AVATAR'S DAY
DAY 23

Piandao blocked Sokka's attack above his head.

"You are getting sharper pupil." Piandao complimented him proudly, before his eyes analyzed his stance, "Nice footing. Your posture is firm. Good." the sword master had come to acknowledge that Sokka was a very talented fighter, a quick learner and an excellent student. In a matter of weeks he had been capable of being at the same level that other of his students that have studied with him for a longer time.

"Thanks master." Sokka welcomed the compliments, taking a step back.

"Your attacks are perfect. Now let try your defense," his master said before launching a sharp attack, which Sokka struggled a little bit to block, but in the end, he managed to do it. "Huh? Princess?" he glanced over Sokka's shoulder when he saw something moving.

Princess Azula was walking into the training grounds in silence, probably not wanting to interrupt their training. She had gotten bored in the Library, and after spending a while in the sanctuary with Ao, she had thought about going to see Sokka train, something she had never done it before.

She stood in her place for a moment, looking warily at the little confrontation between Master and Pupil. She couldn't help but bit her lip when she glanced at Sokka's bareback, and how his muscles were tensed. He was shirtless.

Gods, she wanted to dig her nails in his skin and scratches his back while kissing him.

She gulped.

"Nice try master, but it won't work again as a distraction," said Sokka holding firmly the grip of his sword blocking the blade of his master.

"What is a distraction?" Azula asked sitting next to Fat -Piandao's butler- who was brewing tea in the small table they had placed. Taking deep breaths to calm her heartbeat.

Her voice jolted him, and almost made him drop his sword, "Azula?" he looked over for a split of a second.

Piandao took advantage of his split of a second of distraction and tried to strike him again, "Be alert of your surroundings," he said, when Sokka's reflexes worked in his favor, "Excellent." a proud smile appeared in his mouth when the boy blocked him once more.

They crashed their swords a couple more times, walking in circles, and both trying to strike each other and trying to mess with each other footing. Piandao managed to strike more blows into his pupil, yet, Sokka did a good job messing with his master footing and making stumble backwards to the floor.

"Did you see that?" Sokka asked the Princess, who was thanking Fat for the cup of tea he had served her.

"What?" she replied, raising an eyebrow, fighting against the urge to look at his abs.

"I beat him," he stated proudly as he whipped his sweat with his arm. How the hell people managed to live in such a humid weather? He dropped his shoulders a little disappointed, "You seriously didn't see it? It was amazing!"

"Is not appropriate to brag of your first winning, Sokka." Piandao scolded him, taking a seat next to the Princess and blowing at the cup Fat had lent him.

Sokka pouted, "Master! She didn't need to know that." he whined.

"I'm sure, he let you win just to show off." Azula replied teasing him with a little smirk.

"What?!" he squealed, a little affronted, "Of course not. He didn't, right master?" he looked over to his sword master, who locked over his cup of tea.

"Right," he said.

Sokka smiled again proudly and headed to reach for his towel a few meters away to take off his sweat and to put back on his shirt.

Piandao leaned towards the Princess and whispered very low, "It wouldn't have been very appropriate to hurt his ego and embarrass him in front of the Princess, right?" he said and winked an eye to the Princess in complicity, "Letting him show off in front of his girlfriend, wouldn't hurt anyone, wouldn't it?"

They both chuckled.

"What are you two laughing about?" Sokka asked when he approached them again.

"A silly joke from Fat." lied Piandao waving a hand carelessly.

Sokka dropped himself between the Princess and his master, and as well accepted Fat's tea. "It's not that it bothers me, but... Why are you here?" he asked to the Princess. She had never been in one of her trainings.

She shrugged, "I was bored, and realized that even though I was involved in getting you a sword master, I have never seen you train." she said.

"Are you sure it wasn't because you wanted to see me shirtless?" he teased her mischievously.

Piandao and Fat choked on their teas, both coughed a little.

Azula frowned, sighing, "Could you be any more reckless?"

Sokka shrugged playfully, "I could try." he teased.

"Please, restrain yourself of doing so," Piandao intervened, "At least in my presence, pupil."

…

After a pleasant small talk with Piandao, Sokka took a bath and changed his clothes while Azula waited for him in his room. She had wondered again in it and found some of his blueprints, and she felt curious about them.

"And this one?" she asked him, with her head resting in his lap, while he caressed her hair. His soft touch was soft and heartwarming, it was so gentle that she could fall asleep any second if their conversation died off.

He looked at the drawing, "It's a vehicle that works with water bending and is available to go underwater." he explained.

"Underwater?" she glanced at him, amazed. He was full of surprises and brilliant ideas.

"Yeah," said Sokka, "Still… There is a problem I don't think I would be available to fix. After a certain amount of time, it would need to go back to the surface for air."

"But, that's just a minor problem," said Azula, "Sokka, don't you see?" she said sitting up.

"Of course I see it," he huffed, "But, what are you precisely talking about?" he inquired.

The Princess snickered, "I know I always call you idiot, but… you are a genius!" she told him with a smile. He blinked a few times.

"Did you just call me a genius?" he tilted his head, raising an eyebrow

"Yes! Just don't let it get to your head," she replied.

"Too late," he muttered, smirking cockily.

"I mean, air balloons, under the water vehicles?" she said looking through his other blueprints, "This is bloody brilliant!"

Sokka chuckled at her expression of excitement, "You really are an odd girl" he uttered.

"What? Why?" she inquired inquisitively.

"You get this excited looking at blueprints but not when someone gifts you flower?" he mocked.

"Is that flower a step into the future?" Azula raised an eyebrow.

He narrowed his eyes, "Nooo... I don't think so."

"Then, I rest my case," she said before returning to her original position, with her head resting on his lap, "Have you showed them to anyone?"

"There is a mechanist," he said caressing her hair again, "He is working right now with Toph's father on the development of the train system to connect the Earth Kingdom," he explained, "He is a weird, weird man but he said he could help me develop them. I'm supposed to meet him after the festivities to start working on them, so they can be ready for the inauguration ceremony."

"That's wonderful," she said, before glancing towards the window. She sighed, wishing to stay a little longer with Sokka caressing her hair, but she attempted to take him somewhere. A place she wanted to show him. She stood up again, "Come on, we have things to do." she said, stretching her hand towards him.

"We?" he raised an eyebrow confused, "I have nothing to do."

"Well, I have," she replied, "And you are coming with me. So, let's go," she told him before grabbing his hand.

"Going where?" he inquired, "The festival starts in a few hours."

"It's a surprise," said Azula with a mischievous smile.

…

"Are you finally going to tell me where are we going?" Sokka asked her breathing heavily with a hand on his chest, as they got to the top of the crater around the Capital.

"What? Tired already?" Azula mocked him, as he rested his hands on his knees, "I thought you had more stamina."

"I have plenty of stamina," he replied, stretching his back.

Ao roared as he flew over them. She had brought him, so her dragon could fly for a while and explore some of the grounds around the Capital. The little dragon hasn't left the Palace since he had been brought and she though wise to let him flew around to get familiar with the surroundings. "Even Ao, can notice you are lying." she mocked.

"I'm not," he said, still panting. He had a great condition, but the hill had been steeper than he had thought.

"Aren't you?" she smirked, "In that case, see that place down there?" she pointed at the opening of a cave, at the bottom of the crater.

Sokka nodded, "Yeah."

"That's where we are heading and I would appreciate, if we could reach there before dawn," she said looking at the sun which was about to set.

Couldn't they just appreciate the sunset from there? It was still a beautiful sight.

"Over there?" he raised his eyebrows, realizing how far it was their destination.

They still have to go down the hill and cross a few rocky formations that worked as a bridge through a small river.

"Yes. Are you better now?" the Princess asked with a grin of mockery, "Can we keep going or do you need more minutes?" she quirked an eyebrow, teasingly.

"I'm ready to go," Sokka replied taking deep breaths.

"Really?" Sokka nodded, "In that case," a smirked crossed thru her face, before she rushed down the hill, "Last one buys the dinner." Azula shouted back as she descended at full speed.

Sokka smiled amused, and a second later, he followed down the hill racing behind her.

She raced down as fast and as carefully as she could, trying not to slip on any of the small loose rocks. When she got to the bottom, she looked over her shoulder, and once she confirmed that Sokka was following her closely; she jumped from one rock to another to cross over the small river. Sokka followed her lead and did the same.

"Ready?" she asked him recovering her breath, when he landed next to her at the other side of the river.

"I'm always ready," he said before taking her hand and pulling her closer to him, before stamping his lips on her and giving him a soft kiss. "Gods, you just keep getting more and more beautiful," he muttered, lifting her face with a finger under her chin.

Azula chuckled, biting her lips, before saying, "You are an idiot." she replied, before dragging him to the inside of the cave.

Sokka entwined their fingers as they delve into the cave which to his surprise it wasn't truly a cave. It had a river and the ceiling stalactites hanging from it and there were also a few holes that allowed some light for the sun to illuminate the cave, giving the water a unique tone of blue. The water was so clear that he could easily see the bottom of the river.

It was a breathtaking view.

He couldn't believe the existence of such a beautiful landscape hidden in a cave. Something so beautiful shouldn't be hidden.

"Whoa…" he muttered astounded as his eyes wandered around, "This place is spectacular. I have never seen anything like this." he admitted, looking at the details of the place. In his many journeys he had seen nothing like it.

Azula smiled, pleased with his reaction. "Careful with the walls," she warned him, "There are some places where you can still see the magma from the volcano."

Sokka noticed a few small rivers of lava in the walls of the cave.

"Where does the river takes you?" he asked intrigued as he saw that the river keep going for meters and meters, deeper into the cave.

"If you follow this trail the river with lead you, one: back to the lake in the Capitol, and two: under the Palace. This river works as an escape route for the Royal Family in case of invasion," Azula explained. But when she realized that maybe she had revealed a lot of secret information, stopped her tracks and turned towards him. "But, that is classified information that you should probably not know," she said, "So, forget I said it." she pleads him back on track.

"Say what?" he raised an eyebrow, with a side smile.

"Good boy," the Princess smiled, lighting a flame in her free hand as it got darker and darker as they walked more and more into the cave, "During the many, many times I sneaked around in the Palace I found this place," she explained, before finally stopping. "Now shush, look at this." she shushed him, before turning her flames off.

"What now?" he muttered, as they were left in the total darkness.

"Look." she pointed ahead of them.

Sokka had to narrow his eyes and focus to where she was pointing, and then he saw them.

Hundreds of flickering lights floating in the air. It was an unbelievable view.

"Fireflies," he whispered as low as he could.

Next to him, Azula clapped, the sound echoed in the cave, and all the lights of the fireflies went off. A few seconds later, one by one started to glow again, filling the surrounding air with flickering lights.

Even though she couldn't see him clearly, she knew he was smiling in the dark, amazed.

A few fireflies landed on Sokka, and then more and more. Azula couldn't help to laugh when she noticed he was making grins, trying to get them off as gently as he could.

"It looks like… the skyline at night," said Sokka as they both were lying on the ground looking at the ceiling. Azula had her head rested on his arm and he was playing with a few strands of her hair, twisting them with his fingers.

"The first time I found this place I was around six," Azula uttered, "I stayed here for so long looking at the fireflies that I even fell asleep. At the same time, back in the Palace, everyone was looking around for me, and as they couldn't find me, my parents kind of… panicked a little. They put the entire Palace under lockdown."

Sokka snickered at her tale, he loved whenever she related a story from her childhood.

"A few servants came down here and found me sleep." she continued, "My mother was in the middle of an attack and my father was about to declare war -to gods know who, because he believed that someone had kidnapped me-, when the servants informed them they had found me in here. Safe and sound."

"You realize you almost caused a war, you little troublesome?" asked Sokka amused, pinching one of her cheeks lovingly.

"Yeap…" she admitted.

They stayed a moment in silence looking at the fireflies float around before Azula turned on herself and rested her chin on her hands on the ground, looking vividly at the boy next to her. By now their eyes had adjusted to the dark, and she could also see clearly his blue eyes shining in the dark looking back at her.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked when he noticed her eyes scrutinizing him very wary.

"Looking at you," she said with a soft smile in the lips, she was taking a moment to look at every feature of his face, trying to memorize every inch of it.

"Why? Do I have something on my face?" he asked rubbing his face to try to wipe it in case it had something on it.

"No," Azula muttered, "Just because…" she made a pause, "I want to memorize your horrendous face," she admitted.

She studied the way his eyebrow furrowed, how his lips curved whenever he smiled, his cheekbones, his long eyelashes around his eyes with that unique tone of blue that every time he glanced at her made her heart race.

"Am I that horrendous?" Sokka asked raising an eyebrow, as she caressed the edges of his face lovingly with her fingertips. He then closed his eyes to enjoy her touch.

"Yeah, the most horrendous face I have ever seen," she said wrinkling her nose a little, "Your eyebrows are hideous, your nose is just atrocious, your mouth only spouts nonsense, and your most horrible feature are those eyes, because sometimes I feel they can read me better than myself."

Sokka reached for her hand and brought her fingers to his lips and placed a few kisses on them.

Azula rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled next to him. He pulled her as close as he could. She surrounded his waist with an arm, and their breathings synchronized.

"Let's stay like this a while." he pleads, not wanting to move an inch ever again.

"Uh-huh…" she muttered as her eyes closed unwillingly.

A calm and peace surrounding them.

Right now, it was only them. Only them existed, and only them mattered.

…

"Sleepyhead." Sokka's soft voice woke her up after a while.

The Princess rubbed her eyes, trying to get used to the lack of light. She looked around, a little disoriented, but a moment later she remembered where she was.

She yawned, not remembering to be that tired to suddenly fall asleep.

"Sorry," Azula apologize, "I didn't notice I fell asleep."

"It's okay." he muttered, tugging on her bangs behind her head, "But it's getting late and we should head back."

Sokka smiled. He had seen her sleep for a while, and his heart couldn't help to ache for how pretty she looked even sleep. Just reminding her asleep made his heart race. He wanted to sleep and wake up next to her for the rest of his life.

They headed back to the exit, guide by one of Azula's flames.

When they got to the rock formations, Azula crossed first as Sokka looked back at the cave one last time. Sokka glanced at Azula's back. She was already on the other side, when he headed to follow her.

Azula jumped onto the last rock when her feet stumbled and made her fall hard to the ground.

"Azula!" Sokka squealed when he saw her fall to the ground, and rushed to her, "Are you okay?" he asked worried.

She winced a little, whipping her hands off.

"I'm fine…" she said and when she glanced at him, she laughed.

"W-What are you laughing at?" he asked, baffled and alarmed.

His heart was racing. He had panicked for a moment when he saw her fall.

"You face." said Azula, "You seem really worried. It was just a silly slip on." she said carelessly, not giving it importance.

His eyebrows were twitching and she could see the vein from his forehead and neck pop out.

"A silly slip on?!" he restored elated, "You are so reckless, and impulsive!" he scolded her fumed.

The Princess raised her eyebrows and her mouth widened, before huffing, "A-Are you scolding me?" she inquired.

"Yes, yes, I am," Sokka uttered, crossing his arms. The muscles of his arms were tense. "Why? Huh? You could have injured yourself! You need to be more careful and watch where you are going." he snarled.

Azula rolled her eyes, "I said I'm fine." she said between teeth pouting. He was making a fuss for nothing. "Why are you the one whining when I'm the one that felt, huh? Just shut up and help me stand," she grunted, extending a hand towards him.

Sokka huffed and rolled his eyes before helping her stand.

"Ouch…" she pretended to complain.

"What? What? Are you injured?" Sokka asked very concerned, scanning her quickly. "Where does it hurt? Did you break something?"

…

"You are heavy," Sokka commented once they had entered the streets of the Capitol.

Their way back had taken them to double the time, as he had to piggyback ride Azula all the way back, as she had complained about her ankle. He assumed that she might have twisted on the fall, so he had offered to carry her back to the Palace to make sure she didn't support her weight on her feet, causing possibly more damage to her ankle.

She raised an eyebrow, "Huh? Are you complaining? You are the one who got the idea of this," she restored over his shoulder, tightening her arms around him. "I told you I could walk." she reminded him. He had been the one to insist, after all.

Azula had only been pretending just to make him stop scolding her. Her ankle was fine, probably just a bruise but nothing to panic about. Yet, Sokka had been really stubborn about not letting her walk back, until someone checked her ankle.

"And risking you to get even more injured?" he glanced towards her, "Nah… Still, you are heavy. What did you eat woman, huh?" he teased her at the same time he arranged her to hold her better in his back. He just wanted to annoy her.

Truth was, she wasn't heavy at all. For him, she was just perfect in weight and size, she fitted perfectly with him in every sense.

"The same as you, oaf," Azula grunted, "And I'm not heavy you are just a weakling," she said pouting, resting her head on his shoulder, as he walked through the streets that seemed empty at that moment.

"I'm not. Do I need to remind you of the muscles you like to stare at?" Sokka replied, smirking.

"Well, if you are complaining like this, I'm going to start believing there are only to show off," she said quizzically.

"There are not! These are the muscles of a warrior, and a manly man," he uttered, frowning.

Azula snickered a little and rolled her eyes, "Alright, manly man…"

They remained in silence for a few seconds, "You know, I have always wanted to ask you… What is it with the hairstyle, huh?" she asked him.

"Do you remember when I told you about my grandfather?" he inquired, Azula nodded, "He used to wear it like this. And when he died, I asked my father to help me style it like him. Like a way to remember him." he explained.

"Ohh…" she muttered, "You know, my brother used to wear it also in a ponytail when he was younger."

Sokka looked at her affronted, like if she had just insulted him in the worst way possible, "It's not a ponytail! It's a wolf warrior tail!" he replied bitterly, clarifying the difference.

"Huh?" the Princess raised an eyebrow, when she notices his tone, "Did I hurt your feelings? Huh? Did I?" she mocked at his reaction, chuckling a little bit. "Did I?"

"I'm going to get you off." he threatened her.

"I don't want to," she uttered tightening her grip around him.

"Huh?" Sokka smirked pleased, "Enjoying the piggyback ride?" he asked her. He was also enjoying it.

"Maybe…" she shrugged, "I like to be carried," she replied.

"Seriously?" he glanced at her.

"Yeah, and I would get to do this…" said Azula before placing a kiss in his cheek, and then one in his neck behind his head, which made him shiver.

Sokka smiled a little goofy, "That's a great way of payment for carrying you."

"Tsk!" she snickered again, huffing a little bit, "Firstly, it was your idea," she made a pause, "But if you think I'm heavy, maybe I should just walk." she did the gesture of getting off.

"No…" Sokka quickly answered, tightening his grip, "Who said you were heavy? You are light as a feather." he said, "You need to eat more, woman."

"More?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"But then, wouldn't I turn too heavy for you to carry me?" Azula inquired.

"Never." said Sokka, shaking his head in denial, "I will train harder to carry you then, but..." he made a pause.

"But what?" she glanced at him, frowning.

"You would still need to pay me somehow," he said after pretending to ponder.

"You liked my payment way too much, didn't you?" she said teasingly.

"Yeah…" he admitted. He would carry her forever if it meant being close to her.

Azula smiled, kisses him again in the neck before noticing a little mole in the back of his neck, "Huh? You have a little mole here." she said, it was the first time she noticed it.

"Really?" he inquired. He wasn't aware of having one there.

"Yeah," she muttered, before leaning her head in his shoulder lazily, "Did you know that there is a legend that said that, `all your moles and beauty marks are the places where you liked and were most kissed in your past life´?" said Azula recalling an old tale her mother used to tell her and Zuko when they were really young.

"Really?" he glanced at her, quirking an eyebrow, "I didn't know."

"It's an old legend." she shrugged.

Sokka smirked mischievously, "Well, next time I would use yours as a guide to know where to kiss you," he said teasingly, "Like, your collarbone, or your neck…" he said recalling the places where he reminded to have seen some of them in Azula's body.

Azula smiled, biting her lower lip. "I really like those places," she admitted, remembering how he kissed her last time and how much she had enjoyed it, and wished to repeat it, even though she knew they shouldn't.

"What is going on there?" asked Sokka, when he saw a huge line of people and a really crowded outside of a restaurant, as they were getting closer to the Palace.

"It's the most popular restaurant on the Capital," she informed him, as she acknowledged the name of the restaurant, "They make an amazing fire barbecue and noodles." said the Princess "Also, their dessert it's amazing." Just remembering their delicious dishes made her hungry.

"Really?" his mouth watered of only picturing the taste of the food.

"Yeah," Azula affirmed, "The owner is friends with my uncle and sometimes she cooks for us in the Palace for special occasions," she explained, "Also, I came here once when Lu Ten and I sneaked out at night to go to a festival undercover," she confessed, that time had been the only one for her to have eaten outside of the Palace, previous to the Unification.

"Oh... We should come to eat here," Sokka proposed stopping his tracks to study the place.

Inside the place it was crowded at the maximum capacity. He could see the workers running around serving tons of food to the diners.

For him, a restaurant having so many clients and people willing to make a line for hours just to have dinner, it was a firmly clear affirmation that the food was delicious.

"Yeah, we should." the Princess muttered in agreement.

"Then, it's a promise, we are going to come eat here." he reiterated.

"It's a promise."

"Now, tell me about that time you and Lu Ten sneaked out," said Sokka as he started to walk again.

Azula noticed that he was walking even slower than previously, and he had been already walking really slow.

"It's a long story," she replied.

"I don't care. I can walk slow." he said, "But I'm going to need more payment from you." He leaned his cheek towards her.

"Don't get greedy."

LANTERN'S DAY
DAY 24

After returning to the Palace late the night before, he had taken Azula to the infirmary to have her ankle checked. He has assumed something worse than what it actually had been; he had overreacted. Her ankle wasn't sprained or injured, she only had a bad bruise due to the falling. She even admitted to have pretended most of it.

Sokka had looked around for the Princess in the common places where he knew she could be, but he didn't find her in any of them. It was until he asked around to a few servants when he found out of her whereabouts.

The studio.

And in the studio was where he found her, but she wasn't alone. She was in the company of her cousin Lu Ten and her Zuko.

The Prince and the Princess were seated on the floor with their legs crossed, facing each other, while Lu Ten was in a chair with a book in his hands.

Sokka walked in just in time to see how Azula defeated Zuko in a small game of Water, Earth, Fire, Air.

She smiled victoriously.

"Who destroyed Ba Sing Se Navy centuries ago?" Lu Ten asked reading from the book.

"A pirate fleet led by a southern water bender." answered quickly the Princess, remembering having studied that back in the Academy.

"Which name was…?" her cousin quirked an eyebrow.

"Tagaka," she said firmly.

"Correct." Azula smiled haughtily when Lu Ten gave her a thumbs up and Zuko groaned in frustration. He rubbed his already red forehead.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked inquisitively when he entered the studio.

"Playing," answered Zuko, closing hardly his eyes.

Sokka rolled his eyes, I know that Captain obvious.

"Playing what?" he inquired muddled, he had seen them first play the elements and then quizzes?

"Isn't it obvious?" Azula said glancing at him for a moment, before returning her attention to her sibling, "Flicking. But in our way." she explained before smiling mischievously and giving to the Prince one hell of a flicking in the forehead.

They played the elements first, and whoever won had the right to answer the question, and if it got it wrong, the other one won the right to answered and flick the other one if answered correctly.

Zuko winced in pain, massaging his sore forehead.

"Yeah, I can see that, but why?"

The Princess and the Prince shrugged, "We used to play it all the time when we were kids, and we were studying." Zuko explained, "It was like a friendly competition between us."

"You two were pretty competitive back then, weren't you?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Back then?" Lu Ten spoke, "Since I can remember these two have been having this `unspoken rivalry´." he made air quotes.

"That's not true," said Zuko affronted.

"It's not unspoken," Azula clarified, "We are very aware of it."

"Exactly."

"So, who's winning?" Sokka asked when he sat on one of the couches.

"Pfff… Me, obviously." said the Princess like if it was the most evident thing in the world with her usual imperious tone, "Next question." she looked over to her cousin.

"But it's the last round, okay?" Zuko said, "I don't think my forehead can't hold it anymore." he said whining. His forehead was starting to sting a little, not to mention that it was already really red.

Azula rolled her eyes with annoyance, "Fine. Party Popper." she pouted, "I would let you have the last one then."

"This one is an easy one Zuko. You probably know this one," said Lu Ten after looking through some pages of the book in his lap, "Before the Kyoshi Island adopted that name, what was the name of it?"

"What?" Zuko squealed making a grin, "How the hell am I supposed to know that?" he complained elated.

"Isn't your girlfriend like from there?" his sibling made a grin.

"Yeah, so?"

"So? Tsk!" Azula rubbed her temple, "We spent years studying universal history, don't you remember a simple thing like that? If I was her I would broke up with you for not knowing a thing like that." she snarled.

"Fine!" Zuko frowned while narrowing his eyes, trying to make a memory. "Fine. Give me a minute." he pleads rubbing his temple, "Was it Soroya? Koyoya?" he said not being available to remember the exact name, even though now, he remembered studying it during a lesson.

"Yokoya," Azula muttered between teeth peeved, looking with disapproval to her older brother.

The Prince snapped his fingers, "Ahh… That's right."

"You studied universal history?" Sokka inquired, amazed by that.

"We had an excellent education," said Azula cavalier, before looking at her brother, "Well, some of us."

...

"How is your ankle?" Sokka asked her as they strolled through the streets of the Capitol, late at night.

"A little bruised," she said, "But it doesn't hurt at all," she assured him, "I told you that you were overreacting."

Sokka huffed, "Next time you get hurt, I'm not going to help you." he said between teeth, pouting.

The Princess snickered at his childish reaction, "Ouch…" she whined, stumbling.

"What? What? Are you okay?" Sokka inquired, alarmed, holding her, "Are you okay? What is it? Is your ankle again? Do you need to rest?"

Azula straightened herself with her hands on her hips and a pleased smirk full of arrogance, "You said what?" she uttered a little cocky.

"Tsk! You evil little thing," muttered Sokka before surrounding her by the shoulders, "You are mean with me," he said before placing a kiss on the top of her head, "But, Gods! I can't stay mad at this beautiful face."

"Am I that pretty?" she asked.

Sokka nodded, "The prettiest girl on the planet." he affirmed.

"Thank you for confirming something I already knew." she said with a smile, "I just wanted you to say it."

"You love... when people praise you, don't you?"

"Is that bad?" she raised an eyebrow.

Sokka snickered, shaking his head, before placing a kiss on her cheek.

They walked for a few streets, Sokka insisted in holding hands, and she noticed that from time to time, he kept looking at their entwined hands, or well, more precisely to their wrists were their matching bracelets were hanging. Every time he looked at them a silly smile appeared on his face before taking her hand to his lips and placing a kiss on it, and her heart raced when she looked at him smiling.

Azula couldn't be luckier to have him. Sokka was someone that had barged into her life forever. His essence was going to stay with her forever, even if he wasn't.

"What do you want to do?" Sokka asked her after a while of looking around, taking her out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine doing nothing. I just want to be with you," she said, smiling softly. In fact, she only wanted to be around him. It didn't matter if they were doing something or not, and she just enjoyed his company.

Sokka smiled lovingly at her, but then quirked an eyebrow, "Who are you and what have you done with my Princess?"

Azula rolled her eyes, amused, "I believe I told you that I'm not your Princess. You are mine." she said before tiptoeing and pulling him down from the shirt to kiss him.

It is a calm, soft kiss, but it's available to transmit a hundred of things at the same time. Their love, the longing they feel for each other whenever they are not around. And when he bites her lower lip, their lust.

One of his hands slides to her waist to bring her closer, and the other one caress her face lovingly, she closes her eyes to let his touch drown her. Every place he touches her skin, he leaves a pleasant sensation of burning.

"I love the sound of that," he muttered when they split apart and leans his forehead on hers.

"Of course you do," she affirmed with a smile.

"Come on, let's get some fire flakes," said Sokka surrounding her by the shoulders and kissing her temple.

He played with her bangs and caressed her face as they headed to the stall.

Once they got their snacks, they walked for a few more moments.

"Give some," he asked her, and when she lends him the bag he shook his head and opened his mouth. "Ahh..."

She smiled mischievously and shoved a bunch of fire flakes in his mouth.

Sokka blinked a few times, "I admitted, I deserved it." he said with his mouth full, "What is happening?" he quirked an eyebrow after he saw a crowd of people gathered around something.

"Come to play the lanterns quest, the prize is 2000 yens!" shouted an old man with funny bears and skinny physique.

In the stall there were dozens of different lanterns with different shapes, from a hippo-cow, dragons till flying bisons.

A boy stepped forward, and after reading a riddle he could not guess right, the old men shouted again, "Does anyone else what to try to guess the riddle? It's not hard I assure you!" he uttered looking around the crowd for another participant. "Anyone?"

"Wanna play?" Sokka asked her as they saw the man looking through the crowd.

"No." Azula denied.

"Come on. Must be fun." he insisted.

"Who wants to play?" inquired again the owner of the stand.

"I will," said Sokka, raising a hand and stepping forward.

The Princess eyes and mouth widened. "Sokka, what are you...?" she grunted in a low voice.

A huge smile appeared in the man's face, "Oh, this young man, who is joined by…" he shouted, before looking at Sokka's companion and his mouth opened dumbstruck before vowing, "T-The Princess itself," he made a pause vowing, respectively. The crowd did the same. "I bet you want to impress her Royal Highness, huh?" he elbowed Sokka.

Sokka blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "N-No, I was just…"

"Come on, don't be shy." said the man bragging him to the front of the crowd, "Chose one," said offering three different scrolls.

Sokka took the one in the middle, and after unfolding it he read out loud. "Two sisters are born. The second one born when the first one dies, and the first one born when the second one dies. Who are they?" he knew the riddle. It was an easy one. A cocky smile appeared on his face as he glanced over to Azula, "Day and night."

The man opened his mouth, surprised at how quickly he had solved it, and the crowd clapped, "Very well," he complimented Sokka, "What do you say? Another shot for double the price?"

He shrugged accepting it, "Alright," he took the scroll at the left end, and just like previously he read it out loud. "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?" he frowned and placed a hand under his chin. This one was a little harder.

He repeated the parts of the riddle in his mind a few times.

The crowd started to think about possible solutions.

"The Echo" said Azula over the murmurs of the crowd.

All eyes turned towards her, before the men clapped amazed, followed by the crowd.

"Amazing! What a remarkable young lady is our Princess, so smart and beautiful. Your intelligence, it's out of this world. It didn't even take her ten seconds to know the answer. It's correct! No one tonight has been available to resolve this ride correctly!" he said with a smile of amazement.

"Echo" Sokka whispered, of course, it had been obvious. "Why didn't I think of that?"

The Princess shrugged next to him, "Child's game."

After claiming their prize -including a lantern in the shape of a dragon that the owner wanted to gift them-, they keep walking a little more.

"Winter or Summer?" Azula asked him, eating the last of their fire flakes.

Sokka placed a hand under his chin, "That's a hard one. Both have their goods and bad. In winter you can just lay on more clothes to keep you warm, but sometimes it gets a little hard to move on them. But in summer, it is warm, yet sometimes the heat turns unbearable." he pondered, "I would have to choose summer."

"Really?" she raised her eyebrows. She had thought he was going to choose winter.

"Yeah, because in summer I could watch you in your swimsuit," he said blatantly.

Azula smirked, shaking her head. "Would you like that, you perv?"

Sokka shrugged, "I'm a man of simple pleasures," he excused, "Your turn. Mochi or... me?" he raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Mochi," she replied firmly in a heartbeat.

"W-What?!" Sokka squealed, affronted. His eyebrows twitching. "Would you really choose mochi over me?" he placed his hands on his wrist waiting for her answer.

"Yeah," she admitted, "Fool of you to assume that I wouldn't."

"I'm hurt, you know? Offended." he snorted, sulking.

The Princess rolled her eyes, "Oh please, would you give up eating meat for your entire life if I asked you to?" she inquired, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.

"I wil… Did you said my entire life?" he uttered.

"See? I rest my case," said Azula dropping her arms at her sides, "Also, I have met couples that with time they start to fight and eventually they end up hating each other, but have you meet someone who has never been hungry?"

Sokka lifted a finger to reply but lowered when he noticed she was right. "I guess you are right" he admitted, "And honestly I would also probably choose meat over you."

"In a heartbeat. And I'm not offended about it." she replied, "In fact, I'm thankful because otherwise I would start questioning your judgment and life choices."

"My life choices are fine!" he said entwined their fingers, "You been the best one." he placed a kiss on her palm.

"Ugr…" Azula made a grin of disgust.

"Too cheesy?" he asked raising an eyebrow a little amused at her grins.

"Yep…" she pressed her lips together.

"Awesome" he mocked surrounding her by the shoulders and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Tsk!"

"Careful," Sokka said when they had been too distracted to notice that they were about to crash with a crowd of people. "What is going here?"

Azula tiptoed and stretched her neck. "I think it is the fortune teller."

"Fortune teller?" he said inquisitively.

"Yeah, you know one of those people that claim they can see your future and all that," she said moving a hand carelessly. She thought of fortune-telling nothing else than a scam from the naïve.

"I know what a fortune teller is," Sokka replied bitterly pouting.

She raised her hands defensibly. "Do you want to try it?"

Sokka shook his head in denial, "Nah, that is just a scam for the naïve."

The Princess smiled at him, "Gods, just for that I like you more." she said gladly, that he also found fortune telling a fraud.

"Plus, why would I want someone to tell me my fortune when I can do it myself?"

"Oh, so now you can see the future or something?" she inquired unbelieving, with one hand on her waist.

"Yeah," Sokka uttered, "Give me your hand," he asked.

Azula raised an eyebrow skeptically, but she did as he told him to and offered her hand, which he held with the palms facing up. "What? Palms reading?"

"Shush...I need silence woman," he said looking at the line of her palms.

"So, you don't believe in fortune-telling, but you do in palms reading?" she uttered scowling.

"Yeap, it's right here," said Sokka, ignoring her question and pretending to know how to read the lines in her palms

She smirked, amused that he actually believed in something so ridiculous. "Please, pray tell, what do you see in my future?" she said with mockery.

"Easy," he said looking her at the eyes. "Me."

A/N:

Avatar Day: Same as canon, but they praise the avatar.

Lantern Day: People make lanterns on shapes of everything possible just for fun, lightening the streets. Inspired in the Pingxi Lantern Festival from Taiwan.

The moles things is a legend I read, I don't remember where but it's true.

The facts when they are playing flicking are 100% canon. They are from the book Rise of Kyoshi (I believe it's called)

Yesterday I uploaded another story called Clan Wars.

From this chapter till the last, everything starts going downhill for our MC. Bear with me on our last chapters, and thank you to all those that have followed this story.