Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

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

306. Chapter 306: March Army-Unknown enemy 1

Marching army/The unknown enemy

1

A new day. Another twenty-four hours of finding anything to occupy her time with, anything other than the strange feelings that didn't appear to belong to her. Feelings she couldn't pinpoint, feelings of righteousness and anger, of accomplishment and purpose… feelings that were odd and out of place when her own heart had been nothing but troubled, muddled and chaotic as of late.

She did her utmost not to act any differently than she had only a month ago. She wasn't sure if she had tricked either of her companions into believing nothing had changed inside her newly unsettled heart, but she certainly hoped so: the last thing Azula wanted to do was burden Rei and Song with unpleasant, difficult concerns that none of them, not even Azula herself, could figure out an answer for.

So she never brought up her worries, never talked thoroughly with either of them about her overwhelming insecurities. Long ago, she had dreaded that she might never be truly worthy of the man she loved. It was possible that his insecurities had, somehow, influenced her own… leading into a pointless race in which they had constantly done everything in their power to prove themselves worthy of the beautiful love and happiness they had shared. Whenever reality had knocked on their door, breaking off the illusions of a carelessly happy future, Azula's doubts would manifest in numerous ways, but there was always a part of her that clung to a smidge of fear: what if she truly wasn't worth everything Sokka had done for her? What if he was well and truly blind to the monster she was? What if one day he woke up with newfound clarity and saw her for who Azula knew herself to be…?

Such fears, she knew now, had been unfounded. The woman Sokka had loved long ago certainly had been much worthier of him than the one Azula had become ever since they had been torn away from each other.

Even so, she loved him beyond measure. Even so, she kept pondering how to save the child and ensure it found its way to its father. Whether or not he would still feel any love for her once he knew the full truth about her choices and actions, her battered and weak heart would always belong to him, and she trusted that he would do right by their baby, once it reached him.

Misery oozed from her whenever such thoughts crossed her mind, which forced her to focus on anything else, namely her two faithful companions, once they arrived: the three of them worked on their morning chores – Azula's bedmaking techniques were improving gradually, to her utmost pride. Then, once they finished their work, Rei would sit down to work on her studies with Azula and Song's help, if need be… though this time it appeared that she was handling her work quite easily, tearing through a large compendium of ideograms without so much as asking for their help.

Thus, Song and Azula had no mentoring to do that day. They were better off saving some energies, in case they decided to return to the house by nighttime and fix more of the flooring – after three visits, they had successfully applied Rei's trick to flip the floorboards on most the boards in the second floor, and perhaps another visit would see the work finished all across the rest of the house. For now, though, Azula and Song simply sat on the Princess's bed, with Azula's back propped against the cushions while the healer inspected her friend's body for any sign of trouble in her pregnancy.

"Your feet do look a little swollen," Song pointed out. Azula sighed and shrugged. "It's not too serious, but we'll have to keep tabs on that. Is it unpleasant to walk?"

"It's been that way for a while," Azula said. Song raised an eyebrow. "But it's not unbearable, no. I'll be fine, Song."

"I should hope so," said the healer, breathing deeply before cracking her knuckles.

"Are you… going to punch my feet better?" Azula asked, amused. Song chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm going to give you some chi-path massages," she said. Azula hummed. "Not too different from what I've done in your shoulder… if anything it should be a little less unpleasant than that. Seems like this swelling is this week's particularly annoying symptom, huh?"

"Yeah… I suppose so," Azula said, her voice quieter as she finished the sentence. She gritted her teeth, a hand falling upon her womb as Song's hands skillfully pressed the right positions on her calves to promote proper blood flow between her feet and the rest of her body. "Say… I know I ask this all the time, but is it really alright that I haven't felt any movement just yet?"

Song blinked blankly and raised her head. Azula grimaced, spreading her fingers on her growing bump.

"It just feels like… something ought to be happening by now," she said. "I mean, it looks like it's growing, that much is clear, but… I'm just worried something might be wrong."

"I know you are," Song said, a hand on Azula's knee. "And it's fair to be worried, but some babies aren't as responsive as others. We can do a few things to try and coax a response, but even if that didn't work, it wouldn't be evidence that something's wrong so far, okay?"

"If you say so," Azula sighed, sinking in the pillows and cushions. "I know I'm probably too much of a pessimist, but… I'm always braced for the worst-case scenario, I guess."

"You are, and that's not very healthy, Princess," Song said, with a weak grin. "I mean, it's okay to be braced for it, it's just not so good to be down on yourself over only expecting the worst-case scenario, right?"

"Can't say I know how to be more reasonable than that after everything that's happened," Azula said. Song shook her head.

"Guess what? Being down on yourself can be troublesome because your state of mind can affect the baby," Song said, poking Azula's forehead gently with a fingertip. Azula huffed in response. "Stress isn't good for the child, and if you keep fretting about it not moving around much… well, it won't help matters at all."

"Heh. Well, that's a tough position to be in, considering I've never been more stressed out in my life than throughout this pregnancy," Azula said, with a bitter smile. "Well, alright, maybe that's an exaggeration, there have been a few other moments that were worse before, but you understand what I mean…"

"I do, and I sympathize, but like I said… fretting about this might be detrimental, Azula," Song said, sitting back by Azula's calves once more. "Things are relatively calm these days, right? We're… stable, so to speak. At least the three of us are, four if you count Renkai. Your father hasn't caused any trouble recently, Xin Long may not be fully free but he's in better conditions than he was before… I know it's not the same as how things used to be, nothing ever could be, but it's still something, right?"

"I suppose," Azula sighed, rubbing her brow. "It makes little sense that I'm as stressed out as I am when it feels like nothing is happening, huh?"

"Well, that's not something I'll be too harsh on you for", Song said, with a sigh. "I'm not trying to scold you or so, I know exactly why you're so stressed out, so we should figure out a way to get your mind off what stresses you, be it the baby or anything else. So… yep. You need, as usual, a distraction."

"Shouldn't we wait a bit before our walk?" Azula asked. "We can visit Xin today, but my feet may be too swollen for walking much right now."

"Well, we can find other distractions before it's time to go," Song said, smiling before glancing at Rei. "Such as…"

The youngest of the three of them raised her head when they fell silent, quickly noticing Song's gaze was upon her. Song grinned at her, and Rei blinked blankly.

"Yes?" she said.

"Want some help with your studies? Sounds like Azula could use focusing on you rather than on everything else," Song suggested. Rei hummed.

"Well… I'm mostly trying to learn new ideograms today," she said, with a shy smile. "Though I think I'm understanding them better lately."

"That's good to know," Azula smiled too, gazing at her adoptive daughter fondly. Rei's grin gained more enthusiasm over Azula's approval.

"You have expanded your vocabulary quite a lot by now, haven't you?" Song mused, tapping her chin as she eyed Rei carefully. Rei blushed and shrugged.

"W-well, it's not as good as either of yours, I'm sure, b-but yes, it's much better than it was…" she mumbled, her voice smaller with every word she said. Song chuckled and climbed off Azula's bed.

"Then I have an idea. Something fun we can do to see how far you've come, no less!" she declared, rushing over to the cabinets where the Princess kept the blank pages for Rei's calligraphy practice.

Azula watched Song with a crooked eyebrow, unsure that her attempts to distract her would pay off… only to realize that, by behaving quite so enigmatically about what she wanted Rei to do, she succeeded at making Azula change her focus away from her troubles. A small smile spread over Azula's lips as she folded her arms over her chest, waiting as Song and Rei discussed something quietly, after Song handed the paper over to the younger girl. A moment passed and Song turned to Azula with a bright grin while Rei blushed again… smiling, too.

"It has been decided: on this grand, momentous day… Rei shall write her very first letter!" Song declared pompously. Azula raised her eyebrows inquisitively, as Rei laughed shyly behind Song.

"Is that so?" Azula asked. "Well, well. Who shall this letter be addressed to, if I may ask?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Song smiled at her before turning towards Rei again. The younger woman eyed her expectantly, and Song patted her shoulder gently. "Alright, just write whatever you want to. Make it long, make it brief… it's up to you."

"You'll check it for errors before I deliver it…?" Rei asked softly.

"You're the writer, I'm the messenger, so I will be the one to deliver it. And sure, I can check it first, but I already know it'll be just fine," she said, smiling fondly at Rei and jerking her head towards the desk. "Hop to it, then."

Rei smiled expectantly, nodding before turning once more towards her papers, ink and brush. Azula watched her from her bed, and her skeptical gaze fell upon Song, who grinned deviously in her direction. It was clear to Azula that there wasn't a single genuinely wicked bone in the healer's body, it always had been… but her time as Wen had certainly changed her in more ways than expected. She was far more confident, mischievous… there was a certainty to her that had been absent before. Azula wasn't sure whether it was merely the echoes of her Wen persona, rippling through her soul… or if, perhaps, Song's losses and struggles had done a number on her, no matter if, deep down, she was still the warm, kindhearted girl she and Sokka had found in the Capital's slave market, so long ago.

"You don't have to look at me like that," Song laughed, no doubt self-aware while under Azula's scrutiny. "This will be great!"

"I'm sure it will be. I'm just wondering what Rei's first letter will look like," Azula said, smiling and folding her arms over her chest. "And I suppose that's why you're in such a good mood right now. You've successfully distracted me after all, huh?"

"You shouldn't underestimate my talents, Princess," Song declared smugly, and Azula laughed off her boast, shaking her head.

It took Rei about ten minutes to compose her letter, time enough for Azula to settle into waiting placidly as she rested against her bed's pillows, looking forward to reading what the young woman would compose. Rei had improved plenty in terms of reading and writing, but Song's idea would certainly test the girl like nothing else had before. So far, Azula had checked Rei's writing daily, correcting any of her mistakes, but the contents of what she wrote were typically related to academic pursuits. The freedom to write something from scratch for the first time ever might result in a rather interesting letter, Azula reasoned. Maybe she could encourage Rei to start writing her own diary or journal, if she wanted to do so… Azula guessed there wouldn't be too much for the girl to write, considering that most their days seemed to be quite similar to each other, but…

"Wonderful! I see no mistakes, so… I guess it's time for me to play messenger hawk," Song's voice brought Azula back from her latest ruminations, and her heart jolted slightly as the healer smiled cleverly at her.

"Experiencing being Hawky for the first time in your life, are you?" she asked. Song chuckled as Rei rose from her desk, wiping the smudges of ink from her hands with a wet rag.

"You had a messenger hawk before?" Rei said, smiling as Song closed the letter into a scroll carefully. "You mentioned this Hawky back at the house when we first went there, but…"

"Yeah, though it was Sokka's hawk, not mine. Still… I ended up using him more than he did," Song reasoned.

"As you heard the other day, Song's mother is in Ba Sing Se," Azula said, and Rei hummed, eyes wide with interest. "They've had a few chances to meet ever since we learned the truth, but… generally, that was how they communicated."

"Hawky should still be in Ba Sing Se, I imagine," Song said, with a sad smile. "I'd be foolish and wonder if maybe someday she'll send a message with him again, but… it's pointless to wonder about that. So… in his absence, it's clear I have to be the one to deliver urgent messages, so here I come!"

Azula couldn't suppress a smile as Song took long, dramatic strides towards the bed. She bowed forward in an exaggerated reverence, offering the scroll with a flourish of her hand. Azula raised her gaze towards Rei, thanking her silently on one hand, and on the other, checking if the young woman was as amused by Song's behavior as she was. That Rei would be covering her mouth with a hand, giggling to herself, answered that question all on its own.

"Well, then, thank you very much for the delivery, Song, and thank you, as well, for conveying this message to me, Rei," Azula said, nodding in their direction as she clasped the letter carefully.

Azula unfolded the scroll delicately, clearing her throat as she did. Her amusement receded gradually upon reading the letter's text, however, replaced by a profoundly different emotion…

A mushroom, a small bell, a whetstone, an oyster, a plant.

Honor, manners, wise, beautiful, inspire.

The first words you taught me, the first words I could write.

The feeling that lives in my heart since that day grows big and loud.

Thank you for helping me discover who I am.

Thank you for teaching me with kindness.

Thank you for welcoming me into your family.

Thank you for being my mother.

The letter was short, direct and utterly sincere. It wasn't addressed, neither was it signed… it was almost a poem rather than a letter. Its contents notwithstanding, there were a few things Rei might need to learn in case she had to send letters in the future, and Azula would certainly explain them…

Right after she stopped crying, that was.

"E-eh…!" Rei gasped, her growing anticipation suddenly shattering as the Princess, her adoptive mother, covered her mouth with a hand. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks before she knew it, and Rei winced in place. "D-did I make a mistake…? Princess…!"

"Azula?" Song smiled weakly, stepping closer and rubbing the Princess's back. "Are you…?"

"I'm… fine!" Azula managed to exclaim, slightly more loudly than she had intended to speak. Rei blinked blankly. "I'm… I don't know what's wrong with me, I wasn't trying to cry, I…! T-this is just…! I-I can't…! R-Rei, it's… it's very good, you have nothing to… n-nothing to worry about…!"

Song snorted and laughed, sitting beside Azula and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, reeling her in for a one-armed hug. Even with misty eyes, Azula seemed to want to continue reading the letter over and over again, hands shaking with her sobs too.

"W-what the hell is the matter with me…?" Azula managed to say, and Song chuckled as she squeezed her gently.

"You already know: it's your mood swings, Princess," she said. "This triggered an emotional reaction and… well, it was a little more powerful than you were ready to process just yet. If anything, that most your mood swings had been tearless so far was kind of a surprise…"

"Oh, I feel so… so stupid, I can't even read it again because I'm crying…!" Azula groaned, rubbing her eyes with the heel of a hand as Rei approached, with a guilty smile.

"I… guess I should have written something less emotional," she said. "Sorry about that, heh…"

"N-no, no, this is… it's a very good letter. It's… t-thank you. It's so… it's so… I don't even know how to describe it, I just… I really like it," Azula said, pressing the paper to her chest. "What the hell is the matter with me, damn it…"

"I think… it's probably called motherhood," Song said, clapping Azula's back gently as Rei laughed softly at her assessment. "Guess you'll have to get used to it."

"I… I'll try," Azula said, managing a weak smile between all her tears: truth be told, if motherhood would be comprised by sudden bursts of affection towards her children, bursts that would coax such joyful emotions in her battered soul, maybe the hardships it entailed as well would prove to be worth it.

"I thought maybe I could start calling you my mother, b-but I wasn't sure about how to do it," Rei admitted, with a shy smile. "I know I'm really grown, so… I guess it's a little weird, isn't it?"

"Rei…" Azula said, breathing deeply and dabbing at her eyes in the hopeless attempt to stem the tide of the tear onslaught. "It's entirely your choice to… t-to call me what you will. Even… 'moody harpy' would be fine and good if you wanted to…"

"Wha…? No! I wouldn't call you that, ever!" Rei gasped, horrified as Song burst into laughter while Azula smiled between the tears.

"If you… if you truly see me as your mother, how could I see it as anything but one of the greatest honors I've been given?" she said, with a soft laugh again. "Thank you. I… thank you, for this. I'm sorry I'm a weepy mess, curses, I should be above acting like this…"

"You always have such high expectations for yourself…" Song smiled, patting Azula's head. "You're allowed to be emotional, more so when you're pregnant and your daughter called you her mother for the first time. Perfectly natural things, right?"

"I… I suppose," Azula said, smiling as she looked at the letter again.

The journey she'd been on upon meeting Rei had been odd, to say the least… but she truly treasured the young woman from the depths of her battered heart. It remained broken to this day, she wouldn't ever pretend otherwise… but Rei had proven to be the most welcome balm upon her soul, easing the pain little by little… and perhaps paving the way for proper healing someday, if the opportunity presented itself. It wasn't very likely to happen, Azula knew as much, but still…

"Then… is it really an okay letter?" Rei asked, biting her lip. "I've never sent one before… I don't know what they're like, o-other than, w-well…"

"Other than the one I wrote that you read by mistake?" Azula asked. Rei bit her lip and nodded. "That's not much of a basis for… for learning how to write a letter, sorry to say. It was more than a little unorthodox. Anyway, uh… usually you write the name of whoever it's addressed to, and you sign with your own name. Which, I suppose, you kind of did…"

"Oh… heh. I guess so," Rei smiled, as Azula traced a finger over the ideogram for gratitude, Rei's chosen name.

"But that's really all there is to correct, heh. It's… it's one of the best letters I've ever read, for sure," Azula nodded firmly, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes again. Rei smiled, cheeks flushed with delight.

"I… I can write more of them, then? N-not to make you cry, that is! I-I will write about something else next time, like… the dragon moose, or maybe the weather, or…"

"I fear anything you write is bound to move me to tears when my emotions are all over the place because of pregnancy," Azula said, with a guilty smile. "But you're welcome to try. I'd like to think I'll be rational again someday, but hell knows if that's going to happen."

"Probably after the baby's born," Song said, smiling fondly at Azula, who sighed and eyed Song skeptically. "Okay, to be fair, a while after the baby is born. Probably about two months, if you're lucky, or…"

"That's really how long it's going to be before I get ahold of myself?" Azula asked, grimacing. Song chuckled and shrugged. "Oh, goodness…"

"You'll be okay. You're going to learn to level your own emotions, and as you're you, you're probably going to do it way faster than anyone else ever does, so don't worry, Princess," Song said. "For now, just keep in mind that we love you and…"

"No, no, please don't say anything too nice or I might start crying again…" Azula groaned, and Song laughed before squeezing her in another one-armed hug, urging Rei to join in as well.

The shy girl let out a soft laugh before joining in: choosing the right moment to call Azula her mother hadn't been easy, even if it seemed a small thing to worry about, all in all. More than anything, she had feared the Princess might reject it, due to her own admitted uncertainty regarding the title back in the temple, on the day their legal relationship had become official. It was clear to Rei that motherhood wasn't something the Princess took for granted… but it didn't change that, out of all the adults who could have ever called themselves her parents, the only one who had actually taken her time to raise her, to care for her personally, to teach her valuable lessons and show her a wider world than the one she had ever known, was her…

Thus, Rei gave herself to that triple embrace gladly, and all three women were laughing together before long. To think she had first entered this room to find a miserable princess, wrapped in sheets and blankets, seemingly hiding from the world… and now, that princess was no less than Rei's mother, hugging her tightly as she experienced strong emotions that, as far as Rei knew, she had never expected to feel again after her life had fallen apart…

The Princess wound up needing to wash her face properly afterwards, and she couldn't help but keep laughing at the ridiculousness of her emotional outburst on her way to the bathroom. Song smiled fondly at her as Azula marched off, rubbing her face with her hands.

"I'll try to write a different kind of letter next time," Rei said, smiling a little. Song chuckled.

"If you don't want her to cry, sure, but like she said… she might just cry over anything and everything, at this rate," Song said, smiling at Rei. "You didn't do anything wrong, Rei."

"I… didn't really think I had, strangely," Rei admitted, with another soft laugh. "I mean, I worried a little, but… I guess I'm not that scared of messing up when I'm with the two of you. Not anymore, anyway."

"That's good. Guess you've finally understood that we're all messy here, in our own ways," Song said, smiling kindly at her. Rei raised her eyebrows.

"You're quite tidy, though…" she said. Song waved a dismissive hand in her direction.

"Only with physical, tangible, material things. Up here though… eh?" Song said, pointing at her head. Rei couldn't help but laugh as her friend flipped her hand back and forth. "Must be because Wen and Song are at constant conflict, two people in the same body…!"

"That sounds scary," Rei laughed. Song grinned too.

"I suppose it does, eh? Oh, well," she smiled, shrugging carelessly. "Either way, it's a sad learned behavior to always think you're to blame whenever something goes wrong around you. You're a good kid, probably one of the best I've met… and yes, I'll continue to call you a kid up until your birthday comes around. I might even keep doing it afterwards, frankly… it's weird for us to call you a child when you'll be a fully legal woman so soon, isn't it? But…"

"But you can't help it?" Rei asked, amused. Song sighed and hung her head. "Well… it's probably because of everything you've been through, and how little I have, that even I feel like you both are, well…"

"Oh? Older than we really are?" Song asked. Rei winced. "Is that what you're insinuating…?"

"N-not that you look it…! It's because of your wisdom, that's why!" Rei exclaimed, cheeks red. Once again, Song couldn't help but smile at the younger woman's bashful reaction. "I'm only saying…!"

Her attempts to clear up her words were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, followed by it swinging inwards, with no more warning than that. Song and Rei glanced at the door immediately, instinctively guarded even if there was nothing to worry about right now, not when Azula was in the bathroom and their conversations were largely insignificant…

"Lady Wen, Rei," Renkai entered the room, his voice stern. "The Princess…?"

"In the bathroom right now," Song said, raising her eyebrows. "Is something…?"

Her question was answered before she could finish uttering it: a young, nervous servant stood at the door, gazing into the dark room with frightful, dark eyes.

"E-excuse the intrusion…" the young man said, bowing his head towards Song and Rei. "I won't take much of your time, I only… I only wanted to ask if you happened to know where Crown Prince Zhao might be? C-Captain Renkai has already told me he's not here, but I thought maybe…"

"Prince Zhao?" Song repeated. "He has rooms of his own now. You would be more likely to find him there than here."

"He hasn't used his room in days," the servant said. Song grimaced. "I hoped… it might be because he reconciled with the Princess, but I suppose that didn't happen…"

"What's the matter?"

The servant paled immediately when Azula stepped out of the bathroom, running a hand over her hair. Her previous emotional disposition appeared to have been frozen over, and her stoic business façade had taken its place. The change was surprising, though Rei noticed the light trembling of the Princess's hand as she leveled the question at the servant.

"P-Princess," the servant said: Rei raised an eyebrow, noticing the man seemed terrified of speaking with Azula. "I-I only… d-do excuse me, I… I will be on my way now…"

"He wanted to know where Admiral Zhao is," Rei said. The servant froze, raising his gaze at her in panic: Rei offered him what she hoped was a friendly smile, expecting Azula's reaction upon hearing the servant's inquiry would prove to him that the Princess wasn't whatever monster he had made up in his mind.

"Zhao?" Azula repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Has he done something wrong?"

"M-merely… he hasn't been seen in the Palace, a-and the Fire Lord requires him for an urgent meeting."

"Urgent?" Azula blinked blankly: an immediate impulse to ask about the contents of the meeting took hold of her heart… only for her to dismiss it quickly. There was no point in displaying any interest in Ozai and Zhao's personal business: if this was any manner of trap, by either of those two, she would do best not to leap into it. "Well, I'm afraid he's not here. Perhaps ask the guards by the gates, they may have logs of when he took off on his last incursion outside the Palace."

"R-right. I could… uh, b-but would he have told them where he was going?" the servant asked, before flinching and covering his mouth. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to say… excuse me. I'll be on my way. You've been of much assistance, I…"

"You want to know if we can think of any place where he might be?" Rei asked, cutting off the servant's diatribe. Azula raised an eyebrow at her adoptive daughter, briefly wondering if perhaps the young woman saw herself, her past behavior, reflected in this nervous servant's trembling figure.

"I… well, if you happen to have any clues, I…" said the servant, eyeing Rei warily.

The servant welcomed any hints about Zhao's likeliest whereabouts… but Azula, for some reason, hadn't felt like offering them. Perhaps it was over unwillingness to cause further chaos by revealing Zhao's worst habits to people who might have been unaware of them… yet Rei had never been ashamed of her origins for what they were, only of her personal shortcomings, or what she perceived as such. And nowadays, with her renewed courage and confidence, it seemed that all that shame had faded from her heart entirely:

"The Scarlet Oasis. In Hong Qu district," Rei said, simply. The servant's hopeful gaze shifted into immediate distaste – Rei wasn't fazed by it. "He might not be there, but it's one place to look."

"I-I… I see," the servant mumbled.

He lowered his head, but he dared shoot a glance at Azula, one that the Princess met directly with her own gaze: was that… compassion? Did he feel sorry for her upon learning that her husband had been visiting houses of ill repute? He tore his eyes from hers quickly, though, bowing his head gratefully towards Rei.

"Thank you. I… thank you for your aid, truly," he said, nodding before turning quickly on his heels.

Nobody spoke as the man rushed down the corridor without saying anything else. Even then, Rei felt all three sets of eyes upon her, no matter if no one dared speak out loud until the man was well and truly gone.

"You… didn't need to tell him that much," Azula said, though she wasn't reprimanding her. Rei blushed.

"Maybe. But… it didn't seem like I shouldn't have, either," Rei said, biting her lip. "He's the Crown Prince, isn't he? And the Fire Lord needed him, urgently. If someone you regard as a figure of authority needs something from you, there's no excuse to ignore them."

"Well, he is being ridiculously irresponsible," Azula acknowledged. "But you're usually not quite… confrontational about him and his behavior, I suppose. I'm not against it at all, it's only… are you alright, Rei?"

"I'm fine," Rei said, with a small smile. "Are you worried this will harm your reputation, Princess? If it's known that he was…"

"My reputation? Do I still have one at all?" Azula asked, amused. "I'm not worried about that. Though… I do suspect Zhao won't be particularly grateful to be dragged back to the Palace if that servant does find him. It's possible the servant will know better than to talk about whatever he sees or wherever he finds Zhao at… but if someone's worried about protecting their reputation, it's certainly Zhao, not me."

"If he thinks visiting Hong Qu will reflect poorly on him, maybe he should stop going there," Rei said, with a shrug. Azula snorted and smiled, patting the young woman's shoulder.

"So straightforward… and yet you're not wrong," Azula admitted. "Either way, it's possible he's elsewhere. And even if he's not, I don't think we'll learn about whatever tantrum he'll throw if he's found. Frankly, I…"

"Yes?" Rei encouraged Azula to finish her sentence, but the Princess smiled and shook her head.

"Never mind," she said, dismissively: the fact that her father had requested a meeting with Zhao, urgently, worried her above all else. She didn't know what they would be discussing, but she certainly hoped it was nothing along the lines of having learned that Sokka was alive, somehow…

"Do you think the Fire Lord would be upset about finding out Admiral Zhao was in Hong Qu?" Rei asked, gazing at Azula with uncertainty. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"I can't say, but he didn't seem particularly surprised about your connection to Zhao when he summoned me to his study after I adopted you," Azula said. "I'm guessing he either already knew the truth since long ago, and that means it's likely that he unraveled it on his own, since Zhao wasn't exactly keen on sharing the truth with anyone, or Zhao must have told him about it when he ran to him with the story in the first place. Either way… he knows you're Zhao's daughter, even if he never acknowledged you as such. He seemed to suspect that knowledge of our new relationship could be a stain upon my reputation too, and I told him that didn't concern me, so…"

"He might already know about Hong Qu," Rei said, nodding. "Then… if the Fire Lord didn't get upset about you adopting me, when he knew I came from Hong Qu, Admiral Zhao shouldn't be ashamed about being there now, and he should have never been ashamed of it in the first place."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Azula reasoned, as Rei bit her lip. "I won't pretend his latest erratic behavior isn't my fault, on great measure…"

"It's not," both Rei and Song said in unison, and Azula smiled before clasping Rei's shoulder.

"I just hope you know that only a colossal fool could ever be ashamed to call you their daughter," Azula said, earnestly. "I haven't even been able to call you that for too long, myself, but… it's still true."

Rei blinked for a moment, raising her hopeful gaze at the Princess. A slow smile spread across her face, just as tears blinked in the corners of her eyes…

"N-now you're the one who's going to make me cry…" Rei said, with a soft laugh. Azula grimaced.

"Oh, no. If you start crying, I'll start crying all over again, and…"

"Oh, boy. Too many simultaneous waterworks are probably not a good idea, Renkai and I will get affected too…" Song laughed, shaking her head as Rei stepped forward, hugging Azula tightly.

Azula chuckled as well, embracing Rei just as snugly. If the young woman shed any tears upon hearing her sole legal parent speaking of her with such pride, they were accompanied by smiles all the same, just as Azula's own emotional reactions seemed to come from a place of affection rather than sadness, for once…

Just so, something inside her stirred. Something she had no control over.

It was but a small, subtle sensation, and it ended just as quickly as it began.

Even so, Azula sensed it and gasped.

"Azula?" Song reacted quickly, her amusement receding instantly. "Did something…?"

"Move?" the Princess finished Song's sentence by changing its course, startling her healer. Song raised her eyebrows as Azula touched her prominent womb, once Rei pulled away slightly. "I… I don't rightly know, but… it felt like it did."

Rei gasped, her face brightening even more as she raised a hand towards Azula's belly. She stopped short of touching it… so it was Azula herself who placed Rei's hand upon the bump, biting her lip before sighing in defeat.

"It's too difficult to tell, isn't it?" she said. Rei laughed and nodded. "An expert's opinion is necessary… I really don't know if it was bowel movement or if something really happened, you know?"

Song smiled and stepped forward, her hand joining those of Azula and Rei upon Azula's bump. They waited for a moment, patiently, all of them in perfect silence while Renkai, curious, watched them from the door's threshold…

"Nothing, huh?" Azula said, with a weak smile. "I guess it was a false alarm…"

"I'm not so sure," Song said, patting the bump gently. "If it were, like you said, anything related to your digestive system, we might be feeling it still. I might be crazy to assume that, but I think… it's bound to have been the baby."

"Then…?" Azula gasped, gazing at Song hopefully. Her friend smiled and nodded encouragingly: Azula gritted her teeth. "Shit, what is going on today? Everything makes me…"

She couldn't finish the sentence before both Rei and Song embraced her tightly: she wound up crying, in relief and hope, upon both their shoulders as the two of them cheered on the baby to move some more. Azula couldn't seem to choose between laughter and tears at that point, clutching both of her companions tightly. Renkai couldn't contain a smile of his own before closing the door, giving them further privacy.

Maybe the baby would move some more… maybe it would do it soon. If it did, her worries would have proved unnecessary, and all would be on the right course for the near future after all. Song didn't waste time getting started with the methods she had told Azula about earlier, hoping they might help the child to move some more by communicating in different ways, and they would spend most the day trying them out… succeeding only on occasion, and inevitably celebrating every time any of them detected any semblance of motion.

She never had imagined she would ever be quite so taken with her children, both the one she had adopted and the one she was still carrying inside her… but Azula welcomed the feelings gladly. Not that long ago, she had felt dead in life, believing herself lost, lacking in purpose, still breathing out of sheer reflex rather than any genuine will to live… and both Rei and her yet-to-be-born sibling had changed that, profoundly.

Azula barely remembered her woes when she faced sparks of joy with her loved ones: Song's clever solution to distract her, as ever, had paid off perfectly. Where she had been dreading seeing Sokka again, out of fear of no longer being worthy of him, now she couldn't wait to share the stories of these moments with him, knowing he would be relieved to learn that she had found purpose in life, enough to finally believe it was worth living once more.

---

It was the moment of truth. Sokka clutched the saddle with undeniable nervousness, standing by the side of the large moose-lion... and Foo-Foo eyed him skeptically as he grimaced helplessly.

"All your friends and family already let other people do this, Foo-Foo… and you, the first of your kind to strike a bargain with a human, refuses to do it?" Sokka asked, with a dry grin. "Come on… work with me here, will you?"

Foo-Foo grunted, and Sokka pouted. The Gladiator shrugged and turned around, so that Foo-Foo would see that the saddle was nowhere near his back right now. Sokka huffed, unsure of how much more food he'd have to use to bribe the creature… Foo-Foo was already stuffing himself happily while Sokka stood beside him, glaring at the moose-lion reproachfully over his shoulder.

Maybe he should just go about it casually. Yes, he could step up and place the saddle delicately while pretending it was no big deal, couldn't he? If that didn't work, he'd just ask someone else to do something to entertain Foo-Foo, and then he'd have the perfect opportunity to buckle on the saddle…

He breathed out, shaking his head. Why on earth had it been so easy with the others? The rest of the moose-lion pack had already accepted their respective saddles, with proper reins fastened over their antlers, across the past week… whereas Foo-Foo had only allowed Sokka to fasten the reins the previous day, and he had nearly shoved them off immediately afterwards, too. Sokka had tried to strap the saddle on Foo-Foo's back ever since the workshops had provided the custom saddles for him and his allies… but to this day, he struggled with setting it up without incurring on the creature's wrath.

There was nothing more to be done, though. He had brought lots of food, he had been as nice to Foo-Foo as possible… he couldn't continue to waste time at this point. How would he be a respectable leader for a whole army if he was the only one who couldn't get his steed ready, for crying out loud?

It was possible that he wouldn't even need the saddle all that desperately, but with the plans they were preparing, it was a certainty that he would need it eventually. Riding Foo-Foo wouldn't be completely safe regardless of the circumstances, especially if Foo-Foo was running at full speed… a saddle would help a lot, and it would also help him ride with another person whenever he was forced to ride with company. Thus, he just had to…

Foo-Foo grunted immediately when he raised the saddle again, and Sokka groaned and dropped it, outright, in resignation.

"Alright, fine. You win. No saddle for the big bad moose-lion," Sokka huffed, running his hands over his face as he marched away from the creature.

A mischievous, cruel laugh reached him, and Sokka scowled in its direction, knowing the woman's mirth would have only increased if she could have seen the expression on his face. Toph seemed to be relaxing plenty right now, snacking on the contents of a bag of food she had brought from Omashu while sensing Sokka's futile attempts to set up the saddle on Foo-Foo's back.

"Yeah, yeah, some big General I'll be if I can't even get my mount ready," Sokka huffed, marching towards her, sitting by her side on the rock she had propped up for her use. "You don't have to rub it in."

"And you don't have to sulk so much. I thought that was Zuko's job, not yours, oh great Gladiator General," Toph said, elbowing his armored flank. "So what if it doesn't want a saddle? You've ridden this punk without it before."

"You're supposed to ride him with me at one point, damn it. A crucial point, too," Sokka said, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "I can't pretend I'll be as capable of pulling you up on his back if there's no saddle to ensure that I'll stay on my spot properly. And besides, it means more security, and that's a good thing to have when you're about to march out to total war."

"Total war, you say?" Toph asked. "You really think Ba Sing Se's going to be that much more of a mess than Omashu was?"

"I know it will be," Sokka said, grimacing. "Jeong Jeong seems to think we should aim towards conquering it in a single day as well, but short of starting at the break of dawn and wrapping up at midnight, I can't pretend I'm all that confident that we'll make things work that quickly. Governor Tiang is a military leader of his own, he's not bound to be nearly as easy to defeat as Ukano was…"

"And there's the city's layout, blah blah blah…" Toph said, dismissively. "Don't get me wrong, Dog, it's going to be tricky… but I don't think you need to be so freaked out about it. You've pulled off crazier stuff before, haven't you?"

"What, Omashu?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "The defense of the South Pole?"

"Pfft, no: you beat me, that's way harder than everything else you've done," Toph said, smirking proudly. Sokka scoffed.

"Well, to be fair, it did take me much longer to prepare for that, and I had to try it several times because you kept winning… so I guess you might have a point, pesky Blind Bandit," Sokka grunted. Toph snickered proudly.

"It's a little weird that we've wound up here after all that, don't you think?" she asked, a small smile spreading across her face. "You know I was never much of a nationalist… I didn't care one bit about whatever happened in the Earth Kingdom as long as I could fight strong people. But somehow…"

"Somehow, having a full earthbending squad at your beck and call has changed that?" Sokka asked, slightly amused. Toph snickered again.

"Colonel Toph Beifong does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" she smirked. Sokka smiled and shrugged.

"Better than General Sokka, I suppose," he said.

"Eh… probably. Sucks that I have to report to you, though. Just imagine what things would be like if I'd been the one to beat Combustion Man first… they'd all call me the Gladiator, and it'd be General Toph and Colonel Sokka. Much more suitable…"

"Is it, really?"

"You're always saying you can't get used to it, and now you're going to defend your fancy new title? Seriously, Sokka, pick an opinion and stick by it already."

Sokka chuckled, shaking his head and burying his face in his hands. As much as she enjoyed antagonizing him, Toph smiled fondly and elbowed him once again, not quite that hard this time.

"It's not that weird when they just call me the Blue Wolf," Sokka said. "A bit odd still for it to be Gladiator, just like that, but… that's better than General anyhow. That doesn't mean I'd entrust all strategizing and leadership to you, though, just so you know…"

"You should, though. I'd be better at it than you," Toph declared, beaming. Sokka scoffed.

"Remind me again: who's the one who outsmarted you in the Arena that last time he fought you there?"

"Pfft, after all those attempts, sure. It's not like you could do it all along…"

"First person to draw blood from you in the Arena?"

"I'm the first one who beat you, for that matter!"

"And I'm… the second who beat you, I suppose. First if you count the Race, though,"

"Bah, you're just drunk on power. You want to be General so badly, but there's this little part of you that just makes you think you have to stay humble, hell knows why…"

"Because… I don't even know. It doesn't feel right to think myself much bigger than I am," Sokka said, shaking his head. "At the end of the day, I'm just one guy."

"Pretty sure you and I both know someone who'd be very quick to shoot down that nonsense of yours," Toph smirked. "Just one guy, yeah, sure… one guy who rallied a whole gang of gladiators under the same banner?"

"We don't really have a banner just yet, though…"

"And then there's all those girls, the Enforcers?" Toph smirked. "Not to mention… King Bumi's recruitment efforts have been pretty funny. Instead of telling his people to join the White Lotus, he keeps telling them to join you. I overheard some White Lotus guys whining that they expected more recruits and that most of them have signed on with us instead. So… yeah, you have an army, you gathered them on your own terms, they think you're amazing, and you're still so stubborn and want to pretend you're just 'one guy'. As if."

"Well, fine, then. I'm one guy who got very lucky, in many ways," Sokka said, breathing deeply as his gaze traveled across the horizon, taking in the outskirts of Omashu.

The arid terrains in which the city had been erected featured resources for the city in the areas of the valleys and rivers near the mountains… but it certainly lacked enough resources to feed a whole, growing army. The fortress, for all of Jeong Jeong's former whining, helped the city by bolstering their stocks, ensuring the army would have enough food, armor and weapons to move forward… that gathering of resources was, on great measure, what had delayed their departure to the next battlegrounds where they'd wage war against the Fire Nation.

Organizing an army of this size took much more work than Sokka had ever faced before. Each soldier had to be accounted for, their troops numbered, identified depending on their specialties in order to ensure they knew what kinds of forces they could count on. Benders, Sokka realized, were not nearly as useful as part of a full rush of an army as non-bending fighters, thus, he had procured to separate all kinds of benders and nonbenders in specific teams and squads. Toph, naturally, was the chosen commanding officer for earthbending troops, a key squad that would open the way forward once they reached Ba Sing Se and their next great battle commenced.

There had been little to no respite for them across the past weeks, something Sokka could only be grateful for. The others, he suspected, weren't quite so thrilled about the hectic pace at which they had to prepare for a major assault on a large city, but he didn't want to rest at all, not after the unbearably long period in which their progress had hit a severe snag while in the White Lotus Fortress. If he had any way of ensuring that the time that had gone to waste in the fortress hadn't been crucial, critical, in his efforts to do right by Azula and the whole world, maybe his anxiety would diminish… but for now, he only wanted to keep moving forward.

Such thoughts urged him to get on with saddling up Foo-Foo, and he stared at the creature almost begrudgingly as it continued to feast in the food Sokka had brought him earlier. They wouldn't set out for a few days yet, but Sokka had resolved to fasten that saddle today, come what may.

"Some lucky guy you are for sure, even swaying the White Lotus into as good as worshipping you after they hated your guts. Totally a matter of luck, nothing else," Toph smirked, shaking her head.

"They don't worship me…" Sokka huffed, grimacing.

"Jeong Jeong thinks highly of you now, doesn't he? I bet you're the center of all the bigshot meetings now," Toph snickered. "And then there's the low-ranked runts who used to curse you and everything connected to you, talking big about how they'd kick your ass if they had the chance…"

"Did they, really?" Sokka raised his eyebrows, unsurprised and unamused by Toph's revelation.

"Now most of them are all eating their words and trying to cover up for them like the dumbasses they are, so you don't have to fret much about them," Toph smirked. "Though one of the annoying guys I've overheard talking shit about you is a waterbender, like your new best friend, you know? You'd better be careful not to let him get corrupted by that guy's stupidity all over again…"

"My what, now?" Sokka blinked blankly. Toph huffed.

"You know, your new best friend?" she said, with a teasingly exhausted voice. "The northern waterbender guy. Is he going to be in our group, or is he sticking with the White Lotus? I didn't hear anything about that so far…"

"Anorak?" Sokka confirmed his guess with Toph's nod, and he shook his head afterwards. "He's White Lotus, one of their higher-ranked officers. There's not that many waterbenders among them, most of them have traveled south from the Northern Water Tribe, as far as I understand, and he's their leader."

"So, he has to stick with them, heh. Too bad, I bet he'd rather hang out with you," Toph said. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"I doubt it, and he's not my best friend," Sokka said, matter-of-factly. Toph hummed.

"Oh, really?" she said, biting her lip. "Well, then… heh. I bet I know who your real best friend is."

"I'm pretty sure everyone knows that…" Sokka said, skeptical. Toph smirked.

"Don't know if everyone does, but I know for sure… that it's Haru."

Sokka winced, staring at Toph in utmost confusion as she smirked proudly at him, arms crossed over her chest. Sokka let out a soft laugh before shaking his head.

"You're so ridiculous," he said. Toph huffed.

"What, you're trying to say I'm wrong? Then… oh, I bet it's Song! And, well, if it is Song I can't even get mad about it, she's one of the few people out there worth respecting, so…"

"I mean, it's great that you think so highly of her, but that's also not…"

"Then the guard guy! Uh… Rui Shi, was it? Yeah, that was his name!" Toph snickered. "Sorry, he and I weren't exactly close, you know? I must have talked with him like… five times altogether, or so."

"Well, he wasn't exactly approachable and… he's about your absolute opposite, come to think of it," Sokka smiled. "Anyway, you really are about to keep guessing and guessing just for the sake of poking fun at me, I take it?"

"Hey, now. You need to lighten up a bit, everyone agrees on that," Toph said, relaxing on the rock with her hands behind her head. "We're finally making good progress and you know it. It's what you've wanted… what we've been going for, for all this time. So… yes, you'll reunite with your true, ultimate, greatest best friend sooner than you know, at this rate. You might as well be a little more enthusiastic about it, right?"

"I… I am, in some ways," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "But every time I let myself think of what Ozai has put her through, I just…"

"Oh, come on, Ty Lee will be fine…"

"Could you stop pretending I'm talking about anyone other than Azula?" Sokka finally cracked, resulting in Toph cackling madly, rolling on her side as Sokka smirked reproachfully at her. "You're a pain, Dirt Worm…"

"See what I mean when I say you should lighten up?" Toph chuckled. "Ah, and I didn't even get to play my final Mahjong tile, either. You know, claiming it was me! That would've made you feel guilty right before admitting it's her, you know…"

"No, it wouldn't have," Sokka said, bluntly. Toph huffed.

"Oh, really, now? So that's how it is? Is our friendship as one-sided as that?" Toph asked. Sokka scowled skeptically at her as she huffed, her bangs swaying over the puff of air she released. "That's cruel of you, Dog, I tell you…"

"It's not," Sokka declared, simply. "Because we both know that your best friend is Azula, too. You would have told me so, point-blank, to subvert my expectations if I'd been dumb enough to feel guilty when I told you it was her. And then you would have made fun of me all over again for having wanted to spare your actually unhurt feelings. Am I right, or am I right?"

"Heeeey… you can't keep ruining my fun this way, Sokka, it's not fair," Toph complained, before smiling slightly. Sokka couldn't help but smile, too, shaking his head at her antics. "I really miss her, though. It feels like… like the only one who understands that is you, you know?"

"We're the only ones on this side of the world who were that close to her," Sokka said, closing his eyes. "Everyone down south seemed to understand to a fault, after a while, but… I doubt my stories really did her justice."

"Pfft, knowing you, you must have said she was the most beautiful, smartest, coolest, greatest being alive…" Toph said. Sokka raised his head haughtily.

"You forgot talented, admirable, inspirational, elegant, magnificent…"

"You're just going to go on and on for the rest of the day if I don't stop you now, aren't you?"

"Yep, I probably would," Sokka admitted, with a proud smile. Toph chuckled, shaking her head.

"Well… we're closer now, if just a little bit," Toph said, closing her eyes. "Can you imagine what she'll react like… when she hears you're General Sokka now?"

"She… heh. She should be as confused and uncomfortable about it as I am," Sokka said, with a fond smile: somehow, he could easily picture the utter perplexity on his lover's face upon hearing such news.

"Bet she'll say it's perfect because she thinks you're the most beautiful, smartest, coolest…"

"Okay, yeah, got the picture, Toph," Sokka laughed, shaking his head.

"And she'll definitely laugh her ass off when she hears I'm Colonel Toph," Toph smirked. "So I'll challenge her to another duel because she'll have slighted my honor as a serious army leader, you know? It's only right…"

"You're just itching to measure yourself against us again, aren't you?" Sokka asked. Toph grinned guiltily.

"You gotta promise, Sokka… once we pull this off, because we will, you're giving me a rematch," she said, pointing at him with her index finger. "I know it's going to be a while, but… I still want to contest your big title, you know?"

"And I'm sure you're not talking about 'General', are you…?" Sokka said, and Toph's grin widened further. "You're really persistent."

"Got to avenge myself after losing so embarrassingly against you that last time, that's all there is to it," Toph declared, smiling as she relaxed on the rock. "But first… we're setting her free. Then she'll have front-row seats to our next big fight… and she'll totally be rooting for me, I know she will be."

"Right…" Sokka said, skeptically. Toph snickered once again.

Her attempts to encourage him, to embolden him, hit the spot perfectly. Sokka breathed deeply, letting thoughts of a distant, beautiful future rush him slowly… a future where no one would tear him from Azula's side again. His heart pounded faster, even if the hollow sensation in his chest seemed to strengthen for it… the sensation that had nestled there ever since she had sailed away from him on that dark day. One day, that feeling would vanish, fully replaced by the belonging he had only ever felt while they had stood together, facing life and its countless hurdles with each other's support.

One day, he would hold her in his arms once more. One day, the world would see them for what they were, what they had always been, and it would know better than to attempt to tear them apart ever again.

But in order to ensure that came to pass… he had no time to waste. No time to fear or hesitate any longer.

He rose to his feet and picked up the saddle once more.

He walked purposefully, fearlessly, towards Foo-Foo. The moose-lion continued to eat, until Sokka stood close enough to alarm him of his presence. Foo-Foo let out a snarling growl when Sokka raised the saddle…

And then he set it on Foo-Foo's back, without uttering a single soothing word.

Foo-Foo wrestled against him slightly at first, but he settled down moments later. He glanced over his shoulder once Sokka was done, perplexed by the sudden weight upon his back. The saddle wasn't all that heavy, they had been designed by tailors and seamstresses in Omashu so that they wouldn't be serious burdens on the creatures bearing them… but it was a strange change for Foo-Foo all the same.

"Up you go," Sokka said, patting Foo-Foo's back gently. "I have to fasten it now."

Foo-Foo appeared confused by Sokka's sudden confidence… but even then, he pushed himself up slowly, abiding by Sokka's demands unusually obediently. Sokka reached for the fastenings of the saddle, buckling it in place while Foo-Foo seemed to glance about himself with utter perplexity. Sokka breathed out slowly once he was done, patting the creature's brown fur affectionately.

"You sure are more bark than bite, aren't you?" he said, with a gentle grin. "Maybe you would've reacted this way if I'd just gone for it the first time I tried to saddle you, huh?"

Foo-Foo's large, dark eyes seemed to hold a smidge of guilt in them, or so Sokka suspected. He let out a soft laugh, patting the creature's neck gently as the moose-lion returned to his earlier position, lying down and snacking on the food Sokka had brought for him earlier.

"And that's how General Sokka makes his mount respect him! This is gonna make a great story to share with Azula, that's for sure," Toph snickered. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'll be the one to do it, if anyone does…"

"Hell, no! You'll never admit it was me and my brilliance that finally got you the backbone you needed to put that saddle in place…"

"Oh, come on! If anything, it was the thought of seeing Azula again…!"

"Oh, no. I love her too, you know I do, but I'm not giving her credit for my achievements…"

"But you just laid there and talked nonsense the whole time!"

"That's the brilliance of it, damn it! Aren't you supposed to be a genius or something? You should understand that!"

It was obvious Toph was messing with him, Sokka knew that much, and he leapt into the traps of her childish banter anyway. By that point, he couldn't help but laugh as he supported himself on the saddle with a hand while Toph grinned mischievously.

"Some great army leaders we make, acting like this," Sokka said, reproachfully. Toph shrugged.

"It's the Gladiator Army, or whatever you'll decide to call it," she said, with a weak grin. "We were just a team not that long ago, and now it's a whole army. I kind of love it, not gonna lie. But anyway… I don't think we have to be uptight, sticks-in-the-mud like Jeong Jeong and his lot. We have our own way of getting shit done and… hey, look at how far we've come by doing exactly that, huh? Way farther than anyone else ever went, so…"

"Yeah… yeah," Sokka said, frowning with determination. "And we'll go farther yet, no matter what's in store."

"I don't even believe in shit like destiny…" Toph said, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "But this all feels like what destiny believers must think destiny feels like? If that makes any sense…"

"It does, to a fault," Sokka smiled. "It's like… this is exactly what we're fated to do. What we have been preparing for, all our lives."

"Yeah… that's exactly it," Toph smiled, pushing herself off the rock and stretching properly. "What's left for us to do before we can get going? Not much stuff, right?"

"No… not a lot. On my end, preparing Foo-Foo was the last urgent thing I had to do," Sokka smiled, patting the moose-lion's fur. "As for everything else…"

All that remained were joint efforts to coordinate a marching army, efforts between himself and the White Lotus leaders, mainly. A daunting prospect, but one he certainly meant to get started on as soon as possible.

"Shit's going down real fast lately," Toph smirked, bumping her shoulder into Sokka's flank. "We've got a long road left ahead… but I bet it can't be that much longer than what we've already been through, right?"

Sokka smiled as his eyes shifted towards the west, where the sun was setting… where the Fire Nation's archipelago stood. This journey had begun so many years ago, when he had been a young, foolish boy hoping to prove himself a man… when the woman who had become his reason for living had first crossed paths with him. They had marked each other for good since that first encounter, never knowing what life would have in store for their future. Never knowing that they might just change the world together if they were given a chance…

"No… it won't be that much longer, that's for sure," Sokka said, breathing deeply: a familiar warmth, belonging to someone other than himself, seemed to resonate inside his soul. "We'll be coming home sooner than we know it, Toph."

The earthbender smiled too, tossing a punch in Sokka's direction… and grinning even more wildly when Sokka caught it expertly. He smirked at his friend, knowing her wild cackling had to be, yet again, a way of rejoicing in feeling the connection that they still shared with Azula, no matter the distance that stood between the two of them and the one they treasured most.

The work to prepare their march to Ba Sing Se continued over the next days: Sokka ensured to organize his forces properly, assigning as many gladiators as could be to riding along with him, on ostrich-horses if they hadn't already bonded with a moose-lion. Jet, after finally recovering fully, made his proud return by bonding with a moose-lion of his own: of all people preparing for war, none seemed more pleased for it than him.

Halfway through preparations, Sokka came across Genta, Rhone's old sponsor, in Omashu. The young man had already greeted him once in the Fortress, but he had joined the White Lotus army in Omashu after escorting a large convoy of supplies for their troops.

"It's amazing, what you and your friends have been doing," Genta had said, smiling warmly at Sokka as they stood outside Bumi's Palace, overlooking the city. "I… I had always told the others they could trust you, and finally they see my side."

"You're marching all the way to Ba Sing Se with us?" Sokka asked. Genta breathed deeply and nodded.

"I'm not much of a fighter, but I can help cook, and I can organize things… I'll be with the logistics groups, ensuring everyone is well supplied and ready to charge ahead. Not the flashiest job… but someone has to do it," Genta said, with a small shrug. "Say, Sokka…"

"Yeah?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. Genta bit his lip.

"Maybe I should have said General Sokka, heh…"

"No, you shouldn't have," Sokka smiled, shaking his head. "What is it?"

"Just… I'm sorry" Genta said, averting his remorseful gaze from him. Sokka frowned. "I… I know it's useless saying this now, so long after it happened, but… I don't really know what came over Rhone the last time I saw him. On the day he left the Fortress, to be specific. He just… started rambling about a spear, insulted me in about every way he could think of when I told him I wasn't joining him on some goose chase to find sense in his dreams… and he took off before anyone could try to stop him. He convinced a few others, disheartened and disappointed in the White Lotus, to join him… and just like that, they were gone. Jeong Jeong did send some people after them, in the hopes that they might be dragged back to the Fortress, but… the men he sent never came back. So…"

"He killed them. To no one's surprise," Sokka said, shaking his head. Genta swallowed hard.

"I never understood him at all. I have no idea what he was after, but… I'm still very sorry I couldn't stop him. I've heard… you were the one who killed him? I-if so… again, I'm sorry it had to come to that."

"You shouldn't feel guilty," Sokka said, shaking his head and patting Genta's shoulder. "You're not responsible for his choices. Maybe, if you'd been a typical pair of sponsor and gladiator, I could think you'd bear some responsibility… but Rhone did whatever he wanted to do, we both know that."

"I guess so," Genta said, sighing sadly. "You're… you're a really great guy, Sokka. You've been through a lot… but you're still so level-headed and kind. It's hard to believe at times that someone like you can be real, heh…"

"That's a little out there," Sokka said, with a weak grin as Genta chuckled softly.

"I don't know too much about the kind of pain you've been through… I do know that it only got worse because of Rhone's choices," Genta said. "Anyone else would've… become like Rhone, actually. I might have, were I in your shoes. But you haven't… and that's why I look forward to following your lead on the battlefield."

"Oh? My lead, in particular?" Sokka asked. Genta shrugged.

"You may not be the only one leading the Gladiator Army, if that's really its name…" Genta said. "But I think we all know that you'll be the one carrying this big operation forward. So… yes: your lead. I'm grateful that I got to live long enough to follow you into battle, General Sokka."

Genta bowed his head towards Sokka, who breathed deeply and bowed, as well. Genta reminded him of old days, of being the object of admiration and revere of countless strangers whose lives he had touched without knowing it when he had been part of the Gladiator League…

And now, it turned out, he was doing that too, outside the League as well. Wherever he walked in Omashu, he'd be at the receiving end of cheers from the locals, of admiration from warriors and fighters, or even from tempered respect from the White Lotus forces. His opinion was prized, his advice often necessary, and he never failed to be part of the greater decisions made by the White Lotus's leadership, down to even establishing the route through which their army would march north.

The steady progress continued constantly, with each group and squad preparing for the imminent action they would be facing once the march to Ba Sing Se began. Winterwear was also important, and they prepared supplies to traverse the Earth Kingdom's increasingly cold autumn: they hoped to reconquer Ba Sing Se before winter arrived. Thus, after as many preparations as they could afford, the impending day of their march finally arrived.

Sokka's countless responsibilities proved to be ideal for him to be too tired to stay awake all night, mulling matters over. He woke up earlier than dawn on that day, however, with Azula's necklace clasped in his hand. His heart pounded in his chest even though nothing had happened just yet… but the anticipation over what they'd do on that day was so powerful that he shrugged off all drowsiness immediately.

"Well… here we go," Sokka whispered into the necklace, pressing his lips to the polished stone. "I don't really know how this is going to turn out… so wish me luck, I guess."

He smiled painfully, letting himself evoke memories of Azula's encouraging words whenever he was set to face dangerous foes. He had to do this… and once he succeeded, she would speak similar words again, so he would no longer feel the need to cling to memories: she would be in his arms again one day, and he lived for that day, above anything else.

He dressed slowly, methodically, still lost in memories of the numerous times in which she had helped him with his armor. His bandages, now black, the fastenings of his forearm guards, which she always set perfectly tightly for him, the sash over his waistcloth, now lined with fur his grandmother had ensured to weave into his attire… He breathed deeply as he raised the armor over his head, setting the clasps in place quickly before buckling on his armored boots and rising to his feet.

Dawn still hadn't broken. The darkness in his assigned room, one Bumi had insisted on granting him in his Palace, seemed to ease him into yet another mix of warm memories, of her arms around his chest as she hugged him from behind…

"That's my Blue Wolf."

His heart clenched as he evoked some of the last words she had ever spoken to him. Tears threatened to tumble down his cheeks… but a gentle smile graced his features as he let himself feel her with him once again.

"Forever yours, my Princess. Forever yours," he whispered in the darkness, closing his eyes to bask in that brief spiritual connection – or perhaps it was just a hopeless fantasy this time – for as long as it might last.

The first streaks of sunlight broke the illusion, and Sokka's brow furrowed as he gathered his courage. He was quick to collect his bags and exit his room with heavy footsteps, marching towards the Palace's newly refurbished dining hall.

He and his friends often shared their meals there, at least whenever they were free to do so. A handful of people were already eating at the hall when Sokka took his seat next to Zuko, glancing about himself quickly and confirming the leaders of the White Lotus were nowhere around.

"They took off earlier," Zuko explained, once Sokka asked. "Uncle went with them, they've started assembling the troops outside the city. We're expected to be there soon, so… best eat up quickly."

"I meant to," Sokka nodded, picking up his second bowl of rice. Zuko nodded in his direction.

Katara arrived shortly afterwards, Kino and Aang as well. The last ones to arrive were Toph and Jet, and by then, the table was lively and noisy, as though they were but a group of careless friends, enjoying each other's company, rather than leaders and war heroes ready to take to the road again.

"I've done so much better lately, Toph! I'm not saying I have to be part of your group, I don't really belong there and I know it, but at least you can acknowledge that I'm not that weak an earthbender anymore… right?" Aang pleaded with his master. Toph scoffed, resting with her back against Jet, her feet propped up at the table.

"Why am I supposed to acknowledge anything?" Toph huffed. "Anyone weaker than me is still weak, simple as that."

"Everyone is weaker than you," Jet pointed out. Toph grinned proudly at him.

"See, you catch on faster than Twinkle Toes over there. That's why I… kind of tolerate you, yeah," Toph said, settling for not disclosing any manner of attachment to the man sitting with her. Jet couldn't hold in a soft laugh while Aang pouted in Toph's direction.

"So… what, I'm just never going to stop being a wimp, according to you?" Aang asked. Toph shrugged.

"If it talks like a wimp and fights like a wimp…" she teased. Aang rolled his eyes… and yet a small smile spread over his lips as Katara patted his back affectionately.

"You're doing a lot better, don't mind her," Katara said, smiling. "As far as she's concerned, anything short of her own talent is unremarkable."

"Well… pretty much," Toph acknowledged, smirking. "Only a handful of people have ever earned my respect as fighters… and only one of them is in this room."

Everyone seemed to hum in acknowledgement before glancing at Sokka, who remained utterly oblivious to the conversation, focused so deeply on what needed to be done that day that he didn't react at all until he registered the sudden silence.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Sokka asked, grimacing.

A soft laugh rushed through the group as the clueless, frowning Gladiator glanced among them, waiting for an answer. Toph, of course, was the first to break the silence with more than laughter.

"Never mind, I don't respect anyone in this room, let alone this table…"

"W-what? What did I do? Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, and the laughter by the table only grew louder still.

Upon finishing his large meal, Sokka carried his dishes to the kitchens, where Bumi's reinstated staff would take care to wash them. After that, he collected his bags just as the others followed his example, done with their own meals too.

"Appa can carry some luggage, if anyone needs it…" Aang suggested, glancing about the group. Zuko shook his head.

"Not a terrible idea, but it's probably better if we have our stuff well in hand," he said, glancing at Sokka. "I know we have to get going, but…"

"Your mother?" Sokka asked. Zuko gritted his teeth and nodded. "I meant to take a detour to check on Ukano and his family one last time. If she's still there… I'll tell her you're waiting by the city gates?"

"That should work," Zuko nodded. "Thanks, Sokka."

"No problem," Sokka smiled a little. "Now, then… get going, you guys. I'll catch up shortly."

"You're the man of the hour, this big army's going nowhere without you," Katara smiled, bumping her brother gently with her shoulder. "Don't take too long, alright?"

Sokka smiled and nodded, offering Katara a quick hug before starting on his way out of the Palace. The others would ride Appa to the outskirts of Omashu, where the army squads were currently gathering, following the White Lotus and Sokka's agreed-upon organization. Sokka would likely hitch a ride on the delivery system all the way to the bottom of Omashu's central pyramid after he'd checked on Ukano…

A hunched man awaited him by the Palace's door. Sokka swallowed hard as he sped up towards him: he shouldn't have forgotten to bid the king farewell, too…

"And there he is, the Gladiator himself!" Bumi said, before snickering in his odd, unique way. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Sokka acknowledged, with a nod. Bumi brought his hands together, tapping his fingertips together.

"I will stay in my city, as you know. The others will march with you… and I will make sure Omashu isn't taken again," he said. Sokka breathed deeply.

"I certainly hope that's true," Sokka said. "I understand you prevented bloodshed when you surrendered as you did… but I suspect you never meant to stay imprisoned for a decade, or however long it was, or did you?"

"I was going to free myself with the eclipse!" Bumi exclaimed. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "But I miscalculated its trajectory and length, ahaha. An old man's foolish mistake, it was. I don't really know why it didn't work this time, though…"

"This time? You've tried to escape your imprisonment by the Fire Nation through eclipses on other occasions?" Sokka asked. Bumi smirked in an indecipherable way.

"An insidious one, you are. Clever, strong and flexible too. You will do nicely at the head of a new world, Sokka. You know that, don't you?"

"I… hell, now, I'm not…"

"Yes, you do know it. If no one else will do it, you might as well, is your reasoning, but… not anyone can. Not everyone should try, either. Some are weak-willed and helpless in the face of temptations far darker than the ones that did ensnare you. The temptations of power, of violence, of corruption… none of them mean anything to a man like you, do they?"

"I'm afraid they don't, no," Sokka said, frowning. "I'm not some avenger. I'm not doing this to destroy whole nations. I want… I want a better world than the one we've had to live in."

"Chaos and destruction are inevitable. They're part of peace, just as death is part of life," Bumi said. "But averting chaos is not all there is to peace… just as avoiding death is not all there is to living. One like you has already learned this… and so, one like you is better suited to lead that big army than an old chap like me or young Jeong Jeong…"

"If you say so…" Sokka blinked blankly. Bumi grinned madly.

"Say hi to your bride for me, once you save her. And bring her here when you can. I may not have that much time left… but I'd like to meet her," he said. "She must be quite the lady if she swept you off your feet, eh?"

Sokka's cheeks flushed, but he smiled and bowed his head in Bumi's direction.

"She's so much more than you could ever imagine, yeah. Thanks for everything, King Bumi," Sokka said, nodding now. "The next time we meet, the rest of the Earth Kingdom will be free, just as Omashu is."

"I cannot pretend to know for sure if you're right or wrong…" Bumi said, with a sing-song voice. "And yet I hope so. What a muddled, confusing future lies ahead! And just so, how exciting!"

He cackled again, and Sokka smiled before marching off. Most his conversations with Bumi had been confusing and perplexing, but this one hadn't been too troubling. The king seemed to believe that they might succeed at saving the world… would Kuei agree, once they found him too, in Ba Sing Se? Sokka's heart pounded at the thought, remembering his two encounters with the imprisoned king… would he finally set aside his stubbornness, his guilt, his thirst for vengeance and his resentment towards his own people once they broke him free? His value and true potential to be a king would only be clear once Sokka saw him in true freedom, he guessed… but it was too soon to think about that right now. They had a continent to traverse, a whole city to liberate, before Kuei's opinion on anything mattered.

Sokka nodded in acknowledgement at each of the guards at the Governor's residence once he reached it. Proper soldiers, clad in Earth Kingdom armor and guard uniforms stood by the building now, ensuring Ukano and his family would stay confined in their home.

Sokka was halfway to the house's dining hall when he came across one of the people he had hoped to find here: Ursa had taken to staying in Ukano's home rather than Bumi's Palace, mainly due to how heavily crowded the Palace was, with so many White Lotus leaders and Sokka's group staying in the few available rooms in the recovering building. Zuko still checked on his mother daily, sometimes spending whole days with her if he could get away with it… though he'd be with Iroh at times, instead, and whenever that was the case, he wouldn't visit Ursa with his Uncle. No matter if the animosity between them had eased to a degree, neither senior member of the Fire Nation Royal Family was particularly keen on being in each other's presence if it wasn't necessary.

"Sokka," Ursa said, eyes wide. "You're still here, then. Is Zuko already…?"

"Not quite, not just yet," Sokka said, with a tight-lipped smile. "He wants to say goodbye to you first, of course. He's waiting for you by the city gates, you can go with me if you want, but… I figured I'd check on Ukano first, if that's okay."

"Ah, it's no problem", Ursa smiled, gesturing at the dining hall's door. "I'll wait for you to be finished, then."

Ursa wouldn't be joining the march to Ba Sing Se. She had chosen to stay with Ukano and Michi, to whom she often spoke about the reality of the Gladiator's victory and the righteousness of his quest. She was more persuasive about the subject on some days than on others, but after having spent well over a decade in utmost denial, herself, she certainly didn't lack the patience or the empathy to handle this difficult task, repetitive and tedious as it might be.

Sokka nodded as the guards pulled the doors open: Tom-Tom ate ravenously, unaffected by the strange tension in his home, while Ukano and Michi appeared to lack any appetite. They raised their gazes at Sokka right away when the doors swung inwards, and Tom-Tom gasped, dropping the rice ball he had been holding.

"The Blue Wolf!" he exclaimed, grinning brightly. Sokka cleared his throat and nodded in his direction.

"Tom-Tom," he acknowledged the boy, who snickered happily at him. Ukano wiped his hands nervously with a cloth napkin before rising. "You don't have to stand up…"

"It's… it's quite alright," Ukano said, eyeing Sokka with uncertainty. "I thought you'd be gone already. I suppose… you're on your way out now?"

"I am," Sokka said, nodding. "You'll be safe here, King Bumi is supposed to guarantee as much…"

"Well, excuse me for not being all that quick to trust the word of the man that I… held prisoner for a long time," Ukano said, swallowing hard. "I hope he won't do anything to harm my family, but…"

"He's far too strange, wild and wise to be keen on revenge, I suspect," Sokka said, with an awkward smile. "I have no idea how he endured that torture, but… he acts like it was no sweat off his back. Anyway… you understand the terms of your imprisonment and you have for all this time. I expect all of you will be safe here… Ursa, as well, can ensure that you are. By the next time we meet… the likelihood is that the war will be over, as long as everything goes well."

Ukano swallowed hard, holding back from saying that, if that wasn't the case, the next time they met might be when all of them were dead. Still, he breathed deeply and nodded in Sokka's direction.

"May it be so, Gladiator," he said. "I… cannot pretend I truly wish your victory, and yet I know that it may be for the best if you attain it after all. Perhaps, once you do, once you begin building that world you're so keen on, I will finally understand in full what you sought to achieve by defeating the Fire Nation… and I may even thank you for it, if it's truly as worthy and grand a world as everyone believes it will be."

"Good to know," Sokka said, nodding in Ukano's direction. "I'll endeavor to make it so. If all goes well, though… I'll probably see your daughter again before you do. Want me to pass on any messages to her?"

"That's quite a lot of confidence you have," Ukano said, with a weak smile. "You're certain that will happen?"

"I'm not, but I'm working towards the goal of setting the whole world, even the Fire Nation, free from Ozai's poisonous grasp," Sokka said, firmly. "As long as she's safe in the Capital still, I'll likely bump into her in the future."

"Well… perhaps ask if she has room in her home for us?" Ukano asked, with a sad smile. "I… I doubt we will be staying in Omashu forever after all this. But, beyond that… just let her know that we are thinking of her and hoping for her safety every day. If you see her… tell her that. Please."

"Very well," Sokka nodded, eyes shifting towards Michi, who bit her lip. "Thank you for not making matters unnecessarily complicated, all of you. I know your lives were upended unceremoniously in a matter of weeks… but I hope the coming days will be better than the ones behind us. I'll see you again someday, for sure. Farewell."

He bowed his head towards them and walked back to the corridor: unbeknownst to him, Ukano pressed his fist to his palm, in a traditional reverence for the Gladiator he should have despised completely.

"Good luck… Gladiator," he whispered under his breath, knowing all too well that the Fire Lord would never forgive such treasonous words or sentiment… but he spoke the words out loud, all the same.

Ursa offered Sokka a weak smile before following him through the corridor once more. The Gladiator breathed deeply, heart racing as the impending reality dawned on him more powerfully with every step he took.

"You're ready to go, then?" Ursa asked, nervously. "Everyone is?"

"Yeah, on the most part," Sokka said, nodding. "The army's gathering… over there."

They had a decent view of the valley beyond Omashu's chasm once they stepped outside the former governor's residence. Ursa breathed deeply at the sight of so many distant specks of movement, far in the distance.

"That looks like quite an army," she said. Sokka swallowed hard.

"And they expect me to be one of its leaders, heh…" he said, with an awkward grin. "At times it's hard to I believe I'm doing this, frankly."

"I suppose it would be… but a single thought of Azula should suffice to remind you of why it must be done," Ursa said, glancing at him compassionately.

It didn't surprise her at all that the insecure man beside her would suddenly transform into a determined, unyielding one instead. She couldn't help but smile for it.

"True enough," Sokka nodded, leading Ursa towards the nearest station of the delivery system… and that was how she understood the means through which he intended to travel down the pyramid.

Sokka smiled upon recognizing the operator of the nearest cart: one of the earthbenders who had helped him and Anorak during the attack on Omashu. The teenager smiled too, waving in his direction.

"Need a lift down, General Sokka?" she asked. Sokka nodded, glancing back at the now perplexed Ursa.

"For two, if possible?" he said, smiling at Ursa now. "You just have to hold on tight, nothing more to it."

"I… uh, huh. I've never… ridden anything like that," Ursa admitted. Sokka chuckled.

"You hadn't ridden anything like Appa, either. Might be it will be awful, but maybe you'll even enjoy it a little, who knows?" Sokka smiled. "It's the fastest way to the city gates, though. No idea if Zuko's already there…"

"But if he's not, we might just intercept him by going this way, I suppose," Ursa sighed, biting her lip nervously. She shook her head and stepped forward. "Very well, then…"

Sokka smiled, unable to help his amusement. It wouldn't be easy to explain any of what had happened to Azula, once the time came… but if the day came when she could accept Ursa's fate and how she had aided them in the endeavor of ending the war, Sokka certainly looked forward to telling her all about how her proper, dignified mother had ridden a delivery cart most nervously.

The earthbender latched a second cart to the first one and took her position at a small platform of the first cart, for her ease of bending. Sokka set his bags inside the second cart, climbing on it quickly while Ursa fidgeted in front of him.

"All ready to go?" the earthbender called, and Sokka nodded firmly once Ursa settled inside her cart. She smiled. "Then… we're off!"

Ursa yelped when the carts whooshed down without further warning. Sokka smiled to himself as he clasped the sides of his cart, and Ursa did the same anxiously while the vehicles, not at all intended for deliveries of humans, took them quickly through winding, rising and dipping roads that converged and drifted apart at a rhythm the noblewoman couldn't seem to keep up with. The wind rushed through her hair, her eyes felt dry, she was constantly dreading flying off the cart if anything went even slightly wrong…!

And then they arrived, with the cart slowly stopping on the final station, close to the gates. Sokka smiled as he climbed out of his cart, pulling up his bags as Ursa, trembling, climbed off her own.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You're… spooked out, I guess?"

Ursa blinked blankly before turning towards the young earthbender. She grinned guiltily, and Ursa swallowed hard.

"Y-you… can take me back up to that same station afterwards?" she asked. The earthbender's smile gained confidence and she nodded proudly. "Very well. Very well. I… will appreciate that. Thank you for… for this ride. Thank you."

"Then… you didn't hate it?" Sokka asked, even more amused than before. Ursa smiled a little too, her eyes still wide.

"It was… quite unexpected. I suppose… exciting, even," she said, with a soft laugh as they started on their way to the gates. "Oh, I have been too uptight all my life, I know I have… if only I'd learned more from my daughter rather than expecting her to learn from me, maybe I'd have had more wild experiences under my belt before I became a crone…"

"You're not a crone," Sokka laughed, shaking his head. "Not even close to one just yet. So, you can still do a lot of weird, wild things in the future. Maybe you shouldn't be too wild about them, sure, but…"

"I'll go about it slowly, if I abide by your advice at all," Ursa chuckled, shaking her head.

Sokka breathed deeply as his amusement receded altogether: the gates were fully open, and soldier squads were marching in two lines across the bridge that led out to the mountain range where the larger army gathered. Ursa's breath caught at the sight of it… at the countless people standing with weapons, White Lotus flags and heavy armor across that chasm.

"They're waiting for you, then," Ursa said, with a sad smile. "It's quite the army."

"It is," Sokka nodded. "And we're not bound to win through numbers alone. Ba Sing Se… conquering that city is no easy feat. Especially when Governor Tiang, the one living person who has conquered it thus far, is the one who'll be leading the Fire Nation's defenses…"

"Governor Tiang…" Ursa repeated, suppressing a shudder. "Goodness, it's maddening… all of you young people, so talented and strong… fighting wars you should have never had to fight at all. I… I'm really sorry, Sokka. I'm really sorry."

"You knew him, I take it?" Sokka asked. Ursa nodded.

"He was Lu Ten's best friend… surely you knew that already," Ursa said, with a sad smile. Sokka nodded. "The last time I saw him… he was but a teenager. Now… now he's your enemy, and he shouldn't be. This war… the more I see its consequences, the more I despise it. Perhaps, if Lu Ten had lived long enough to become Fire Lord himself…"

"Unfortunately, Iroh would've been Fire Lord first, even if Lu Ten hadn't died," Sokka said, surprising Ursa. "Or at least, that's what I've understood. I don't know, maybe Iroh wouldn't have been the warmonger Ozai has been… but I can't say that for certain, not after everything he's done in recent times."

"Lu Ten, Zuko… Azula," Ursa said, closing her eyes. "All of them would have been better leaders than any who came before them. And one by one… their chances to be those leaders have been denied to them."

"Unfortunately, I can't do anything to help Lu Ten anymore," Sokka said. "But I'll create those chances for Azula again if I can. Zuko's already halfway there, to be honest, he's going to be leading the firebenders under my command, so…"

"Good," Ursa said, with a weak grin. "I'd… I'd seen Lu Ten and Iroh to war before, and I didn't quite understand the horrors they'd face. Now that I understand far better… it's painful to think of seeing all of you off to that nightmare. But I trust in your strength and your leadership. There's not much else for me to do but that, at this point…"

"I guess not," Sokka said, gazing at her compassionately. Ursa breathed deeply, turning towards him with a weak smile.

"I expect I might meet you again in Ba Sing Se once you're successful," she said. "You'll have to inform Bumi of what happens in the battle, I'm sure…"

"Once the city is safely taken… yeah, feel free to rejoin us there when you can, though you should be careful through that journey," Sokka grimaced. "Maybe Piandao should stay here and escort you, after all…"

"Oh, no, no, no," Ursa shook her head. "I cannot pretend to know what the future holds in store, but if Piandao happens to be necessary for your war effort, leaving him behind to serve as, I don't know, my bodyguard, is pointless. I will be safe. I will be fine. I'll find my own way to Ba Sing Se when the time is right. You needn't worry, Sokka."

"Well… alright, then," Sokka said, grimacing. "I can't say the continent will be perfectly placid after we take the city. Because this time…"

"This time, Ozai might learn that you're alive, yes," Ursa said. Sokka gritted his teeth. "And he may send forces to fight back, I suppose…"

"We won't risk you falling into his hands," Sokka said. He suspected the expression across her face, so conflicted, suggested that she wouldn't have minded too much if that had happened… and that she hated herself for thinking so. "He won't be any less dangerous to you than he has been to Azula."

"I… I guess so. But the truth is… if I could hand myself over and focus Ozai's worst behavior on myself, if I could spare Azula from further suffering, I'd do it gladly," Ursa said, closing her eyes. "Yet…"

"It's not going to work," Sokka said, shaking his head. "And Zuko would sooner jump headfirst into the south pole's sea than let you do that…"

Ursa laughed softly, unable to counter Sokka's latest argument. On cue, a large shadow crossed the sky above them, circling the gates twice before the large sky bison landed by their side. Appa carried far too many people and luggage on his back for his comfort, but his roar was that of pride rather than discomfort once he touched the ground.

"And there he is," Sokka chuckled as Zuko climbed over the saddle's side quickly, eyes anxious as they fell upon Ursa.

Ursa smiled warmly at her son as he landed on the ground beside her: he didn't say a single word before wrapping his arms firmly around his mother.

"Well, then…" Sokka said, smiling a little as Ursa laughed, wrapping her arms around her son as Zuko pulled away, allowing them to wrap up their conversation.

"We'll meet again soon, I expect. Hopefully, sooner than we imagine just yet," Ursa said, smiling at Sokka. The Gladiator nodded.

"I can only hope so too," he said. "Be well. Make sure Ukano doesn't do anything dumb and stay safe."

"You as well, Sokka," Ursa said, smiling at him. "You as well."

Sokka smiled one last time before turning towards Appa. He took to answering some of Aang's questions: Ursa smiled at them before focusing her full attention on her son.

"You have to stay here…" Zuko said, breathing deeply. "I know you do, I do, I just…"

"You wish we had more time?" Ursa asked. "I do too, my dear, but…"

"There's so much we haven't talked about," Zuko said. "So much we should share that… that we haven't so far."

Truthfully, Zuko didn't have that many stories left to tell his mother. Ursa, however, had explained very little to her son about her circumstances, about the tragedies that had seen her parting ways with him for as long as she had. She offered him a pained smile and a nod, acknowledging her own silences.

"I know. I have a lot of explaining to do… and I will get to it. I intend to," Ursa said, cupping her son's face. "But for now, you have a lot of work ahead of you, my handsome, strong, brave Zuko…"

"I… Mom," Zuko smiled sadly, shaking his head slightly. Ursa grinned, pressing her brow to his.

"I love you, my dear. Please… stay safe. Fight as best you can… but stay safe. For me… for your daughters and your wife, too. You may have a lot of stories to hear from me… but you have a lot of stories to share with them, as well."

"And you'll be there when I share them," Zuko said, firmly. Ursa's smile gained strength. "You'll meet my family. And… and you'll have to force me to let you go even if you're sick of being around me, because I… I can't really… I've missed you so much, Mom…"

Ursa gritted her teeth, unable to contain the tears, much as Zuko couldn't hold back his own. She hugged him tightly, letting him bury his face in her neck as he held her in his arms: he had outgrown her, and yet he still felt like a child as she held him.

"My wonderful boy… my beautiful boy," Ursa sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry… I cannot help but still be… still be one of those annoying mothers who sees her children as children, no matter how grown they may be…"

"You're not annoying at all…"

"And you're too sweet," Ursa laughed, her tears falling on Zuko's shoulder. "Oh, my dear… I will be safe. I will be looking forward to seeing you again. I love you, Zuko…"

"I love you too, Mom," he said, tightening his embrace slightly.

"And I know… I know I'll see you again. I have no doubts about it. I never… never wanted to see you off to war, but you're strong, Zuko. You can do this… you can stand against your father's forces. I know you can."

"I just… I really don't want to be away from you again. Not like this, not for this long…" Zuko said, shaking his head.

"I'll be fine, my dear. It's not forever… I won't be away from you for as long this time," she said, smiling warmly at her son as she pulled him back, cupping his face in her hands once more. "You're strong, Zuko. You, your sister… your late cousin, all three of you embodied the true goodness in this wretched family of ours. Lu Ten may not be able to fight anymore… but you and Azula will restore our family's honor, I know you will. You've already started doing it… and you will continue to do so in the years to come. So… so stay strong, my dear. Remember there are so many of us who love you… and that you fight for the sake of building a better world for them, for your daughters and your wife. I know I'll see that world for myself… and I can't wait to do it. So… be as courageous, strong and determined as you always have been, Zuko. You're capable of so much more than you know, so much more than you can imagine just yet…"

"I… I hope so," Zuko smiled sadly, caressing his mother's hands with his own. "I hope so."

Ursa smiled fondly at him, pulling him close and pressing a gentle kiss to his brow. Zuko closed his eyes, letting himself bask in his mother's affection for just a moment longer…

"I'll pray every day… I don't even know to whom, but I will," Ursa said, as she pulled back. "For you to see this battle through safely… both you and your brother, of course."

Zuko froze for a second upon hearing those words, but a slow smile spread across his lips. His tears slowed, and he nodded in agreement with his mother's statement.

"Go, then… my sweet son," Ursa said, smiling brightly. "Go, my Zuko… and know that you've already made me the proudest mother I could ever hope to be."

His lips trembled again, but he nodded firmly before pulling Ursa in for one last embrace. He pulled away unwillingly when he did, but he returned to Appa, gazing at Ursa hopelessly as he climbed the saddle with his friends' help.

It seemed all was set for them to leave – including that Toph and Jet had dismounted Appa, for the creature's comfort, as they would be joining Sokka in riding moose-lions shortly. But just as Aang was about to give Appa his usual command, a youthful voice called his name first:

"Aang…! Aang!"

He froze on his motions, recognizing the sound immediately. He leapt up to his feet on Appa's back, eyes frantically shifting around the entrance square of Omashu… the very place where he had met the young boy who now ran towards him, tears in his eyes.

"Aang!" Arakan cried out, arms outstretched towards Appa as though intending to ride him, too.

Aang gritted his teeth, jumping off the saddle quickly. Katara sighed, watching Arakan from a distance with heartfelt empathy: being left behind as others rode out to war was never easy, but Arakan… that boy had no one, they knew as much. He had bonded with them quickly, taking a liking to Aang in particular, because they had been the first to stave off his loneliness. Being a firebender born to an Earth Kingdom mother had been difficult enough before she died, from what he had explained… he had been frowned upon, both by the occupants of the city and the soldiers, and he had wanted nothing but to belong someplace… he had wanted nothing but to feel safe, and he had found that safety by the Avatar's side.

"Arakan…" Aang said, dropping heavily on his knees as the boy leapt into his arms, sobbing helplessly. "Oh, goodness… I'm sorry, Arakan. I have to go…"

"I… I want to go too…" he wept. Aang shook his head.

"You're the bravest boy I've ever known…" Aang said, pulling away and smiling at the boy, wiping his tears with his thumbs. "And that's why I know you'll do an amazing job at helping this city become just as strong as you are. That's why I asked Bumi to watch over you, actually… but I guess you gave him the slip?"

"I… I don't want to stay if you don't stay…" Arakan pouted. Aang sighed.

"I know it's hard… but hey, it's not goodbye forever," Aang said, smiling kindly. "I promise you that much. I'll be back, Arakan… and by then, you'll be a new prince in Omashu! Bumi said he'd take you in, so… how about it? Is that okay with you?"

Arakan sniffed but shrugged half-heartedly. Aang sighed, hugging the boy one more time… and then he heard footsteps approaching them.

"You're going back to King Bumi's Palace, then?" Ursa asked. "I'm sorry I overheard your conversation, but… if that's the case, can I ask you to escort me there, young man?"

Arakan blinked blankly, gazing up at the older woman with confused, bright eyes. She offered him a kindly grin, one that saw Arakan's guarded demeanor dwindling quickly.

"I… um. Y-yeah…" Arakan said, softly. Aang smiled too.

"We're both staying behind while those we love go to battle, I fear… but protecting Omashu is important work, too," Ursa said.

Arakan nodded, biting his lip. He raised one of his hands, clasping Ursa's delicately. She smiled fondly at him as Aang grinned at the boy tearfully, one more time.

"I'll be back for sure, Arakan," he said. "Be good… both to Lady Ursa and to King Bumi, okay?"

Arakan sighed and nodded. Aang patted the boy's head, messing his short hair before rising to his feet anew. He smiled at Ursa, bowing gratefully in her direction, before leaping on Appa's neck once again.

Ursa smiled encouragingly at Arakan, who seemed to have taken her request of protection to heart. His hand continued to hold hers as she rose to her full height… and together, standing by the city gates, they watched in reverent silence as the sky bison took flight. As three gladiators marched, side by side, across the bridge that would lead them to the army that waited by Omashu's outskirts.

Foo-Foo Cuddly Poops greeted Sokka on the other side of the chasm with a growl, almost a reprieve for not arriving before the numerous members of the army did. Sokka appeased him quickly with some food before climbing on the saddle: Jet did the same with his own moose-lion, pulling Toph up with him, and the earthbender groaned and complained about riding a beast rather than walking safe and soundly, with proper earth under her feet. Sokka laughed off their ridiculous one-sided argument, for Jet hardly argued back, far too amused by Toph's remarks… but Sokka's own amusement receded quickly as they crossed paths with more moose-lion riders, gladiators like them. The riders nodded in his direction, and Sokka nodded back, ushering them to join him in marching to the front of the army.

Little by little, the group of moose-lions assembled in two long lines: the Gladiator's forces made their way across the waiting army, and Sokka gazed upon each of those squads, assembled as organized as possible in a complicated mountain area. Sokka ensured to confirm with each squad leader they came across that everything in their group was in order while he progressed towards the head of the army: it took him and his moose-lion troops about ten minutes to reach them to find the White Lotus leaders, along with carriages loaded with goods, as well as mounts and beasts of burden.

"Ah. Finally, the Gladiator arrives," Jeong Jeong said. Sokka grimaced at the remark, eyes shifting quickly towards Anorak, who offered him a respectful nod, and Piandao, who bowed even more respectfully in his direction. Iroh, naturally, could only do the same with guilt… whereas Jeong Jeong offered no such displays of respect.

"Well, do excuse me for being late, if I even was…" Sokka grumbled. Jeong Jeong, to Sokka's surprise, smiled.

"I never said you were," he said, simply. "I have received word from the rearguard that we are set to take off. We were only waiting for you at this point, so… care to take the lead, General Sokka?"

As ever, the title felt like a strange mix of mockery and genuine admiration when the firebender spoke it. To this day, Sokka had no idea whether he was imagining either thing. Still, he wasn't about to question Jeong Jeong's intentions right now, not when he had been granted an immense responsibility…

Sokka breathed deeply as he pulled at Foo-Foo's reins carefully. The moose-lion progressed further, marching forward and enabling Sokka to take a vantage position by a hill, visibly standing in line with the rising sun. With his silhouette highlighted that way, a rumor of noise seemed to be quelled across the expanse of that army as all their eyes fell upon him.

Anxiety, fear of failure… none of them could have bearing on his choices anymore. Sokka breathed deeply as he drew his sword from its scabbard, aiming it at the sky: the army let out a war cry that was echoed by the sound of the blaring tsungi horns from the musical squads: their voices joined together, emotions thundering across that landscape as they rejoiced in the righteousness of their cause, in the belief that triumph and victory lay in the road ahead.

A smile spread across Sokka's face as he held the position for a good half minute… and then he swung the sword in the direction of their charted course. With that, he urged Foo-Foo to start marching: the troops were ready to follow.

Appa flew above the army, watching over each squad, each group distributed optimally for the march towards Ba Sing Se. Sitting on the saddle, Kino had blown his tsungi horn, his crucial new duty, echoing the music that conveyed that the troops were to move out, following their leader… and as much as he was excelling at his job, Aang, Katara and Zuko couldn't help but cover their ears, almost deafened by the loudness of Kino's instrument.

White Lotus troops, Omashu recruits, Enforcers and gladiators: all different factions followed the call to war, traversing mountains and hills that receded into plains and forests. The sun climbed higher across the sky and the army's marching rhythm was not deterred by the rising heat: Sokka's fellow moose-lion riders marched alongside him in an arrow formation as he focused on a horizon much more distant than the one they could see spreading before them. In a week, perhaps less, their massive army would reach the gates of Ba Sing Se…

Once it did, Ozai would learn of Sokka's survival… and along with it, that the Gladiator would stop at nothing to ensure that the Hundred Year War, the war the Fire Lords had taken as their greatest triumph, would reach its long-awaited, urgent conclusion through the ultimate defeat of the Fire Nation.