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...

219. Chapter 219: The Spirit Library 10

Innocent as they appeared, the spheres that sat in the box contained a storm within their boundaries. The Mechanist placed the box carefully on his desk, opening it slowly, ever in fear of making a mistake he might pay for heftily. He had taken to using his firefly lanterns whenever he handled the delicate inventions, knowing better than to bring any form of fire close to the highly pressurized, volatile weapons.

So far, he hadn't known how to bring up the subject to Sokka without causing another chaotic misunderstanding: he hadn't finished the bombs to hand them to the Fire Nation, after all. He trusted the Princess had no nefarious purposes in mind, but he wasn't sure of what was her stance when it came to the war: she had allowed him and Sokka to get away with their initial sabotaging of the bomb-crafting, and she had even helped the Mechanist find a certain sort of freedom by putting a stop to War Minister Qin. She wasn't likely to think these bombs would be a great asset if she hadn't pressed for their creation, was she?

Yet now that he knew what he knew, the Mechanist couldn't help but wonder if she had held back because of Sokka. If, due to her feelings for him, she had decided to forsake her father's orders just that one time. Had she done it again ever since? They didn't receive much news in the Northern Air Temple of what took place in the Fire Nation Capital, so if that was the case, he had no idea… was she more loyal to her lover than to her father, then? Or was it, perhaps, not a matter of loyalties… but of morality? If the Princess had convictions of her own, beliefs she stood for… then perhaps the bombs wouldn't be misused, and the Fire Lord would never even know they existed.

There were three finished dispersers right next to the box: the pollen the Princess and her gladiator had gathered had only allowed them to create enough of the substance for six dispersers – of which they had already spent three during the tests. Sokka would drop by to collect the available dispersers now, just before they took off: the dragon had returned on the previous day and, after a night's rest, he was ready to travel back to Ba Sing Se in the morning. As much as they had been rather busy in the days they had spent in the Northern Air Temple, the three travelers would be missed all the same. After the general shock and terror Rhone and his group had caused, Azula and Sokka had been the most welcome visitors they could have hoped to host.

Before he could ponder the situation any further, the soft knock on his door alerted the Mechanist of Sokka's arrival. The tall gladiator smiled kindly at him, as he ever did, as he strode into the office.

"We're ready to take off" he announced.

"Wonderful" said the Mechanist, grinning "Here are your three dispersers, I've spent all the pollen as it is…"

"Yeah, that's fine. Just one would've been enough, I think, but I'm grateful to have more anyhow" Sokka said, picking up one of the small weapons: it fit nicely in his hand, though he knew he wouldn't spend too long holding them, if he ever needed to use them.

"That isn't quite everything I have for you, however…" said the Mechanist, dubitative… yet he didn't want to keep the truth from Sokka this time. He had to believe he could trust him… and that he could trust the woman the gladiator loved, too.

"Huh?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows "Did you finish the snack hat, by any chance?"

"Uh… no. I didn't have enough time to do that" the Mechanist admitted, laughing softly "That's… no, that's not it. It's something much more dangerous, I suppose…"

"Dangerous for whom…?" Sokka asked, the corners of his mouth twisting downwards now.

The Mechanist breathed deeply before opening the box he had left on the table. Sokka glanced at it with cautious curiosity, but his lips parted when he recognized the design: his smoke bombs looked the same, more often than not. Yet the container of these bombs was colored red instead… his brow drew together as he leaned closer, only for the Mechanist to clasp his shoulder and reel him back.

"Careful, now" he warned Sokka, who blinked blankly "They're… well, delicate"

"What did you do this time…?" Sokka asked, his voice small and wary.

"What I was supposed to do, the last time" the Mechanist admitted, with a sigh "I know you must think I shouldn't have, if War Minister Qin found out I succeeded at making useful bombs he will likely lash out at me, but…"

"You… you made them?!" Sokka asked, his jaw dropping. The Mechanist shrugged.

"Well… yes" he said "You had already built prototypes, I had the blueprints for the design as it was. And the Princess suggested using the gas for the bombs… well, remember I said I added that pipeline so that I could use the gas? This was the first, and so far, only use I've given it…"

"B-but why would you…?" Sokka whimpered nervously, eyeing the six red bombs as though they were already about to detonate. The Mechanist stroked his beard.

"Curiosity, on the most part" he admitted "But frankly, I… I thought perhaps it could be useful, as long as it didn't fall into the wrong hands. Yours, I hope, are the right hands…?"

"Woah! Y-you want to give these to me?! W-why would I…?"

"What if there's no control at all? If I made those bombs with the gas in them… I wouldn't control the way the gas behaves at all. But if I toss it near him, just as he's firebending…"

His own words returned to him, as he realized he'd pondered this possibility before, not that long ago, too. So much had happened since his conversation with Azula about how to prepare for dealing with Toph and Combustion Man, once the time came… he had been so busy figuring out how to fight back against Toph he had disregarded the behemoth of a firebender altogether. Surely the disperser would work against him too… but the disperser required getting close to the man. Would it ever be safe to be in close quarters with Combustion Man? It wasn't very likely, especially considering the combustion bender would be extra-guarded against Sokka ever since he had cut off his prosthetic hand.

These bombs might be the solution. They might even be the only solution against an opponent like Combustion Man.

"I understand if you don't need them" the Mechanist said, smiling sadly "But I admit, having a chance to use that gas for something was a relief, to a fault. Any mistakes down there, any sparks… there's no telling if the explosion will destroy the place that's become our home. It could even kill us, right? So…"

"The more you use of it, the more you'll deplete the reserve, and the lesser the risk" Sokka recited, and the Mechanist nodded "Surely there's some harmless ways to use it, though, right? Or, well, less harmful than this?"

"I don't know. I can't really think of any just yet" the Mechanist said, folding his arms over his chest. Sokka sighed.

"I'll try to come up with an idea, then. For your sake, and your people's. But, for now…"

The Mechanist was surprised when Sokka reached for the bombs, lightly touching them with his fingertips. The younger man swallowed dryly before closing the box and turning to the Mechanist, determination in his gaze.

"You really meant to give these to me?"

"Well… yes. You're a fighter, I hoped maybe you'd have some use for them in combat, perhaps" said the Mechanist, with an innocent shrug "If not, then you can use them to test whatever other ideas you come up with for volatile gas uses, right?"

"Right" Sokka said, breathing deeply "Well, then, if you mean that… I'll take these with me"

"You… you would?" the Mechanist said, smiling in relief "Here I thought you'd be horrified!"

"I'm not as much horrified as I am confused and blown away" Sokka admitted, smiling awkwardly "Rest assured, though, I won't go off on you like I did that time. If anything, I should promise you that these bombs won't end up in Fire Nation hands, right?"

"Ah, yes. I'd appreciate that" the Mechanist said, nodding promptly "Also, well… will the Princess want to make use of them, if she finds out I've finished them?"

"What?" Sokka asked. The Mechanist flinched.

"Just… well, I wasn't sure what to make of her anymore, I know she's a good person, better than… than anyone else from her nation, at least, than those I've met so far" the Mechanist said, and Sokka smiled again. How he wished Azula had been here to hear someone other than Sokka himself saying those words… "Yet after we found out you two are involved, I wondered if… if she is truly against the war, or if perhaps she just wants what's best for you while still being loyal to her nation and her father, or if maybe I'm not understanding anything at all…"

"Well, you're understanding parts of it at a time, seems to me" Sokka said, smiling fondly into the distance "The truth is, Azula has changed a lot since I first met her. By now, I can safely say she's loyal to her nation, yet she no longer believes her father unequivocally knows what's best for the world, or even what's best for his people. She wants the war to be over, for sure… she wants people like me to be free. So, rest assured: I'll tell her about these bombs, and she'll never want them used in the North Pole or elsewhere. She didn't want that to happen back when we first came here, she wants it even less these days"

"Huh…" said the Mechanist, smiling slowly "Well, that's a relief to hear. I mean, I had hoped… but I didn't know for sure if she was truly as good a person as that! Oh, that's wonderful to know, Sokka, truly"

"She's a better person than anyone knows. Better than she wants to admit to herself, for sure" Sokka smiled before moving to pick up the box "Okay, then… I suppose I ought to handle this with care?"

"Ah, of course" said the Mechanist, as Sokka lifted it cautiously, slowly "And, well, I don't know if you'll use them or not, but if you ever do and you need to restock on bombs, let me know! I'll prepare them for you, and whenever you can drop by on another trip, they'll be ready for you"

"Heh. That'd be very handy. Thanks" Sokka said, grinning and patting the Mechanist's shoulder gently "No idea if I'll ever need more of the volatile gas bombs or the pollen disperser, but even if I don't, I hope Azula and I can come by again sometime and visit you guys for longer than a week, maybe"

"Ah, we'll be thrilled to host you, as we were this time" the Mechanist said, accompanying Sokka as he walked towards the door.

"And, uh… I promise you won't catch us stealing food or doing anything else in your cellar if we do come back" Sokka mumbled shyly, prompting the Mechanist to laugh louder than Sokka had heard him laugh ever before.

After collecting the weapons the Mechanist had provided him with, Sokka and the inventor walked together to the courtyard where Xin Long and Azula waited: the Princess was chatting amicably with Teo and a few of the refugees while Sokka approached, and her face brightened visibly once she glimpsed him at the building's threshold, striding towards her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I'm here, I'm here" Sokka said, hastily rushing towards the many bags they'd be strapping to Xin Long's saddle shortly.

The dragon welcomed him with a friendly groan: he was already fully dressed in his armor and saddle, and as much as he claimed to have rested well, Azula had no doubts he would take many long naps on the Barge's deck on their way to Yu Dao. His trip back and forth between the dragon's cavern and the Temple had been exhilarating – he had learned more about how to communicate with the other dragons, and they had shared their lifestyle with him for two days – but exhausting. Even the enthusiastic flurry of thoughts he sent to his rider were often sidetracked when he failed to focus, his mind clouded with the temptation to fall asleep.

"Are you ready to go, Xin? Really?" Azula asked, patting her dragon's horn gently. Xin Long huffed and nodded stubbornly "If you need a few more hours of rest you can have them, you know…?"

And then they'd arrive in Ba Sing Se so late that Rui Shi might take the guards to the Temple through that weird metal-snail-like vehicle she had used, on their first visit to the Temple. It'd cause unnecessary delays and problems, and Xin Long wouldn't stand for it. He stubbornly stood on his four paws, rearing up his head in a display of magnificence, and Azula sighed but smiled before leaning down to pick up one of the bags.

"Hey, hey! No heavy lifting for the wounded Princess, how many times must I say so?" Sokka yanked the bag out of Azula's hands, prompting her to roll her eyes. Still, she offered no resistance and backed down, glancing at the package Sokka had only just collected at the Mechanist's office: strangely, he was carrying a box, but the three dispersers weren't inside it. She crooked an eyebrow.

"What's the point in bringing a box with you if you're not going to put the dispersers in it?" she asked. Sokka smiled awkwardly.

"The box's already full" he said.

"Oh? Did he manage to make that many of them?" Azula asked, but Sokka shook his head.

"It's, uh… something else"

"What, is it your beloved snack hat, then?" she asked. Sokka pouted.

"I hoped it might be, but… no" he sighed, prompting Azula to laugh softly "Might be he'll have finished it the next time we drop by, right?"

"Who knows" Azula shrugged, watching Sokka placing the weapons and box in one of their bags with utmost care.

He strapped it to the back of the saddle, binding it tighter than everything else, and once their entire luggage was safely loaded onto Xin Long's saddle, Sokka proceeded to offer his hand to Azula before she dared hoist herself onto her seat without assistance. Azula smiled teasingly at him for his diligence, her fingers squeezing his gently before she climbed onto her dragon's back with his help.

"It was awesome seeing you guys again" Teo said, beaming as Sokka followed Azula, throwing one leg over Xin Long's saddle and settling behind the Princess "Hopefully you can bring the others the next time you come, too?"

"Well, if we all have the time for it, sure" Azula said, smiling at Teo "Thank you for having us as well, especially on such short notice. And… well, I can't promise I'll be able to come to your aid right away if Rhone and his people reappear, but if you can send word to us in the Fire Nation, or to Governor Tiang in Ba Sing Se, we will make sure to send aid as soon as possible"

"Thank you, Princess" Teo said, smiling enthusiastically "You really think Ba Sing Se's governor could help?"

"I'll instruct him to do as much, so yes, I think so" Azula nodded.

"Thank you, Princess" said the Mechanist, bowing his head towards her "I hope that won't be necessary, but if it were, we're very grateful for your support and generosity"

"We ought to be the ones saying that" Azula smiled, nodding "Take care, all of you"

"Let's hope we meet again soon" Sokka grinned, waving as Xin Long breathed in, gathering his strength to take off "Bye!"

Azula waved as well, as did the Mechanist, Teo and the refugees once Xin Long took off. The dragon kicked hard and fast into the air, hoping to pick up enough speed to reach the Earth Kingdom city with time enough to spare for a proper, long nap.

"And off we go…" Sokka said, gazing at the shrinking temple in the distance with a nostalgic grin.

They had first visited it in the early days of their consummated relationship: it was the first place where Azula had admitted, without any intoxicating substances involved, that she loved him. It was where their dream had been consolidated, where they had vowed to change a world that wouldn't allow them to be together. They had meant to stay true to their loyalties to their nations and each other, without sacrificing either thing…

By now, such promises seemed to have been fulfilled and warped simultaneously, and Sokka could only chuckle at the realization: neither Azula nor him had asked the other to choose their love over their nations… yet it seemed they both kept doing exactly that, every single time it came down to making a choice. His arms looped around her waist as he rested with his chin on her shoulder, reasoning that someday, they would be so successful at changing their world that making such a choice would no longer be a concern. They had already started to change it, after all: they had much work left to do, but as physically exhausted as they were, Sokka could only look forward to what the future would bring.

"So… what's in the box?" Azula asked, not bothering to conceal her curiosity once she interrupted Sokka's train of thought.

"Ah, the box" Sokka said, tensing up immediately. He had done his best to place the bombs safely, so they wouldn't be triggered if any accidents occurred, but just remembering how dangerous they were supposed to be was enough to dissipate his leisurely thoughts "Turns out the Mechanist is too dutiful and takes suggestions a bit too seriously…"

"What suggestion do you mean?" Azula asked, finding his hands with her own.

"The one you gave him when we first came here… about the pipeline, and the volatile gas?" Sokka said. Azula frowned.

"What?" she turned to glance at him, confused "Why would he…? And what does that have to do with the box, anyhow?"

"He gave me six bombs of compressed volatile gas" Sokka finally revealed, and Azula's eyes widened, her jaw dropping "I know, I know, it's dangerous as heck, and I'm worried too, but… they're supposed to be for my personal use, or so. He thought I might want to have them, and considering I might have to fight Combustion Man eventually, then yeah, I guess I could use them? Though… I'm worried it won't end well, you know? It's pretty dangerous stuff to work with…"

"It is" Azula agreed, uncertain.

"He told me I could use them for whatever purpose I felt like using them, and if I came up with something good to do with volatile gas that wasn't as harmful as this, I should let him know" Sokka said, with a shy grin "So I might not even end up using them against Combustion Man in the end. But the Mechanist does seem to realize how dangerous that gas deposit under the mountain can be, so…"

"He's trying to reduce the amount of gas little by little" Azula guessed, her lips pressed into a tight line "I can't blame him for that, of course… but you will have to keep those bombs well-hidden, Sokka. If you use them against Combustion Man, well… damn"

"You think it'd be dangerous for me?" Sokka asked, and Azula shrugged.

"For you, the audience… and the world, frankly" she said. Sokka frowned "I'm sorry, I hadn't even thought of this until now, I know we'd talked about this possibility before and I was all for it, but I just realized… if you're seen fighting with a volatile gas bomb, word of it might reach my father, especially if Zhao is there – as he should be, if you'll use this against his fighter"

"And… oh, shit" Sokka said, groaning and dropping his head on her shoulder fully. Azula sighed.

"It's okay, no harm has been done yet" she said, patting his cheek gently "I mean… you could use them in a subtle way too, perhaps? If you throw it so fast, or paired with a smoke bomb, people might assume it's just Combustion Man's powers gone out of control…? Perhaps?"

"I'll have to think about it" Sokka mumbled, raising his head slightly as he pouted "Every solution has consequences, huh?"

"I'm afraid so" Azula sighed, leaning back to kiss his cheek "But we always find a way to figure out our predicaments, don't we?"

"Yeah. You're a genius that way, after all" he said, beaming and tightening his embrace around her. Azula snorted.

"And here I thought you were the genius…" she smiled. Sokka snickered.

"Say, what did our favorite dragon tell you about his big trip?" he asked "Anything fun to share? Such as the names of the dragons, by any chance…?"

Azula laughed but complied with retelling everything Xin Long had conveyed to her earlier. Xin Long chimed in with the occasional grunt and correction, and he even remembered a few stories he had wanted to share but forgotten to earlier, leaving Azula to regale Sokka with them as Xin Long conveyed the thoughts to her mind. Busy remembering his great experience with his fellow dragons – fishing in the water pond, exploring the depths of the cavern with the little ones, watching one of the eggs twitching, heralding that soon there would be a new dragon in the group –, Xin Long managed to stay sound and awake through their trip, and with each tall mountain peak they passed by, they came closer to their destination: the double-walled city of Ba Sing Se.

Within the Palace walls, the Imperial Guards were, once again, disheartened and worried. They were supposed to take off to Yu Dao by the next morning, but as usual, the Princess and her vague schedule were impossible to predict. Traveling all the way to the Northern Air Temple hardly seemed appealing due to the difficulties found in the trip – they'd take at least three days' worth of traveling back and forth on the train-tank if they took off today. They were busy debating what to do, hoping to avoid preparing for a trip that they might not need to make – as it was when they expected to rescue them in the Si Wong Desert –, but constantly worried about how to gauge what the Princess might need of them, especially when she had been out of sight for nearly a whole week now.

"I'd like to visit Teo, no lie there" Fei Li was saying, lounging on the floor of the sitting room they'd picked for the evening. Some of the others sat on couches, others on cushions, much like himself "But the Princess ought to arrive just on time, right? So, if we take off now, it might be a waste…"

"She does hate impunctuality" Taro recited, nodding sagely.

"With our track record, we probably ought to start packing up for the journey only for her to show up just when we're ready to leave" Tai Wei suggested, eliciting a few laughs from the group "It's what happened the last time, right?"

"Admittedly, the trip to the Desert was more worrisome" Rui Shi said, sighing "But this one would take us much longer, if we had to go after them"

"Well, I think Taro might be right" Song chimed in – she had spent most her days with Rui Shi whenever she couldn't be with her mother. He was as good as on vacation while Azula was gone, enabling them to spend many leisurely days together. By now, the guards were so used to her presence she fit perfectly smoothly amongst the many firebenders "I'm sure the Princess won't want to be late… so maybe just be a little more patient? Something might have delayed them, I guess…"

"I guess so, but if that's the case, she ought to send us a bird" Fei Li pouted "What'd you think we should do, Rui Shi?"

"Why are you asking me?" Rui Shi retorted, and Fei Li huffed.

"C'mon, as much as I'm the Captain everyone knows I'm just… the fake captain until you can get the role back, or whatever" Fei Li mumbled, pouting. Rui Shi failed to hold back a smile.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any promotions into captaincy anytime soon" he said "You ought to be more confident in your leadership, Fei Li"

"B-but I'm not a leader! Never was, never will be!" Fei Li squeaked "Everyone else in the group would be better off as the leader than me!"

"You can say that again…" Haoren mused, and Fei Li shot him a dirty glare.

"You're supposed to say 'Oh, that's not true, Fei Li! You've done a great job so far!', Haoren!" he pouted "Why're you so eager to pick a fight with me all the damn time, you rascal?"

"You make it too easy. Especially when you point out your own flaws as you always do" Haoren shrugged "Isn't it better of me to agree with the Captain than oppose his words…?"

"Why, you…!" Fei Li huffed, raising a tight fist at the man: Haoren wasn't fazed, and as much as he betrayed no overt amusement, it was clear he ever enjoyed tormenting the hot-headed captain as he did.

"You guys probably just need to get your minds off this matter for a while" Song said, shaking her head "I'd say… wait until sundown to make a decision? Maybe?"

"Well, that sounds reasonable" Rui Shi said, and Fei Li jumped.

"Wait… I thought you were the one who knew best, Rui Shi" said Fei Li, stroking his chin as he scrutinized his former captain with sharp eyes "But if you agree with her decisions… does this mean Song is the true mastermind behind the Imperial Guards?!"

"Huh?" Song said, eyes wide "I'm not a mastermind behind anything, that was only an idea!"

"True, and your idea is wiser than anything Fei Li has said for hours" Rui Shi said, nodding. Fei Li gasped, his eyebrow twitching, and only now did Haoren smirk, pleased to hear someone else making fun of their captain too "Perhaps you're not the mastermind, but you should be"

"What?!" Song exclaimed, her face reddening as Rui Shi grinned at her "I couldn't possibly…"

"Captain Song! Has a nice ring to it!" Taro declared, as the young woman groaned and buried her face in her hands "W-what? It does!"

"You'd be a better captain and leader than any of us could hope to be" Rui Shi insisted, smiling warmly at her. Song grimaced and raised her head again, awkward and embarrassed.

"I… I think I'll just go get you guys some tea. Then maybe you'll remember a non-bending Earth Kingdom girl has no place being captain of a squad of Imperial Firebenders…" she said, pushing herself up as the guards groaned in disagreement.

"You'd do great, though!"

"I'd follow you…"

"Better than Fei Li, no doubt"

"HEY!"

Laughter followed as Song left the room, but as she closed the door behind her, she gazed at Rui Shi with a gentle smile. He returned it briefly and continued to smile the same way even after the woman he loved was out of sight.

The other ten men within the room didn't miss on the lovestruck expression borne by their former leader, especially the current leader. It took Rui Shi a moment to realize most eyes were on him, and he cleared his throat quickly, trying to will the blood off his cheeks while he remained under their scrutiny.

"W-what is it…?" he asked.

"Just… you're so happy with her, Rui Shi" Fei Li said, sighing "I want a girlfriend too…"

"Surely Rui Shi would say you'll have a hard time finding one as good as Song" Taro said, beaming.

"Well, yes, he would…" Rui Shi agreed shyly, arms folded as he sank into the couch he had been sharing with Song.

"Heh, if you're so sure about her you ought to marry her already, get her off the market for good" Fei Li said, smirking mischievously…

Without expecting that his words, for once, would be taken so seriously by his entire group.

"Oh! That's a thought!" said Taro, raising his eyebrows.

"She certainly looks like the ideal wife" Jianghuo said, tapping his chin "If I were in your place, Rui Shi, I'd have asked a long time ago"

"He ought to follow his heart" Qiang said, nodding sagely.

"He's been doing that all along, hasn't he?" Fei Li grinned.

"Well, Song's a catch for sure" Tai Wei smiled at Rui Shi "You ought to consider it, at least"

Stunned by the support of his comrades, Rui Shi remained silent at first as the idea crystalized in his head. Asking Song to marry him…? Things between them had been improving constantly, that was for sure, but could he marry her? Relationships and marriages were highly discouraged in Imperial Guards, for the obvious reasons. Should he disregard all such reservations? He had as good as assumed that, by the time he was ready to make such an important decision, he ought to find another job so he could be Song's husband without anything to hold him back…

"It's… it's probably too hasty to do it yet" Rui Shi said, and the guards groaned and huffed in disagreement.

"You've been dating her for over a year" Shuren recited quietly, and Wuhan, beside him, nodded.

"She gets along well with everyone you know, doesn't she?" Han said "That's not something you should take for granted, you know. A problematic girlfriend would make your life pretty miserable, and she's as far from one as can be…"

"I know all that, it's only…"

One member of their group suddenly pushed himself up to his feet, and the conversation fell silent instantly. Rui Shi raised his eyebrows and followed Renkai as the man strode towards the door: to this day, Renkai still felt like an outsider to the group more often than not. It would seem the subject they were debating had only bored him…

"There's no better chance to ask her to marry you than now"

All wary eyes widened: no one expected those words to come from Renkai's lips, if any did at all. The man stared keenly at Rui Shi, with one hand on the doorknob.

"What do you mean…?" Taro asked him, blinking blankly.

"I mean… her only parent is here" Renkai said, shrugging "He has the chance to ask for her hand in marriage the proper way. Sounds like something that'd suit Rui Shi, right?"

A collective gasp rushed through the room, as Rui Shi's cheeks only reddened further. Renkai nodded solemnly in his direction before pushing the door open.

"W-wait, you're not going to find her mom now, are you?!" Fei Li asked, grimacing "He has to prepare first, he must figure out what to say…!"

"I… was only going to the bathroom" Renkai answered, stunning Fei Li cold and prompting others to laugh "I'll be back shortly"

Fei Li smiled awkwardly as the rest of the group playfully teased him for his ever-reckless behavior. Rui Shi remained on his seat, though, surprised by Renkai's suggestion and, most of all, surprised by how his heart yearned to make it a reality. He was right: there was no better chance to do this than now. Surely they wouldn't be able to marry right away, scarcely anyone could do that, as far as he knew… but if they could plan ahead, perhaps they could hold the ceremony within a year, maybe a few months. And then…

Resolve burned within his chest before he knew it. This was right. They had talked about marriage before, and he knew Song wasn't against the idea: if anything, she always seemed shy but interested. Perhaps she would like to be his wife… Rui Shi knew he'd love to be her husband.

Her husband. How on earth hadn't he thought of doing this sooner?

It was his turn to surprise everyone when he jumped to his feet, and he smiled reassuringly at them.

"I… I'll be back later" he said.

"You're not going to the bathroom too, are you?" Fei Li asked, but Rui Shi shook his head.

"No, not the bathroom. I'm going to, well…" he said, stopping at the door as he wondered if he ought to say his intent outright. Something strange seemed to hold him back, nerves, perhaps… but he swallowed hard and said: "I'll let you guys know how it goes"

The nine men left behind watched him leave, and then were left to stare at the closed door in amazed awe. By now, all pessimistic thoughts of the Princess's prolonged absence were long removed from their minds.

"He's gonna do it?" Fei Li said, a slow, confused smile spreading over his lips. Haoren smiled.

"Seems like it. Our former Captain sure has guts"

"He does, he…! Hey, your current Captain does too! Shut the heck up, Haoren!"

The promised fight between the ever-at-odds guards wasn't as important to everyone else as Rui Shi's venture was, however: could he get Myeung's approval? As much as he was the ideal son-in-law in many ways, would an Earth Kingdom woman agree to see her daughter marrying a Fire Nation soldier…? Rui Shi couldn't know for sure… but he was about to find out.

---

"Is everything alright, Song?" Myeung asked her daughter, who had stopped by the kitchen in the middle of one of her mother's shifts.

"Well, yes, in general… I'm just worried about Sokka and the Princess" she admitted, biting her lip as she watched her mother work carefully, seasoning the vegetables she was grilling "They're not really late yet, but they might be if they don't show up by tonight or tomorrow morning, and… well, things could get tricky if something happened to them. I really hope nothing did, but she's wounded, and…"

"I see" said Myeung, biting her lip.

"I thought I'd find some tea for the guards, they seem pretty worried too" said Song, and her cheeks flushed "B-but then they were joking around, saying I ought to be their leader and I… well, it's silly, it doesn't make any sense, right? But Rui Shi smiled at me and, w-well, he just…"

"Yes?" said Myeung, as Song fiddled with her fingers.

"He looked so proud of me. Like… like he's really happy I've found a place amongst them. I mean, I am too, b-but I don't know why I feel so silly when he smiles like that. I just want to… I, uh…"

"What, do things to him that you shouldn't tell your mother about?" Myeung asked, beaming mischievously as Song's fluster only worsened.

"M-mom! That's not…! I didn't mean that!" Song complained, as her mother laughed with abandon.

"I'm no spring picken, child, I know you've shared rooms with him through your visits in Ba Sing Se!" she said. Song groaned and buried her face in her hands for the second time that day – not that it helped, for her ears were just as red as her cheeks, and those were still in plain sight.

"T-that's not the point, I said…" she whispered in a weak voice. Now it seemed running to her mother for respite from her prior embarrassment had been a most dreadful idea…

Myeung laughed, raising a hand to pat her daughter's shoulder, when she noticed someone's shadow blocked out the light that drifted through the open kitchen door. With a quick glance, she found the very man they were discussing was standing right there.

"Ah, Rui Shi!" she exclaimed, and Song jumped "Were you looking for my daughter?"

"Well… not just for her" Rui Shi said, smiling as he entered the kitchen. Many of the workers ignored him, though a few of the older women couldn't help but sigh after the handsome firebender passed them by "Can you spare a moment, Myeung? I… I have something I'd like to talk about with the both of you"

"Oh?" Myeung said, her hand still holding the utensils with which she was scrambling the vegetables "Why… I can't see why not. Would you like to talk to Rui Shi, Song?"

"U-uh, well, I always do…" Song mumbled shyly, biting her lip. Rui Shi smiled back and nodded, surprising Song by not reaching for her hand, as he often did. One glance at him, however, revealed his own was trembling. Why? What did he have to be nervous about?

Once Myeung asked another cook to look after her vegetables, Rui Shi led them out of the kitchen and to a nearby tearoom, despite they didn't have anything to drink. Myeung asked if she ought to remedy that, but Rui Shi shook his head and ushered her to take her seat at one of the cushions by the low table. He sat across her, and Song took her seat between him and her mother.

"Well, uh… I probably ought to have pondered what I'd say some more" Rui Shi acknowledged, smiling awkwardly "But it's best to be forthright with these matters, I'm sure"

"Rui Shi…?" Song said, raising her eyebrows "Y-you're not about to ask my mother if I can become the leader of the Imperial Firebenders, are you?"

"W-well, no, that's not it" Rui Shi said, and Song sighed in relief "You'd do fine in the role, but…"

"I wouldn't!"

"You underestimate yourself" Rui Shi laughed "But I understand your apprehension. That's not why I brought you both here, though…"

"Then do tell, Rui Shi" said Myeung, smiling encouragingly. He swallowed hard.

"In all these years, through my life, I… I have mostly just taken to living in the moment, occasionally pondering the future, never giving it as much thought as I should have" he said, his hands on his knees, his legs crossed "But ever since my relationship with Song began, thoughts of the future became more important. I've faced a few difficulties, fearing I might lose… well, a lot of things, but in every possibility, I always took for granted that she'd be with me, and I'd be with her. That… that we would be with each other, for good"

"W-well… what's wrong with that idea?" Song asked, blushing still, though Rui Shi's words sounded ominous to her ears. Was he saying he shouldn't have behaved that way? That he shouldn't have wanted to be with her for good? Yet that smile that played with the corners of his lips suggested he had something good in mind… even if Song wasn't quite sure of what it was just yet.

"Simply that it… it should be more than just an idea" Rui Shi said, and now his eyes were set on her alone.

Time seemed to freeze in place, for Song had never seen Rui Shi smiling so warmly, so brightly before. She couldn't quite understand what he'd said right away, and the meaning of his words sank in moments later, after she had gazed at him for longer than she realized.

"That means…?" Song said: thoughts were difficult to compose with her mind rushing as it was, when her chest suddenly felt so full of emotions she couldn't even keep track of…

"It means… I would like to ask Myeung to give us her blessing" Rui Shi said, turning towards the older woman now before bowing deeply, as was appropriate in this situation "Ultimately, it is up to Song to decide whether she wishes to wed me or not… but, if she were to agree to it, would you accept me as your son-in-law?"

Song covered her mouth with her hands, struggling to hold back the disbelief that threatened to do away with her. Why? Where had this come from? She had no warning, no idea…! But he said it would be up to her. He asked Myeung for her approval, but he would wait until Song was ready, from the sound of it. It wasn't the first time their potential marriage had been brought up by either of them… but never before had Rui Shi spoken of it as candidly, as seriously, as he did right now. And while Song could give reality very little credit – for how could she have ever become so fortunate? –, her mother was smiling and clapping excitedly before Song could register what was happening.

"Oh, you're such a charming young man, Rui Shi!" Myeung laughed, smiling fondly at him "How could I not approve? You've given my daughter no end of happiness, and you even brought us together! If there is a man in this world who would be worthy of my daughter, I'm sure it's you!"

Rui Shi's grin widened further, and a few disbelieving, relieved laughs left his lips. To his utmost delight, Song had laughed softly as well, though he thought he could see tears blinking in the corners of her eyes.

"I… I'm grateful" Rui Shi said, bowing down towards Myeung once more "Becoming part of this family is the greatest honor I've been presented. Thank you. Even if I'm not your daughter's husband yet, I promise I will cherish her more and more with every day that I spend by her side. Thank you again…"

"Oh, but you… you have to ask her now, don't you?" Myeung said, prompting Rui Shi to jerk his head up promptly.

"W-well, I…" he said, glancing at Song "I had thought, well… maybe she wasn't ready for a proposal yet, since she looked so apprehensive, but…"

But her large, brown eyes gleamed, and not just because of the tears that shone in them. What was shining through them was expectation, and she hardly knew how to contain it. She wouldn't have enough just with her mother's permission and approval to marry Rui Shi: she wanted to hear those words directly from him.

He swallowed hard, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he composed the words in his mind, over and over again, trying to find the right way to convey his thoughts and wishes… but nothing smart or suave enough came to mind. He only laughed after a moment, shaking his head before smiling fondly at Song. He reached a hand to take hers, and she took it, their fingers trembling once again.

"I'll just come out and say it, then" he said, breathing deeply to still his flaring inner fire, his savagely beating heart "Do you wish to marry me?"

Her chest heaved more with each breath she took. Before long she was smiling wildly, and the tears that blinked in Song's eyes streamed down her cheeks as she laughed in disbelieving amazement. She couldn't seem to utter any words, try as though she might, and she laughed as she brought his hand to her lips. Myeung smiled as she watched her daughter and her future husband: she had feared her daughter might never experience the pure happiness she had found with the Fire Nation soldier. Their relationship had been a miracle, one Myeung knew Song would cherish deeply for as long as she lived.

Rui Shi chuckled, raising his free hand to caress her hair before Song lunged forward, throwing her arms around him with enough strength to knock them both to the floor, laughing in delight as they embraced each other tightly.

"Ah, to be young and careless" Myeung said, smiling affectionately and shaking her head.

"I… I'm sorry, I forgot how to speak for a minute, I…" Song said, laughing and crying at the same time as Rui Shi cradled her in his arms, beaming brightly.

"I think I forgot too, after you tackled me like that" he chuckled. Song groaned and gripped him tighter.

"Sorry, I was overexcited and… oh, Rui Shi, you asked me to marry you, and…!"

"And you still haven't quite said yes" Rui Shi whispered in her ear, with unusual mischief. Song jumped "Doesn't really work to give an implicit answer in this situation, you see…"

"W-well, it's obvious enough, of course I'd marry you!" Song exclaimed, and Rui Shi laughed with far more abandon and honesty than ever before "You barely even had to ask, I've always thought that…! T-that if you ever asked, of course I'd say yes! How on earth could I ever…? Oh, you're too much for me, Rui Shi…"

She buried her face in his chest, laughing again as he held her closely, his heart soaring. Perhaps he should have said it more eloquently, asked in a much more elegant manner… but if he had, would he be quite as happy as he was right now? Suddenly it became much easier to understand why Sokka and Azula had become so utterly hopeless at hiding their relationship after their secret wedding: how could such pure joy ever be controlled, contained, hidden away? He wanted to do no such thing. As far as he was concerned, he would gladly share his happiness with the entire world, for he knew no one had ever seen a sight as beautiful as the smile of the woman he loved. A smile he would spend the rest of his life ensuring would remain on her face, for as long as possible.

Right outside the room, a group of off-duty guards lurked, hoping to listen in on the conversation that was now finished. Renkai came across them on his way to the sitting room from the bathroom, and he frowned at the sight of his comrades, pressed against the wall, hoping to catch any of what had transpired within the small tearoom.

"What's going on?" he asked, startling the whole group and alerting those within the room of their presence.

"Renkai!" Fei Li scolded him, pouting, as the rest of the guards stood upright, glancing at the door warily.

Instead of an angry Rui Shi, meaning to scold them for lurking and snooping into his personal business, a short, old woman stepped out of the room, smiling brightly:

"It's decided: my daughter will marry Rui Shi!" she announced.

Most of the guards cheered loudly enough for Rui Shi and Song to overhear them, still lying down together in the room as they were. Some merely gasped, while others clapped excitedly. Rui Shi couldn't stop laughing, covering his face with a hand.

"They're a bunch of gossips, the whole lot of them…" he laughed, as Song chuckled as well against his chest.

Merely a few hours had drifted by after the grand announcement when Xin Long descended on the Palace grounds, right outside his temporary refuge. As expected, he was exhausted, and Azula and Sokka climbed off his back at haste, relieving him from the bags, saddle and armor with some help from nearby Palace guards.

"Get some rest, Xin" Azula said, stroking her dragon's mane as he sank into the bed of hay that had been crafted in his temporary refuge "You'll have an easier day tomorrow. And I'll have lots of food sent to you, alright?"

The dragon groaned in agreement, grinning before closing his eyes and breathing out slowly. He was exhausted enough to fall asleep by the time Azula stepped out of the refuge: she found there was still no trace of any of her guards nearby, even after about half an hour since their arrival.

"Strange" she said, raising her eyebrows "The last time we came back they had been about to take off to find us, and this time they're nowhere around?"

"Might be Fei Li got them all entangled in a Mahjong game and they're too focused to remember we exist" Sokka suggested, with a shrug. Azula snorted and shook her head.

"Grand job they're doing as guards, if so" she said, amused, before turning to the Palace guards "Can you perhaps help us bring the luggage inside? Doesn't seem we'll have any other assistance, so…"

The men responded positively right away, and with Sokka guiding them – and carrying the delicate bag with the volatile gas bombs – they entered the Palace, depositing the many bags in Sokka and Azula's rooms respectively. It was only once they were finished that someone other than the Palace guards seemed to notice their arrival:

"Princess!" Jin exclaimed, gasping as she sighted Azula and Sokka in their rooms' hallway "Oh, goodness, you arrived! That's great, you're on time for the feast…!"

"Feast? You're throwing a feast because we arrived on time?" Sokka asked, grinning goofily "Sounds good to me!"

"Might be because of something more important than that, you know?" Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"Well… yeah, I mean, I guess we could celebrate both things" Jin chuckled "But it's really because Myeung's daughter got engaged and Myeung was adamant that we celebrated properly, so…"

"Ah, makes sense" Sokka said, smiling easily… until the words sank in, both for him and Azula "Wait, WHAT?!"

"He didn't" Azula said, a disbelieving grin spreading over her face "Rui Shi actually asked her to…?"

"He got Myeung's permission first, it was so gentlemanly of him" Jin said "It's wonderful, isn't it? I hope you're not too tired to join in"

"Oh, not a chance! You can never be too tired to pass on a big feast" Sokka grinned, nudging Azula, who chuckled and nodded.

"I'll clean up first, and you should do the same… but yes, we'll be there" Azula smiled "I'm still surprised… but in a good way, if anything. Those two shouldn't be underestimated, huh?"

Sokka smiled approvingly and nodded. It'd be a while before they could see their friends and congratulate them properly, but he had the feeling Song would be happier than ever, once they did.

The guards had as good as forgotten about Azula and Sokka, as was apparent already by their absence during their arrival and more apparent yet when the Princess and her gladiator entered the dining hall just before the meal was served, after taking their respective baths – regretting being unable to take them together this time, unlike how it had been during their stay in the Northern Air Temple. Fei Li gasped, rushing towards Azula while the others performed deep reverences, many of them flustered and ashamed of their behavior. Notably, Rui Shi was relieved to see the Princess was back, but he seemed far too elated by the recent developments to show proper shame for disregarding her return to the Palace.

"W-we're very sorry we weren't there to welcome you, Princess! It's very dishonorable of us to have…!" Fei Li started, but Azula nodded and patted his shoulder gently before striding towards where Rui Shi and Song were sitting "P-Princess?"

"Jin shared the news" Azula said, smiling at the former Captain of the Guards and his still-blushing and beaming future bride "I definitely didn't expect to come back here to such developments…"

"It was a somewhat sudden situation, truthfully…" Song said, biting her lower lip to hold back her smiles.

"So, you acted on the spur of the moment, Rui Shi?" Sokka asked, grinning widely as he stepped forward, placing a hand on Song's shoulder "Good on you both! If you live your lives by following your hearts, you shall have no regrets!"

"Uh… well, I suppose you could say that's what we've done" Rui Shi said, nodding as he lowered his gaze "I'm sorry we weren't there to receive you both, we had been worried about your return, but…"

"Nothing to worry about, as you can see. Xin Long's tired, but he'll rest on the Barge on our way home" Sokka said, shrugging.

"Besides, if this is why you weren't there, you're more than forgiven" Azula said, smiling "Congratulations to the both of you"

Happy tears blinked in Song's eyes again as she nodded and accepted their friends' congratulations as graciously as she could while her emotions were running away with her. Rui Shi bowed his head gratefully to the Princess: the servants arrived with the meal moments later, leading the many guests to take their seats at the table.

Governor Tiang was happily surprised by Azula's return and the celebratory feast, but he was as gracious through the meal as ever, showing genuine curiosity about the eventual nuptials of the Princess's companions. He even made them a generous offer, to Myeung's delight:

"You would let us marry here, in the Palace itself?" Rui Shi asked, astonished. Song gasped.

"I understand you'll need longer to prepare" Tiang smiled "But indeed, if you'd like, we could hold the ceremony here. You could even have a hybrid ceremony, part-Fire Nation and part-Earth Kingdom! Of course, if you'd rather do it at the Capital I'll make sure Myeung can attend, just as it would be if you hold it here…"

"That's… thank you, very much" Song said, smiling warmly and bowing her head repeatedly. Somehow, the Fire Nation people she and her mother had met after the war had proven to be kinder than she could ever have thought possible from anyone born to the warmongering nation.

"Just make sure you'll enjoy your ceremony and wedding as best as you can" Tiang said, smiling before turning towards Azula: the Princess had been more quiet than usual, though it seemed the reason for it was that she'd worked up quite the appetite after only having eaten one meal – and a rather bland one – through the day "Did you achieve what you hoped to in the northern mountains, Princess?"

"Ah? Yes, yes" Azula said, smiling and nodding "Everything went according to plan. It may have taken up the full extent of our free time in the end, but our ventures have paid off"

"That's great to hear" Tiang grinned.

"That being said… I'd like to ask you for a favor, if you have any soldiers you can spare…?" Azula started. Beside her, Sokka smiled, knowing exactly what her petition would be: if the Mechanist still doubted Azula, hopefully a message from Tiang, offering a squad of supportive soldiers to reinforce the Air Temple's security, would change his mind.

The evening was as lively as expected after the important, sudden announcement: some of Myeung's fellow servants decided to honor the soon-to-be-wed couple with traditional Earth Kingdom dances, and they performed for their guests with utmost enthusiasm. Their cheer was contagious, more so after liquors were brought from the Palace's finest cellars to celebrate the future union properly. Azula, however, was dragged away from the party before she could drink two full cups of lychee wine – again, Sokka had ensured the servants found a bottle for her, and she had thanked him for the gesture by clasping his hand gently under the table.

Still, her enjoyment of the drink didn't last long, and not because of her lover, as it usually was.

"I take it you disobeyed again, and you still used your bending while you guys were up north?" Song asked after taking the Princess to a nearby room, undoing Azula's splint to check on her hand's progress. Azula smiled guiltily, letting her hand rest between Song's.

"You know, maybe Tiang has some healers I could ask to check on my wrist, you don't have to do it on your big engagement day…" Azula said, but to her surprise, Song laughed and shook her head.

"If anything, I'd rather do it. It's a good way to… to calm down, to a fault" she said, smiling still.

After noticing the Princess had flinched over one sudden movement while reaching for the lychee wine bottle, Song had dragged her away for this medical check-up without taking no for an answer. Azula had complied despite dreading she'd be at the receiving end of the healer's scolding after she inspected her wrist, though her concerns were replaced quickly by amusement over Sokka and Rui Shi's helpless expressions, once they found their respective lovers were slipping out of the dining room without any warning.

"Rui Shi can't seem to take his eyes off you. He looked like a lost puppy when you decided to check my wrist" Azula said, and Song giggled, shaking her head.

"How did I ever end up being so lucky?" she asked "He's such a good man…"

"And you're a good woman. Seen that way, it makes perfect sense for you to be together" Azula smiled "I'm no stranger to feeling unworthy of too much happiness, but you two certainly deserve it"

"You… you understand it, yes" Song said, biting her lip "I had always been happy with him, but after he proposed like that, I… I feel like my body isn't big enough to hold my soul, somehow. I'm not sure how to handle this much happiness…"

"You'll get used to it" Azula chuckled "I know I have. And just you wait until you actually get married…"

"Oh, I won't be able to cope, I know I won't, I… ah! Your wrist! I shouldn't be talking about me when you're… oh, I'm hopeless"

Azula laughed but said nothing as Song continued to test Azula's wrist carefully. Bending it backwards still resulted in more pain than it should have, and some areas still caused her a mild soreness if pressure was applied on them.

"Will you stay put on our way to Yu Dao, or will you keep bending just to give me extra work?" Song asked teasingly. Azula shrugged.

"That depends. Might be you'll need the extra work to distract yourself from your idyllic love with Rui Shi…"

The words elicited further laughter from the flustered Song, and Azula smirked knowingly at her. The wrist was bandaged again by now, and Song was only tying up the last of the fabrics around the splinters.

"I… I'm a bit sorry, though" Song said, glancing at Azula with uncertainty. The Princess crooked an eyebrow "You and Sokka… you deserved a big celebration too, and a wedding people could attend, just like mine will be. There's so many people who would be just as thrilled about your happiness…"

"And a lot who would be the opposite of thrilled. Which is why Sokka and I can't do this" Azula said, with a sad smile "Still… you shouldn't feel so bad about us. We've done as we saw fit, ignored all boundaries, all medical indications too…"

"Heh, you sure did that last one…" Song said, rolling her eyes as Azula chuckled.

"Just as he said earlier, we've followed our hearts. Even at times when not following them might have been safer, or a better choice" Azula said "But so far, I've had very few reasons to regret it, if any. I know it's difficult to accept this much happiness when it blindsides you, especially when you never thought it possible…"

"I didn't, yeah!" Song said, before hanging her head with a sigh "I really had thought I'd just… be a miserable slave working for an awful person for the rest of my life. But then you and Sokka changed my life, and now…"

"Now you'll marry Rui Shi" Azula said, patting Song's shoulder "If you're worried about how unfair it is for Sokka and me, as this kind of thing is impossible for us, don't be. He's thrilled, surely he's already looking forward to your big day… I didn't know he was that big a fan of weddings for a long time, to be honest"

"Might be he only became one after yours happened, huh?" Song said, smiling weakly.

"Maybe" Azula conceded, smiling too "Either way, what matters most is what happens after the wedding, if you ask me"

"U-uh…"

"No, not that" Azula scowled, prompting Song to laugh "Goodness, and here I thought you were pure and innocent…"

"I'm not quite that pure and innocent, no" Song admitted, and Azula smirked, shaking her head.

"Well, all the better if you're not. Means you'll likely enjoy that part just fine" Azula hissed playfully, and Song's laughter strengthened "I mean, though… once you call him your husband for real, for the first time. The very notion of doing that is what encouraged me to go forward with it, when Sokka and I were in Firelight Town and the opportunity presented itself. So… I have the feeling it'll be like that for you and Rui Shi just as well"

Song's breath had hitched: Rui Shi, her husband… a slow smile spread over her face, and once again she found herself crying tears of joy into the hands she covered her eyes with. Azula laughed and patted her friend's back once more.

"I'll be his wife. I'll be his… oh, I'm really going to explode, this much happiness can't be healthy…"

"You're the healer here, if someone knows whether it's healthy or not, it's you" Azula smiled, as Song cried and laughed simultaneously once again.

Even their most successful trips had ended on less cheerful notes than this one: despite she had to say goodbye to her mother on the next morning, Song couldn't seem to stop smiling as they stood at the Palace's gates, nodding at her mother's advice, holding Rui Shi's hand gently. Xin Long was still tired, but willing to take off on a new flight if it meant he would take a longer nap yet on Azula's Barge. Sokka was busy dressing him up in his saddle and armor – this time he wouldn't be burdened with extra luggage, something Xin Long was grateful for – while Azula said her farewells to General Tiang and his wife.

"You can trust the Enforcers will be in good hands with us" said Jin, smiling brightly as she bowed her head towards Azula "We'll do our very best, Princess"

"I know you will" Azula smiled "It's fortunate that the two people leading Ba Sing Se have worked so hard for the betterment of this city. I have no doubts you'll continue to do so in the future"

"And I have no doubts you will continue to do so as well, with the Enforcers and anything else you set your mind to" Tiang smiled, nodding towards Azula "I know it may be bold, perhaps even inappropriate of me to say this, but… I believe Lu Ten would be deeply proud of the woman and leader you've become, Princess"

Exchanging pleasantries tended to be second nature for Azula, but Tiang's latest ones rendered her speechless. Over the years she had grown accustomed to her feelings, to living with emotions she had ignored or never experienced during her childhood… but she wasn't quite sure she had ever felt such a surge of happiness over matters pertaining her family, spreading warmth across her chest, as it happened just now.

"Huh, well…" Azula said, smiling weakly "I can only hope so. Surely he had the potential to achieve everything I have and more…"

"He probably would disagree" Tiang chuckled "He was far too humble for a man of his station. He would have made a fantastic Fire Lord, if he'd had the chance… but I'm certain so will you, when your time comes"

"I can only hope so" Azula smiled, lowering her gaze as she bowed her head in Tiang's direction "Thank you for having us, even if I spent so little time in Ba Sing Se during this leg of my journey. Perhaps the next time I drop by I'll have less errands to run"

"Perhaps" Tiang smiled, bowing as well, his fist against his palm "Take care, Princess, and safe journeys"

"Thank you" Azula replied, smiling "Take care as well, and of the city, as you always have"

Tiang and Jin waved as Azula walked towards her dragon, a new, strange sense of pride nestling still inside her chest. It wasn't the same as the gold fire she had discovered thanks to Sokka, but the sensation was similar, nonetheless. Lu Ten always had been the only member of her family who had been above the bitterness and hatred that permeated everyone else: she had admired him greatly in her childhood, hoping to be like him once she grew up. Going by Tiang's words, perhaps she had come closer to achieving that goal than she ever thought she would be.

"Everything okay?" Sokka asked, once she stopped beside him.

"These days? Much better than that, actually" she said, smiling fondly at her secret husband. Sokka chuckled, stepping forward to hoist Azula into her seat at her dragon's saddle.

The rest of their journey was restful, compared to their first three stops: Yu Dao was progressing smoothly as well with the Enforcers. Kori had been thrilled to see them again, and it seemed the role of new supervisor of Yu Dao's Enforcers suited her just as well as it had suited Jin. Yu Dao had abided by the new laws far more effectively than the other larger cities in the colonies: the young woman even hoped to gather and train enough forces that they might be able to send a few squads to watch over nearby towns and villages, where slaves needed help most direly. Aonu had returned to Yu Dao as well and, after a few meetings with Azula, he was far more ready to handle his upcoming duties and journeys to properly oversee the Enforcers of the Colonies.

Garsai wasn't quite as stagnant as Gaoling had been, but much progress remained to be made: complacency seemed to be the norm for the man appointed to supervise the local Enforcers, and Azula wasn't sure her harsh words would do enough to set the nervous man on a better path than the one he'd chosen so far. Still, the headquarters had been built, and a few women had already been recruited. It would take several more months before any raids could begin, but Azula hoped that, once Aonu's role as General Overseer kicked in fully, he would iron out the weaker flaws in each city's system until the Enforcers could operate properly.

The long trips between each city allowed Azula and Sokka to rest fully, recovering the energies they had spent through the Race and their quest for Xin Long's fellow dragons, as well as Sokka's appointed fights in each city they visited. At night, Sokka frequently climbed up to Azula's cabin if only to lie down beside her, as the two of them always rested better when they slept in each other's arms. Yet, as exhausting as this trip had been, by the final night Azula could only sigh upon glimpsing the familiar shape of the islands of her homeland.

"You okay?" Sokka asked, embracing her from behind as they stood by the large windows of her obscured room. Azula groaned, dropping her head against his shoulder.

"I should be thrilled that we're finally coming home, right?" Azula said, stroking his forearm with her now fully-healed right hand – Song had finally determined she had recovered successfully once they were in Yu Dao "And yet…"

"You wish this trip would be even longer than it has been?" Sokka smiled, kissing the side of her head "It's already been about as long as our first trip to the Earth Kingdom, you know?"

"Much better than that one, though" Azula smiled, turning in his arms to tuck her head into the hollow of his shoulder "Granted, we found Xin Long back then too…"

"And this time we found his friends and family, too" Sokka sighed happily. Azula smiled.

"It's all come full circle, to a fault" she said, stroking his bare chest gently. Sokka chuckled "We were up north too long, though. The Fire Nation feels far too hot all of sudden…"

"You just miss our chimney room from the Northern Air Temple" Sokka snickered.

"Might be I do" Azula said, raising her head to gaze into his eyes "Strange how nice it is to sleep with you in a room with a fire…"

"See? My plans to build that igloo for us down south are looking more promising now, aren't they?" Sokka smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. Azula laughed, pressing her brow to his.

"That's the norm with us, love" she said, eyes closed, cheeks flushed warmly "Our future always looks promising"

Sokka grinned in agreement, gathering her closer still before kissing her passionately. Starting tomorrow they wouldn't be able to spend as much time together as they had through their long journey, but as badly as they'd miss each other, their hearts felt quenched and full, about as strong as they did after their trip to Shu Jing had ended. As long as nothing quite as catastrophic as Iroh's suspicions of their relationship happened next, these pleasant, comforting feelings would likely linger for as long as they might have to be apart.

They sank into bed again, delighted to make the most of the one night they had left. They'd have to try to be on their best behavior starting tomorrow, however unlikely they were to succeed at that, but for one more night, they could find intimacy and bliss together until the sunlight's rays began to shine in the horizon…

---

Even after such a long time away, the Palace felt like home. Servants and guards had received the Princess gladly once she climbed off her dragon's saddle. Returning to her role felt more difficult than ever this time, and she could tell her behavior wasn't quite as aloof and cold as it ought to be, if she hoped to uphold her reputation. Yet no scathing, judgmental glares were shot in her direction: her smiles were frequently answered with grins as well, as though her good mood after her successful trip was too contagious to ignore.

Naturally, her father wasn't quite as infected by her pleasant mood as everyone else, but he welcomed her home in his study, right after his mid-morning training session was over.

"You look tired, yet satisfied?" Ozai said, as Azula smiled and stepped forward, depositing a large document on his desk.

"It was a long trip. I did my best to rest properly on the Barge, though, but I guess it's still not enough" Azula admitted.

"Is this why you're so tired?" Ozai asked, pointing at the document. Azula shrugged.

"Partly" she said "Though, to be fair, those are the reports of the Enforcers' activities from each city I visited. I wrote them after each visit… well, I wrote the one about Gaoling once I was already in Omashu, resting after the Race. Perhaps you have heard of its results by now…?"

"Of course. You defeated all competition" Ozai said, smirking. Azula smiled and nodded "As can only be expected from my daughter. Is it true you had a direct confrontation with Iroh?"

"Actually, yes" Azula nodded "I had expected him to be in worse shape, but I couldn't possibly lose against him, could I?"

Ozai smirked and nodded too, gesturing at Azula to sit down. As always, she chose the right chair before his desk, knowing even before her father said anything, that he had no intentions of reading her large report right now.

"Is everything well with the Enforcers here?" Azula asked. Ozai nodded.

"Too well, if anything. I've had no end of trials and audiences over slavery ownership" he said, raising his eyebrows. Azula gave him a guilty smile "You've overworked yourself and myself as well, child. You should name a committee to handle the trials, otherwise I'll never be able to get anything else done in this nation"

"That would certainly be a good idea" Azula said "As long as I have your approval, then…"

"Granted" he said, rubbing his closed eyes with his fingertips. Azula tried to muffle her laughs "I'd appoint people for the role myself, but I suspect you'd rather be the one to choose them personally. You can select them over the course of the next weeks, perhaps"

"I'll do my best" she said. Ozai tilted his head sideways.

"As you always do" he said, before cocking a small smile "Strangely, though, you seem quite relaxed, despite the hard work you've done recently. More than I expected you to be, if anything"

"I guess so. Things have been working surprisingly well" Azula shrugged "Both regarding the Enforcers and the Gladiator League. As long as everything has been working smoothly in the Capital, I'll probably remain level-headed at least for a week or two"

"A week or two, that's all you expect?" Ozai asked, amused "You don't think your relaxation will last any longer than that?"

"I'd rather not assume anything I shouldn't" Azula smiled, shaking her head "Sudden, unwanted surprises tend to spring up when you're least prepared to handle them"

"True" Ozai sighed "Still, if you do think you should handle yourself well for two weeks…"

Her father's tone wasn't casual, something Azula identified only identified now: he had something in mind. She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Is something the matter?" she asked. Ozai sighed and pushed himself to his feet.

"No, not truly. Only… I find myself slightly envious of you, child" he said, chuckling softly "You certainly appeared to be in better spirits after the vacation you took, right before the Crescent Island Summit. And now it seems this long voyage had a similar effect on you…"

"Well, I probably burned out most my energies in the first half of this trip" Azula admitted, smiling awkwardly "Still… what exactly do you mean, that you're envious of me?"

"I mean that, as I told you once before, I could use a trip of my own"

For the first time since she had entered the room, Azula frowned. Her father, with his back turned towards her, paced before a bright window and took in the scenery of their elegant palace. Meanwhile, his daughter remained where she sat, his latest confession replaying itself in her brain, but her mind refused to process its meaning.

"A trip…?" Azula finally asked, fishing for better explanations. Ozai chuckled and shrugged.

"We talked about how rundown the Ember Island villa is, didn't we?" he said "I considered, perhaps, visiting it and seeing to starting a restoration. But then I realized… that would still amount to work. And if I want to have it restored, I might as well assign the job to a royal architect and visit the place once it's finished. Which would likely only happen in several years, right?"

"Well… perhaps if you use earthbenders, it could be finished sooner" Azula suggested.

"Perhaps. I'll keep that in mind" Ozai said "Still, it hardly sounds like a vacation would be in the books for me if I have to wait that long, right?"

"You do want to take a vacation, though?" Azula asked, with an uneasy smile "I… I don't blame you, not in the least, let alone after I've added to your workload. But… you've never left the Palace for prolonged times ever since you became Fire Lord"

"Indeed. For a rather simple reason, at that" Ozai said, turning again to face her, despite his eyes didn't find hers as he shrugged "Who could have served as Interim Fire Lord if I ever took a short break?"

The question he posed elicited many more in Azula's mind, questions she didn't dare voice, confused as she was: if a lack of a potential Interim Fire Lord had stopped him from taking a break for all these years, did it mean he had one in mind by now?

A wishful idea followed that question: she had no time to fully process it, whether to cling to it tightly or dismiss it as complete nonsense, when Ozai spoke again.

"But years have passed, and a lot has changed" he said, raising his head: now he met her confused eyes with his determined ones "Isn't it fitting for the most competent Crown Princess in history to prove perfectly qualified to serve as my replacement, if just for a week?"

A gasp she couldn't hold back burst from her: why, her wishful, nonsensical idea hadn't been that far from reality after all. Her reaction was so honest Ozai smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"How many years has it been since I took you by surprise, I wonder?" he asked "It's usually the other way around…"

"Y-you can't be… you can't be serious" Azula said, but her face had lit up, not that it had been darkened at any point in their conversation "You think I could be…? You want me to serve as Interim Fire Lord while you're…? W-wait, but you said you can't yet because Ember Island is…"

"Oh, never mind Ember Island, it's a dreadful idea in the end" Ozai said, waving a hand carelessly "Too many memories, I'd rather not revisit them if I'm supposed to be relaxing"

"Right…" said Azula. She shared the sentiment, though she wasn't entirely sure why Ozai felt that way: her childhood visits to the island, accompanied by her family, had never been bad experiences. Perhaps that was what Ozai wouldn't wish to revisit? The times when he had been genuinely happy with his children and wife…?

"Zhao mentioned there's a Fire Nation Resort in the north of the Colonies" Ozai said, and Azula raised her eyebrows "I take it you've never visited it?"

"Well… no" she admitted "I may have heard about it in passing, but I'm usually traveling for a purpose, so…"

"No time to spend leisurely days in a resort, naturally" Ozai smiled "Well, it sounds like an agreeable possibility to me. The Air Force would be tasked with accompanying me to my destination, their airships are fast enough that traveling there ought to take only a day. I can spend the next five enjoying the resort, and then I'll return. Do you believe you can handle the responsibilities of a Fire Lord for that long?"

"I…" Azula said, and somehow she felt breathless, despite her entire heart and body yearned to scream an affirmative answer.

"You have witnessed my work closely ever since you were a child" Ozai smiled "I'd like to think you're prepared enough for this challenge. You tend to be prepared for all challenges, in my experience…"

"I… I will do my very best. If you truly think I'm worthy of this honor, then I… I'll gladly do as you ask" Azula smiled, bowing her head towards her father.

"Good" Ozai said, grinning "If you do a good job, I'll consider giving you a more permanent, and greater, responsibility yet…"

"W-wait, what?" Azula said, whipping her head back up.

"Well, now. You've dealt with the Enforcers remarkably well, and with most your ventures too" Ozai shrugged "Perhaps I pressure you too much, and if I do, feel free to reject this new idea. But I thought your week as Fire Lord could serve as training, to a fault, for you to handle the duties of full-blown leadership in the future…"

"Y-yes, I understand that" Azula said, nodding "But… surely you don't mean to abdicate, do you?"

"Oh, of course not" Ozai laughed, skeptical. Despite he was already offering her much more than she had ever expected from her father, Azula couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at his dismissal of that suggestion "I mean, however, that there's a rather massive area of the current Fire Nation that merits being overseen properly. The Colonies have been ripe with strife ever since they were established, and there's still much ground to cover if we are to truly assimilate the Former Earth Kingdom's full territories, villages and towns into our rule. It would be a difficult, and surely even thankless job… but your achievements in the Colonies have already made you surprisingly popular amongst their peasants. Your laws, of course, have achieved the same for you with slaves, so…"

"Wait, again. I… this is a lot to take" Azula said, eyes wide "What on earth happened to you while I was gone? W-why are you so willing to delegate so many important duties to…?"

"Delegating them would imply someone is doing them, at least, in regards of the Colonies" Ozai smiled "But there is no High Governor of the Colonies, is there?"

The blood slowed in Azula's body: the shock of his words was so great she remained petrified for a moment, incredulous and flabbergasted. This wasn't happening, was it? It was a dream, a really good one, and she'd hate herself when she woke up… but her father wasn't offering her the role of High Governor. He couldn't be. That kind of role would give Azula so much political power, the potential to oversee the entire branch of the army currently working in the continent, the ability to sack and hire governors if she found them incompetent…

It was too much. It was impossible. Her father didn't share power, at least, not often. So why…?

"You would, of course, answer to me. You would always remain my vassal, my daughter, and my Crown Princess" Ozai said, pacing behind his desk and nodding at each title he uttered "But a woman of your talents, who has become as good as a sensation amongst our people… there's much more that you could do beyond the slavery laws. That was already good enough, and your handling of the project up until today has proved you're prepared for important responsibilities. Why not continue to test you, then? We have always hoped you'd prove to be a grand Fire Lord, once your time comes… what better way to prepare for the job than by taking up a Fire Lord's duties in the Former Earth Kingdom?"

"This is… Father, I… I can't quite believe this" Azula said, smiling in amazement "Y-you're serious? I'm not hallucinating this, am I?"

"Well, now, I hardly doubt my suggestions sound that incoherent, do they?" Ozai asked, and Azula laughed, covering her mouth with a hand "Now, though, don't let this go up to your head. You will only take up the role of High Governor if you are successful as Interim Fire Lord through the week I'll spend abroad. And you will only be a successful Interim Fire Lord if you manage to handle all your duties as perfectly as possible for one befitting such station. While, yes, you tend to excel at every challenge poised before you, you still must undertake it to succeed in the first place. So…?"

Azula swallowed hard, and Ozai crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer. It arrived after a moment, once the Princess rose to her feet and bowed profusely towards her father.

"You honor me, Father" she said: her face, usually so easy to control in front of her father, could barely hold back the wild smile that couldn't wait to spread across her face "I understand your terms. I will uphold them. I won't let you down"

"I know you won't, but it's best not to take anything for granted" Ozai smirked "I will be taking one squad of my personal Imperial Guards with me, so you'll have to handle yourself with the remaining two"

"Of course" Azula said, nodding as she rose to her full height.

"And I'll make sure to let Zhao know to assist and advise you, should the need arise, while I'm gone" Ozai said, nodding.

"I understand" Azula smiled.

"Then… the best of luck, future Interim Fire Lord Azula" Ozai said, his voice teasing, even though something akin to pride glowed in his golden eyes.

Azula's grin was impossible to contain. She laughed and nodded, bowing her head to her father, who nodded in return as he took his seat anew.

"I'll read your big report now, might as well get started" he said, reaching for her documents "I should have chosen a date for my travels by tonight, so I'll let you know once I've made up my mind on when I'll do it"

"Of course" said Azula, smiling and nodding.

"I know, as well, that appointing you to work in the Colonies means you won't be home often" Ozai continued "Yet you've traveled those wild lands, you know what to expect. If you don't believe you could settle there, for whatever reason, I will understand and reconsider…"

"No need" Azula said, shaking her head "I'm willing to do it. Granted, I'll miss the Fire Nation, but I can handle the distance. Where, though, would I be expected to take office at?"

"Oh, you'll be free to choose, frankly" Ozai said, waving a hand dismissively "Wherever you please"

"Really?" Azula said, amused "That's… goodness, that's a lot of freedom you're offering me, Father"

"Consider yourself fortunate" Ozai smirked, raising his eyebrows "Few royals in your station are afforded any such privileges"

"I know, frankly I still can barely believe you're suggesting something like this" she said, shaking her head "Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine anything quite like being High Governor of the Colonies… and I still barely understand why you're doing it, too"

"The never-ending trials for the slave owners were the starting point for this idea, if you must know" Ozai admitted, with a shrug "While pondering a solution for that particular problem, I soon found myself wondering if perhaps you were in the position to handle certain, other difficulties that have eluded me, just as the slavery matter did for a long time. If someone was likely to succeed at reeling in the Colonies without burning out our resources and without much bloodshed, it's you"

"That you think so highly of my capabilities is quite flattering" Azula smiled, bowing her head towards Ozai anew "Thank you for this opportunity. I'll do my very best, Father"

"I know you will, Azula" Ozai said, smiling as well.

For once, the usual malice in his countenance seemed faded, diminished. The Princess's chest tightened, for the second time in mere months, upon finding her father appeared genuinely proud of her. Often he had said the words, with airs of wickedness and cruelty, satisfaction at knowing his daughter treaded the same path he did. Now, though, he seemed to set her free to make decisions… free to lead the Fire Nation for one week, and perhaps more than that, if she played her cards right.

Oh, the possibilities… relocating to the Earth Kingdom would certainly have its disadvantages, Azula knew as much. Life in the Fire Nation was easier, smoother, with better technological advancements than most seen in the Earth Kingdom. Yet this meant Xin Long would be close enough to his friends, to the point where he could make frequent trips back and forth between Azula's new home and the dragons' cavern. It meant she could avoid unpleasant people, such as her uncle, or even her father's unsettling assassin – who, fortunately, was absent from the Palace today, as she discovered when she had resonated upon her arrival. And what delighted her most of all… it would be a chance to live as good as freely with Sokka by her side. No, their relationship could not be made public knowledge… but they might have a chance to wake up together every morning, and sleep together every night. They would keep each other company at all times, without anyone's interference, as long as they could get away with it.

A laugh shook her once she had left Ozai's study, and she raced through the corridors of the Palace to where Xin Long waited in his refuge: the dragon had already seen her thoughts, and he was roaring happily when she reached him, unleashing barrages of celebratory fire in the air as he encouraged his rider to do her damnedest to prove herself in her week as Fire Lord.

Within mere minutes, Xin Long had crossed the city, leading his rider to her lover's house. Azula clung to Xin Long's reins somewhat desperately, as though that would help her feel the world was still real, and this wasn't the dream she was certain it was. But by now it had lasted quite a long time, hadn't it? And nothing too outlandish had happened, aside from her father's two proposals… so maybe it was real. Maybe it wasn't just an illusion…

Sokka had been hauling the last of his and Song's bags into the house when he heard the whooshing of the wind, howling when Xin Long landed heavily in the backyard. Dread rose in Sokka's chest immediately as he handed a bag to Rui Shi – as always, he had joined them in unpacking, for Song's sake – before rushing out to the backyard.

Yet when he met Azula's eyes, her near-childish enthusiasm took him by surprise.

"Okay, I miss you every second we're apart too, Azula, but you didn't have to come visit right away …" Sokka chuckled, climbing down the short flight of stairs of the house's porch to meet her. And as thrilled as she was, Azula's foot got tangled with the tubes of the saddle when she attempted to heave herself to the ground "A-Azula!"

Sokka had to jump forward and catch her, keeping her from taking a bad fall: to further his complete astonishment, the only reaction from his Princess over her own, uncharacteristic clumsiness, was a burst of laughter. She turned in his arms, tightening her hold around his neck as he embraced her closely, helping her set her foot free.

"Azula?" he said, smiling awkwardly "What's going on?"

"You're never going to believe it. Fact is, I barely believe it yet" Azula said, pulling away and beaming brightly before explaining each of her father's sudden decisions.

She was right: he was too shocked to believe this could be anything but a weird prank, at least at first. But the more Azula spoke, the more he realized this couldn't be a joke: her excitement was real, as were her smiles, the brightness of her eyes… and the brilliance of her words.

"F-Fire Lord… for a week?" he repeated, his voice trembling just as much as his body did, at this point "And after that… High Governor of the Colonies?!"

Azula laughed and nodded, as did Sokka before falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around Azula's waist, his face buried in her flat stomach. Just as it happened to her, he couldn't give the words the credit they deserved. It was too good to be true, and yet it seemed it was true…!

Every hope and dream they'd once had, even his most foolish, early ideas on how they could escape, and even have children without Ozai's knowledge, had changed in nature: they were no longer the ethereal subject of daydreams about the impossible. Instead, it seemed Azula would acquire power, so much more power than she had ever expected to have unless her father abdicated or died. Even if sworn to her father, she would be within her jurisdiction to rule over the entire Earth Kingdom continent, with the perfect chance of bettering the lives of the countless people who Ozai had meant to crush.

If all went well, they might even have a chance to rebel against Ozai, outright, in the future. Sokka knew Azula wouldn't be happily on board with the idea right away, but they had pondered it in the past. They knew one day their path might force them to take a fully rebellious stand against her father: with the backing of an entire continent, chances were their potential uprising might just be successful.

And of course, the matter of their happiness, their intimacy, their entwined destinies… it was a chance to be husband and wife, as they had longed to be, permanently. It would be a secret, of course… but it would be their secret, and they would live it as intensely in a new home, away from the dangerous reach of a Fire Lord who would never approve of their love, as they lived it right now.

It was Azula's turn to be surprised when Sokka jumped to his feet, hoisting her up enthusiastically as he joined her disbelieving, amazed laughter. They barely registered how absurd and strange their behavior would seem for anyone who hadn't heard of Ozai's new proposals for his daughter… such as Song and Rui Shi, who watched them from inside the house.

"Why's she here?" Rui Shi said, grimacing "Isn't that… too risky?"

"At this point, do you really think they care?" Song sighed, though she smiled "They look strangely enthusiastic, though. Do you know why?"

"Not a clue" Rui Shi said, blinking blankly before smiling at Song "Need more help unpacking?"

"Well, what I need is to spend more time with you, so yes, that will do" Song smiled guiltily, prompting Rui Shi to chuckle before kissing her softly.

A few hours later, the guard and the healer would finally hear of what had raised Azula and Sokka's spirits to such surprising heights. The Princess and her gladiator would calm down gradually, though they would continue to smile, losing themselves in their thoughts, throughout the days leading up to Azula's fateful tenure as Interim Fire Lord. A strong conviction nestled in their hearts: much as Azula had put it the night before they reached the Capital, it seemed their already bright future had only become even more promising.

A/N:

And this sees the end of this arc! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and that you've enjoyed the story so far. Some of you may already be aware of this, but for those of you who aren't… I figured I'd let you know we only have two arcs left of Part Two by now :') Part Three's coming up soon, so, well… brace yourselves, I guess? :'D