Chapter Four

The next morning, Zuko and Sokka met on the exercise grounds in the palace gardens. The layout was clearly set up for earthbending practice with plenty of large rocks for shoving around. Toph was glad because that meant she'd get to see everything. She and Suki sat off to one side in the spectator's stands, Zutara and Toma playing in the sand beside them.

The two men had stripped down to sleeveless, closefitting tunics and lightweight trousers tucked carefully into their boots. Zuko pulled out his twin scimitars, glad to have the chance to practice a little. He gave them a preparatory spin to loosen up, then looked toward Sokka. The big Water Tribesman had a single straight blade in his hand.

They sized each other up, circling, testing each other with traded blows. Their builds were similarly muscular in a lean way. Sokka perhaps had a bit more muscle mass from his many years of hard work on the fishing boats, but Zuko seemed faster. Toph and Suki leaned forward. It would be an interesting bout.

Years ago, before the fall of Ozai, they'd sparred with each other often as they worked to ready themselves for the coming battle. At first Sokka had been barely trained, unconventional in his attacks, sometimes clumsy, sometimes brilliant. But with practice, he'd learned quickly. His clumsiness gave way to artistry, and the unconventional brilliance of his swordwork began to shine. Despite Zuko's many years of intense training with the blade, Sokka sometimes got the better of him.

Now, as they crossed swords for the first time since their youth, Zuko could see that Sokka was badly out of practice. Part of Zuko's ongoing preparation to be Fire Lord one day involved daily training in the martial arts. At this point, he was probably a better swordsman than he'd ever been. Sokka, on the other hand, was going downhill fast.

Within a few minutes, Zuko had disarmed him and Sokka sat panting on the hard ground, the point of Zuko's scimitar at his chin. Toph cheered shamelessly from the stands. "Way to go, Sparky!" she yelled. Suki, on the other hand, booed Zuko and called out, "You're just getting warmed up, baby. Show him what you're made of!"

Zuko offered Sokka a hand up from the ground, which Sokka gratefully took. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Zuko asked with a grin.

"I didn't realize how long," Sokka groaned as he bent over to pick up his sword.

"I figured you and Suki sparred together every day," Zuko replied as they walked to the end of the grounds for a drink of water.

"We do. Just not with weapons," Sokka laughed. Then he looked back at Zuko in seriousness. "We've been so busy raising children and making a living that the warrior part of our lives has slipped away." He swung his sword back and forth a time or two as they walked, then resheathed it.

"I don't mind so much for me. I became a warrior out of necessity. I was always happier fishing or working on something," Sokka continued thoughtfully.

Then he glanced back to see Suki wiping at some dirt on Zutara's round pink cheek. "But that's not how it was for Suki. She was born a warrior. Trained from childhood in the Kyoshi Warrior arts. But I don't remember the last time she had a chance to really work out without one of the children needing something. And now that she's expecting, it'll be that much longer before she can get herself back into fighting form again."

The blue sky soared overhead. A stand of green broadleaf trees stood in sharp lush contrast to a red and brown stone wall behind them. The two men each took a long cool drink of water from the fountain that bubbled pleasantly at the head of the grounds, then looked back to where their lovely wives sat in the stands playing with the children and chatting with each other.

Sokka wiped his face with his hand and sighed. "I married a warrior, Zuko. But I've turned her into a housewife. She used to defend a kingdom. Now she wipes my kids' noses and makes sure I've got something hot to eat when I come in from the boat." He sat down heavily on the stone bench next to the fountain and looked back up into the spectator stands, an anxious expression on his face. Then with a sigh, Sokka looked away again and proceeded to study the ground beneath his boots.

Zuko found a spot next to him and waited for Sokka to continue. At last, his friend spoke.

"I haven't been fair to her at all. If I were half the man I ought to be, I'd make her rejoin the Kyoshi Warriors and use her gifts instead of wasting them with me," Sokka said bitterly.

Then he looked up at Zuko, his blue eyes tense with emotion. "But I can't let her go. I'm strangling her to death, I just know it. But I'd die without her."

"Have you told her how you feel?" Zuko asked even though he already knew the answer. Sokka looked down and shook his head. "You really should." Sokka over at him doubtfully. "Trust me. Tell her what you just told me."

"Now?" Sokka asked.

"Now is as good a time as any," Zuko replied as he stood up and stretched out his shoulders. "Probably the best time of all, while it's fresh on your mind."

The two men walked back to the stands. "Done already?" Suki asked with a laugh.

"Yep," Sokka replied. "Zuko's too much of a match for me."

"Hey, kids," Zuko called out to the children, "let's go see if Uncle Aang and Aunt Katara have anything to eat at their place. I'm starving."

To Toph's surprise, her husband easily lifted little Toma up to ride on his shoulders, then took Zutara's hand. The little girl looked up at him with a shy smile, then skipped alongside him as he walked toward the gates that led out of the grounds and back up to the residential area. Toph shook herself with surprise, then hurried to catch up to him. But behind her, with her earthbending sight she could see Sokka drop to one knee in front of Suki.

"What were you guys talking about?" Toph asked her husband.

Zuko just gave her a little smile and replied, "I was giving him relationship advice."

"Oh, really? What kind of advice?" Toph asked as they walked through the gate.

"The good kind," came her husband's breezy answer.

"What is it, baby?" Suki asked nervously as her husband knelt on one knee, putting him at eye level with her.

But Sokka didn't answer. He just gazed at her anxiously as if he didn't know where to begin. She reached out to place one hand on his cheek. He covered her hand with his, pressing it close to his face, and closed his eyes.

Then he sighed and asked, "How long has it been since you had a real workout with the Kyoshi Warriors?"

She laughed and answered, "Oh, before I got pregnant with Zutara, I guess. Are you worried that I've lost my edge as badly as you have?"

Sokka's eyes flew open and he looked a little shocked. "Was I that awful?" he asked.

"It's been a while," she replied gently. "You're just a little rusty, that's all. You can get it back if you want to."

"I don't have time to work that hard on something I don't use," Sokka answered matter-of-factly. "But what about you?" he asked quietly. "You are the most gifted warrior I've ever known. I don't want you to throw away your talents on me."

Suki took a little breath.

He finally understood.

After five years of marriage, her husband finally understood what she'd chosen when she'd chosen him. It was a real breakthrough moment for him. She was so proud.

"Sokka, baby," she began in a gentle tone, "I knew what I was doing when I married you. I knew that I was closing one door of my life and opening another." She reached up to smooth back the tendrils of dark hair that had escaped from their blue binding during his workout.

"But it's not fair. It's not fair to you at all," he retorted, capturing her hand in a strong grip, as if to stop her from being concerned with him. "Katara uses her waterbending all the time with Aang. And Toph stopped a volcano from erupting, for goodness sake. What do you get to do with your talents?" he asked, his voice harsh. "What about your life?"

The fountain bubbled peacefully in the background, and a light wind brushed past them. Suki let her answer flow out of the peace and love she felt inside her. She looked into Sokka's azure eyes, so like the ocean, so like their children's, and answered him.

"I get to stand beside the man I love. I get to make beautiful babies with him and see them grow and discover their own talents. I get to teach the girls in our village how to be strong and courageous too, just like I learned," Suki replied.

She looked down at Sokka's worried face, and she knew her answer hadn't satisfied him. He could be so strong and so funny. He was a loving husband and a wonderful father. He worked hard to give them everything within his power to give. He was brave and sincere.

And he was scared to death that she wasn't happy with him. That he wasn't enough for her. At that moment, she loved him more than ever.

"I use my warrior's skills every day," she continued sincerely. "Every time I nurse a sick baby through the night, every time I wait for you to come home in a terrible storm, I use that strength and courage I learned as a Kyoshi Warrior," she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. "Just like you use your warrior's heart every time you go out fishing in the middle of a winter storm, knowing you might not come back, but willing to go to battle with it for our sakes. So we can have a home and food to eat and clothes to wear."

He still looked doubtful, so she pulled her hands free of his to place them on either side of his face and looked directly in his eyes. She wanted him to understand her at last, to know why she was with him, to know she'd always be there for him. So she put all her heart into her voice and said, "I love you, Sokka. I chose you and the life we have because I wanted it. Because I wanted you."

Then because his stance was so completely out of balance, she casually moved her hands to his shoulders and easily pushed him to the ground, moving swiftly to pin him beneath her. The look of surprise that flashed across his face at his sudden change of position was priceless. "Plus, I can still take you any day of the week," she teased as she leaned forward to kiss him.

He swiftly sat up to meet her embrace. She might have a tactical advantage over him, but in sheer strength, he had her bested. She found herself unable to resist as his strong arms went around her and pulled her even closer into the kiss. Then he just held her against him, his fingers in her hair, as he breathed deeply. He was trembling ever so slightly.

She could smell the warm masculine scent of him, could feel the warmth of his body as he held her tightly, her cheek pressed to his chest. She could hear his heart pound. "Don't let go," she whispered.

Sokka didn't say anything. He just held her closer in reply.

--

Several days later, Mai stood at the window of her apartment watching the sky. She should have received a hawk message by now to let her know that Tom-Tom was on his way. She frowned a little.

A tap at the door roused her and she turned in time to see the footman usher Aang and Zuko into the room. "King Bumi has an announcement to make," Aang began. "He's requested that we all be there." Then the bald headed young airbender smiled knowingly. "He seemed really excited about it. You know what that means."

Mai groaned then nodded with a knowing expression of her own.

Zuko looked between them, a bit at a loss. "What are you talking about?"

"King Bumi tends to make very theatrical announcements. The more excited he is, the more theatrical it will be," Mai replied as she pulled a light shawl around her shoulders and led the two men to the door.

"As excited as he is today, I'd say this will be a showstopper," Aang added, rubbing his hands together in excitement of his own. "Do you remember the shower of doves?"

Mai shuddered at the memory. "It took three hours to wash all bird poop out of my hair after that one."

Zuko laughed out loud at the image of the prim and proper Mai covered in bird droppings.

"Don't laugh, Zuko," Mai warned as they left the apartment. "You never know what he'll come up with next."

But Zuko was still laughing to himself as they walked into the courtyard before the palace steps to join Toph and the rest of the crew for Bumi's announcement.

The old king stepped out onto the terrace above them, his wild white hair poking up through his crown, his expression as effortlessly mad as always. Suki pulled a little closer to Sokka and asked, "Are you sure he's okay to make any kind of decision?"

Sokka put a comforting arm around her shoulder and coolly answered, "Sure he is. His methods are unorthodox, but on the whole, he's a reasonable kind of guy."

Then Bumi spoke, his old voice crackly but strong as it echoed through the courtyard. "I have determined that the next ruler of Omashu must be one who can listen to the voice of the earth." He then abruptly rode a pillar of earth down to the courtyard to stand before the large crowd that had gathered there.

He paced back and forth before them for a moment, fixing his eye at random on different individuals until they began to squirm nervously beneath his penetrating, yet slightly deranged gaze. The he stopped abruptly.

"Jing is the energy that fuels an earthbender's attacks," Bumi declared, then shouted, "Positive!"

With a wave of his arms he shot hundreds of rocks up into the sky where they exploded into starbursts like giant earthen fireworks.

As the dust began to fall onto the crowds, he shouted, "Negative!" and the dust suddenly disbursed away from them, leaving the air clear and clean.

Then he just stood there. After a few moments of complete silence and stillness, he stated, "Neutral," in a quiet voice. Then he took a few steps forward until he stood directly before Toph and asked, "Toph Bei Fong, what is neutral jing?"

"I am not going to play games with you, Bumi," Toph retorted. "Get on with your announcement."

Bumi's eyes grew bright and a huge smile creased his wrinkled face as he stood tall before them. "Correct! Positive jing for the attack, negative jing for the retreat, and neutral jing for doing nothing!" Bumi crowed. "Correct answer!" Then in a side note he stated, "Toph Bei Fong, you are now the ruler of Omashu," and turned to walk back up the steps.

A hush fell over the crowd at this abrupt announcement. Then Zuko suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the old king's arm to stop him. "Toph can't be the ruler of Omashu," he stated firmly. "She's the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation."

Bumi turned to face the young man, a combative glint coming to his eye. He shook free of Zuko's grasp. "Positive jing for the attack," Bumi declared coldly, shaking his shaggy white head back and forth menacingly. "Wrong answer."

Then with a wave of the old king's hand, the stone floor seemed to rise up around Zuko like a wave, surging over him, pulling him beneath the surface. The crowd gasped in terror, and Toph heard a voice—it sounded like Mai's—cry out his name.

Then the floor smoothed itself back into place with the soft grinding of massive rocks, settling heavily over the spot where Zuko had stood, leaving no sign that he'd ever been there at all.