever I get involved in bad situations, huh?"

"Huh. Good to know people aren't being stupid, then" Sokka said, scowling "If you hear of anyone, anyone spouting any drivel of the sort, I'll sort them out myself"

"Sokka…" Azula smiled weakly.

"I'm serious!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking and causing Azula to laugh softly "No one messes with my Princess. If they dare, they'd better know there'll be hell to pay"

"I shouldn't think it's sweet you want to skewer people for badmouthing me, but somehow, I do" Azula sighed "But then… if that's not the problem, Toph, what is? Why are you so worried about us going back to the League, or not going back at all?"

"Worried? I wasn't worried" Toph said "I was just… curious. That's it"

"Heh. You do know I was injured in the shoulder, not the head, right?" Azula said. Toph grimaced.

"So?"

"So it's not like I lost half my wits, because that's what would have had to happen for me to believe that nonsense answer of yours…"

"Hey…!" Toph pouted before huffing: her bangs floated in front of her face briefly "Ugh, well, sure, it's not just curiosity, fine. I… kind of had to come see you guys to ask about something. Though… I think I have my answer already"

"Do you?" Azula asked "Might be you need to ask the question outright to find the answer you're looking for…"

"Well, you guys aren't down for fighting me anytime soon, are you?" Toph said, bluntly.

Her words took them aback, enough that Azula nearly moved her head to stare at Toph – and the resulting burst of pain forced her not to do so, startling Sokka as she grimaced over her body's reaction.

"Azula…" he whispered, pushing aside all thoughts of Toph's question as concern for Azula's wellbeing took over his mind completely. He leaned closer to the Princess, and she clasped his hand with hers.

"I'm…. I'm okay. I'm okay" she whispered, biting her lip before addressing their friend once more "Toph… who did you fight today?"

The earthbender gritted her teeth at the question. Clearly, with so much going on, they had forgotten she was due her final opponent already… and she wouldn't blame them for it, not after all they'd been through. If anything, just bringing up the Gladiator League felt completely out of place right now…

"The Vengeful Stone" she said, despite herself "And yeah, I beat him, no surprises there…"

"The top-ranked earthbender… isn't he?" Azula whispered. Sokka grimaced beside her.

"You did say you'd be finishing your side of the challenge… well, damn. I'm sorry, Toph, we…"

"I know, I know, I'm not here to push the League in your face or anything like that" said Toph, shaking her head "I really just wanted to confirm you guys weren't up for this, if anything. Iroh and I talked, after the fight was over, and we think I… I could just go ahead and fight Combustion Man instead. You two have enough on your plate and I'm sure the League's not even close to a priority anymore…"

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but… I can't really sponsor Sokka like this, can I?" Azula whispered "Though… I guess I could authorize someone to-…"

"No" said both Sokka and Toph immediately. Azula froze before sighing.

"C'mon, Spicy, you can't be serious… our big fight, with a replacement sponsor instead of you?" Toph snorted, shaking her head "Don't be crazy, now…"

"The League's not more important than your health" Sokka decided, reaching for Azula's hand "And I'm not about to run off to fight unless I have no choice. We have time anyway, I'm not dropping out of the ranking anytime soon, so there's no need for you to authorize anyone else to sponsor me"

"Fine, fine" Azula said, closing her eyes "I figured it was better to put this behind us already, but… I guess we'll have to put our own challenge against them on hold for now"

"It's no big deal. I've beaten you two before, haven't I?" Toph smiled. Azula scoffed "It's pretty obvious who'd win if we fight again nowadays"

"Yeah: Sokka" Azula said, without missing a beat. Sokka had meant to defend himself anyway, but Azula gave him no time to do so. He snorted and laughed, eliciting a smile from his secret wife just the same. Toph clicked her tongue, shaking her head dismissively.

"Sure, sure. I'm not gonna rebuff that just because you're sick, you hear me? But we all know the truth…" Toph said, cockily, as Sokka and Azula chuckled.

"Still, Toph…" said Sokka frowning a little "You said you and Iroh are thinking of skipping ahead to fight the big guy? Are you sure about that?"

"Eh. I'm not sure about anything, but it's not the worst idea, is it?" Toph said, shrugging "I've got a score to settle with him, I crossed blows with the guy back in Gladiator Brawl and I was damn sure I'd get him, but things got complicated before I could have another go at him. I know what to expect, though, I've already been at the nasty end of his explosions, so I can figure out a plan to take him down…"

"Can you?" Sokka asked "It's not that I don't trust you, you're the strongest earthbender in the League for sure, at this point it's as good as official… but Combustion Man isn't like most gladiators"

"I know. But neither am I" Toph said.

Azula watched her friend with uncertainty, from the corner of her eyes. Toph wasn't speaking with the usual arrogant airs she'd put on whenever she boasted about her skills: there was a cold determination to her right now, a steel that hadn't been present in the young woman before: she wasn't taking Combustion Man lightly.

"Whatever will we do if you do beat him, though?" Azula smiled weakly, surprising Toph "We'll never hear the end of it. Toph Beifong, top gladiator of the League…"

"Well, I wouldn't have the right amount of points for it yet, but… yeah" Toph smiled a little "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Heh. You can enjoy it while it lasts, then" Sokka smiled "Because if you beat him, I'll dethrone you right after, just as well…"

"Ha! Keep on dreaming, Dog" Toph huffed, and Azula laughed softly as Sokka snickered proudly beside her.

A soft, reptilian groan from the gardens startled the three friends: skulking quietly through the grass, Xin Long had approached his rider. Azula's smile was gentler now, as she reached out her right hand towards the large creature. Sokka grinned, standing up to give Xin Long further room to be affectionate with the Princess, for it was apparent that was all he could want to do. He had been flying casually, searching for food outside the city, when Azula's message about her current whereabouts in the garden reached him. All thoughts of food went forgotten as the dragon made haste towards her now, slowing down mere inches away from her before pressing his head gently – and carefully, avoiding her left shoulder – against her body. Azula sighed, wrapping an arm around her dragon's neck, her face buried in his mane. The dragon whimpered happily, though there was a hint of anxiety in his sounds: he had feared deeply for her fate, and he hadn't expected to come into direct contact with her again for a long time.

"I'm okay, Xin… I'm okay" Azula whispered, tightening her grip on his hair as much as she could – to this moment, there were frequent ghostly sensations in her body that weakened her, inevitably. The Head Sage had explained them as consequences of her chi's corruption, and he trusted those symptoms would decrease over time, as she regained full use of her body while replenishing her usual chi reserves.

She had to be patient, that was what he always said. If she continued to recover at this rate, she would, hopefully, be back to her usual self within less than a year… and considering the damage she had sustained, that they were looking at such optimistic prospects of recovery was something she should be grateful for. She knew all that to be true, knew she was supported by the best people she could have asked to see her through this ordeal… and yet the changes dawned more heavily on her with each day that passed by. Her body was weak, scarred like it never had been before – she didn't need to see the wounds herself, which she hadn't, though she could feel the foreign stitches across her skin all the same –, and the likelihood was that she'd need physical support more often than not for the coming months. When would she be free to train with Sokka again? How long could she withstand keeping her left arm in a sling, or being unable to walk without stopping to catch her breath with each step? Couldn't there be a way to accelerate the healing, somehow…?

If there was, Xin Long would be less anxious. Toph's weary, jaded expression would be replaced by her usual cheeky pride. And Sokka… he'd be free from so many burdens she had never wanted to force onto his shoulders, if only there were an easier way out of this…

Yet he only smiled kindly at her, betraying no desperation, no impatience. He held her hand, teased Xin Long lightly, bickered with Toph… he offered her a foothold of normalcy, countless chances to feel like herself again, no matter what her condition might be. He was the perfect antidote to the despair that threatened to claw away at her weary heart… the perfect motivation to keep moving forward, taking small steps towards an uncertain future she couldn't plan ahead for anymore. Everything was blurry, mysterious… and for once, that didn't bother her so much. Not while he remained by her side.

The orange sky continued to darken when they finally decided it was time to say goodbye to Xin Long and return to the physicians' wing. Azula stroked the dragon's mane, pressing her brow to his before he pulled away.

"I'll try to do this more often, okay?" she said, smiling weakly at him "I'd miss you too badly if I didn't, you see…"

Xin Long gurgled happily and nodded, pulling away and giving Sokka room to step closer, wrapping his arms around Azula's waist to help her rise to her feet. Toph stood up too, ready to help them whenever they might need her to… and indeed, Azula needed it when she tried to raise her foot over the step that would lead her into the hallway: she failed to measure the distance properly, expecting to have exerted more strength in her movements than she had, and she might have toppled forward if Toph's arm hadn't darted out quickly in front of Azula's ribcage, stopping her likely fall just as Sokka tightened his grip around her waist.

"Shit… sorry" Azula said, closing her eyes – she couldn't even feel the pain or discomfort she should have experienced in the tip of her toes after crashing them against the step.

"Okay… you know what?" Sokka said, startling Azula when he exerted further strength… all be it to hoist her delicately over the steps and onto the hallway without as much struggle. The Princess was surprised, but not ungrateful for the gesture "There we go. We can practice climbing steps later, you've already put yourself through more than enough hard work as it is"

"You're spoiling me" Azula smiled. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"Not even a little bit" he said, barely resisting the urge to kiss her. Instead, he glanced at Toph and smiled at her "Thanks for that quick reaction, Toph"

"Eh, anytime" said the earthbender, grinning back.

"Ready to get started?" Sokka asked Azula, who nodded as he held her by the waist, his right hand clutching hers "Alright, then. Slowly now…"

Azula didn't complain, nor did she act out against his indications. Again, her steps were slow and surely frustrating for someone who, merely three weeks ago, had been in perfect health… yet she kept going, without throwing the expected tantrums any inconvenienced royals would. It was a good thing, without a doubt… but Toph could tell it wasn't only a matter of Azula's inner strength. That she could face these hardships without faltering…

She hadn't always been able to do so, come to think of it. Neither her nor Sokka had been that strong in the past. The first time they had crossed paths in the Palace, Azula had been attempting to carry a wounded Sokka across her shoulders… even at the start of their partnership, they had been carrying each other through thick and thin. What Toph had taken for granted back then as a sign of weakness was, instead, a sign of incredible strength…

For that was what they had turned it into. They had leaned on each other until they had become strong enough to stand on their own, to reach for the stars if they wished to… but even though they had grown stronger, they hadn't let go of the other's hand. Their bond was strong, true… beautiful, even for someone like Toph, for whom the concept of beauty had always been rather confusing. From stumbling together, carrying each other in the worst of times, they had learned to rise and stand tall, bringing defeat to any enemies who dared cross their path… just as they had brought it to Toph and Iroh, once they had clashed in the Race. Obsessed with victory, desperate to prove herself, Toph had made terrible mistakes on the day afterwards… and even then, they had risen above it all, no matter how wounded, tired and desperate they might have been.

At first, she had witnessed them walking together in these halls, and she had thought them weak as she passed them by. Today, she knew better. So many years later, she understood what true strength, a genuine partnership, was shaped like. And this time she wasn't walking in the opposite direction, pretending to be better than them: she walked behind them, admiring them in silence, far more enthusiastic and willing to offer her help when they might need it rather than to flaunt her great triumphs in the Gladiator League. For, somehow, the latter no longer appeared all that important anymore.

She made sure to assist them all the way to Azula's current room and took her leave shortly afterwards. Iroh was waiting in his usual room, with a freshly brewed batch of tea, as well as a Pai Sho board, spread across the floor where he sat leisurely. He set down a new tile before glancing at Toph, with as enthusiastic a smile as he could muster.

"You're back" he said. Toph offered him a tight-lipped grin and a nod "I brewed a special batch of jasmine tea, to celebrate your big achievement"

"Really?" she said, grinning more earnestly as she approached him slowly "Here I thought you were saving that one for something bigger than this…"

"And here I thought this was quite the occasion already" Iroh said, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, it is, it's just… my mind's all over the place, don't mind me" said Toph, shaking her head and grinning again. Iroh nodded empathetically, though he kept his eyes on the board before asking his next question.

"And? How is she?"

Toph's breath hitched at the question, though she didn't know why. Things were better between Azula and Iroh these days, so why would she still feel nervous? What was there for her to feel nervous about, in the first place? She shook her head and replied, as naturally as possible.

"In no shape to sponsor Sokka… at least not yet" said Toph, sinking in her seat across the Pai Sho board "Might be another few weeks will be enough for her to recover and sponsor him, I don't know… but unless you've changed your mind and want to wait, they don't seem to mind if I fight Combustion Man before fighting them"

"Ah? Then we have their blessing?" Iroh asked, raising his eyebrows "I half-expected they'd refuse…"

"Why?" Toph asked, raising her eyebrows "She shouldn't be stupid about stuff like the Ranking and the League after damn near dying that day, should she?"

"Well, let's say I overestimated her ambitions" Iroh smiled awkwardly "Either way… shall we do this, Toph? I can send a challenge tomorrow, if you believe it's wise…"

"I don't know anything about wisdom, so do whatever you want" said Toph, with a weak grin of her own.

"You'll fight the top-ranked gladiator… and you'll prove your worth and mettle to the whole world, Toph" Iroh declared, reaching for his teapot to serve a cup for Toph. The gladiator smiled as she received the mug, and Iroh chuckled as he toasted by tapping her cup with his own.

"We've come way too far to chicken out now, huh?" said Toph, nodding.

"Indeed" said Iroh, beaming "You set out with a goal… and you've never been closer to achieving it than you are now. No one will question you've earned the right to challenge Combustion Man… or that you'll earn your victory against him, too"

"You're so sure I'll win" said Toph, smiling awkwardly.

"He cannot be a better gladiator than you" Iroh laughed "No one is"

Toph grinned and reached a hand towards his, squeezing his fingers gently. Iroh was smiling, she could sense it in his voice, in his heartbeats… in his stout confidence. Their road had been smooth at first, then it had become chaotic… and afterwards, Iroh had worked hard for her sake, keeping her as one of his main priorities. At this point, it seemed he believed in her far more than Toph believed in herself… and that was something she had needed more than she had realized.

"Thank you, Iroh. For everything" she whispered. Iroh chuckled and shook his head.

"No need to thank me for anything yet. I have to issue the challenge first, after all" he said. Toph smiled and nodded.

If the latest events hadn't taken place, Toph surely would have been the more excited one, rambling on and on about how she'd succeed against Combustion Man when they crossed paths. Instead, it was Iroh encouraging her with his enthusiasm, promising her he had already ordered her favorite dishes for dinner, and offering her a quiet, private, yet welcome celebration of her great achievement. And as leisurely and simple as it was, Toph found herself smiling through the evening, amused by Iroh's antics, needing nothing but a close friend's company on the biggest day of her career as a gladiator.

---

Azula's first successful walk took place on the eve of another momentous occasion for her recovery: Sokka was astonished, on the next day, when Fei Rou announced it was time to remove the Princess's stitches. Despite assisting Fei Rou a few times when Azula needed changes of bandages, it seemed Sokka's luck had dried out: he wasn't welcome to witness the removal of the stitches, but he had stayed in the corridor, merely a few steps away from the door, while listening keenly to any sounds inside. Fei Rou and his assistants were working with Azula, they would have numbed her to the pain she'd experience as best they could… yet he couldn't stop worrying, anxious to be away from her when she was, in all likelihood, experiencing excruciating pain, on top of the constant numbing she still was plagued by.

The Head Sage insisted that hers was a miracle recovery, and Sokka was grateful for it every day, no doubt… yet his heart was troubled and turbulent each time he heard those words: how far along had he expected her to be by now, if so? Just how severe had the damage been that being able to walk after two weeks appeared to be a miracle? He didn't dare ask the questions, for it was unlikely he'd get an answer in the first place… and if he did, he wasn't sure he'd want to hear it. Azula was regaining her usual spirits, her clever wits, even those sharp smirks that seemed to pierce his heart every time she turned them upon him: that was what mattered, and that was what he should focus on…

He closed his eyes, trying to center himself, to keep dark thoughts at bay… and to rest briefly, too. Tense as he was, he knew he wouldn't fall asleep, let alone while standing up, but his eyes were dry constantly – a consequence of his carelessness with his own body. Song had already scolded him plenty for it whenever she visited Azula, and Sokka had continued to disregard his health, choosing instead to watch over his secret wife, consequences be damned.

Instead of resting at all, however, his other senses sharpened: he heard the footsteps that approached the physicians' wing even before they entered it. There were at least three people, perhaps more… but only one entered the physicians' wing in the end, the one whose footsteps were most powerful, yet most elegant all the same.

Sokka opened his eyes narrowly, and they met Ozai's golden stare. The Fire Lord appeared unsurprised by his presence, yet confused by his cross-armed stance, right outside the Princess's assigned room.

"Did she grow sick of you?" he asked, bluntly, without bothering to greet Sokka… who wouldn't have wanted to greet Ozai, anyway.

"Fei Rou's working with her right now" Sokka answered, bluntly "He says it's time to remove her stitches"

The words saw Ozai frown, though not with disapproval: with concern. Sokka's chest tightened uneasily: he did hate Ozai, on just about every level that counted… but the man, on one very specific level, did worry for his daughter's wellbeing. It was the only aspect in which he could respect the Fire Lord, if just a little bit.

"You can probably come back within another hour or two?" Sokka suggested "I'd hope they'll be done by then…"

"If she's losing the stitches, it means her body is mending" Ozai said. Sokka's eyebrows twitched "I heard you took her on a walk yesterday?"

"Heh. Guess word travels fast in the Palace" Sokka said, before nodding "Yeah, we did take a walk. Wasn't a very long one, but still…"

"I will talk about this with Fei Rou, then" Ozai announced. Sokka raised an eyebrow "I would have Azula meet me in my study tomorrow"

"W-wait, what?" Sokka said, eyes wide "Hey, she may be better but that doesn't mean she's all healed. Your study's way further away than what she walked yesterday… and either way, she's in no condition to work yet"

"And who said I intended to make her work?" Ozai said, curtly. Sokka frowned.

"If it's not work, why don't you just talk to her here?"

"I thought to, that's why I came. But perhaps I can help my daughter's recovery further by giving her a small task, if just as small as walking to my study" Ozai declared "I will send for Fei Rou in two hours, to confirm it's safe for Azula to attempt further exercising"

Sokka gritted his teeth but lowered his head: what was he supposed to say anyhow? He'd help Azula for sure, he'd carry her all the way to Ozai's doorstep if that was what he needed to do… but he didn't trust Ozai, no matter if Azula was the only point in common he could ever hope to have with the Fire Lord. Would he be just as forgiving a father as he had been upon first hearing of her condition? Or did he intend to scold the Princess, or load her with further work…?

In moments like these, he wished he had already acted against the Fire Lord, who retreated quietly and without saying any farewells, just as he had arrived. If only he had done something, anything, Ozai wouldn't hold any authority over his daughter anymore. He wouldn't be able to hurt her again, if that was what he intended… though Sokka hoped, deeply, that it wasn't what he intended. He wasn't sure he would be able to hold back his impulses to strike down the man if he dared do anything detrimental to his daughter's health…

Sokka had a chance to clean up in an available bathroom within the physicians' wing, to eat a light meal, and to compose a few random haiku in his mind before Fei Rou and his assistants finally opened the door of Azula's bedroom. Sokka jumped to his feet, and Fei Rou sighed at the sight of him.

"No funny business" Fei Rou warned him "The Princess is recovering, and mostly unconscious right now. There's no harm done, she's healing well"

"Good" Sokka said, releasing a breath before eyeing Fei Rou warily "The Fire Lord stopped by. He wants to ask you… about whether or not Azula can visit him in his study tomorrow"

"Heh. Ask" Fei Rou repeated, rolling his eyes "Thank you for telling me. Now, if you don't mind… I'm starving, and exhausted. Feel free to keep her company, but like I said…"

"I'll be good, I'll be good" Sokka pouted, entering Azula's room without further ado.

It was no surprise that her left arm was still in a sling, and that her robe's cleavage revealed bandages still fastened across her shoulder and chest, underneath the fabric. Azula was somewhat conscious, however, and she gazed at Sokka groggily as he approached. He smiled sadly, taking his seat beside her and impulsively reaching for her hand.

"Well… that sucked" she said, before he could speak at all. Sokka sighed, caressing her hand gently as he gazed at her with unabashed compassion.

"It must have hurt a lot" Sokka whispered "But it's over now, Azula. No more stitches… and soon it'll be no more sling, and no more bandages. You've made it through so far, and you'll keep going, love. I know you will"

"I'd better" Azula smiled weakly "I didn't work this hard, all my life… just to falter now because I'm not used to being wounded"

"Of course" Sokka said, reaching to caress her hair next "For what it's worth? You're still growing more beautiful every time I gaze at you. Seems like some things just don't change, huh?"

"Yeah… your eyes are still fucked up, apparently" Azula smiled, closing her own as Sokka gasped with feigned indignation. Her laughter grew more genuine as he shook his head in disbelief "I must look dreadful… I haven't put on a smidge of makeup in two weeks, or had my hair combed in the spa…"

"You don't need makeup to be beautiful. Especially not you" Sokka grinned, caressing her cheek "And you don't need perfect hair either, no matter what anyone tells you. You're gorgeous, no matter what"

"Hmm. I'll try to believe you" Azula sighed as she sank in her pillow. Sokka caressed her hair again, watching as she drifted off to sleep – whatever they had given her to mitigate the pain during the removal of the stitches still seemed to be taking its toll on her body.

He had thought to tell her already about Ozai's request… but he decided against it, outright. It wasn't very likely that Fei Rou would even consider opposing Ozai's demands, going by how he'd reacted once Sokka had told him of it… but it was probably better to keep her mind clear and safe for one more day, if that was all they would have.

And it was all they had, indeed: on the next day, Fei Rou assisted Sokka personally in helping Azula to Ozai's study. It was a longer, slower process than her previous walk, made no easier by the ongoing pain in Azula's left shoulder: it took them about an hour to reach Ozai's door, and by then, Azula appeared anything but ready for a meeting with her father. Yet that was where she was headed, and there was nothing left for her to do but allow her father's guards to relieve Sokka and Fei Rou by guiding her to the available chair at the Fire Lord's desk.

"I… didn't mean to be late" Azula admitted, after finally sinking in her seat – she would have spared one more glance at Sokka before the guards closed the door, but she still wasn't supposed to move her neck much "Were you waiting long?"

"I've kept myself entertained for the day, there's nothing to worry about" Ozai reassured her "Besides, I had no specific hours set aside for this meeting, if anything I planned to drop whatever I was doing once you stopped by. You… you do seem to have improved plenty. I haven't been able to visit, I was rather busy handling the aftermath of the latest catastrophic events…"

"I figured" Azula mumbled "I, uh, had come up with a plan to remediate…"

"The economic consequences of raising the Gates of Azulon with no prior warning, yes" Ozai said "You did a fine job with it"

"I… thank you" Azula said, lowering her gaze.

"In truth… I've weighed your performance as Fire Lord by now" Ozai said, and Azula's stomach sank "That is why I've summoned you. I suppose you would think it's best if I saved it for once you were fully healthy once again… but according to the Head Sage, it'll still be months, or even years, before you're back to your usual self. Keeping my evaluation to myself for that long would be, well, a waste. And you can use the walk to the study, too"

"Right" Azula said, glancing at him warily.

"Now, then…" said Ozai, breathing deeply as he gazed at the papers on his desk "The truth, Princess Azula? You were Fire Lord for one week… and you excelled at the job like no one else could have"

And now she was confused. Happily surprised, but confused. The nonplussed expression on her face certainly amused her father, who offered her a strangely affectionate grin.

"I… excelled? W-what do you mean…?" she said "I… well, I'm only in this shape because I…"

"Because you made difficult decisions, for the benefit of the Fire Nation" Ozai said, nodding "I've spoken with the highest-ranked officials involved in the operation you spearheaded: Zhao assures me you didn't act on impulse. You delegated important duties to others, rather than expecting to handle everything yourself. You saved countless lives, even cauterized a soldier's wound in the middle of the battle… and you still managed to defeat a spear of legends in the process. Astonishing, once you see it that way, isn't it?"

"W-well…" Azula said, biting her lip lightly.

"I am trusting that you didn't jump to fight the Spear blindly: you realized your fire was the better option to defeat it, am I mistaken?" Ozai asked.

"No, you're not" Azula replied, containing the impulsive reaction of shaking her head as an answer to someone's question "The corruption in the Spear was… w-well, I… I guess it'll sound bad. But it… reminded me of your subordinate. Seethus"

Ozai frowned, puzzled. Azula breathed deeply, shrinking in her seat.

"I fought him… with gold fire, that time, when I tried to stop him" Azula whispered "I thought… maybe it'd work again here. And it did. It was a dangerous gamble, but…"

"But one only you could have ventured to attempt" Ozai finished, frowning "Well, I suppose that clarifies the reasoning behind your course of action… and it still doesn't change my understanding of the situation. You did what you had to do, and you acted for the benefit of the Fire Nation. Every citizen within the Capital owes you their lives"

"I… I suppose. Though I'd think I did what any Fire Lord should do…" Azula whispered. Ozai smiled and nodded.

"And isn't that the point?" he said "I had hoped this week would prove to be an easy experience… it was anything but. You faced a worse challenge than any I've been dealt so far, and as far as I can tell, there was no better way to face this crisis than how you chose to do it. Yes, I would like to believe you're no reckless fool, and that you truly understand your life is far too valuable to be sacrificed… perhaps this convalescence will finally drive the point across, I don't know. You'll certainly need others to do your work for you, for the next few months at least. It ought to be one final learning experience for you"

"I understand" Azula whispered "Though… final learning experience? I'd think… I still have much left to learn"

"You do, it's true" said Ozai "But I'm not certain you'll learn the rest of your lessons other than by directly working as a leader… therefore, that's the last lesson I'll make sure you learn before you take up your future position as High Governor"

He spoke so casually, yet a glint of pride in his eyes betrayed he wasn't as impassive about the new position he was hoping to gift to his daughter as he pretended to be. To the Princess, however, the words felt like a bucket of ice water dunked over her head, startling her and making her hyperaware, after being more or less dormant for the past weeks. She blinked blankly, staring at her father in utter disbelief before finally finding the words she couldn't seem to recall anymore.

"Y-you… you mean that I…? I passed your test?" she asked, her voice trembling "You'll… you'll still give me that position, after everything I…?"

"Yes" Ozai said, bluntly. Azula lost her train of thought by then, as her right hand rose to cover her mouth. Was this truly happening? She could barely believe it, if it was… "If anything, what happened only convinces me further. You are capable of great things, greater than anyone else has been able to achieve. I see no reason to stunt your growth when you've proven your worth over and over again…"

"Father…" Azula gasped. Ozai raised a hand, however, as though to ensure she wouldn't have an emotional outburst – no doubt, he'd never be comfortable with such a thing.

"You won't be starting yet, however" he warned her "I want you fully fit and healthy before you leave the Fire Nation for long periods of time. Only when the Head Sage and Fei Rou approve of it will I allow you to begin preparations for your relocation. We will work out the details as you recover. But as things stand… rest easy, High Governor. Your future position will be made official by my council soon, even if you won't act on it yet"

"I… I am very, very grateful for this opportunity, Father" Azula whispered, with a heartfelt smile "I won't fail you. As soon as I've recovered, I'll begin work in the Colonies, as you've asked. D-do I still get to choose where I'll relocate to…?"

"Everything I promised is still true" Ozai stated, nodding. Azula smiled and lowered her gaze "It's not a decision I'm making lightly: it is both for your benefit and the Fire Nation's. You already were a splendid Fire Lord, you'll be all the better if you have further leadership experience under your belt"

"I hope so" Azula agreed "Thank you. Thank you, truly, for… for offering me all the opportunities you have. I will do everything in my power to match your expectations"

"I know you will. I know you will" Ozai grinned: again, there was that hint of malice, ever present in his smiles… yet there was that fondness once more, the fondness meant only for the daughter he was entrusting a delicate, complicated operation to.

He had trusted her. He had made a promise, sworn that her performance as Fire Lord would gain her this responsibility… and Azula had been so certain he'd never offer her this position again after nearly getting herself killed while fighting off Rhone's group. She had given up all hopes for it even before that, expecting him to be so disappointed by how she had handled the matter of the missing ships that he would decide she had too much left to learn before she was eligible for such vital roles in their society…

"Now, then, you should probably head back once you're ready" Ozai said "You can rest here for longer if you need to, but… I mainly wished to say this, nothing else"

"Thank you" Azula whispered "Can I ask… when will you release a declaration about what happened two weeks ago? I've heard… I've heard you haven't done it yet"

"Soon. Quite soon" Ozai said "Surely at some point this week, even. But it's not for you to concern yourself with such things, you've done what you had to, and you should rest rather than waste your mind away by worrying over nothing"

"Right… thank you, again, Father" Azula whispered, though she froze upon attempting to push herself off the chair. Ozai frowned before summoning his guards…

Sokka and Fei Rou had been waiting right by the door to help Azula too, but the guards, to the Princess's surprise, wound up escorting her to the physicians' wing once more, even if she would have preferred Sokka's arms around her waist rather than those of her father's personal guards. She had refrained from asking specific questions, unwilling to know if she had gotten any of Rui Shi's peers killed with her orders… if her father had decided she still deserved the position of High Governor, however, it likely meant the most important people had survived, at least. There was no way he'd still offer her this new appointment if that wasn't the case…

Oh, she wanted to tell Sokka, but she knew she had to wait until they were back in the bedroom. And even once they were, Fei Rou insisted on checking Azula's state, which meant her summary of her meeting with her father would have to wait, whether Sokka wanted it to or not…

Finally, Fei Rou left by sundown, and Sokka was free to close the door and hold Azula's hand once again. His smiles were tense, something apparent to Azula, who could grin far more leisurely as she was.

"It was a long walk, but you've made it through" Sokka said "Tomorrow we'll take a shorter one, after the Head Sage checks on you. If we keep doing it often, it probably will get your chi flowing better…"

"Probably…" Azula said, enigmatically. Sokka crooked an eyebrow but smiled at her.

"Well, I'll bite, I'll bite: what did he want?" he asked at last. Azula chuckled.

"You won't believe it" she whispered "It's not immediate, he wants me to recover fully first… but he thinks I did well, Sokka. As Fire Lord"

"Well… good! He should!" Sokka declared, smiling in astonishment "See, I told you, no one could ever be as good at the job as you are, and even your dad knows it!"

"Right… but that's not all" she said, biting her lip "Did you forget what… what he'd promised me, if I managed to make it through that week without messing up too badly?"

"He… wait, he promised you could be High Governor" Sokka said, eyes widening as he stared at Azula warily "Is… is he going to…? Wait a minute, are you saying…? You're High Governor now? Azula…!"

"It's not official yet" Azula grinned, closing her eyes as Sokka gasped happily beside her "But… seems my father still can make good decisions sometimes, no matter how controversial he may be…"

"I…! I thought we'd never get to do that! Or, well, maybe in a few more years, but…! Oh, this is amazing! This means…!"

It meant a new life: a life together, away from so many pressures that weighed on them in the Capital. It wouldn't be an easy life, for sure, and they had never expected Azula to be so badly injured before she took up such an important role… but it would be a fresh start, an opportunity for freedom they wouldn't experience otherwise.

The brightness in his eyes, in his gaze, set fire to Azula's heart: her inner flame had grown stronger gradually, but more than anything, it had grown larger thanks to Sokka. His devotion, his hard work, his company and faithfulness, all of it had ensured her fire would continue to burn so that one day, perhaps, it would burn just as much as it ever did before her chi was corrupted.

He ventured forth with a kiss, and again, her chest flickered and burned: she felt more alive whenever he kissed her, whenever he gazed at her with his loving, gentle eyes. It was natural, she had thought at first, for her body often reacted this way to him, even before she had been injured. Yet the sensations grew stronger with each opportunity, so strong that, at times, she even pondered testing her bending again, to find out whether it was back to its usual shape or not…

Whether she could bend yet or not, however, the Princess had been nursing a mild suspicion for days now about the true source of her so-called miracle recovery. And perhaps she was wrong, but she suspected it wasn't over Fei Rou's admittedly high-quality medical care, or the fresh air, or the knowledge that her duty was done and that she'd gain a new position with political power soon…

Sokka pulled away, only for Azula to reel him back in with her right arm, surprising him enough to elicit a laugh from his lips as they kissed again. The warmth in her chest spread, and the strength of her body no longer seemed so far out of reach, as the unpleasant ghostly sensation under her skin decreased day by day. She didn't dare speak her guess aloud, for she knew she could be wrong, but, as wounded and tired as she was, Azula could only wonder if there could be more to the attuning of the chi of two lovers than what met the eye…

---

A few days of not visiting the hectic Capital for anything but the occasional gladiator fight had been somewhat relaxing for Admiral Zhao. The less time he spent in the Palace, the better for him, he knew… for his newly acquired knowledge still tormented him more often than not. He rubbed his brow with his fingertips while attempting to read the latest message that had reached him from the subordinates he'd left behind in the North Pole – Lieutenant Li was rather displeased by some of the decisions General Bujing had made, and constantly complained that a man trained to lead ground forces had no business serving with the navy. It was better to focus on the man's suffering than allowing his mind to traverse the paths it constantly did when he had no other distractions…

And a new potential distraction arrived just as he started to ponder how to answer Li's letter: Rei knocked shyly on the sitting room's open door, holding a paper in her hands. Zhao frowned, immediately wary… until the relatively small size of the paper reassured him: a new challenge had been issued for his gladiator, and it had been mailed to his home, as per his request.

"A new message arrived just now" Rei said, bowing her head. Zhao nodded, ushering her to approach.

"A challenge, from the looks of it?" he said "No black ribbons this time, I hope?"

"No, there were no ribbons" Rei grinned weakly as she reached Zhao, offering the challenge to him without so much as glancing at its contents.

"Thank you, Rei" Zhao said, taking the paper and nodding in her direction. Rei bowed and rose again, retiring from the room quietly.

Zhao read his newest challenge once the young woman was gone. It could have seemed just another challenge by another up-and-coming gladiator, thirsting for glory… if only that up-and-coming gladiator were anyone but the Blind Bandit.

"Feeling that bold already, are we…?" said Zhao, breathing deeply as he read the challenge's contents thoroughly.

The fight would be due in a week, if he agreed with the conditions Iroh had proposed. It would be enough time for the crowds to be riled up, Zhao suspected, for both the Blind Bandit and Combustion Man had no shortage of wild, eager fans who had awaited their showdown for years… and it would also be a rather momentous, important occasion through which all their minds might finally be taken off the dreadful battles that had been waged in the Capital two weeks ago. The people needed a distraction, surely Ozai would agree… and he would expect Zhao to deliver one, if he could. Not to mention, the Fire Lord would expect the long-standing champion of the Gladiator League to prove himself above his pitiful older brother's fighter… Two lifelong victory streaks would come to a head: the best of the earthbenders against the best of the firebenders.

Instead of composing his reply to Lieutenant Li, Zhao dipped his brush in ink to reply to the challenge: it seemed the moment had arrived to determine who was the ultimate gladiator in the Superior League.