Song tried to focus on cleaning the dishes, but performing mundane activities allowed her mind to wander even when she didn't want it to. She could hear the way Sokka was swinging his sword in the backyard, a few groans leaving his throat whenever he performed really complex movements.
Song didn't understand what was happening with him right now. He had been behaving oddly for the last two weeks, but right now he was acting much weirder than ever before.
It had been four days already since he had dealt with a nasty hangover that he hadn't explained to Song. She had helped him cope with it, thinking his dreadful mood had been caused by the hangover, but once he was cured from it, his attitude had grown even fouler. It worried Song, because she had never expected her friend and supposed-to-be master to become so moody all of sudden. He'd always been so relaxed and cheerful… what had happened with him? Had it been that date of his? Did it go awry?
Song placed the last plate into a drawer after drying it properly and she walked to the living room, from where she could look out at the backyard. Sokka was twirling with his sword, his brow contracted in a perturbed frown. Song had seen him train before, and he usually moved with enthusiasm, seemingly at peace with himself. There was no doubt something had happened to him, something bad. Nobody changed his demeanor so radically without a reason…
Song sighed and looked for her duster, with which she began cleaning up the furniture. She had already cleaned the day before, but there wasn't much she could do to busy herself with anything other than her concern over Sokka. What could have happened on that date? It was hard to figure it out, truly… but maybe the date wasn't the issue. Song frowned and lowered her rug as she remembered how he had arrived home after his fight at the Arena. Sokka had looked distraught, troubled. He had taken a bath and gotten dressed quickly, but then he had taken a seat at the couch for a couple of hours, his head between his hands. That had been really odd too…
And if she thought about it, he hadn't talked about the Princess ever since that day. She hadn't dropped by to bring any new prospects to be his sword master, or just to check on him… and that was most unusual. Sokka hadn't left the house to see her in the Palace, either.
Maybe that was it. Maybe something bad had happened between them.
Song bit her lip. There was an odd sense of dread at the thought of something bad happening between Sokka and the Princess. The worst part was that she knew there would be little to no chance for their conflict to be solved if it depended on Sokka. She didn't know the Princess too well, but she had come to realize Sokka was incredibly stubborn whenever he wanted to be. And judging by his current behavior, he wasn't going to talk matters out with the Princess any time soon. So… it would be up to the Princess to come to Sokka, right?
Song dropped the duster as she made up her mind about what she had to do. She would go to the Princess and tell her about how troubled Sokka seemed to be, and she would ask her as courteously as possible to talk to him about what had happened between them…
But what if the Princess wasn't the problem?
Well, if that were the case, she would likely have no qualms in dropping by to see Sokka, and she could help him sort out whatever troubled him. The last she'd seen of them, they had been acting as good friends. She was sure Azula would want Sokka to turn back into the man he used to be. It was only a matter of talking to her, requesting her to come over, and everything would be settled!
She smiled to herself and went into the backyard for a moment, clearing her throat. The unexpected sound stopped Sokka as he moved his way through his stances. The gladiator looked at her, his cold eyes surprising her even though it had already been four days since she had first seen how harsh his gaze had become.
"I'm going to… I-I'm going to see…" she stammered, feeling slightly nervous all of sudden. If the Princess was the cause of his distress, he wouldn't take kindly to knowing she was going to look for her.
"What?" he asked hoarsely, frowning.
"I-I'm going to see if I can find some chili," she improvised. "I was going to make lunch, but it seems we ran out…"
"Huh," muttered Sokka. Normally Song wouldn't tell him she was going out unless she needed him to carry the groceries for her. And if she only wanted chili, she wouldn't need help. She had no need to lie over what she was going to do, seeing how Sokka trusted her not to get involved in anything stupid. But if she felt the urge to lie, he might as well please her by pretending she had fooled him… "Good luck with that, Song."
"T-thanks," said Song, smiling. Great! She hadn't given herself away! "I'll be right back."
Song left the house quickly, her heart racing as she made her way to the Fire Nation Royal Palace. She walked down the streets quickly, her head tilted as she passed by the townsfolk. People didn't pay her much attention, since her clothing and demeanor gave away her status as a slave, and slaves were completely irrelevant to most the people who lived in the Fire Nation Capital. The noblemen were too proud to even spare a look at a mere slave, and Song was glad that they acted that way. She had heard about the treatment slaves were subjected to in other towns and villages, where Fire Nation citizens displayed their pride by abusing of slaves in public. Winding up in the Capital, where everyone was so pretentious and arrogant, had some perks she couldn't be thankful enough for.
The roads became busier as she approached the center of the city, and her anxiety grew with every new step she took. She wasn't worthy of walking into the Royal Palace, she was only a slave girl… but she had to see the Princess, for Sokka's sake.
She felt her mouth running dry when she stood before the immense gates that led into the Palace. They were wide open, and there were several guards standing in formation before them, daunting anyone who had no business in the Palace. But Song had something to do… and she refused to go home empty-handed. She had to see Princess Azula.
"Good day," she said, once she was before the guards.
Song hadn't realized these were different men from the ones who usually escorted Azula in her palanquin. Their clothes were black, they wore helmets with horns in them and they wielded spears. And they had no idea who she was.
"Run along, girl," said one of the guards. "You have no business in the Fire Nation Palace."
"Uh, I do, actually…" she muttered. "You see, I'm the slave of… well… of the Princess's gladiator."
"The slave of a slave?" asked the guard, skeptical. "How the hell does that even work?"
"It's not as weird as it sounds… I think," said Song, gulping. "In any case, you can ask the Princess about it if you don't believe me."
"Ugh, people like you drop by all the time with stupid excuses like that one," said the guard. "I'm not letting you in. The Princess probably doesn't even know you exist."
"That's not true! She was the one who bought me!" Song pleaded, looking at the guard with despair. "Please, just let me in for a minute! I just have to ask her…"
"You have no business in the Palace!" declared the guard, taking his spear into a fighting position and threatening Song with it. "Get out now!"
Song panicked when the spear stopped only a few inches away from her belly. Yes, she probably would be best off getting out of here right away, but she couldn't give up yet. She had to do this, for her friend's sake…
"Please, sir…" she muttered, her fear evident in her eyes.
"Cut it out! Puppy eyes won't help you! Get out of here this ins-…!" the man said, ready to drive her away with his spear…
But someone else's hand came down on the weapon suddenly, ripping it off the guard's grip. Song was surprised by the unexpected intervention, and she raised her gaze to find another guard had been the one responsible for stopping the one who had been threatening her. Yet this man was one of the guards she had seen several times before, a guard dressed in red garments from head to toes, with a golden rim decorating his clothing.
The Captain of Azula's Royal Guard glared at the other guard, tossing his spear away.
"Were you trained to threaten helpless females, Fao?" he asked.
"N-no, sir…" he muttered, bowing his head and taking a few steps back, fearing retribution for his shamelessness.
The Captain turned towards Song, who was staring at him in awe and fear at the same time.
"Have we met before?" he asked, raising an eyebrow even though the girl couldn't see it. "I could swear I've seen you somewhere…"
"Yes!" said Song, relieved to discover this was probably one of Azula's guards. "I'm Sokka's slave, Song!"
The Captain frowned upon hearing the gladiator's name. He contained his anger quickly, pleased to discover where he had seen this girl before, at the very least…
"Why are you here?" he asked. "Did he send you in his stead to apologize for his rudeness?"
"Oh, uh… apologize?" asked Song, puzzled. "Is there something he has to apologize for?"
"There are many things he should apologize for," the Captain grunted. "Yet I don't believe discussing such matters here would be a good idea. Come."
The Captain lead the way into the Palace, and Song bit her lip before crossing the threshold that set the magnificent household apart from the rest of the city. It was hard to believe that she had actually come to the Fire Lord's home.
Song followed the Captain through the inner roads of the Palace, passing by magnificent gardens and beautiful ponds of pristine water. She spotted a few servants and guards walking down the Palace halls, but she didn't glimpse any members of the Royal Family. The Captain brought her to a building that stood behind the Palace's main structure, and he opened the front door to allow Song inside it.
This building was definitely not as majestic as the Palace itself, but it was quite impressive in its own right. She saw a pair of guards walking by, their masks removed to reveal their faces. Song blinked in surprised at that. She had never seen the face of a Fire Nation guard or soldier before…
"This way," said the Captain, moving through the halls and motioning Song to follow him.
They reached a traditional living room that was quite tasteful, to Song's surprise. The Captain ushered her to remove her shoes before stepping onto the soft tatami flooring. There was a table in the center of the room and several cushions positioned by it.
"I'll bring us some tea," said the Captain. "Take a seat, I'll be back soon."
Song nodded and obeyed as the Captain left the room. His hospitality was quite a pleasant surprise. She had never thought there was anything underneath those guard's masks other than heartless and mindless soldiers willing to go to any ends to obey the Fire Lord's wishes. She felt stupid by only realizing now that they were just as human as she was.
There were large windows in the room that allowed Song to look at the gardens outside. It was unusually relaxing, sitting in this room. She almost felt as if she were back home in the Earth Kingdom…
The Captain reentered the room after a few minutes, bringing a pot of tea and a pair of cups on a simple tray.
"We don't have as luxurious accommodations in the Guard's Barracks as the ones in the Royal Palace…" he said, setting down the tea and the cups on the table as he sat across Song, his legs flexed under him. "But we have everything we need here. It's a good place to live."
"I'm glad," said Song, smiling. "I'm a little confused, though. Weren't you going to bring me to the Princess?"
The Captain frowned and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.
"I'm sorry, but the Princess is in no condition to see anyone as of now. If you have any messages you wish to deliver to her, I can pass them on. But, for both your sakes, it's best if you don't meet with her."
Song grimaced and nodded, biting her lip nervously once again. The Captain poured the tea on a cup and handed it to Song.
"Thank you," she muttered.
"So… what brought you here?" the Captain asked, pouring his own tea now.
"Well, I… I'm not sure, actually," she said, after sipping her beverage. "Things haven't been as lively as always with Sokka… he seems troubled by something."
The Captain frowned and placed his cup in the table, thoughtful.
"I won't say that displeases me. He should be troubled."
"Then you know what happened to him?" asked Song, surprised.
"Not all of it," admitted the Captain. "But I overheard something…"
"You overheard…?" asked Song, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked at him judgmentally. The Captain sighed in irritation.
"Yes, yes, guards overhear conversations even when we don't mean to," he growled. "Most of us don't do it on purpose. But that's why I brought you here instead of talking at the gates. This isn't a conversation I want other guards to listen in on."
"Why? Don't you trust them?" asked Song, surprised.
"It's not a matter of trust," said the Captain, removing his hood. "It's a matter of privacy."
Song stared in awe as the man shook his head, his long black hair locks flipping as he did. His eyes were a shade of gold not as intense as the color in Princess Azula's eyes, but they had the spark of the firebender's power in them. His skin was quite pale, something that wasn't much of a surprise, given how he was always clad in layers of clothing that covered every inch of his body. But what surprised Song the most was to discover he wasn't as old as she thought he would be, going by his voice tone. He was likely in his early thirties, if not younger.
"I'm sure you can understand that," he said, taking a sip of his tea as Song blinked rapidly, to stop herself from gaping at him.
"Oh, uh, yes…" she said, not even remembering what they had been talking about before he removed his hood and mask.
"So… you were saying the gladiator seems troubled?" the Captain asked, frowning.
"Y-yes, he does," said Song. "He arrived home after midnight about four days ago, and he hasn't left the house ever since. He's always sulking and frowning… his appetite isn't as wild as always. I know something happened to him, but I haven't found the courage to ask him about it. It seems he wants to be alone, so I decided not to bother him…"
"And you came here seeking for answers?" asked the Captain, surprised.
"I figured the Princess might have known about what troubled him," said Song. "And if she didn't, perhaps she could help him feel better. He always seemed to light up whenever she was around, so…"
The Captain grimaced and sighed, his gloved hand going up to his hair.
"I'm sorry to say she won't be helping him feel better anytime soon," said the Captain.
"Is she alright? She's not sick or something, is she?" asked Song, worried.
"No, that's not it. I'm afraid that the Princess is probably the cause of the gladiator's distress," muttered the Captain. "And he's the reason why she's been terribly upset these days, too."
Song's eyes widened.
"Oh, my… I never thought… what happened between them?" she asked, concerned. "Do you know anything?"
"I know something, but not enough," he replied. "The Princess wanted us to leave quickly after his last fight at the Arena, she didn't bother waiting for him…"
"Do you think that's why he's upset?" asked Song, puzzled. "It doesn't make much sense…"
"I don't think so," said the Captain. "I'm sure something happened between them. But I don't know what it was, because… because, just as you didn't wish to bother the gladiator, I didn't wish to bother the Princess. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it."
"I see," said Song, nodding. It was good that the Captain was sensitive enough to realize the Princess needed space.
"But that's not all I know," said the Captain. "He came by the Palace that very night."
"Huh? He did?" asked Song. "Why?"
"I don't know," said the Captain. "The guards let him in because they knew he was the Princess's gladiator, but I wish they had stopped him, seeing how he was drunk."
"Oh…" said Song, gulping. Sokka being drunk while visiting the Princess couldn't bode well. Now she could understand why he had such a bad hangover, at least.
"I had been talking to the Princess and then I proceeded to perform my rounds for the night… when I heard her shouting. She was yelling at him, for some reason."
"Oh, no…" muttered Song, grimacing. "Was she really upset?"
"Very much so," said the Captain. "When I reached her, she was crying. He was looking down on her angrily. I told him to leave, because I could tell he would only continue making everything worse for her. I don't know if the Princess was the cause of this fall-out between them, or if it was the gladiator's fault… but my duty is to protect her at all costs, no matter if she was to blame or not. Thus I sent him away."
"I understand," said Song, biting her lip. "Did you manage to make sense out of anything they said to each other?"
"I think I heard her claiming he didn't know her… he replied by saying he even want to know anything about her. Those are probably not the accurate words, but I don't remember what they said exactly."
"That's terrible…" said Song, downcast. "I'm glad you stopped me from going to her. She might have grown even more upset if I reminded her of what happened…"
"And she seems to remind herself of it enough as it is," said the Captain, sighing. "She has spent these days meditating. She hardly talks to anyone. I've approached her a few times, but there's nothing I can do to help her."
"And there's nothing I can do to help Sokka either," said Song. "It seems we're both helpless, aren't we?"
The Captain gave her a weak smile before nodding.
"So it would seem…"
They drank their tea quietly now, both looking out through the window occasionally. The silence between them was awkward, since it felt as if they had ran out of words. Song snuck a look at the man again, wondering how many Fire Nation soldiers looked like that underneath their masks…
"So… do you think there's anything we can do?" she asked, biting her lower lip nervously again.
"As we are… and as they are right now, I rather doubt it," said the Captain. "I somewhat wish I knew what happened… but, at the same time, I don't want to know. I'm afraid that, if I did, I would hunt down the gladiator for hurting the Princess as he did."
"I can't say the same," muttered Song, smiling. "No matter whose fault it is, I don't want to get involved directly with it. I guess they're the ones who have to work out their problems, be whatever they may…"
The Captain looked at her sideways before smiling again and nodding.
"A wise decision. Yet I don't think they'll resolve this on their own that easily…"
"Maybe we should push them to it!" said Song enthusiastically. "And then watch from the sidelines…"
"No, that wouldn't work," said the Captain, shaking his head. "It's most unlikely they'll do anything but yell at each other if they're not ready to meet again."
"And if they're still displeased at each other, it won't end well," said Song, sighing. "So you really think there's nothing we can do?"
"Not quite," said the Captain. "I'll support the Princess in every possible way, and you can do the same for the gladiator if you wish to do so. But other than that…"
"I understand," said Song, nodding slightly.
The Captain gazed at the girl, noticing she seemed quite discouraged to discover there was little to nothing she could do for her master… or friend. Seeing such a sad expression in the girl's face prompted him to try and soothe her somehow, even though he had no idea what to do.
"Listen, maybe…" he started, only to get interrupted when another guard entered the room rashly.
"The Princess has commanded her Royal Guards to assemble!" said the guard, hardly noticing there was a random girl in the room.
"What?" said the Captain, his eyes widening in surprise. "What is she…?"
"She's going out, that's all I know" said the guard, shrugging. "She requested for her palanquin to be ready. I have no idea what she's planning, but whatever it is, you've got to be there, Captain. I figured I'd let you know…"
"Yes," muttered the Captain, nodding and setting his teacup on the table again. "I'll be there shortly."
The guard bowed and left the room again. Song watched him leave and placed her own cup on the table as well, smiling at the Captain, who was already placing his hood over his head.
"This is where we part, I guess," she whispered. "Thanks for the tea."
"Any time," said the Captain, fixing his appearance promptly. "W-well, as long as I'm not busy, that is…"
"It would seem you're busy at most times, though," she said, giggling. "But I know what you mean."
The Captain smiled too, forgetting she couldn't see his face anymore.
"Good luck with the gladiator," he said. "I'll take care of the Princess."
"Good luck to you too," said Song grinning. It was odd to think that, after all she'd been through, she had befriended a Fire Nation soldier… but the Captain was quite a nice man to talk to. Discovering not all soldiers were heartless and cruel was quite a relief for her.
She left the Palace without having seen Princess Azula, but Song didn't feel like she was leaving empty-handed at all.
Four days of moping around were more than enough to get Azula on the move again. She had spent the first day trying to ignore her anguish to no avail, yet on the second day she began to realize the world hadn't ended despite of what had happened between her and Sokka. The sun would still rise every morning, birds would chirp enthusiastically, servants would keep to their duties faithfully… there was no reason for her to continue feeling so miserable. Sokka's words and deeds were in the past… and that was where they should stay.
Because, what had she been expecting? The more she thought about it, the stupider she felt. She hadn't tried to think things through, she had played almost everything by ear when it came to Sokka. She had underestimated him in many levels, thinking she could handle him…
No, she had never really thought she could handle him. She had always known she couldn't handle him. And that was what had made him most interesting. It was what had made it all the more fun to spend time with him. But before she knew it, she had been hoping for something beyond what they already had, expecting things to develop further if she only gave it time… her hopes of becoming something more for Sokka had been foolish and naïve. Now she was certain she didn't want anything else with him…
"Because you and I will never be together!"
Those words rang in her head time over and time again. She kept thinking about them, trying to understand if she had been the one to make a mess of things… she didn't think so. Perhaps she had kissed him, but if he had thought it so wrong, he could have pushed her away instead of giving in. It wasn't entirely her fault, really…
But he had been trying to pull away. He had wanted to spare them the hell… because yes, it would have been hellish indeed. If she had gotten involved with him and word of it had reached her father, Fire Lord Ozai would have likely killed Sokka and stripped away Azula's right to succeed him on the throne without a second thought. She had obligations to tend to, and slaves, no matter how good-looking, amusing and interesting they were, couldn't drive her away from what she cared about the most: her role as her nation's future sovereign.
She had done everything in her power to become the best heir her father could have asked for. What she had done by taking Sokka as her gladiator had been for the purpose of earning the recognition she deserved, showing all those who undermined her that being a woman was no hindrance to surpassing anyone who dared stand in her way.
But she had gotten sidetracked because of that man and his blue eyes. And it had been to no avail… because he didn't want her. He hated her. He thought she was selfish and wanted to get away from her. And what hurt the most was to think that he might be right about her. Not once did she think that maybe he was resisting the attraction between them, and she didn't respect his wishes when he decided to try his luck with other women. She hadn't bothered thinking about what he might have wanted… and that had been her downfall. If only she had backed off and realized that they couldn't be together, they wouldn't be in this mess.
Letting her fleeting feelings for him take the wheel had been a huge mistake. She had always reached her decisions through cold logic and ruthless cunning, so why hadn't she stuck to that this time around? Probably because, from the minute she met him, Azula knew Sokka wasn't the kind of guy she could read with ease. As soon as he declared he would fight her no matter what, she knew he wasn't one of the men she was used to dealing with. They'd had their arguments, most their views of the world contradicted the other's… but they had managed to get along despite it all, because Azula had decided to respect Sokka as a person. As an equal.
Her mind seemed to sneer at her at the thought of being equal to anyone. Of course she wasn't. She was superior to him, superior to his charms and to all the idiocies he'd done these days. But why didn't it feel that way? Why couldn't she convince herself of the fact that caring for a low-life like Sokka was a waste of her time?
There was nothing she could do about their situation at this point. She couldn't win anymore. This fight was over, and she'd do best to accept her loss instead of clawing recklessly in attempts to earn a victory she didn't deserve. Her selfishness had landed her here… so it was time to quit acting on impulse. Sokka was out of her reach now, and he would never come back to her. And that would likely be for the best, seeing how he had no qualms in sleeping around with random women in attempts to get over her.
The thought of Sokka and Kyoshi's Heir together made her feel as if an invisible hand was reaching into her body and twisting her organs around. She couldn't make heads or tails out of that. If he had been so troubled after she kissed him, why had he gone so far with another woman? How come had he had the nerve to tell her about it, too? Was he just playing women at will?
Thinking about the matter filled her with loneliness and rage. She should have proved able to read him better than she had… not getting involved with him had been for the best, definitely. And pondering this now would be no use. It wouldn't change anything for the better: the more thought she gave it, the worst she felt. For now, the best thing she could do was focus on what was important: the gladiator league.
It took her a few more days to actually let that conclusion sink in. She watched as time passed her by, waiting for a sign of some sorts to bring her out of her misery. Yet no signs of the sort appeared. Why would they appear in the first place? The world had never cared for her troubles, not back when she was a child, not now… so, instead of hoping everything would slow down for her sake, she would have to keep up with the rest of the world. If everything was to remain the same, then she would pretend to be the same person as well. Her wounds wouldn't heal anytime soon, but she was skilled at making it seem otherwise. She could keep her calm charade for as long as it was necessary.
So she would simply wait for the day Sokka had to fight in the Arena once again. She could resist the urge of checking on him. She wished there was a way to bring their relationship back to what it used to be, but her gut told her it would be hopeless to expect him to behave rationally when they met again. Fixing things between them could wait until after he was done fighting the… the Savage Hook, was it?
Azula frowned when she realized she didn't know anything about Sokka's next opponent. She forced her memory back a few weeks, when Shoji had issued out their challenge to the gladiator's sponsor… and she remembered what had happened right away: Mai's servant had showed up and interrupted Shoji before he could give them information regarding the Hook.
Azula gritted her teeth in irritation when she realized she had forgotten that detail completely. Knowing his enemy was an important edge to Sokka's fighting style. Without the advantage of having information about his opponent, Sokka wouldn't do as well in the ring as he always did.
Focusing on the idea of talking to Shoji seemed to help her forget about Sokka, if only for a little while. Azula had summoned a guard and ordered him to assemble her palanquin bearers and Royal Guards, and, after fixing her appearance to its usual flawless state, she had climbed aboard her palanquin and told them to head to the Grand Royal Dome.
She was pleased to see her guards remained as stoic as ever. Even the Captain, who had witnessed her breakdown after that horrible conversation with Sokka, had done his best to behave as if nothing had happened. She was grateful for that. Indeed, even if he was an eavesdropper, he was an earnest man. She could rely on him.
She climbed off the palanquin once they arrived to the Capital's Arena. As usual, she ordered the guards to remain outside the building and she crossed the double doors by herself. The people in the vestibule stared at her in awe, as ever, but this time she failed to care about it. Being adored and revered would always give her a feeling of satisfaction… but not this time. Not when she was still in such a deep emotional turmoil. Things might return to normal eventually, but, as she was now, she couldn't enjoy being worshipped.
"Oh, Princess!" said Shoji, smiling when he caught sight of her. "I was wondering when you'd come by!"
"Good day, Shoji," Azula retorted, staring coldly at the boy as he rummaged through the drawers in search for the huge sheet where the ranking had been written down.
"I have good news for you! The ranking was fully updated only yesterday…" said Shoji, scrolling down the names with his hand. "… So I'm still getting adjusted to the changes. Was it a little lower…? Oh! Here it is!"
"What is…?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Look, look!" said Shoji, showing her the large parchment. "On slot 341, the Blue Wolf! And on slot 340, the Blind Bandit! You are two points above her!"
Azula's eyes widened. Only two points separated Sokka from Toph…
"She doesn't have any fights scheduled until the other week, so if your fight against the Savage Hook goes well, you'll surpass her," said Shoji, enthusiastically.
"I see…" said Azula, thoughtful. Her schemes to defeat her uncle seemed to have worked so far, to her surprise. She should be delighted to know as much, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy right now. "How many points would we earn if we were to beat the Savage Hook?"
"Uh…" said Shoji, moving onto the first half of the scroll. "You'd get 323 points. That's a lot more than the Blind Bandit will earn in at least two fights, if she wins them both."
"Finally, good news," Azula whispered to herself. "How are our odds against the Hook?"
"Oh," said Shoji, his cheerfulness vanishing. "Well, the Wolf shouldn't have it that hard, seeing how he even beat Kyoshi's Heir…"
Azula shivered at the mention of the gladiator's name. She tried to remain stoic, although she couldn't help but clench her fists in anger.
"But the Hook… he's a handful," said Shoji, gulping. "He's not easy to handle at all."
"What can you tell me about him?" asked the Princess, folding her arms across her chest.
"Well, I don't know all the details," Shoji admitted. "But, according to what I gathered some time ago, he used to be a criminal."
"A criminal? What kind of criminal?" asked Azula, frowning.
"He flooded a Fire Nation Colony back when the Earth Kingdom still stood strong," said the boy. "Apparently he was the leader of a teenager gang of delinquents… some members of the gang were killed by the group of elite Fire Nation soldiers that were sent to catch them. The survivors became gladiators."
"That sounds familiar," muttered Azula, thinking back to a war meeting she had attended many years ago. Her father's council had discussed something regarding a group of rebellious Earth Kingdom kids. A battalion of Fire Nation soldiers had been sent to restrain them, but Azula had never heard about the fate of the captured rebels, mostly because she hadn't cared for it.
"Well, that's supposed to be the reason why the Savage Hook has such a wild attitude," said Shoji. "He fights using twin hook-swords, and, if he can get away with it, he fights to the death…"
Azula's eyes widened.
"To the death, you said? Has he killed other gladiators in the Superior League?"
"Many times," said Shoji, gulping. "There are a few gladiators who go as far as to kill their opponents if they can get away with it… and he's one of them. He's especially harsh against firebenders, but he always goes for the kill."
"How skilled is he with those blades of his?" asked Azula, her eyebrows contracting.
"Quite skilled," said Shoji, sighing. "I wanted to warn you of this beforehand… he's not the kind of foe anyone can defeat. He's been deadly… well, at least over forty times. He killed his last opponent on a fight a few weeks ago…"
Azula gritted her teeth, wondering what she'd gotten herself into… what she'd gotten Sokka into. Two points separated them from the Blind Bandit, but was it worth fighting the Savage Hook to earn them?
"I wanted to warn you about this before sending the challenge," said Shoji. "But circumstances were against me…"
"There's no need to worry, Shoji," said Azula, finding confidence even though she hardly felt any. "My gladiator has been involved in fights to the death before. It shouldn't be a problem."
"You sure?" asked Shoji, grimacing. "I can send a cancellation to the opposite sponsor…"
Azula pondered that option only for a short moment before shaking her head.
"We won't back down," she declared. "The fight may be difficult, but it's not impossible for us to win. The Hook has lost before, hasn't he?"
"Oh, yes… he has several losses so far," said Shoji, nodding. "Most of them are knock-outs, though. When he's in the Arena, the Savage Hook is worse than an untamed beast. Since he goes for the kill, the only way to stop him is to knock him out. I haven't heard of him running out of time in his fights…"
"So with him it's either kill or die?" asked Azula, sighing. "Doesn't seem to be a good perspective, but I'll keep this in mind. Do you know if he has any weaknesses that could be exploited in battle?"
"Uh, not really, no," said Shoji, thoughtful. "Other than the fact that he's reckless and breaks a lot of furniture…"
"So he's not the type to ponder what he's going to do?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'd say it's mostly because he doesn't need to think things through," said Shoji, shrugging. "He charges at his enemies and aims to destroy them… that's all there is to him."
"There doesn't need to be much more than that if that's gotten him the job done so far," said Azula. "What would you suggest to defeat him?"
"Oh, m-me?" asked Shoji, surprised. Azula always asked him for information, but it was the first time she wanted to hear his opinion on any fighter. "Well, I… I think you should tell the Blue Wolf to keep it cool and think fast. He could beat the Hook if he's smart enough about it."
Azula nodded, seeing how Shoji's words were exactly what she had been thinking. Brute strength could be beaten if you made sure it didn't beat you first.
"I appreciate the information you've provided me with, Shoji. I'll see you again soon," said Azula, nodding towards him and turning to the doors.
"See you, Princess!" said Shoji, waving as she walked away.
There was a prominent frown in Azula's brow as she made her way back to her palanquin. Knowing Sokka's opponent would be a handful was a little worrisome. In a way, she wouldn't mind it if he got beaten by a stronger foe… but she wanted him to win. She needed him to win. Only two points stood between them and the Blind Bandit: if they made the most out of this fight against the Savage Hook, they could leave her behind at last and make their way to the top of the ranking without a fuss. But, even though she hated to admit it, she was completely powerless in a situation involving Sokka once again. It would be up to Sokka alone to put some distance between them and the Blind Bandit…