Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

78. Chapter 78: Pairs Tournament 7

After the hectic day they had undergone, the gladiators and their sponsors wanted nothing more than to rest… but their wish couldn't come true. At least, not right away. Sokka and Iroh were led into the Palace for the medical treatment they urgently required, for they had both sustained bad injuries. Azula had needed little medical care: she had a few scratches and bruises after the rough fall she had taken with Sokka, but overall, she wasn't badly hurt. Toph was practically unscathed.

The two women were currently at the dining hall where the Captain had been only a couple of hours ago, and they were eating eagerly, hoping to replenish the energies they had spent during the past two days. Azula's exhaustion had even rendered her unable to bend for the time being, but she was certain the vacant feeling in her limbs would fade once she had enjoyed a proper meal.

"Hell, I'm real sorry Iroh and I stalled coming to the Palace," Toph said, after swallowing a mouthful of roast komodo chicken. "And I already was sorry before tasting this food, but now I feel worse about it…"

"You're lucky I'm so tired, or else I would be making you feel even sorrier about it right now," Azula said, before picking up a loaf of bread and taking a powerful bite out of it.

"Yeah, I figured," said Toph, giving her a weak smile. "It sure would be no fun fighting you right now, tired as you are."

"Only right now?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "Here I thought you'd stop being so eager to fight me after everything I've done for you…"

"Wait, wait, that's not what I meant," Toph said, chuckling. "I don't want to fight you, or Sokka, as in, to destroy you guys anymore. I mean, I never really wanted to do that to you, but I won't lie: I did look forward to beating your gladiator to a pulp again someday."

"Swell…" said Azula, bitterly.

"But I just don't see you two as my enemies anymore," she confessed. "Before, you guys were my rivals. You still were when this trip started. But now… now I'll have a hard time thinking about you guys as our opponents after the Tournament's over. It's been a wild ride, but my opinion about you two has changed a lot in the process. I guess I'm trying to say that… well…"

"You like us now, don't you?" Azula said, smirking. "Amusing. Can't quite say I feel the same way, but I suppose I'm flattered, to some degree."

"Yeah, well, it'd be weird if you felt the same way," Toph admitted, chuckling. "I caused way too much trouble for you guys… but I'm glad you didn't give up on me and Iroh despite that. It's weird that you didn't, I think… I never expected you to be so selfless."

"Selfless?" Azula repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I actually was anything but selfless with the choices I made during this trip…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Toph inquired, before gobbling a pair of dumplings.

"Oh, nothing you'd understand," said Azula, shaking her head. "You are very fortunate indeed, Dirt Worm, and you'd better keep it in mind. From here on, you owe me a very large favor. Be ready to pay it up whenever I deem it necessary."

"Heh, well, I think I can live with that," said Toph, smiling at Azula.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard sounds outside the room. Azula reacted instantly upon noticing Sokka's voice, and she stared at the door anxiously. Toph, on her part, smirked as she sensed, to her amusement, how the Princess's usually perfectly paced heart rate started racing...

A pair of soldiers opened the doors to reveal Sokka being helped to walk by a pair of healers. He looked worn-out and battered, but otherwise he seemed to be well. Azula shifted on her seat, worried about him needing assistance to walk, but he gave her a confident smirk, despite his appearance suggested anything but confidence.

"Hey," he muttered, as he was helped into a seat at the table.

"Sokka..." said Azula, looking at him worriedly.

"I'm doing way better than I look," he said immediately, chuckling under his breath. "My armor has to be magical or something: apparently I didn't break a single bone."

"Really?" the Princess asked, looking at the healers with Sokka. "Is he just saying that, or is it true?"

"It's as good as a miracle indeed," said one of the healers. "Of course, he has several wounds and plenty of them bad, but nothing fatal despite that awful fall. He's a resilient one, this gladiator."

"But his wounds will require treatment, no doubt about it. It would be wise for him to stay in the Palace for a week or two so we can help with his recovery," said the other.

"Is that so?" Azula said, frowning with concern. "Well, so be it, then."

"Will I be able to fight tomorrow, though?" Sokka asked, but Toph replied before the physicians could.

"You won't have to," she said, pushing a tray of roast duck towards him, which Sokka began to devour instantly. "We can back off the Tournament if you're not fit for it. I do care about my record… but there are more important things than taking one loss, right?"

"It's good to know you've come to that conclusion," Azula said, looking at the blind girl with curiosity.

"But we 'houldn't 'ive up, tho-…" Sokka mumbled, with a full mouth. Despite how sympathetic she felt towards him at the moment, Azula couldn't help but grimace with disgust at the sight. Sokka swallowed quickly when he saw the look on her face. "I mean… I think I can walk on my own, despite what these guys say. I'm just real tired and I need both food and sleep… but I think I'll be better by tomorrow."

"You should be, but you still shouldn't push yourself too far," Azula said, and Toph nodded.

"If you do join the fight, though, I'll be okay with doing all the work," she said, before smiling. "When this began I was mad because I thought you guys were just trying to use me to win the tournament… and now I've got no problem with kicking the butts of both our last opponents all by myself. You two ruined me, really…"

"Heh, well, it's ultimately your fault if we did," Sokka said, shrugging before looking at the dish in front of him with confusion. "This tastes a bit familiar… I think. I wonder why that is…"

"I know it's my fault, I really do," said Toph, with a weak smile. "It's why I'm willing to do this to repay you guys in some small way. Though doing this won't feel like enough, even…"

"And I already told her she owes us a big favor. Our good deeds mustn't go unrewarded," Azula said, continuing with her own meal and Sokka chuckled after swallowing another mouthful of duck.

"I like the sound of that," he said, smirking. "How about you let me win next time we fight against one another, Toph?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," said Toph, sarcastically. "You wouldn't beat me even if I went easy on you…"

"It's not that great an idea, Sokka," Azula said, shaking her head. "The next time you two fight, you'll defeat her fair and square while you both fight to your best, don't you see?"

"Ha!" Toph exclaimed, laughing. "Oh, boy, now I'm seriously scared of what the Dog's going to pull on me when we fight again…"

"As you should be," said Azula. "You never know just what he'll do next. He's unpredictable in the battlefield, albeit not so much outside it, but still…"

"Now, now, are you serious or are you trying to be sarcastic? Because I'm having a hard time telling…" Toph said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, my. The earthbender who can hear even the subtlest sounds can't catch the hints of irony in my voice?" Azula said, tapping her chin with a finger.

"Why, nope, I didn't catch it," said Toph, beaming. "Maybe it's my ears, or maybe it's because you actually have no idea how to convey sarcasm…?

"Ladies, ladies…" said Sokka, pushing away the now empty tray he had gobbled down quickly while the other two spoke. "You're both going to have to try way harder than that if you're really trying to be sarcastic. That doesn't even start to cut it."

"Oh?" said Azula, raising an eyebrow. "Since when are you some sort of sarcasm professional, if I may ask?"

"Why, since forever, Princess!" Sokka exclaimed, proudly. "After all, 'Sokkasm' is my specialty!"

Toph's jaw dropped upon hearing that ridiculous joke, and if she had been able to stare at Sokka, she sure would have done as much to convey just how utterly bewildered she was over what he had just said. Yet she was even more surprised when the girl next to her chortled with laughter for an instant before covering her mouth with a hand, looking rather embarrassed again.

"Wait a second, you're actually amused by that?!" Toph exclaimed, aghast. "Damn it, Jewel! What's wrong with your sense of humor?!"

Azula just shook her head, covering her face with a hand while Sokka smiled happily. He hadn't quite expected the joke to amuse either one of them, for he had just wanted to stop their bickering. Regardless, he was rather pleased that it had made Azula laugh, despite how much that seemed to embarrass her.

"You two were made for each other, really…" muttered Toph, her eyes widening as she shook her head. "Nobody in their right mind would laugh at that…"

"Now, it was a nice joke!" Sokka squealed, as someone else entered the room.

Azula was glad the conversation was cut short now, for she had no defense for her unexpected burst of laughter. Her embarrassment faded away when their host approached them, looking at them with an anxious expression on his face.

"Oh, Princess…" he said, breathing heavily. "Are you alright? Were you wounded?"

Azula actually mustered a smile, something that surprised her mostly due to how easy it was to conjure it. She nodded at Tiang as he dropped on his knees next to her, still looking at her worriedly.

"I'm well enough, though I'm exhausted," she said. "The food is helping me keep the weariness at bay. Thank you for receiving us, despite our chaotic arrival…"

"No need to thank me at all," said Tiang, smiling at her. "If anything, I wish you had been able to come sooner, as you were supposed to."

"Oh, believe me, we all do," said Sokka, nodding at the man before picking up another plate to devour its contents.

"You don't look so good," said Tiang, grimacing as he gazed upon the numerous bandages and wounds the gladiator sported.

"Well, I'm feeling somewhat better than I look, apparently," said Sokka, shrugging. "Though not that much better yet. Still, I'm alive and that's what matters most, right?"

"Good to know you're looking at the bright side of things," said Tiang, smiling. "We'll watch over you guys from now on, though. We won't let anyone else harm you."

"We would appreciate that," said Azula. "About the Dai Li…"

"Yes," said Tiang, grimacing. Azula had relayed the accounts of her story to Rui Shi, who had explained everything to Ba Sing Se's governor. "The Dai Li, indeed. I knew I should have abolished them as soon as I took office, but the potential consequences it would unleash prevented me from doing it. A group of skilled, elite earthbenders with a thirst for revenge could have easily spurred an uprising in the city…"

"I can't blame you for thinking so," said Azula. "It was rather likely. But they're no longer the law enforcers of Ba Sing Se, are they?"

"No, they aren't. While I allowed them to remain as a group, I still took their jobs away from them. I believed the idea of the Dai Li lingering only in name might lead to their disbandment eventually… they aren't funded by the government anymore, they have no official role in the city either, so I guessed their members might drift away from the group in order to find a new purpose."

"Well, clearly, that didn't happen," said Azula, sighing. "Nevertheless, they fell short on their mission to capture Toph. We're here now, we're safe… and I suppose we can count on your protection from here on, governor?"

"Of course," said Tiang, smiling. "My soldiers, and your guards, will escort you if you decide to attend your fight tomorrow. I might even accompany you myself, if you'd agree to that. The Dai Li won't harm you ever again, you have my word."

"And I shall keep you to it," said Azula, nodding towards him. "Nevertheless, we haven't decided what we'll do tomorrow. I suppose we will once my uncle's available for talking…"

Tiang's eyes widened a little at that, and he lowered his gaze before nodding.

"Of course. The physicians should be done with him soon, hopefully," he said.

"Hopefully," repeated Azula. "You sound unsure, though. Is he alright?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him yet," said Tiang, smiling weakly. "But I hope he's fine. From what I was told, he took a bad injury to the ankle… and to the face, apparently? And considering how old he is, on top of it all…"

"He's tougher than he looks," Toph said, smiling a bit. "He'll be fine. He's bound to complain a lot and beg for tea, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Azula.

"Well… I'll go see him now and make sure he's well, then," said Tiang, standing up again. "You guys can continue eating in the mean time, it looks like you need it. I'll tell him to find you here once he's done with his healing session."

"No need to say it twice, Governor!" said Sokka, putting aside another empty plate and picking up a new one.

Azula sighed and rolled her eyes while Tiang smiled with approval at the gladiator's enthusiastic eating. Yet the General didn't leave right away. He stared at Azula for a moment, his hand on his clean-shaved chin.

"Princess…" he said, thoughtful, and Azula stopped scowling at Sokka to turn towards him.

"Yes?"

"You left in quite a hurry the last time you were here," said Tiang. "I found out why later on, of course, though back then it was rather perplexing. Nevertheless, we stored everything your guards left behind when they took off hastily to find you."

"Oh?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "Is that so…?"

"It's not much" said Tiang, shrugging "But there are a few things I figure belonged to you or your gladiator… and there were also some that I sure hope belonged to either of you two. Many of my servants said it might have been the work of spirits, but I'd like to think otherwise…"

"Huh?" said Azula, confused. "What exactly are you talking about, General?"

"Well, sometime after you were gone, we happened upon lots of loose papers in this room of the Palace…" said Tiang. "Papers with poetry written on them?"

Sokka had been gobbling down noodles when he heard those words and he almost choked on his food. It took Azula a moment to make the connection once she saw the panicked look on Sokka's face.

"Oh… haiku poetry, you mean?" said Azula, smirking.

"Ah, yes. Then they really were yours?" Tiang asked, relieved. "That's good news. Here we thought we had some dead poet's ghost stalking the Palace…"

"Oh, I'm sure a dead poet would write better ones…" said Azula, her malicious amusement increasing as she watched Sokka blush and grimace.

"Well, they weren't so bad if you ask me…" said Tiang, shrugging. "But my wife does say I have no sense for art, so my opinion's not worth much, is it? Anyways, we also found one poem in the room you had stayed at, Princess. It's why I guessed you might have had something to do with it…"

"Well, indeed, you had it right, Governor," said Azula, smiling happily. "Those poems are all my property, yes they are. Where might I find them?"

"Ah, I'll have a servant return them to you at haste," said Tiang, smiling as well. "Oh, you have no idea how relieved I am to find out it's not a spirit… Anyways, I'll talk to the servant and then I'll go check on General Iroh."

"Please do," said Azula, nodding.

Tiang bowed before her and gave them a smile before leaving the room. The smirk still lingered on Azula's face while Sokka looked like he wanted to disappear in thin air, given how embarrassed he was…

"Heh…" said Toph, dropping to the side and supporting her head with a hand as she stretched over the floor. "And what's this funny haiku matter now, eh, Jewel?"

"Azula, for crying out loud, don't retrieve them," said Sokka, looking at her in horror. "They're pathetic! If you're getting them back, it should only be to burn them!"

"Ah, and miss out on the amusing, horror-struck look on your face as I read every last one of them?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows while still smirking. "Not a chance. I'm keeping them forever and I'll blackmail you with them until I find no further amusement in doing so. Which isn't going to happen any time soon, of course…"

"Oh, come on, Azula…!" Sokka squeaked, growing more flustered.

"Heeeey, what's going on?" Toph asked, tapping the table with her free hand.

"You see, Bandit…" Azula started, and Sokka's jaw dropped, for he couldn't believe she'd actually explain this to Toph. "I visited this very Palace some time ago with the fool I call my gladiator. And back then I was rather mad at him for several reasons I don't want to disclose… so I kept ditching him whenever I could, and I did that on a certain day when I traveled through this city. When I came back to the Palace, I found him passed out inside a random room, with a pile of poems scattered around him…"

"And…?" Toph asked, smirking as well. She was delighted by how distressed Sokka was by this situation.

"And I was quite surprised to pick up this particular poem which seemed to be an attempt to flatter me in all the cheesiest ways possible…" said Azula, at which Toph started laughing, while Sokka buried his face in his hands.

"Are you serious?! He wrote poetry about you?!"

"Oh, he sure did," said Azula, proudly. "And it's probably the worst poetry I've ever read, but at the very least he made an effort, right?"

"Ah, for crying out loud, I know it was bad but that's exactly why I'm telling you not to fetch them!" Sokka squealed. "It was a stupid thing to do, okay?! I know it! S-so just forget about them, will you?!"

"Not going to happen" Azula said, happily. "I'm getting them back, and I'll read them aloud whenever I see fit, so that the world knows just how bad your taste for poetry is. It's the right thing to do, Sokka…"

"The right thing to do would be to bury them at the core of the planet and forget they existed altogether!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Heh, if you bury them I'm going to fetch them" said Toph, smiling. "And then I'll ask the Jewel to read them aloud for me!"

"Gladly. They'll amuse you, I just know it," said Azula, as the girl beside her laughed loudly.

Sokka grumbled and shook his head, avoiding eye contact with Azula again. The Princess couldn't help but continue smiling, staring at the gladiator while Toph continued to laugh next to her. Truth to be told, she wasn't about to parade the content of Sokka's poems as she claimed she would, but teasing him about them had felt just right at the moment.

The entire situation felt right by now, actually. She was quite surprised to find that it did, considering in whose company she was. And it wasn't because she was in Ba Sing Se's Imperial Palace at last, or because she was eating great food again… she knew the actual reason why she felt as comfortable as she did. During her last visit to the Palace she would have never even dreamt of sitting here, laughing along with the Blind Bandit while Sokka groaned in embarrassment… she would have never believed something of the sort could ever come to happen. But, to her surprise, she was quite glad that it had.

---

Iroh's ankle was sprained, a type of injury he had been well acquainted with during his youth. He had been as cooperative as he could be while the healers tended to him, despite the pain he was enduring, and his efforts had been rewarded with a cup of steaming tea that brought a smile to his face as soon as he saw it.

"Ah, just what I needed," he said happily, sipping the drink.

The physicians had left him by himself for the time being, because they were fetching the crutches he would need to use for several weeks. Apparently, due to his old age, it wasn't a good idea for him to use crutches, but Iroh had refused to take the wheelchair he had been offered. Despite how different he was from most the members of his family, Iroh still had the streak of the pride that characterized the Fire Nation's Royal Family.

A gentle knock at the door brought his attention away from his tea, and he raised an eyebrow as he waited for whoever was outside to enter the room.

"You can come in, whoever it is," said Iroh, curious to find out who his visitor was.

He almost dropped the tea on his lap when the door swung open to reveal Tiang behind it.

They both stared at each other silently, Tiang's hand resting on the doorknob still while Iroh felt the air in the room become heavier. He swallowed hard as he looked at the man before him, who was returned his gaze with guilt-ridden eyes. Eventually, Tiang managed to smile, albeit weakly.

"It's… it's been a while, General," he said, sadly.

"Oh, it truly has," said Iroh, blinking a few times before smiling back. "You seem bigger… or maybe I'm just smaller, eh?"

"Neither thing, I think," said Tiang, shaking his head.

"Then my memory is faulty," said Iroh, chuckling softly before dropping his gaze. "But it has been far too long, eh? Fourteen years?"

"Yeah, more or less," said Tiang, nodding now.

"Well… it is good to see you after all this time," said Iroh, glancing up at him again. "I heard many things about you while traveling with Zuko, and even more once I was back in the Capital. Is it true you got married?"

"A-ah, yes," said Tiang, blushing a little. "I did indeed. Her name is Jin. I actually met her in a teashop…"

"Did you, now?" said Iroh, amused. "That is wonderful. The next time someone tells me tea isn't important I'll tell them you met your soulmate thanks to tea!"

Tiang chuckled at that: he recalled just how much the old man liked tea. He stepped away from the threshold and approached Iroh, who sipped the contents of his cup again before resuming the conversation.

"I also heard you have done great deeds for the Fire Nation," said Iroh, his voice a little darker now. "You are the one who bears the title of Conqueror of Ba Sing Se, eh?"

"I… yes, apparently so," said Tiang. "I wouldn't have done it without my men, of course. It was no easy feat, but…"

"I'm sure it wasn't, but you must be a great leader," said Iroh, nodding. "You're a good Governor, too. You have been quite successful, which pleases me. You deserve a good life, Tiang."

Tiang gritted his teeth and sighed before shaking his head, denying Iroh's words. The old General glanced up at the younger one, surprised by his response.

"I… I don't deserve to hear those words, let alone from you," he said.

"And why wouldn't you?" said Iroh, raising his eyebrows. "You've achieved what I failed to accomplish. You took over Ba Sing Se… and you honored my son's memory through your actions, didn't you?"

Iroh didn't actually believe his last words, but he knew that was the way the Fire Nation society looked upon Tiang's accomplishments. To Iroh, winning the siege would have been pointless violence nonetheless, and it wouldn't have brought his son back. But revealing his innermost thoughts right now wouldn't be appropriate…

"T-that might seem so, but that's… that's wrong," said Tiang, clenching his fists and looking at Iroh with despair. "I deserve no praise of any sort, General. B-because… because it should have been you who conquered this city, with your son beside you. And that didn't happen because of me."

Iroh's eyes widened and he looked at Tiang in surprise. The man's eyes were tearful, and it seemed to Iroh that he had been holding these words inside for the longest time… but what did he mean by that, exactly?

"Y-you had commanded us to protect the pierced area of the wall at all costs…" Tiang whispered, making Iroh frown. "We were fighting Earth Kingdom soldiers who were trying to rebuild it. But I fell for a taunt by one of their soldiers, and a rock… a rock was hurled my way, one so big I couldn't have shattered it if I used my firebending…"

Iroh stared at Tiang in disbelief as the man tried to keep from shivering. Tiang fell on his knees before Iroh, his head bowed before him as he failed to contain the emotions washing through him right now.

"I-it was my fault all along," he said. "H-he… he pushed me out of the way to keep that rock from killing me… and it took him instead."

Iroh was at a loss for what to say as Tiang shivered on the ground. Iroh had never looked upon his son's dead body, let alone heard about the manner of his son's demise. Only upon hearing he was gone he had lost himself to grief… he had no idea Lu Ten had died to defend his childhood friend.

"I was never any better than him at anything," Tiang muttered. "He was always… the best. And he's the one who deserved this life. H-he… he deserved to live, and marry, and be a renowned hero throughout the Fire Nation. Not me… never me."

"No… perhaps you weren't meant to be a hero after all," said Iroh, and Tiang flinched.

Tiang had known from the start his explanations would serve no purpose. But despite knowing this was only going to hurt Iroh further, he had decided to speak because he thought the man had deserved the truth. He feared he'd come to regret that decision now.

"I… I didn't want to come here at all, Governor," said Iroh. "Not to Ba Sing Se itself, but to the Palace. I wanted to visit Lu Ten's grave… but I didn't want to come here. But it was never any fault of yours that I didn't. Truth to be told… I didn't have the courage to show myself before you until it was my very last option."

"T-the… courage?" Tiang repeated, raising his head again.

He was astonished to find there was a kindly, but sad, smile on Iroh's face. Tiang looked at him in utter confusion as the man continued talking.

"You were Lu Ten's best friend," said Iroh. "And… and you honored his memory in a better way than I ever could. You moved on, Tiang. You fought on for the cause Lu Ten had believed in. You are the Governor now of the city where his remains lie… and you accomplished all this while I succumbed to my misery. I chased after what I thought was his spirit in my desperate attempts to bring him back, only to discover I had to let go of him. Reviving the dead wasn't an option. But even though I knew it, I lost myself to that pointless endeavor. And even after I finally understood the wrong of my actions, I still couldn't find my rightful path. I thought… I thought I would by helping someone else, maybe.

"And meanwhile, Tiang… meanwhile, you did everything I never could. Heh, you even… you even met the woman you'd marry in a tea house! Just how marvelous is that?"

"W-well, if… if you say so…" said Tiang, with a weak smile now despite the tears on his eyes.

"I blamed myself for Lu Ten's death for a long time, Tiang…" Iroh said. "And if I must be honest, I still do. Despite what you just shared, I still think it was ultimately me who brought Lu Ten to his untimely death…"

"B-but I… if I had been more careful, maybe he wouldn't have been…"

"Oh, maybe not that day, surely," said Iroh, dropping his gaze. "But the war had yet to be won. He might have died any day, Tiang. He just so happened to do it by saving his best friend…"

"W-well… he shouldn't have," said Tiang, gritting his teeth. "He deserved this. He did, and I'm sure you know it…"

"Now, now," said Iroh, smiling and extending a hand towards Tiang. "You don't think Lu Ten would want you saying that, would you? He'd likely be angry if he thought you're not satisfied with your life…"

"I'm more than satisfied," said Tiang. "In fact, I feel it's too good for me to deserve it."

"Well, think of it as Lu Ten's life, then," said Iroh. "He gave up his life for the cause he believed in, for his nation. Now he lives on in all those who knew him and loved him: you, Zuko, Azula, me… all of us will remember Lu Ten, Tiang. And he gifted you with the life he sacrificed. His time is now your time. So… so make good use of it, will you? Well, I… I shouldn't need to say that, for you already have…"

Tiang stared at Iroh in dread when he realized the old man was crying softly now. He moved towards the stretcher where Iroh had been sitting and he surrounded the man's shoulders with an arm. Iroh chuckled and patted him on the chest, grateful for his support.

"Lu Ten… he would be proud of you," he said.

"And I'm sure he'd be proud of you too," Tiang replied, sighing. "You said you hadn't wanted to see me… and I was ashamed of seeing you as well. I thought… I thought you'd hate me for being the reason why your son is gone…"

"Oh, I do not resent you, my boy," said Iroh, chuckling. "Not at all. My son… he was quite a selfless one. He'd put others before himself at all times. Truth to be told… I should have always guessed he had sacrificed himself for someone else. It's just like him… it really is."

"Yeah… that was him indeed," said Tiang, as Iroh's tears started to soak his clothes.

"For what it's worth, though… I thank you, Tiang," said Iroh. "I… I'm actually relieved to know the truth. And I'm also sorry. I shouldn't have turned my back on everything, and left you to pick up the rubble I left behind me…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Tiang, rubbing Iroh's shoulder. "Losing him was really hard for all of us…"

"Oh, it sure was," said Iroh, nodding. "But indeed… it's too late to change anything now. All we can do as we are is honor Lu Ten, as you have honored him ever since he left us."

Tiang looked at Iroh with guilt-ridden eyes, but he soon was staring at him with gratitude. Iroh smiled through the tears and patted the man on the shoulder.

"Thank you again, Tiang," he said. "For everything you did for my son's memory."

The Governor seemed to be about to break down upon hearing that, but he mustered a smile, despite himself, and he nodded at Iroh. The Dragon of the West beamed through his tears and patted his son's friend's back, and Tiang breathed heavily, tears dripping from his eyes as well. That had gone way better than he could have ever expected it to, despite their poorly-contained crying…

"Uh, sir…" said someone, stepping into the room.

Both Iroh and Tiang looked up to find several servants, one of them bringing the crutches for Iroh to use. Iroh finished his tea hastily before giving them a grateful smile, and Tiang wiped his eyes before turning towards the one who had spoken to him.

"Yes?"

"We have only just received news of a new arrival in the city," said the servant, overlooking how shaken up his master seemed to be. "A nobleman and his wife came into Ba Sing Se just today, and apparently they want a word with you."

"Oh?" said Tiang, raising an eyebrow. "And who might they be?"

"I think the names I got were Poppy and Lao, but I could be mistaken…" said the servant, scratching his head.

A rattle behind Tiang surprised everyone present in the room. Iroh had been maneuvering to stand up with his crutches, but when he heard those two names he had dropped them on the ground and stared at the servant in horror.

"E-excuse me… could you repeat what you just said?"

---

"So, everything's here?" Azula asked, looking around the storage room with curiosity. "Even that one paper that had been in my room?"

"Yes, all of it," said the servant who had guided her here. "A group of soldiers has been sent to retrieve everything your group left behind both at the Agrarian Zone and the inn at the Lower Ring. They should bring everything back by tomorrow, for certain."

"Good to know," said Azula, nodding. "Very well, then. You're free to take your leave."

The servant bowed down curtly before turning on his heels and leaving Azula to herself in the storage room. It was a dark and dusty chamber, and there weren't too many items stored in it. Yet Azula's main priority was to find those poems…

She spotted a pile of papers atop a drawer, and she picked them up to find she had found exactly what she had been looking for. She smiled as she read the jumbled handwriting, amused by the strings of awkward sentences and his unsuccessful attempts to create elegant poetry.

Nevertheless, she kept reading the poems, a smile on her face as she did. She actually had wondered if maybe there really was one about her fire, for she had teased him about that, but she found the poems either highlighted some of her features or simply rambled about how foolish a man had to be to hurt her.

She couldn't help but wonder what sort of poems he would compose about her now. They had barely known each other back then, compared to how well they knew one another now. What sort of haiku would come to Sokka's mind nowadays…? Would they be any better than this? She doubted there would be much progress in what referred to his artistic sensibility, but she sure wondered what he might have to say about her after all this time.

Still, she wasn't about to ask him to write more haiku. If he had something to say, he might as well just… well, he might as well say it at an appropriate moment, instead of confessing his feelings, whatever they were, in front of hoards of Dai Li agents, as he would have if only she hadn't shut him up harshly.

Azula read through every poem, but she frowned upon not finding the one she had been looking for. The servant had said it was here, though…

After pulling open a few drawers she happened upon it, and she couldn't hold back a grin as she read the familiar words again. It was probably the best of the poems he had composed, despite it wasn't even that great… but she was determined to keep this one, at the very least.

She heard someone approach and she folded the paper quickly, pocketing it… and finding something else in her pocket that she'd forgotten she had placed there. She grimaced when she realized what that other thing was… but she was soon distracted when she heard his voice.

"C'mon… you really came to look for them?" Sokka asked her, looking at her with downcast eyes.

Azula turned, an innocent smile forming on her face as she regarded her gladiator.

"And why shouldn't I have?" she asked, before looking at him worriedly. "More importantly, though, shouldn't you be resting? Are you able to walk so freely?"

"Well, I got here, didn't I?" said Sokka, with a goofy grin.

"That doesn't answer my question," said Azula, curtly. "You're known for doing things you're not supposed to."

"That's hardly fair," he said, chuckling. "I only do things I'm not supposed to when I really have to do them…"

"Such as coming all the way here now?"

"I had to try and prevent you from finding those dreadful poems again… but I guess I was too late," he said, sighing. Azula smiled again.

"Indeed, you were. I've already looked through all of them and I can assure you… you really don't have the soul of a poet," said Azula, making Sokka pout. "I suppose if you actually practiced you might improve…"

"Heh? You expect me to write more of those? Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Azula blushed.

"That's not… I didn't mean to say that," she said, rolling her eyes as he smirked.

"Seems to me like the Princess enjoys lousy poetry," said Sokka, chuckling. "Who'd have thought?"

"I don't enjoy the lousy poetry, what I enjoy is teasing you over it" Azula declared matter-of-factly, but as she expected, Sokka's amusement remained unchanged.

"Now, don't be so proud," he said. "I can write more for you, sure thing!"

"By all means, humor me," said Azula, smirking. "I'll have a blast reading through your embarrassing verses once again whenever you like."

"I… uh… well, maybe I won't do it after all," Sokka said, gulping and looking at her warily. He had thought he had the better of her this time, but she had turned the tables again without any difficulties. Just as could be expected from Azula.

"Still, you really aren't making too much of an effort to be here, are you?" she asked, looking at him worriedly.

"I feel a lot better after eating," he said, smiling. "And truth to be told, I figured we ought to talk without Toph nearby…"

Azula bit her lip and looked at him warily, yet also eagerly. Was he going to finish what he had said earlier…?

"You know, I get the situation was pretty dire, but you really didn't have to punch me like that," he said, pouting again. Azula froze and stared at him in disbelief, an eyebrow twitching. "It threw me back to our first meeting and that's not something I enjoy recalling, mind you…"

"Oh, certainly," said Azula, smiling again, despite herself. "Still, I thought the armor had protected you from the fire."

"Well, sure, but it still hurt!" Sokka exclaimed.

"You plummeted through the skies into the roof of a building headfirst to protect me, and yet my simple punch hurt you more?" Azula said, looking at him inquisitively. "Why's that?"

"B-because… w-well, you know why," Sokka, said, blushing a little as well. "Besides, the roof thing I did it willingly. The punch caught me unawares."

"It sure shouldn't have," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "You needed a punch of reality, most literally. I figured it was better for me to give it to you than for the Dai Li to do it."

"Heh, how awfully kind of you," said Sokka, looking at her skeptically and Azula smirked again. "Still…"

"Still, I actually am sorry it had to come to that," said Azula, sighing and stepping towards him. "I confess I didn't plan on punching you like that ever again… but this time it hurt me as well, most unlike when we first met."

"Believe it or not, that doesn't make me feel much better," said Sokka, smiling as she stopped right in front of him.

Azula sighed and looked at his battered body with concern. Sokka raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat, at which she looked up at his face again.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"You just… should get more rest," said Azula, sighing. "You look worse than you have in a very long time, and that's saying a lot."

"I probably ought to take a nap or two, sure," said Sokka, chuckling. "But I'm feeling better than I look, really. Truth to be told, I…"

"I don't think feeling better than you look is good enough, though," said Azula, sternly. Sokka frowned. "I don't know if we'll attend tomorrow's fight, but the idea doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. If only your opponent was anyone but the Savage Hook…"

"Well, I'm way stronger than I was when I first fought him," said Sokka. "I've come a long way since. And I won't be alone. Toph did say she was willing to do most the work this time if she had to…"

"Which sounds wonderful, but I don't think I need to remind you that the Hook won't be alone either," said Azula. "I don't know anything about his companion, but it's easy to assume he'll be quite strong if Long Feng chose him as the Hook's partner…"

"Long who?" said Sokka, blinking blankly. Azula sighed heavily.

"The Savage Hook's sponsor. A very unpleasant man… and one who might be more dangerous than I took him for when we first fought the Hook."

"Why?" asked Sokka, surprised. "Who is he?"

"He used to be Ba Sing Se's Grand Secretariat back when the Earth Kingdom still stood. He was using the former King Kuei as his puppet and controlling the entire city through him. He proved to have shaky loyalties, which convinced the Fire Nation's leaders that he couldn't be trusted. He was revoked from his position by the time Tiang took office: he managed to keep his goods and most his fortune, though… and he might have kept something else, too."

"What are you talking about?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows.

"He was the Grand Secretariat… but he was also the Head of the Dai Li," Azula said, and Sokka's eyes widened. "A fact I gave no importance to until today."

"Woah, woah, woah…" said Sokka, grimacing. "Are you certain he's still the Dai Li's leader?"

"I rather doubt he's not," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "It's awfully coincidental that the Savage Hook has presumably reached the last fight of the Tournament without a hitch while we've been putting up with ordeal after ordeal because of the Dai Li. I wouldn't think anything of it, if only the Hook's sponsor weren't who he is."

"But… why would he do something like this?" Sokka asked, confused. "If he really is the leader of the Dai Li, why does he want to kidnap Toph? What's he trying to pull?"

"Truth to be told, it's not so hard to think of reasons why someone would want to…" Azula started, but another voice down the hallway startled them both.

"Azula! Azula!"

The Princess looked over Sokka's shoulder with a frown, and her gladiator turned around with a similar expression on his face. Iroh was limping his way towards them, and to keep him from making excessive efforts, both Sokka and Azula approached him quickly.

"What's wrong?" Azula asked her uncle. "You shouldn't be moving around like this when you're…"

"Toph… Toph's parents," Iroh said, grimacing, and Sokka and Azula froze. "They're in the city, and they're coming here!"

Sokka and Azula exchanged one look before starting to the Palace's vestibule, with Iroh lagging behind them, struggling to maneuver with his crutches.

---

Tiang stood at the Palace entrance, staring at the approaching carriage with a worried frown. His wife stood next to him, along with a dozen guards, all of them waiting for the hardly announced noblemen to arrive.

Toph had overheard the servants running around after Sokka decided to go after Azula, and her curiosity had gotten the better of her… but that curiosity soon turned into dread when she overheard the reason why these servants were panicking so much. Soon enough, she was panicking all the same as they were…

Yet while she had toyed with the idea of hiding, she discarded it quickly. Her argument with the Fire Nation Princess returned to her, the one where she had forced Toph to realize she was running away from a past she shouldn't run from. And while Toph was naturally afraid of her parents, the only figures of authority she had ever respected and listened to in her whole life, she decided she wouldn't be afraid of them anymore. She had no reason to be. She was the strongest earthbender in the world, after all.

She was currently standing behind the soldiers, her head lowered, her fists clenched. She would face her parents for the first time in over two years, and she intended to do it the proper way…

The carriage came to a halt before the steps that led up to the Palace's main building, and a man and a woman climbed off the vehicle, both dressed up far too elegantly compared to most travelers, highborn as they were.

The man was the first to make for the steps, looking at the governor with hopeful eyes as he climbed his way towards him.

"Governor Tiang, sir, it is such a pleasure to see you again," he said, smiling. Tiang nodded towards him.

"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Mr. Beifong. If only I'd had some warning of your visit I would have prepared a proper welcome for you and your wife…"

"Do excuse us, of course," said Lao. "We didn't mean to come so suddenly either. But we received a messenger hawk a few days ago, and me and my wife decided to make haste to get here as soon as possible…"

"Governor, we've heard the most terrible thing," said Poppy Beifong, walking behind her husband. "Our daughter… she was seen fighting in the Gladiator Arena"

"Y-your… your daughter?" Tiang repeated, frowning. "How is that possible?"

"She escaped home a few years ago," said Lao, as they finally reached the top of the steps. "And we have failed to get her back ever since. She's blind, sir, she's…"

"She needs us!" Poppy exclaimed, looking at Tiang with despair. "She's somewhere within the city, she has to be…!"

"So sorry to break it to you, but you're not going to find that hopeless, needy daughter you're looking for in this city."

Poppy and Lao froze when they heard that voice. Tiang stepped back and turned towards where Toph stood, arms crossed over her chest, head held high as she tapped an arm with a finger, her blind eyes hidden behind her disorderly bangs and her heavy frown.

Poppy looked as though she would pass out of relief and horror at once when she looked upon her daughter. Lao's jaw dropped as he stared at her. And Toph simply scowled, almost snarling at them.

The soldiers who had been standing before Toph also moved away, allowing her to face her parents directly. And Toph meant to do as much.

"Not what you expected to find, huh?" she said, gritting her teeth. "Can't say it bugs me if that's the case…"

"Toph…" Poppy said, tears on her eyes. "Oh, Toph, you're…"

"A mess? Oh, sure I am," said Toph. "As you can see, the pretty girl in the dresses and the proper hairdos is gone, Mom. The little responsible brat who learned all her lessons and went to bed at the right time doesn't exist anymore. I'm not that girl. I never was!"

"Oh, Toph, please…" said Lao, grimacing and reaching out towards her.

A pillar of earth that rose before him stopped him on his tracks. Lao stumbled back and looked at his daughter in disbelief when he realized she had conjured the rock.

"Surprised the helpless blind girl can do that? Heck, you should've seen me fighting Dai Li agents earlier," she said, smirking. "You should see me in the Arena, beating every single opponent they send my way without breaking a sweat! Oh… but as it turns out, you're not going to see that at all. Neither of you ever wanted to see me for who I truly am. Neither of you care to see what I can do, you refuse to acknowledge that I can take care of myself! And yet you have the nerve to say I'm the blind one…"

Sokka, Azula and the limping Iroh arrived at the scene then, and they froze as they watched what was happening at the Palace's entrance.

"I'm not weak! I'm not helpless!" Toph bellowed. "And I can just as easily prove it to both of you right here and now if you don't believe me! Not even the awful world you two were shielding me from could bring me down! I've survived without your help, I've made friends and I've become stronger than I ever thought I'd be! I've found my own path, and I want to follow it, no matter what gets in my way! And… if you get in my way this time, I won't just turn on my tail and flee. Not this time. Not anymore. I have no reason to be afraid of you two! I never did! I'm the strongest earthbender in the world! And nothing's going to hold me back, from here onwards! I want to be free to be who I am without thinking…! W-without thinking that I'm just a disappointment and a failure in your eyes…"

It took Toph a moment to understand why she was incapable of saying another word, despite still having plenty of things to convey to her parents. But she was choked up. She was crying, and she hardly knew why.

"Toph… but you're…" Lao started, grimacing and reaching out to her, moving past the rock she had raised.

"Mr. Beifong, if you will…" said Iroh, stepping forward with his crutches and looking at the man with a kindly smile. "I would like to speak in behalf of my gladiator, if you'd let me."

"Y-your…" said Lao, frowning. "Your gladiator? You're Toph's sponsor?"

"Don't take it the wrong way," said Iroh, smiling uncomfortably now. "I am her sponsor indeed, but it's because we mutually agreed on that arrangement. Toph needed a sponsor to continue fighting in the Gladiator League, and I offered to do it."

"Continue fighting?" Lao said, his eyes widening. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Your daughter was fighting under another sponsor at first," said Iroh. "When that man abandoned her, I offered to help her with her predicament. We have become good friends ever since we met, and we have shared many wonderful experiences together. Every day that goes by, she amazes me more. Toph doesn't lie when she says she's the strongest earthbender in the world, Mr. Beifong. She has yet to lose a fight in the Gladiator League, and she usually comes unscathed from most of them. Your daughter… she's nothing short of extraordinary."

"And if you don't believe him, believe me," said Sokka, with crossed arms. "Your daughter could have killed me when we first crossed paths, and look at me! I'm a tall, strong guy, aren't I?"

"You… just a moment now, who are all of you?" Lao asked, confused.

"I'm Sokka, or the Blue Wolf. Azula here is my sponsor," he said, pointing at Azula. "And the old man here is Iroh."

Lao frowned at first before all color drained from his face. His wife, still behind him, covered her mouth with her hands as she also realized the real identities of the two sponsors.

"And your daughter over there is the Blind Bandit," Sokka stated proudly, at which Toph sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Toph has made my days far brighter than they had been in a long time," Iroh said. "And thus I understand why you'd want her back so badly. Yet…"

"It probably says a lot that your daughter would rather leave her nation and fend off bounty hunters than to confront you two," Azula said, as cuttingly as ever. Sokka looked at her warily, warning her with his eyes not to say anything too hurtful. "She's truly prodigious, and she's not at all the kind of girl who would love the high-class life. Which you would have known if only you had accepted your daughter for who she really is instead of forcing her to fulfill your standards of what a good child should be like."

Toph turned towards Azula, astounded by her harsh defense of her. The Princess stepped forward, her menacing eyes softening somewhat now.

"Still… it's not too late to see where you went wrong, is it?" she told the Beifongs. "It's not too late to be the parents she deserves. You clearly care enough about her to chase after her through the Earth Kingdom, so why not change your way of treating her? How about you actually welcome her into your lives and start to appreciate her for who she truly is?"

Lao and Poppy Beifong stood in place as they stared at the Princess in both awe and fear. Toph, next to Azula, actually managed to muster a smile at that.

"T-thanks, Spicy…" she whispered, and Azula only flickered her gaze towards her once before focusing on her parents again.

"Well?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

After a pause that felt much longer than it actually was, Lao finally moved again. And Toph didn't threaten him this time. She simply stood where she was, trying not to shiver as she feared what her father would do or say now.

"For all these years…" Lao said, his eyes set on his daughter. "For all this time, your mother and I have been beside ourselves with worry. We thought you had been abducted at first… then we guessed you had run away and gotten lost in the process. We had hoped you might be looking for your way back home…"

Toph gritted her teeth and bit back more tears. Her fists were clenched and her head was bowed again now, as she tried to hide her vulnerable side from her parents.

"But as it turns out, our helpless little girl…" he said, with a sad smile now. "Our helpless little girl doesn't need us anymore."

Toph's eyes widened. She almost felt the blood freeze on her veins as she lifted her head again, tears leaving her eyes freely now.

"If all they said is true… i-if all you said is true, Toph…" Lao said, looking at her sadly. "Then perhaps we really have no right to hold you back. You have every right to choose your life for yourself, my dear… truth to be told, it should have never been any other way."

"Oh, Lao…" Poppy said, approaching him with tears in her eyes as well.

"We were so afraid you might not be able to face the world on your own," said Lao. "We thought you would get hurt, that you would be mocked and looked down upon because of your disability… but you've proven how wrong we were, haven't you? You made friends, and with Fire Nation royals, on top of it all, and… and you're strong indeed. Stronger than anyone else I've ever known."

Toph sniffed and trembled again, biting her lower lip as she failed to control her emotions.

"We… we won't get in your way, Toph," said Lao, smiling at her. "Not anymore. We will respect your choices from now on, whatever they are. Yet… would you forgive us for still thinking of you as our little girl? Because… because…"

Toph shivered again as her father reached out to touch her. When his palm was on her shoulder she couldn't hold back a sob before her father pulled her in to embrace her. Poppy soon followed, kneeling before Toph and taking the earthbender into her arms as the three of them held each other, tears streaming on all their faces after reuniting for the first time in years.

"Well… that went better than I expected it to," Sokka whispered at Azula, who looked at him with a crooked eyebrow while Iroh smiled.

"It did indeed," he said, nodding. "They are good people, the Beifongs."

"It's good to know they are," Azula agreed, finally breathing out in relief.

"So, I take it the chase is over?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now that her parents got here…"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that just yet…" the Princess replied, frowning.

Tiang had watched the scene silently, feeling completely out of place in the midst of this reunion. He glanced at Iroh with inquisitive eyes, and the old man gave him a guilty smile.

"I'll explain later," he said to the Governor, who simply chuckled and nodded.

"Over dinner, I take it?" he said.

Sokka's eyes brightened when he heard the word 'dinner', and Azula rolled her eyes but chuckled at his reaction. As ever, the thought of food could make him burst with excitement…

Despite the teary reunion, Toph's mood soon brightened as she spoke to her parents about everything she had experienced while outside the Beifong Estate. Iroh took to explaining matters to Tiang as well, and both the Governor and his wife listened intently at the man's story. Meanwhile, Azula tried to advise Sokka on how eat in a proper manner instead of gobbling food down hastily, yet despite her coaching, his manners hadn't improved much by the time dinner was served.

"See, this is exactly why I'll never believe you when you claim to be a Prince," she said, using an extra plate on the table to shield herself from his unsightly eating.

"Oh, gommon! Ij's tasty!" he exclaimed, grinning at her. Azula grimaced at the sight and resolved not to look at him until the meal was over with.

"… When Xin Fu bailed on me, Iroh showed up out of nowhere and offered to sponsor me," Toph said, smiling. "After that, I became his gladiator and things started looking up for me."

"It sure looks like it," said Poppy, giggling. "Here we thought you had been living in the worst conditions, and it turns out you were in the Fire Lord's home all along!"

"Hehe, yeah," said Toph, chuckling as well.

"I do thank you deeply, General Iroh," said Lao, bowing his head before the old man. "You have taken good care of our daughter"

"Oh, hardly," said Iroh, waving a hand carelessly. "She has taken care of herself all along."

"Indeed, when my Uncle tries to 'take care' of her, he gives her too much tea and that doesn't end so well," Azula said, at which Toph laughed again.

"Yeah, that was one nasty incident, but it won't happen again! You have my word!" she declared.

"You're here for a Pairs Tournament, then?" Lao asked. "A neighbor from Gaoling attended it as well, with his son as his partner."

"Ah, yes," said Azula, nodding. "The ones we fought on our first round."

"Indeed, they were the ones who told us Toph was here," said Poppy, smiling. "We came at haste, even paying some sandbenders to bring us across the desert safely…"

"Sandbenders?" Toph said, surprised. "Woah. I met a few of them when I took off, and they weren't the kind of people I'd expect my parents to hitch a ride with…"

"We had no choice if we were to find you, did we?" Poppy asked, caressing her daughter's cheek. "Parents do anything for their children, Toph. I thought you already knew that."

Azula watched the exchange and dropped her gaze to her half-empty plate. The Blind Bandit truly was lucky, having parents who fought so hard to find her again… Azula's mother had disappeared without any explanations, and her father was willing to kill her children if they proved useless to him. So, despite herself, she couldn't quite help but envy the earthbender, if only a little…

"Well, I guess, but even so, you shouldn't have sent the Dai Li to get me," said Toph, grimacing a little. "That was too much. I know you were desperate, but…"

"The Dai Li?" said Lao, his eyes widening. "We didn't send the Dai Li after you."

"Huh? You… you didn't?" Toph asked, surprised. "I thought you guys had realized Xin Fu had betrayed you, and you had turned to the Dai Li instead…"

"Not at all," said Poppy, shaking her head. "We offered a reward for anyone who'd bring you back, but never exclusively to them. Word was sent throughout the Earth Kingdom… but we didn't expressly request the Dai Li to find you."

"B-but then…" said Toph, frowning.

"Well, that clears it up," Azula said, surprising everyone around the table.

"Clears what up?" Iroh asked her, looking at her in confusion.

"If the Beifongs weren't the ones who sent the Dai Li after their daughter, someone else did. Someone who had something to gain by earning the reward from Toph's capture… someone who needed her out of the way in order to succeed with his other endeavors, too."

"Princess… what are you talking about?" Tiang asked, confused.

"I'll explain in a moment," Azula said, with determination. "But first… does your offer to send soldiers to escort us into the Arena tomorrow still stand, Governor?"

"Of course," said Tiang, nodding. "Why?"

"Because we're going to need every one of your available soldiers, and my own, to catch the real culprit for the hell the four of us had to face during the past few days."

Azula's ominous words were delivered with determination, and her eyes narrowed as she conveyed her discoveries and her new plan to everyone in the room…

---

The slave's eyes fluttered open as he lay on the stone-cold ground. He blinked, confused, as memories that felt as though they were from another lifetime started to return to his mind. His name, his dead family, his dead friends… grief and anger started to fill him, and he would have screamed in frustration if only someone hadn't grabbed his face and forced him to look straight into his eyes.

"Now, now. No need for that, is there, Jet?"

The man before him was one to be despised, he had no doubts about it. And he only recalled the reasons for it an instant before the man spoke the accursed words…:

"Jet: The Fire Lord has invited you to his Palace."

His entire body numbed upon those words, and his consciousness sunk into darkness once more.

Long Feng smirked when the man's pupils dilated, and his face contorted into a grimace of pure rage. He released him and jerked his head towards his companion, the Iron Rain's sponsor, who was currently whispering hypnotizing words to his own gladiator. This sponsor was a Dai Li agent, yet he was dressed in casual clothing for today, since he was meant to play the role of a sponsor for today.

"Come along, now," Long Feng said. "You know just how aggressive they get when they're like this."

Unlike how it was in other Arenas, the Green Gates sported a door at the end of the stand-by room, and Long Feng always closed it behind him as soon as he'd left an enraged Jet within the room. The gladiator's hypnotism convinced him that his enemies were Fire Nation soldiers: namely, a certain Fire Nation soldier he had come to hate after watching him burn down his village.

Long Feng had been quite amused upon discovering Colonel Mongke was acquainted with his gladiator. The Colonel had become his ally for some time, and the knowledge of how crazed Jet could be while under the belief he was near Mongke had led Long Feng to change his hypnotic phrase from the usual 'the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai' into the one he had just used on Jet. Ever since he had come up with it, Jet had failed to lose a single match. He entered a frenzy that made him unstoppable.

"Do you believe the strong hypnotism was necessary on Jet, sir?" his fellow sponsor asked. "If our plans work, there won't even be a fight today…"

"If our plans work, indeed," Long Feng repeated, his eyebrows furrowing as they climbed the stairs towards the sponsors' balcony. "They haven't worked at all as of late, have they?"

"It's only a matter of time before we seize the girl," the Dai Li agent replied. "Our men are already posted at strategic positions to capture her when she makes her way to the Arena."

"If it were as simple as that, we would have taken her by now," growled Long Feng. "Our strategy should be to break her limbs. That way she won't be able to fight against us anymore."

"A clever idea," the other sponsor said. "But I'm sure our forces will be capable of defeating her this time."

"They ought to be… but indeed, she may be a good earthbender, but she's truly no match for the finest earthbenders in the Earth Kingdom," Long Feng declared, proudly. "They will catch her this time, and we will win when they're forced to forfeit…"

Yet all his self-satisfaction disappeared in thin air when he entered the room to find that the other two sponsors were there already.

Azula turned her head as soon as she heard the door opening, and she gave Long Feng an unpleasant smile, of the sort she used whenever she was certain she'd get her way. Iroh, next to her, cast a glare towards both Long Feng and his fellow sponsor.

"It has been far too long, hasn't it, Long Feng?" Azula said.

"P-Princess…" said Long Feng, his eyes widening. "You're… rather early. The fight's not set to start but in another hour."

"Oh, my Uncle and I decided to arrive early today to make up for our recently lacking punctuality. And yes, of course, introductions are necessary… Long Feng, this is my Uncle, the renowned Dragon of the West, General Iroh."

"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance," said Iroh, with a certain hint of malice in his voice that boosted Long Feng's unease as he approached the seats. If these two were already here, did it mean the Blind Bandit had reached the stand-by room safely? Then their plan to capture her outside the Arena was already doomed…

"And I've already spoken at leisure about Long Feng to you, Uncle," said Azula, turning towards Iroh as Long Feng and his companion took their seats. "This is Ba Sing Se's former Grand Secretariat… and leader of the Dai Li."

Long Feng's knuckles turned white when he gripped his armrests too tightly, but he soon laughed and looked at Azula with skeptical eyes, pretending her words hadn't reached him.

"Leader of the Dai Li, you said, Princess? Hardly," he declared. "I was their leader once, but as you know, all my titles were revoked"

"Indeed, all the same as the Governor revoked the Dai Li's jobs," said Azula, turning to smile at Long Feng again. "Meaning, nobody else was appointed as Dai Li leader after you… which is why I've guessed you're still their leader, naturally. I think your friend there ought to be able to confirm my suspicions, though. You're one of them as well, aren't you? A Dai Li agent."

The man next to Long Feng hardly reacted, but Azula could sense how tense he had become when she had addressed him.

"Princess, please…" said Long Feng, chuckling. "What on earth are you trying to imply?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Azula said, turning towards the sand ring. "I'm not implying anything. I'm simply stating the obvious: you are the leader of the Dai Li, which means you're responsible for the persecution me and my fellow teammates were subjects to during the past two days."

"Persecution? You were…?"

"Are you truly going to act innocent now, Long Feng?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows and looking at him with derision. "It doesn't suit you at all. There's a reason why nobody relied on you after you switched sides as often as you did: your performance is unbelievable, and not in the good sense. You can't fool anyone, not even yourself. And I assure you, you're not about to fool me."

"Nor me, for that matter," said Iroh, frowning. "So you might as well stop pretending, Long Feng. Everyone here knows my niece is speaking the truth."

Long Feng froze for a moment before huffing and shaking his head.

"You have absolutely no evidence to back up what you've just stated…"

"Oh, we have no evidence indeed," said Azula. "But we will have all we need eventually. For starters, all the Dai Li agents you'd have brought with you, the ones you'd have tasked with capturing Toph, will have either run away by now or been restrained by Fire Nation soldiers. It's rather unlikely that every single one of them will manage to keep their mouths shut, don't you believe?"

Long Feng scowled at that, and he felt the urge to take off immediately. If his allies had been compromised, he ought to flee… but Azula wasn't finished yet.

"And I'm certain I'll find hard evidence anyways to prove I'm right about the deception you were attempting to pull, Long Feng," Azula said. "I'm not fully certain where, but I'm sure it's there, waiting for us to find it in some secret hideout of yours..."

"Are you, now?" he asked, his hands resting on his lap. "Do tell, then, what am I trying to accomplish by seizing your blind gladiator, General Iroh?"

"Hey, hey, speak to my niece about that," said Iroh. "She's the one who came up with the theory."

"And if you need me to answer your question…" said Azula. "It took me a while to make sense out of why you'd want to capture Toph. It makes sense for you to do it to retrieve the reward's money from her parents, yet it also makes sense for you to do it for your gladiator's wellbeing, since she's quite the force to be reckoned with. Your fighter narrowly survived fighting my gladiator once, so with the Bandit as his partner, the odds were against your Hook. Nevertheless, there's another reason: earning the money for being the Tournament's champion."

"Oh, please," said Long Feng, rolling his eyes. "Do you think I'm so greedy, truly?"

"No, I didn't think you were," Azula admitted. "You were most willing to relinquish your money when my gladiator almost murdered yours. You actually seemed to enjoy the butchery that day, and the money seemed the least of your concerns… you proved to be more cold-blooded upon witnessing the carnage than many high-born sponsors I've seen. When I thought about that, I started to piece the puzzle together…"

"And what did you discover, then?"

"That you're not greedy. Your true desire, Long Feng, is power," Azula declared. "It's quite easy to see your whole history in your eyes, you know? You were born with nothing, so you've had to struggle and connive as you clawed your way into power. Yet while having such a humble background, you're crueler to slaves than plenty of highborn men I've met. Was the struggle so hard that you ended up developing some form of psychosis, perhaps? You strike me as a bit of a sadist, actually. Are you one?"

"How can you accuse me of such a thing…?" Long Feng growled, and Azula chuckled.

"Oh, of course not. Surely I'm wrong. The pleasure doesn't come from seeing people in pain. The pleasure comes from being the one with enough power to cause pain to whomever you see fit. Only… you actually don't have that much power anymore, do you?"

Long Feng gritted his teeth and Azula glared at him sideways.

"After you were unmasked by the end of the war, you lost everything you'd fought for. And you did everything you could to regain it… but the easiest way to enter the Fire Nation's circles of trust would be by buying your way into it, am I right? That's what many Earth Kingdom noblemen did to keep their titles. So you thought you could do the same. You could buy your way into Governor Tiang's service, and you'd use your Dai Li agents to overthrow his government when the opportunity arose. Because you would have meant to overthrow him in the long run, of course… he's not a puppet you could use to your liking, as the former King Kuei was.

"So, the first way to reach him would have been through money, as I already said… but why, then, would you waste so much of it in gladiator fights when it was so important for you to use it to buy your way into power? Perhaps you did it at first because you had no hopes to climb the ladder of power anymore… but one day you were presented with a remarkable opportunity through which you could make great profit: an opportunity in the form of the Fire Nation brigands, the Rough Rhinos."

Long Feng no longer spoke, his body shivering as the Princess spoke so calmly, as though she were commenting on the quality of her armchair. As though she had no doubts she was speaking the truth… and why should she have them? To Long Feng's chagrin, everything she had said so far was accurate…

"The Rhinos pillaged and looted throughout the entire continent for a few months, and while that just seemed reckless behavior on their part at first, we soon realized the Rough Rhinos were acting in this way because there was something backing them up. Someone was supporting them, providing them with shelter and aiding them if they required any assistance to rid themselves of Fire Nation soldiers. And who would these mysterious allies be other than Dai Li agents?"

Iroh eyed Long Feng with interest to find the man's brow was covered in sweat. He couldn't help but smirk upon that sight.

"The Dai Li were providing protection and a hideout for the Rough Rhinos all along," said Azula. "In exchange for that, they gave you a decent percentage of whatever they looted. They stole from so many towns, even killing people in the process, and yet they didn't care for the consequences these actions might bring upon them. One of my personal guards was murdered by them, even, and they couldn't have cared less. And that's because the Dai Li were backing them up."

"So, the Dai Li were allied with these brigands?" Long Feng said, huffing. "And where is everything they looted, pray tell? If we were helping them…"

"In the hideout I mentioned before, of course," said Azula. "And I already suspect where that hideout might be. In any case… the reason why you wanted the Dai Li to seize the Bandit isn't just one out of those I mentioned earlier: it was all of them. When the Rough Rhinos were imprisoned, you were left without a provider. Your dream of using the profit you had obtained through those bandits was thwarted… by me, actually, and I had no idea I was thwarting it at all."

"Life has its ways of being ironic, doesn't it?" said Iroh, smiling.

"It does indeed," Azula said, smirking. "So you needed money. You already had a good amount, but you could use some more. Hence, you required the reward for the Bandit. You wanted the winnings from the Tournament. And naturally, by taking Toph out of the equation, you'd kill three birds with one stone, for this way your insane gladiator wouldn't have to be pounded and shattered into unconsciousness as he was back when we first crossed paths. He'd be perfectly fit to continue fighting, if need be, and you'd continue earning more money to achieve your ends and become powerful yet again."

Long Feng breathed deeply, and Azula looked at him coldly.

"Did I forget anything?" she asked. "Or are you just not going to speak from here on because you know there's nothing you can say to prove your innocence?"

"I have no innocence to prove," said Long Feng. "You are building a theory based off conjectures and nothing more. I needn't…"

"You wouldn't need to prove your innocence indeed, if only you actually were innocent," said Azula, nodding. "But we both know you're not. Everyone in this room knows you're not. Nevertheless, don't fret: Governor Tiang will make sure to throw you in a cell right next to the one where your former king is locked in… and perhaps you'll decide to admit the truth once the despair of being imprisoned drives you completely mad."

Long Feng looked at Azula frantically, his eyes out of orbit. Azula returned his gaze with complete serenity.

"Yet, for what it's worth, you're welcome to enjoy the fight for now," she said, smiling at him condescendingly. "You'll be restrained and dragged to the Imperial Palace as soon as it's over, you can count on it. So enjoy your last minutes of freedom, Long Feng… for they're the last ones you're ever going to get."

Iroh smirked again at that, and he exchanged a satisfied look with his niece as they all fell silent. Long Feng was enraged, his face turning red as the Dai Li agent next to him fidgeted nervously.

The minutes ticked past them in awkward silence as people started to file into the stands below the balcony. Azula wasn't as relaxed as she was making it seem, though. She was partially expecting Long Feng to attempt to make a last-minute escape… but if he was smart at all, he wouldn't even try to run away. He had lost this game: Azula doubted he had even been a player, to begin with.

Eventually, the doors at the stand-by rooms opened as the megaphone man welcomed the gladiators into the sand ring. And Azula glanced towards Long Feng when he buried his face in his hands upon watching Toph Beifong entering the sand pit.

"Oh, I actually did forget something," she said, making Long Feng wince. "As it turns out, even if you had captured Toph now, you wouldn't have obtained a reward of any sort: her parents are in Ba Sing Se right now, and they've already reunited with her: there's no reward to claim anymore. But don't beat yourself over that, it's not like you could have possibly known as much…"

"Y-you're… you're a monster," Long Feng said, at which Azula chuckled.

"The man who sent hoards of elite earthbenders to hunt after a little girl just because he wanted power and money has called me a monster. Have I hurt your pride, Long Feng, and you can't think of how to return the favor? Because I honestly expected a clever man like you to go down with some dignity, at least…"

With that, she managed to silence him again just before the battle began.

"Will our local Savage Hook and Iron Rain defeat the fearsome Blind Bandit and Blue Wolf?! We're about to find out!" the megaphone man declared. "So get ready for the Tournament's Final Battle to begin!"

"You sure you can handle this, Dog?" Toph asked, her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, I can hold my own," said Sokka, covered in bandages as he was. He doubted he'd be able to fight properly, but he would still stand his ground. Even if the Hook or his companion managed to knock him out, Toph would still be able to win them the Tournament by herself…

"Don't get yourself into trouble, alright?" Toph said, stepping forward and cracking her knuckles. "I can handle these two non-benders without a problem."

Sokka smiled a little, hoping her cockiness would prove itself correct, before assessing their opponents. The Iron Rain was thin and tall. His hair was long and black, his nose rather large and he wore a straw hat. He carried a bow and quiver on his back, which made Sokka frown as he thought Toph wouldn't have it that easy to defeat him… yet his main concern wasn't the archer: it was the vicious Savage Hook.

Sokka remembered his fight with this man all too well. The wrath in his attacks had taken him aback at first, and only when he matched the Hook's viciousness did he manage to defeat him. This time, though, he doubted he'd be able to match the man's anger at all. The contorted snarl of utter hatred on his face made Sokka recoil and stare at him warily. Did the Hook remember him? Was that why he was even angrier than the last time they had met in an Arena.

"Long time no see, eh?" he called at the gladiator, jerking his head towards him. "Remember me?"

The Hook's snarl grew even more vicious. He could barely wait for the word that would allow him to tear apart Colonel Mongke, or who he thought was Colonel Mongke…

"START!"

The Hook roared before throwing himself at Sokka, his hooked swords in tow, but he was soon repelled by a wave of sand that rose under his feet, tossing him back and keeping him away from the Blue Wolf.

"Not on my watch, you rabid boarcupine!" Toph shouted, moving her arms as she stirred the sand in the ring. The Iron Rain jumped away from where the sand movements were strongest, and he pulled out his bow and an arrow so quickly Sokka hardly had any time to warn Toph.

"Shield us!" Sokka shouted, and on cue, the earthbender lifted a wall of sand before them. "Solidify it so the arrows can't get through to us!"

"An archer, is it…?" Toph said, nodding as she obeyed Sokka. As expected, the Iron Rain's attack failed to reach them. "How about that? Listening to what you say actually comes in handy…"

"Well, let's keep it up, then," said Sokka, smirking and then grimacing when the Hook appeared at one end of the wall Toph had procured to defend them. "Toph, watch out!"

The Blind Bandit's arms darted out towards where she sensed the Hook was, and a block of earth struck him on the chest, tossing him back again and slamming him against a nearby rock. Toph smirked at that just as the Iron Rain appeared at the opposite side of the wall, an arrow posed to attack them.

"The archer's to your left!" Sokka shouted, but he knew Toph wouldn't be able to move fast enough to attack him.

He tossed his boomerang as powerfully as he could, although the Iron Rain managed to shoot an arrow towards Toph before Sokka's weapon reached him. Toph brought forth a sturdy rock right in front of her to deflect the arrow, knocking it off-course effectively. The Iron Rain had to evade the boomerang before pulling out another arrow and aiming at Sokka now.

The Blue Wolf was currently doubled over in pain, breathing heavily after making such sudden movement to throw his boomerang. Maybe he really shouldn't have fought at all. He'd get himself killed, no doubt, if every movement sent unbearable pangs of pain through his body…

Toph tossed another rock at the Iron Rain, distracting him long enough so he wouldn't attack Sokka. Yet the Hook was right behind her…

"Ugh, for crying out loud…" she said, rolling her eyes and lowering both her hands so that a pillar underneath the Hook shot upwards, tossing him into the air.

She was a bit amused when she heard him scream, and even more amused when the Iron Rain stepped away to keep the Hook from dropping atop him. The Hook slammed into the sand and pushed himself up despite the hard fall he had taken, and he turned towards Toph with his enraged snarl after spitting on the sand.

"Well, geez, and I thought the Dog had no manners," said Toph, raising an eyebrow. "Well, guess what… I can spit too!"

Sokka grimaced when she spat even more disgustingly than the Hook before lifting the sand she had just spat on and bending it towards the Hook. With his swords in tow, the Hook tried to evade the stream of sand, but it seized him by the ankle and brought him down on the ground just as the Iron Rain busied himself with attacking Sokka.

Sokka had barely managed to catch his boomerang on its trip back to him, but he had no idea if it was wise to use it when his opponent was so skilled in ranged combat. So how was he to fight the Iron Rain…?

He wasn't supposed to fight him at all, apparently. Toph brought forth a new rock just as the archer aimed at Sokka, and her stone flew towards his bow just as he took aim…

She was actually surprised when the Iron Rain pulled out another bow after the first one was shattered, but this time it was Sokka who broke it, tossing his boomerang again – and his back ached unbearable as he threw the weapon. Sokka's attack worked this time, and the archer was rendered weaponless.

The Iron Rain procured a dagger, though, and he raced towards Sokka, who readied himself for the attack… but Toph created a wall right in front of the Iron Rain just as he was running his fastest. He slammed headfirst against it and dropped on the sand, rubbing his nose as Toph turned to deal with the Hook, who was currently attempting to slice Sokka up.

"Trying to get even for last time, huh?" Sokka asked, jumping back with difficulty before unsheathing Space Sword. "You're not going to get so lucky…"

Fighting was truly an ordeal for Sokka. He kept grimacing as he tried to parry his opponent's blows, every movement making him think he would pass out from the pain… but it wasn't long before the Blind Bandit aided him.

She procured a wall again, this time between Sokka and the Hook, and even though the latter attacked it and tore it apart with his blades, Toph still managed to bend him towards her and away from Sokka.

"Hey, wacko!" she called him. "If you want to chop him up, you'll have to get through me first!"

The Hook didn't seem to have a problem with that, though, for he lashed out at Toph rabidly again, dodging the rocks she threw at him and almost besting her for once… but a boomerang to his temple got him off track, and allowed Toph to strike him on the face with a boulder.

Toph lowered all the walls she had lifted throughout the fight, and she was ready to attack again in case her opponents got up. Sokka caught his boomerang and grimaced before approaching the Hook, to make sure he was unconscious.

The gladiator was still awake, to a certain degree, and his face contorted with rage when he looked at Sokka. The Blue Wolf knelt beside him and punched him hard on the face, rendering him unconscious for certain this time just as Toph did the same to the Iron Rain, hitting him hard with a rock.

And as soon as the countdown was over, they were the official winners of the fight. Sokka's legs gave way under him and he smiled widely, relieved to know it was over at long last as the crowds cheered around them…

"Oh, yeah! We did it! We did it!" Toph exclaimed happily, throwing her fist into the air as the megaphone man congratulated her, Sokka and their respective sponsors for their brilliant performance in the Tournament.

"And that would be all, then," said Azula, smiling just as the door of the balcony opened. "It was a delight to watch your gladiator falter in such embarrassing manner this time around. How did your fighters make it this far in the Tournament, really?"

"Long Feng probably kept handicapping his opponents before the fight to make it easier on the Savage Hook," Iroh suggested, at which Azula shrugged.

"Actually, that's quite believable…"

"Congratulations on your triumph, Princess, General," said the newest arrival to the room. Long Feng gritted his teeth upon hearing him speak. "And my condolences to you, Long Feng, and not because of the fight's result: I am here to inform you that you, and every member of the Dai Li we encountered within the premises of this building, are under arrest."

"You have no right…" Long Feng said, standing up and glaring at Tiang, who remained impassive. "You have no right!"

"I have every right," said Tiang. "The Princess and her Uncle have given testimony that the association you lead attacked them, intending to abduct General Iroh's gladiator. Most the city witnessed how the Dai Li pursued them, on top of it all, and unless the Princess's theory that links you to a conspiracy with the Rough Rhinos is somehow wrong, which seems rather unlikely, you will spend the rest of your days in prison. Will you come willingly, or will you make this more difficult, Long Feng?"

The man seemed to ponder the possibilities, but he soon dropped his head as Fire Nation soldiers filed into the balcony, prepared to restrain him. He gritted his teeth before nodding, almost unwillingly, and both him and his fellow sponsor were escorted out to the hallway without another word.

"And that's that," said Azula, with a pleased smile.

"So… it's done, eh?" said Toph down at the sand ring, smirking and approaching Sokka. "We did it, Dog!"

"Yeah, looks like we did," he replied, smiling as well. "At the end of the day, we weren't such a bad team, huh?"

"Nah, not at all," she said, chuckling. "We totally ought to do it again next time… oh, but we won't be able to. I'll probably be the top gladiator of the ranking by then and you'll still be struggling to reach the top hundred, so I guess it won't happen again at all…"

"Ahaha, aren't you cocky," said Sokka, pushing the girl as they moved towards the stand-by room, and Toph grinned before punching him. "Ow!"

"Cocky and way stronger than you, don't forget it!"

"You know, I'm hurt!"

"Oh, gee, did I hurt your feelings? Poor Dog…"

"You hurt my ARM, damn it!"

"Ah, please, you're so wounded that my punch hardly even counts! Want me to deliver some real damage?"

"Like hell I do!"

Toph laughed loudly at that, and Sokka rolled his eyes before sighing in relief. It had been way worse than anything he had expected from this trip to Ba Sing Se… but despite the conspiracies, the persecutions, the secrets and the never-ending bickering, the Pairs Tournament was finally over.