Azula had known they would be facing a dragon from the moment she started to figure out the puzzle before them... but that didn't mean she could give credit to her eyes as she stared at the magnificent creature. The blue light from her fire danced within the darkness of the cave, reflecting off the dragon's scales and making him seem blue as well… but Azula guessed it was only a trick of the light and not his actual color. The dragon's horns were quite large, placed right before the mane of hair that encircled his head. His whiskers were long and seemed to dance in the air even though there was no breeze within the cave. Azula eyed the dragon's back to find, to her surprise, that the creature had no wings… could it fly despite lacking them?
Sokka, on the other hand, didn't bother wondering about the dragon's functionalities. His survival instincts kicked in as he saw the creature's furrowed brow, leading him to believe they were anything but welcome in the cave.
"A-Azula…" he muttered, his shivering hand reaching her shoulder. "We have to run."
"Run?" whispered Azula back, raising both her eyebrows. Her eyes were fixated upon the dragon as she replied to Sokka. "Run where, mind you? You said it yourself, we can't climb through where we fell…"
"Well, we have to try!" he urged her. "It's that or getting roasted alive by a… how come is there a dragon in here? A dragon?! Didn't you say they were extinct?!"
"I thought they were! My uncle said he killed the last one…" muttered Azula. "But maybe some dragons fled from the massacre… and came to the Earth Kingdom for cover?"
"This is crazy, it's dangerous, and we're going to die if we don't do something," said Sokka. "Azula, please…"
"Indeed, we will die if we don't…" said Azula, nodding before taking a step forward.
The dragon hissed at her when she approached, and Sokka whimpered behind her and clutched her shoulder even tighter.
"Are you insane?!" he squealed. "When I said do something, I meant get away!"
"And I already told you there's nowhere to go!" snapped Azula. "You said there were fights that were better to flee from… but if you can't run, then you have to face them head on. It's what you said you'd done with me, isn't it?"
"B-but this is different! This is a dragon, for crying out loud, Azula…"
"Firebenders and dragons aren't all that different, mind you…" said the Princess, a smile spreading over her features.
The dragon groaned now, with a small gurgle that sounded like he was readying himself for spewing fire at them. Azula's mind seemed to have split in half… a side of herself told her that this was too dangerous a game to play, that the dragon would devour her if she wasn't cautious… but another side of herself reminded her that she was facing the first dragon ever seen in the world for about fifty years. How could she just turn on her tail and flee, especially considering there was nowhere to go? The solution, she believed, was rather obvious…
She had to tame the dragon.
Azula shook off Sokka's hand before taking another step towards the creature. The dragon didn't make a sound this time around, but his focus was completely centered on Azula now. Its red-and-golden eyes were fixed upon her, and he was starting to show her his large fangs through a menacing snarl.
"Azula…" Sokka gasped.
"You said it before, with the boarcupine… it probably had never seen a human in his lifetime before," said Azula. "I think the same can be said about this dragon."
"But the boarcupine couldn't roast us to death…." said Sokka. "This dragon looks extremely mad, Azula, don't do anything you'll regret… or anything I'll regret either."
"Stop worrying," said Azula, smiling even wider now. "We'll be just fine…"
The dragon didn't seem to agree with her. Again there was a gurgling sound from its throat, but Azula knew he wasn't going to release fire just yet. For some reason, she knew the dragon was balancing his curiosity and his fear of the intruders right now, deciding which one he should act upon. The blue flame in Azula's hand seemed to interest him far more than it scared him… albeit their presences were anything but welcome for the creature.
"Do you like it?" she asked, lifting the flame towards the dragon. "I suppose you must have never seen fire like this. Considering you must have only ever seen your own fire, it's only natural that blue fire comes off as a surprise to you."
The dragon's groan had no gurgling sound this time. It was such a deep sound that Sokka thought he could feel the earth around him shake because of it. Azula seemed to take the groan as a positive sign.
"It's quite an interesting lair you have down here… it's somewhat lonely, though. I figure it must be so empty except you because you must have eaten everything you could find."
Azula gazed around the stone chamber, spotting a few skeletons on the ground. Judging by their sizes and shapes, they must have belonged to critters and bats the dragon had turned into his meals. Everything was so dark within the cave… Azula figured the dragon's eyes allowed him to see his surroundings just fine, without requiring a light of any kind. He must have used his fire for hunting, although he probably resorted to his talons to deliver the finishing blows. His tail swirled behind him as he contemplated Azula's flame with fascination…
"Well, if you're so fond of my fire I could gift you with some of it…" said Azula, smirking. "So long as you understand what that entails…"
The dragon took a step back and shook his head, to Azula's surprise. His teeth were bare again, and he had flexed his front legs as if he were ready to attack the intruder.
"Azula…" muttered Sokka behind her, his despair only increasing with each passing moment.
"Oh, so you're going to show us who rules this place?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why, by all means, bring it on! Do you think I fear you?!"
The dragon hissed and roared, another attempt to intimidate her. Azula laughed mockingly at him, increasing the creature's irritation.
"Why, you're going to have to do much better than that if you plan on scaring me off," she said, with a smile of condescendence.
"I can't say the same thing…" squealed Sokka, gulping and eyeing the dragon with dread.
The dragon roared repeatedly, stomping on the ground as if it were a child throwing a tantrum. Azula's amusement only seemed to increase.
"Honestly, dragon?" she asked. "You are facing one of the most powerful firebenders in the world, if not the most powerful overall! And this is all you can do to force me out of your cave? This is your territory, your life I'm threatening! And that's all I get? Here I was expecting you to be a powerful dragon, worthy of my lineage… seems like I was wrong to give you so much credit, wasn't I?"
Azula had no idea if the dragon actually understood any of what she saying until that moment. His lips drew back with a stronger snarl, and the gurgling sound returned, but this time Azula knew he was for real.
"Azula… AZULA!" Sokka shouted, dreading what was going to happen now.
"Stay behind me!" she commanded, taking him by surprise.
"What are you going to…?!" he asked.
"STAY BEHIND ME!" she shouted again, and Sokka found himself with no choice but to obey her. If she knew what she was doing, everything ought to work for their favor… if not, this would be the end for them both. And she wouldn't let that happen… would she?
He was a few inches away from Azula when the dragon opened his jaws, filling the cave with a different light when his orange fire erupted from his mouth.
The fire was so potent Sokka discarded his life as soon as the dragon began to shoot the flames at them. He ducked defensively behind Azula and protected his face from the heat, not knowing what else to do as he waited for the fire's impact to scorch him alive.
But it didn't happen… it didn't happen. He could feel the heat, the temperature rising around him and he could also see the fire scrolling past him… why was it only passing by? How…?
He could hardly believe his eyes when he looked up at the Princess. Azula was moving her arms in circular motions, her left foot steady before her and her right one behind her, supporting her stance. And through her firebending skills she was controlling the dragon's flames with her every move, deflecting them and creating what seemed like a bubble of air around them, a shield to protect them from the dragon's fierce blazes.
It was Azula's turn to snarl as she continued bending his fire. The showdown between such powerful forces of fire seemed like a clash of wills to Sokka, and seeing how Azula was putting aside the fire with such ease he suddenly started to think that she was actually stronger than that dragon. She seemed so small in comparison to that beast, prone to be eaten by those massive jaws before she could even land a blow on him… but it was Azula after all. It didn't matter how impressive her opponent was, she would always find the way that would lead her to triumph.
The way she would bend the flames made Sokka gaze at her in absolute awe. Indeed, she had known just what she had been doing. The dragon's flames were increasingly hot, causing the earth underneath them to warm up to temperatures Sokka had never faced before. The dragon was unleashing an inferno upon them both… and Azula could stand her ground against it as if it weren't even a challenge. She was beautiful, powerful and terrible… and all Sokka could do was watch her in total admiration. Perhaps she was quite lost when it came to survival skills, building campsites and the sort… but in her element, Azula was the absolute best. If this dragon couldn't defeat her, then there was little chance that someone or something else could so much as defy her.
The dragon stopped showering them with fire after he was at a lack for breath. The blazes had charred the entire room. By the time he took a break he was certain that the tiny creature of the blue fire would be done for, and he was perfectly comfortable with allowing her to become nothing but a memory now…
Only, she wasn't done for. Azula swept away the last blaze the dragon shot her way, stealing some of the fire to hold as a torch again. As soon as the fire was in her control it turned blue. Azula smirked when she saw the way the dragon stared at her, fear apparent in those golden, reptilian eyes. How could she have survived his fire? How could such a small, frail-looking creature make it past the flames without sustaining any injuries whatsoever? The dragon had encountered no other creature before that had lived past a coating of his strongest fire. Suddenly her mere presence became more than menacing… she was the worst threat he had ever faced before: she couldn't be defeated with fire.
"Well… I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?" she asked, her golden eyes blazing as fiercely as the fire the dragon had unleashed previously.
Sokka watched in utter shock from behind her as Azula stretched out both her arms and brought forth a pair of blue fire whips, which lit up the room again with its eerie light. The dragon saw the fire and slinked away, daunted by the Princess's technique. Azula jumped forth and struck the ground with the whips, seeing that the dragon was quite terrified. She didn't need to strike him directly to prove herself to the creature…
His fear of Azula caused the dragon to despair. He roared and tried to seek an opening through which he could intimidate Azula, seeking a way to turn the tables to his favor, but the Princess didn't falter. She swung her whips around and struck the ground with them repeatedly, forcing the dragon to retreat to the back of the cave, hissing and smacking the ground as well with his tail furiously as he did. Azula continued manipulating her whips skillfully, never striking the dragon with them but showing him effectively who the strongest fire user within that cave was.
After several repetitions of the same movements, the dragon flexed his legs again, but this time not in a threatening manner… it was submissive instead. He bowed down his head, to Azula's surprise. He was admitting he was facing a deadlier opponent than he could handle, and he had enough wit to surrender instead of persisting in a battle he couldn't win.
"It would seem I made my point, then," said Azula, smirking. "I am the Princess of the Fire Nation, dragon. I will not fall back before you."
The dragon eyed her with such dread in its eyes Azula couldn't help but feel moved. She would have never guessed a beast could show feelings in the manner this dragon did. His gaze showed that he was certain this confrontation would end in his undoing. Never before had he faced anyone stronger than himself until now… and he feared this conflict could only end in one manner. But Azula happened to know of a better alternative…
"But there's no need for either of us to fall back, you know?" she said, withdrawing both her whips and holding a single flame once again as she took a few steps towards the dragon.
"A-Azula…?" asked Sokka, watching her with concern. "What are you doing?!"
"Just trust me!" Azula threw back at him for a moment before she focused on the dragon again. "We don't need to be enemies, dragon… why would we? My family has been bound to your kin for a very long time. Granted my ancestors made unforgivable mistakes to your kind… but I refuse to repeat those wrongdoings. You are powerful, very powerful… and so am I. Just imagine what we could achieve together. The possibilities are virtually endless, aren't they?"
The dragon eyed her with caution, afraid she might conjure her whips once again if he lowered his guard.
"Now, now… I don't wish to damage you, else I would have done it by now," said Azula. "All I need is a way out of here, and I'm sure you can provide us with it. You could help me and my… traveling companion out of this cave to never see either of us again. But is that the best choice at hand, dragon? Is that what you think we ought to do?"
The dragon groaned lowly, as if insecure about what to answer.
"I can offer you a life out of this cave, dragon," said Azula, smiling. "We could find others of your kind, and we could even restore the dragon population one day. Because if you were in here, chances are there will be more of you hidden within the most secluded mountain ranges! Isn't that a promising perspective?"
The dragon moved its head circularly, shaking and nodding as he groaned as well. Azula honestly had no idea what the creature was trying to say at first… but slowly she began to understand what troubled him.
"You've never been… to the outside world," she realized. "You don't know anything but darkness."
The dragon groaned lowly and lowered its head, as if ashamed of said truth. Azula's eyes widened as she understood what scared him so much wasn't her… but the world she came from. If she was able to overpower him, how many threats would await outside? How could he join her and leave the safety of his domains…?
"That's what you're truly afraid of, isn't it…?" muttered Azula, walking towards him until she was only a meter away from him.
"A-Azula…" gasped Sokka. She was too close: the dragon could decide to take her head off with a bite and get all this annoyance over with… he could kill her in one go. Did she forget her sense of self-preservation back in Ba Sing Se?
"Now, now…" she said, smiling at the dragon. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'll protect you, and you'll protect me. What lies outside this cave can be perilous… but for the two of us it would be no threat at all. Not if we work together… as dragon and rider."
Sokka's eyes widened at that statement. No… there was no way she was about to do what it seemed she would do…
Azula lifted her azure flame towards the dragon with both hands, staring at him with determination. The dragon looked down at her, at the fire that danced in her hands and reflected off his own eyes.
"I won't harm you, dragon," she said, reassuringly. "I'm offering my fire to you now as a gesture of an alliance between us, a gesture that will bind us for eternity through this blue flame. I promise to look after you, that the outside world will pose no threat to you once you're out there. There are bad things in it, there's no point in denying it, but there are great things as well, things that are worth the bad ones. So… will you come with me? Will you agree to this pact? Will you take my fire?"
The dragon seemed to understand what Azula had just said. The intelligent glint in his eyes betrayed his knowledge with ease. Azula knew just how dangerous a risk she was taking by offering it her fire. Chances were the dragon couldn't fly, and he wouldn't be much help to get them out of the forest anyways… but it was a dragon nonetheless. She couldn't leave him hidden within a cave for the rest of eternity. This was an opportunity that would come only once in a lifetime, and she knew she had to seize it. The dragon could just as easily accept her fire or behead her… but something within her core reassured her that the dragon's decision would be the right one, no matter which it was. She could see the conflict in his eyes. He knew just what he had to do to join her… but he was terrified of doing it. What would triumph? Curiosity or fear?
Sokka gazed at them from afar, shivering even though it was anything but cold within the cave. She was right in front of a beast of the likes he had never seen in his life, of the likes he never thought he'd see either. And she was offering her fire to it… it would seem the most reckless move ever if she hadn't explained dragon taming a few days before. He resisted the urge to run after Azula, to pull her away from the creature right away… because he had to trust her. She had saved their lives when the dragon had a perfect shot to kill them, he could trust that she was doing the right thing now as well… but it was the dragon that he couldn't bring himself to trust. If it did anything to Azula…
The dragon had been crouching until then, but he stretched his legs and stared down at the Princess's offering. Azula remained as undeterred as ever, her hands still holding her fire strongly. The dragon suddenly let out the same gurgling sound as before… and he unhinged his jaws before Sokka could react.
"No… NO! AZULA!" he shouted, reaching out to her just as the dragon moved down towards the Princess, closing his jaws shut tightly with a loud snap.
And everything became darkness.
Sokka stood on his spot, his hand suspended in mid-air as he stared at the blackness, where he had last seen the Princess. The fire… it was gone. And so was she. His breath started coming in gasps, knowing he would be next… he could see nothing in the darkness, but he knew well enough that this was his demise. If Azula was gone, he wouldn't stand a chance…
Azula… she was gone, and he would be gone in the very same manner just in a few seconds. Despair settled into his heart with pain he had never experienced before, wondering why everything had come to this…
Tears were beginning to sting in his eyes when he saw a blue spark appear on the spot he had been staring at. He lifted his head in bewilderment, completely confused but guessing his mind was playing tricks on him. He heard the dragon groan again, in that manner which threatened to release fire. Sokka braced himself, ready to die now…
His eyes opened wide as an array of blue fire was released towards the roof of the cave… and the azure flames came from the dragon's mouth. The entire rock chamber was lit up with the fire, and to Sokka's utter relief he saw that, standing right before the magnificent beast, was Azula, laughing as she watched the spectacle in absolute awe. Upon seeing her again, in one piece and completely uninjured, Sokka's knees failed him. He stared at her and her dragon in amazement, unable to believe what he was witnessing. The bonding between a dragon and a rider… when did it happen last in this world?
The smile on Azula's face could have lit up the cave all on its own. She had known that the legends spoke of the dragons taking their rider's fire and making it their own: she always believed it was just a figure of speech. But seeing how the dragon's orange fire had turned blue after devouring hers, she realized the legends spoke the truth. The dragon stopped releasing fire and looked down at her. Darkness ruled inside the cave again, but Azula could feel the dragon right in front of her. She could sense his stare, she could feel his presence as if it were a double of her own. Whatever she had read about the bond that was formed between a dragon and a rider hadn't been enough to prepare her for what this union truly meant. Suddenly her mind was expanded with memories of events she hadn't witnessed herself… the dragon's memories. Through them she could see everything the creature had ever experienced, and she could realize how his eyesight worked inside the dark cave… because all his memories were of darkness.
And in turn, the dragon was watching her life's story. The colors, the sounds, the sights Azula had seen were baffling for him. Her friends became his friends, her enemies became his enemies. Her every thought and emotion had passed into his knowledge, and everything fascinated him and fueled his curiosity even further than before. Through a thought, Azula asked him if he was ready to meet the world of light. The dragon admitted it still frightened him. Azula smiled and stretched out a hand, reaching out for the dragon's head, and he lowered it so that she could place her palm on his snout.
"It will be fine," she said, coming closer and placing her forehead against his. "We can make it out there. We're dragon and rider now… what do we have to fear? It's the outside world who should fear us."
The dragon seemed amused at that thought. He didn't quite understand her language, and she didn't understand his… but there was a powerful bond between their minds, a bond that brought their every thought together, without blending them but without individualizing them completely either. The dragon groaned as a response, rubbing his nose against her clothes. Azula chuckled and patted him on the head, allowing her hand to slide down his hair and his long, scaly neck.
"So… shall we?" she asked the dragon. Another groan was her answer, and she could sense his enthusiasm and nervousness as he lowered his body to allow her to climb atop him.
Azula flung a leg over his body and placed herself on the creature's back, with the largest smile on her face that she had mustered in ages. She couldn't remember the last time she had experienced this sort of euphoria… oh, well, she did remember it, but thinking about the first time she kissed Sokka would only dampen her mood right now.
And speaking of Sokka…
Azula lifted a hand to bring forth her flames, lighting up the cave again. She couldn't help but chuckle as she watched the way Sokka's jaw dropped upon seeing her sitting on the dragon's back.
"Well? Didn't I say I could sort this out?" she said, smiling. "And the best part is that I didn't actually fight with him. You ought to be pleased."
"Y-you… y-you just tamed a… you tamed a dragon!" Sokka squealed, pointing at her with a finger.
"Indeed, I did," said Azula, caressing the creature's neck as she felt surges of joy rushing through her. "Now I can assure you I don't regret getting lost in the forest."
And with that she laughed again. The sound amazed Sokka, even though it wasn't the first time he had heard it. But he honestly had never thought he would witness Azula in such a state of pure happiness. She had always smirked and smiled mockingly… but she hardly ever smiled like this. He couldn't help but beam as well, basking in the sight of the first dragon and rider in more than five decades…
"Well, then… what are you waiting for?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows towards him.
"W-what do you mean, what…?" said Sokka, blinking repeatedly as he stopped admiring her.
"Why, I thought you wouldn't want to stay in this dark cave for the rest of your life, but if you're that eager to take the dragon's domains for yourself there's little I can do about it…" said Azula, sighing dramatically.
"Woah, woah, woah…" said Sokka, raising his hands defensively. "You're saying I… I get to ride with you?!"
"I guess I shouldn't, a rider's first flight with his dragon should be comprised of just the two of them… but we're in no position to do things ceremoniously as it is," admitted Azula. "So… are you coming or not?"
"I… w-won't it eat me?" Sokka asked.
Azula smiled and looked at the dragon.
"Ah, he might if I tell him he should…"
"WHAT?!"
"But you've been behaving yourself surprisingly well lately, slave," said Azula, smirking. "So I suppose I'll spare your life for the time being. Make sure not to upset me ever again, though… now you also have a dragon to answer to, not just me."
"T-that's not a very nice thing to know…" muttered Sokka, gulping. Azula couldn't help herself but laugh again before stretching out her left hand towards him, her right still holding the fire.
"Come on, Sokka. Let's get out of here," she said, smiling at him.
Sokka's doubts were cleared away upon that sight… although not completely. He walked towards Azula while keeping a wary eye on the dragon, who decided to stare right back at him as he moved. The dragon's gaze made him more uneasy with every passing moment, and he was sure he would attack him at any moment now…
To his surprised and relief, it didn't happen. He reached where Azula awaited him, her hand still extended towards him. He smiled and grasped her forearm with his hand, and she pulled him up as he threw a leg around the creature.
"This is unpleasant…" muttered Sokka, grimacing at the way the scales prodded his skin.
"Not much to do but to get used to it," said Azula. "We're not going to find a dragon saddle in here or anywhere else for that matter."
"I figured not," he replied, smiling a little.
Azula caressed the dragon's neck and sent her thoughts his way, inviting him to lead the way outside the cave. The beast obeyed without a second thought, and before they knew it they were riding through the tunnel that had brought them here in the first place.
"This is so surreal…" said Sokka, his eyes wide as plates.
"Enjoy and stop trying to make sense out of it," said Azula, still smiling. "It's not every day you get to ride a dragon."
"Well… I did get to ride that mongoose thing, didn't I?"
"I was fairly certain you had claimed those weren't actual dragons," said Azula, raising an eyebrow and looking at him inquisitively.
"I… yeah, true, I said that," said Sokka, smiling as well.
"Now you can say proudly that you rode a real dragon, Sokka," said Azula, turning to the front again as the creature began climbing the hole they had fallen through. "Lower your head."
Sokka did as he was told, and they both ducked as the dragon climbed skillfully through the tunnel. His knowledge of the tunnels amazed Azula, given that she could see through his memories the entire layout of the cave… which was more of a maze, in fact. Without the dragon, they would have certainly been lost within those tunnels. Azula gripped the dragon's horns tightly as he started climbing a completely vertical wall, and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she felt Sokka's arms surround her waist.
"I'm sorry, but if I don't do this I'll fall off!" he muttered, blushing.
"What are you sorry about, exactly…?" she inquired.
"That's another trick question, and I'm afraid that no matter the answer you'll want to drop me anyways," said Sokka.
Azula couldn't help but smirk in agreement.
"It would seem you've learned some valuable lessons after all," she said, making him smile as well.
The dragon kept moving steadily, climbing the rocky ledges effortlessly until he reached the top of the tunnel they had fallen through. He continued treading down the pathway, reaching the fork and continuing straight towards the entrance.
"Well, one problem solved," said Sokka, sighing with relief when they were back on familiar tracks. "Now back into the forest…"
"I don't think so," said Azula, smirking.
"W-what do you mean, you don't think so?" asked Sokka, his eyes opening wide. "Are we going to stay live here?"
"Of course not, you fool…!" said Azula, rolling her eyes. "Could you stop being so absurd for ten minutes?"
"I have no idea what you're planning, so I can't take everything for granted!" Sokka squealed.
"You can trust me on this Sokka… I was right about the dragon, and I'll be right about this, too," she said, her smile returning to her face. "He's showed it to me, after all…"
"He showed you what, now…?" asked Sokka, slightly surprised by that last sentence.
But Azula didn't answer. She leaned forward on the dragon's neck, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as they came closer and closer to the exit…
But when the first gleam of light was visible from within the cave, the dragon halted suddenly. Azula's excitement decreased as she stared at the creature, confused.
"Hey… there's no need for that," she said, with the kindest voice Sokka had ever heard from her. She caressed the dragon's neck again, stroking it gently. "You already saw what's outside, I showed it to you… and you have nothing to fear so long as I'm with you. It will be fine. You know just what to do, don't you?"
The dragon let out a small sound that reminded Sokka way too much to a purr. He raised an eyebrow, feeling completely out of place in the strange exchange between dragon and princess.
The creature released another sound, a little shriller this time than its usual threatening groans, and he broke into a sprint all of sudden. Azula smiled again and clutched the dragon's horns while Sokka hugged her tightly, but she hardly even took notice of the way he was hanging onto her. The dragon took the turn that would lead them straight to the forest again, and as if it were a tiger seal resurfacing from the water, the dragon, for the first time in his life, leapt into the outside world.
The eyes of the three of them had grown accustomed to the darkness by then, causing them all to shy away from the light at first. Azula cringed but seized the dragon's horns and directed him upwards a little more harshly than she had intended to. Sokka shook his head and struggled to force his gaze to adapt to their surroundings… though it was even more difficult to keep his eyes open when the wind was buffeting his face as it was. After a while he realized he was also being smacked in the face by Azula's hair, and he leaned back to avoid it… and it was then that he looked down and realized they were rising and rising from the ground, heading into the now clear skies at full speed.
"How…?! How?!" he screamed, shocked.
Azula managed to open her eyes at last and she released the dragon's horns, allowing him to fly freely now that they were high enough to avoid crashing against the tops of the trees. The dragon shook his head before allowing himself to open his eyes just a little bit. Azula patted him on the neck again, smiling in utter awe as she watched the forest shrink under them.
"You did great… you did great," she whispered. "Welcome to the outside world."
The dragon let out a small yelp as he began to discern the colors and shapes of everything around him. He moved his head from side to side, startling both Azula and Sokka, as he was marveled by the world his rider had gifted him with. He had been trapped in his cave, destined to live in darkness until the end of his days… and she had granted him the freedom he had desired without his awareness.
"We're… flying," said Sokka, staring around himself in utter shock. "We're flying!"
"See, turtle, you'd get to fly eventually," said Azula, smiling and making him blush.
"How did this happen?" he said, changing the subject as quickly as he could. "How can this dragon fly without wings?! Is it an airbender and a firebender at the same time?!"
"Well, for all we know he might be," said Azula, chuckling and shrugging as she patted the creature on the neck again.
Now that they were out in the open she could finally see what its colors were. The dragon's scales happened to be of a violet shade that shifted into blue and black depending on the way the light hit them. His beard and mane were blue, and his horns were white, contrasting against the darkness of his body. Azula smiled, her chest surging with pride as she caressed the creature's beautiful scales.
"I didn't know there were dragons without wings, but we're riding one right now…" she said. "Not much point in questioning it, is there?"
"Then… are dragons the Avatars amongst the animals?" asked Sokka.
"I believe they're not too comfortable with ice… but they could be seen that way, I suppose," said Azula. "Nevertheless, a dragon can only be tamed by a firebender. The only way for a human and a dragon to bond is through an offering of fire."
"Which is pretty cool and all… but this whole dragon-bonding thing is scarier than it should be," said Sokka, gulping. "Especially because we're talking about you. Aren't you dangerous enough as you are to give you a dragon, on top of it all?"
"It would seem that way to you, but without this dragon we would have been done for," said Azula. "If he had refused me… well, I honestly don't want to imagine what the consequences would have been. The price for our survival was that I'd become deadlier, so I guess you should pay it up gratefully and stop complaining."
"Yeah, I suppose I could do that…" muttered Sokka. "Damn… we're really getting out of this forest. We are!"
"You kept promising you'd get me out, why so surprised now?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"B-because I figured it'd take us ages… but now we're getting out on the back of a dragon! Of a dragon!" he said, starting to laugh as well.
"Well, go ahead and have a fit of hysteria, I really can't blame you for it," said Azula, shaking her head and smiling too.
"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Sokka asked, looking at the dragon's tail. "Can you tell?"
"It's a boy," she said, smiling. "And he was stuck underground for his entire life… I have no idea just how old he might be."
"None at all? Do you think he was around during the massacre of the dragons?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It doesn't seem like it…" said Azula, surprising him.
"Uh… how do you know what things seem like?" he asked, confused.
"The bond between a rider and his dragon… well, it's deeper than I ever thought it would be," said Azula. "It's as if I were sharing my entire identity with him, and he shares his with me as well. So I can see his memories… and all there was within his mind was darkness until now."
"So… not a chance he fled into the cave because he was running from angry firebenders?"
"I don't think so. Else he would have remembered humans and if he did I doubt we'd be riding him right now," said Azula. "I don't think he knows about what happened to the rest of his kind… he probably never considered there could be others like him."
"Quite a sad fate, huh?" muttered Sokka.
"But… he might not be the last of the dragons," said Azula, turning to look at Sokka. "If he was here, chances are that there are more dragons hiding inside mountains…"
"That would be cool… well, it might be," said Sokka, gulping. "Should be good so long as you don't use dragons to melt the poles or so."
"Not a chance," said Azula, shaking her head. "Dragons are strong creatures, but such low temperatures could damage their bodies terribly…"
"So I can rest assured you won't attack my tribe with your new friend?" Sokka asked.
"If I attacked and destroyed your tribe, where would I drop you once you become the top gladiator of the league?" asked Azula, matter-of-factly. "I'm quite certain that by the time we accomplish that goal I'll be more than happy to rid myself from you…"
"Oh, sure you will… Keep telling yourself that," said Sokka, smirking.
To his surprise, she smiled right back at him before turning towards the dragon again. That mischievous smirk was back… it was back! Sokka couldn't help but beam in joy at the sight of her, marveling in her beauty and her might… she truly was one of a kind, he had always known as much, but now she had proved it once again. She was the first firebender to tame a dragon in decades, and the way she had done it was beyond impressive too. The mere thought of how powerful she looked while wielding those blue whips was enough to send shivers down his spine, pleasant shivers of a kind he didn't recognize until it was too late…
Azula frowned upon feeling something strange poking at her from behind. Sokka stared at himself in utter embarrassment and pushed away from her, beyond flustered by his body's sudden reaction. Azula turned around to look at him in shock and mild disgust.
"W-what did just…?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" squealed Sokka, holding tightly onto the dragon and gritting his teeth. In his haste to move away from Azula before she noticed what was happening to him, he had scraped his legs with the scales. His body suddenly became a strange mixture of opposite sensations, and all he could do was withstand it all in hopes Azula would turn back towards the dragon and forget about him…
It seemed the Princess was beyond appalled by the situation, too much to even make fun of him as it was. She turned back to the front, still somewhat shocked to think Sokka's enthusiasm over the dragon could produce such an effect on him. He grinded his teeth and felt far more ashamed of himself than he had for quite a while. It wasn't just the thought of what she had accomplished in the cave… his reaction seemed to have been the sum of everything that had happened the past few days. And the fact that he had been holding onto her so closely ever since they had left the cave had only made everything worse for him… ah, she had said it before, but now it was his turn to think he was incorrigible.
He remained quiet for a moment as they flew over the trees until a question popped up on his mind. He overcame his shame momentarily in hopes Azula would be able to put aside their latest incident to answer him…
"W-where are we going, exactly…?" he asked.
Azula had been shocked by what had happened with Sokka, but after a while she had dedicated to communicate with the dragon silently, speaking to him through her mind. The bliss over having a dragon as her partner and the exhilarating sensation of flying had knocked her priorities off her mind for a moment, and upon Sokka's question she returned to reality brusquely.
Sokka was surprised when the dragon changed directions drastically, turning around towards where they had come from without any previous notice.
"Woah! W-what was that?!" he squealed, almost getting knocked off the dragon due to the sudden movement.
"We're off to do what we're supposed to do, that's what," said Azula, frowning with determination as the dragon began following the river uphill.
"Where are we…?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow as he watched the landscape pass underneath them in a blur.
"We're off to find the place we fell off from," said Azula. "And from there…"
Sokka's eyes widened.
"W-wait, you don't possibly mean to chase the Rough Rhinos right now!"
"Why not?" asked Azula. "They saw us fall, they must have carried on through the same road they were on, certain that the worst threats were behind them… indeed, they were behind them, but they're about to catch up with them once again."
"But we're in no condition to fight!" said Sokka, grimacing.
"My hand works again," said Azula, "You have your weapons with you, and on top of it all we have a dragon with us. They're short one komodo rhino…"
"The one we ate, huh…?" said Sokka. It was strange to think they had eaten someone's steed…
"And honestly, back when I first faced them I wasn't exactly in my best shape," muttered Azula. "Even if I'm underfed and I need rest, I feel a lot steadier this time around. And I'm not going to face them alone this time… am I?"
"Well… so long as you don't set me on fire again, you won't," said Sokka, smiling.
"Don't give me a reason to do it, then," said Azula, smiling too. "Though I'd say you did just a moment ago…"
"T-that wasn't intentional, I swear!" Sokka whimpered, blushing again. "T-the situation, the stress of the whole thing… it happens more often than you think!"
"Oh, I have no doubt it does…" said Azula, gulping.
"T-that's not what I meant! I mean it happens to other guys too, it's not like I'm…!" Sokka cried, but he knew he was too far from saving face at this point. "Oh, just forget it…"
"How I wish I could…" said Azula, smiling slightly before focusing on the dragon again.
Azula ushered the dragon to speed up, her eyes set on the mountain that still stood too far from where they were. It was the one they had fallen from, she was certain of it… Nevertheless, she beckoned the dragon to follow the river, and he obeyed her diligently. Azula smiled as she saw the trail of fireplaces Sokka and her had left behind by the river. She was quite amazed to see how far they had gone on foot, never having guessed they had covered such a long distance. It took them over thirty minutes at the dragon's amazing speed to reach the very first pile of charred wood they had put together, and Azula drove the dragon to fly straight towards the mountain now. Sokka gaped in awe at the tall peak as they flew higher and higher, seeking out the road they had fallen from.
"W-we fell down through here… we actually fell down through here?" Sokka asked, shocked. "How the hell did we survive that?!"
"Ask yourself!" said Azula, struggling to talk to Sokka when they were bolting upwards at such speed. "You were the one who took most the blows!"
"What the heck am I built of?! Because I honestly have no idea!" Sokka asked, prompting Azula to chuckle.
The dragon soared through higher and higher until Sokka finally spotted the road by the mountainside.
"There!" he shouted, pointing at the trail. Azula nodded as she directed the dragon to follow it.
The dragon flew over the twisting path from several feet above, guided by Azula's directions as she gazed down at the road. Sokka watched from behind, amazed by the extraordinary teamwork of the Princess and the dragon. How had everything developed like this? The more he thought about it, the less credit he could give their luck. Everything had seemed bleak and hopeless… and then Azula had tamed a dragon. The way the situation had changed so radically was still unbelievable for him…
Azula ordered the dragon to halt in mid-air when she spotted a village below. Just by watching it from where they were she could see there were no komodo rhinos around, therefore the Rough Rhinos couldn't possibly be there… but the burn marks she spotted in several houses couldn't have been there for longer than five days.
"They were here," she said, beckoning the dragon to continue following the road. "They were here! We have to keep moving!"
"It's not bad enough for those guys to chuck the Fire Lord's heir down a mountainside…" said Sokka. "They have to keep sacking towns?"
"Apparently so," grunted Azula, frowning as they resumed their flight. "We have to find them someplace…"
"I remind you they're five days ahead of us as it is…" said Sokka.
"They're riding komodo rhinos, though. We're on a dragon," said Azula, smiling. "We'll find them faster than you think. Besides, sacking towns also ought to be time consuming… we might not be as far behind as you think."
"Well, let's just hope you're right about that…" muttered Sokka, gulping and falling silent.
They flew for hours, spotting more ravaged villages, to their displeasure. The Rough Rhinos were truly living up to their name: roughness was the main quality of their every attack upon the towns. Azula gritted her teeth as they passed over another village, shaking her head in disbelief.
"How far could they possibly go?" she muttered. "How much farther can they be? Just how much more can they destroy…?"
"We'll find them… we'll find them," said Sokka, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Azula gritted her teeth and nodded, holding on both to the dragon and to the hopes Sokka was providing her with…
"This last one and we turn back, Colonel," said Kahchi, ushering his mount forward to catch up with his leader. "We've pillaged too much as it is, we can't put that much weight on the rhinos and you know it!"
"Especially after we lost one of them," muttered Vachir.
Colonel Mongke wasn't supposed to sport said title anymore, traitor to the Fire Nation as he was, yet he had ordered his men to continue addressing him as a Colonel. He meant to be seen as quite a figure of authority in front of the civilians: it would terrify them further if they thought him to still be part of the army.
"There's one village just ahead," said Mongke, ushering his mount through the dirt road of the mountains. "We can dig that one up, see what we can find, and then we go back to Ba Sing Se."
"Don't you think we're betting too much on those green blokes?" asked Ogodei, riding a mongoose dragon. The two creatures that had brought the Princess and her mysterious savior – the Rough Rhinos had argued whether he had saved her or caused both their downfall to no avail, they couldn't conclude either thing – had been taken by the criminals to replace the loss of Ogodei's rhino. One of the mongoose dragons carried a great deal of their stolen goods, and the other was serving as Ogodei's steed for now. Ogodei was anything but happy about riding a lizard, but he didn't voice his complaints too often in fear of earning himself a fistful of flames courtesy of his commanding officer. "They'll betray us to the Fire Nation if they see fit, you know…"
"Ah, they're as bad as us, Ogodei," said Mongke. "I thought you knew by now. They're not allied with the Earth Kingdom rebels, or the Fire Nation soldiers… they're their own team, just as we are."
"But he has a point," said Kahchi. "What will we do if they turn against us?"
"We just have to avoid giving them a reason to turn against us, that's all," said Mongke, as their last target came into view, a small village with only a short fence as a safety measure.
The five men entered the town atop their mounts, startling the villagers upon the sudden intrusion. Mongke smirked as he saw the fear in their eyes, guiding the Rough Rhinos into formation.
"Good afternoon, measly folk!" he exclaimed, earning everyone's attention. "This procedure is very simple, as you must know so well by now. We've done this countless times, so you're advised to comply and allow us to take what we need so that we can go on our merry way…"
"You already have stolen enough!" shouted a young man, holding a spear in his shaking hands. "You attacked all the previous villages, we were warned you'd be coming this way!"
Mongke simply roared with laughter, basking in the villager's bravado.
"Stand down, boy, you'll only hurt yourself with that thing," said Ogodei, climbing off the mongoose dragon.
"Huh… thought you were the Rough Rhinos, are you trying to become the Rough Reptiles now?" said the man, trying to infuse himself courage by making japes and by holding his ground… although his shaking knees were in plain sight.
"What a lame joke, boy, what a lame joke," said Mongke, shaking his head. "Get out of our way if you know what's good for you… if not, get ready to face the consequences."
"I'll face anything to protect my family!" he shouted. Mongke seemed unaffected by his claim.
"Well, that's how he wants it," said the Colonel, turning towards Vachir.
The ex-Yu-Yan archer lifted his bow swiftly and took a shot at the man without any ado, wounding him in the knee. The villager screamed and fell to the ground. The arrow had pierced through his bone and was protruding through the back of his leg.
"That ought to get those knees of his to quit shaking," said Ogodei, smirking.
Other villagers ran to the rescue of their fallen hero. The young man cringed as an older one removed the arrow as cleanly as he could.
"Leave! Please, leave!" cried an old woman, tears in her eyes. "There's no need for this violence…!"
"Ah, finally someone reasonable!" said Mongke. "I agree, lady, hence why I'm telling you to hand over your prized possessions voluntarily and save us the hassle of entering every house to pick up what we came for."
"We're not handing anything over to you!" squealed a little girl, glaring at them boldly.
"Oh, blast it," said Mongke, rubbing his forehead before turning to the archer. "They just can't listen to reason, can they? Should we light the whole damn village up, then?"
"It's a thought," said Vachir, lighting his bow's torch.
"They asked for it so nicely after all," said Mongke, smirking cruelly as the villagers stared at them in horror… until they started staring at something else unexpectedly.
Mongke wouldn't have cared much for whatever might have caught the eye of a random villager or two, guessing they would be sending their last prayers to whatever gods they believed in, but for almost every one of them to look up at the exact same moment seemed too suspicious to ignore.
"What is that, Granny?" said the little girl, pointing at a black shape above and pulling the robes of the old lady.
"I… I don't know, child," replied the woman, relieved to see that the Rough Rhinos were too busy staring at the black shape on the sky to recall they were about to set the village on fire. She could only hope that the figure would manage to keep them distracted for good…
Mongke turned his rhino around, stepping backwards into the village's main road as he tried to see the menace from a better angle. His men imitated him, gazing up at the skies with frowns on their faces as they hoped that whatever was approaching would be meaningless.
But the expression on Mongke's face began twisting as the creature, since it could be nothing but a creature, came closer to where they were. There seemed to be a shape on its back… no, two shapes. And they were headed straight towards them.
"D-Dragon… it's a dragon!" said Mongke when he finally recognized the creature. "A real dragon!"
The villagers screamed and ran into their houses, fearing this would be the last day of their lives. It wasn't bad enough that a band of criminals had come by to wreak havoc, a dragon had to show up as well when none had been sighted in the world for about fifty years…
But Mongke knew better than the villagers. As soon as he realized what the creature was, he knew that the shapes on its back could only be people. And who could tame and ride a dragon if not a firebender of the highest caliber…? His fears were confirmed when he saw that the rider was a woman with a curtain of jet-black hair and blazing golden eyes to match her dark dragon's glare.
The komodo rhinos and the mongoose lizards grew restless as the larger and more threatening creature approached. It's descent on land wasn't light, and Azula allowed herself to think that they would have to rehearse landing as soon as they had a chance. Both she and Sokka leapt off the dragon's back before he crashed on the ground heavily on his four legs. The three of them stood on the village entrance, denying any possibility of flight for the five criminals. If they wanted to get away, they'd have to go through them…
"Well, well… this I didn't expect," said Mongke, staring at Azula with wariness. "You look dreadful, Princess."
"I assure you you'll look much worse when I'm through with you," she said, smiling dangerously at him. "You're not getting away with anything else, Mongke. By order of the Fire Lord you're to become my prisoner willingly or face the consequences…"
Mongke thought it was quite a cruel mockery of fate for the Princess to use the same threat he had uttered just a moment past. He shook his head and glared at Azula viciously.
"Consequences be what they may… I'm not surrendering to you or to your traitor of a father. Equality for Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation? Accepting the dirt people as Fire Nation now? What a stupid joke! Where's the ruthlessness of the Fire Lords of old?! Your father is a coward, and proof of it is that he sends his frail little daughter to deal with the likes of us instead of coming himself!"
"Frail, little daughter?" Azula repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder what new names you'll call me once I capture you…"
"Oh, you're not going to capture me…" said Mongke. "You'll have to kill me if you want to take any part of me to that Fire Lord you claim allegiance to! Long live the Fire Nation! The real Fire Nation! The one that would burn everything to the ground to prove its might!"
And with that, he tried to usher his komodo rhino into attacking, but Azula's dragon hissed and sprayed the enemy with blue fire. Mongke managed to deflect the fire with difficulty; his rhino was uninjured, but absolutely reluctant to go against a creature as deadly as that dragon. The same could be said for all the other animals. They shook their riders off and raced to the other side of the village, fleeing from the dragon and leaving behind the five brigands to fend for themselves.
Mongke attacked Azula, throwing fire at her repeatedly to no avail, since her defense was impeccable this time around. Vachir lifted his bow with the intention to shoot an arrow at her, hoping to injure her as he had once before, but Azula lifted a hand towards his bow and manipulated the torch's flame. The entire bow caught on fire and forced Vachir to drop it, nullifying his threat efficiently for now and allowing Azula to focus completely on the ex-Colonel.
Sokka released Space Sword from its sheath and jumped straight towards Kahchi before the man could join Yeh-Lu and Ogodei in attacking the dragon. Kahchi tried to defend himself with his halberd, but to his surprise Sokka swung his sword fast enough to slice his weapon in two. Sokka struck the man's temple with the hilt of his blade, knocking him out effective and easily. He knew Azula needed the Rough Rhinos alive, and he wouldn't have killed them anyways even if she had asked him to.
Ogodei shouted at the dragon, trying to distract him by swinging his ball and chain as Yeh-Lu prepared a bomb, which he lit before tossing it at the dragon. The dragon caught the small ball in midair and seemed to be quite puzzled, not understanding what its purpose might be. He still didn't make any sense out of it after the bomb went off inside his mouth. He didn't react as the smoke slid out of his nostrils: he was completely unaffected by the attack. Sokka smirked, pleased to count with such an ally. The dragon decided to show Yeh-Lu what fire truly was like, and after charging an attack he unleashed blue flames upon the Rough Rhino.
Yeh-Lu collapsed on himself when the flames hit him, and Sokka was certain he would die engulfed in that hellfire until Ogodei threw his chains at the dragon and caught his neck with it. The dragon stopped his attack immediately, choking due to Ogodei's firm grip on the other end of the chain. The Rough Rhino seemed quite proud of his achievement, but he wouldn't have the upper hand for too long.
Sokka jumped towards the chain and sliced one of the links with his sword. He turned towards Ogodei to find the man holding the remnants of his chains now. Sokka released his club swiftly and struck the man on the brow, knocking him out as well. He leapt towards the dragon and used Space Sword to cut the links of the chain that were still dangling off the creature's neck.
"There, there…" said Sokka, once the dragon was free to breathe again. The creature snarled, surprising him "Hey! I was trying to help…!"
It took him the fragment of an instant to realize the dragon was growling because of Yeh-Lu. The man had brought forth a new explosive, and the dragon decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Sokka jumped out of the way, allowing the dragon to unleash his fire on the enemy once more, and the explosives blew up in Yeh-Lu's hands. The man flew away due to the impact of the explosion, and he collapsed on the ground, his armor broken and damaged. Sokka approached him and verified he was still alive before turning to the dragon and smiling.
"We did pretty well, huh? Good job, pal!" he said, before turning to watch Azula's fight.
It was interesting to watch Mongke in such a state of despair, whereas Azula was so calm she was even smirking mockingly at him. Not only was she deflecting his attacks, she was turning them against Mongke, using his own flames to set his facial hair on fire. Sokka was slightly amused by the sight until he realized Vachir, ducking next to a small hut, had brought forth another bow and was aiming straight at Azula. Sokka snarled before bringing forth his boomerang, and he directed it straight at Vachir. The boomerang hit him on the back of the head, causing him to fail on his attempt to shoot his arrow, which landed a few feet from Azula. The Princess saw the arrow and it took her only a second to guess who had thrown it… but why had he missed?
When she caught sight of the blue boomerang next to Vachir's hunched figure she smiled approvingly. She'd thank him for that later.
Sokka ran towards Vachir, who was still conscious, and he found himself threatened by the archer when the man wielded one of his arrows as if it were a knife.
"A step closer and I'll ram it into your neck!" he shouted.
Sokka raised an eyebrow before stomping on his boomerang, which was right before him. The weapon spun in the air and Sokka caught it when it was within his reach, using it to tear Vachir's arrow to shreds, avoiding more complications.
"Gotta say I get why you guys called yourselves the Rough Rhinos now…" said Sokka, smirking. "Without those animals, you're nothing."
He struck Vachir on the temple with his boomerang, and the archer dropped unconscious just as his other companions had. Sokka turned towards the last battle, witnessing the struggle of fire with admiration.
Azula seemed to dance as she avoided Mongke's blows. She leapt and threw a fire kick at him, and her blue fire defeated his with ease. Mongke bellowed with rage and threw an array of fire at Azula, which she took in her hands and sent straight back at Mongke.
"The stronger firebender never has a problem with the fire of the weaker one!" she shouted, smirking proudly.
Mongke grimaced as he panted, watching her with disbelief. This couldn't be… it simply couldn't be. How could a girl he had defeated less than a week ago tear him to shreds right now?!
"Is that all you've got, then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mongke roared and shot fire at her from his mouth. Azula rolled her eyes and put the flame aside as if it were nothing but a shred of smoke to her. She planted her feet deep on the ground and began moving her arms and body slowly and methodically, focusing carefully on every movement she was making.
Mongke saw her charging an electric attack and he knew this was his opening, his last chance for survival. He shot out two fistfuls of flames at Azula, certain he would catch her with them at last now that she couldn't defend herself…
But the dragon roared and unleashed his own fire, engulfing Mongke's flames in his and deflecting the attack headed towards Azula. The Princess would have smirked with pride if she hadn't been focusing on the lightning she was producing. The curtain of flames provided by the dragon faded away as the creature closed its jaws, and Azula stretched out two fingers of her left hand, releasing the lightning towards Mongke. The discharge struck the ground right before him, and the charged air around the attack caused him to fly off, stunned, collapsing head-first on the ground.
Azula approached him, picking the man up by the neck of his shirt.
"This battle is over, Mongke. With my victory," she said, glaring at him. "Your days of staining the honor of the Fire Nation are over. For Bao, for all the people you've murdered, for those you tortured and robbed... You'll spend what remains of your life making amends for it all, and it still won't be enough. But no matter… we'll make sure that the rest of it is so miserable you'll truly come to regret everything you've done."
Mongke grimaced and seemed to be about to retort, but she was too quick to let him. She struck his face with a powerful fist and knocked him out cold.
Sokka approached her from behind as she dropped Mongke on the ground. After that display of greatness, the Princess was notoriously exhausted.
"It's done, Azula..." said Sokka, smiling as she turned around to face him. "It's over. You did it."
The Princess seemed to lack the energies to respond as enthusiastically as she should have upon finally having completed her mission, but she still managed to muster the kindest smile she had ever directed towards her gladiator, a smile composed by gratefulness and relief, because he had been by her side this time around… because there was no chance she could have survived that forest or found that dragon without him. She hadn't even wanted to bring him along on her mission at first… and now she realized that, out of all the decisions she had taken to chase down the Rough Rhinos, bringing Sokka along had been the best one.
"Yes, Sokka..." she said, breathing deeply and beaming at him. "We did it."
A/N:
To whoever is wondering about the wingless dragon… most classic Chinese dragons didn't have wings and they could fly anyways. Not all of them did, but even those without them were supposed to be able to do it. Dragons were also thought of as water creatures rather than fire ones… Sokka's allusion to the dragon possibly being an Avatar of some sort is based on this and on the dragon living within caves deep inside a mountain. A creature that lives in harmony with all four elements… it's an interesting way to see dragons, I believe.
In any case, I doubt I'm wrecking any Avatar rules with this dragon, considering that in LOK's episode Beginnings Part One, Avatar Wan performed the Dancing Dragon along with a dragon who could fly just fine without wings.
And to all those concerned about things being sorted out too easily… two things: the first, I think I've had Sokka and Azula suffer enough as it is, and they've learned several valuable lessons from all their suffering too. The second… this story, as I keep repeating, is anything but over xD There are still many things in store, and now Azula will have an animal companion who will go through them along with her, and as she teaches him the ways of the outside world, the dragon will teach her many things she'll come to cherish deeply. So don't fret! There are still lots more things to come! Thanks, as ever, for reading! See again you on the next chapter ^^