Admiral Chan was most surprised to receive a summons from the Fire Lord while spending a nice and comfortable break in the Fire Nation resort located in the north of the former Earth Kingdom. He had headed back to the Fire Nation mainland feeling quite displeased by the interruption, but hoping that Ozai had called to offer him a raise or a promotion. It wasn't until he crossed the threshold of the Fire Lord's Throne Room, after a week of traveling to get to the Capital, that he began to suspect what the purpose of this meeting was.
Sitting behind his magnificent curtain of fire, the leader of the Fire Nation welcomed him with a glare that Chan took as a bad omen. A figure sat at Ozai's right, the light emitted by the flames revealed her to be the Princess.
"Fire Lord Ozai," said Chan, bowing down. "You requested my presence?"
"I did, Admiral Chan," said Ozai. "There is a matter of utmost importance that we need to discuss."
"What might that be, my Lord?" asked Chan, trying to conceal the fear in his voice. If Princess Azula was involved, this could be anything but good…
"The matter of my daughter's engagement to your son," said Ozai. Azula's face broke into a small grin when she saw the look of confusion in Chan's face as he looked up to the Fire Lord. "My daughter conveyed to me that she did not support her union to your son and requested an opportunity to prove he was not worthy of marrying her. And she has succeeded in convincing me that your child is not suitable to take mine as his wife."
"W-what?!" squealed Chan. "T-that's absurd! How could she prove anything...?!"
"I went out of my way to sponsor a gladiator," said Azula, not caring if she was interrupting the admiral as he spoke. "A non-bender, who had never fought against another man in the Superior Gladiator League. I managed to defeat your son while sponsoring such a novice fighter… you ought to be ashamed of him."
"What?!" yelled Chan. "N-no... my son has the best gladiator in Ember Island! You couldn't have defeated him with a rookie!"
"Yet I did," stated Azula, defying Chan with her glare.
"Yes, she did," said Ozai. "And if she can overcome your son so easily, despite he has been involved in this business for years and she is but a newcomer, she has proved him to be incompetent and unsuitable to marry her. He is, most definitely, not on her level."
Chan was left to stare at Ozai, his mouth wide open as he tried to figure out what had just happened. His gateway to an easy life had suddenly shut off on him because of some gladiator fight he hadn't been informed of… it didn't make any sense to him, but apparently it did to Ozai. What was he going to do now? Was he supposed to let his family's chance to gain high honors vanish in thin air just like this?
"My Lord, don't you believe this to be a rushed decision?" he asked nervously. "It took us a long time to decide on this arrangement… isn't it a waste to throw it away now, just like this?"
"It does make me feel somewhat remorseful to see that all our meetings were to no avail, but my daughter has proved your son's incompetence. Not much can be done about that."
"Also, Admiral Chan, I believe your son will be pleased to discover our engagement has been called off," Azula said. "I'm afraid that meeting me face to face has made him fear me far more than any husband should fear his wife. The only person who refuses to let this arrangement die out is you, and I'm sorry to say, Admiral, that you don't have the last say upon this matter."
"Indeed, she is right," said Ozai. "You will have to come up with a new method for me to repay you for your deeds down at the South Pole. Meanwhile, inform your son that he will not marry my daughter."
Chan's eyes grew wide with despair. This couldn't be happening...
"Uh... Father," added Azula, looking slightly confused as Chan lowered his head. "I don't understand the nature of your bargain with the Admiral. What deed did he perform to have you pay something back to him, if I may inquire?"
Ozai's brow contracted at his daughter's question.
"You are well aware of that, aren't you, Azula? The Admiral saved your life and our settlement down at the South Pole two years ago."
Azula looked puzzled and she rubbed her chin with her thumb at her father's words. Chan began sweating, realizing what was at stake here... the Princess had never been known for her kindness. That she had allowed him to get away with his lies didn't mean she wouldn't get back at him for it some day...
"I don't believe you were informed correctly of the events, father," she said. "I don't know what you were told, but Admiral Chan cowered under a table along with the rest of the military leaders while I took care of the threat myself. Why do you believe I took a detour to drop the slave at Hui Yi? If Chan had been the one to defeat him, he would have been the one carrying the slave around, not me."
Ozai's frown grew even more pronounced as he realized his daughter's words made sense. He eyed Chan with disdain and fury before addressing Azula again.
"If this is what truly happened, why are you only speaking out now, Azula?"
"I was under the impression that the high ranked men in the army were trustworthy and honorable," said Azula. "I never thought the Admiral would have lied in such a shameful manner... I was certain that whatever favor you were rewarding him with had nothing to do with the South Pole, since his performance there was as shameful as it was."
"Is this true, Admiral Chan?" growled Ozai, the flames that decorated the room flickered with his anger.
"O-of course not, my Lord!" Chan squealed, terrified.
"Oh? You're accusing me of lying, then?" inquired Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Y-you have no proof!" yelled the man.
"Don't raise your voice to my daughter, Admiral Chan," Ozai commanded, enraged. "I hold her words in far higher value than I ever will yours."
"Don't worry, father, there's no need to get worked up over this. Despite what he says, I, in fact, have ways to prove that my words are true. There are many witnesses of what happened at the South Pole. I'm fairly certain General Bujing would be most cooperative if he were asked about Admiral Chan's behavior during the attack to the settlement."
Chan's face grew pale. Bujing would tell the truth, sticking to Azula's side of the story. They had never been on good terms, so he wouldn't hesitate to support Azula if it meant tearing Chan down.
"And Bujing isn't my only means of proof anyway," said Azula. "Did I speak to you about my gladiator, father?"
"No, you haven't told me much about him," said Ozai, curious.
"He is the very man who had been leading the Water Tribe's resistance, the one I forced to become a slave," she said. "I defeated him with a firebent fist to his stomach, and I'm fairly certain the burn mark must still be there. If you truly want to find out who the one to bring him and his entire operation down was, then I guess we could compare the size of the fist on my gladiator's skin with both my hand and Admiral Chan's. You'll see I'm not lying by then, I'm certain of that."
Ozai looked at Chan angrily, and the fire of the room grew dramatically in size and strength as the Fire Lord allowed his fury to fuel the flames around him.
"You deceived me, Admiral Chan. You lied to the Fire Lord you had sworn eternal loyalty to..."
"No, no, my Lord!" Chan mumbled. "I did it because I had to!"
"You cowardly fool!" yelled Ozai. "You will pay for this treason... You will be stripped off your titles and properties! You are not worthy of your position, just as that low-life son of yours wasn't worthy of my daughter! Make sure you remember this for what's left of your life, Chan: nobody lies to the Fire Lord and goes unpunished! I should have your head for this... you'd better be grateful for my mercy."
"I am, my Lord... I'm so sorry..." he whined, tears threatening to slip out of his eyes.
"Now get out of my sight if you know what's good for you!" he yelled, and Chan crawled away with his head down, ashamed of what he had done for the sole sake of attaining glory and fame he didn't deserve.
Once Chan was gone, Ozai looked at his daughter sideways before smiling at her.
"What a wise move, Azula," he said. "You knew better than to speak of what had happened before holding the proper proof to bring him down. Well done. You will make a great Fire Lord when your time comes."
Azula smiled and bowed down at the Fire Lord as the flames diminished in size: he was beaming in pride towards his daughter now.
"Thank you, Father."
A few minutes later, Azula walked through the halls of the Palace while trying to taste the joy of finally being free from both Admiral Chan and his son, but something kept dragging her down, and even if she would refuse to admit it out loud, she was perfectly aware of what it was.
Just mentioning him on that meeting had made her feel as though her innards were twisting. She still couldn't forget the way they had argued, how he had declared the Fire Nation people were heartless and cruel. Were they really as bad as he claimed them to be? She was horrified to realize he had been right to say she avoided the issue of what was wrong or right because, once she took those notions into account while thinking of the Fire Nation's actions, she would have to face how much her people had damaged the world. Sure, they had become prosperous and powerful, but it had been at the expenses of wrecking the other three nations. And justifying what they were doing because other nations had done it before them in other eras wouldn't serve to justify anything in the long run. It didn't make them superior, as she had always believed they were.
Azula gritted her teeth as she came to acknowledge these realizations. She wasn't supposed to question her nation, she was meant to rule it in the way her father did, and in the way his father had ruled it before him.
But when she walked by a frame that held the world map, she found herself frowning and returning on her tracks to take a better look. It was the same territory she had studied to gain a better knowledge of the world she lived in, the same mountains, deserts, rivers and oceans. The sole thing that had changed were the colors decorating the land: almost the entire map was red. The whole Earth Kingdom continent, the Air Nomads's islands... they had been claimed as Fire Nation territory now.
Azula frowned as she thought about it. Little sense did it make to think that the Earth Kingdom's arid territory belonged to the Fire Nation, that the steep and mysterious mountains of the Air Nomads were now theirs, too. How could they put their banner over such terrains? There was nothing about them to give Azula a sense of belonging, of patriotism. She actually knew nothing about those terrains and she didn't care to know either. Even after all this time, after all she had told Sokka, she couldn't think of the Earth Kingdom as an addition to the Fire Nation. It was wrong: both cultures were completely different; forcing one upon the other would never feel right.
And then she remembered those scrolls of ancient history again. The wars that had been waged between benders of different kinds... the outcome to those conflicts had been the best one, since each one of the Four Nations had obtained the territory most suitable for them. But surely, at some point in time, that division wasn't necessary. A long time ago, benders of all kinds had found a way to coexist before someone, just like the current Fire Nation, had decided to set himself and his kind apart from those who were different our of spite, disdain or paranoia.
Slowly she allowed her eyes to grow out of focus: the image dimmed, the colors were no longer as strong and they morphed into different shades. Now the territories weren't distinguished by their color, they were one and the same even when they were different too. The world was truly diverse, but everything had been able to coexist harmoniously… surely, everything had been peaceful before humanity had determined to divide the land. Oh, people were such fools indeed… it was likely that, if any deities existed in this world, they would be laughing at them right now, pitying the lowly men who played at being gods…
"Azula?" spoke a familiar voice, bringing the Princess out of her trance with a start.
Ty Lee and Mai stood at the end of the hallway, looking at her with curiosity.
"What are you doing there?" asked Ty Lee, beaming as Azula walked towards them.
"Nothing in particular," replied Azula, doing her best to conceal that the very basis of her identity was falling apart because she had allowed Sokka's words get to the best of her…
Neither one of the girls seemed to believe her, but they decided to cast the subject aside if only for now.
"So… we heard you won!" said Ty Lee, cheerfully. "How did it go? Tell us!"
"Oh, right," said Azula. "It wasn't a very troublesome fight, in fact it was anything but troublesome. Anyhow, I got rid of Chan and I also made sure his useless father would finally understand that he should have never underestimated me."
"That's… great?" asked Ty Lee, half smiling as she eyed Azula with concern.
"What's the matter?" asked Azula, surprised at the strange expression in her friend's face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What you just told us…" muttered Mai. "It's supposed to be a good thing, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is" said Azula, now turning to her other friend.
"Then why aren't you happy?" asked Mai. "I don't expect you to go all Ty Lee about it…"
"HEY!"
"… But I've known you for a long time, and this definitely isn't the way you look when you've just gotten your way," said Mai. "What happened to you?"
Azula had always thought Mai's sharp mind was impressive, but she hated it when she used those observation powers on her.
"How about you start finding a new subject to interrogate and you leave me be for a while, Mai?" asked Azula, walking off in hopes the girl would take the hint.
"Mai's not the only one who can notice you're acting weird, you know?" said Ty Lee, as they both followed the Princess. "I know you well enough too to realize there's something wrong."
"Well, it's none of your business anyways, so there's no point in prying since I'm not going to say a…"
"It's him, isn't it?" asked Mai, making Azula stumble with her own feet. "Your gladiator. He did something to you, didn't he?"
Azula stopped on her tracks and turned around just to give Mai an enraged glare.
"I said it was none of your business…"
"It is him, then," said Mai, crossing her arms as she looked at the roof in quite a careless manner.
"Did he do something to you?!" asked Ty Lee, worried. "Because if he did, I'll teach him a lesson or two!"
"As if I couldn't do such a thing myself," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "He didn't do anything, damn it… and I don't want to talk about it anyway."
"We're going to keep asking until you give us an answer, so even if you don't want to spill all the details, you can at least sum it up somehow…" said Mai, shrugging.
Azula glared at her and rolled her eyes before huffing in annoyance.
"It's not really half as complicated as you think. I just… I realized I was being a fool by misunderstanding what the situation between us was."
"Huh? W-what did you take it for?" asked Ty Lee, her eyes growing wide.
"I don't know," said Azula, truthfully. "But I was stupid to make that mistake. He and I… there's no way we'll ever understand each other. And why should I even bother trying to understand him, anyways? I'm only using him, and he's only using me, too. Getting invested in this is only going to cause me the kind of trouble I'm better off avoiding."
"Um… what form of investment are we talking about exactly…?" asked Ty Lee again, confused.
"I… I don't even know, really," said Azula. "I was naïve and I forgot he was just a slave while I was a Princess. There was some sort of… respect between us, or so I thought. And then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone again."
"Huh," said Mai, thoughtful. "I'm surprised it upsets you that much."
"It doesn't, really," muttered Azula. "I'm just bothered by some of the things he said, not over how our relationship, or whatever that was, fell apart. I guess I did need an eye-opener. He really is just my gladiator, he was never meant to become anything other than that. I was a fool to forget that."
"Gee, that sounds so sad," said Ty Lee. "Oh, well… then, if you're really only using him for fights, am I allowed to start something with him…?"
Azula glared at her in visible irritation.
"I think we already discussed that, didn't we? I'm not letting him get distracted. He's only around to fight, nothing other than that. If you want a boy-toy, find someone else for the job."
"You're always so stern, Azula," said Ty Lee, sighing. "Well, fine! I'll find my own if it bothers you that much! But make sure to let me know if you change your mind, okay?"
"Why do you even want him so badly?" asked Azula, rolling her eyes.
"Why do I want him? Have you taken a good look at him?" asked Ty Lee, blushing slightly as she giggled, picturing him in her head. "I'm so sure he must be amazing in bed…"
The comment made Mai stare at her in surprise at her intrepid assertion while Azula's eyes went wide in shock, wondering how the hell Ty Lee would know something like that.
"Ty Lee!" she said. "What's the matter with you?!"
"Oh, come on! You know I'm right!" she said, folding her arms stubbornly.
Azula didn't understand how Ty Lee could know if her gladiator had any skills in bed; she had no clue if he really was any use in it or not, since it didn't matter much either way. Still, her mind betrayed her by reminding her that somersault he had performed: the way his muscles had contracted, the flexibility and strength he had displayed… She was blushing before she knew it, as she started to guess Ty Lee's words might be true after all. That annoying girl… she had been the one to make her notice the man was attractive in the first place and now she was making her think about his potential in a sexual scenario?!
"UGH!" she said, irked at both Ty Lee and her mind for giving her such scandalous thoughts.
The Princess stormed off, still followed by both Mai and Ty Lee, the former just glaring at the latter with disapproval. Still, for Azula's wellbeing, they decided to stay off the subject of her gladiator for the rest of the day, something that Azula was grateful for, despite being unable to stop thinking about him anyway…
Piandao was drinking his tea quietly as he watched his student practicing his moves. He had noticed there was something off about Sokka for a few days now; his mind was troubled for reasons Piandao couldn't understand, but he could ascertain that whatever was bothering Sokka was taking a toll on his performance as a warrior as well.
"Like a turtle without its shell, a powerful swordsman can become weak if his mind is clouded by worries and troubles, Sokka," said the man. "What's wrong?"
Sokka stared at him in surprise at first, then he sighed as he lowered his sword.
"I... I've been acting weird, haven't I?"
"There's still food in my kitchen six days after your arrival. If that hadn't been clear enough a clue, watching you now has cleared all my doubts. What troubles you?" he asked again, taking a sip from his tea.
Sokka looked up at him and sighed, afraid to tell Piandao about his argument with the Princess. He had claimed that all Fire Nation people were evil... he had forgotten Piandao was Fire Nation, too. Many times he had said Piandao was the greatest man he had ever met, but now he began wondering if he had made a mistake either in his judgment of the people from the Fire Nation or in his judgment of his master.
"Sit by me and have some tea," Piandao said, offering him a cup of tea. "It will make you feel better."
Sokka didn't understand how drinking a hot beverage would improve his state of mind, but he obeyed his master despite his doubts. And before he knew it, he was telling the older man all about his discussion with the Princess right after his triumph at the Arena.
"... So she dropped me off here, and I guess she was pretty upset too when she realized I won't stand for all the crap the Fire Nation has done, the crap she has done. But the things she said... they were really unsettling. I have no clue if she actually believes every word she said or if she only says that sort of stuff because that's what's expected from her, since she's the Princess…"
"She most likely believes it," said Piandao. "Most Fire Nation people believe those arguments to be valid excuses for what their leaders have done."
Sokka grimaced and looked at him sideways as he sipped his cup of tea.
"Then... do you believe it?"
"Of course not."
Relief washed over Sokka as he sighed, feeling the world still made some sense despite all the latest happenings.
"I'm so glad..." he said, smiling. "But... how come don't you believe it? Why don't you?"
"It was part of my inner journey to become a better swordsman, you might say," muttered Piandao. "I began thinking about what the purpose of fighting in the war was. Why was I killing all those people, why was I following the orders of a regime that I didn't agree with? There was nothing forcing me to stick to the Fire Nation's ways if I didn't agree with them."
"So… you didn't feel any duty to your country or anything of the sort?" asked Sokka, surprised.
"I did," said Piandao. "I belong in my nation, which is why I live here and I strive to teach other Fire Nation people the true way of the sword. Those who learn through my teachings should develop their own way to judge the world, and they won't accept the doctrines of the Fire Nation without giving them proper thought first."
"And that's why you left the army, then?" asked Sokka.
"Yes. Regrettably, there's very little a man like me can do to change the world. I'm not growing any younger, and my attempts to turn the Fire Nation to the right path failed poorly. The very least I can do is hope that my students will succeed if they try to make this world a better place."
"Huh…" said Sokka. "You expect me to try to change this world?"
"Why not?"
"Uh, sir… I may be close to someone who holds a great deal of power, but I'm just a slave to her," said Sokka. "And even if I tried to talk her out of her delirium, she'd still think she's superior to everyone because she's the Fire Lord's daughter. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever be able to reason with her… the worst part is that I'm afraid I'll end up believing her nonsense someday…"
"Sokka, a swordsman who knows who he is can change the course of a fight, and by changing one fight, he can change an entire war. Do not doubt yourself; don't let her words turn you into someone you won't be able to recognize in the future. You are who you are, Sokka, and even if it's good to hear to what others have to say, you must make sure you don't lose sight of your true self as you listen to them."
"You mean… I should listen to her while staying true to who I am?" asked Sokka, taken by surprise.
"A wise man is the one who is willing to listen to the opinions of others and build his own upon his new discoveries. A fool would be stuck in his own beliefs, never caring for what others have to say."
"Well, I'm afraid she's a fool, then," said Sokka, shrugging.
"I don't believe so," said Piandao. "The Princess is cunning and highly intelligent; it would do you good to not underestimate her, even if you're angry at her. She's likely to take in only what makes her stronger, though, so you will have a hard time trying to make her see that the world we live in has been soiled with malice, greed and power. Regardless, Sokka, you mustn't take this fight to be lost just yet. I'm certain Princess Azula has a sharp mind; she's not as thick-headed as she would seem to be. Be strong, and if you feel you're about to lose yourself, remember this conversation and remember the man you truly are."
Sokka smiled and nodded. He had no idea if Piandao was right about Azula, but he hoped he would be. Maybe Sokka held the only chance to change the Fire Nation… and the way to turn everything around would be to help Azula realize that the world needed to change, and that she was the one who could turn everything to the better. She held more power than anyone else he knew, since she was the Fire Lord's daughter, after all.
Sokka finished drinking his tea feeling a lot better about himself and more certain of the future ahead of him, no longer dreading the day he would meet the Princess again.
"So… he's 420, then?" asked Azula, as she scanned the list that comprised the Gladiator Ranking with interest.
"Yeah, I'm amazed!" said Shoji. "I think it's the first time that someone rises so high with his first fight! You really picked the best fighter!"
"I wonder about that," was Azula's reply as she kept scanning the scroll.
She had taken almost two weeks to purge Sokka's words out of her mind, hoping to rid herself of the strange trance she had gone through while staring at the world map. She had to focus on what was truly important, and that was the Ranking's scroll in her hand. She had to pick a new opponent for her gladiator, and she would select one right away… if she managed to find an interesting gladiator name on the sheet of paper she was holding.
"Well… are you going to issue out a new challenge?" asked Shoji, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, but I'm not sure of whom should I challenge," said Azula, sighing. "It would be a lot easier if others were the ones to challenge me. I know nothing about these fighters…"
"I do, though," said Shoji, grinning. "I can help you choose your opponent if you want."
Azula looked at him with slight uncertainty, still holding the paper in her hand as she wondered if the boy could help her at all.
"Well, then… point me towards any good fighter in the lower half of the ranking," said Azula.
"Oh, sure!" said Shoji, smiling as he took the scroll, and after scanning it quickly he pointed at number 264. "If you want a good challenge, you can go for The Lady of Laogai, she's one tough earthbender! Or if you want something that probably won't be so difficult you can fight The Emerald Rockman, he's not that strong even when he's an earthbender also…"
"W-wait," said Azula, recalling the entirety of Sokka's request now. "It's better if you suggest non-benders."
"Oh, non-benders?" said the boy. "That's okay! Non-benders it is! The Butterfly Lady is pretty easy to beat, apparently, even if she's quite dangerous… she's 324, so she's not that high, really. You can also fight The Harvester, he has this horrible scythe but he's a good challenge if that's what you're looking for."
Azula frowned at those words, thinking both options were ridiculous to say the least. Shoji took the hint and continued looking at the scroll, searching for something better, although Azula began thinking he would fail at it. She was starting to consider ignoring Sokka's request and tell Shoji to challenge one of the earthbenders he had mentioned earlier when a fat, bald man approached the counter.
"Shoji, my boy! What news have you got for me?" he asked, grinning.
"Oh, sorry, Mr. Hosang," said Shoji, looking up from the ranking to regard the man. "You haven't received any challenges this time."
"What, not even one?!" asked the man, his squeaky voice annoying Azula a little. "Bleh, that's so boring… where's my Hornet at right now?"
"Let me check…" said Shoji, looking at the scroll again. "The Hornet is, at the time, in the position 382. Do you wish to send out a new challenge?"
"Is there anyone good out there to fight…?" said Hosang, sighing.
He suddenly realized Azula was staring at him. As usual, her golden hairpiece was an instant giveaway of her identity, and the man's face flushed with amazement as he remembered the rumors he had been hearing about.
"Could it be…?" he said, his surprise turning into a grin. "The Princess is truly sponsoring a gladiator?!"
"Yes, she is," said Shoji, smiling.
"And you are…?" asked Azula, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Oh, where are my manners?" he said, smiling. "I'm Hosang, a goods' merchant from Fire Fountain City! I moved here only a few years ago, and I sponsor The Red Striped-Hornet."
"The Red-Striped Hornet is a non-bender, by the way," said Shoji, grinning. "Hosang's gladiator might just be what you were looking for, Princess."
Azula looked at the ranking again and scanned it for the data of the Hornet with a quick look. Thirty-seven wins, eight losses… and a total of six hundred and forty-four points. She would give Sokka a hundred and nineteen points if he defeated her…
"Indeed," said Azula, staring at Hosang again. "How would you feel, then, about having your gladiator fight mine?"
Hosang's mouth fell open and he looked terrified. He had never thought he would have the chance to even speak with the Fire Nation Princess, let alone to have his Hornet fight her gladiator…
"I… I'm not so sure, Princess…"
"No need to be so shy, there's nothing to be afraid of," said Azula. "My gladiator has only fought once so far, you have nothing to fear from him."
"W-what type of bender is he?" asked Hosang, still scared.
"A non-bender, actually," said Azula. "He is quite strong, but I'm certain your fighter is good enough to give him a proper match if these numbers are accurate. Thirty-seven wins and only eight losses show your gladiator must be quite a worthy opponent."
"I… I hope so, yes," said Hosang. "You have only fought once, then? Well, I did hear a few rumors about how that fight went… he even had spare time, didn't he?"
"Oh, yes. But his rival wasn't as deadly as he seemed to be when faced against someone with a keen intellect," said Azula, shrugging. "Anyhow… shall we do this, then? Your Hornet against my Wolf?"
Hosang looked worried, afraid of what the consequences would be if his fighter defeated the Princess's… but then again, even if she was the Fire Lord's daughter the judges would play fair, wouldn't they? She couldn't just get away with triumphing only because of her position in society… if her fame was accurate, she was the type to take matters into her own hands and solve all her problems out of her skill alone. Nobody understood why she behaved like this, all they knew was that she did. So… would she take kindly to losing against him? Surely not, but she would be able to accept the result of the battle no matter what it was, wouldn't she?
He smiled awkwardly and nodded after pondering the situation.
"Yes, I think this challenge is a good idea" he agreed. "Although it makes me nervous to fight the Princess…"
"Oh, don't worry, you're not going to fight me," said Azula, smiling. "If you were, your concern would be justified. Your gladiator will be fighting mine, which is an entirely different thing. So I suggest you sit back and enjoy the show. The best fighter will win, surely."
"Right," said Hosang, grinning. "Well then… what shall be the terms of the combat?"
Shoji wrote every word down as they settled the arrangement: since they both lived in the Capital the fight would take place in this very Arena. Shoji grinned as he read the information he had just scribbled on the Arena's journal, fixing the fight's date in two week's time. He looked at that name, The Blue Wolf, and smiled. He had been waiting eagerly for the day when he would finally meet the warrior the Princess had considered worthy of sponsoring, and said day would arrive shortly…