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...

315. Chapter 315: The Battle of Ba Sing Se 4

The Battle of Ba Sing Se

4

A chasm divided the Fire Nation army. It had disrupted their actions and preparations for the final assault, their last stand to retain control over Ba Sing Se… but not to the point where their defeat was a certainty.

The broken formation adapted surprisingly quickly to the situation: arrow fire rained back and forth as tanks rolled into the area, releasing their ballista bolts with unforgiving precision that couldn't be disrupted effectively this time, not when the battlefield was as unforgiving and chaotic as it had become. Whole sections of shielded infantry were knocked back violently by the bolts that flew in their direction, causing chaos for the invading forces as they attempted to drive through the cracked path that earthbenders were amending for them right below their feet.

If the enemy soldiers had simply dropped into the catacombs, matters would be much easier. Several had toppled down indeed, and Toph's earthbending squads had made short work of them, but as much as she had created an opening for the army to enter the Upper Ring, the Blind Bandit's choices had also granted the enemy a perfect opportunity to flank the Gladiator's marching army.

"Shields up!" Sokka bellowed, urging his forces to protect themselves from the numerous projectiles flying against them. "Firebenders, defend!"

He didn't need to say it twice: Zuko had given out orders to his men, much as the other firebending commanders had done the same. As difficult as it was to field the numerous sources of fire they had been dealing with so far, the enemy's flames were the least damning of the attacks against them so far. Right now, however, they needed another game-changing idea, something to bring them back from the edge of catastrophe: their army had sustained light losses so far, but unless they could come up with better strategies right away, that was bound to change soon.

"Katara…!" Sokka called for his sister, unsure she'd hear his voice: a waterbending onslaught was his best idea right now, but he didn't know if the water sources they'd found earlier would suffice for what came next.

Fortunately, the call signs by the music squads reached others where his voice did not: the agreed upon signal for waterbenders echoed down the chaos and the noise, reaching the benders who had been amassing a new tidal wave once more, part of it drawn from the Middle Ring, part of it from pools near the entrance of the Upper Ring.

"Should I do something…?!" Aang called Sokka, standing beside him, but Sokka shook his head. "But Sokka…!"

"You'll make yourself an easy target if you step out of formation right now!" Sokka responded. "Help the firebenders if you can!"

Aang breathed deeply and nodded: his bending might truly serve to change the tides of the battle, but he knew he had to listen to Sokka. The firebenders and the surviving warriors at the frontlines and flanks of their marching army would keep their group safe, no matter if they were pinned down right now, at the very entrance of the Upper Ring…

Then, the chasm changed once more.

Sokka gasped: the massive gap between both sides of the enemy army was suddenly bridged again… for the two sides were drawn together violently in a downwards slope. Some of the fire still attacked their troops, some arrows flew in stray chaos… but most importantly, the switch in the battlefield had offered their forces some respite, if just momentarily. The frontlines of the Fire Nation's army had been victims, yet again, of Toph's team's unpredictable choices.

An earthbending explosion burst to their left, then another to the right. They were followed by several more such explosions, and Sokka couldn't properly glimpse what was happening at first… but he was relieved to recognize Shanyuan, with trails of blood spilling down his arm, as he stepped out into the surface with a mighty roar.

The underground earthbending forces had decided to surface, then. What they'd done right now to drag both sides of the Fire Nation army into full collision had been effective, but it had likely resulted in a caved in, chaotic underground that couldn't be navigated easily anymore.

The music squad clamored with a new sound now, a warning that Sokka heeded at once.

"Stand your ground!" Sokka bellowed, and the forces that had been eager to take advantage of the situation to attack the enemy stayed still for now – arguably, those ready to recklessly charge ahead were in the minority, as the more cautious troops were daunted by the unstable grounds before them.

Said unstable grounds were about to become even more chaotic when a new tidal wave flew over the entire army, assembled with Middle Ring waters and strengthened by those of the Upper Ring: refracted sunlight poured over them as a handful of droplets of water spilled down on the attacking army. The spectacle above them would have been glorious to behold if only the situation had been any less dire and worrisome: had this been a mistake? Sokka wasn't sure of it yet, and he wouldn't be until that mass of water landed anew…

The earthbenders had finally left the underground, and that would allow Sokka to better convey any orders now, and the waterbenders had a better supply of water in the Upper Ring, as expected: together, both forces could very well seize victory for his troops. But if their attacks weren't coordinated properly…

The wave made to impact the Fire Nation's frontlines: a shout preceded it, and a barrage of potent firebending crashed into the water before it could ram against them. It was a considerable amount of water… but the enemy was also comprised by numerous firebenders. While the wave certainly crashed into a set number of unprepared benders, the bulk of it was vaporized by the firebenders who succeeded at standing their ground and joined their forces to defeat the heinous threat.

"T-the ground…!" some of the spearmen exclaimed: Sokka's eyes widened as he felt his own feet sinking slightly in the unstable land.

Toph's group's last stunt had caused a mild earthquake… and the water present in the area, caused by the initial collision of water into the walls, had resulted in a most inconvenient liquefaction. Sokka snarled, plucking his feet out as he glanced for the nearest waterbender.

"Katara!" he roared. His sister, standing near Anorak several lines back, seemed disappointed that their massive attack hadn't done as much damage this time, but she turned towards Sokka quickly. "Freeze the ground! Or drain it! We're going to sink!"

His commands seemed to make no sense to her, but Anorak was more proactive: he stepped forward, past a few rows of infantry, confirming his immediate suspicion regarding the instability of what should be solid ground: little by little, Anorak gathered the water and solidified it, knowing it would be a temporary solution but a necessary one for now. The ground froze over his latest bending attempt, and Katara caught on quickly and joined him, as did the other waterbenders near them.

"We have to keep the ground steady!" Anorak exclaimed.

It would be a temporary mission for the waterbenders as the rest of the army found its footing once more, quite literally too: Sokka let out a brief sigh of relief once he no longer felt the ground underneath his feet might give way at any second, no matter how cold it might be.

The complicated situation had been chaotic for both sides: the able-bodied Fire Nation forces struggled to find a way to attack the frontlines of their enemies after a considerable number of their forces had been caught by the violent shift of the earth, crashing into each other in a chaotic heap, some frozen over, others sinking into the ground. Even if a few arrows flew from one side to the other, both the attackers and defenders needed a moment to regroup before striking again.

"This will be a disaster. We can't go for a direct approach with so much miscommunication," Sokka said, snarling as he glanced about himself, attempting to get a better grasp of the situation.

The enemy was likely strategically organized across the Upper Ring: there were bound to be more tanks here than anywhere else. The crisscrossing, ample streets would also provide those tanks with even more room to operate, and they might even march across gardens and open grounds that wouldn't have been available for them to cross in either the Lower or Middle Rings: the Upper Ring was far too spacious, and where it could have made it difficult to protect, Sokka also found it quite complicated to attack an army defended by numerous tanks that only a handful of his forces could defeat effectively, himself included.

"The chasm is too dangerous still!" Zuko shouted back at Sokka as the spearmen hesitated to march without Sokka's say so. The Gladiator snarled. "Not everyone stuck in there's out of combat yet!"

"Then…" Sokka started, glancing about himself with uncertainty.

The clearest, easiest way forward would be to split their forces. The Upper Ring's spaciousness could be exploited that way… even if it might mean Sokka would have a much smaller grasp on what was happening on all fronts of the battlefield than before. He'd have no choice but to trust the other commanding officers to lead their troops properly, ensuring they wouldn't lose their way, making all the right choices in order to reach the goal they were working towards.

"Okay…" he said, breathing deeply and glancing to his left: that area was clear now, as the Fire Nation troops standing there had been among those who had been dragged into the pit of chaos the earthbenders had created ahead. "We're splitting forces! Master Piandao!"

It took a moment for the other generals to reach him after Sokka called for them, and the music squad helped them regroup: Piandao had been aiding their archers on the rooftops while Iroh organized the troops by the rearguard. Jeong Jeong had been among the firebenders defending the frontlines, and with him, much of his army.

"Master… you and Iroh will go east!" Sokka said. Piandao nodded quickly. "Jeong Jeong and I will go west! Split across the streets wherever you need to, but the ultimate goal all our squads will aim for is the Imperial Palace. We'll meet at the gates!"

"Understood," Piandao said, firmly. "We will see to it at once!"

Sokka nodded: with that, the many squads that comprised their army began moving in a different direction than anticipated: the Fire Nation forces could only start reacting to the new commands a little too late: they launched attacks in their direction from a distance only to receive similar ranged attacks in response… and the two sides of the army simply kept moving forward, away from the Fire Nation's united front of defense. All the while, the cluster of liquefied and frozen grounds in which the Fire Nation troops had been stuck continued to hinder their forces as they attempted, mostly fruitlessly, to save their allies.

A new blast of earth splattered towards the Fire Nation's troops stuck in the ground: Sokka winced upon sensing it, but he wasn't surprised in the slightest to find a young woman climbing out of a hole, covered in dirt from head to toe, a few bloodstains on her once green-and-yellow attire.

"Toph!" Sokka called for her: his voice served as a beacon as she drew up a sturdy shield for herself and dragged it with her, rushing towards his troops. A few arrows bounced against the shield, one succeeded at impaling itself into the earth, but the Blind Bandit protected herself from it successfully, nonetheless.

"The hell is going on now?!" she asked, marching towards the infantry with her makeshift shield still sturdy against the onslaught of arrows.

"Keep defending and stop attacking for now!" Sokka told her, urging the shielded troops to allow Toph inside the formation.

She entered it from the side, abiding by Sokka's words by raising up a tall barrier that ensured to protect them from arrows and flames alike: a new ballista bolt from a tank was launched in their direction, and its impact against the wall caused the barrier to crumble just as the projectile failed to deliver true damage to its foes.

"That's… a good call! Keep building those!" Sokka said next. Toph snarled.

"Why're we splitting up, Sokka?!"

"Because that chasm is making it harder to get through frontally!" Sokka said. "If you can reach your troops, get Iroh's earthbenders to go back to him and bring over the ones under your command!"

"Ack, this is too much of a mess, but I'll try, damn it!" Toph said, shaking her head.

Sokka agreed with her words, though he couldn't help but blame her, if just slightly, for how convoluted the situation had become: her chasm had been helpful in sabotaging the initial enemy attack, but the mixes of water and earthbending had caused plenty of trouble for their army too, not solely to their foes. Their army had a straightforward, patient approach to the Middle Ring that had certainly paid off there and that wouldn't work quite so easily this time around, when the amassed Fire Nation defenses outnumbered them considerably…

Though they didn't outclass them, and that was what Sokka wanted to trust in: his army succeeded at spreading out, east and west, marching into the far more exposed and open streets of Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring. Most estates close to the wall were open, with pristine lawns that were upturned and partially destroyed by the marching of an army with no shortage of earthbenders, dragging chunks of earth and flinging them as powerfully as they could at the Fire Nation troops that continued to assail them. Little by little, though, the chaotic spot at the broken wall was as good as bereft of attackers as both halves of the split rebel army marched under the orders of their respective commanders, spilling through the Upper Ring's many streets in the hopes of finding a defenseless intersection, anything Tiang's forces had failed to protect properly…

After a couple of seemingly safe streets, Sokka had to command his troops to pull back upon reaching a new intersection near a walled estate: one group of tanks stood to the north, their flaming projectiles already firing in their direction while another one stood to the east, ready to shoot their ballista bolts dangerously, too.

"Okay… now what?!" Zuko exclaimed, putting out the flaming projectiles that soared past them. Sokka gritted his teeth, hand trembling as it clenched his sword tightly.

"I could wreck this building's wall… knock it over the tanks," Toph suggested, her chest heaving. Sokka shook his head. "What? I can still keep going…!"

"You're tired, and I'd rather we save your strength for the final pushes, Toph," Sokka said.

"You've been bending non-stop since we broke into the Middle Ring," Jet told her, clasping her shoulder. "You're unhurt?"

"Just a couple of scraps, nothing to worry about," she said, shaking her head. "You sure I'm sitting this out, Sokka?"

"I just need…" Sokka said, breathing deeply before turning his head back: his sister had brought half the waterbenders with her while Anorak, by Jeong Jeong's orders, had taken off with Iroh and Piandao to ensure they wouldn't be bereft of waterbenders, if the situation required them. "Katara, how many waterbenders are with you?"

"We're about twenty?" Katara said, breathing heavily too. "Do you need us to freeze them or…?"

"I'll need you… to keep them busy," Sokka said. Katara frowned. "Firebenders, Zuko, will hold up the defense. I'll go with a quick squad of non-benders and I'll cut down the tanks by the wall. As for the others… if there's enough water behind that wall, Katara, you and your people can make the most of it and do your drowning technique again, right?"

"Sure?" Katara nodded. "I think so, anyway…"

"Good. We'll work on making that happen. Aang… keep deflecting their projectiles," Sokka said. The Avatar nodded. "Don't expose yourself unnecessarily. Zuko, focus on defense."

"Will do," Zuko nodded too, organizing his firebenders once more – a few were tired, others overwhelmed, and a handful had taken actual damage when their defensive stances hadn't succeeded at blocking all the firepower coming their way… but all in all, their strength had yet to be broken.

Aang himself offered to crack a gap into the wall of the estate next to them for Sokka and his forces to sneak into. A group of thirty non-benders slipped out of formation, quickly replaced by the next lines in the army, and Sokka led the forward team through the pristine, emerald lawn of a luxurious house: a quick glance at the central building revealed that whoever lived there had shut all doors and windows save for one, through which several shadows could be seen… they were probably panicking now upon realizing their home had been invaded. Sokka let out a deep breath, hoping they wouldn't be too upset about it, for it would only be a temporary matter…

"We're getting close to the tank's position!" Jet hissed at him, as Sokka's eyes continued to flicker across the area: there was a pond in the house's garden, not so big that it could be used as a tidal wave like the ones Katara had bent earlier, but it might serve her purposes all the same.

"Alright, let's get ready and keep it down!" Sokka said, breathing deeply as they stepped closer to the wall once again.

He could hear the cranking sounds of a ballista bolt prepared on its turret, geared up to fire. The voices of the Fire Nation soldiers as they hurled commands at each other, prepared to make their stand exactly where they were…

"Okay… over the wall, now!" Sokka told his fellow warriors before gathering momentum to leap over the wall too.

His many years of training and the countless difficult challenges he had faced made a simple wall jump a rather easy matter to deal with: his left hand found purchase on the tiles topping the wall and he flung himself over the barrier with a quick movement. The soldiers caught sight of motion near them, but they weren't fast enough to react to it as Sokka pushed himself off the wall violently, aiming for the tank with the loaded ballista bolt that was meant to be flung at the shield wall of the rebel army…

Space Sword's lightning-fast swing sliced across the turret in the blink of an eye.

The rest of the small squad Sokka had brought along were jumping over the wall now too, taking advantage of the distraction Sokka provided: while a couple of fire blasts landed on Sokka's armor, neither thing did sufficient damage to throw off his progress: he drew back his sword anew, driving it into the turret of the next tank and unsheathing his boomerang to directly attack the nearby soldiers accompanying the tanks, for they took aim at him with their fists raised.

The onslaught of gladiators and warriors effectively plunged that small regiment into chaos, preventing them from attacking the rebel army directly: Sokka continued to cut down the main artillery while the others kept the enemy forces from attacking him. An arrow managed to fly in his direction, but it failed to do anything but bounce off his sturdy armor. The tanks at the other side of the intersection still stood ahead, launching attacks at their own fellow tanks in a bid to stop the chaotic group that was disabling their allies: the friendly fire, of course, caused far more damage on the Fire Nation forces than on the Gladiator's squad. Once he had taken out enough turrets, Sokka turned towards his forces, raising his voice as loudly as he could:

"KATARA! BEHIND THIS WALL!"

The waterbender jumped into action immediately: she and her fellow waterbenders raced out of formation too, rushing into the estate through the gap Aang had created, and running as fast as their feet could take them: once they were close enough to bend the pond's contents, the waterbenders reeled the water towards themselves, powering it with momentum by swirling it back and forth among each other. Each bender added extra power and speed to the large water mass, powering it into a faster, even deadlier ballista than the ones the tanks were supposed to fling.

"Ready…!" Katara shouted: she and one more waterbender leapt up to stand at the rooftiles topping the wall, right in the line of sight of the tanks Sokka wasn't attacking yet, tanks that cared little for raining friendly fire upon their allies if it meant defeating the Gladiator… "NOW!"

The vertiginously fast stream of water left the premises of the estate just as the next ballista bolts were fired: such was the speed and force of the water that the bolts were caught in the liquid, losing all their strength as the much fiercer attack slammed violently into the tanks.

The tanks were pushed back, spinning in circles, some of the water pouring into the cracks of the turret that enabled the firebending operators to attack from within the tank's cabin. Their current state of chaos upon losing their bearings allowed Katara to urge the rest of their forces to begin a march towards the tanks in question: the firebending forces and the spearmen moved forward, splitting up north, in the direction Sokka was fighting, and east, where the shaken tanks were still struggling to reorient themselves. The momentary breach in formation caused by the split allowed Aang to dash forward and amass the potent water once more, freezing the tanks in place and ensuring they wouldn't be usable anymore, to the utter chagrin of the firebenders who were iced to the seats and controls of their own tanks…

"Which way?!" a voice rose from the Gladiator's army, calling for a decision as to where they ought to proceed now: the tanks, useless as they were, stood in their path regardless of whatever they might do… and, in all likelihood, they'd find more defenses deeper into the Upper Ring anyway.

Taking advantage of all these streets and their many intersections might be a good choice, Sokka reasoned. Splitting the army further meant that, if Tiang's forces had lowered their guard anywhere in the city, failed to predict an attack from one flank or another, it might be possible for their separate squads to indeed flank his forces somehow…

"Aang, Jeong Jeong: keep going east! I'll go north!" Sokka shouted, as the men with him took to shoving the tanks out of the way. "March on! We meet at the Palace!"

Aang seemed mortified to be split off from Sokka at first, but he nodded and stood by Zuko as Katara rushed up to her brother, followed by her waterbenders. Jeong Jeong took the same route as Aang, as Sokka asked him to, while Toph's earthbenders stuck to Sokka instead. The non-bending squads split between both forces as evenly as could be.

Their army was still big enough to split off into more sections if necessary: whenever they came across areas that had little vigilance, Sokka would send a forward scouting group to check for further enemies nearby. Radical solutions were needed if too many tanks stood in the way, such as with Sokka and his strike forces attacking from above after climbing a building and jumping down on the tanks, but as complicated as their progress was, their army remained in motion… all of their choices leading them closer and closer to the Imperial Palace.

Chaos erupted all across the Upper Ring, more violently than anywhere else. Some of Piandao and Iroh's forces had been caught in a complicated scuffle with Fire Nation forces, and it briefly seemed that the Fire Nation would be able to stand its ground. Yet after implementing a firebending defense, as well as earthbending attacks with spikes that pierced the vehicles entirely, the rebel army continued to move forward, fighting the tanks as best they could and pushing back the Fire Nation defenses all the way to the very walls of the Palace. All the split forces seemed to march at different paces, moving through different streets, taking advantage of open terrains to race across them and strike at the Fire Nation's defenses whether through brutal assaults, or by doing hit-and-run attacks that baited the Fire Nation into charging against a superior force.

In all that chaos, a major force numbering well over a thousand arrived at the Upper Ring's entrance, gazing at the chaos with astonishment as smoke rose in numerous different areas of the Upper Ring.

"Well… these people did get off easy when Tiang took over Ba Sing Se." Sumire, the Captain of Ba Sing Se's enforcers was a buff woman who scowled with distaste at the Upper Ring. "Basically, just turned themselves in to the Fire Nation and begged for mercy right after the rest of the city burned and collapsed, while so many of us fought our best to survive. Serves them right to feel what the Lower Ring felt that day."

"Chaos isn't anyone's preference, usually… but I suppose our general's choices aren't that disagreeable for you?" Colonel Koemi asked. Sumire smirked at her.

"Disagreeable? That fucker should've said he'd be up to this one day, the last time he was here," she laughed. "We would've gotten ready to fuck up this city whenever he asked us to. Guess he didn't plan that far ahead since then… but we're here to fight, Koemi. Let's go."

Colonel Koemi led their forces around the disturbing pit of dead caused by the mix of liquefied and quaked terrains. Those who had survived had already been taken to safety by Fire Nation forces, while those who hadn't would likely be collected eventually… if they had a chance to do so at all, that was. The dead wouldn't receive their proper burials until the city's current leadership finally surrendered.

"The main street looks kinda empty," the captain of Ba Sing Se's Enforcers realized, frowning.

"And there's more damage and scorch marks to the left and right streets?" remarked another of Omashu's enforcers, glancing back at Commander Koemi. She frowned as she pondered the situation, a hand on her chin.

"The General has favored flanking the enemy… the Upper Ring would be the trickier area to strike at. A forward attack would have most certainly failed… but if they oriented themselves to either east or west, perhaps splitting the army so it could be both, then there's a chance that General Tiang's forces could have attempted to cut off their advance through the sides. So…"

"So… they'd leave the front gate wide and open for us?" Sumire said, amused. "Fine by me. Let's go crack some skulls ahead, shall we?"

"We'll go carefully… but yeah, let's see what we can do," Koemi said, gesturing at her forces to follow her.

Thus, a force that numbered well over a thousand troops, comprised on great measure by the local Enforcers, progressed through the streets with anxious ease, prepared for any trouble they found along the way. Most the tanks they glimpsed down the secondary streets were already destroyed or malfunctioning and abandoned by the Fire Nation troops. Signs of damage and chaos were visible everywhere, down to several burning buildings along their path – surely the consequences of uncontrolled firebending. Screams by the locals were dwarfed under the sounds of warfare ahead, war cries and commands, the ongoing music by the musicians' squad of the Gladiator's army… too much was happening in that city all at once, and in all likelihood, the Governor wouldn't be prepared to face most, if any of it.

The progressing, divided army moved at different rates: while they had arrived later, the Enforcers marched forward far faster than the others, as the way appeared mostly clear for them, whereas the other two fronts often struggled against the onslaught of tanks and firebenders who seemed ready to die to defend their position in the city. Piandao and Iroh's group exerted far more caution, though it wasn't long before they elected a similar course of action as Sokka had: the two men split their forces across different streets and alleys in attempts to catch the enemy unawares, and while it didn't always pay off, it did often enough for them to push back their foes successfully… and yet they were much slower at the process than Jeong Jeong's forces were: his group reached the vicinity of the Palace faster than anyone else… though progressing any further became much more difficult once him and the forces with him came across the full, final stand of the Fire Nation forces.

"What should we do?!" Aang asked, taking cover behind a building along with Zuko's firebenders. Jeong Jeong, across the street, scowled heavily as arrays of fire burst towards them, threatening to burn the buildings behind which they hid if that would smoke them out. "Jeong Jeong…!"

"Do not panic!" Jeong Jeong roared. "Prince Zuko! You and your firebenders… follow my lead!"

Zuko frowned but nodded: Jeong Jeong leapt out into the open when the enemy fire let down, arms outstretched, inviting yet another fierce attack that he received with waving arms that gathered all the enemy flames and concentrated them around himself. Aang gasped: it was almost as though he were creating a tornado in which Jeong Jeong himself was the calm core around which the fire was consolidated.

"BURN HIM DOWN! KILL THE DESERTER!" roared one of the enemy commanders: the unmistakable sound of metal clanging gave away that the ballistae were once more in motion.

Aang gritted his teeth, glancing outwards and preparing to repeal the attack… but it was unnecessary.

Jeong Jeong moved his arms in a circular motion once more, and the storm of fire under his control, the repurposed and strengthened flames of his enemies, shot as violently as an explosion towards the tanks before them.

The impact with the condensed flames caused the ballista bolts to fall to the wayside: Zuko's eyes widened at the idea Jeong Jeong had worked with. Condensed fire was not easy to create, but part of the reason for it was the necessary firebending output by the bender… but if the enemy provided the flames, and all you had to do was keep them steady, strengthen them…

"We'll condense their attacks! Come!" Zuko roared: his forces followed him dutifully, and Aang was left behind to gawk in confusion as the full squad of firebenders finally understood what their next move had to be: the ballista bolts would take a long time to charge, and in the meantime, flaming projectiles and firebending attacks would be the enemy's choice: thus, the firebending squad found a proper footing in this chaotic battle by repealing the attacks through an unexpected, clever method of resourceful bending.

They weren't far from the Palace: its crimson walls were within sight behind the rows of soldiers and tanks intended for the protection of the grand building. But while their condensed fire defense seemed to be feasible, their progress certainly was not. They needed more than this to get through… more than arrows, which their non-benders certainly fired at the enemy in volleys – they were running out of projectiles now, so the attacks by the archers were much sparser now – or spears, or even the occasional earthbending attack: without a full pushback from all fronts of the battlefield, there would be no true progress against Tiang's forces anymore.

Sokka reached that same conclusion upon finding himself and his troops pinned down, too, just as they were about to emerge into the westernmost avenue that led to the Palace. He snarled, weapons held tightly as he closed his eyes, trying to think of something, anything that might relieve them from this troublesome situation…

"No one's found big bodies of water nearby," Katara said, interrupting his thoughts. Sokka snarled. "We only have what we could take from those estates before, I… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just our damn luck," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "It's right there, damn it… but there's twenty bloody tanks in the way now."

He had naïvely hoped that the tanks would decrease in quantity over time, but in all likelihood, deploying them had simply taken longer than Tiang had intended. Most of them had been gathered to protect the Palace… and right now, they stood in a large, open avenue that wouldn't allow him to indulge in the same stunts of invading buildings to sneak up on his opponents, as before. The buildings nearby wouldn't help either: they were too far away, not tall enough, so their archer squads had been forced to forsake their strategies so far. Sokka had to think of something else, something bigger… this damn city had to have something more that could help, he knew it had to…

"Want me to go underground again?" Toph asked. Sokka let out a pained sigh before shaking his head.

"Last resort," he said. "They attacked you down there, didn't they?"

"A lot, yeah," Toph said, scowling.

"Who knows if he's got as big a defense underground as he does up here?" he said. "He might be expecting you to strike down there, try to enter the Palace that way, I don't know. I won't say sending you down there would be suicide… but I can't trust all your forces would survive and succeed if you take them there now."

"Hmm," Toph shook her head, pressing a hand to the ground. "But damn it, Sokka, there's a fuckload of them in the surface anyway, Sokka. I know you're worried we might all die like dumbasses, but I don't think that some magic solution's going to fall from the sky. Sometimes you just… you just have to take some losses to win the war, okay? You taught me that, so…"

"I… I did," Sokka said, frowning as he glanced at Toph. She raised an eyebrow at his tone.

"What're you thinking now?" she said, knowingly. Sokka raised a hand as though to stop her.

"Just… give me a second," he said, closing his eyes anew.

This city… he had first visited it so long ago, marching across each of the rings, reaching the Palace eventually. He had spent a day doing nothing in this very Upper Ring, learning haiku upon bumping into a recital, he had fought in the Arena…

The Green Gates stood not that far away: he could see the tall, cylindric building near the street they crouched in right now, feeling the dangerous presences of the tanks, the firebenders, the non-bending warriors too… and the Green Gates. He had fought and lost on his first fight in the city, but he had won every single one he had fought there next, including one against the very gladiator who had defeated him the first time.

He had a fight there on his very last visit to the city, too. He and Azula had walked away triumphant, they had visited the Middle Ring, they had been to the University… their previous trip had been for Gladiator Brawl, where Sokka had no choice but to reach extremes he never had wanted to in order to attain victory against an overwhelming opponent. But some time before that, well over a year before that, the Pairs Tournament in which Toph had been his partner… the tournament riddled with the chaos of the Dai Li and their pursuit of Toph across the city.

He had far more memories in Ba Sing Se than he had processed he had. Some had been triumphant, some had been painful, some had started as unpleasant and then become amusing… such as that very first visit, such as that story he never ceased to remind his beloved Princess of: that time he caught her just as she had been about to fall face-first on the filth-ridden floor of a train she had never set foot in before.

They had ridden that train in almost every visit and he reminded her of that moment every single time, ever amused by her reactions… but he had held her hand there, as they made their way back to the Lower Ring once, after their first victory in the Pairs Tournament. And they had struggled to stay aloft the train's roof as they powered away from the Dai Li, clinging to each other and the vehicle for dear life before Azula made a sacrificial choice, much like she often seemed to, in order to save everyone else…

She was far too classy, far too dignified to make the chaotic, reckless choices Sokka couldn't help but feel drawn to instead. His instincts had finally brought him to the right answer, and he could envision the look of utter outrage she'd give him if only she knew what he was thinking… a smile spread over his face as he pictured that expression across her beautiful face before opening his eyes anew.

"I've got an idea, Toph. Guess I'll need you and your folks to give us one final push after all," he said. Toph scoffed in amused derision.

"Ha! I'm the one who keeps saving the day in this city and you know it. What would you even do without me?" she said, haughtily. Sokka chuckled.

"Probably take the city in, uh, about a week?"

"See? You'd better be grateful I'm making it so damn easy," Toph said, smacking his leg. "What do you need, Sokka?"

Sokka told her his new plan. Katara, and everyone who overheard it, gaped at him in utter astonishment, including several of the earthbenders required for the plan to work… but Toph, unsurprisingly, only let out a loud cackle before clapping Sokka's shoulder with utmost delight.

"You're fucking nuts, and that's the best thing about you by far," she smirked wildly. "Captain Monument!"

"Y-yes? We're actually going to…?" he asked. Toph's wild smirk spoke for itself. "O-okay. Uh. Okay then. I guess…"

"Get ready. All earthbenders, ready! Come with me!" Toph exclaimed: she rushed over to the back of their formation, gathering all the troops she would need for the most ambitious and unpredictable stunt Sokka had come up with so far.

"You're… quite sure that they can pull that off?" Katara asked, eyes wide. "It sounds… well, a little insane?"

"That's the whole point. Go wild… give them the fright of their lives, and then some," Sokka said, breathing deeply as he soothed himself: he knew Toph was exhausted, whether she said so or not… but he also believed the woman who had led that group of hundreds of earthbenders into tearing down so many walls, and progressively defeating all underground foes, would be successful at this new venture too.

The wait until Toph was ready felt eternal: attacks rained on them at every flank, and now even the Enforcers at the main street were held off by tanks and troops attempting to protect their position still. For a long twenty minutes, it seemed as though the Fire Nation would finally succeed at keeping the invaders at bay, as though they had stabilized sufficiently to even start thinking of pushing back…

And that sat ill with the nervous General Tiang, who continued giving out orders, standing by the Palace walls to command the Fire Nation troops: he could tell they wanted him to give more aggressive orders, to push back the enemy… this was a ripe moment for the Fire Nation army, ever trained to be on the offensive, to charge ahead and deliver further damage to their divided foes.

But he couldn't give out that command. The vast forces that had manned and protected Ba Sing Se had been reduced to a fraction of their numbers: he had no true idea of how bad the losses suffered by the enemy might be, but everything so far suggested that the Fire Nation army had lost far more than the Gladiator's troops had. Their advantages with the wider array of options at their disposal, the surprise attacks, the tactics Tiang had taken too long to respond successfully to… it had seen their massive forces marching all the way to the Middle Ring with nearly insignificant losses. Tired as they might be, the attacking army was in good shape to keep going… while the Fire Nation's forces were in chaos and disarray, with no true objective, no true strategy beyond driving out the enemy that seemed to outsmart and outdo them at every turn.

He had to think things through. This was the moment to reason with the situation and figure out a proper way to entrap the enemy: the troops he had sent underground might be able to help by creating a chasm like the one the enemy earthbenders had made earlier… but that wouldn't be a guaranteed success, let alone the guaranteed right choice. Perhaps a massive wall could be raised to trap the enemy forces…? Would that serve any use, when the Gladiator's earthbenders had already proved formidable enough to tear down the city's walls without a care in the world?

"Sir, General Iroh's been spotted!" Commander Wangdu announced. Tiang snarled upon hearing those words.

"Where?" he asked: Wangdu gestured at the easternmost visible area of the battlefield, where a group of enemy forces had been pinned down successfully.

"We may be able to secure him!" Wangdu said next. "If we send a force to round the city and attack them from the rearguard…!"

"Can we afford to do that?" Tiang asked. Wangdu gritted his teeth.

"If we take him as prisoner, we can use him as a hostage and leverage to change the tides of…!"

Thunder silenced Wangdu, and Tiang scowled at the sudden, loud sound. He glanced about himself… at the sky above: the dark clouds around them were not rainclouds at all, but the product of the soot and smoke rising from the burning locations of the city: thunder? Did they have lightning benders in their troops?

"W-what was that?!" one nervous soldier exclaimed, clutching his spear tightly.

A tremor underneath their feet. Tiang's confusion only seemed to increase as his discomfort took the wheel: something was wrong. Something was decidedly wrong and he couldn't help but assume, immediately, that it was the Blue Wolf's doing somehow.

"Have you figured out where the Blue Wolf is?!" he asked. Wangdu winced before nodding slowly.

"To the west… it seems that's his current position, but we can't be sure. The hot-air balloon's last attempt to approach that area almost resulted in it being knocked down by arrow fire…"

"I'd rather we take him hostage than General Iroh," Tiang said, firmly. Wangdu winced. "Focus your efforts on him! He's the true threat, the leader of this army and I will have him taken down at once! They might not fall apart without him, but there's a chance that defeating him might just be our sole shot at victory!"

"Yes, sir!" Wangdu nodded, marching to the western groups of troops to give them orders: they would have to organize a proper attack against the western flank, something easier said than done… especially when those disturbing, thunder-like sounds were still shaking the city.

Whatever that was, it seemed to be coming closer. Tiang's foreboding feeling increased as he glanced about himself frantically, unsure of where to look, of what to expect…

Until a group of troops, assigned to defending the furthermost western territories of the Upper Ring, came rushing towards the Palace, panic plain across their faces.

"LOOK OUT! RUN! RUN NOW!" they screamed desperately… and the blood chilled within Tiang's body.

At first, he wondered if the troops in question were under attack, perhaps by the Avatar. Then, he wondered if they had chosen to flee without fighting the enemy, a shameful choice as far as Fire Nation's values were concerned…

And that was when he saw the first tall columns that comprised the train tracks, moving over the ground, in their direction.

He froze on his spot, his jaw dropping, his eyes wide as plates. The earthbenders among the enemy forces were formidable for certain… but the solid platforms upon which the train tracks had been erected hundreds of years ago, were likely incredibly heavy and difficult to bend, let alone could he imagine how challenging it would be to drag them all the way from the vicinity of the Green Gates, where the nearest set of tracks stood, and towards the Palace… how much of the train's platforms had they even brought with them? What the blazes were they hoping to achieve by doing that?

"A… Attack the earthbenders responsible! Locate and attack them!" Tiang shouted: Wangdu, already on his way to the western flank, changed his focus to fighting back against the inexplicable approach of a set of train tracks and the platform upon which they stood…

But the earthbenders responsible for said feat weren't defenseless: they hid within the large stone vehicles, the monorails that used to ride on the tracks themselves. The monorails sped across the streets, powered by earthbending, while matching the motions of the chunk of train tracks they were dragging along with them, somehow…

"R-run… RUN! RUN!"

Wangdu's command petrified Tiang: his order was being ignored? The commander was impulsively urging his forces to flee?

The reason for it was obvious, however: the tracks were toppling over now that they were closer to the Fire Nation army… and the massive, damaged and crumbling structure was about to fall atop their troops, much like the rushing monorail on the ground, in which the enemy earthbenders took cover, sped towards the Fire Nation forces recklessly.

"Firebenders…!" Tiang tried to command them, but no one was listening anymore. "Earthbenders! Someone...!"

No one could hear him. No one said a word. Nothing made the slightest bit of sense as a train was somehow repurposed into a tank, aimed to ram into the Fire Nation army's faltering defenses… as the tracks bent by those mad earthbenders became a massive, brutal siege weapon of inexplicable properties. If that structure collapsed on them… there was no surviving it. There would be no potential survival… just as there had been none for Lu Ten.

The flash of his mangled body crossed Tiang's mind, paralyzing him for an instant: when he came back to his senses, the wall was already halfway down to the ground… and it continued moving forward, propelled by the forces who remained sturdy and strong, hiding within the safety of their stone monorail.

Screams and orders flew from side to side, all attempts to maintain formation went nowhere… for there was no fighting this unforeseen, unexpected, careless and brutal choice made by the attacking army. They were ruthless, inelegant, even, and that was a pointless thing to reflect upon when he was about to be crushed by the train tracks' structure, but the thought crossed his mind all the same…

His heart pounded in his chest. He would join Lu Ten anew…?

He would leave Jin.

He couldn't let that happen. Not without fighting until the bitter end.

The sudden jolt of thought burst through his mind and brought him back to his senses just in time for him to recognize that many of his forces had rushed into the Palace, fleeing from the tracks-turned-siege-weapon. Their destructive power would be enormous once it collapsed in full: Tiang's survival hinged on how fast his firebending-powered legs could take him as he raced inside the Palace, past the open gates, towards the commanding officers, towards the troops taking refuge there, towards the servants he had hoped to treat with fairness and respect… towards the wife who had given his life true purpose and convinced him that he could make something worthwhile out of his prolonged existence…

He ran, as fast as his feet could carry him.

The train tracks collapsed in the loudest, most chaotic and destructive heap of debris and destroyed structures the Upper Ring had ever seen.

Dust rose everywhere, spilling into each of the streets where the attacking army had gathered: several of the terrified forces had rushed into those streets, finding death in the fire, earthbending spikes and weapons of the enemy as they attempted to avoid being crushed to their deaths by the train tracks. The structure was sound and sturdy even when it collapsed, shattering the ground, uprooting entire chunks of the streets, and even the soldiers who managed to avoid receiving the crumbling building directly were affected by the shattering of the streets. Among those near the Palace walls, only the earthbenders concealed within the train had survived the ordeal with minimal damage, as the vehicle had protected them quite well:

The whole group had rushed to the Green Gates' train station, fought quickly against a few soldiers stationed there, and they triumphed quickly. Afterwards, they removed the train from its tracks before climbing aboard. Then, they shattered the foundations of several columns of the train tracks' platform before they began dragging the large structure with them all the way to the center of the Upper Ring. By then, around one third of the earthbenders inside the long train were tasked with pushing the train forward at a speed to match the train tracks, which was bent constantly and progressively towards the Palace by the rest of the earthbending group…

And the outcome of their latest, grand and wild stunt was the obliteration of the Upper Ring's central, most spacious street: debris scattered all over the place, nearby walls and houses had taken harsh damage too. The dust rose everywhere, and only the Avatar succeeded at keeping the air pure for his fellow troops…

The Fire Nation's army had been broken. The damage they had sustained over this final earthbending feat was both a product of panic and the train platform's impact: the structure surely had crushed some soldiers, but not nearly as many as it could have… whereas the train rammed into whoever stood in its way, all windows sealed and locked once the tracks had fallen upon the ground. The forces attempting to escape had found themselves rushing headfirst into Piandao, Iroh and Commander Koemi's troops… leaving the way clear for those in the western streets to step forward next, and that was exactly what Sokka did.

Followed by his troops, by gladiators and White Lotus members, by benders and non-benders alike, the Blue Wolf's helmet seemed silhouetted against the clouds of dust as he marched through the debris, climbing over it as best he could, confirming little by little that the plan to throw the Fire Nation's formation into disarray had worked perfectly. Others joined him as he marched: Zuko's troops stepped forward and Jeong Jeong fell into step right behind Sokka after spotting him amid the settling dust.

Theirs was no longer the heavy march of an organized army: most their troops were amazed now by the earthbending feat of those who now had slowed to a halt right by the Palace's entrance. Sokka stepped towards the train, raising his hand and knocking on the stone gently.

"Good job," he said. "Hope you guys made it safely…"

On cue, one of the blocked windows dropped: she was panting heavily, but Toph offered him a smirk as she ever did.

"Who'd you think you're talking to?" she said, slurring her words slightly. Sokka smiled sympathetically at her. "N-need me to grind someone's bones now…?"

"Hopefully not… but I'll let you know if that changes," he said, clapping Toph's shoulder affectionately. "That was bloody amazing. Good job."

"Heh… your idea, you crazy bastard. It was fucking fun…" she snickered… and yet she couldn't seem to stand upright anymore.

Toph dropped against the wall of the stone structure, letting Sokka glimpse as many other earthbenders lay on the train's floor as well, resting after overexerting themselves once again. A few offered him a thumbs up, and Sokka returned the gesture before marching onwards: the Palace's wall stood at a short distance away… or what was left of it, anyway.

Much of the red wall had been destroyed by the collapsing tracks. Sokka leapt over the debris carefully, cautious not only of his own footing but of the potential attacks that might be launched his way by the enemy he meant to confront next. But after rounding past a few shattered chunks of sturdy stone, no attacks arrived. For a moment, Sokka wondered if some parts of the structure that had damaged the Palace had actually reached Tiang… the thought didn't sit well with him, despite everything. The man had to be defeated… but Sokka had hoped he wouldn't have to die before Ba Sing Se was conquered successfully.

Yet as he progressed further, more dust settled and his visuals of the Palace finally cleared up: a group of about fifty troops seemed to have escaped the chaos by running into the Palace grounds… one, among them, wore a slightly more ornate armor than the rest. He was hunched over, coughing, perhaps… but he was alive. Momentary relief flooded Sokka as he confirmed as much… and then he gripped his sword tightly anyway: Tiang's survival wasn't guaranteed for much longer if he made the wrong choices now.

Little by little, Sokka and his forces poured out from the debris, stepping through the broken Palace walls and marching into the most exclusive area of Ba Sing Se. Yet again, memories awakened in Sokka's heart… memories of his very last time standing in this place as he waited for Azula to finish giving her farewells to the man he stared down now. If only Ozai hadn't caused them as much strife as he had, the violent battle he had waged upon Ba Sing Se's current leader would have never happened at all… but as melancholic as he might feel upon reflecting on the circumstances, Sokka's determination remained as sturdy as ever.

"Well… here we are," Sokka said, finally slowing to a halt at a safe distance from Tiang and his troops. Aang, Katara, Zuko and Jeong Jeong stopped right behind him, at either side of their army's leader, while Jet and Anorak followed the group. "Changed your mind about surrender yet, General Tiang?"

Tiang shivered violently, eyes wide as he stood in front of his troops, much as Sokka did the same. Fear crossed the faces of the soldiers behind Tiang, soldiers who had hoped their commanding officer would bring them to victory… and yet the likelihood of that happening decreased further with every passing moment.

"Looks like he hasn't," Jet, behind Sokka, spoke dismissively. "Might be you'll have to get the message across more clearly."

"Heh," Sokka raised an eyebrow: Jet's aggressive approach might wind up being the sole solution if Tiang didn't surrender willingly, there was no denying that. He breathed deeply before stepping forward, gesturing at Tiang by tilting his head in his direction. "Your army is broken. The three rings of your city are in our control. You don't need to make this more complicated, Tiang. Be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" Tiang said, trembling. "Y-you call… you call your approach reasonable?"

"It wouldn't have come to this if you had surrendered sooner," Sokka said, simply. Tiang's eyes widened with horror. "I don't wish to kill you. Any of you. But if you won't surrender, you leave me no other choice."

"You… you had every choice in the world, and yet this is what you chose," Tiang said, shuddering. "I-if you wanted to rebel, to take a stand against the Fire Lord…! Why here? Why Ba Sing Se?! What could you possibly gain from what you've done?!"

"Well… let's see. Now that we've as good as taken Ba Sing Se and that the sole thing we need is your surrender?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. "Omashu is under our control too… so we have three different footholds in the Earth Kingdom continent, two of which are its largest cities. The Fire Lord didn't have a clue of what I was up to… heh, better yet: the bastard believed I was dead, so he thought I wasn't up to anything, altogether! But now? Oh, now he'll know. Now you've sent him message after message, telling him a ghost from his past is back from the grave to haunt him. You've warned your fellow Fire Nation leaders that chaos is stirring in Ba Sing Se… and it took your people a hundred years to take this city before: do you expect the Fire Lord will take less time than that to take it from us once more? I doubt it."

Sokka raised his head proudly, defying Tiang's trembling figure with his glare.

"So… I had a lot to gain from doing this," Sokka said. "Your Fire Lord will know I'm out for his head… that I will stop at nothing to defeat him and ensure he understands that his days on that throne are numbered. The Earth Kingdom is now reborn, too… and the Fire Nation's campaign of warfare and conquest will finally be overturned. Is that what you wanted to know, General Tiang?"

"Y-you…" Tiang gasped, shaking his head in utter denial. "You'll tear down everything she achieved, then? Everything she wanted to accomplish…? All her goals and hopes and…?"

"Don't fucking patronize me," Sokka growled, his nose wrinkled with the force of his snarl. "It wasn't me who ruined everything she ever worked for. It wasn't me who put a stop to what she hoped to achieve! I stood by her side every day I could, and I would've continued to do so if Ozai's bullshit hadn't nearly destroyed her! If she hadn't chosen to sacrifice herself to save my damn life!"

Tiang's eyes widened: the Princess… sacrificed herself? The memory of her broken expression during the dreaded wedding returned to mind…

As did the sacrifice of another royal who had chosen to save someone he loved at the cost of his own life.

"So… I got to keep my life, did I?" Sokka said, hands tightening around the handle of his sword and boomerang. "Well, I'm not about to sit idly with it and watch time pass me by while I wait for her to come back to me: I will save her from the Fire Lord, and I'm giving you one last chance to step out of my way. I never wanted to kill you, Tiang… but I swear I will if you keep refusing to surrender."

Tiang let out a soft huff… then, the sound morphed into a laugh. He shook his head… and then he smiled at Sokka.

"Would you surrender… were our roles reversed?" he asked. Sokka frowned heavily. "My life, too, was spared by someone whose existence was worth a million times more than mine. I, too, swore I'd do anything to honor that sacrifice… you think you're the only one with a reason to fight? The only one who suffered the pain of surviving and enduring when others worthier than him didn't do so?! Then think again, Gladiator! For your reasons to fight… they're mine, too!"

Tiang stretched out a hand, clasping the spear of a nearby soldier. The man relinquished a shield too, offering it freely as Tiang readied himself for what might be his very final battle.

"Ah… now we're talking," Sokka said, a slow smile spreading over his face. Tiang's fury shone brightly in his amber eyes. "You fight for the one who saved you… and I fight for the one who saved me. We stand, one against the other… this is almost nostalgic, even: a gladiator fight, after so damn long…"

Tiang shivered at Sokka's assessment, but he didn't lower his weapons. Sokka twirled his boomerang in his hand, cold eyes bearing into Tiang's own.

"I'll humor you, then: your troops will stay put. So will mine," he said. "We'll sort this out the way your people like to deal with conflicts… with a duel. A gladiator duel… you against me, General Tiang. Whoever wins takes it all."

"What?!" Katara gasped: she knew that Sokka's words were likely empty, for the Fire Nation's forces weren't bound to retake the city anymore… but his willingness to stake everything, here and now, on a singular duel terrified her immediately. "Sokka…!"

"You'll stand down…?" Tiang asked, snarling. Sokka nodded slowly.

"My troops… would withdraw. The lot of you could see to that," Sokka said: his sharp eyes met those of the others behind him, but where Katara hoped to find subterfuge and deceit, Sokka appeared to be entirely honest about the terms of this duel.

"You… you cannot risk everything we've done by…!" Jeong Jeong gasped. Sokka shook his head.

"It's only a risk if I lose… and I don't intend to do that," Sokka said, raising his sword with utter determination.

"You've been fighting and leading forces for hours! He's far better rested than you, and…!" Jeong Jeong exclaimed. Sokka shook his head anew.

"Means I'm warmed up and ready to fight, doesn't it?" he said. "I'm not going to falter here. If he's bold enough to fight me one on one… then how could I refuse him that honor?"

Tiang gritted his teeth: Sokka's allies and friends seemed to worry for him… and yet Tiang understood all too well why the Gladiator showed himself so arrogant and confident. He knew exactly why… for he had seen him fight. For he had watched him in the Green Gates, proving himself the most versatile and daunting non-bending warrior in the League. His reputation certainly preceded him… and it was a reputation that Tiang feared no exhaustion nor physical strain would hinder considerably.

It was the final battle that would determine the fate of Ba Sing Se. If this was his final stand indeed, he would have to give it his all to prove he was no lesser than the extraordinary, terrifying Gladiator before him.

"So be it. To the death," Tiang said, firmly. Sokka offered him a lop-sided smirk.

"I do hope your troops will be more sensible than you have been and that they might surrender when they have the chance," he said. "You had yours, twice by now… and you've chosen to waste the opportunity every time."

"I wouldn't be worthy of holding this city for as long as I have if I weren't willing to risk everything to protect it," Tiang said, and Sokka scoffed.

"Rest assured… you won't be the one protecting it anymore after we're done here," he said.

He gestured at his allies to back down. Katara winced but relented: wistfully, she wondered if she ought to fight in her brother's stead, or perhaps Aang should… but Sokka stepped forth before she could voice any such thoughts. Sokka was strong, she knew that, so did everyone… but after the chaotic, difficult weeks they'd faced leading up to this moment, would he still be in the right shape to defeat a man who surely had gotten proper rest and food for months until today…? Would Tiang's position, emotionally compromised as he was, render him unable to defeat Sokka, the one with more experience at duels of this nature… or would he only find further power in his emotions, enough to defeat the Blue Wolf in this strange duel they had issued to each other suddenly?

Tiang stepped forward as well: the men behind him seemed fearful, but they continued to believe that their leader, the man who had first taken Ba Sing Se, would be able to stand his ground against the Blue Wolf. Sokka's unyielding glare fell upon Tiang's own eyes: smoke rose behind the Gladiator, the sounds of screams and war cries thundered across the Upper Ring… and he stood there, before Tiang, with the determination of a man who was exactly where he wanted to be. A man who didn't regret making the choices he had… choices that had brought him to confront one of the most famous and powerful firebenders in the armies of Fire Lord Ozai.

But his scathing glare was focused on something well beyond Tiang… something that stood past this fight, an objective much greater than the conquest of a city. His purpose was bigger, much more ambitious than that. The blood in Tiang's body seemed to slow: he had never faced a foe like him. He had never crossed blows with a man whose heart seemed to burn with a fire much more potent than that which Tiang himself could produce… a fire as bright and powerful as the flames the Princess herself could bend.

Was he her champion, even now? Was he still fighting for her as he ever had? Was that why he wouldn't let himself falter when so much rode on the chances of his success, here and now?

Whatever the answers for those questions might be, Tiang could only shiver with anticipation as he raised his shield, as he readied his spear…

As he watched the Gladiator taking one step forward, and then two more.

Tiang stepped ahead as well, aiming his weapon towards the Gladiator carefully, but the Water Tribesman dashed out of the trajectory of the long range of the spear. Tiang drew it back, but Sokka was already moving to stab at him: a wild slam of his shield against the Gladiator's breastplate meant the attack didn't reach Tiang. The firebender leapt away, trying to put distance between himself and his foe… but the Blue Wolf wasn't interested in playing slow games today.

Instead, the Blue Wolf rushed in again in a flurry of blows that landed on the shield once, twice, thrice… by the fifth slash, the shield fully crumbled to pieces under the sharp edge of a sword unlike any Tiang had faced in a battlefield.

But now, with his hand free, Tiang dared shoot a blast of fire at Sokka. The Gladiator dodged the first one, then the second one, and with the third one he aimed and tossed his boomerang quickly, with sufficient strength to startle Tiang as the weapon soared away from him. He would likely intend for the weapon to catch Tiang from behind, the Fire Nation general knew so, but his brief attempt to turn around to ascertain the weapon's trajectory was rendered pointless: Sokka stepped forward, roaring fiercely and slamming his sword against Tiang's spear.

Holding the weapon with one hand, Tiang had more chances to attack Sokka with fire: the flames aimed at burning his skin, his clothes, his hair… and yet the fire found no purchase whenever Tiang attacked, as he expertly dodged out of the way. When the man attempted to strike at Sokka's ankle, breaking his stance, his target fluttered out of place quickly and the one to deal actual damage was Sokka himself: one swing of Space Sword saw to a new cut across Tiang's armor, and his attempt to put distance served no purpose as Sokka dashed in, intent on cutting into Tiang's defenses, drawing blood this time as the tip of Space Sword sank painfully into Tiang's shoulder.

Tiang roared: in doing so, he conjured fire from his throat as well as through his spear's hand. He attempted to strike at Sokka, directing the flames through the weapon but to little avail: Sokka had cut the distance far too closely for the weapon to be effective anymore.

The Blue Wolf sliced the tip of the spear with one attack, and Tiang was left with no choice but to continue attacking with barrages of flames: the first of them were weak, no doubt the product of panic and horror… the next were stronger, condensed flames that seemed to be the man's very last resort to etch even a scratch across the Blue Wolf, to deal damage of any quality…

A sudden blow on the back of his head threw him off just as his barrier of condensed fire was starting to become a genuine problem for the Blue Wolf.

The boomerang bounced off Tiang's helmet, spinning again and landing on Sokka's hand effortlessly: Tiang stumbled forward, packing a new, charged fire attack that he aimed at the Gladiator…

Sokka didn't flee. He didn't step away at all: if anything, he made himself bigger. If anything, he stepped closer… and the fire slammed into his armor.

The heat was unpleasant, of course it was… some of it threatened to spill through the plates of his armor, too. But Sokka didn't take a single step back, even so.

Tiang leapt away from him, eyes wide in fear of the man willing to walk through fire, caring nothing about being burned: the menacing, piercing blue glare of the Gladiator made it clear that Tiang's only choice to succeed, to triumph, was to kill him… he had to kill the Gladiator.

Tiang snarled, leaning down and picking up the remains of the shattered spear: the sharp end of it would still serve him as a dagger, and as strong and reckless as his opponent was, a stab wound would slow him down, if not kill him altogether if it landed correctly…

So he attacked, shooting more fire through his sole functional arm – he could barely feel the one that had been wounded now –, over the makeshift dagger, conjuring bursts of flames larger and larger every time, infusing as much energy into his attacks as could be…

And the Gladiator simply stepped out of the way, his every move measured, his every choice given proper thought, his eyes calculating and still as determined, cold and unyielding as before… until he finally made his move.

Tiang had only just succeeded at conjuring a potent cloud of fire when Sokka's left arm rose: the brightness of his own fire blinded Tiang to the menace coming his way, and the boomerang spun at alarming speed as it cut across the not-yet condensed flames, striking the front of Tiang's face this time and causing his helmet to fly off with the impact.

The flames dissipated. Blood spilled down his face. Sokka caught his boomerang and dashed ahead, sword at the ready.

Tiang had dropped on his back, and he kicked a burst of fire at Sokka in a fit of frantic panic: the Gladiator answered the attack by drawing out his club this time, slamming it painfully into the enemy's leg and rendering it useless.

Tiang screamed. Sokka raised both the sword and the club, aiming them at the heavily breathing firebender as he stepped closer yet. The odds for this fight had never favored Tiang… but the general's pride certainly had been slighted and obliterated by how easily he had been bested by his foe. Sokka stepped forward, lowering his club… but he continued to point his sword's tip at Tiang's throat.

He knelt beside Tiang, still holding the sword in place. His peripheral vision gave away that the Fire Nation soldiers at Tiang's command were fearful, and in that fear, they might just disrespect their commanding officer's word… the promise that, upon defeat, the city would no longer be his.

So Sokka leveled the men with a scathing glare that conveyed he wouldn't hesitate to cut them down, too, before turning his eyes to Tiang.

"Final chance, General Tiang," Sokka said, his voice deep and dark, only heard by the wounded General himself. "Your men will be massacred otherwise. They will try to avenge you, loyal as they are… and they will die. Just as the thousands of troops out there have been dying, one after the other, because you haven't surrendered. You have nothing to gain from standing your ground anymore. You've fought bravely… you've done your best, Tiang, I know you have. But it's time for your final choice: will you live on and see the world we will create, or will you die here and now, abandoning your wife and leaving her to face these changes alone? You're not a coward… so I believe you'll make the right choice. If our roles were reversed, you asked, would I surrender? If our roles were reversed, and I had the chance to protect and fight for the woman I love if just for one more day, if just one last time… I wouldn't hesitate to take it, and I didn't. That's why I'm here now."

Tiang shivered: he coughed staring at Sokka in chagrin: death… death would certainly be the easier way out at this point. Ozai would prefer him dead for sure… for he had failed him. He had lost the city he had first claimed, the city he had been entrusted, the city he was meant to protect…

His hand tightened around the shaft of the broken spear. The Gladiator made no moves. He, perhaps, hadn't noticed Tiang hadn't let go of the weapon yet. One well-timed strike… and he would end everything here and now. It would be over. Tiang would likely die anyway, but as the hero who saved Ba Sing Se and the Fire Nation with his noble sacrifice to end the threat of the Blue Wolf…

A threat that had offered him three distinct chances to surrender. A threat who had stood by Princess Azula, fought for her, saved her life in more ways than Tiang had likely ever known. A threat who seemed to show mercy to his enemies, no matter how ruthless he presented himself when antagonized.

Would he allow him to return to Jin, to still live on so Jin wouldn't have to grieve for his loss? Would he truly order a ceasefire… as long as Tiang gave him his surrender?

His lips parted. He trembled violently, his voice seemed to crack… tears gleamed in his eyes, and yet, even if every inch of Tiang's body seemed conditioned, trained not to speak what the Fire Lord would deem as treacherous words, he spoke them indeed:

"Y-you… will stop your forces from… from destroying this city?" he asked. Sokka frowned and nodded. "N-no… no more deaths. No more… no more dead soldiers…"

"Your surrender is all it takes," Sokka repeated. Tiang shivered…

He raised his trembling hand.

Both Fire Nation forces and Sokka's group froze at the sight of that blade, glinting under the orange light of sunset, in the firebender's hand.

Sokka's eyes narrowed. His grip on his sword tightened.

A clutter echoed amid all the noise as the tip of the spear fell from Tiang's fingers on the solid marble entranceway of the Palace.

Sokka's chest heaved: he didn't lower his weapon, even then. Not until Tiang's trembling form, bloodied, beaten and pained, spoke anew…:

"You have… my surrender, Gladiator."

Sokka breathed in. He closed his eyes… and then he rose to his feet. The Fire Nation's soldiers, standing beyond, watched in chagrin as the Blue Wolf sheathed his weapon and leveled them with a clear glare:

"Your commanding officer has issued his surrender. Stand down now."

"G-General…!" Wangdu gasped: Tiang winced.

"I… surrender. We… we surrender. Enough…" Tiang's voice rose louder, and it was almost as though he were learning to speak anew, as though he were doing it for the first time… speaking words that the Fire Nation had never taught him to say, especially not to an enemy like the Blue Wolf.

Wangdu froze in place, eyes wide with chagrin. Sokka raised his chin in his direction.

"Spread the order of surrender to the General's troops, now," he said. "You're in better shape to do so than he is. Do it, and we'll inform our forces, too."

"I…" Wangdu seemed to be about to fall into the very pits of tradition, of indoctrination, that Tiang had finally broken from… and yet fear, in his case, stopped him. Fear of the man confronting him… the fearsome man who had taken down the most formidable General in the Fire Lord's army in a fight that had lasted bare moments. "I… will give out the command. I… I'll do it. We… we capitulate."

The rest of the soldiers seemed unwilling to accept that reality right away, but they offered no resistance, no opposition. Instead, they backed down, some dropping on their knees, as Sokka regarded them as coldly as he had Tiang earlier.

Sokka turned on his heels, however, dismissing the threat they could represent for him by turning his back on them. He wasn't all that surprised to find that more of his troops had filtered into the Palace, though they had seemingly stopped themselves from charging in recklessly. Instead, they had stood with those who had accompanied Sokka, watching the outcome of the battle between the two Generals with wide eyes.

"Captain Jet," Sokka called the shaggy-haired man who stood among the crowd of onlookers.

"Yes, General?" Jet spoke with unexpected, unpredictable reverence to the man who had led them to victory today.

"Go back outside and let our forces know that General Tiang has surrendered: the battle is over," Sokka said. "And if you can, find the Enforcers… I'm sure they'll have enough cuffs for all our new prisoners."

"Right away, General," Jet said: he flashed Sokka a smile before dashing through the crowd.

Yet again, his army, the forces he had led, gazed at him with reverent admiration… but Sokka's heart was elsewhere, constantly elsewhere, clinging to the future he was fighting for. One more step forward… it was one more, and he had many left to go before he could truly win this war against Ozai. He wouldn't be blinded by this success… but he wouldn't lessen their achievement, either.

"It's done," Sokka said, eyes falling upon his friends, predominantly. "The city is ours."

It took a moment for that reality to sink in… and it shook everyone to their core, once it did. Even the ever stoic and stern Jeong Jeong seemed to struggle to stand upright: Ba Sing Se was free. Yet again, that wild, reckless man had achieved what had seemed impossible…

Someone started a cheer within the crowd. Slowly, more voices joined in, and war cries of celebration echoed across the Upper Ring. Katara covered her mouth with her hands, tears of disbelieving joy spilling down her face as she found Toph, wrapping her in her arms as the Blind Bandit, groggy after everything she'd had to do that day, stood frozen in place.

"It's over… it's over?" she mouthed, and Katara nodded as she squeezed her tighter. "Fucking hell, it's done…"

Zuko couldn't seem to help but smile, too: he gazed at Sokka with disbelief at first… and then with the smirk of a man who had known, deep down, that he was capable of this. That they could finally fight back against the Fire Lord without hiding anymore… that they could win that fight, most importantly, because the man leading them embodied the very strength his father lacked. The strength of a true leader… it was the strength he had always kept within him, and he had nurtured it alongside someone whose potential had always been as vast as his own.

Aang seemed to be as shaken as Katara: it seemed as though he hadn't truly been prepared for victory yet. As though he had believed they'd have to keep fighting and fighting… and suddenly, that wasn't necessary anymore. It was over… they had won.

A bell rang across the Palace grounds, at a rhythmic message that Sokka hoped truly signaled a surrender… and as more celebratory voices took wind beyond the Palace walls, everything indicated that was the case. The whole city would grow aware of the truth soon, no matter if they hadn't been in the path of the army: the Earth Kingdom's rebirth was an undeniable reality now. The two largest cities of the continent and nation had been freed at last from the Fire Nation's shackles.

But their work wasn't quite finished yet. As the Enforcers took to shackling every surrendering soldier – a task much easier said than done, but they handled it as professionally as they possibly could –, Sokka marched into the Palace, accompanied by his closest allies. Some forces followed, under orders of remaining perfectly civil as they informed the servants and staff of the Palace of the outcome of today's battle… but as much as several of the Earth Kingdom-born folk would likely find some joy in the news, Sokka was aware that Tiang had awakened genuine loyalty in the hearts of many. He had no doubts some would reject this turn of events profoundly… but his focus lay elsewhere for now.

He walked purposefully across the Palace, careless about whatever filth he tracked across its magnificent halls. His sister gawked around herself in utter amazement, and even Zuko seemed impressed by the grandeur of the Palace he had never visited before, no matter if he had been much more accustomed to the luxuries Katara had never experienced in her life.

"Where are we off to?" Aang asked, following Sokka closely. "I think Piandao's already handling the informing of the staff, like you asked him to…"

"We have someone to check on. Toph's keeping up?" Sokka asked. Katara smiled as she glanced over her shoulder: the Blind Bandit followed them slowly, almost sluggishly as she ran a hand over her messy hair.

"You could say that," Katara said. "I think she really could use a break."

"Or a fucking meal. Twenty of them…?" Toph replied, waving a hand in their direction. "You guys just keep going… I'll catch up, I will. Just keep going…"

Sokka didn't need to hear the words twice: he kept up with his fast pace still, ignoring his exhausted legs entirely as he finally approached the stone archway he had been guiding his friends to so far.

"You really know your way around this place, huh?" Zuko said. Sokka hummed, stepping through the archway quickly.

"Been here a few times… enough to know exactly where to find what I'm looking for," he said.

Stone steps led them to a lower floor, a basement, Katara thought… until Sokka pushed a large wooden door open, revealing something rather different from her initial expectations.

A cellblock spread before them: it seemed fitting that their conquest of Omashu had begun in a prison cell, and that the one of Ba Sing Se would conclude in one.

Sokka breathed deeply as he stepped up to the very first cell, the one closest to that door… to find that the man within it was fast asleep on his cot, in a most undignified position.

"Heh. I suppose the city falling to pieces is something some people can sleep through?" Sokka said, raising a derisive eyebrow.

He withdrew his boomerang from its scabbard and slid it between two bars. Then, he rattled the bars loudly with the weapon, causing a shrill noise to spread in the large, spacious cellblock… a shrill noise that, naturally, caused the man in the cot to jump upright, with a frightful squeal.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Sokka said, his voice ringing with irony.

"W-wha…?"

The prisoner gasped with recognition even before he picked up his small glasses, raising them so they would nestle on his nose: most the people standing outside his cell were unfamiliar… save for one.

"You… wait, the Gladiator?" the man said, trembling. "You're back! Y-you're…! Y-you're covered in blood and dirt? You… w-what happened? Why are you here and where is…?! W-where is your master?"

Sokka's heavy scowl silenced the prisoner immediately. The Blue Wolf's hand rested on one of the bars across the cell, his blue eyes far harsher and colder than they had been during either of his previous two visits to this very place…

"You're unaware of a lot of things, I suspect, considering you've been in this prison cell for who knows how long…" Sokka said, breathing deeply. "But the Gladiator League is over. Princess Azula set me free… at the cost of her own freedom, and I intend to fix that."

"Fix that?" the man asked. "W-wha… how? How could she trade your freedom for her own when…?"

"Her father saw to it. If you want the full story, I guess I'll give it to you later or someone else might, because frankly, we have a lot to do. Taking control of a city is easier said than done," Sokka said, stepping towards the door and breathing out deeply. "Now then, let's see if it's true that you could've gotten out of here whenever you wanted to and yet chose not to… or if we'll need Toph to get over here and break you out herself."

"Sokka… what's going on here?" Katara blinked blankly, staring at the trembling prisoner in confusion. "Is this…?"

"This is the Earth King," Sokka said, simply. "And as it was with Bumi… we're setting him free."

All three of his companions gawked at Kuei with astonishment now as the man trembled in place, watching as Sokka yanked the lock on the door dismissively… to find that the mechanism wasn't locked at all, as he had been told.

"And there we go," Sokka said, with a dismissive huff and a shake of his head. He pulled the door open, waving a hand theatrically at Kuei. "You're finally free to return to a city that's no longer in Fire Nation control. Congratulations."

"I… you… what? How?!" Kuei gasped, stepping across the threshold and clasping Sokka's arm. The Gladiator stared him down humorlessly. "You… did you find your resolve to fight, then? You… you chose to rebel! To fight back against the Fire Nation…!"

"Oh, Ozai was very kind to gift me my resolve by trying to kill me twice and taking the woman I love captive, so sure thing," Sokka said: Kuei froze in place upon hearing those words. "I've found allies, you see, the same ones I mentioned to you long ago? The ones I told you that you might be able to find, and that you didn't even try to reach out to, I assume, since you're utterly shocked to find out that the city could be taken at all… all of which proves that you didn't even try. No offense, King Kuei, but this isn't exactly the greatest way to convince me that you'd do a great job if you sit on your throne again, no matter if Long Feng's no longer there to puppeteer you into sending your nation to hell just for his benefit."

"Y-you… what? What does that mean?" Kuei said. "You've set me free, but… you won't let me retake my throne? Gladiator…!"

"I… have a lot of shit to think through. And I'm not about to mismanage a city this big after all the bloody chaos I've already plunged it into with my choices." Sokka said, harshly. Kuei grimaced. "I'll need to truly be convinced that you can handle this city yourself, considering you've never actually done it. You will have your chances to prove as much, don't get me wrong… but I'm not some blind worshipper of royalty here, got it? If you're not fit for the job, we'll find someone else who can do right by Ba Sing Se. Simple as that."

"I… I don't think a Water Tribe man would have the authority to…" Kuei started… but this time it was Zuko who cut him off.

"You're talking to the man who led an army of thousands to liberate your city," he said, sternly. "Being born royal is no excuse to be thick-headed and pretend you have any manner of authority or command above him… because, heh, I was born royal too, and even if he and I don't see eye to eye in just about any sense, he's bloody earned the loyalty of plenty of us and he'll keep on doing exactly that, going forward. You owe him your freedom… the freedom of your city. If I were you, I'd shut my mouth and stop pretending I get a say upon what's going on now… because you're not in control, and you won't be until he decides you can handle that responsibility. It's as simple as that."

Sokka raised his eyebrows, glancing over his shoulder at Zuko. The exiled Prince stared him down defiantly too, as though challenging Sokka to change his mind… only for Sokka to smile slightly and nod appreciatively in his direction.

"We really don't see eye to eye often… but thanks, Zuko," Sokka said. Kuei finally seemed to have a better understanding of the situation, no matter how confused he still was, but he shrank slightly in place before the blood-soaked, filth-ridden warriors he had been released by. "Come on, then. We're going back upstairs now, we've got a lot of work to do to get this city back on track after today's madness…"

"You're not even taking a tiny break?" Katara asked, grimacing as Sokka returned to the staircase. "Sokka…"

"This is a crucial moment and I'm not about to be irresponsible with what's next, so…" Sokka started, but he slowed on his tracks when his eyes fell upon the stone archway that led into the prison block: Toph had dropped unconscious there, it seemed, dozing off with her head against the wall. He let out a sigh, shaking his head at the sight of an unexpectedly vulnerable Blind Bandit. "Zuko? Think you can carry Toph to a more decent place to sleep other than a prison's entrance?"

"Sure…?" Zuko said, as they marched up to the top of the staircase.

"W-wait, wait, please!" Kuei's voice reached Sokka as the Blue Wolf emerged at the top of the stairs. The King reached for his armor, causing Sokka to turn around with a stern frown. "What… what have you done?! Please, all I want is to understand! I'm not… I'm not ungrateful, I'm not! I hoped…! I didn't think you'd be the one to do this, but if you are…! Then I can only be deeply grateful, truly, Gladiator, but…!"

"I found the White Lotus. They were stubborn and wouldn't help me defeat the Fire Lord until I proved myself, so I took Omashu first and then they agreed to commit their army to my cause, so that we could march up to Ba Sing Se and take the city back from Fire Nation control," Sokka said, bluntly. Kuei's jaw dropped. "Following still?"

"I… I am. But… who are they? T-this lady, and the man with the scar, and the… the one with the arrows?"

"The lady is my sister: Katara, say hi to the Earth King," Sokka said, sardonically. Katara rolled her eyes but smiled kindly at Kuei.

"It's an honor to meet you, truly," she said. Kuei nodded in her direction, still nervous.

"And the scarred guy is Zuko: Prince Zuko, exiled from the Fire Nation and perfectly willing to help us fight back against his piece of shit of a father," Sokka said: Zuko, carrying a slovenly sleeping Toph across his arms, nodded in Kuei's direction.

"Nice meeting you," he said, before rushing off to seek a sitting room, or a bedroom, where he could drop off Toph safely.

"As for the arrows guy… he's Aang," Sokka said. Aang grinned and nodded, waving at Kuei. "And he's the Avatar."

"T-the… the what?!" Kuei screamed, startling everyone in the large, open hall of his Palace.

Sokka sighed, nodding as Aang's smile gained an edge of awkwardness. Kuei blinked blankly, eyes shifting up and down as he took in the youthful airbending master standing before him.

"Y-you… you were friends with the Avatar, Gladiator?!" Kuei asked.

"I wasn't exactly friends with the Avatar, no, I barely knew the guy when I last spoke with you and I didn't know he was the Avatar at the time, so if you're about to say that you would've been much friendlier right away had you known he was on my side, unfortunately, I didn't know he was on my side either," Sokka said, with a dry grin. Kuei swallowed hard.

"But if he has returned… it's providence. A… a miracle," Kuei said. "What you're doing… if the Avatar is with you, then this is… this must be meant to be. It must be desti-…!"

"Oh, fuck off with that drivel," Sokka blurted out without a care in the world. Kuei froze in place, looking at him with confusion. "What I did today out there? That wasn't destiny. I wasn't destined to kill hundreds of soldiers in one day, I refuse to believe I was. I could have very well just spent the rest of my life doing nothing, with the Avatar sitting right beside me, doing nothing just as well! If our being here were destiny, it's simply because we chose to make it so: even if Aang had chosen not to be here, I still would be. And I'd still fight, and I'd still do whatever it takes to put Ozai through hell after everything he's done, no matter whether the Avatar stands by me or not. You, yourself, refused to believe that you were destined to lose your throne when you did… so don't bloody dismiss everything we've done, every smidge of work we've put into getting all the way here, and assume it's a matter of providence and magic that we came as far as we did. The truth is a lot more mundane, and a lot more real and tangible than whatever idealistic explanation you're thinking of."

"I… I didn't mean to say you hadn't worked for it," Kuei said: Sokka clearly daunted him, but he still dared speak his mind. "Only… the Avatar was gone. That he has returned now…"

"Well… it was more chance than anything, admittedly," Katara said, with a sad smile. "I'm the one who found him… and maybe if I'd found him sooner everything would be different. But as it's not… this is the road we're on now, Earth King, and we'll follow it until we finally defeat the Fire Lord and bring balance back to the world."

"Right… right," Kuei said, with a small smile. Sokka eyed him skeptically once more before he started on his way down the Palace again. "I… I suppose I've said many stupid things to displease him, haven't I? I…"

"Don't take it personally," Katara said, shaking her head. "It's been… a triumphant day, and a dark day all at once."

"He's definitely never killed so many people in such a short time before," Aang said, without masking his sadness.

"I don't think any of us had," Katara said, gritting her teeth as all of them followed Sokka at a short distance. "But I guess he always takes it the hardest. I bet he just keeps thinking Tiang could've surrendered sooner and spared us all of this, but…"

"What will happen to that man? Tiang? The conqueror…?" Kuei asked, frowning. "Will he be imprisoned? Executed?"

"Imprisoned for sure. Whatever comes next… beats me," Katara said, shaking her head. "But for now…"

Raised voices reached them as they marched across the Palace anew, this time on their way to where the majority of the White Lotus's occupying forces were at. Sokka spotted Piandao, frowning slightly at the sight of him, especially upon realizing that the loudest voice belonged to a woman.

"… Ease up, now!" Piandao said.

"But she bit me…!" one of the White Lotus soldiers replied.

"Perhaps she did but… I said ease up!"

Sokka frowned, marching faster towards the group, making as much noise as he could with his footsteps: he spoke loudly, commanding as much authority as he could muster when he arrived.

"What's going on here?"

His voice silenced most everyone else in the hall: the dining hall, Sokka noticed, with a pang of nostalgia that struck him painfully as he recalled the very last feast he had enjoyed in that Palace, the feast to celebrate the engagement of two of his best friends…

Said feast's host, he realized, was the screaming woman whom Piandao was attempting to defend from the man trying to hold her down.

By now, though, the man had let go… and the woman had stopped screaming.

Sokka slowed to a halt, his eyes falling upon the disheveled, furious figure of a woman who, until that day, had been the picture of placid kindness, of traditional propriety even if she was, deep down, a woman of the Lower Ring through and through. Her hair, bushy and messy, fell in a chaotic tangle down her back as she turned towards him… and her eyes burned with utter rage as she straightened her stance, marching towards Sokka with clear purpose and intent.

Sokka didn't move away. Sokka made no moves beyond closing his eyes.

His cheek was stung by the harshest slap it had ever received, and he did nothing but take it.

"You…! You bastard!" Jin screamed, tears spilling down her face in an inelegant mess. "You son of a bitch! How could you…?! After everything we did…! After everything Tiang tried to do for her, you'd come here and destroy everything we ever worked for?! You'd destroy our city?! You… you're a monster! A bastard! How could you…?! How could you?!"

Her shrieks echoed across the halls: her anger seemed not to be understood by most the soldiers nearby… but the servants in the area, nervous and unsettled, seemed to understand exactly why the lady of the Palace had lost her temper to that extent right now. Just so… Sokka understood. Of course he understood.

He turned his head slowly, raising a hand to touch the tender skin of his cheek – it wasn't really that painful a blow, not compared to many others he had received, but it certainly was the hardest one he had taken on that day. He breathed deeply…

And the eyes of wrath he had shown most everyone throughout his conquest of Ba Sing Se faded away, replaced by sorrow.

"He's alive," he said. Jin's breaths caught upon hearing those words. "And he will stay that way. You'll have a say upon his fate. If nothing else, I can guarantee that much."

"Y-you… w-what's that supposed to mean?" Jin said, dabbing at her eyes forcefully as she continued to glare at Sokka with reproach. "Don't… don't bloody try to show us kindness now after what you've done. After… after all this? Ba Sing Se has seen enough war! It had seen enough, we were recovering, we were on our way to… t-to peace! To true peace!"

"I have no doubts that's what you and Tiang were working for," Sokka said, sternly. "But deep down… both you and him had to know this was not right. No matter how damn hard he worked for acceptance, to prove himself the best ruler this city ever knew… deep down, he knew this wasn't the way to do right by this city. Ba Sing Se… is a city of the Earth Kingdom. You are a citizen of the Earth Kingdom. And the Fire Nation's peace, the conditioned peace in which a single mishap would send Ozai into a rampage of madness to destroy everything in his wake, is not something you should accommodate to…"

"And this is?!" Jin asked, as emotional still as she ever had been. "I should sit by and let you march in, tearing down this city just for… for what?! For revenge?! Over some whim to rebel against the Fire Lord?! You had no right! If this city is supposed to be of the Earth Kingdom people, then you have just as much right to overtake it as the Fire Lord ever did! You don't belong here, and you never will! You…!"

"I… have no intentions of staying in this city forever. So for that matter, rest assured, you'll see the last of me eventually," Sokka said. Jin froze in place. "No, Jin, I didn't do this on a whim. I fight for more than revenge… I fight for justice. I fight because I know Ozai will never change: if he's willing to destroy his daughter just because his pitiful pride was slighted, then he'll be willing to do a lot worse to people like you if he so feels like it. The same is true for every single citizen in Ba Sing Se, in Omashu, in every city and town and village in this continent and beyond. So… I took Ba Sing Se, but I didn't take it for myself. I'm not going to sit on that throne: frankly, I'd rather you did."

"I… what?" Jin gasped. Behind Sokka, Kuei yelped as well.

"She's…! She's a traitor! She married that Fire Nation man and…!"

"And I married the Fire Nation Princess!" Sokka roared, glaring at Kuei over his shoulder: the revelation was only unsurprising for Aang and Katara, who nonetheless winced upon hearing Sokka roar the words quite as boldly as that. Jin, behind Sokka, froze in place. "So if that's your concept of a traitor, walk yourself right back to the cell I took you from, throw another tantrum and refuse to cooperate with me: do so and then it'll be all the easier for me to hand that throne to Jin alone!"

Again, silence fell upon the halls as Sokka stared down the King firmly… before turning towards Jin again. Her face was marred with confusion, with denial… but she held back from speaking again for the time being.

"I don't know for sure if that's what will happen," Sokka said. "Retaining your power over this city will hinge, more than anything, on your willingness to cooperate with us. I know all too well that you had a lot to do with Tiang's greatest successes in his time as leader of this city, that you understand Ba Sing Se better than anyone who marched with me here ever could. So, if what you truly care about is the protection of this city… work with us. This time, you and your people get to decide how the city is run and if that includes showing mercy and giving the Fire Nation the room and the opportunity to live among you if they choose to, so be it. I sure as hell won't get in the way, if anything, I'd commend you for it. If, however, you'd rather have nothing to do with us because you hate me and all of us for what we've done… then that's up to you, too. I won't pretend I don't deserve the hatred… especially because ultimately, Jin, I'm not sorry for what I've done. I know exactly how much damage this caused… I know exactly why you resent me, and I know I would feel no differently if I were in your shoes. But just as it took me as long as it did to realize there's no reforming something that's been corrupted to its core, you'll probably realize it eventually, too: there's no saving the Fire Nation from itself through peaceful means, not anymore. Ozai saw to that… and I've risen up to the challenge he expected would destroy me. This world won't know peace until he's gone… and I'll only be able to save her from his cruelty once he's out of that throne. This world will change… and determining what that change will look like is up to us. We're already making it happen. So… have a hand in that change, slap any of us if we do something bloody stupid again, be here to speak for your city, for your people… and you'll be part of finally bringing true peace and balance to this world."

Jin remained speechless still, her head bowed slightly. Sokka breathed out slowly, taking a step back: the place where her hand had struck him still stung, but he endeavored to ignore it as he raised his gaze towards Piandao.

"How's everything else going? The servants…"

"Most of the staff members are quite nervous," Piandao said, nodding. "They appear quite distraught by what's happening, but they haven't put up much of a protest. We've found the Palace's communications' office too… the ones manning it have confessed they sent word to War Minister Qin about the events in the city well before we reached the Palace. So…"

"So, they'll know," Sokka said, eyes growing colder once more as Piandao nodded. "Great, then. Let's see to securing the city walls all over again before they get here. We'll have patrols standing guard at the Outer Ring, we'll start repairs there and move further into the city from there on… it shouldn't be easy for Ozai to amass a serious force to attack us with, but we're not going to lower our guard all the same."

"If he realizes what's happened in Omashu and Ba Sing Se at the same time, as you expected, he won't be able to make up his mind about which city to attempt to recover first," Piandao said, firmly. "We'll endeavor to recruit more locals to our army too, ensure they…"

"Sokka?"

A new group of staff members had been brought to the hall by White Lotus soldiers. Sokka's brow furrowed as he turned his head towards the source of that voice… a female, elderly voice that chilled his heart as soon as it reached him.

Jin's reproachful glare wasn't as fierce anymore, but she turned it on Sokka again upon knowing that his apparent lack of remorse wouldn't be as easy to declare in front of someone far more vulnerable than Jin…

"Oh… oh, it's really you, isn't it?" the elderly woman sobbed, covering her face with her hands: the soldier guiding her slowed down, nervous, casting glances at the Gladiator that Sokka responded with a shake of his head. "Sokka…!"

"This isn't… it isn't the way I'd have liked for us to meet again," Sokka said, stepping towards the older woman: tears spilled down her face as she took in his unkempt appearance, the filth upon his armor, the blood over his clothes… "Even so… it's good to see you again, Myeung."

"S-Sokka…!" Myeung gasped, shaking her head. "W-what have you done?! What is going on? I-I don't understand…!"

"I… I've found allies," Sokka said, clasping the older woman's shoulder gently. "They've helped me come as far as I have in my fight against the Fire Lord. Ultimately… that's what I'm doing, Myeung. Ba Sing Se… it's the biggest conquest his regime achieved, so I…"

"S-so you had to take it back? B-but we could have…! I-if you wanted allies, maybe the Governor and Lady Jin would have…!" Myeung sobbed, shaking her head. "T-they could have helped you! W-whatever trouble you were in, Sokka…!"

"I'm afraid I'm a hunted man, Myeung," Sokka said, closing his eyes. "The Fire Lord wants me dead at all costs, and the only way for me to fight back is to end this war. If we defeat him… you'll be free. No more slavery, not for you, not for everyone else who's in worse conditions than yours… no more Fire Nation control over every major city, no more having to bow down to a Fire Lord who doesn't give a damn about anything but his ego. We'll all be free again… freer than we've ever been, if I can get away with that. So…"

"W-what happened to my daughter?"

Sokka's stomach sank at the question. Myeung trembled as her hands reached over towards him, clasping his wrists, her lips parted as she reeled over the delay in his answer.

"W-where is Song? Sokka… is my daughter safe?" she asked, her voice hitching as despair took hold of her even more strongly than before. Sokka snarled, closing his eyes tightly.

"I… I don't know where she is," he admitted. A wail left Myeung's lips as she shook her head violently. "I'm… I'm sorry. I couldn't… couldn't do anything to help her, I couldn't even say goodbye before… b-before everything fell to pieces. Rui Shi… he said he'd protected her, sent her to safety and I hope that's true, but I… I don't really know. I'm sorry, Myeung, I…"

"He sent word… he told me she was safe," Myeung said: Sokka gritted his teeth but nodded. "T-the bird… Hawky, I kept him here, he's with the messenger hawks…"

"Hawky…?" Sokka repeated: that was one reunion he hadn't anticipated, but it briefly lightened his heart regardless. "Then whatever Rui Shi sent to you in that letter… I don't know how much he could have explained, but…"

"He didn't explain much, I didn't understand any of it, I just…! I just wanted to know where my daughter was, w-where he was…" Myeung whimpered. "But he said… not to send Hawky back. Not to send word again… f-for safety. For the Princess's sake…"

Sokka gritted his teeth, trembling upon hearing those words. For Azula's sake… of course, the less connections she could prove to have, the less ammunition Ozai could take advantage of to destroy his daughter. And yet thoughts of how lonely she had to be, of how isolated and miserable his lover might feel right now… his entire body seemed wracked with guilt, fury and need for revenge at once, but all he could do was stand before Myeung, shivering just as she did: where he hadn't come undone at all throughout that whole long, heavy, complicated day, it wasn't an enemy who had brought Sokka to his knees… it was a friend's mother, no more, no less.

"S-Song… Rui Shi would have protected her," Sokka said, struggling to stay upright even after kneeling before Myeung. "He… he would have done right by her no matter what. So… she has to be safe, still. And once… once I go to the Fire Nation again, once I defeat Ozai and end this war, Myeung, you'll see her again. I'll find Song… and I'll see to it that you can see her again. I swear it. I swear…"

Myeung broke down in sobs, but to Sokka's surprise, the old woman wrapped her arms around him as she dropped on the floor, too. She held onto him, clinging to his words just as strongly, to the single solace he could bring her after her life, yet again, had been thrown into terrifying chaos. Sokka knew all too well how painful Song's youth had been, how much strife she had faced when her father had been taken away, when she and her mother had been torn away from each other… it felt like all promises and vows he might make now would be empty, and yet he resolved to ensure that wouldn't be the case. He would bring Song and Myeung back to each other… and somehow, they'd find Rui Shi, too. Sokka didn't know yet if the guards had been found by the Fire Lord, he'd have to ask about any wanted posters, any issued hunts for them… if manhunts for them continued to this day, then they'd likely still be somewhere beyond Ozai's reach. If not, he could only hope they would hold out long enough to be saved one day, same as Song… same as Azula.

For the bulk of the army, today was a day of glory, of celebration. Cheers would be heard for hours all across the Upper Ring as more and more survivors from the Fire Nation army offered their surrender, following the example of their General, who had saved their lives upon making that choice. The musicians' squad, fortunately, had survived mostly unscathed, and Kino had rejoiced with his new friends over their successful work by helping guide the army throughout that long and tiresome day. Complications, of course, were guaranteed to take place once some of the less savory additions to the White Lotus army, namely the handful of criminals from the Lower Ring who had joined them, attempted to sack and rob some houses of the city's highborn only to be caught by Commander Shiju, who ensured to put a stop to their looting at once.

But for those who witnessed that moment in the Palace, whether servants or warriors, soldiers or civilians, the strange distance, the humility displayed by the Blue Wolf throughout the past months had gained new meaning. Even his sister, who had known of his story so far, only seemed to truly grasp the gravity of Sokka's internal struggle upon witnessing the way Jin had slapped him… upon watching him holding his friend's mother, reassuring her, apologizing to her for having failed to help her daughter, stricken by the losses he had suffered, loses he certainly blamed himself for inflicting upon others indirectly and unwillingly. This wasn't simply a grand, glorious and victorious campaign for Sokka: he had to confront and even face deathly duels with people he had grown to respect, he'd come across people whose wellbeing he fought for, too… people who were likely to see him as the enemy. To misunderstand his role in this conflict… to think him a perpetrator rather than the victim who had finally taken a stand and fought back against the boot attempting to crush him.

Taking a stand against Ozai, fighting back against him in the way he intended to, would force him to carry an unsavory, inevitable burden: he would become the villain in the eyes of those who had thought him a hero before, or at least, a friend, an ally, an agreeable acquaintance at worst. His actions, his choices, would be misunderstood… and Fire Lord Ozai was certain to make the most of that and turn him into the embodiment of everything the Fire Nation was fated to destroy.

The path ahead would not be easy for Sokka, much as nothing had been, thus far. How many friends would he lose? How many more times would his heart break upon learning he had broken those of others? How many bonds would be severed and frayed until they were undone completely? How deeply would it hurt him to fight against them with single-minded determination, until he either succeeded or failed irremediably at this quest?

Katara breathed deeply, closing her eyes as she finally understood her brother in ways she hadn't thought she would. Yet again, Sokka's importance for the rest of the world floored her, shaking her to her core, reminding her that he'd lived an extraordinary life, a full life, while he had been away from home… reminding her that her goof of a brother was so much more than she had ever realized he would be. He was a General, yes… but he was the Gladiator, above all else. And that meant a thousand different things to countless people… but starting today, the word would be a target on his back. Starting today, it would be the title of Fire Lord Ozai's greatest enemy, the title that marked the man he would stop at nothing to annihilate.

There were still countless matters to resolve hours later. Servants and staff in the Palace had been joined by the logistics groups from the Gladiator and White Lotus armies, as well as by commoners from across the city, for now they stood on equal levels with those of the Upper Ring after the fall of the walls: all groups worked together to provide nourishment to the newly arrived army, as well as the many civilians who had been caught in the chaos, usually due to damage to their homes – if not their outright destruction. Much like in Omashu, many celebrated and cheered… but this time, Sokka refrained from giving any triumphant speeches. This time, the Gladiator had found a balcony in the Imperial Palace from where he could gaze upon the city: the fires had been put out already, but the damage across Ba Sing Se wouldn't be easily undone. So much work would go into amending the infrastructure's damage… and they'd have to hope that whatever surplus in production the Agrarian Zone provided would suffice to feed the army. While they had sustained losses, they had lost less than two thousand troops today… so it meant that, at worst, their army was still around four thousand strong, soon to be bolstered by Ba Sing Se's people, too, much as they had been bolstered by Omashu…

Light footsteps behind him revealed the Avatar had approached him. Sokka didn't glance back, his mind still racing, his head still throbbing.

"Well… it's done," Aang said, with a weak smile. "This city is free… just like Omashu is. I know you're not in the best of moods because, well… I think I understand why. But… this is for the best, Sokka. You know that, don't you?"

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't," Sokka answered truthfully, closing his eyes. "I know it's the only way to proceed anymore. I didn't want to go about this with armies, furthering a war that has already cost the world so much… but that's the only thing that might stop Ozai anymore. If it weren't… I'd do whatever else might work, but I can't. This is the path that bastard has forced me to take… and he's forced me into a corner for the very last time. I swear I'm going to make him regret it for as long as he draws breath."

"I'm sure he'll be ready to regret it soon," Aang said, his smile dishonest still. "I mean… I don't know how long it takes for messenger hawks to travel all the way to the Fire Nation Capital from Ba Sing Se. But as soon as he finds out what's happened… do you think he'll realize Omashu's fallen, too?"

"He's already aware something's going on there," Sokka said, nodding. "His letter to Ukano suggested as much."

"Would he ever believe what we've done here?" Aang asked. "I… I don't even know if I believe it myself, to be honest. This city is… a little terrifying. I've never heard anything about it that I liked. Being here is daunting… and being here as conquerors is even more daunting. I mean, I know we say we're liberators, but…"

"It all depends on where you're standing anyway," Sokka said, shaking his head. "You and I would be as out of place here as Tiang was, as far as the logic of nations dictates… making a home here as a foreigner should be a matter of choosing to cherish their culture, their way of life, rather than forcing our own upon them, right? So… arriving here as conquerors only makes us look like a new, forced order just like the Fire Nation was. I wouldn't be surprised if a large amount of the population distrusts us… and yet it doesn't even matter if they do. It can't matter. What we're after is much greater… much bigger than the largest city in the world."

"It is," Aang agreed, breathing deeply. "I'm sorry you have to fight people you liked and respected, though. I… I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. I've never had to go against those I love…"

"Well, I wouldn't use that word so freely with people I didn't know all that well…" Sokka admittedly, though he lowered his gaze. "Myeung… I didn't get to bond with her much on our visits to this city. She probably knows me better through Song's letters than from any of our visits to Ba Sing Se…"

"I guess," Aang said. "But it looked like she understood in the end, right? Like… like she accepted it. That you have to do this…"

"I don't know. I hope so," Sokka said. "I can't help but think that she might think me a hero sometimes… then, she might see me as the monster who destroyed what little peace and quiet they still could indulge in before Ozai goes completely mad trying to kill us all. So… I don't have a lot of hopes when it comes to how people will perceive me. They say history's written by the winners, don't they? Beats me if that's how it's going to be… but if that's true, the only chance I'll ever get to make them understand my story properly would be by winning this war, huh?"

"Well… most of them, anyway," Aang said, with a weak grin. "There's some… some who would always know you and what you truly believe in. Some who wouldn't misunderstand what you've done and who would support what you're choosing to do because they know the Fire Lord is wrong. Like those who joined us today, the ones from the Lower Ring… they believed in us, they understood why we were fighting, and they even helped us, right?"

Sokka glanced at Aang at last: the Avatar was surprised to find apprehension in his semblance… as well as a smidge of hope among all that fear. As though the sole thought he clung to, the single thread of hope he could find strength in, was that very idea…

"She'll learn of what you're doing," Aang said, swallowing hard. "She'll know you're going to find her… and that you're going to set everything right. That you're coming back to her, and that she won't have to be alone anymore."

Sokka shivered upon hearing those words. It was all he could ever want… it was all he could ever hope for. If Azula was waiting for him… if she was enduring her father's madness, clinging only to the thought of seeing him again someday, how could he possibly let anything faze him? How could he falter at all? How could he question himself or doubt…? He might as well become a monster indeed… a monster in the eyes of those who had once seen him as a harmless man with a ridiculous sense of humor and a profound loyalty to the woman who had become everything to him: if he had to be a monster to win this war, to return to her side, he would make the decision consciously, openly, without any hesitation. Whatever he had to do, whatever he had to become… he'd do it, so long as he could set her free.

But what if she saw him the way the others did? What if she, as well, was outraged and affronted by what he'd done? By the countless Fire Nation lives that had been lost that day… by the ones lost in Omashu, too?

Sokka gritted his teeth, tightening a fist over the banister of that balcony as his eyes rose towards the sky. His other hand slipped into his waistcloth, past it and into his pocket: her necklace's pendant and the velvet of the choker's fabric remained as smooth and soft as they had ever been: however deeply connected she was to the Fire Nation, Azula had chosen to save him and openly rebelled against her father for his sake. She had known it might come to this someday… she had known there might be a civil war in the Fire Nation eventually, and while she had been on the fence about it before, her father's horrific choices ever since their relationship's revelation would surely have changed her mind, if only a proper rebellion had been possible for her to spearhead.

She knew him like no one else did. She wouldn't misread him… she wouldn't misinterpret, misunderstand his choices. She knew he loved her, that his heart ached for her at every waking moment… her own heart longed for him just as badly, as she had revealed during their spiritual connection. Their energies, their essences, were one… she had to know what he was doing. She would understand it… and she would wait for him. She had asked him to wait for her… he had failed to abide by her request for more than enough reasons, including the safety of his tribe, as well as his desperation to see her again. But just upon recalling how she had confessed to needing him, to wanting him desperately, to nearly letting go of life upon believing he was gone…

Aang was right: Azula was waiting for him. And after a step as big as the one he had taken today with the army that had defeated the Fire Nation in Ba Sing Se, Sokka's heart pounded painfully, eagerly, upon hoping that their eventual reunion might not be as distant and out of reach as it had appeared to be until today. He had taken a large step forward towards Azula today, the most meaningful of all so far… and he would keep charging ahead without remorse, without hesitation, until his hand finally clasped hers once more, to never let it go.