Chapter 24: Color Me in Controversy

Seeing Kuunnguaq again moved the Revivalists to the point of tears and sent goosebumps trailing across their skin. Joy and relief overflowed within them at the sight of their leader, who stood amid the ripping winds like a goddess in black, her arms tucking Uki against her. Sayen and Kanguq nearly collapsed in their relief, rushing to take their daughter into their arms, and the other Revivalists darted forward to greet Kuunnguaq. It seemed like forever since they had last seen her, and they thought it was extremely timely that she had appeared before them with Uki, but by then, Lady insisted that she had to go, leaving them with a promise that she would be back very soon.

And from there, she trudged through the snow, hiding her mask and pulling up her veil as she snuck out of the inner ring. Wanting to process what happened, she hurried towards the Moon Temple, and waiting on the steps of the temple was Sokka, his mask tucked away in his robes, his eyes meeting hers.

They sought shelter inside the temple, sitting in front of the altar and basking in the warmth near the candles and the soft fragrance from the incense. For the most part, there was nothing to look forward to but silence. He shuffled his feet in apprehension, struggling to start a conversation and simultaneously unsure if he should start one. Yue hadn't asked him anything yet, and he wondered how she would be feeling towards him. Yes, she helped him out, but was that out of understanding or the need to keep him away from these issues? Was it because she felt bad for him? Was it an act of compassion (because the universe knew she had plenty of that). Was it a result of their quick friendship? Was it unspoken cooperation? And even with all of these queries, he knew that this wasn't time to talk them out considering how exhausted she seemed even without showing her face.

"I thought you went back to the estate."

He shook his head. "I wanted to know if your goddess is still smiling down on me."

"I didn't know you cared about my goddess's opinion so much," she teased.

"Of course I do," he met her gaze.

Smiling, "Well why wouldn't she?"

He responded with a shrug. Nothing more, nothing less. His expression was unreadable, too, for the most part. "The goddess I'm familiar with is a pacifist, so..."

She couldn't help the spark that lit up her eyes.

"You hadn't said anything about that yet," he said. "About what happened."

"Well...it was unexpected, I can say that." She cast him a curious look and asked, "Say, isumataq, have you ever bested anyone before?" thus earning his immediate attention. "I'm just asking out of curiosity."

And without hesitation, with only the motivation to be honest, he nodded. "Yeah." A short pause, followed by, "The first time was when I was fifteen. Well...I don't know if I can say I really bested him. I did in a way, I guess, but it was kind of his own undoing… But anyway..."

It had been completely unexpected. He and the men had been trading in a small Earth Kingdom village a solid eighty miles from Kyoshi Island. Some new shipments of cargo had come in from Omashu that day, and a small portion of those supplies were promised to the Southerners out of Sokka's negotiations and trading contract with the village leader. In one of the ships was a stowaway, who happened to be a dangerous bounty hunter. A firebender, too, at that, specializing in combustion-bending. His name was never known, but Sokka had oscillated between calling him Sparky Sparky Boom Man and Combustion Man, both which managed to extract a giggle from the princess.

"It was crazy, I tell ya. Combustion Man could blow things up with his mind," Sokka told her. "He could cause a literal combustion. The guy had this third eye tattoo on his forehead, too, from where he draws his energy. I had never before heard of anyone having that kind of ability."

Combustion Man was supposedly a highly wanted criminal who had escaped prison in the Fire Nation and traveled nearly to the other side of the world to escape his sentence. An Omashu resident who was aboard the ship had found and recognized him from the wanted posters issued to them on behalf of the Fire Nation. And all hell had broken loose with Combustion Man trying to escape the authorities and blowing up different parts of the tiny village, causing several people to be injured. The criminal was untameable, for his abilities were such that no one could get close to him without being blown up, but if let loose, he would for no doubt destroy the town and the supplies.

Sokka, figuring the man's forehead was a probable solution to the dilemma of disabling him, had swung his boomerang at an angle that whacked him straight on his third eye tattoo. Disregarding the blow, the man had aimed anyway and ended up blowing himself up. Needless to say it had been quite a sight.

"It was an ambiguous sort of situation," Sokka said. "He was basically inviting his own doom when he aimed after the blow. But I was still the one who caused what happened, so in a way, I did technically best him."

Another pause followed, but Yue was still there, still patient. As for Sokka, this was his first time talking to someone about this issue (this was the first time someone was actually listening to him regarding this conversation). This was his chance, he felt, to lay down certain things he didn't have the chance to tell people or even discuss in further detail with his men.

"I don't know if I should mention Jet," he eventually spoke. "I didn't best him, but…I feel like telling you about this anyway."

Sokka was sixteen when he had met Jet and his friends, Longshot and Smellerbee, during one of his trading missions at an Earth Kingdom village a hundred miles west of Omashu. Jet and Sokka initially butted heads (mostly over Sokka's skepticism and a minor clash of egos concerning the two teens), but afterward, they had quickly become comrades, exchanging what they knew about hunting tactics. It got the point where Sokka, after having established an extensive contract with the village, frequented it on trading missions and spent some time with his friend, but over the course of a year, the village found itself suffering economically. On top of that was the villagers' feud with their neighboring hostile village, which had once been part of their own before splitting from it after a deadly civil war.

Jet, driven by the loss of his parents during the civil war, told Sokka that he found a trustworthy companion within him and revealed to him the secrets of his underground activities as the leader of the Freedom Fighters. He asked Sokka to help him eradicate the authorities of the hostile village and take back the land, even if it meant bombing the areas that were home to those authorities (which would, of course, take several innocent lives but sacrifices had to be made, Jet had said). A horrified Sokka refused, expedited the trading process, and left the village a few days earlier than scheduled. He decided to never go back to the village (by then, it was already struggling to arrange supplies for the Southerners, anyway). Sokka learned few days later that Jet had gone ahead with his plan, that the teen was never heard from after the day of the deadly attack. There was no official word on Longshot and Smellerbee following the attacks, but they were rumored to have left the village, likely bound to Ba Sing Se for a new life.

"So...did they kill him?" Yue asked.

"You know, it was really unclear," he said, "But I suppose that is the implication."

From the way Sokka described him, Jet was a tragically confused kid at best, a terrorist at worst. He had good in him, but it was overshadowed by trauma and hate. He called himself a Freedom Fighter when really he was a slave to his past. And Sokka couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"He was a smart kid, he really was. I think about what might have happened if I stayed behind that day. Maybe I would've talked him out of it. Maybe I would've helped him get out of the mess. I probably would have convinced him to move out of the village or get the help he needed or something...but I was too disgusted by his plans." He sighed, "If I had been there, maybe he wouldn't have died."

"We don't know what really would've happened," Yue said. "Maybe you would've saved him, or maybe you would've been hurt, too. The last thing your tribe would've needed was losing you to those bombings."

The next incident he described, there was no ambiguity. Sokka admitted he was clearly the one who took matters into his own hands.

"It was a few years ago. Kohana was just born. Game was more scarce than usual that year, and that wasn't good. My mom had to eat in the very least. You know, since she was feeding Kohana."

Part of the reason why game was so scarce was because a couple of notorious bandits had started frequenting their home and looting the little amount of game they were able to catch. Stealing game was actually pretty common in the South, for desperate times call for desperate measures. But on top of stealing, these bandits were known for slaughtering the people they stole from. Over time, these bandits made it their mission to kill as many people as possible regardless of whether they stole from them or not. They were actively trying to reduce the population so they could save the resources for themselves, and in the process, they began slaughtering people left and right in distant villages.

"They should've been ashamed to call themselves warriors," Sokka huffed, "Attacking the helpless instead of earning their game like everyone else. The authorities in those villages didn't have enough resources or the morale to grab hold of them."

It was then that he saw guilt take over her expression. "This could've been avoided if we responded sooner, wouldn't it?" she said softly.

"It's not your fault, Baby Blue," he reassured her. "You were over here working to fight back against the system in your own way. Some things are just meant to happen, and no one can help that."

As much as Sokka had cared about the looming dangers in the South, he largely left the problem to the Council of Elders to deal with so he could focus on hunting. He did manage to catch some bandits and handed them over to the authorities with as much convenience as he had. When game became nearly nonexistent in his area, he he decided to travel a longer distance to find food, taking limited men with him. Not many people had the audacity to venture into the high mountains of Kuruqsitti several miles from Sokka's home. It required more effort than usual on their part, but somehow, even if Sokka and the men had to lose more nights of sleep, they were lucky enough to catch adequate game. It was on their way home that night that they were attacked by more of the said bandits.

"The men and I did what we had to do," he said, implying that they did end the bandits' lives because these bandits were stubborn, to say the least. "All I could think about were the men that I was responsible for, the families that were waiting on these men back home."

So it had all felt natural at that point. It was the first time he actually killed someone. Several someones. But everything he'd been taught, everything he'd prepared for as the future chief...it had all culminated in those moments. And that was when he took up bandit hunting for a few months. He did not kill any more of them but did disable them and handed them over to the Council of Elders. The situation was eventually resolved, but the guilt that came with taking those few lives— even if for a good cause— still nagged at him for a long time. That guilt, too, he hadn't gotten the chance to properly express with so many of the men in his tribe turning his dilemma down. A man was expected to kill as part of any kind of hunt, whether it be animals in survival hunting or humans in moral hunting. Any kind of guilt that resulted from this process was equated with weakness.

"I'm sure that part's not a surprise to you."

"It's not," she said. "It's a warped version of the Laist philosophy."

"Innun iLa'ka?" Laist philosophy?

"I'm sure you call it innun iYang'ka in the South, but same difference."

"Oh yeah."

"Our tribe has turned the Spirits into a misleading duality according to our popular cultural perceptions of manliness and womanliness, but that's a whole different rant," she sighed. "And it's still what a lot of people work with. In many Nagaran and Angkaran scrolls that consider tribal leadership, innun iLa'ka is described as a system of punishments and rewards, based on the idea that the masculine or fatherly principle is "naturally more aggressive" or something like that. Those who want to use this method for certain situations are taught to use the appropriate amount of fear tactics to control people with tendencies to harm others, and positive changes in behavior or compliance to rules is rewarded. The philosophy itself focuses on eradicating the people who perpetuate oppressive behavior because it comes from the belief that human beings are more prone to screwing things up. So as you can imagine, it's not a very positive outlook on human nature."

And then there was innun iTui'ka, or Tuiist philosophy, better known as innun iYin'ka in the South.

"Yeah, it's the opposite," Sokka said. "Human beings, when provided the right influences and environment, are actually good and will choose to do good. It's about killing hateful concepts and ideas. Rather transformative, too."

"Exactly. People who cause trouble are still isolated from society, but there are generally more opportunities for redemption. There's also a greater focus on censorship, like banning certain books that trigger hateful ideology, things like that."

Only in the recent centuries, innun iTui'ka had gradually declined in usage. Empathy and compassion have been deemed as weaknesses in the wake of a domineering cultural change. Innun i'La'ka, on the other hand, was badly misinterpreted, contaminated by the toxic environment and replaced by the sense of superiority of one's own lot and the fetish for "utmost strength" among men.

"People have been trying to label this sort of weirdly nationalistic egoism as Laist philosophy. But I don't think La would see one particular tribe as better than all the others in the Greater Tribe." She smiled at him, "So you obviously subscribe to the true innun iYang'ka. That's why you're feeling the guilt."

"So does this mean you don't see me as an irredeemable serial killer?"

"I would never think that way," she chuckled, reassuring him with a squeeze of his hand.

"Isumataq, you and I are different in many ways. It seems to me you subscribe more to innun iYang'ka, and I to innun iYin'ka. We might respond to a situation in different ways. But guess what? We're also very alike because we rule from here," she placed her hand over her heart, "What's most important is that we're true to ourselves and our mission to protect people. We as leaders need to be moved by someone else's suffering even a little bit. That sense of empathy is something I think the universe did a pretty good job in giving the both of us. And no, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that one philosophy is better than the other because a balanced society needs both. As leaders, we need to use both at some point."

He felt as if a great burden was lifted off of him, and he willed himself to smile after a long night.

"I don't envision myself agreeing with taking the life of even the most horrible person, and that's just me," she said. "And if something does happen to someone, I might feel bad for them and the way they turned out. But by no means does it mean I think of you any less because I understand that something must be done about the people that we can no longer help. The people that are too far gone, far too dangerous." A short pause before, "In fact, that's one of my weakness. I'm unable to really act on anything."

"That's not true."

"Oh it is," she said. "I was able to free the wolf pup, but I would've never been able to attack the people who arranged for the sacrifice. I'm able to disable these horrible people and report them to the authorities with all necessary evidence of their crimes, but I would never be the one to carry out their sentence or even give an idea for what their punishment would be."

And that was understandable as she was not a fan of conflict like that and sought different means of arriving at the solution. He was reminded of what Monk Gyatso said during the meeting last night. "Her strategy is transformative, and her strikes are more internalizing."

"You're not a horrible person, Sokka," she said. "When you were holding Uki in your arms, in your eyes, I saw pain. I wouldn't have seen that pain in you if you were a despicable human being."

He looked at her, "You know, when I was charging at Kinji, knowing that he had Uki locked up somewhere, all I could think of was that evil husband from Aquela. You know, that moment in the story after he kills Aquela and the guy she loved."

She nodded.

"He steps up to kill his own daughter next, and the girl begs him to spare her. And he doesn't listen and kills her anyway." He shook his head, "That cretin is not a man, Princess. He's a monster. And from what your dad told me about the things Kinji has done, he's a monster, too."

And Yue couldn't argue against that. Kinji has done lots of horrible things. Irredeemable things. He had to reap what he sowed, and karma came back to bite him in this manner. "You know the true strength of a body when it fights off a deadly infection," she told him. "In this body that we call the Water Tribe, people like Kinji are very stubborn germs. Either we build our immunity, or we allow these germs to ravage us. And what happened today...I know that it's in the very least a warning to those kinds of toxic people."

"Yeah, but that's not to say I'd kill everyone I see." It was only natural, he said, that human beings take advantage of certain things. Even things like religion. They had people like Kinji and Khasiq, even J those bandits that he mentioned earlier who, deluded or not, were actively harming and terrorizing the tribe. Then they had traditionalists like Pakku and some of the more moderate Nationalists who were taking advantage of religion to keep the domineering culture alive. And then they had people like Chunta, who use superstition to make a living for themselves and their families.

"I've known the guy all my life. People go to him for certain things. He usually gives positive predictions, and he's not always right in his predictions, and he kind of admits that. He might extract a few extra copper pieces to support his children, make up reasons why someone would want to have a ritual done. He might show up unannounced and ask for a few crumbs or two from your pantry. Yeah, he can be infuriating sometimes, but he doesn't cross certain ethical boundaries. The advantage that he takes of a situation is not the cost of hundreds of lives. So the question there is...Do I allow him to go on with his tiny deceptions?"

"It's dependent on the people who trust him. The degrees of harm that are happening versus the degrees of hope that he's giving. Though it seems he's more of a hope-giving person." She smiled a little, "Like a kind of placebo effect. Predicting that good things will happen might inspire people to have a positive attitude or try to find the good in whatever happens. Certain deceptions can be helpful if certain lines are not crossed, and as a leader, you try to draw the line somewhere."

"But sometimes that line becomes blurred. It seems like almost everything you do in this universe benefits one over another."

"But you can always choose to focus on the good that something might cause and measure it up against the bad it might cause," she said. "I think you drew the line well, Sokka, and I really think the goddess is smiling down on you with pride."

He smiled. "I'm glad."

"And as far as controversies go, it's not something you should worry about. Everyone has their own. Even I do."

"You?"

She didn't say anything for a minute or two, almost as if she was weighing the costs and benefits that would probably come from more moments of raw honesty to come. But she did admire his honesty enough to try to emulate it, possibly get something off of her chest, too, the way he did. Besides, she probably wouldn't seem him in person until a long time, if at all after he leaves the North; he would be busy in the South, and she would be immersed in her dedication to the North.

"I'm a bloodbender," she finally said.

Sokka blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again. He rubbed the sides of his ears, "Sorry, I think I misheard you."

"You didn't," she gave him a look, "I'm a bloodbender."

Bloodbender. "Sorry, did you say 'bloodbender'?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's what I said."

He processed this truth with great difficulty, but more than that, he was simply confused as if trying to reconcile her pacifist nature with an ability of that degree. "A bloodbender...as in...can you…?"

"I can control the flow of blood in people, yes."

He got up from lounging against the altar steps and sat upright. "It was Hama, wasn't it?"

She swallowed, her heart stopping at the name, a conflicted expression taking over her. A moment later, she nodded. "Yes and no."

Hama had introduced the idea several times without saying what it actually was, repeatedly having alluded to it in many lessons, but she didn't actually teach them with animals and humans. She had begun with plants, showing them how to move the water around within them. Hama held a great interest in extracting the water out of those plants, thus making them wither, but Yue held a fascination for the leaves that flashed to life, the petals that bloomed with abundance as the water circled up to them and nourished them. It was with the flowers that she experimented, observing the nourishment that was at work. Water, after all, was life.

"I took the same approach with blood," Yue said, "Though I didn't experiment with it. I suppose I was lucky that way. I kind of picked it up..."

Yue did not go into any more details of her past experience with Hama. She likely did not want to think or talk about them, and that was perfectly okay with him. But he was interested in her approach to bloodbending as a healer rather than a puppetmaster.

"It shouldn't have to be nauseating for you when you tell someone what you do to save people's lives," she said, "but before I considered using it for medical purposes, every time I merely thought about it, I would feel sick to my stomach. But you see, Sokka, there's a big difference between cutting someone open to heal them and cutting someone open to kill them. The action, of course, is the same, but the intentions and outcomes are what really matter."

Bloodbending was like that, Yue said. It became known to the world in a horrible manner, one that was so cruel and sickening that it had sent Yue running for her life and passing out in the woods based on Sayen's commentary the other day. But there was a side to it that, when utilized properly, had the prowess to work as a miracle. She figured this out when she tried her hand at healing a brain-dead patient when she was fifteen or so. She did not have the audacity to tell anyone about her method, but she had faced one of the biggest shocks in her life when the patient opened her eyes to a new chance at life. All because an external force directed the flow of her blood in the right way.

"I could never not be careful when handling something like this," she said. "Bloodbending performed out of sinister intentions is traumatizing. As a matter of fact, it is one of my biggest fears."

But if they were to approach it from a different angle, they would be able to see that it can save lives, too.

"Do you know how many diseases are ravaging people just because their blood flow is not adequate? Because of the nutrients they're not getting through poor circulation? The parts of their body that refuse to heal or regenerate because of this? Think of all the good that medical bloodbending could do for people with paralysis, degenerative conditions, and other diseases."

And yet, in spite of all of this, Yue knew that if the Revivalists or any of the other people surrounding her found out about this part of her that no one knew, they would be quick to hate her.

"Why would they hate you? If it's to save lives, then isn't that great? Brilliant?" Sokka said. "Bringing a brain-dead person back is not something that should be taken for granted. Think about how many lives this would save."

"But the premise is still controlling the water in another body. Even if that control is to help people gain control of their limbs again." She shook her head. "And if I think about it by distancing myself from this equation, would I want the secrets of medical bloodbending to be exposed in a time like this? When people are itching to take advantage of something for the worst? What if...what if someone takes advantage of it? I can't allow that to happen as a leader."

It was a conflict that did not have an easy answer by any means.

"It's going to take a long time to convince people that blood is life, not just death," Yue said. "And until then, I can do nothing but wallow in this problem."

"Not alone, though," he told her, reaching out and holding her hand. "You could never hurt anyone, Princess Yue. Not even in your dreams. I know it." And he gave her a comforting smile. "And...you know this conversation only increases my respect for you, don't you?"

She took a deep breath, her conflicted look easing off of her as she looked at him. "Likewise."

First thing in the morning when the chaos in the inner ring had died down, the Southern royals received word that the Global Conferences, which had originally been set to take place about a week from now, had been moved up after hours of debate, strain, and struggle. The conferences were now going to take place two days from now, which meant that all preparations had to be expedited. It was a decision that the Northern princess had taken, according to Ivaneq; it was strictly for the safety of the international visitors, who were gently being nudged in the direction of "finish the conferences and leave the chaotic North." It would be a decision that won't receive a lot of backlash, either, considering what happened with a Northern local of high influence like Kinji.

As a measure of additional safety, the princess had also planned a last-minute set of tours and sight-seeing activities today, which were to be carried out by high-ranked loyalists and security personnel. Royal families and highly important guests were encouraged to attend and spend most of the day away from the capital (also for safety reasons). It would be a fun trip, too; the designations were set to be famous icy spectacles in the neighboring villages, particularly the famous Glacier Fair in the city of Jungannat and Paradise Falls in Gungham Village, both being three-to-four hours away. All accommodations were to be provided for, including feasts and even resorts for those who might want to spend the night and be back by evening the next day for the conferences. If the guests chose not to travel at all, they were highly encouraged to stay indoors and under tight security supervision. The reasons for this, too, were local tensions.

"She is doing everything she can to make sure you do not face any danger in your stay here," Ivaneq said. "She really thinks it's best if you are not here until the situation has settled."

"Oh, Tui and La..." Kya shook her head. "So much over one night… Who would've thought? Just yesterday, Khasiq was telling us to consult Kinji…"

"We had even been thinking of sending Katara to get blessings from that man..." Hakoda held a horrified look on his face and placed a protective hand around his daughter.

"The Spirits have been merciful," Ivaneq said. "Otherwise, Princess Katara would've been in danger, too."

"Nonsense, I would've sent him torpedoing him down the Tasermiut Cliffs," Katara huffed, "This is exactly why you can't trust these self-proclaimed 'holy men.' If you ask me, I think Kinji got what he deserved. All those innocent women and girls...that man's a monster. It was only a matter of time he got destroyed by the very people he scammed."

Hakoda turned to his wife. "The princess certainly means well by these tours. If she's putting so much effort into them, the least we can do is not refuse. She's really looking out for us."

"Fire Lord Iroh is also looking forward to the tour, Brother," Ivaneq said. "He's been disappointed with his niece's behavior, and he's wanting to make it up to you by spending a day with you. Everyone except Princess Azula and Lord Ozai have confirmed that they will be in attendance, so the prince can come."

Kya nodded. "Yes, this will be a good chance for Sokka to get his mind off of certain things, too…"

And it was obvious that by "certain things," she really meant the princess, but it was definitely not going to be easy given that her reminders are everywhere and are always going to be. She was the reason behind why the South was doing better, why they were here in the first place, why they were receiving all these gifts and accommodations and luxuries, why they were going on this very tour.

"Who else is going on tour?" Katara asked Ivaneq.

"Well, it's been decided that the families will be going in teams. I hear that the prince of Omashu and a few other associates from Ba Sing Se will be going on a different team. Lord Iroh has specially requested to join our team."

"Is Aang coming?" Kohana asked excitedly.

"It's Avatar Aang, sweetie," Kya corrected.

"He said I can just call him Aang!"

"That's right!"

Everyone turned to the entrance of their hallway where the Avatar was standing, waving excitedly at Kohana although his attention remained mostly on Katara. "Hey, Katara! Hey, KoKo Bear!"

"Avatar Aang, what a pleasant surprise," Ivaneq stood up and bowed.

"No bows necessary, my friend. And it's just Aang," the airbender stepped in and gave a nod of greeting to Kya and Hakoda before scooping Kohana up into his arms. "I've decided to join your tour team, if that's okay."

"I recall you were requested by the Earth Kingdom authorities to accompany them, sir. Prince Bumi will be going with them as well."

"Yeah, but Bumi's more excited about sharing the space with Lady Toph than he is about having me tag along," Aang laughed, "And the only other people in attendance are the Earth Kingdom officials. It's more fun to go with people who won't torture you about politics all hours of the day, you know?" the airbender flashed a grin at Katara, whose face visibly brightened. "Speaking of fun people, where's Sokka?"

"He hasn't come out of his room," Hakoda said. "He must have slept in." But his casual response was betrayed by the concern flickering in the older adults' expressions.

"I'll go see what he's up to," Kya stood up and rushed over to her oldest son's room, unable to help her concern. The warrior was still in bed, but he wasn't asleep. Instead, he was turned to his side, facing the painting of Tui (that he so suddenly decided to name Yue for a reason that eluded his parents).

Kya knew that her son's lingering fascination with Tui in spite of his renouncement of religion didn't come completely out of the blue; it was a constant reminder of who he really was, of the clan of La that only he was born into out of everyone else in the South. His fate was sealed with Tui, and if Sokka felt drawn to anyone in particular, that person had to be Tui, right? But the princess...she was not really the princess. She was someone who Pakku would never allow into their home.

It was unfair and unfortunate, but what could be done? Pakku was the head of the household, and he insisted on keeping with certain traditions even if he relented for some of Katara's demands a few years ago. A woman born in a temple, defying ritual order and purity… How can she be Tui? Because Tui would never go against the established principles. Tui was the one who created those principles herself. At least, that was what Kya had been told all her life. That was what all the women and girls in the tribe had been told. That was how they were raised. Surely they couldn't have been living in lies. Tradition shouldn't be just a bunch of lies, right?

She shook away her thoughts and sported a smile for the sake of her son. She took a seat next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Is everything okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah," he shifted in bed, forced to tear his gaze away from the painting, "My stomach's upset, that's all. Been to the bathroom six times now."

"Oh dear! I'll send for Yugoda right away—"

"No, Mom, it's okay. I'm feeling a bit better now, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure…but uh," he fiddled with his hands, "but I think it's good if I stay off the road for today…"

"You want to stay behind?" she asked worriedly. "But Sokka, last night—"

"I heard you guys talking about it," he said. "It's gonna be fine. I can hold my own when it comes to a fight. It won't get to that point, though. Her Highness is very particular about security."

Her Highness. Kya sighed. "I know, but…I thought going on tour would be a good distraction for you."

"I'll be okay," he strained a smile. "You guys go ahead. I won't be alone anyway. Your Spirits are gonna be here, too."

"Yes…" the chieftess brushed her son's hair out of his eyes, chuckling at its wild appearance without its being neatly tucked in a wolf-tail. "Tui will take care of you."

"Don't worry, Mom," Katara chimed in from the front door, followed by Kohana, who was perched on top of Aang's shoulders. "No one's gonna think of infiltrating this place with his fart bombs exploding all over the place."

Kohana giggled at the word.

"Be decent, you three. We have the Avatar in our presence."

"Does that mean I can't join the fun, Chieftess Kya?" Aang smiled.

"Kya is fine," she chuckled, stepping out and leaving the four of them to each other's company.

"I can stay behind," Katara offered, smirking knowingly at her brother, "Since you're obviously not faking this or anything—"

"I'll stay behind, too!" Aang said immediately, earning a curious look from the Southern princess. "I-I mean...if you want me to…"

Sokka raised his eyebrows. "I don't expect you two to go through that much trouble for me—"

"No really, it's okay!" the airbender said, turning to Katara. "We can stay behind and do something fun here. I'll take you to see Paradise Falls and the Glacier Fair on Appa sometime."

The Southern warrior puckered his lips teasingly. "Smoochie smoochie smooch smooch."

"Sokka!" Katara slapped his wrist in reprimand. Kohana laughed, initiating his own innocent rendition of the "smoochie smoochie" mantra.

"I meant you and Katara, Sokka," Aang flushed. "But as I was saying...We can do something else that's fun and still keep up with the princess's requests. Or...oh!" he turned to Kohana, "How about I take you air-surfing with me?"

"Air-surfing?!" Kohana jumped up and down, "You'll take me on your flyer thing?!"

"It's called a glider, buddy," Aang chuckled. "And of course I'll take you! It's gonna be so fun. Katara will vouch for me!"

"Yeah, it was awesome!"

"Yaaay! Canwegocanwegocanwego?! Pleeeeeeaaasseeee?"

"Of course we can!" the airbender laughed nervously as Sokka gave the monk a skeptical look, "KoKo Bear and I will, uh, talk to them about the change in plans." And he took the boy outside with him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Katara glared at her brother. "In front of Aang—!"

"I'm only doing you a favor, sis."

"Favor? You're embarrassing me!"

"It's only embarrassing if he doesn't like you, but I have a feeling he does."

"What?"

"Aang. The guy's on cloud nine every time he sees you."

"That's ridiculous," Katara defended, "He only knew me for two days."

"Well you seemed to have made quite an impact on him, sis."

"Aren't you supposed to be denying these things as my brother?"

"I tried to during the ball, but you two kind of forgot the entire universe back there and are now planning secret sky bison rides."

"Aang is just being friendly. He's a sweet guy. I don't think he sees me like that."

"So you don't like him?"

"Of course I do! Who doesn't like Aang?"

"I meant if you like like him, little sis."

"You wanna talk about the person you 'like like' instead?" she steered the conversation, smiling smugly as he widened his eyes and shushed her. "I know you're faking your little predicament so you can have an excuse to stay behind and meet Yue."

"So you figured it out. Happy now? Just don't tell anyone." He peeked out into the hallway and huffed impatiently, "When exactly are they gonna start for the tour?"

"Someone's in a hurry."

"I need to make sure everything's okay," he said. "You know, with what happened last night. See how the tribe's doing…"

Katara watched her brother as he fidgeted around in bed, impatient to make a run for the Northern princess. "You really like her, don't you?" she said, her smile slightly dissolving. "You know, I didn't expect Mom and Dad to take a turn like that."

"I didn't, either," he lay back against the pillows, "It's still so hard to believe."

"You should've seen their faces when Ivaneq told us about those tours."

"They don't want me seeing her, and they don't want her to be involved with us, but they're definitely okay with taking all the gifts she's given us." He sighed, turning to face the painting again, "Yue is...she's a goddess, I tell you. She cares. A lot. About everyone and everything. She's just so perfect…"

Katara was surprised with how sincerely he was saying the things that he was saying right now. It was like he was a whole different person. She didn't have the chance to tease him about it, though, as the conversation outside caught their attention.

"I'd imagine that Chief Arnook wouldn't want her to stay in the mainland, either, until everything is settled," Arnook said. "Even if these arrangements were all made by her, I would expect him to send her, too."

"No, she's staying behind to take care of some important matters..." came Ivaneq's reply.

"You seem like you have a lot on your mind, Brother Ivaneq. You haven't been still all morning."

Ivaneq didn't even attempt to deny it anymore, finally releasing his frustration, "What can I say, Brother? I really think I need to see a healer to get my thoughts together. With all the unorthodox things the princess is doing."

Sokka and Katara exchanged a look before dashing towards the door, hiding behind it but thrusting their ears out to listen.

"What happened now, Brother?" Kya asked.

"Only something that no other princess in the world would probably do," Ivaneq sighed. "Her Highness had all of her possessions sold last night."

"What?"

"She called in the seamstresses and had her wardrobe cleared out. She summoned the jewelers and had her ornaments and jewelry taken away. All of her expensive belongings were auctioned and sold. The money that would be received from this exchange will be going towards her new personal treasury."

It was needless to say that several jaws dropped after that.

Six hours after she disappeared, she was back at the doorstep of the Revivalists' shared estate, her presence confirming that they hadn't all been experiencing the same hallucination in their desperation. With open arms, they welcomed her like eager penguin-tortoises greeting their mother. If she had made it this far after a long time, they wondered if she was, in fact, one of the people who had been present at the protests. They also wondered if she, being a pacifist, had tried to stop or restrain the mysterious man from doing what he did. Perhaps she had focused only on freeing Uki and lost sight of the man. Perhaps she had an idea of who the man could be, or perhaps she knew him but didn't expect him to engage in such an incident. They also weren't sure if she was going to stay with them, and if she was, how long she was going to stay or if she would leave again or if she even planned on returning; she did, after all, disappear for a year. Where had she been and what had she been doing? Had she been in the tribe this entire time or was she elsewhere?

Of course, it wasn't like they could talk all of this out; she hadn't said much since she appeared, having focused only on calming Uki down, getting her to eat something and sleep soundly, so as she tended to the young girl, everyone conversed among themselves. They immediately ruled out the possibility of her knowing that such an event would occur; she was not the type to let someone— as horrible as they might be, even at the Kinji-level of horrible— meet such a drastic end. Furthermore, she was not an advocate of dangerous chaos.

And as far as how she found Uki or how she managed to infiltrate the place before anyone else could, they had certain theories...But they were to later learn from Kuunnguaq herself (who had finally decided to sit them down and clear their queries) that this was not the case, for the man had been the one to break Uki out of Kinji's place and handed her over to Kuunnguaq. This obviously meant that brief— very brief— contact had taken place.

"So you don't know anything about the masked man, Little River?" Amka asked.

Lady shook her head. "I just saw him today. I don't know who that was."

"So you saw him?"

"By seeing, I mean I saw him with his mask still on."

"Yes, yes, of course."

"What do you think he's trying to tell us, Sister?" Kanguq asked. "He seems to be wanting to make a statement to us."

"I think he's making a statement to the people, too," Lady said. "And to the extremists, of course, in his own way."

Well yes, the man was definitely against these kinds of discrimination and actively, openly sought justice, but what statement was he trying to provide by taking inspiration from their mask design? That he was better than the Revivalists? That he was more efficient than them? That he was inspired by them? Was it just him, or were there other people like him, too? Was there another group forming separately from the Revivalists, perhaps?

But their thought processes were interrupted as they heard Kuunnguaq laughing softly to herself for a reason they couldn't name. Her hand covered her already-covered lips, and she quickly stopped herself. It came as a surprise to them; why would she be laughing in the middle of a serious conversation? If anything, Little River's empathy was as vast as an ocean; she should be perturbed rather than be laughing, right?

"What is it, Sister?"

"Did you think of something funny?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I know it's not appropriate when we're having a serious conversation." She cleared her throat. "You were saying, Brother Kanguq?"

The man sighed. "Nothing much. Just...I don't understand why he would copy our design and invert the symbolism."

Lady thought for a moment before suggesting, "Perhaps he is an ally but of a different approach...?"

"An ally?" Ujaraq asked.

"If he is someone who is well-versed in or is even remotely familiar with Tui and La symbolism, then he would know that the Spirits, though inverse, actually support and complement each other," Lady said. "Tui and La hold pieces of each other within themselves. They are inextricably tied together. How can they be enemies? Who knows, maybe that man is wanting to support us in his own way?"

"Is it feasible to rely on symbolism for this?"

"Whether we can or can't, we know for certain that he is not disgusted by Tui," Lady replied. "If he was, why would he wear a white mask? That's something that people who fear or believe in Khasiq would never do. Let's not forget that by going against Khasiq's ally, he has established himself as Khasiq's enemy."

It was definitely something for them to think about, but with the very logic that flew out of her own lips, Yue found herself becoming perturbed. She had not expected the Southern prince to make a move that would for sure entangle him into these affairs. This was exactly why she did what she did in the few hours she spent at the palace, namely setting up the tours and moving up the Global Conferences by doing everything she could with her newfound influence.

"But whoever he is, if he saved Uki and killed Kinji, then he's on our side," Sanka mused. "Well...he's not on their side, at least."

"The world is not black and white, Sister," Lady told her. "I don't think it's about sides. It's about being a decent human being."

"Those conservatives are far from decent," Amka huffed.

"There are decent people on all sides, my friends," Lady said. "In fact, there were more Nationalists and Neo-Nationalists out there than anyone else because they were deceived by the very person they looked up to for representing tradition. Someone that they had trusted with their lives had crossed severe boundaries. Their conservatism didn't stop them from protesting against that."

"So long as they support Khasiq, their 'tradition' is going to continue to paralyze the women in the North."

Kuunnguaq sighed, "Khasiq does not represent the conservative majority; he's using that label, yes, but he's actually an extremist. Whether you're opting in for an orthodox approach at gender relations or supporting the dynamics of equity, you would never justify the rape of your women and girls. At least, you shouldn't. No matter what you believe, you should never justify rape."

"But Khasiq's puppets—"

"Are not all justifying injustice," Lady finished. "They fear Khasiq. Many of them have families of their own. Mothers, wives, daughters. To keep them safe, they're being forced to support these things. And in the process, they're being indoctrinated into hateful ideologies. What is needed right now is not more hate but compassion."

"Standing back and doing nothing is risky, Sister—"

"I'm not saying we need to do nothing. I'm saying we need to kickstart transformation. Encourage people to undergo changes in their thinking and re-evaluate their moral compass." She stood up, "I know it's difficult, but we made a promise to liberate people from any kind of slavery. These people need to be liberated from hateful influences. That's why it's not good to keep this rift going between the two groups. I am not a traditionalist, and I never see myself becoming one because of what I trust is right, but I can't be terrorizing the people on the side because of this. You all have family members who are traditionalists. The vast majority of the tribe is traditionalist. Even among tribeswomen, there are some who favor tradition and some who favor progress. Does that mean I need to blame them all for the actions of a few?"

They blinked up at her, unsure of how to respond.

"As long as no one is being actively harmed, then it's fine to disagree," she said. "It's imperative to let people choose for themselves the lives they want to live. And that requires education, not condescension. If you want to spread as much change and awareness as possible, then try to educate these people, not attack them. I can't stress this enough." She turned to Kanguq, "Under yours and Sayen's recent oversight, the mission has established itself as a full-fledged political party. You are all in a position to inspire and help more people than you ever have. I'm just hoping this newfound position won't have us turn a blind eye to innocent people who are being forced to side with Khasiq. And keep in mind that by leaving human decency as an issue of sides, you're actually allowing the other side to put dangerous ideas into practice. Respecting all people should be common sense. It should be in our very nature as social beings. It is not a question of sides, so we should not allow it to be."

Kuunnguaq was interrupted by the sound of excited clapping coming from the entrance of the room. Everyone turned to the door, where they saw Sokka with an enamored look on his face. When he saw that everyone else was gawking at him, he gradually stopped clapping and rubbed his palms against his parka, "Sorry, that was...I was just blown away, you know?"

Lady merely blinked at him. He didn't leave with his family?

"Ah, don't you worry about that, Socker. Excellence should always be rewarded!" Old Man Ingimak gave a boisterous laugh, poured himself some gin, and held up his cup, "Inuuhiqatsiaq, irnngutaq Kuunnguaq!" Cheers to you, Granddaughter Kuunnguaq!

Kameli shook her head in amusement and turned to the others. "He insisted that he join in, so I escorted him here."

"You're always welcome here, Socks," Kanguq smiled, leading his friend inside and having him stand before Lady. Sokka was caught off guard by how tired she really seemed up close. Her eyes were bloodshot and drooping much like his, strained by the events of last night.

"Sister Kuunnguaq, you recall me telling you about our goofy bestie from down South? He's the guy. Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe." Clapping his friend on the back, "And Sokka, this is our esteemed Sister Kuunnguaq, also known as Lady. I'm sure you've heard of her."

"Ah, Little River…" his eyes twinkled in both concern and fascination, "The brains, heart and soul of the Revivalist Mission." With a knowing little smile, he bowed low, "It's an honor to meet someone of such a high rank. I'm a big fan of yours, Miss Kuunnguaq."

Some of such a high rank. Yue briefly wondered if he knew of her new treasury but tucked the thought away in the back of her mind. Bowing back, "A pleasure to meet you, Prince Sokka. Your achievements in the South are remarkable—"

"Kuunnguaq?"

Yue turned to see Sayen standing by the door.

"Isn't Ukkisanga asleep yet?" Kanguq asked worriedly. "She hasn't slept all night."

"No, she's still scared," Sayen said. "She wants you to stay there with her, Kuunnguaq...oh, Prince Sokka, you're here. I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"

"It's fine, no worries," he turned to Yue, "You mind if I come with you, Miss Kuunnguaq? I got a little something for Uki. Maybe it'll lift her spirits a little?"

Uki was settled beneath the sheets, her arms wrapped around her polar rabbit plushie, her face buried in its soft fur. Upon hearing the door open, she looked up and saw Kuunnguaq followed by the Southern prince, who was more well-known among the kids as the "uncle who ruined the game" that they'd been playing with their babysitter angaju the other day. The girl wrapped her arms around Kuunnguaq and hid her face in her shirt, peeking out to take a brief look at the smiling Southern warrior.

"Hey there, little lady," he bowed. "Uncle Sokka, Southern Water Tribe. How ya doin'?"

She said nothing, looking up at Kuunnguaq, who also seemed to be smiling beneath her mask.

"Guess what I got for ya!" Sokka reached into his parka folds and pulled out a pouch. He held it out to the girl, who looked at him for another solid minute.

"It's okay, you can take it," Kuunnguaq nudged her softly, and the girl then took it from him, peeking inside.

"These look like seal jerky crisps…"

"Because they are!" Sokka pulled up a chair and took a seat next to the bed, "Your dad tells me you like 'em."

"Yeah…"

"Well that's something we have in common. I'm a big fan of seal jerky if I do say so myself."

Uki took out a crisp and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. Her lips curved into a tiny smile, but the smile dissolved when she looked back at him.

"Well? You like 'em?"

"They're good. Thanks."

He sighed, giving her an amused look. "Are you still mad I made you lose your game the other day?"

"I'm mad because you were staring at our angaju," she said, unaware that the angaju she just mentioned was actually sitting right beside her. "Mama says it's rude to stare."

Yue blinked in surprise. Sokka laughed nervously, sputtering, "I wasn't staring, who said I was staring?"

"Daddy always says to look out for boys who look at girls weirdly."

"Prince Sokka is not like that, sweetheart," Kuunnguaq told her. "Did you know that there were so many hungry people in the South? They didn't have any food. It was Prince Sokka who helped them find food. He's a hard worker, you know."

"Really?"

"Yep. He's also a very good friend of your angaju, you know that?"

"What?" the girl looked at him. "You are?"

He tore his eyes away from the princess and smiled at the girl, "Yeah, of course! Her best friend. Just ask her the next time you see her. "

"So you weren't trying to be a meany-head?"

"No, ma'am, I would never be a meany-head."

"You promise?"

"Promise," he placed his hand over his heart, "Cross my heart and hope to never eat seal jerky ever again!"

Uki giggled a little, having forgotten about her fears a little, and she earned a relieved smile from Kuunnguaq in response.

"There she goes," Sokka grinned, and the girl sat up in bed, holding her plushie in her lap and munching on a few more crisps. "I'm glad you're finally my friend. All the other agents are still mad at me, though."

"It's okay, I'll tell them you're actually her friend. They won't be mad anymore."

"Alright then. I know Agent Green will listen to what you say."

"Yeah, he will!" the chirp in her voice returned, but she still held onto Kuunnguaq's hand. "Hey, Akpa Sokka, Akpa Sokka!" Uncle Sokka, Uncle Sokka! "I drew a picture. You wanna see it?"

"Boy, would I? Let's take a look at that masterpiece!"

With a little more enthusiasm than she had before, she reached under a pillow and pulled out the drawing that she made. She handed it to the warrior, who beamed at the artwork. "Oh wow, this is much better than anything I can draw. You got some mad talent, Agent Yellow."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" he pointed to the five figures in the drawing, particularly the small one in the middle, which bore pigtails like Uki and was adorned in a fancy purple princessy parka with thick white furs and lots of colorful feathers, "I know the middle one's you, but who are these people next to you?"

"This is Mom and Dad," she pointed to the taller-looking stick figures standing to one side of her— one with a large build and belly, signifying Kanguq, and another with a more slender figure that wore her hair into a bun, alluding to Sayen. "And these two—" she pointed to the figures on the other side of her, "— are Aja Kuunnguaq and Akpa Gentleman!"

It was with significant strain that he was able to see that the reason why one of the two figures' faces was painted pitch-black (save for a tiny white dot in the center) was because that was supposed to be Lady. And standing next to Lady and holding her hand was him, namely as the "Gentleman."

"Akpa Gentleman, huh?" he shared a brief look with the equally-surprised princess.

"Yeah," Uki finished the last of the seal jerky crisps and licked her fingers, "Akpa is a superhero just like Aja. He helps people. Aja Kuunnguaq doesn't like to fight. She makes the bad people turn into good people. But Akpa fights all the really bad people."

"Hey, are you trying to say he's cooler than me?" Yue feigned disappointment.

"No, Aja, you're the best aja in the whole world," she reassured her with a big hug, "But Akpa seems really nice, too." Her smile widened as she beamed at Sokka. "I wanna see him again one day. I think he and Aja can be good friends. Daddy says all superheroes are friends."

Sokka smiled, "Maybe you will one day, but only if you take care of yourself. If he's really a superhero like you said he is, he would want you to be happy after he helped you out." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another small bag containing more seal jerky crisps. He handed the same over to her, watching her smile widen as she plopped more in her mouth. "You should always be as happy as your name says you are."

Yue, smiling beneath her mask, smoothed her hand over the girl's head, brushing her hair away from her face. Ukkisanga, she mused inwardly, the "laughing flower."

A few justice agents— loyalists of the chief— had requested an audience with Sayen and Kanguq for inquiry purposes regarding the incident last night. They were to meet with the two Revivalists in the palace courtyard. The prestigious group was not willing to expose Lady or announce her return, so they insisted that she not attend the meeting. However, she wasn't convinced.

"As your guardian, I need to be there," she told them. "If these people are looking for someone to represent, then it should be me. None of you should be roped into this unnecessarily—"

"Sister, we will handle this," Kanguq said. "Please, this isn't the right time for you to go public. Otherwise, people are going to unnecessarily blame you."

Sayen nodded. "We don't want you worrying about anything. We have a feeling everything will work out—"

"Having a feeling is not enough," Kuunnguaq said. "I am your leader. I must be your shield. I must take all responsibility."

Sokka, who was listening to the conversation, widened his eyes at her pronouncement.

"Take responsibility of what?" Sayen asked. "We didn't do anything wrong for you to take responsibility for anything. This is just a small-scale investigation. The officers are just going to ask about the man, if we know him or not, if we had any recent exits from the group or if we're suspicious of anyone. We know these officials, Kuunnguaq. They're loyal to the chief. They will be sympathetic towards us."

"You don't understand," Kuunnguaq frowned worriedly. "The reason why I was laying low all this time is so that Khasiq will be distracted with finding me instead of attacking you. So he wouldn't come to you for finding me. But after what Kinji tried to do…" And to Uki, a child, "I've realized that staying away is only going to hurt you. I need to be in the open. I can't afford to have any of you be hurt in any way."

"I strongly trust that our friends are more than capable of handling this, Miss Kuunnguaq," Sokka told her.

"See? Brother Sokka's with us," Sayen said. "Everything will be fine."

It was not something that Kuunnguaq could argue against. While she insisted on looking out for her friends, she did not intend to undermine their capabilities. "Then at least tell them to send a message to Khasiq on my behalf," she said, ferocity briefly flickering in her eyes, "If he claims he's a human being with any form of dignity whatsoever, then he will target me directly than attack any of you or the innocent tribefolk."

"And if he calls himself a leader instead of a coward, he should first get past the man who caused Kinji's downfall," Sokka said, earning a look from the Revivalist leader. "Better to get rid of the most immediate threat instead of going for those who are genuinely trying to protect the people."

Several minutes after that, Kuunnguaq found her place next to Uki again on the bed while the other Revivalists huddled outside. Sokka claimed he was more than happy to give the leader company. Only he couldn't. He spent some time telling Uki a few funny stories, and even when she had finally slipped into slumber, he found that he couldn't start a conversation with Yue; he both admired and was intimidated by her initial fierce look, and even after she had grown accustomed to the suggestion of remaining out of sight and had softened from his storytelling. Not to mention she was clearly exhausted. At one point, he made up the difficult decision to wait in the hallway instead, thinking maybe she'd sleep if he left the room, but just as he was getting up, she made eye contact with him, and he felt compelled to stay put because one, he wondered maybe, just maybe she wanted him to stay and two, he was feeling lightheaded again from watching the baby blue oceans in her eyes churn in his direction and felt that he would surely faint if he stood up any longer.

Yue, too, was no stranger to his nervousness, the way he shifted his gaze in her direction whenever she made the slightest movement or turn, the way he looked to her expectantly whenever she huffed out a tired breath. It went on this way for a short while before she ended up breaking the ice. That, too, with her soft peals of laughter.

Sokka blinked at her, surprised but entirely welcoming of the scenario. "What's funny?"

"Nothing, I just thought of something," she tried to stop her giggles, but the moment she looked at his confused face, she began laughing again.

"What were you thinking about?" he grew amused. "I'd like to have a laugh, too."

Bringing her mask down and breathing in the fresh air, "Just thinking about how the process might've been for you. You know, when you dressed up as a woman."

A light blush colored his cheeks. "Uh...well...it was quite an experience. For one, I couldn't get the shells to, uh...stay in place…"

She kept laughing, occasionally apologizing before slipping back into giggles. He smiled in amusement. "You know, I feel like you should've been named Yuesanga," he said. "'Laughing moon.'"

"That could be arranged," she said.

"Oh really?"

"Of course. After all, I did name myself Yue. How hard can adding the -sanga part be?"

"You got to choose your own name?" he blinked. "Talk about luxury."

"Actually, the chief kind of forgot to name me," she chuckled, the lightness in her laughter not quite reaching her eyes. "He's a busy man."

The smile on his face dissolved.

"You know, for the longest time, I thought my name was just Princess," she admitted. "Until I met Osha, and she asked me for my name. I knew I couldn't just say 'Princess' and likely give away my identity. So that night, I closed my eyes and decided I'd give myself the name of the first thing I saw when I opened them. And I remember feeling the moon's light on my face, and naturally I turned in that direction and saw the moon."

"There are several words for 'moon,'" he pointed out. "How did you choose 'Yue'?"

"'Yue' is a rare usage," she said. "It means moon in both Angkaran and Nagaran. I thought it would be kind of cool. But if I wanted to, I could add the -sanga as you suggested." Her smile widened, "Yuesanga. It's quite a poetic modification. You're a man of many talents, isumataq. Quite the storyteller, too."

Conjuring up a tiny bit of smugness, "Years of practice," before scooting his chair closer to her. "So… richest person in the Water Tribe, huh?"

"Word spreads fast these days."

"This isn't a tiny achievement, is it?"

"I like a good challenge," she smirked. "You think it's extreme, don't you?"

"I know it shouldn't have to be this way," he said softly.

"I don't know why, but I thought you were the kind to scoff at pompous people with overbearing jewelry."

"I'd never think you're pompous, Princess," he said. "In fact, you're one of the very few people in the universe who deserves all the luxuries in the world."

"I never had a need for those luxuries anyway," she shrugged. "What's the use in wearing fancy things just to be locked up in a room all day?" And casting a look out of the window, watching the waves ballet by, "All of these riches...I got them when I came out of hiding. Some were gifts from the chief. Some belonged to the chieftess and were passed down to me. Some were gifts from the people of other nations who found out about my existence. So about ninety-nine percent of them are all untouched. Tacky and overbearing."

The chieftess. Again, Sokka couldn't help wondering if Yue did know about her birth. Was that why she never referred to the chief and chieftess as her parents? Or was it simply that she was raised to maintain such strict formality?

"I can do nothing about Chieftess Ahnah's jewels and ornaments, so I've sent them back to the chief," she said. "As for everything else, they've been gifted to me, and I can do whatever I want with them." A dry chuckle, "Khasiq sent me a collection of jewels, too, by the way."

"Khasiq?"

"It's a small investment that he's making now so things will work out for him in the long run when I leave for my in-laws' house," she said. "Out of curiosity, I had one of the necklaces measured for its worth. It cost one trillion gold pieces."

"One trillion?" his eyes nearly spilled out of their sockets.

"Yes. That one necklace's worth is enough to feed the entire tribe for thirty years straight."

And it was after such a mind-boggling realization that Yue got the idea to sell her jeweled belongings. She described the riches that she held in her grip without realizing their prowess; the jewels embedded in her formal dresses, her face veils of silver and gold, the sequins that lined the ridges of her furniture.

"Influence is more important than luxury, ikinngutima," she told him. "The chief was the one who said I needed influence. What other influence am I capable of right now other than riches that I've earned from selling the jewels in my closet? What else could I possibly want other than the safety and moral dignity of the North? Not to mention that one of the best benefits of all of this is that it's also a way for me to get out of dolling myself up for the suitors."

Rather than wearing tons of pearls, bedazzling emeralds, and itchy silks, she could stick to less tacky and more cheap, comfortable clothing that would for certain turn off the suitors who would be expecting riches and a bride offering a hefty groom price.

"Besides, I take pride in who I am," she said. "Yeah I can't show off my hair, but hey, chapped lips and arm hair and shabby cloaks...these are the reality. And if a suitor is scared of that reality…well, I don't know what else to say."

"You really are something, Princess," he beamed. "Though it would be nice if you didn't challenge yourself too much," and concern took over again as he saw her cover up her yawn and rub the sleep out of her eyes. "You don't look so good."

"Why, thank you."

He spazzed, "No, no, sorry, that's...that's not what I…"

"I know what you mean."

"Seriously, didn't you sleep?" he asked. "At all?"

"You probably didn't get your sleep, either," she replied, a knowing spark in her look.

"But I'm used to it."

"I'm used to it, too."

"I guess we're two of a kind, then."

She chuckled a little, lightening more of the heaviness in his chest.

"I was gonna come see you way earlier, you know. It took my parents a while to get going on that tour."

"You didn't go," she said. "I thought for sure you wouldn't disobey the princess's orders. You know, since you claim you're loyal to her."

"Did I mention I'm ranked number one in the list of disobedient Southerners?"

She frowned disapprovingly. "What you're doing right now isn't safe, you know. Staying here when Khasiq is raging..." Over the incident, but that part didn't need to be said out loud for them to know.

"You're one to talk," he said. "As if you're not doing anything unsafe. You can't go about being everyone's shield."

"I'm only doing what you also happen to be doing," she said in a matter-of-fact manner. "Being the target that stands out. You were looking to establish yourself as a greater threat to Khasiq so he wouldn't focus so much on finding me. Am I wrong?"

He attempted to say something in retaliation but found that he couldn't because she did have a point. Like several hunters trying to draw the attention of a wild sabertooth-tiger to have each other spared, here he was on one side while Princess Yue took another, er, others given her aliases.

"It's not as bad as you think in my case," she said. "My public appearances will still be limited. After all, I can't pull off three different identities to perfection. I'm only human. But I still need to be known as the leader." She held a resolute look, "Khasiq needs someone to blame. It can't be any of my friends or their families."

"Your life is just as important as theirs. Have you thought about that?" he said. "Taking risks and setting yourself up for danger so you can spare everyone else the struggle. Not letting anyone help or look out for you. Khasiq is targeting you, Princess. You have to understand."

"Khasiq will kill me because I'm the princess. He will kill me because I'm Lady. And he will kill me because I'm a servant who stepped way out of line and broke into his study and stole the correspondences and banned literature that he'd been hoarding. He will kill me because I'm not a supporter of those extremists and traditionalists. And even if I'm none of these things, he will kill me simply because I'm a woman and because he believes all women should die in his bed. He will kill me no matter what, Sokka."

And given the realization that came with what the situation really was like, the look on his face was that of horror.

"What gives me the most comfort is knowing that he doesn't know what I look like," she said, gesturing to her face veil, "These thin pieces of cloth are saving my life."

"How long are you going to go on like this?" he said worriedly.

"However long it takes to bring about some kind of change." She looked at him, "I know I'm not a superhuman. I know there's no way I'll be able to keep this up without trying harder than I already am. I know it's impossible to look after an entire tribe this way. But I do know that this should not concern you. You're putting a lot of effort into your bodyguard position, and it's not safe in the long run. I just can't understand why you feel like you need to do this. You hardly know me."

"I'm sorry, Princess, but like you and basically everyone else, I have a habit of doing everything I can to protect the people I genuinely care about, and if that means not leaving them by themselves in a difficult situation, then yeah, I'll do that. This has nothing to do with bodyguard duty." He cast her a soft look, "Did you really think I'd leave you?"

She was not sure why she felt a sudden warmth seep into her the way it did when he asked her that.

A/N: Just a quick note for folks who are curious. I know some of you might like Jet as a character and might not have wanted him killed off, but what inspired me to write that part of the sequence in this chapter was when I revisited the Jet episode. I'm a true Kataanger, so I kind of hate that episode, but the dynamic between Jet's and Sokka's varying perspectives was amazing and a real treat for Sokka fans especially. Sokka is damn fine as a leader, though. I mean, that part when he says, "No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people." I stan an empathetic king!

Anyhow, thanks for reading. Happy Holidays!