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...

238. Chapter 238: The Ultimate Gladiator 9

"Did you take a leave of your senses?! You weren't being addressed directly, he was talking to the rest of your damned squad: why would you tell the Fire Lord you'd reported this damned matter before, Renkai?!"

Shaofeng scowled at his trusted spy as he sat across his desk, in the General's personal office. Albeit Renkai didn't appear that torn up over his actions or mistakes, he did lower his gaze in semblance of guilt, to a fault.

"Why, Renkai?!" Shaofeng asked, slamming a fist over the table "You had to know he would wind up blaming me if you did…!"

"I thought he'd understand" Renkai mumbled. Shaofeng scoffed "It is true: I didn't have enough evidence, and I never uncovered enough later, either. You then asked me to look into any other of her suspicious activities, and I couldn't find anything else…"

"That's beside the point! You could have shut your damn mouth!" Shaofeng hissed, leaning closer to glare even more menacingly at Renkai "Why didn't you, Renkai?!"

"Because the Fire Lord wanted an answer" Renkai said, closing his eyes "It's my duty to serve him, come what may. If the others had nothing to say, I thought my answer might suffice"

"Oh, fine judgment you have there, if so" Shaofeng huffed, dropping against the back of his seat once more "You fool…"

"We all swore oaths to obey the Fire Lord without question" Renkai said, simply. Shaofeng scoffed and rolled his eyes "I just…"

"You should obey your superior officer above anyone else" Shaofeng hissed.

"I… I understand" Renkai whispered, lowering his head "I failed to gauge the situation properly. It was my mistake"

"And your last mistake, at that: any others, and I will certainly destitute you at once" Shaofeng said "And what a waste that'd be. You are a promising guard, you know? In truth… you are the most promising candidate for taking over the third squad now. It was what I had planned, after I understood the situation in full… now, though, I'm hesitant, seeing as you apparently believe your sole duty is to your Fire Lord, after all these years…"

"I apologize, I… I should have known better" Renkai said, lowering his head.

"You certainly should have" Shaofeng growled "Either way… if you do get promoted to take that buffoon's place, I'll certainly keep a closer eye on you than I have as of late. Say whatever you will about doing this for the Fire Lord… if you've developed some sort of sudden, undeserved kinship with that squad, or worse yet, with the slut Princess, and that's why you acted as you did, I'll most certainly make you pay for it"

"Kinship?" Renkai repeated "I've always been an outcast, an outsider, within the third squad. And the Princess… she must have always known what my purpose was. She always despised me, and always favored her personal guards above myself. Why would I ever be loyal to any of them, when none of them have ever shown me the kindness and generosity you have?"

"Exactly what I'm wondering" Shaofeng said. Renkai raised his head, gazing at his superior pleadingly.

"You needn't wonder: I have no such loyalty, no such allegiances. I serve the Fire Lord… I serve you, above him. I apologize deeply for my mistake and the trouble I have caused. Should I, perhaps, withdraw my claims? Or perhaps I could inform the Fire Lord that it was but my negligence, by not searching for enough clues, that resulted in this sudden discovery. Had I acted any sooner, perhaps she wouldn't have lost her maidenhood…"

"That is, as long as she truly lost it after she had her sleazebags promoted" Shaofeng huffed "Do you have any evidence that is the case?"

"Only that it would make sense as an underlying explanation for her actions, but… I may be mistaken even about that. She is difficult to predict"

"Please, she is but a whore. A royal whore" Shaofeng said, rolling his eyes "Her most pure and respectable mother would drop dead all over again if she ever knew of her daughter's disgraceful behavior…"

If anything, it was almost a shame that Ursa wouldn't see what her youngest child had amounted to. Almost.

Even so… that he hadn't given Renkai's initial accusations any credit, no matter how rightful his basis to dismiss them might have been, no longer reflected well on Shaofeng. The General hadn't been preoccupied in the least with hurting the Princess's feelings, humiliating her, disgracing her… he would have destroyed her by any means necessary back then, just as he was glad to do it now. Yet how had she hidden the truth so well that none of the damn guards had noticed anything, if Renkai was to be believed? Curses, if Shaofeng himself ever had expected any fruit to yield from that line of investigation, he wouldn't have discarded it so quickly…

He simply hadn't paid enough attention, had he? He had left it to Renkai to discover if the Princess had any dirty secrets that might damn her… because, truthfully, he could barely stand the brat, especially after her damn slavery laws were approved by her accursed father, and the less time spent in her presence, the better. Renkai hadn't quite failed at his job, it was true: clearly, he had been spot-on with his original suspicions… but he had only reported them because of the gladiator, right? Because that damn fool had admitted to someone else that he had feelings for the Princess. If only Shaofeng had taken advantage of that possibility, tracked down the wretched slave's every move and revealed their secretive dalliances…

Removing the Princess from political relevance was, without a doubt, Shaofeng's main concern… yet he allowed his mind to wander to the gladiator now. Ozai had wanted to kill the slave with his own hands, wasn't that right? It was the command he gave, the reason why they had dropped him off at the Prison Tower… yet demanding for him to be imprisoned, rather than immediately executed, was rather odd for a crime as severe as this one, especially when it involved none other than the nation's Crown Princess. Didn't he want to bury this hatchet as fast as he possibly could, to clear up his foolish daughter's name…?

Why give the gladiator the dignity of a full-blown execution? Worse yet… an execution, by Ozai's own hand? Didn't that afford too much worth to that slave? If it had been a nobleman, rather than a gladiator, this course of action might make some sense. But he was only a Water Tribe savage, wasn't he? Why would Ozai afford him this much dignity instead of disposing of him as quickly and effectively as possible?

Had Ozai, without his own awareness, grown to acknowledge the gladiator as a significant player in the games of power and politics that his whole life versed around? Had the impulsive, thoughtless Fire Lord grown to see that Water Tribe buffoon as a man worthy of respect, to some degree?

Oh, it was pathetic if so, utterly pathetic. Ozai would have to be ten times the fool Shaofeng knew him to be if he truly thought anything of that slave… though, truthfully, he doubted Ozai was even aware of whatever respect he might have developed for the slave in question. He was too erratic right now, too impassioned about this whole matter to even realize what his behavior looked like… perhaps Shaofeng would ensure to make him understand it when he next checked on Ozai, not that he particularly looked forward to that, anyway. It seemed every interaction he had with the man was doomed to be more frustrating than the last…

"Either way, Renkai, you had best keep your wits about you in the future" Shaofeng told him, after a lengthy silence during which the two men were lost in their own thoughts "The Fire Lord may give you any orders he pleases: your priority, as my personal agent, is to always think of how any of your actions may reflect on me. Fail to do this and…"

"And I'll be discharged from my position. I understand" Renkai whispered, lowering his head slowly.

"If you do, we'd best never have any other arguments of this nature, Renkai" Shaofeng said, although it hadn't been much of an argument to begin with: the man across him was ever compliant, obedient like few others. Whatever Shaofeng decided, Renkai would follow fit with it, without question "Now, then…"

"General?! General…!"

The voice of another Imperial Guard reached them just as Renkai was readying himself to leave the office. The two turned towards the door as the newly arriving guard pulled it open brusquely, his face contorted with horror.

"Now what?" Shaofeng growled as the newcomer stopped by the office's threshold.

"The Fire Lord… you wanted us to report back on the result of the meeting?" said the guard "The Fire Lord is in the Agni Kai Arena as we speak, sir"

Shaofeng frowned as he rose to his feet: the Agni Kai Arena… the Fire Lord's favorite location to unwind his fury. It was a habit he had passed down to his daughter, despite she had slowly done away with it. Ozai wouldn't resort to it so often anymore either, but if he was there now…

"What did she do to him?" Shaofeng asked "Did they talk in the end? If so, what did she say?"

"We weren't allowed inside the meeting, but… there were raised voices at the end" the guard said "From our understanding… she has admitted to the crime, though it doesn't seem she has taken proper responsibility for it yet"

"Is that so?" Shaofeng said, scowling and rolling his eyes "Marvelous. Renkai, go keep an eye on your damn third squad while I check on our Fire Lord"

"It may be unwise to bother him right now…" said the newcomer, but Shaofeng shook his head and rounded his desk.

"I'll merely ensure he stays put, hell knows if he'll decide to take his destructive spree outside the damn Agni Kai chamber otherwise" Shaofeng grunted, clasping Renkai's shoulder and forcing him to stand up unceremoniously.

Shaofeng stormed out of the room quickly while ushering Renkai to leave the office as well: the other guard followed him down the corridor, while Renkai lingered behind. He breathed out once, twice, and then turned towards the dining room while the other pair marched to the Palace, all be it to fulfill his new assignment. Renkai would keep an eye on the third squad, then, as he was expected to…

Or he would have, if any of them had been within the barracks at all. Renkai's eyes narrowed: Shaofeng had given them no assignments, taken them off all patrols, effectively ensuring they would have absolutely nothing to do for the time being. Their whole group's absence would certainly sit ill with the General of the Guards…

If he ever learned of it, to begin with.

---

Rui Shi hadn't planned on returning to the dusty, poorly ventilated basement again anytime soon, and yet no better place had come to mind for the location of the third squad's secret meeting. All one-time Royal Guards were here… the whole squad, save for Renkai. Just as Rui Shi needed it to be.

"Are we sure we can talk thoroughly down here?" asked Qiang, grimacing. Beside him, Taro coughed softly.

"We probably can… if we're quiet. Though I'll struggle with being quiet when everything here's so old and dusty…" said the ever-sickly Imperial Guard.

"We shouldn't be long… and we shouldn't be noisy either" Rui Shi said, nodding in their direction.

The whole group sat on the floor or on the available old cushions and couches that were deemed too unstylish, too unimpressive for royal use anymore. One day, Rui Shi supposed, they would be sold to some outlandish collector who would pay a fortune for anything the Fire Lord's ass had touched… a concept that tempted him to commit a few acts of vandalism upon it all, as unprofessional as that might be. After everything Ozai was putting Azula through, the Fire Lord deserved nothing less.

But this meeting wasn't about sharing and airing out his frustrations and resentments with his fellow guards:

"I've summoned all of you because… because, over the course of the next days, I intend to do something that many would likely consider unacceptable" Rui Shi started "I consider all of you my brothers, and I trust you deeply… thus, if any of you would rather not be involved in this operation, I will assume there's no ill-intent behind this decision and that you would never betray the rest of us to the Fire Lord for what we may do next. That being said, if you have any doubts, feel free to take your leave right now"

"Take our leave…?" repeated Han, blinking blankly "Why… and do what, exactly? Whatever happens from this day forward, none of us would be likely to get off easy, and we all know it. Right, guys?"

"Right" said Haoren, frowning as he reclined back on the stiff couch he had taken his seat on "The Fire Lord may not have reacted in full to the situation yet… but it won't be long before he does. Once he's done punishing the Princess and the gladiator, he'll start punishing everyone who should have known about their relationship and reported it to him, and the ten of us are at the very top of that list. If anyone here were truly stupid enough to try to protect himself by "playing it safe" and not opposing the Fire Lord, as well as breaking ranks with the rest of us, it'd be the most detrimental decision they could possibly make. The Fire Lord won't show us any mercy: our career as guards is as good as over now, if not our very lives"

Haoren, ever the cynical, dry-witted man, wasn't one to pull his punches and sugarcoat the truth. Troubled expressions turned towards Rui Shi next, as good as begging for a solution with which they might yet serve their Princess, if there were any. Their former captain breathed deeply, raising his head.

"Haoren isn't wrong" he said "We aren't on the spotlight at the moment merely because we're Imperial, rather than Royal Guards. Without that promotion… the likelihood is that no excuses would have sufficed to stay the Fire Lord's hand"

"The Princess… protected us by doing this, didn't she?" asked Shuren, quietly "That's why she wanted us promoted? Because…"

"Because the Fire Lord misunderstood the secret she hid, yes" Rui Shi confirmed: as much as he thought the others wouldn't be surprised by any of this information anymore, a few of them gasped regardless "After one close call, she decided to protect all of us, and I believe it's only right for us to return the favor. I mean, as it is…"

"She has protected us so many times, and we've failed her more than we have any right to" Fei Li said, frowning and tightening his fists as he stood by Haoren's couch "It's our very duty to her, isn't it? And at last we have a chance to do what's best for the Princess… whatever that entails for our lives, it doesn't matter as long as we can help her somehow"

"That being said… what, exactly, is our goal?" asked Taro, looking at Rui Shi warily "Are we planning on… on running away with her? It doesn't sound that bad, but it could be trouble, going forward. Being renegades sounds easier on paper than in reality…"

"I'm afraid that's only part of it" Rui Shi said, releasing a slow breath before admitting to the most difficult element in their upcoming mission: "We must save Sokka"

All the guards gazed at him in astonishment, but none spoke out against the notion. Perhaps it was merely because they were too shocked to process their leader's words, but Rui Shi hoped it meant they agreed with this objective within their plans…

"C-can we do that?" Taro asked, eyes bright even in the dimly lit basement "I'm all for it, you know I would be, but… can we?"

"Breaking him out of prison…?" Haoren said, stroking his chin "It'll take some work, that's for sure…"

"Do you have a plan on how to do this, Rui Shi?" Jianghuo asked, intrigued.

"T-then… you all agree with this?" Rui Shi asked, swallowing hard "All of you think…?"

"That he's worth saving? How's that even a question, at this point?" Fei Li said, hands on his hips "He's one of us, has been for ages. If there's any chance we can save him… then we'll do it. Right, guys?"

Many spoke in affirmation, the others nodded in agreement: a weight Rui Shi hadn't noticed he'd been carrying for hours vanished upon knowing the rest of his group still thought Sokka's life was worth saving.

"You do realize, then… that if we go forward with this, we'll become traitors to the Fire Lord in every possible sense?" Rui Shi asked "There will be nowhere to hide if this goes sideways… we'll all pay the ultimate price, as will those two, unless we're absolutely careful about how we do this. And even if we are… our resources will be limited, our movements as well. The General may get distracted often in the coming days, namely by the Fire Lord's behavior, but eventually he'll intend to turn his gaze on us… and we'd best put our plans into action before that happens"

"Then… how long do you think we'll have?" asked Wuhan, frowning heavily "A week? Days?"

"I… think we'd best be ready to set our plans in motion within two days, actually" Rui Shi said: the whole group gasped anew "We can't trust the Fire Lord will allow Sokka to live past that much time, even if the Princess manages to distract him with something else for the time being"

"Then… then we have no time to waste!" exclaimed Taro, rising to his feet as he stared at Rui Shi intensely "What do you need us to do, Rui Shi?"

The Imperial Guard breathed deeply: his plan was still far too raw, too weak, he suspected. It was better than nothing, he knew as much… but part of his strategy, at this point, was to rely on the rest of his allies to craft the best possible solution, within all the constraints that limited them right now. But this was the best thing they could do for their Princess: she needed them now, more than she ever had so far. Rui Shi was resolved to come through for her, and now he knew the rest of his fellow guards shared his determination and conviction: no cost would be too great to ensure both their charge and her gladiator would be rescued from the Fire Lord's clutches…

---

The situation in the Capital unsettled Zhao even further once his carriage finally wheeled into the city's crater: what appeared peaceful soon proved to be a forced sort of tranquility instead. Domestic Forces soldiers had been spread out across every street, as far as Zhao could see. He had considered dropping by the Dome briefly, just to check on the state of matters there… only to decide against it once he realized how many hurdles and roadblocks they'd have to sort through to get there. He'd do best to speak to Ozai directly, instead.

Yet even though he was Admiral Zhao, known, respected and feared, several officers appeared uncertain about whether or not he should be allowed through the Palace's gates. It took more than a few threats of repercussions for them to yield, and finally understand that regardless of matters of jurisdiction, they weren't the ones to determine which rules applied to an Admiral, of all things.

He stormed out of his carriage once he was finally allowed past the wall, glaring daggers at anyone who dared approach him… yet upon reaching Ozai's study, he found it empty.

These were, he knew, Ozai's usual work hours: where else would he be, if not here? Did he go deal with the likely protests over the Gladiator League personally? No, Ozai wouldn't be as stupid as to involve himself directly in anything of the sort. Where was he, if not here?

He resolved to ask the first servant he saw, and it happened to be a mature, stout woman who looked utterly terrified of so much as being in his presence. The woman was on edge, clearly, and Zhao frowned as he approached her.

"I know you might not have an answer, I'm not sure anyone does… but I must speak to the Fire Lord at once. He wasn't in his study, so…" Zhao declared: the woman tensed… and then shook her head warily "No? What, you won't tell me where he is?"

"The Fire Lord… he isn't in his study at the moment, Admiral" said the woman, with a shaky voice "Unless he has already left, he… is in the Agni Kai Arena. He demanded to be left alone"

Zhao's brow drew again… but this time, with confusion: not only had he shut down the Gladiator League, he had also visited the Agni Kai Arena? As far as he knew, the only reason why Ozai ever set foot in that place when he didn't have to straighten out arrogant brats like Zuko was to unwind his pent-up rage. But why would he be wrathful at all, when it was everyone else who should be furious over his actions?

Though… something had to motivate him to make such a controversial decision. While Zhao wouldn't believe faithfully in how sound Ozai's judgment might be, he couldn't have done this without a reason… the validity of the reason in question, of course, was up for debate. Surely it had something to do with why he was releasing his rage in the only safe way he seemed to know how… and Zhao wasn't sure he should ask Ozai directly about whatever had incensed him to this extent, if that was the case. He'd do best to figure it out through other means, if possible…

"Who else can I talk to, if not the Fire Lord?" Zhao asked "Surely the Princess is just as outraged by whatever's happened, too. Is she home, or…?"

The expression on the servant's face silenced Zhao immediately: it was as though so much as uttering Azula's title was absolutely forbidden all of sudden. His confusion over the latest events shaking the Capital, and now the Palace, only increased for it: he could tell that, somehow, everything was connected… and yet he didn't slow down to think of what that connection would be just yet.

"T-the Princess… yes, she is home, but… you cannot see her either" said the servant. Zhao scoffed.

"And why not?" he asked "Does everyone forget who I am these days, truly? Is she in her room, by any chance, or is she elsewhere? Perhaps she's with her father, and that's what I'm not allowed to interfere in?"

"N-no! She isn't in the Agni Kai Arena, she should be in her room, but… you shouldn't involve yourself, Admiral. For your own sake" the servant said, grimacing. Zhao scoffed.

"I think I'll be the one to determine what I should or shouldn't get involved with, not some servant" he said, careless about his arrogance: first those Domestic Forces soldiers, and now this? However insolent as he might sound, it seemed to him that everyone else had forgotten their place today.

He wasted no more time before starting on his way to the Princess's room: an unsettling feeling surged inside his gut as he approached it, and it only increased further when, upon arriving at the red-and-gold metal door, he found not only that it was streaked with a violent scorch mark, but also that a pair of Imperial Guards stood at either flank of the room's entrance.

"Admiral Zhao…" said one of the guards, bowing his head towards him "Our apologies, but no one is allowed to see the Princess at this time, if that is why you're here"

"Ah, is that so?" Zhao said, his voice lined with scorn and skepticism "Why, do ensure to say as much to the next person who stops by, for I'm sure those rules don't apply to me"

"T-they apply to everyone…"

"Imperial Guard or no, I far outrank you, fool" Zhao hissed "Out of my way"

"The Fire Lord commanded…"

"The Fire Lord should have made himself available to explain his utterly absurd decisions if he didn't want me to seek the next best person to answer them for me" Zhao declared "Go report to him that I've decided to ignore his orders, if you wish: I'm sure the Agni Kai Arena will be a most welcoming place right now"

The guards froze over the Admiral's threatening words: as much as they intended to stop him indeed, neither one seemed to muster the courage to block Zhao's way as he reached for the doorknob… to find the mechanism was broken. He frowned as he pushed the door inwards: so many alarming signs, all of them at the same time… all of them speaking loudly about whatever had happened in the Palace over the past hours, and all of them going ignored for now. The Gladiator League's dismantling was catastrophic enough as it was, he hardly needed more reasons to be distraught…

Yet as he entered the Princess's dark room, he knew whatever answers she might have for his questions would do nothing to appease him: Azula sat at the foot of her bed, head hung, shoulders squared as she lingered there quietly, her face mostly covered by her loose, disorderly hair. Even the high-end clothing she wore appeared crumpled, not worn with the usual dignity with which she had carried herself since her late childhood and early teenage years.

Zhao swallowed hard before closing the door behind himself: whatever was going on, the fact remained that the Princess was being kept under surveillance. He didn't doubt the guards outside would listen in on every word they exchanged, if they could get away with it.

"Princess…" he called for her: she raised her head slowly, and her eyes seemed to gleam coldly underneath her loose hair strands.

"Admiral" she replied, simply "From what I overheard, the guards wouldn't let you through?"

"The number of people who are forgetting themselves today in the Capital is staggering" Zhao said, shaking his head "So many fools pretending to tell me what I can or can't do… they tried to stop me from coming to the Palace, no less, even when I intended to have a word with Ozai. But he, apparently, is indisposed at the moment… so I hoped, perhaps, you'd be able to help me unravel whatever drove him to such madness"

"You… haven't been told yet?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow "Truly? He didn't…?"

"Told what?" Zhao said "If you mean that he decided to abolish the Gladiator League, why, that's exactly why I'm…"

"Abolish it…?" Azula repeated, her voice lowering until it was but a whisper. Zhao frowned "He… did he seriously do that?"

"That… is what the chairman told me. And that's why I've come here" Zhao said "But… you didn't know about this, Princess?"

"I think it's safe to say my father intends to share none of his decisions with me for the foreseeable future" Azula answered, curtly "Especially those he's taken in retaliation against me"

"Against you?" Zhao asked, stepping closer "You're not trying to tell me that he abolished the League because of…?"

Azula raised her head, eyeing him almost skeptically, at this point. Even so, there was a hint of pain… a sign of hurt so profound and overwhelming within her very soul that Zhao was taken aback.

Why would Azula be kept under heavy guard? Why would Ozai abolish the Gladiator League? Why would he be unleashing his likely fury in the Agni Kai Arena? Why would he keep everything quiet, to the point of not even contacting Zhao about whatever had transpired over the past days in the Capital? And why would Azula look so empty, so bitter and brokenhearted?

The answer was obvious, too obvious, especially when he himself had made that very discovery not even a month ago. Yet he hesitated. He gritted his teeth, eyeing her with uncertainty… but soon enough, with certainty and resignation instead.

"He found out about you two" he dared say, only feeling a surge of guilt and fear of uttering the words after he had spoken them. It was too late to take anything back, of course, or to think he should have been more tactful…

Though it didn't seem Azula was outraged by his words: why would she be, when there was no point to keeping the secret any longer? If anything, she eyed him with reluctance now, her fingers tightening around the bedding she sat on.

"That… that you would merely say it that way suggests you knew all along, didn't you?" Azula whispered, lowering her gaze "Or at least, before my father found out"

"I… had suspicions, for a long time" Zhao admitted, gritting his teeth "But I didn't think you'd act on it…"

"No one did, apparently. I don't know whether to feel insulted or not by that" Azula said, with a light scoff "Then… you didn't know for sure?"

"Oh, no. I did by now" Zhao said, lowering his gaze "I… intended to drop by while you were recovering, after I'd managed to calm down Ozai, on the evening after he returned from his vacation. I only got so far as pushing the door ajar when I noticed you two were alone together… saying rather compromising things to one another"

"Really…? Well, that's brilliant" Azula said, closing her eyes and shaking her head "Then you'd do best to stay away from my father for as long as you can. I don't think he'll take kindly to knowing that his best friend had any suspicions about the truth while he remained completely oblivious to it all…"

"To be perfectly honest, he couldn't have been completely oblivious" said Zhao, frowning "You two, if you don't mind me saying so, weren't all that successful at concealing your truth as of late"

"I don't mind it, though I… I don't understand why you found out, why you even had suspicions, and never shared them with my father" Azula said, eyeing Zhao with uncertainty "Don't take this to mean I'm ungrateful… that you didn't blab means we had at least a few more weeks of peace after you discovered the truth. But… why would you keep quiet, when it wouldn't be in your benefit in the least?"

"Wouldn't it?" Zhao asked, raising his eyebrows "Pardon me for being blunt, but if your father didn't unravel the truth on his own, and someone actually had the gall to tell him about it directly, that person was either truly brave or truly stupid. Are they still alive, at this point? Or is it Ozai found out on his own?"

"No… he didn't" said Azula, her voice gaining an edge of fury now "It was… it was my uncle. Right after we… right after we defeated them. A petty, vengeful move, seems like…"

"Your uncle? Would he truly be that stupid?" Zhao asked, astonished "It's not like he's in Ozai's good graces to begin with. Does he have a death wish?"

"He certainly does, for if I ever see him again I intend to make him choke on his own innards" Azula hissed, darkly "I have no idea where he is now, or what he's doing, nor do I know whatever bullshit excuse he'd choose to hide behind for why he gave us away… but if he had the guts to reveal the truth to my father, he should've had the guts to face the consequences for it. Something, however, tells me he lacked them for the latter side of things…"

"It wouldn't be the first time he avoids all responsibility when things turn sour" Zhao sighed, shaking his head "When did all this begin?"

"Last night" Azula whispered, lowering her gaze: she didn't want to so much as think about what had happened… as it was, she was tempted to set her own damn bed on fire just to purge her own soul from the sorrows that still plagued it "I suppose Iroh decided to wait, the bastard, until I was home so… so the damn purity examination might catch me unawares and I wouldn't be able to flee or fight it. Or my father was sly enough to give the order only when I was here, either way…"

"I… I'm sorry" Zhao said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingertips "Oh, curses, I can't believe he… I thought he wouldn't ever do this to you. You're his own daughter, damn it all, but…"

"He's the Fire Lord. He must set the example… mustn't he?" Azula recited, her voice muted, yet not enough for her underlying, skeptical sarcasm, to go ignored "If he spares his daughter from the consequences of such a serious crime, how would he ever expect anyone else to act upon it when the women within their households commit heinous mistakes of their own…?"

"Princess…" said Zhao, eyeing her compassionately… only for her eyes to answer his own with a sharp glare.

"You and him tend to have a very similar outlook on most matters" Azula said, her voice lower than it usually was "It strikes me as odd, if not out of place, that you appear to disagree with him in these regards. You said you were sorry… why, exactly? Don't you believe this is precisely what I deserve?"

"Wha-…? Why would I?" Zhao said, eyes wide.

"Why not?" Azula retorted "A woman's worth in high society tends to be closely linked with how pure and untainted she may be. Do you think otherwise now? If so… do forgive my skepticism, but I can't see why you'd see things this way"

"Contrary to what you may believe, Ozai and I have had many disagreements over time. If he truly thinks someone who has achieved as much for the Fire Nation as you have deserves this humiliation… then this is but another such disagreement" Zhao declared, frowning "You aren't any common highborn woman, Princess, you…"

"You see… that is where the problem lies" Azula said, with a sarcastic, dishonest smile "It shouldn't bloody matter whether I'm common, uncommon or extraordinary: my personal life should be mine to live, not anyone else's. That the honor and glory of a family, whether a royal or a noble one, rest on how untainted their women may be is utterly pathetic and ridiculous. It's not our deeds that define us, it's not our potential, it's not our beliefs, our actions… no, it's whether or not we ever got caught in a compromising position with the so-called wrong person. That's it. That's enough to end our whole lives, apparently… and I can't see how it makes any sense. Men of all levels of society can do what they wish, my own brother ran away with a slave of his own, and the knowledge of it didn't even interest my father in the least: why the hell does it matter if it's me? Why would it have any bearing on my ability to lead the Fire Nation, on my strength as a bender, on my role in this wretched family…? The truth is that it doesn't. It's an outdated, pointless, disgusting tradition to exert control upon us. That's all there is to it"

Zhao gritted his teeth but lowered his gaze. Azula breathed out before pushing herself up to her feet: it didn't escape Zhao that she lacked the confident stance she'd once had… her uncomfortable position no doubt was yet another consequence of the profound trauma she was certainly still suffering from.

"What… what has been of him? Do you know yet?" Zhao asked. Azula's eyes narrowed, no doubt at his deflection of the subject, before she turned away from him, pacing towards the window.

"He's… been sent to the Prison Tower" Azula said: her voice was strained merely upon speaking that sentence, and it seemed to take more strength out of her to speak it aloud than anything else she'd said so far "That's the last I knew. To… to await execution, once my father commands it"

"Curses…" Zhao said, a hand over his mouth as he shook his head "I… I loathe to say it, but I'm sure you already know there's bound to be no dissuading Ozai from this course of action"

"I'm aware" Azula said, curtly, leaning against the wall: a ray of sunlight filtered through the drapes, falling upon her pale figure. It offered her no new energy, no new strength with which to face whatever hurdles awaited ahead.

"I can try, perhaps, to smooth some things over once Ozai's outburst ends, but…" Zhao said… only for Azula to scoff at his words.

"Pardon me for not having more faith in you, Admiral… I'm afraid there is no end to this outburst, as you called it" Azula whispered "If you think he'll be done once… once Sokka is gone, you don't know my father as well as I thought you did. He'll intend to punish me for this through every possible means he can muster… this is just the starting point"

"I suppose, but… he did countless services to the Fire Nation as it is" Zhao said, grimacing "Whatever Ozai may think of your relationship, he can't overlook that…"

"Oh, just try him, if you truly believe that" Azula retorted, rolling her eyes "Now that I'm a traitor in his eyes, I can boldly say something that would likely get me executed too… might be a good idea to say it to my father's face, come to think of it"

"Don't joke about that…"

"My father is a lot more similar to Zuko than he ever would want to admit" Azula said, ignoring Zhao's horrorstruck expression "More than anything, in regards of how easily they're guided by their most destructive emotions until there's nothing left in their path. Zuko hasn't done anything quite as severe as what my father has, of course… but this is the same instinct that guided him when he sought nothing but the Fire Lord's approval. They both… follow their hearts, as they say. And only a fool would believe a heart can't be filled with rotting, festering, violent emotions waiting to ravage their host as soon as they have a chance. That is what's happening with my father now, as far as I can tell… and that's why no rational approach, no reasonable words, will sink in. I wish I could give you more credit than I have, Admiral… but I don't think you can find a way to convince my father to stay his hand, or to hold back, no matter how many honeyed words you may speak to him"

Zhao lowered his head, releasing a slow sigh. Of course she was right about everything… but he certainly had no intentions of accepting this powerlessness against Ozai's temper as their new normal.

"You're right, surely. But I intend to try, nonetheless" Zhao finally announced, gazing at Azula wistfully "As furious as he may be, perhaps there are some ways to deescalate the situation before he unravels any further…"

"I question that, yet again" Azula said, closing her eyes "He offered me a chance to deescalate it when we met earlier today, and I refused it"

"You… what? Why?!" Zhao exclaimed, eyes wide: Azula opened her own only to scowl sternly at him.

"He wanted me to claim he had raped me" Azula said, scathingly. Zhao froze in place, utterly dumbstruck "To play the helpless fool who had been taken advantage of, because he'd rather believe I'm a victim than accept I've wanted someone who wanted me right back. All be it so I could be married off to the first scumbag who would take me, and no doubt the line would have been quite long, in the current situation: he'd pawn me off to the highest bidder, and the bid wouldn't even be that high anymore, no matter if I'm a Princess… because oh, I'm defiled. How utterly unthinkable"

Azula shook her head, tugging the curtain towards herself: the beam of light was gone afterwards, leaving her in the shroud of darkness as she made her way back to the bed, still with a sickened expression across her face.

"Evidently, I had no intentions of giving him the satisfaction of humiliating myself for his benefit, and for the sake of a so-called lesser punishment" Azula continued "Most of all because doing that would have… accelerated matters with Sokka. And my father will be damned if he expects me to play along his delusions just to ease his mind…"

"So… you denied it?" Zhao asked.

"More than denied it: I told him the truth, outright, and that's the reason why he kicked me out of the Throne Room and stormed off to burn the Agni Kai Arena to the ground" Azula said, with a shrug. Zhao swallowed hard.

"It's certainly brave of you to face him so boldly, Princess, but perhaps you should have…"

"Been more careful? More delicate? Why?" Azula said, scowling with distaste "He can do whatever he wants to me. He can take away my title if he wishes, I won't fight it. He can lock me up for the rest of my life, he can even poison me with my next meal, for all I care. As long as I can… as long as I can keep Sokka alive another day, I don't care what happens to me"

"You can't mean that…" Zhao said, gritting his teeth "After everything you've done, all you've achieved, Princess…"

"If any of that mattered at all, my father wouldn't be doing this to me. Or to him" Azula hissed, glaring at Zhao again "If the Fire Nation's future was more important to him than however I've dishonored him with my actions, this wouldn't be happening at all. Hence… why should I care for it? Why should it be up to me to think of what's best for the nation, when he is the first one to disregard that notion over… over this?"

"It's exactly my point, though, and exactly how I may yet make him come around" Zhao said, releasing a slow breath "I know you think very little of me, of my ability to be of any service to you… so far, I can't even tell if I've ever been of help to you, whereas you've constantly given me a hand across the past years whenever I've needed one. I think you've never been in more dire need of help than you are right now… and whatever I can do to soften this blow, I shall"

"Soften the blow…?" Azula repeated, averting her gaze from Zhao "Well… I should commend you for not giving me false hope, at least"

"I think we both know how severe the situation is, Princess… especially when your father may not see reason easily" Zhao swallowed hard "That being said… I'd do best to try"

"Then I take it… you truly see no harm in what I've done?" Azula asked, her voice dryer than ever "You don't think Sokka should… should die for this? Or do you?"

"If it were up to me, and no one else… then no. I would never want that for him, or for you" Zhao said, eyeing her sympathetically "Which is a rather strange thing, isn't it? Back when I first heard of him, I was utterly mystified that you'd ever want a Water Tribe man at your side… and when I first met him I was less than impressed. That the two of you have changed my mind and heart to the point where… where I want to help you, while I know it's in my best interests to sit back and do nothing, speaks more than enough of how impactful you've been. If even an old man set on my ways such as myself could be changed by you both… there's no way I could think either of you deserve this"

His words landed in an awkward place in Azula's battered, constantly breaking heart. She gritted her teeth, averting her gaze from his as tears surged in her eyes. How odd, how utterly absurd, that she had set out to prove herself to many people, Zhao chief among them, only to discover, once she was well on her way to losing everything she had fought for, that she had finally earned the respect she had coveted. It was too late to do anything with the discovery, of course… for right now, the Fire Lord who held her destiny in his hands cared nothing for her achievements, for her growth, for her leadership potential. All he could see in her right now was a blemish across his so-called honor, which was nothing but frail, unstable pride that had steered his life in all the wrong directions, without his damn awareness.

In the end, the man she had counted on as her staunchest supporter had become her downfall. It was just as ironic, then, that the very man she had intended to defeat would now hope to mitigate her sorrows in whatever way possible.

"Be careful" Azula whispered, her eyes softening at last "He won't be lenient if you step out of line. And make sure… make sure not to ever reveal that you knew or suspected anything at all. Act like you have no idea what's going on, once you finally have a chance to see him, and then… do whatever you can, I suppose. I won't hold my breath, but… the only thing I can ask is that you keep him occupied for as long as you can. If that's a possibility for you, then… please do it. It might… it might give Sokka some more time, at least"

"Princess…" Zhao said, as she dabbed at her eyes quickly, unwilling to shed tears before him.

"Just go now, please. I… I'm no use like this. Just… just go" Azula said, shaking her head as she turned her back on Zhao once more.

The Admiral sighed, but he knew better than to push any further. He bowed curtly towards Azula, despite he knew she wouldn't see him, and he stepped towards the door.

"Stay as strong as you can, Princess" he said, a hand on the busted doorknob "I know it won't be easy… but now that it has come to this, all that's left for us to do is decide how we'll move forward"

She didn't answer, though he didn't wait to hear whatever she might have wanted to say as a response, either. Within another moment, he was out the door… and Azula was back to clutching her aching chest as she dropped on the floor, at the foot of her bed, shivering painfully.

She could keep her head level more easily than before. She could talk about this difficult situation, to a fault. She was no longer bedridden, let alone on a bed she scarcely wanted to touch ever again, even if she had slept on it for many years. The traumatic events of the previous night hadn't left her mind at all, but their consequences upon her soul would appear to recede…

Right until her mind cruelly reminded her that every minute that ticked by brought Sokka closer to his final breath.

She didn't doubt it: Ozai would want her to witness the execution personally. He'd want her to suffer through it, especially now that she had admitted their relationship was not only perfectly mutual and consensual, but one to which she had been completely committed, too. Once his fury smoothed over, no matter how long it might take, he'd begin plans for Sokka's execution… and every time that thought materialized inside her head, her very soul would seem to shatter, her chest so tight she couldn't even breathe. Tears would burst from her eyes in a wild torrent, and she could only break herself out of it by forcing herself to think, as hard as she could, of a solution. Of a way, any way, to rescue him, to break him out of prison, to escape with him and go as far away as possible…

Not for the first time in the past month, Azula found herself wishing they had succumbed to the temptations of staying in Shu Jing for good, all their ambitions and responsibilities forgotten. She had sworn, so long ago, that she wouldn't put aside her loyalty to her nation, to her people, for the man she loved, and he promised the same… only for Azula to find herself absolutely willing to break and discard that vow right now. She didn't care anymore if the world fell to pieces, if her father burned it all to cinders… for if Sokka was gone, she might as well die too. She had berated him for so long for being willing to discard his life readily… now, completely overtaken by the panic of losing his earnest words, his playful jests, his warm touch, his breathtaking smiles, his beautiful eyes, the strength of his arms and how firmly he could hold her up when everything was going downhill, she couldn't find any reason to live on. No, not without him, not if he was gone from this world…

She shook her head frantically, disregarding the pain of her muscles and shoulder – it hurt terribly after last night's events, but she did her best to ignore the unpleasant sensations that pulsated in her still-healing wounds. The imminent likelihood of losing him kept dawning on her, slamming into her, and only furthering her shock, her inability to process her reality…

But she knew that the longer she allowed this mindset to continue, the worse things would get. The more she surrendered to the despair, the easier it would be for Ozai to indeed pull through with his intentions to execute Sokka… for she would be so crippled by the circumstances, so overcome by her misery, that she wouldn't be able to fight back at all.

She had no trouble blaming herself for this situation, as it was: if she had fought back more effectively, if she had seized her sword, if she had escaped as soon as that menacing knock resounded in her room… but more than that, if she had controlled herself in the Arena, Iroh would have seen nothing worth reporting to Ozai. If she had only kept her stupid, impulsive behavior in check, no matter how overcome by excitement she had been, none of this would be happening now… though she didn't doubt that Iroh would have found a way to avenge himself and his gladiator through a petty, last-minute victory with which he would have meant to destroy any and all aspirations she might have held.

But if she didn't take action, she would break one recent, valuable vow she had intended to live by forevermore: Oma had lost Shu, and in her subsequent, vengeful wrath, changed their world by herself… and Azula and Sokka had sworn they'd never allow that to happen to the other.

She wouldn't be Oma, losing herself to her grief, nor would she allow Sokka to be Shu, becoming a sacrifice, however crucial he might be, in order to change the world. Right now, the damn world could fuck itself for all she cared: she had to save Sokka at all costs, no matter if she would have to clash a thousand times with her father to do so.

How to save him, though? She had certainly bought Sokka further time by sending Ozai into a blind rage directed at her: it was possible, despite she didn't want to indulge in any unfounded hopes, that he would be so cross with her that he wouldn't take action against Sokka immediately after he burned out all his fury. Even so, while he lingered in that wrathful state, she'd have a window of time to act… and do what, exactly? She couldn't expect to break into the Prison Tower without any consequence, let alone to break out Sokka successfully and run away with him. Not only would they be chased wherever they might go… but others would be left to pay the price of her actions, too. People she cared about, people she was grateful to… that they might have to pay for her mistakes was the very first thing she had never wanted, something she had intended to avoid at all costs.

Whatever she did next, she needed to make sure her father's fury focused on her, and no one but her, as best as possible. She would find a way to set Sokka free, and then…

A slow, unpleasant thought surged inside her mind at that. There was one way to make sure Sokka survived as long as possible, one way to prevent Ozai's rage from spilling out to affect countless others who were either blameless or didn't deserve to pay the price for her transgressions. Even then, it wasn't a certainty that it'd work, perhaps it wouldn't, but…

But it'd still mean saying goodbye to Sokka forever.

Her heart clenched at the thought, even if it was a different kind of goodbye. Tears surged in her eyes, as she knew this was a far better alternative than letting Ozai kill him, and even then… even then, she wasn't sure she'd be able to live with it, no matter if she knew she absolutely had to do so.

There was no happy ending. There was no outcome where she could possibly own up proudly to the consequences. Every single option that loomed ahead demanded sacrifices, many of which she wasn't ready to make… many of which she never would be ready for. Her situation was desperate, but no matter how she moved forward, as Zhao had put it, it seemed there was nothing but doom and misery in any horizon she might look to…

She shook her head again, trying to wrestle herself out of those dark thoughts anew… and then she heard a sudden, familiar sound of solid rock brushing against rock, lightly.

Azula raised her gaze, glancing about the room, uncertainty clenching her gut. Was she imagining things? With how dire her situation was, the least she needed was for her treacherous mind to grow even more treacherous yet…

Just when she was about to chalk it down to her panic and stress driving her mad, she caught sight of something moving under her rug. Azula gasped: was this the source of the sound… the secret entrance to the tunnels?

For one fleeting moment of true madness, she scrambled towards it eagerly, her heart racing, her soul pulsating with it: she had only seen one person to and from that tunnel across the last years.

Sokka… could he have escaped on his own? If so, the fool shouldn't have come to her, let alone now! He should have hidden away somewhere safe, he should have known better than…

Than to hope for impossible things, Azula thought, just as she hesitated before pulling the rug back. Could he have broken out at all? She wouldn't want to underestimate her secret husband, not for a second… but if he had been caught by Shaofeng and his favored goons, Sokka might not be in the best shape. Could he stage a successful escape from prison in those conditions? Could he find his way inside the tunnels on his own, without the ability to firebend, too? Could he have found anyone to help him break into the Palace in this manner…? Who would be willing to help him anyway? Anyone who wanted to do so would likely convince him not to do something quite as foolish as return to the very dragon's den where he'd be killed if he were caught within the building's premises – not that Azula had any intentions of allowing that to happen, under any circumstances.

Her mind warned her, on and on, not to hope, not to wish for the impossible, especially when it could be that dangerous if Sokka were here… her yearning heart, of course, nearly seemed to collapse upon itself over that notion, over the hope of seeing him once again. Her hand trembled as she pushed the rug aside, her eyes burning with tears as she waited for the trapdoor to open.

She gasped once it shifted, her head swirling, her stomach clenching…

The hand to push the trapdoor open was clad in a black glove.

She gritted her teeth and lowered her gaze once the familiar face wasn't the one she had longed to see right now. She knew it was a possibility, of course she did… but her heart seemed to be bleeding out, coming undone, with how desperately she longed to see Sokka again. She had barely allowed herself to reason with that necessity, to process it… now she realized the most overpowering of all her emotions at the moment was the longing to be by Sokka's side anew, even if it killed her.

"Princess…?" Fei Li whispered quietly, eyeing her with concern as she lowered her head, her face covered by the long tresses of her dark, disorderly hair.

"Fei… Fei Li?" she said, swallowing hard as she forced herself to glance at him again "Why…?"

"Sorry… we really need to talk with you again" he said, still keeping his voice as low as he could "C-could you… come with us?"

That he spoke in plural didn't even register with the Princess right away. She breathed deeply several times, steeling herself, trying to reclaim some semblance of calm and poise before following with Fei Li's request. He and his fellow guards had been in her room only a few hours ago, letting her know they were working on a plan of some sort to save Sokka… only upon recalling as much did she muster the courage to nod and slide closer to the trapdoor.

She raised a hand towards the trapdoor but pulled it back before glancing about herself with uncertainty. She'd need to pretend she was unavailable, in case someone came into her room as Zhao had earlier. And the best way to do so…

"Princess…?" Fei Li asked, puzzled as Azula rose to her feet, making her way quietly towards her personal bathroom.

She closed the door, breathing out quietly. At this point, she'd be likelier to have proper privacy if she was in there, right? Her door was busted, after all, so if anyone dared come inside and found the place empty, the locked bathroom door would suggest she was in there at the moment. It wasn't the strongest defense… but it was a necessary precaution, especially since a lack of caution was the very reason why she was in this predicament in the first place.

She made sure to roll the rug back into place as she descended into the tunnel: the puzzled Fei Li appeared relieved when she returned at last, and he helped her close the trapdoor perfectly after ensuring the rug would cover it properly. She climbed down the steps carefully, trying her best not to think of how many times Sokka had traversed these very secret corridors, on his way to see her, or on his way back home… everything, everywhere, reminded her of him. Her chest ached so badly she thought it would split open, but she did her best to ignore the pain as she turned towards the light source within the tunnel… a small ball of fire Rui Shi held in his hand.

"You're back" she said, eyeing Rui Shi and Fei Li with uncertainty. The two men nodded.

"It's only the two of us this time, Tai Wei has… a big task ahead of him" Rui Shi said, breathing deeply "We didn't think we'd have a chance to enter your room the normal way this time, and we don't want to risk being overheard by your father's guards either"

"Of course" Azula said, nodding.

"How did it go…? The meeting with the Fire Lord?" Fei Li asked, warily. Azula huffed.

"Rather well, I should hope" she said "From what I know… he's currently lost in his fury, releasing his outrage through his bending in the Agni Kai Arena. He demanded that I left when I… when I refused to play along with his pretense that I somehow was a victim in all this"

"You're a victim alright… of the Fire Lord's hubris, that is" Fei Li said, scowling "You were fine until he went mad"

"Actually true, but there's no chance we'll ever convince him to see things that way" Azula said, glancing at Rui Shi again "I take it you're both here for more than just an update? Did you… achieve anything?"

"We have a plan, yes… and we've already set it in motion" Rui Shi announced, and Azula's breath caught upon hearing those words "It's… not the greatest plan, we suspect. But we couldn't think of anything else, so…"

"What is it? Please, just… do you expect you can help him, Rui Shi…?" Azula asked.

"That's part of the plan, yes" Rui Shi said, swallowing hard "First of all… we are expecting to make our escape from the city on the Barge"

"You… what?" Azula said, her brow furrowing in utter confusion "Rui Shi, you can't sail that ship with three men…"

"No, but we can sail it with ten… albeit we'll certainly be spread thin, but we can" Rui Shi said. Azula's eyes widened "Your old Royal Guards are all in agreement: we'll gladly choose to be renegades to your father's regime if that's what it takes to help you and Sokka. Staying on the Fire Lord's good side is as good as impossible for us, for starters, and none of us would choose him over you anyway"

Azula gritted her teeth, shaking her head weakly.

"This is madness, Rui Shi. How the blazes do you expect to stock up the Barge and have it ready for sailing within… what, three days at best?"

"Two days, as a matter of fact" Rui Shi said. Azula gasped, eyeing him in utter disbelief "We plan on taking to sea tomorrow"

"H-how…? How, Rui Shi, I… I can't see how this would ever work" she said "We'll be chased, we'll be stopped at Azulon's Gates if we can even get out of the bay for starters. There's no way this plan would pay off…"

"Well, we intend to take down the barriers at the bay, if you were worried about that" Fei Li said, startling her "We'll preemptively head into the control room at the barrier's towers, disable the people on duty there, and open the barrier. If we lock up the sentries safely in each tower's basement, no one is likely to notice the barrier's open and they're missing until morning!"

"Until morning? Meaning… you intend to take off at night?" Azula asked Rui Shi, questioningly.

"We all know closing the Great Gates is uncommon unless there's a known threat in the horizon" Rui Shi said "If it comes to it, we'll disembark and take down the barrier by attacking the soldiers stationed there… but chances are we can slip through the gates at night if they receive no notice that there are any suspicious naval movements happening in the area"

"You said the navy is still messy after what happened last month, right?" asked Fei Li. Rui Shi nodded "So we may be able to slip away before anyone notices us… though, wherever we go, it'll probably be up to you to decide, Princess"

"We… we can't possibly expect the Barge to go undetected forever" Azula said, eyeing them warily. Rui Shi nodded again.

"We might have to change vessels eventually, but short of involving anyone else in this plan, which I'd rather we didn't do, I don't think we can take any other ships out of the Fire Nation other than your Barge, Princess" he said "We might be able to switch once we're far away… once we reach Earth Kingdom lands, I suspect"

Azula breathed out, nodding weakly. It sounded terribly dangerous… but admittedly, anything would be terribly dangerous. If they tried to steal or buy a smaller ship, it would certainly be slower and harder to defend than the Barge should they come across any dangers. If they stole an airship, which sounded easier said than done, seeing as they were not only difficult to manage but surely under heavy guard, they'd risk being taken down from the sky by the Air Force as well. Every possible alternative she could think of was even worse than the one Rui Shi was suggesting…

"Tai Wei still remembers everything about how to operate the Barge?" Azula asked, softly. Rui Shi nodded.

"He says he does. Your supposed whim by demanding he learned to drive every possible vehicle as his test has turned out to be a great asset"

"Then… I guess this is the best we can do" Azula mumbled, closing her eyes as she breathed deeply "But… that doesn't resolve everything, does it? How… h-how will we get him out? And how will he and I end up on the Barge? That is, if you planned on bringing me along…"

"You didn't honestly expect to stay here after all this, did you?" Rui Shi asked, puzzled "Yes, you'd be coming along as well, of course. As for Sokka… that's certainly the hardest part of the plan. But preparing the Barge will still take at least one full day, we're gathering everything we can so we may load everything overnight, while no one's the wiser…"

"Can you even afford to do that? Isn't the General keeping tabs on you?" Azula asked.

"Not right now. He seems to be pretty busy trying to keep up with the Fire Lord's wrath" Fei Li explained. Azula frowned "There's a lot of guards spread out through the Palace right now, too: basically, as long as he's unaware that we're up to anything, as long as no one tells him we've been sighted anywhere we shouldn't be, we should be okay"

"And no one will notice us, anyway" Rui Shi said, pointedly "We're operating carefully, Princess. Most of us will be in the barracks, we'll take turns to work on stocking up the ship… and we won't wear our uniforms or anything that makes us identifiable while we do that. It's quite fortunate that no one should recognize us without our uniforms"

"You probably are the one who should be in the barracks the most" Azula reasoned, eyeing Rui Shi carefully "The General…"

"Yes, he's certainly going to check on me, more than anyone else. He already has implied as much" Rui Shi admitted "But I'll keep him at bay somehow. At any rate, about Sokka… we decided someone needs to scout the Prison Tower, first of all. While we know the general layout of the place, we don't rightly know what the situation is, where he's being held, if we'll find the keys to his shackles and the cell he'll be kept in…"

"So I'll be heading to the Prison Tower tonight, in a regular soldier uniform" Fei Li declared "I'll scout the place, figure out everything we need to know so that, on the night of our grand escape, I'll be able to break him out. You said you've asked the Princess's dragon to be ready to help us, right?"

"I did" Rui Shi said, gazing at Azula with uncertainty "I know it's not quite right of me to request anything from your dragon, but…"

"You're not about to regret being improper now over giving him any orders, are you?" Azula asked, skeptically "I… I can't fully process what happened, but you broke him out of the refuge, didn't you? That's… that's what it feels like, at least"

"I did" Rui Shi confirmed.

"Xin Long will be ready to offer assistance in whatever manner is necessary and convenient" Azula assured him, and Rui Shi smiled before nodding in her direction.

"Very well, then. Ideally, Xin Long should assist us once the prison break occurs, he'll collect Sokka first… then we'd come here and help you get out of the Palace too, so he can fetch you wherever else he can. Now… truthfully, we don't know how many of us will be necessary to extract both you and Sokka, so perhaps we'll need to wait until after the Barge is safely past the Gates…"

"Two nights from now?" Azula asked. Rui Shi nodded.

"Can your dragon travel further than the Gates in a single night? We want the Barge out of the Fire Nation's inner waters to ensure we can escape as unopposed as possible, it's the only way it'll be safe enough…"

"How will you even know if they made it safely out of the Gates?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "You'll wait to hear news about the Barge being captured, and if there's nothing, you'll assume it worked?"

"Something like that, yes…" Rui Shi admitted.

"There's no way the Barge's absence would go unnoticed for a whole day" Azula reasoned "Not unless my father's so distracted with something else he ignores all reports about activities anywhere else. Granted, with how angry he is, that might still happen, but… it's possible the ship will get caught anyway"

"Well… we're ready to be a decoy as well" Rui Shi admitted, sadly. Azula's eyes widened.

"Did you just say…? You're not serious. Rui Shi…!" she gasped.

"If the Fire Lord will lose his mind to rage and wrath, he might as well direct it at us and give you and Sokka a chance to escape. If this plan fails, it can at least serve as a helpful smokescreen. It's obvious we're not getting a second chance to get away… so if it goes wrong, you can't waste any of the opportunities we might create for you" Rui Shi said, simply.

"You can't just… curses, all of you are mad" Azula said, shaking her head as she sat at the steps that led to her trapdoor "All of you, taking a risk this big for me, and the more you explain the more dangerous it all sounds…! If anything fails, and anything could, you'll just cast your lot completely with me and Sokka. And then none of us will make it out alive, Rui Shi. This is so reckless, it's…"

"Do you have a better plan?" Rui Shi asked, quietly "If you do… then please, tell us. I'll gladly choose anything else, because all I care about is avoiding as much damage as possible for all of us. You're much smarter than I am, so…"

"I… shit. I… I don't even know if I am, Rui Shi" Azula said, clawing at her hair, yanking it lightly at first, harder when no improvements, no new ideas, came to mind "Maybe I would have a better idea, if… if I could get my damn mind to work. I…. I've been beating myself up about what to do for hours and nothing works. Nothing comes to me, so… I have no right to say this is too big a risk when everything else I think of is even worse"

"Then… we should go forward with this?" Fei Li asked, grimacing "If you approve, Princess…"

"I… I don't know if I do or don't. But…" she said, swallowing hard and glancing at them with uncertainty "Can I… c-can I make one absolutely mad suggestion? Considering your plans are already dangerous enough, this could be a terrible idea and only make matters worse, but…"

"What is it?" Rui Shi asked. Azula swallowed hard.

"If… if Fei Li will go on a scouting mission to the Prison Tower, does he have a solid plan for how he'll get in there?" she asked. Rui Shi frowned, as Fei Li bit his lip.

"Well, I thought I'd just request to see some other prisoner, claim I'd like to interrogate anyone else being kept there" he said "We can forge an authorization for it, right, Rui Shi?"

"We could" Rui Shi nodded.

"Won't it… bring too much attention to you?" Azula asked "If you have to outright talk with the people in charge…"

"Well, yeah, Warden Poon would definitely find me suspicious, but if I ask the right questions I'll probably confirm where Sokka is anyway…" Fei Li said. Azula breathed deeply.

"If… if I remember correctly, the Prison Tower is mainly guarded by sentries that pace the walls outside the building" Azula said "As well as the Tower's own outer corridors. If you waited until the shift's change… you could slip through, in the middle of the night, through a door in the outer corridor, and go inside unnoticed as long as you're careful"

"Huh… I could even wear a Domestic Forces' uniform if I do that and pretend I'm assigned to serve in the Prison Tower, right?" Fei Li said, tapping his chin.

"How would he reach one of those corridors, though?" Rui Shi asked Azula, warily, as though he could already tell her answer wouldn't sit well with him.

"The best way… would be to fly in, undetected" Azula admitted, lowering her gaze "You said you hoped Xin Long could get us all the way to the Barge, once it's past the Gates. He can do that, yes… just as he can help with the scouting mission"

"W-wait… you want me to fly on your dragon and reach the…?" Fei Li asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, I do" Azula said, bluntly "It may give you better chances to succeed. And I'd be willing to let you fly alone if you must, I'm not… I'm not that stupid or selfish, I know this is for his sake and there's nothing I wouldn't do for that end, but…"

"But?" Fei Li repeated, puzzled.

Azula breathed deeply once, then twice… and she couldn't raise her gaze to meet Rui Shi's yet. She couldn't find the strength to utter the words… all in fear of hearing the answer she knew he'd give. The only answer that would be reasonable, responsible, logical… and yet her battered, weakened soul couldn't muster any good sense, not when she was like this…

"You want to go too… don't you?"

Fei Li gasped when Rui Shi spoke in Azula's place. She gritted her teeth, tightening her fists, unable to speak even now. She felt like a child, begging for something she had done nothing to deserve, but she selfishly wanted it anyways. The pain wouldn't mitigate in the least whether she went or not, and she'd actually put so much at risk if she left this room somehow… the group of guards and Fei Rou had stormed in at night, making their demands, forcing her to abide by the Fire Lord's orders, and she had no reason to trust they wouldn't do something like it again…

Even then, she was as good as willing to throw away her very existence for another chance to see him. One more chance, one more night, if that was all she could possibly have… she had to say she was sorry. She had to tell him she'd do anything in her power to help him, to save him… to let him know her father knew the full truth, and that she was done living in secrecy, hiding a love she had never been anything but proud of. Even if her body still felt wronged, splintered after last night, even if her soul seemed to wither and decay with each second spent in this new, unbearable reality… even then, she needed to be with him one more time. It hadn't been a whole day without him yet, but she missed him as though it had been an eternity instead.

All this was true… just as she knew she had to restrain herself: that lack of restraint was what had landed them in this catastrophe in the first place. If she let herself be swayed by irresponsible impulses, she might derail the entire operation to rescue Sokka rather than aid it… and that was the last thing she should do. So she should simply shut her damn mouth and not ask for what she had thought to ask, for what her damn weak heart couldn't help but long for…

"Just… please, just say I can't, Rui Shi" Azula finally managed to speak "Tell me I shouldn't, and I'll… I'll accept it. I'll stay put. I know… it's stupid, it's a big risk, it's madness and I'm the last person who should be doing something like this when it's my own fault that any of this is happening. We're doing everything so he can be saved, this whole plan, that's the point, so… as long as we succeed, I'll see him again, and yet I'm being this much of an idiot, aren't I…?"

"Princess…"

"Just say it, Rui Shi" she said, shaking her head, wishing her damn voice wouldn't crack "Please…"

She clenched up when his hand touched her shoulder, though she didn't push him away. Raising her gaze to glance at him took far more willpower than she thought she'd need to muster… only to find a most unbelievable answer from the man who gazed at her with downcast eyes.

"I understand that is, perhaps, what I should do. What you expect me to do. If anything was different, I… I'd likely say those very words to you right now" Rui Shi whispered "But while I may not understand all of what you're feeling… I can understand the very impulse you have to go to him when you have a chance to"

"B-but… this isn't a chance, is it?" Azula said, flinching as she attempted to contain her tears "I'm the one who's… who's trying to turn it into one, and I know it's wrong, Fei Li would likely do a better job without me, but…"

"Perhaps he could do fine without you, yes" Rui Shi said, biting his lip "But… there's a chance you could be of help too. If you can go to him… you can tell him of what we're trying to accomplish, and he'll be far more ready to go along with it this way, I suspect. Knowing you're still fighting for him… it'll likely mean the world to him. If his strength were faltering, which I don't know if it might, seeing you again will definitely change that for the better, so…"

"R-Rui Shi…?"

"It may do you good as well" he said, swallowing hard "I've been here long enough to know this is no whim… to know that you need this, just as I would if I were in your place. All I can ask is… that you're careful. Please… keep in mind why we've decided to do this. Saving him right away will certainly tempt you… but even if an opportunity arises, it will be too risky. We're not ready to take off yet…"

"I know… I know. Of course, Rui Shi" Azula said, nodding promptly as he dropped his hand from her shoulder to clasp her hand.

"It… it didn't cross my mind to ask you to do anything for this plan, truthfully" Rui Shi whispered "I wasn't sure you would feel up for it… not after everything you've already been through. But if you're willing to do this… we'll be here tonight, then"

"Through this tunnel, again?" Azula asked. Rui Shi nodded.

"We… we should have someone take your place in your room" Rui Shi reasoned, frowning "As it will be late at night… perhaps we can afford having someone come here to pretend to be you"

"Someone…?" Azula asked, puzzled.

"Another guard, I mean" Rui Shi said, grimacing "Until you come back, of course. Yes, it's not the best possible solution, but short of involving anyone else, finding a better doppelgänger for you than that won't be possible. I'm thinking Han would work for it…"

"He's the thinnest and shortest of us, I guess" Fei Li agreed "And he has black hair and fair skin, too…"

"He doesn't look a lot like the Princess beyond that, but it's not the worst idea to have him come here to substitute for her while she's gone" Rui Shi said, breathing out slowly "You'd have to lend him one of your robes, though, Princess, if that's not…"

"I'll do whatever I must" Azula said, gritting her teeth "I don't mind what it is. Though… he probably should take refuge in the bathroom and stay there while I'm gone. If anyone shows up and asks about me… he can pretend to be me and just say he feels sick. Wouldn't be a lie, I feel sick constantly right now…"

"It's still a risk, but it may work" Rui Shi said, nodding "Everything is a risk, anyway. If the two of you are compromised at any point during your mission, I suggest you break him out and leave as soon as you can, disregard the rest of the plan and make your escape at haste. There's very little chance they'll show us any mercy if we're caught conspiring against Fire Lord Ozai's express wishes"

"We won't be caught, though" Fei Li said, frowning with determination "We can do this, Rui Shi. Right, Princess?"

"Yes" she said, swallowing hard "I… I'm not too confident regarding anything at the moment, but… we won't let anything go sideways now. Not when it matters as much as it does"

Rui Shi nodded, squeezing Azula's hand gently. His free hand continued to stoke the fire he'd been carrying all along, and thus, allowing Azula to see as he glanced up at the closed trapdoor.

"You probably should get going" he said "I don't know if they're inspecting your room at regular intervals or so, but it may be for the best if they have no reason to suspect you're up to anything…"

"We'll come back later, for sure" Fei Li said "We can meet with the dragon outside the Palace, take the tunnels underground until we reach the lake, since no one lives directly nearby… we shouldn't be spotted there. I'll bring the full army uniform for you to wear, Princess, it'll be better for you to use that one since they'll likely recognize you if you wear a Domestic Forces uniform and your face is exposed… I can wear one of the Domestic Forces, though, no one would know what I look like underneath my helmet anyway"

"And we'll bring Han, too" Rui Shi said "Just be patient, Princess. Be patient… and stay strong. I know the road ahead is the steepest we've ever faced… but however slim it may be, there's still hope we may survive this and find safety elsewhere"

"I know… I know" Azula said, nodding as she blinked away the tears that surged in her eyes "And I owe that to you, Rui Shi. Thank you. I… I would've never asked anything like this from you…"

"I had to be willing to do it whether you asked it of me or not" Rui Shi said, with a sad smile "We remain yours to command, Princess, as we always have been"

Azula nodded as she stepped back carefully: it was Rui Shi who helped her open the trapdoor this time. They were as quiet as possible in doing so, and Azula slid under the rug she shoved aside as she climbed back to the alleged safety of her room. Rui Shi lingered underground, holding the open trapdoor in place for just one more moment.

"It's not over until we surrender" Rui Shi told her quietly. Azula swallowed hard "We will come back for you, no matter what. And we will protect you, come what may"

Azula nodded, unwilling to talk, unwilling to alert the guards outside her room that she was speaking with anyone. Rui Shi bowed his head as elegantly as possible before pulling the trapdoor closed successfully once more, and Azula reached for the rug, yanking it over the secret entrance into her room.

There was a plan, then. It wasn't as sturdy, as ironclad, as she would have liked it to be… but it was a plan, nonetheless. She had to abide by it, to trust in her men and their instincts, to believe in their skill and their loyalty, and hope that fortune, as cruel and unyielding as it had been for the past day, would take a turn to their favor.

She breathed out slowly and pushed herself up, approaching her window once again. The resolve she had been struggling to build finally had enough strength to push back against the fears that constantly ate away at her certainties. She wasn't sure how they'd pull it off just yet, and she wouldn't feel all that confident about their escape attempt unless tonight's dangerous incursion resulted in a resounding success… but even if it didn't, even if she couldn't find a way to break out Sokka easily by the time the Barge was safely past the Great Gates of Azulon, she would still see the man she loved most deeply once more. One more chance to hold him, to talk to him, to apologize for her mistakes, to give him whatever hopes she could muster, one more chance to hear his voice, and perhaps even discover a better solution, born from his clever mind… for, as she was, she couldn't think through this crisis in the least. He had always kept his head level in stressful situations whenever she had failed to do the same… so perhaps he could do so this time, too.

She cast a glance out into the Palace grounds: pale, orange light fell upon the world, muted by a likely thick layer of clouds that muffled the natural light's colors. It seemed fitting that the Fire Nation's brightness seemed faded as the sunset loomed closer, as a night of faint hope followed one of pain. She could no longer see her surroundings with the same eyes as she had merely a day prior, when the purest happiness had given them wings to soar together across the heavens, if they so dared. They had been shot down, in a painful and chaotic crash-landing… but she was still alive. She could still pick up the pieces, to a fault. It wasn't too late to fight for Sokka's safety and freedom…

As long as there was even a small shred of hope to hold onto, Azula would cling to it. Until they very last of the light was obliterated before her very eyes, she would fight against the spread of darkness that had nearly broken her. She would rise again, as many times as Sokka always had, to fight against enemies he had no chance to defeat without her… no matter if that enemy was her own father.

She pulled the curtain closed anew, eyes scanning her room cautiously. It would still be many hours before they came back, but she intended to be ready. The time for grieving what was lost would have to be left on hold for now: she had no intentions of losing more than she already had. That night would see them taking the very first step towards that objective: whatever the cost, she would fight to the ends of the world if that was what it took to save Sokka.