Her room felt like a cage of sorts as of late. She hadn't left it in over a week, not because she really needed to continue resting but because her father and his physicians insisted her health was still too frail for her to leave the comfort of her bed. She didn't believe that was the case, though. Often, she would stand up and wander through her room, just for the sake of moving around a little, and she had persuaded the servants and healers to let her eat in the left wing of her chambers after proving she was up to the task. But aside from that, all she could do was gaze through the window and wait until they finally gave her leave. It should happen soon, she hoped, but still…
Her aggravation usually scared off whoever dared oppose her, but it wasn't as easy to intimidate the healers into releasing her from her chambers when her father himself had often come to ensure she was still here. She could ignore the healers, but she couldn't dream of going against her father's orders. She would always tell him she felt better, but he would insist he was still worried, both about her health and about the Capital's current chaotic state, hence he preferred to keep her in the safety of the room.
The secret agent that had double-crossed them was still at large; he was far more slippery than Fire Lord Ozai had expected him to be. The captives hadn't said a word about the spy or their society as of yet, which displeased the Fire Lord as well. Nevertheless, he had remained faithful to the vow he had made to the gladiator: Ozai hadn't executed any of the criminals. They were being held in the Prison Tower, where vigilance had been increased drastically to prevent more breakouts.
Yet it had also taken time for Ozai to entrust his soldiers with their duties once more. He had forced every single one of them to prove they were actually Fire Nation soldiers and not infiltrators. Every man was registered in files upon joining the army; therefore, in order to prove they were true soldiers, the men had to give their names to General Mak, the man Ozai had left in charge of this operation, and if he failed to find their respective file it meant the soldier would be held in suspicion for betraying his nation. To Ozai's relief, Mak's operation had been successful. Every soldier had their own file, and thus he could trust they weren't infiltrators…
But could he really?
Even when Mak had proved every soldier in the Capital belonged to the army, the Fire Lord's anxiety was still far from appeased. Whoever had assisted the men from the Order of the White Lotus was, in all likelihood, hiding comfortably amongst his most trusted advisors. It could be anyone, Mak himself, even: it was someone who had led him to believe he could place his trust in him. His generals, his noblemen, someone who had been watching him closely without his awareness. Even one of his servants could be to blame for what had happened…
All in all, the Fire Lord was more tense and stressed than he had been in a long time. Some of his noblemen had fled to nearby islands, fearful of another attack, which had only worsened Ozai's concerns. He had yet to speak to the masses to explain what had happened during that troublesome night, but he planned on doing so once the spy had been captured… and to his displeasure, he was nowhere close to achieving that. Azula could tell he was uneasy over the problems he was facing, but there was little to nothing she could do to soothe her father, aside from giving him one less concern to worry about… which meant she would stay in her room until the healers declared she had recovered from her cold completely.
And to the impatient Princess, it seemed as though that day wouldn't come. She lay amongst pillows and sheets, glaring at the roof of her bed while wishing she didn't have to waste one more second of her life in this room. There were so many things she could do! She could help her father narrow down his search of the infiltrator, she was sure she could assist him in some way or another…
A knock on her door would have startled her in other circumstances, but by now she was used to it. Azula raised an eyebrow, wondering who it might be this time.
"Come in," she called out, sighing and hoping it wouldn't be another healer making sure her temperature was on regular levels: she hadn't been suffering from a fever for days now.
To her relief, it wasn't a healer. Naturally, she would do her best not to show she was pleased to see her gladiator, but it was harder to keep from smiling than she thought it should be.
"Ah, it's just you," she said, as he entered the room and closed the door.
Sokka raised an eyebrow and looked at her in slight suspicion.
"What, expecting someone else, Princess?" he asked.
"Fearing it might be someone else, rather," said Azula, no longer unable to restrain her smile until she saw what Sokka was carrying in his right hand. "S-Sokka? What is…?"
Sokka blushed slight and grabbed the bouquet with both hands nervously. He had told himself it was a bad idea, but he also hoped it might help cheer Azula up… or perhaps it would compel her to get back to her feet completely just to punish him for bringing her flowers. Either option would be good, he thought, albeit he was only expecting the latter to take form.
"It's just… well, I was walking down the market thinking I should get something fun for you so that you don't get so bored sitting inside all day," said Sokka, walking towards her and sitting on the chair he usually took by her side.
"And flowers were your best idea, Sokka? Really?" she asked, slightly flustered but not to the extent of behaving as anyone but herself upon receiving this ridiculous gift. "How am I supposed to be entertained by them?"
"In all honesty, I wanted to get something cooler, but I couldn't find anything good!" complained Sokka. "I think some stores haven't gone back to business yet after what happened with the White Lotus. They think something similar might happen again sometime soon."
"Is that so?" muttered Azula, frowning. The impact the White Lotus' attack had had upon the citizens was worse than she had expected, if Sokka's suspicions were true.
"I wanted to get you some sort of dragon figurine, maybe, but there was nothing similar to what I had in mind anywhere! So… so in the end, I brought you these. They're called dragon orchids, or so I was told, so… it's the closest thing I could find to a dragon, oddly enough, hehe…"
"It's not close to a dragon in anything but in name," said Azula, raising an eyebrow and studying the plants. They were dark red, with a tinge of orange close to the center, where the petals joined together.
"W-well, it's a gift anyways, so… here," said Sokka, handing the bouquet to her.
Azula took it in her hands, staring at the flowers with interest. It wasn't too large a bouquet, but she wouldn't have expected more from Sokka. These flowers were bound to have been more expensive than he should have been able to afford…
"They have an odd smell, but I suppose I could get used to it," she said, shrugging and trying not to give the matter too much importance.
"Sorry if it's inconvenient," said Sokka, scratching the back of his head. "I just wanted to do something nice for you, I know being stuck here is driving you nuts but if that's what the healers think is best…"
"I know, I know," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "If that's what they want me to do, that's what I should do. It's getting ridiculous at this point, though. I should have been out of bed ages ago."
"Well, it's for your own good that they're keeping you here," said Sokka, sighing. "Your father wants you in here too, so it's not just the healers' fault."
"And you agree, it seems?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow. "Never did I believe the day would come when Sokka would think the Fire Lord's decision is correct."
"Wait, wait, I'm not siding with him," said Sokka, lifting his hands defensively. "I'm thinking that, for your wellbeing, you're better off resting a little longer, and he happened to reach the same conclusion… coincidentally."
"Oh, really? Coincidentally?" asked Azula, smirking.
"Not my fault we both want you to heal completely as soon as possible," said Sokka, folding his arms over his chest. "Our goals are the same, and there's just one way to get there."
"Of course," said Azula, rolling her eyes and looking at the flowers in her hands again, with slight discomfort now. "I should probably leave these someplace…"
"Don't you have a vase of some sort?" asked Sokka, looking around the room eagerly.
"Oh, as you can see, all my available vases are currently occupied with the flowers all my other suitors have gifted me with…" said Azula, her words dripping with sarcasm.
"Uh… so you're saying you don't have any?" asked Sokka, surprised.
"Just how often do you think I get flowers, Sokka?" asked Azula, looking at him in skepticism. "You seem to overestimate my socializing skills…"
"But Azula, you are the Fire Nation Princess," said Sokka, stunned. "And you had a suitor once, at least, that I know of… I'm sure there are still others who want to get away with marrying you, aren't there?"
It was odd that the words would sting him after he spoke. A burning sensation in his stomach made him grimace at the thought of other men pursuing the Princess…
"Of course there are, but they would much rather win me over by wooing my father than by courting me," said Azula, shrugging. "They care more about earning his favor than mine, hence I get no flowers from them. You should be proud of yourself, truly. It's the first time anyone has presented me with a bouquet."
"W-what, really?" asked Sokka, shocked. "But that's…! That makes no sense, other people should've…! Now, what's with your noblemen, really? They have nothing noble about them if they can't present you at least with a single flower!"
"Noblemen and gentlemen aren't the same thing, Sokka," said Azula, shrugging.
"So… I'm a gentleman, you say?" he asked, smiling proudly.
"That's not what I said," grunted Azula, between gritted teeth. "Stop misunderstanding."
"Now, now, but you just said…"
"I meant to say those men are of noble birth, but that doesn't make them gentlemen. And you aren't one either, even if you bring me flowers," said Azula, with determination. "You are, as you well know, a snow savage. Snow savages can't be gentlemen."
"Or so you say, but how can you be so sure?" said Sokka. "I've surprised you before… I might do it again."
"By doing what, exactly? How would you prove you're more of a gentleman than I take you for?" asked Azula, folding her arms over her chest.
"Well, uh… gentlemen would… a gentleman would…" started Sokka, frowning as he tried to think of what a gentleman might do aside from giving flowers to a girl.
"And there it is, proof you're not one and you'll never be one. You don't even know how a gentleman acts," said Azula, sighing.
"W-well, they give flowers!" squealed Sokka. "That's the only clue I have, so… I should just keep on bringing you flowers every day until you're better! How's that for gentlemanliness?"
"Are you…? You're not serious, are you?" asked Azula, staring at him in shock.
"Why do you ask?" he asked, puzzled.
"Sokka," said Azula, gulping. "It's one thing to do it once… but to bring flowers every day? Don't you think it would be weird?"
"It might be, but that doesn't matter," said Sokka, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Maybe not to you," said Azula, frowning. "But what do you believe my father will think upon finding out that my slave, my gladiator, has been bringing me flowers every day?"
"Uh…" said Sokka, thinking hard for a moment before answering. "Probably… 'I didn't think slaves could afford to buy flowers', right?"
"Of course not, you idiot! That's not what…! Ugh, never mind!" said Azula, blushing slightly and shaking her head. If Sokka couldn't understand that it would seem as though he were attempting to court her, then she wasn't going to spell it out for him. If he really sent those flowers on a daily basis, Ozai would likely be enraged and Sokka would come to understand, perhaps a little too late and in quite a nasty way, what his display of gentlemanliness truly looked like.
"Really, though, I doubt I can afford it," said Sokka, frowning as he rubbed his beard stub with his thumb. "Isn't there a cheaper way to prove I'm a good guy?"
"Don't you think you've proven it enough as it is?" said Azula, sighing. "After what you did that night..."
"Ah, well, if that still counts then I shouldn't have to do anything else," said Sokka, smiling proudly.
"Yet you've also been quite a pig in other occasions," added Azula, to Sokka's chagrin.
"I guess that's true as well, isn't it?' he muttered. "Well, I'm trying my best to become a better man now, to keep from coming off as a pig ever again..."
"Please don't try too hard," said Azula. "Every single time you make up your mind to not do something, you end up doing it again just after swearing you won't."
"N-not every time," said Sokka, lifting a hand defensively. "You told me not to underestimate my rival gladiators ever again after fighting with the Hornet, and I haven't done it since!"
"Perhaps that's the next thing you'll go back on," said Azula, smirking. "Maybe on your upcoming fight you'll..."
The Princess fell silent then, a frown on her face. Sokka studied her cautiously for a moment before calling out to her.
"Uh, Azula? You were making fun of me...? You're really going to let the chance slide?"
"T-today is..." she mumbled, rubbing her forehead and setting the flowers down beside her. "Wait, I've been here for seven days, two more had gone by and so... That means..."
"That means?" the gladiator repeated, raising an eyebrow as Azula looked up, horrified.
"Sokka, your next fight is today!"
Sokka blinked a couple of times before shaking his head promptly to make himself react. He looked at Azula, dumbstruck.
"What? Today?! B-but I didn't...!" he gasped. "How come is it today? You never accept challenges so close to another fight!"
"Well, I did this time, it looked like a fighter you could defeat easily!" said Azula, her hand on her forehead. "You weren't listening when I accepted the challenge from Shoji the last time we were at the Arena, were you?"
"N-no, I wasn't," muttered Sokka, recalling he had been too lost in his misery to pay any attention to what had happened between Azula and Shoji by the counter. "I thought you had just found out what my current position in the ranking was…"
"I did that, and I accepted the challenge we had studied once before, the one from an earthbender called 'The Rock'," said Azula.
"Ugh… that one, huh?" said Sokka, gulping. "Well, too bad. If you're like this, we can't go."
"What?! What do you mean 'too bad'?" said Azula, looking at him in disbelief. "We're going to that Arena immediately! I'm well enough to go, there's no need to…"
"Hell, no!" declared Sokka, glaring at Azula. "Not going to happen!"
"But Sokka…!"
"I'd rather go alone than have you come along! Not a chance I'm letting you out of here before the healers approve of it!"
"You can't go alone!" Azula said, desperate. "They won't let a gladiator participate in a fight without his sponsor!"
"Then… we forfeit, I guess," said Sokka, sighing.
"No way," said Azula, her eyes widening. "Not going to happen. We simply cannot forfeit! It's not an option!"
"No, not an option, a reality," said Sokka, sighing. "I don't want to do it either, Azula, but if you can't go then…"
"No, Sokka! I'm in bed just because they keep saying I can't go, but I'm all better now!" said Azula, pulling away the sheets and swinging her legs off the bed, but Sokka stood up and blocked her way.
"Get back in there!" he said, pushing her down on the bed by the shoulders when she attempted to get up. "You're not going anywhere today!"
"I can go, Sokka! I'm perfectly…!"
Azula found herself unable to finish the sentence when a fit of coughs took over her. She hunched over, sitting on bed again as she coughed far more violently than she expected. Sokka stared at her in worry, wondering if to pat her back to help her or if perhaps he shouldn't do anything at all.
Just as he stretched a hand towards her back, Azula seemed to calm down. She took several deep breaths, worn-out after the fit of coughs.
"C'mon," said Sokka, grabbing her legs and lifting them, pulling Azula into bed again. "I think those coughs spoke for themselves…"
"Sokka, please," said Azula, begging him with her eyes. "It's not as though I'll have to do so much… it's just sitting on that balcony, watching the fight and waiting until you're done…"
"And you can do that once we know you're not in risk of falling prey to coughing fits again."
"Why are you all so over-protective of me lately?" asked Azula, sighing and closing her eyes. "I get I couldn't take care of myself back then, but that doesn't mean I can't do it altogether…"
"Azula… it's for your own good and you know it," said Sokka, sitting on his chair again, a little closer to the bed now. "You know you put your body under some serious strain with all you went through…"
"But I'm not going to get any better just by lying down on bed doing nothing," grunted Azula.
"And you definitely won't by going to the Arena today," said Sokka. "So just be patient. We can send another challenge to this same guy later on if you like, there's no need to…"
The door creaked open again, startling both Sokka and Azula. They weren't expecting anyone to show up… especially when Sokka was unconsciously leaning down towards Azula. He jerked back again instinctively, not wanting anyone to spot him in a potentially compromising situation.
And yet when he saw who the visitor was he felt he could relax… although the same couldn't be said about Azula.
"Eh, it's just Zuko," said Sokka, sighing. "Here I thought it would be your father…"
"Z-Zuko?" asked Azula, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I… I heard you were sick," he muttered, looking at them from the threshold. "I heard about it a while ago, but I figured you would be better by now…"
"I am better," said Azula stubbornly, and Sokka rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yet they won't let me leave my room, even when I have important business to attend to."
"Come on, Azula, could you just let it go?" whined Sokka, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.
"Really?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow and walking inside the room. "You look quite healthy to me…"
"Well, I'm amazed to find Zuko is being more reasonable than everyone else for once," said Azula, nodding in her brother's direction. "You should feel bad about that, Sokka."
"Azula…" sighed Sokka, exhausted after repeating the same words to her time over and time again. "You'll be given the thumbs up anytime now, can't you just wait until it happens?"
"But Sokka, if you have a fight…"
"Enough about the fight, it's not more important than your health," said Sokka, determinedly. "If I were sick, would you drag me to the Arena to fight regardless?"
"Yes," she answered in a heartbeat, at which Sokka stared at her, shocked.
"HEY!"
"He has a fight today?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow. "Bad timing, huh?"
"Worst timing ever, truly," said Azula, shaking her head. "Why are you here, Zuzu?"
"W-well, I… I came to see just how bad this cold was that you were still in bed after all this time," said Zuko, gulping.
"I don't buy it," said Azula, folding her arms across her chest and making Zuko wince. "I'm sorry, but I'll have quite the hard time believing you've suddenly decided to become a concerned older brother…"
"Hey, I…!" he started, freezing at her accusation.
"You really expect to trick me with this, Zuko?" asked Azula, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "My cold didn't turn me into an idiot, in case you were expecting otherwise."
Zuko frowned and looked at his sister with irritation. Sokka looked up at Zuko as well, wondering what his answer to Azula's accusations might be. The Fire Prince sighed and shook his head before looking at his sister with a colder glare, which she returned without any inconvenience.
"I heard you were above ground when the White Lotus attacked," he muttered. "Ty Lee and Mai were wondering where you were, and they asked me to find you. I looked around everywhere but the safe chamber, because I guessed you would be there… and then I heard you had fought those guys yourself. Is it true?"
"It's… not a lie," said Azula, gripping the sheets firmly as her hand balled into a fist. For the first time, she wished she could steal Sokka's credit for what he had done if only to impress and irritate her brother…
"Why were you…?"
"Your sister was pretty reckless," said Sokka. "She was sick, and thus not thinking straight. She wanted to protect her nation at all costs, instead of her own life, and she went out there to fight those guys without giving much thought to it."
Azula looked at the gladiator in surprise, not expecting him to have her back as he had. Was he going to tell the rest of the story? As soon as he did, Zuko would likely snicker and ridicule her…
"W-wha-… really?" asked Zuko, staring at Sokka in shock. Sokka nodded solemnly, his arms tight across his chest. "That's… well…"
"Reckless, but since it ended relatively well, you could say it was brave," said Sokka.
"Reckless Azula…" said Zuko, at which Azula twitched. So he was going to grasp at that, was he? "Hard to picture, but I'll take your word for it."
"Good call," said Sokka, smiling now.
"Though it is pretty reckless of you to try and get out of bed when you're still supposed to keep resting," said Zuko, frowning. "Why so desperate?"
"Because, as you just heard, this moron has a fight ahead of him, and I will not allow a forfeit unless it's absolutely necessary," grunted Azula.
"Seems like it is, thought," said Zuko, raising his single eyebrow as he looked at his sister.
"Sorry to say it, Azula, but your brother is right," said Sokka, sighing.
"Sorry why?" asked Zuko, glaring at Sokka now.
"Well, it's not every day someone says 'Zuko is right and Azula isn't', is it?" said Sokka, feigning innocence.
"Maybe it happens more often than you think it does," grunted Zuko, defying Sokka with his glare.
"And maybe you're deluding yourself in hopes you'll come off like a cooler guy than you actually are…" replied Sokka, serenely, but facing the Fire Nation Prince now with a similar glare.
"Want to see just how deluded I am, gladiator…?" asked Zuko, gritting his teeth.
"What, you want to go right now?" asked Sokka, lifting his chin. "Because I don't think you brought your lame dao blades with you, did you?"
"Maybe I just need fire to tear you apart."
"Maybe your fire is way easier to extinguish than…"
"Wait," said Azula suddenly, as Zuko and Sokka glared at each other, promising to resume the fight they hadn't finished back at Mai's house. "Wait…"
"What, Azula? Don't worry, your brother will still live once I'm through with him," said Sokka, smiling reassuringly at the Princess.
"I doubt the same can be said about your gladiator, though," grunted Zuko, still glaring at Sokka.
"Wait…" said Azula, looking from one to the other as despair gave her the strangest idea she'd had in a long time.
"What is it?" asked Zuko, uncomfortable upon the way his sister was looking at him.
"You can do it, Zuko," she said, swallowing hard. "T-the forfeit isn't necessary… not really. There are ways for a gladiator to have a replacement sponsor when his actual sponsor can't attend the fight…"
"What?" said Sokka, staring at Azula worriedly now. "What are you trying to…?"
"You can do it, Zuko," said the Princess, now determined. "You can be Sokka's sponsor for one day."
Time seemed to freeze, although it actually didn't. In truth, the ones who froze were the two men, who now stared at Azula in utter shock. The Princess's eyes went from one to the other at least five times before they finally responded… both shouting and rambling at the same time
"What the hell, Azula? Did you lose your mind?!" asked Sokka, horrified.
"What on earth did they give you to heal that cold?" asked Zuko, looking at her in utter confusion. "It's making you delirious, you know?"
"Really, though, and then you claim you're all better! You definitely need to stay in bed waaaaay longer, that sort of suggestion proves it!"
"Seriously, out of everything you could have said, Azula…"
"Could you both just shut up?!" she shouted, at which they obeyed just for a moment.
"Azula, though, really? That can't even be done, can it?" asked Sokka, after an instant of silence.
"Actually, it can," said Azula. "Shoji told me about it before we went to the Earth Kingdom. If a sponsor can't perform his duties during some time, he can authorize someone as his substitute until he can sponsor his fighter again. I hadn't needed to resort to that before today, but now it might just be what will save us from a blow to your position in the ranking because of a forfeit."
"B-but… Azula, really?" whined Sokka. "Can't you ask someone else, like… the Captain? Or even your father…?"
"You'd rather be sponsored by my father than by me?!" asked Zuko, shocked.
"Gotta say I get along better with ole' Ozai than with you, you know…"
"Don't you ever refer to him like that again," said Azula, grimacing in disgust.
"Sorry, sorry…" said Sokka, smiling weakly.
"You even… you've met my father?" asked Zuko, aghast. "You've talked to him? You…?"
"I know it's weird, a slave who has talked directly to the Fire Lord…" said Sokka, shrugging, but Azula knew what Zuko's real problem was. And before he could make a ruckus over the fact that his father would willingly deal with a gladiator before his son, she spoke again.
"Zuko," she said, making him turn towards her again. "Will you agree to do this?"
"I… what? No, Azula, no," said Zuko, shaking his head and taking a step back. "I'm sorry, I know you're sick and you hope I'll feel sorry for you and accept your every request, but…"
"What, feel sorry for me? Really, Zuko?" asked Azula, slightly indignant.
"I'm just… I'm sorry, but I won't," said Zuko, determined. "I can't stand your gladiator, in case you hadn't noticed,"
"The feeling is mutual, pal," said Sokka, nodding.
"And I'm just not going to… I'm not going to sponsor someone in the Gladiator League."
"Oh, please, cut out the nonsense," grunted Azula, shaking her head. "You're not going to keep up that pointless farce, are you? I know well enough that you watch gladiator fights nowadays, so don't even think of excusing yourself by claiming that 'lowly business' is beneath you, because it clearly isn't."
"I didn't mean to say that! I just… I don't know how to act as a sponsor!" said Zuko, folding his arms over his chest. "And besides, wouldn't you be ashamed that your gladiator would show up at the Royal Dome with me as his sponsor?"
"Curious, because if anything, the one who should be ashamed of showing up with me is you…" muttered Sokka, thoughtful.
"This one's also a mutual thing, 'pal'," said Zuko, as sarcastically as possible.
"Zuko…" said Azula, sighing and shaking her head. "I really didn't want to resort to this, but if you won't give me another choice, I'll have to do so…"
"What are you…?" said Zuko, looking at her warily.
"You owe me a big favor from ten years ago, Zuko," said the Princess, looking at him sternly. "A favor I did for you out of the good will of my wicked heart, if you may."
"Huh?" said Sokka, looking at Azula in confusion. Zuko bore the same expression until he finally realized what his sister spoke of.
"W-wait… n-no, Azula. You... don't you have something better to ask of me?!" he said, grimacing.
"Not that I can think of," said Azula, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've had enough time to think about it, and finally there's something you can do. So how about you do this and we call it even, Zuzu?"
"Azula…" he said, sighing and shaking his head.
"A man of honor would pay his debts," said Azula, knowing she would strike a nerve with those words.
Zuko flinched and glared at her, perfectly aware of her intentions. The Princess held his stare defiantly, knowing she had caught him. Zuko huffed in irritation and broke their eye contact.
"I'm going to regret this," he muttered. "Fine, then. But just for today, alright?"
"What?! No, no, you have to keep fighting against her!" said Sokka, aghast.
"I knew you'd be reasonable, Zuzu," said Azula, smiling and getting off her bed.
"W-what are you doing?! Where are you going?!" asked Sokka, jumping off the chair.
"Zuko needs an authorization note so that he can sponsor you. I'm going to write it now," said Azula, relieved to have an excuse to get off bed.
She rummaged through a drawer in search for paper, ink and a brush, and she began writing down the document without further ado. Sokka just glared at Zuko all along, and the Prince was already regretting his decision as he tried to ignore the slave.
"Well, this should do," said Azula, folding the paper into a small tube and handing over the scroll to Zuko, along with a pouch of coins. "Good luck as a sponsor, Zuko."
"T-thanks, I guess," he muttered, taking the scroll and the money almost unwillingly.
"Azula…" said Sokka, begging her with his eyes not to do this.
"Your opponent is supposed to be somewhat stupid, from what I've heard," she said to the gladiator, ignoring his pleas. "A strong earthbender who doesn't think things through. Apparently he likes playing with the crowd, or so said Shoji. You could pretend to get hurt by an attack of his, and then take advantage of the situation while he's asking for ovations. He wouldn't see it coming. But if he's really as dumb as I've heard, you might not even need to resort to that."
"Uh, got it, but Azula…"
"What? I'm not going to go anywhere, so I see no problem with this course of action." said Azula, crossing her arms again. Sokka's gaze went down to her breasts almost instinctively upon her motion, her robe showing more of Azula's skin than he had seen up to date… which made him blush and forget all about his refusals while trying to cover up for what he'd seen.
"W-well, yeah, you… you're right?" he said, gulping and hoping she hadn't noticed the way his eyes had slipped down to her cleavage.
Azula failed to realize what had brought his change of mind, but she welcomed it nonetheless. She raised an eyebrow and smiled at him, which brought Sokka to fear she might have realized he had just forgotten what they were talking about…
"Well, it's quite relieving you're being so compliant all of sudden, I'll admit," she said, smiling. "Thank you for your cooperation, Sokka."
"W-wait," said Sokka, as the topic returned to his mind. "Now, I didn't mean to…!"
"No backing down now!" said Azula, pushing both him and Zuko towards the door. "Go to the Grand Royal Dome, and please return with tidings of victory!"
"Azula! Y-you can't just…! Azula!" squealed Sokka, but as soon as both him and Zuko were out in the hallway, the Princess slammed her bedroom door shut.
"Seems to me like 'she can just' all the same, even if you say otherwise," Zuko mocked, turning on his heels and heading down the corridor. Sokka glared at his back before following him.
"How funny," said Sokka, stomping as he caught up to the Prince. "At the very least I tried to fight back! How about you? Why didn't you say anything and just accepted this so easily? What kind of debt did you owe her that was worth sponsoring me for a day?"
"W-well…" said Zuko, lowering his gaze as they walked through the Palace halls. "When my father banished me, I asked Azula for help. I thought she might refuse me, but to my surprise, she didn't. She was the one who procured the ship with which I traveled during those ten years at sea. Sure it wasn't the biggest or the most advanced ship of the Fire Nation fleets, but it was a good ship still. It carried me through all those years…"
"Huh," said Sokka, surprised. "How did you convince her, though? Sounds so generous coming from her… and to you, of all people."
"I think she expected me to repay her for it whenever she saw fit," said Zuko. "Though I also suspect she just wanted me out of the way, as far from the Fire Nation as possible so that she could have a clearer shot at the throne."
"You two seem to have quite the competition regarding who ends up sitting there…" said Sokka, eyeing Zuko with suspicion.
"It should be me," grunted Zuko, startling Sokka. The gladiator had expected Zuko to brush the matter off carelessly. "I'm the first-born son. Every law says I should be my father's heir, but… but he's never wanted that. Ever since I was a kid he would often compliment Azula and ignore me. More than once I heard him say she was his perfect heir. I always tried to catch up, to show my father I could be as good as she was but my efforts never made a difference. And now… now he's just ashamed of me because I came home empty-handed."
"You and Azula have a very complicated relationship, don't you?" said Sokka, frowning.
"It's been that way for as long as I can remember," said Zuko, shrugging. "Back when we were kids we just coveted what the other had. We would play together from time to time, but things got more strained as time passed. After my mother was gone things got worse for everyone, even for my father."
"Really?" said Sokka, surprised. "Your father took it that badly?"
"We all did," said Zuko. "Well, Azula pretended she didn't care, but for once she couldn't fool me. No matter how troubled their relationship was, she was still her mother just as she was mine."
"So… you also think they had a troubled relationship," said Sokka.
"They did," said Zuko, shrugging. "All the same as me with my father. Azula and my mother would often have fights and arguments. My mom would always scold her whenever Azula did things out of bounds. Which, for some reason, didn't keep her from doing bad things anyway…"
"A handful as a child, huh?" said Sokka, smiling a little as he pictured young Azula in his mind.
Zuko nodded as they walked down the last corridor and reached the Palace's outer yard.
"Say…" he muttered, looking at the gladiator sideways. "What's that about you getting along better with my father than with me?"
"Uh, well… I guess I've talked to the guy twice and so far he hasn't tried to kill me, so I think that means we get along better than the two of us," said Sokka, shrugging.
"I wasn't trying to kill you," grunted Zuko, glaring at the gladiator. "And besides, I'm sure he'll want to kill you himself soon enough. Nobody has enough patience to deal with you for that long without attempting to get rid of you, not even Azula."
"Especially not Azula," said Sokka, gulping. "You tried to kill me upon our second meeting… she did on our first and almost succeeded. She spared me, though… for some odd reason. I don't know if I'll ever understand why."
"Azula's mind works in strange ways," said Zuko, shrugging. "You really never know what she's up to. Anyhow, my father… why does he get along with you? My father doesn't even bother learning the name of servants that work directly for him, what makes you so different?"
"I don't think he knows my name," said Sokka, frowning. "But I guess it's because of what Azula has told him. I think she told him about what happened back in the Earth Kingdom, and then also about what happened a week ago…"
"What? What did you do then?" asked Zuko, surprised.
"What, word hasn't reached anyone yet?" asked Sokka, surprised.
"There have been no official declarations about it so far," said Zuko. "Nobody knows what happened when we were under attack. Were you involved too?"
"A little, I… I just did what I could," said Sokka, shrugging the matter off. "And your father thought it was worth thanking me, so…"
"Really?" asked Zuko, shocked. "Y-you… earned his gratitude?"
"Why so surprised?" asked Sokka. "Underestimated me much, huh?"
"It's not… my father's favor isn't something to take lightly, you know," said Zuko, frowning as they walked by the Palace's guards and entered the city's roads. "My whole life I've struggled to be useful to him, to show my father I'm a worthy son, but all along I've been unable to fulfill his expectations. Because I couldn't be the son he wanted, I was banished. Because I wanted to earn his favor, I was burned and cast out of my nation. All because I couldn't become what he expected me to. I tried to find the Avatar, the only thing he commanded me to accomplish, but I failed. And now he won't even spare a moment to look at me, his own son."
"Huh…" muttered Sokka, frowning also.
"The same could happen to you," said Zuko. "If my father thinks you might be useful or helpful to him in any way, it might be more of a curse than a blessing. The day might come when the favor you've earned will backfire on you…"
"You're quite the pessimistic guy, aren't you?" said Sokka, gulping.
"Maybe," said Zuko, still as serious as ever. "But you shouldn't take my father for granted. The only person who has managed to fulfill and even exceed my father's expectations is Azula. And who knows, maybe if she ever failed to do so he would even turn his back on her… he did with me, who is to say it can't happen with her? So… don't take him lightly. For your own good."
Sokka didn't speak much more, his mind still troubled. He doubted Fire Lord Ozai would expect anything else from him, for starters. What could the man gain from him at this point in time? But as for what concerned Azula…
He hadn't pursued a relationship with her, no matter how difficult it was to resist it, because he thought there would be too much pressure on them. A slave and a Princess together would never gain anyone's approval, especially not Fire Lord Ozai's. And for the first time, Sokka was actually considering this matter properly. What would Ozai ever do if any word of what he had done with Azula, any of the kisses or the contact or the closeness, were revealed to the Fire Nation's ruler?
For starters, Sokka knew he would be executed for the crime of defiling the Princess, that wasn't even a question. But what would happen to Azula later? She would likely be shamed for what she had done… perhaps her father would resort to favoring Zuko over her. As far as Sokka knew, Prince Zuko hadn't soiled himself with a slave of any kind, had he? So chances were Azula could pay a steeper prince than she should ever afford if they ever got involved for real, a price Sokka didn't want her to pay. Everything she had ever worked for would be on the line if she ever dared take a single step out of her role as Ozai's 'perfect heir', just as Zuko had referred to her a moment ago…
"You don't have your weapons with you, do you?" asked Zuko, bringing Sokka back to reality.
"Uh… no, I didn't think I'd need them," said Sokka, frowning.
"We'll have to go get them first, then," said Zuko, sighing. "Lead the way, and then we're off to the Arena."
Sokka nodded and complied, and he led Zuko to his home. The house was empty; Song had been out since early in the morning. Sokka picked up his weapons and clad himself in his armor quickly, and soon enough they were heading down to the Grand Royal Dome again. Zuko was rather anxious and uncomfortable over walking into the Arena without his hood concealing his features, but he tried his best to pretend he was calm. Still, he failed to fool Sokka. The gladiator sensed his increasing tension as they walked through the streets. Zuko's unease was slightly contagious… but he couldn't let himself be affected by it. He had a fight to win today.
"Ready?" asked Sokka, when they were in front of the gates of the Grand Royal Dome.
"Y-yeah," said Zuko, nodding, and each pushed a door open, both strolling into the vestibule side by side.
Shoji frowned as he saw the two men entering the Arena together. He had been waiting for Sokka to show up, but he had never expected him to appear next to the Prince today instead of the Princess.
"What…?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Azula couldn't come today," said Sokka, telling Zuko to show the boy the authorization note by prodding his ribs with an elbow.
Zuko took a step away from Sokka before pulling out the scroll and handing it to Shoji, the only thing he knew to do. Shoji read the note and nodded in approval, although he seemed bothered by Azula's absence.
"Everything is in order, but… why couldn't she make it?" he asked.
"She's not feeling well," lied Sokka, unwilling to explain what Azula's actual condition was. If he went into detail he would spend hours telling the young boy about what had happened with the White Lotus, and he doubted he had that much time to waste. "We're not late, are we?"
"You're just in time, rather," said Shoji, looking from one to the other. "You should go already, the other fighter awaits."
"Got it," said Sokka, sighing. "Let's move, then, Zuko."
The Prince had been looking at the board where the fights had been written, in hopes to spot a familiar name on it… but it was absent. So she didn't have a fight today, then. He nodded at Sokka when he heard him call his name, and Zuko made up his mind to ask Shoji about Kyoshi's Heir's next fights after Sokka's fight was done.
"Good luck!" exclaimed Shoji, as the two men walked towards the stairs.
"What… what am I supposed to do now?" asked Zuko, as they stopped at the foot of their respective flights. "What does a sponsor even do, Sokka?"
"Well…" said Sokka, lifting a finger before lowering it as he wondered how to answer that question. "You've got the money, right?"
"So it's just a matter of having the money?" asked Zuko, grimacing.
"And putting up with the other sponsor, I think," said Sokka, shrugging. "Azula seems to think it's an art, but I honestly have no idea what she does while I'm fighting. I'm pretty busy down in the sand to pay too much attention to what happens on the balcony, you know…"
"I guess," said Zuko, gulping. "So what if there's stuff I'm supposed to do when I get up there, and I don't know about it?"
"That… is your problem," said Sokka, shrugging and turning towards the stairs that would lead him down to the stand-by room.
"Hey! It's your problem too! I'm your sponsor!" shouted Zuko.
"Well, you're a grown man, aren't you? Figure it out for yourself! I have a fight ahead of me, and I've got to focus!" said Sokka, waving at Zuko as he headed down into the corridor.
Zuko seemed genuinely irritated by Sokka's dismissal, but he guessed he shouldn't waste more time as it was. He walked upstairs quickly, not heading towards the stands for the first time. Nervousness coursed through him as he climbed the way towards the sponsor's balcony…
Sokka couldn't help but feel rather lonely as he reached the stand-by room on his own. Azula always walked downstairs with him, and he had grown accustomed to her company. He sighed and shook his head, knowing that missing Azula wouldn't help him keep his mind in the fight. He needed to defeat that gladiator, if only to give her some peace of mind when they met again. He had to show her she could count on him, in every possible way…
But not in every way. Sokka frowned and glared at the golden grid, his mind racing. Not long ago he had come to terms with his feelings for the Princess, but her brother had given him an uncomfortable taste of reality just now. He hadn't quite considered acting upon his feelings, he had known there were boundaries he needed to respect in his relationship with Azula… but now, more than ever, he understood why those limits existed.
There were more than enough reasons for him not to attempt to have a romantic relationship with Azula… and the main one, he believed, was that he wasn't worthy of being with her. Surely neither were those other men who were trying to marry into Ozai's family rather than to actually marry Azula, but that didn't mean he was a better option for her. Not after all the damage he had done to her… after all the pain and anguish he had caused her. She was grateful for his help in the forest, and she also was quite thankful for his performance when the Order of the White Lotus attacked, but his latest deeds couldn't erase his past mistakes. And he knew as much. So… even when he loved her as he did, he knew it couldn't happen. It shouldn't happen. Azula deserved better.
And Sokka believed her father was perfectly aware of that as well. Ozai might accept Sokka, and perhaps he would hold certain expectations regarding the gladiator, but that didn't mean he would give him his blessing to court his daughter. The mere idea was ridiculous. It was quite a depressing thought, that he wouldn't be allowed to be with the woman he loved, but at the same time he thought he should be satisfied. He knew Azula wouldn't settle for anyone below her standards. Whoever the Princess chose as her husband would be very fortunate and, hopefully, a much better man than he was.
Still… the thought of Azula in the arms of another man made his stomach twist in anger. She wasn't his to covet… she was free to do as she pleased, and so long as she was happy, he should be as well. The things that truly mattered were Azula's happiness and safety, nothing else. His own feelings should be the last of his priorities.
The grid was raised, and Sokka frowned. If he kept thinking about Azula he would make a mess of this fight. He had a challenge ahead of himself, and he needed to focus on it.
Putting together all his courage and strength, Sokka breathed deeply and walked out into the sand, glaring at the man who awaited him in the ring.
"Well, here we go," said the nobleman beside Zuko, smirking. "May the best gladiator win, Princess A-… oh, excuse me, I had been practicing that line for such a long time that I forgot who sat beside me, for a moment."
Zuko gritted his teeth and said nothing. He didn't understand what the purpose of this trash talk was, but he sure wasn't going to fall for it. Yes, he wasn't his sister and he belonged nowhere close to the sponsor's balcony… but he was here today. And he refused to make a fool of himself. He had to show he was up to his sister's level, and he knew she wouldn't fall for taunts such as these. But in order to prove he was as good as Azula was, in order to show that man that his trash talk served no purpose, Sokka needed to win.
The gladiators glared at each other fiercely as the megaphone man called for the start of the fight…
"Azula!" squealed an all-too familiar voice from the bedroom door.
Azula set aside the scroll she had been reading to pass the time before raising her gaze to find her two friends standing on the threshold.
"Ty Lee? Mai?" she said, surprised, as the two girls walked inside, Ty Lee hastily and Mai solemnly.
"We were so worried about you!" Ty Lee said, running up to Azula and flinging her arms around her. The Princess grimaced and pushed her away.
"You might not want to do that, Ty Lee. I'm supposed to be sick, in case you don't recall," Azula muttered.
"Oh! Right!" said Ty Lee, jumping back and sitting on the chair Sokka usually took. "Though… you don't look so sick to me."
"I don't feel sick, but I've been confined to my chambers by the healers and my father," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "I should be allowed out of here by now. They're being unreasonable."
"Surely they think the unreasonable one is you," said Mai, stopping next to Ty Lee. "From the rumors we heard, you were badly ill."
"We were so worried when you weren't underground!" said Ty Lee. "We thought maybe you'd be with your father, but both me and Mai had such a bad feeling about it…"
"It seems for once your instincts were right," said Azula, sighing. "Nevertheless, even if I was sick, I'm much better now. And I have better things to do than lounge around in bed all day."
"Oh, surely…" said Ty Lee, with a smirk. Azula ignored her.
"Still, you say you were worried… why didn't you come before if you were so concerned about me? I've been under house arrest for a week now…"
"We tried," said Mai. "But we couldn't make it past the gathering of whining citizens in front of the Palace until today."
"The soldiers weren't letting anyone through until the crowds settled down," explained Ty Lee.
"Really?" asked Azula, confused. "Then how has Sokka been able to get in here all along…?"
"Oh, I suppose some men will stop at nothing when they have a good reason to try their hardest…" said Ty Lee, smirking in the same way again. And this time Azula couldn't let the matter slide. It was clear that the girl was dying to get the Princess to ask her what her problem was.
"And what exactly do you mean by that, Ty Lee?" asked Azula, glaring pointedly at her.
"Oh, come on, don't act so innocent! No need to hide anything anymore, Azula," said Ty Lee, proudly. "I know all about it now! It's fine to admit what's going on with you and Sokka, your secret is safe with us!"
Azula's eyebrow rose slowly as she looked at her friend as though she were delusional.
"And… what exactly is this secret that even I ignore, Ty Lee?" she asked, confused.
"You'll keep up the act, Azula? Really?" asked Ty Lee, pouting. "I'm talking about you and Sokka! You kissed him the other day at my house! I saw you two smooching into the night!"
"You saw what, now?" asked Azula, looking at Ty Lee warily now.
"I saw you two kissing, I said!" insisted Ty Lee. "You're not going to pretend it didn't happen, are you?"
"It's hard to 'pretend' something didn't happen when it genuinely didn't…" said Azula, sighing and looking away, as though bothered by Ty Lee's lies…
… Which were actually true, but Azula's lying skills could overcome Ty Lee's declaration any time. For some reason it was much harder to lie when it came to Sokka, but it didn't mean she couldn't convince Ty Lee that she had just been imagining things. It was an unpleasant surprise to discover the girl had seen them, but it didn't matter. She was to keep distance between herself and Sokka, and in order to accomplish that she had to invalidate the progress of their relationship. It didn't matter if Ty Lee had seen them or not: if Azula denied it, barely anyone would believe what Ty Lee had to say. Because why would the Fire Nation Princess kiss a slave…?
"Oh, come on!" Ty Lee demanded, frowning now. "I saw you! You're going to say I'm crazy now?!"
"I'm not the one saying it…" said Azula. "But it's the best conclusion I can reach at the moment."
Mai began snickering, which startled Azula and embarrassed Ty Lee.
"W-what's so funny?!" asked Ty Lee, glaring at her chuckling friend.
"To think you were really trying to make me pay for that bet…" said Mai, shaking her head.
"Bet? What bet?" asked Azula, frowning and looking at her friends inquisitively. Ty Lee froze upon her question.
"W-well, that's… uh… you see…"
"Back when you hired Sokka, Ty Lee told me something was going to happen between the two of you," said Mai, to Azula's dismay. "I told her I didn't think so. Hence she decided we would hold a bet, and she planned to make me pay for it when she told me all about how she'd seen you and Sokka kissing. I said her eyes had been playing tricks on her, and she kept going about it until I couldn't take it anymore. I figured the only way to find out if it was true would be to ask you directly… and now you prove my beliefs correct: Ty Lee is delusional."
"Truly," said Azula, though she still looked at her friends with mild indignation. "Though I can't believe you were holding a bet about me."
"I figured it was the best way to teach Ty Lee a lesson on thoughtless gambling," said Mai. "And I would earn money through it, so I had nothing to lose."
"Y-you… You didn't win, Mai! Stop lying, Azula!" screamed Ty Lee, growing desperate. "You know much better than I do that you've kissed him! So why are you denying it now?! Is he a bad kisser or something? Because it sure didn't look that way from where I was standing!"
"You were standing in a dream, I'm sure…" said Azula. "Indeed, if I had kissed that idiot I would be aware of it, and I'd likely be unable to lie about it. So why can I deny it? Because it's not true, that's why."
"Just as I said," said Mai, smirking.
"Ugh! You… you two are the worst!" squealed Ty Lee, jumping off her chair and glaring from one girl to the other. "I'll go get him, then! I'm pretty sure he won't be able to lie as well as you do, Azula!"
And with that, the girl walked out of the room angrily, slamming the door as she exited the room. Azula couldn't hold back a small smirk of satisfaction and she leaned back on the pillows again.
"What were you reading?" asked Mai, without taking her seat.
"An old firebending scroll," said Azula. "It has some information on lightning bending… but not what I'm looking for, apparently. In any case, should you be here, Mai? Should you leave your son unattended?"
"He's not unattended, Ruon Jian stayed with him today," said Mai. "He promised to look after him while I came to see you. He's growing quick, he already started crawling the other day…"
"Did he?" said Azula, surprised. "That was fast."
"Time flies, it seems," said Mai, nodding. "We were quite worried about you back when this mess happened. It was really confusing, we still don't know what happened, exactly…"
"I believe my father will make an official statement about it either today or tomorrow," said Azula. "But he's hoping to capture the remaining White Lotus members that are still at large, including someone we suspect had been spying on us all along…"
"A… a spy?" repeated Mai, surprised.
"Yes, a spy. We don't know who it is exactly, but it had to be someone who knew the Palace perfectly, who knew how to acquire soldiers' uniforms…" said Azula, sighing. "My father doesn't trust anyone at the moment, he's questioning the loyalty of almost everyone around him in hopes he'll discover who the spy was. It must have been someone he trusted."
"Do you truly believe so?" asked Mai, frowning. "Why would anyone want to double-cross the Fire Lord? Especially someone who is on his good side. His council is completely comprised by people who seek his favor… what use could there be in stabbing him in the back?"
"I don't know," said Azula, sighing. "But I'm certain they'll have their reasons…"
"Reasons?" repeated Mai, thoughtful. "You think this spy would hold some sort of resentment towards the Fire Lord?"
"Why else would they do it?" asked Azula. "Seeking revenge for a wrongdoing, hoping to gain power if the Fire Nation's government had fallen… whichever purpose there was in these actions still makes it impossible to justify them. Whoever did this will be punished, my father will see to it."
"And… are there any suspects so far?" asked Mai.
"Too many suspects to come to a conclusion yet, from what I've been told," said Azula. "Why?"
"Because… because I saw some people down in the catacombs, Azula," said Mai, looking at her friend worriedly. "People who might have a reason to take revenge against your father… against you."
Azula's eyes widened when Mai proceeded to explain what she meant. Her friend's words were hard to digest, but at the same time, they made sense. The thought of being betrayed by people she had been so close to was rather distressing… and to think she was probably to blame for it all made the situation worse still. Nonetheless, she couldn't waver, especially not over personal feelings. If Mai's suspicions were spot-on, Azula had a duty to her people and her father. She had to tell him of Mai's guess, there was nothing more to it.
"Thanks for telling me this, Mai. I… I shall convey your theory to my father," said Azula.
"I'm sorry," said Mai, sighing. "I should probably go see where Ty Lee ran off to, shouldn't I?"
"I wouldn't be too worried. She's not going to find Sokka anytime soon," said Azula, shrugging. "He's in a fight right now."
"Is he?" asked Mai, surprised. "How can he be in a fight if you're here?"
"Zuko is sponsoring him for today," said Azula. "It was either that or forfeiting, and I refused to let that happen."
"Naturally," said Mai, smiling a little. It was good to know Zuko was busy… "Now, about what Ty Lee said…"
"I'm not that offended about the bet, but it's something rather ridiculous, Mai," said Azula. "I didn't think friends would spend their leisure time betting on each other's love lives…"
"Neither did I. But I expect to win it, Azula… I'd better win it," said Mai, looking at Azula sternly.
Azula froze where she was as she looked back at the girl with confusion.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I don't care about the money, Azula," said Mai, her gaze falling upon a vase with flowers that sat on Azula's dresser. "It's not that steep a gamble. Nevertheless… you know better than to get entangled with a slave, don't you?"
Azula grew paler at Mai's words. So her act hadn't served any purpose… Mai knew it was true, she could see it in her eyes. Ty Lee had caught her in the middle of the kiss, and she herself was well aware of the fact that it had happened, so it really was no secret. Nobody had been misled by that silly argument earlier.
"Your doubts are insulting," Azula said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. Even if Mai had seen through her lies, it would be best to pretend she was in control of the situation even when she knew she wasn't.
"They'd better be," said Mai.
"Weren't you going to get Ty Lee?" asked Azula, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she refused to look at Mai and to carry on speaking of the same subject.
"Alright, then," said Mai, turning to the door and walking away, Azula's glare fixed on her back.
It wasn't bad enough that she already told herself not to get involved with Sokka, now other people were telling her the same thing. Was she that obvious? Had her sickness ruined her lying abilities? Although, if she were to be honest… ever since she had pulled Sokka into her life she hadn't been very convincing with her lies.
She sighed and decided to stop thinking about him, but her mind drifted again towards the people Mai suspected to be the spies. Azula gritted her teeth and dropped her head on the pillow, wishing her mind would be quiet for a moment. She'd had enough of worrying about betrayals and relationships for the time being…
The boulder flew Sokka's way, but for some reason he wasn't having a hard time dealing with it at all. The Rock had resorted to the now frequent technique of breaking down the well in order to use the stones to fight, but that wasn't enough to defeat Sokka anymore.
The Blue Wolf sliced through every stone skillfully, as though it were a simple feat. Sokka wished to think it was just because he had become used to fighting against earthbenders… but he knew the actual reason why he was winning against The Rock was because the man's attacks were comprised mostly by head-first aggression. The Rock wasn't trying to think the fight through, he only tried to hit Sokka with his boulders and hoped to land a lucky hit. Though, in all fairness, if Sokka's sword had been any less sharp than it was, The Rock would have crushed him with his first attack.
Sokka lunged forward when The Rock lost his focus shortly as he tried to find another rock large enough to chuck at his opponent. Sokka attempted to cut at the man's bare chest, but The Rock jumped back and shot an array of sand at Sokka's face before trying to punch him without using his bending. Sokka shut his eyes by reflex before the sand struck him and he twisted his body to avoid the hit, performing a barrel-roll with which he knocked The Rock headfirst to the ground.
Sokka leapt back up to his feet and wiped away the dirt on his face. His eyes prickled slightly despite his attempt to protect them, but, to his relief, he could still see his rival fighter despite the uncomfortable sensation. The Rock struggled to stand up again, toppling over the sand in a comical manner as he tried to push himself up.
"You feeling alright?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"The Rock feels angry!" exclaimed the man, spitting sand as he spoke. "The Rock is going to crush you!"
"Why do you speak of yourself in third person…?" asked Sokka, frowning, but the man attacked again and didn't respond.
Sokka avoided another rock and stared at his opponent, who was panting heavily. The Rock had spent his energies thoughtlessly, and he barely had any rocks left to attack him with. Sokka had the upper hand today, as he had suspected he would as soon as the fight had begun. This earthbender was much more stupid than any he had faced before…
"So? Why talk in third person, Mr. The Rock?" asked Sokka, trying to make time. He was certain he would be declared the winner any moment now, the fight's twenty minutes had to be close to over by now…
"The Rock… The Rock is confused," admitted the man, failing to understand Sokka's question.
"Maybe because it's not your real name, is it?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you're so deep into your role that you can't talk of yourself as if you were yourself! Is that it?"
"… The Rock is still confused," mumbled the earthbender. "Silence, wolf-boy! The Rock will destroy you!"
"Now, now, what's your real name? Maybe if you get out of that mindset you'll be able to sound more reasonable," said Sokka, taunting him as he paced around the man carelessly.
"The Rock's real name…? The Rock's real name is…" started The Rock, taking a deep breath before answering. "The Rock's real name is The Boulder!"
Sokka froze where he stood. That was definitely the answer he would have expected least.
"And The Rock and The Boulder will crush you!" shouted the earthbender, flinging the remnants of the shattered rocks straight at Sokka.
Sokka pulled out his club now; fighting pebbles with his sword wouldn't be too helpful. He swung the heavy weapon to fend off the stones, and The Rock ran at Sokka desperately, not knowing what else to do. He had been rendered weaponless, he clearly was no master of sands, and he was trying to reduce Sokka in any possible way… and if he had no choice but to fight with his own fists and not with bending, then so be it.
But his attempt to attack Sokka while he was distracted proved futile. Sokka swept the last of the stones away just as the man reached him. Sokka struck The Rock's stomach with his club, making the man lose his breath, and then tripped him. The Rock landed on his back this time, his face contorted as he squealed in quite a girly manner. Sokka smiled down at the man and then lifted his face up towards the sponsors' balcony by reflex, hoping to find Azula smiling down at him in approval…
… and he only found Zuko frowning as he gazed upon The Rock, likely wondering if the earthbender was unable to keep fighting.
"The time is up!" shouted the megaphone man, and the crowd cheered enthusiastically.
Sokka turned back down to The Rock, who seemed rather disappointed with himself. Sokka helped him back on his feet, offering a hand the other fighter took with gratitude.
"You're strong, wolf-boy," said The Rock. "The Rock would like to fight you again one day."
"Sure…" said Sokka, smiling weakly and patting the man on the back.
"But the next time it will be in The Rock's domains! You will go to Gladiator Rumble and fight him there!"
"Uh… alright, big guy, whatever you say," said Sokka, gulping.
"After quite an impressive fight… the winner is The Blue Wolf," declared one of the judges eventually, and the crowd cheered for Sokka yet again.
Sokka wanted to feel happy about his triumph, but for some reason he couldn't feel the thrill of victory today either. Maybe he could beat this guy, maybe he could win every fight ahead of him. But if it wasn't Azula with him, it wasn't the same… it didn't feel right.
And it wasn't as though Zuko had done something wrong, as far as Sokka knew Zuko hadn't made any mistakes while filling in for his sister, but Sokka would have much rather shared his victory with her instead…
Zuko was still looking down at the Arena when the man beside him pushed a bag of coins in the Prince's direction and walked away without another word. Zuko couldn't help but smirk a little. At the beginning of the fight the man's cockiness had been almost unbearable, but as Sokka fought expertly against his opponent, the man's taunts had diminished until they had disappeared completely. Now he surrendered and walked away without a word, and Zuko felt rather proud of himself… and proud, even if he wouldn't admit to it, of having sponsored his sister's gladiator for today.
He walked down to the vestibule on his own, assuming Sokka would meet up with him when his medical check was over. There was no one in line at Shoji's counter, so Zuko decided to approach him, grasping the perfect chance to ask the young man about his favorite gladiator.
"I just heard Sokka won," said Shoji, smiling. "Congratulations. Your first time sponsoring and you've won!"
"Uh… sure, but I didn't do anything," said Zuko, grimacing. "Anyways, I didn't come here to boast about Sokka winning. I wanted to ask about Kyoshi's Heir's next fights…"
The boy's eyes widened, to Zuko's discomfort. What was so surprising about his question?
"Are you okay?" he asked Shoji, who grimaced and looked down, unable to hold the Prince's stare.
"I, uh… I'm sorry, but I can't… I can't tell you," he muttered.
"Huh? W-why? You've been telling me about her fights all along, why can't you do it anymore?" asked Zuko, astonished.
"Well… I've got some bad news for you, Prince Zuko," muttered Shoji. "We got a message a few days ago… and it informed us that Kyoshi's Heir was dropping out of the Gladiator League."
Now Zuko's eyes were the ones that widened. Zuko stared at Shoji in disbelief, unable to utter a word, doing nothing but shaking his head as he tried to assimilate the information.
"B-but… why? How could she…? Why did she…?" he asked, aghast.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I could try to investigate more if you want me to…" said Shoji, looking at Zuko with concern. "But right now all I know is that she won't be fighting as a gladiator anymore."
Maybe that was good news… maybe it wasn't. Zuko didn't know how to take this information. If she wasn't going to fight as a gladiator anymore, then what was she going to do? Why had she dropped out all of sudden? Could he find her and ask her those questions? Or was she out of his grasp, as she had always been, and he would be rendered unable to reach out for her again…? He had sought her out during the incident with the White Lotus, but he had failed to find her within the catacombs. He had searched everywhere… had she dropped out of the League already? Right after meeting him…?
The questions tormented him as he made his way back to the Palace, side by side with Sokka. They didn't talk much, both lost in their own train of thoughts, but Zuko did congratulate Sokka for his triumph. Aside from that small exchange, they didn't bicker or speak of anything else, which in itself was some progress. It was the first time they had spent time together without ending up fighting or arguing badly.
Nevertheless, Zuko wasn't cheerful at all upon arriving at the Palace. He strode towards his room, ignoring everyone and everything around him, including his Uncle.
"Prince Zuko! I was wondering where you were… would you have some tea?" he asked, smiling, as Zuko walked by him. "Uh… Prince Zuko?"
"I'm not thirsty," he muttered, entering his room and slamming the door, leaving a worried Iroh staring after him.
Zuko glared at the poster on his wall and ripped it off angrily. How stupid had he been to misunderstand the situation… she had opened up to him, but chances were she might have wanted nothing else to do with him. What if she had even left just to get away from him? It seemed a long shot, but fortune had never been kind to him and he doubted that was going to change anytime soon.
Still… she had given him happiness when nothing else had. She had gotten his mind off troubles that only made him miserable. He had helped her when she had been upset, and she hadn't judged him, she hadn't compared him to his sister to see which of them was stronger, smarter or more talented… no, she didn't care for any of those things. To her, he was just a man who had given her a peach. So… why run away from him? Why did she vanish without a trace?
Against his better judgment, Zuko placed the poster on the wall again. Until he knew the truth of what had happened to Suki, he wouldn't jump to any conclusions. He knew she was a good person, an honorable, strong woman… even if she was gone now, he knew he hadn't judged her wrongly. She was a great person, much better than he was. But thus, even if he tried to convince himself of that, the same question still lingered in Zuko's mind: what had happened with Suki?
"Very well… very well." muttered Ozai, a dark frown upon his features. "It is the only theory that makes sense so far, Azula. Well done discovering this."
"I didn't unveil this on my own, father, but…" said Azula, her gaze on the floor as she spoke to the Fire Lord.
"I will send word for them to be seized," declared Ozai. "If they truly are to blame for the operation that almost took down the Fire Nation, they will face consequences for their actions."
"As they should," replied Azula.
"Get back in bed now, Princess," said Ozai. "I believe you will be allowed to return to your activities by tomorrow. At least, that is what the head physician told me. Nonetheless, you must continue to rest today."
"Tomorrow? Finally," said Azula, relieved. "Very well, then, father. Thank you for letting me know."
"Back to bed, then. I will see you tomorrow," said Ozai, turning around to leave.
Azula slipped into the sheets and sighed. She had a bad feeling about Mai's theory… she had a bad feeling about telling her father about it too. For some reason something seemed off about it, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was truly hard to believe those two old ladies could be to blame for what had occurred…
Ozai opened the door just as someone tried to grasp its handle on the other side. The Fire Lord raised an eyebrow upon spotting Sokka stretching out clumsily to reach the doorknob.
"Oh… hey there, Fire Lord," said Sokka, smiling uncomfortably. "How's it going?"
Ozai merely raised an eyebrow at Sokka's extremely casual way to speak to him. It was also fishy that he would come to visit his daughter so often…
"I never knew a gladiator and a sponsor would be this close," he muttered, making Sokka jump.
"Ah, w-well… I just came to inform your daughter of something, don't misunderstand," said Sokka, nervously.
"Is there anything to be misunderstood?" asked Ozai, and Sokka flinched.
"Ah, no, of course not!" he squeaked, his voice incredibly shrill as he tried to feign innocence and failed completely at it.
Ozai only leered at him judgmentally for a moment before walking past him without another word. Sokka breathed heavily, watching the man go. How could Ozai wreck his nerves so easily…? Even if he tried to act as naturally as possible while around him, it was impossible to do so.
Sokka heard a huff of irritation from the bed, and found Azula sitting straight on it, glaring at him.
"Honestly, Sokka… he failed to notice your flowers and yet you still had to make a fool of yourself," said Azula, shaking her head.
Sokka smiled uncomfortably before noticing that the flowers sat on a vase now, on the Princess's dresser.
"You found one, then?" he asked, smiling and approaching the Princess.
"One of the healers procured one for me," said Azula, looking at the flowers on her dresser. "For some reason, nearly everyone has ignored them. Which relieves me, to be honest. Ty Lee came by today and if she had caught sight of them she would have annoyed me to no end."
"Doesn't she already do that, even without the flowers?" asked Sokka, smiling cruelly.
Azula couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
"You're really something, gladiator…" she said. "Which reminds me, how did it go? Did you win? Was Zuko any use as your sponsor?"
"Oh, uh…" said Sokka, scratching his head. "Well, it went fine. I won."
"Good to know," said Azula, smiling with relief now. "See, I told you forfeiting was pointless."
"You were right about how stupid a fighter he was," said Sokka, chuckling. "He was funny in a way, but he's definitely not the best earthbender I've faced. I think he would have done better in an ambience with more rocks instead of sand… which is why I'm glad the fight was at the Grand Royal Dome."
Azula smiled and nodded.
"You were favored by the circumstances, thankfully," she said. "And what of Zuko? Did he do his job or did he make a mess of things?"
"Well…" said Sokka, looking up at the ceiling as he wondered how to explain himself. "He didn't make a mess of things, not quite…"
"Not quite? What did he do, then?" asked Azula, confused.
"Nothing, really" said Sokka, scratching his head again. "He pulled off his job as he had to, dealt with the other sponsor, got the money when I won and all that…"
"Money he ought to give to me soon enough," grunted Azula, an eyebrow twitching.
"Yeah, he should deliver it at some point," said Sokka, smiling nervously.
"So? If he did everything right, why do you sound as though he had failed at his job?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, he did everything right, yeah, but… there was just one small thing I couldn't overlook no matter how hard I tried. Something that just wouldn't make him good for the job, not for real…"
"And what is that?" asked Azula, expecting Sokka to complain about Zuko's whiny or angry nature, or even his lack of experience at dealing with noblemen.
But to her surprise, Sokka gave her a tender smile before answering her question in the way she had least expected him to:
"He's not you."
Azula's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened quickly at Sokka's statement. His azure gaze was too intense for her to keep holding it. She looked away, a hand going to her forehead as she tried to digest what Sokka had just said.
"Ah, I… Of course he's not me, hadn't you noticed that beforehand?" she asked, refusing to meet his eyes again.
"Uh… are you okay, Azula? You're red again… is the fever back?!" he asked, startled at the idea.
"Shut up! There's no fever, you're… Ugh, just get out of here!" she shouted, flinging a pillow at him.
"Now, Azula, I'm worried about you!" said Sokka, catching it on midair
The Princess refused to answer to whatever he might say next, knowing that Sokka was playing the fool right now just to liven up the atmosphere. It was truly shocking that, after such a stressful afternoon of dealing with friends who betted on her love life and struggling to uncover conspiracies, this foolish man could make all of that disappear with a single sentence.
And now she had no idea how to overcome the embarrassment after what Sokka had just said… how was she supposed to respond to what he had told her? She could act proud or send him back through where he had come from, but it wouldn't change the fact that her heart had skipped a beat upon hearing those words: it was the first time someone had told her, without referring to her skills or talents, that she was irreplaceable.