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...

297. Chapter 297: WL Fortress-Loyalty 10

The White Lotus Fortress/Loyalty to the Disgraced

10

Oppressive silence spread through the entrails of the earth: the air within the tunnels seemed so much more stale compared to anything Rei had breathed before. The occasional glimpse of lava trails and pools startled her, but she wasted no time admiring them as she followed Azula faithfully across the long, sinuous paths underground. How she found her way without getting lost, Rei had no clue and it was apparent Song was no better off than her – she had admitted to Rei that she had never walked through these tunnels before, much as Rei hadn't. The Princess didn't rush them, no matter how dangerous the situation might be – the consequences for slipping out of the Palace in the middle of the night were bound to be steep, but Azula hoped her father's lack of concern for her activities would be beneficious today, just as it had been often over the past months.

Her masterful navigation of the tunnels finally reached its end when she guided Song and Rei to a new trapdoor, after well over an hour of walking. It would have taken them a lot less time in other circumstances, but Azula had settled for a slow walking pace for the child's sake, by Song's recommendation. They had taken two breaks for food and drinks, resting while Azula explained that her thorough knowledge of the tunnels came not only from many years of exploiting them for Sokka's frequent escapades, but from her many childhood explorations. Once she had grown enough to be part of her father's council, she had been granted access to maps of the area in case she needed to take refuge there during emergencies: she had memorized the layout of the tunnels and trapdoors within two months, and she had ensured not to forget that knowledge in the years that followed.

Rei didn't quite understand what kind of emergencies would see the vast tunnels used for any purpose, but the cross expression on Song's face, as well as the vacant one on the Princess's, had suggested it wasn't a good idea to ask that question just yet. It seemed they had used the tunnels as a refuge at some point or another in the past… but the occasion in which it had happened, perhaps, wasn't something they wanted to think about. While Rei did her best to pick up every hint, every smidge of information they gave her, she usually tried to dismiss those that dampened the spirits of either of her protectors, no matter if she generally didn't forget about them anyway.

Thus, she asked no questions about why they'd visited the tunnels, and she hoped deeply that the house, awaiting them past the trapdoor the Princess was readying herself to open, wouldn't elicit such sad reactions from Azula and Song…

"We've made it?" Song asked, nervous. Azula offered her a gentle smile as she handed her the lantern.

"The street's probably empty, but I'll check first anyway," she said, climbing stone steps that led to the trapdoor.

She pushed it subtly with her right hand, raising it just enough for her eyes to rake the surroundings quickly. The noise of the center of the city was such a distant rumor that it was easily ignored… though the same couldn't be said about the fireworks blasting in the sky on occasion, spreading colorful lights in the night.

She pushed the trapdoor further, letting her head poke out fully. Not a soul in the area… nobody, altogether. It had always been a distant street, with very little activity, and while she had always found that agreeable, she was even more grateful for it this time.

"Looks clear," Azula said, glancing back at Song. Her friend's gaze gleamed with nervous anticipation under the glow of the lantern. "Let's go."

Azula climbed out fully, helping Rei out next. The younger woman took the lantern from Song when the healer climbed the steps, back into the open air of the final night of summer…

Her breath escaped her immediately when her eyes fell upon the house… the place she had called home for so many years.

On first glance, it seemed unchanged. She recognized every rooftile, every window and wall, every column… she had seen them every day upon returning from shopping or from outings with Rui Shi, ever soothed upon arriving at the first place that had felt like a home to her, despite her assumptions that she would never experience such a feeling again.

Then, her eyes fell upon the broken door.

The tears of joy, of relief upon coming home soured quickly as she retained her stability with a hand on the ground, holding herself up while still on her knees, right next to Azula. The Princess clasped Song's hand gently as the healer lowered her head, tearing her eyes away from that very door, the one she had crossed for the last time with Rui Shi, on one of the darkest nights of her life.

"Song…" Azula called her, gently, after closing the trapdoor behind the healer. Song shivered and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make this… oh, damn it, it's just…" she said, raising her head again to regard the house anew. "It's still standing, b-but it's…"

"I know," Azula said, letting go of Song's hand to rub her back kindly. "I know, Song…"

"Y-you came in here… that night?" Song asked, gazing at Azula with tearful eyes. Azula's heart clenched upon hearing that question. "You really… really had it in you to do that, at your lowest point? You're really something else, Azula, because I… oh, I'm here now and suddenly it's… it's too much."

"Do you want to go back?" Azula asked, patting Song's back gently. "We can do that too, and count this as my mandatory walk of the day. You shouldn't force yourself to be here…"

"N-no, no. I shouldn't, but I will," Song said, shaking her head as she clenched her fists over her lap. "I… I may still have a few things worth salvaging in the house. And it's… it's not the house's fault, damn. It… it hurts to see it like this. It was the very first place that felt truly safe ever since my father was taken away. It wasn't always, no, but… but it's not fair, is it? To resent it when… when it was the Fire Lord's goons who did this. Who broke whatever they could break. I… I always took such good care of it, I tried to keep everything neat, and it's got to be a mess now, right? S-so… we have to go in. We have to."

"We don't have to if you're not ready," Azula reassured Song, squeezing her shoulder gently. "If it's too much, just tell me and we'll go back. If you want to do this now, we will, but…"

"Let's go. I can't keep wasting time, can I? Looters might just… might just show up and try to make a worse mess of this place if we leave it alone much longer," Song said, with a weak smile. Azula smiled too.

"I'd pretend there are no looters in the Capital, but… the homeless man who lived in a box surely would enjoy a box as big as this one, instead."

"What?" Song blinked blankly. Azula laughed softly, shaking her head.

"Another of many stories. Guess Sokka wasn't too keen on sharing that one with you right after you met, huh?" she said. "It was a man we bumped into, shortly before we found this house. He was… a little more amusing than I gave him credit for, back then. And Sokka… well, he said some really ridiculous things and just rolled with everything the man said. And… heh, come to think of it, that's the first time he ever pretended we were married. I was so outraged about it, idiot I was…"

Azula laughed to herself, shaking her head upon reclaiming another memory she now could only think back on fondly. They had been so young, so careless… the outcome they had grown to dread hadn't even appeared a possibility in their minds just yet back then. They'd grown so much since then, in so many ways… and the house with the broken door had been the silent witness to most of that growth, too.

That thought filled her with the strength she needed to push herself up to her feet. Rei was quick to rise too, silent although observant, unwilling to interfere in what she thought might be a private moment for the Princess and her long-time friend. Song was the last to stand up, trembling as she forced herself to face the reality of her broken home.

Azula marched first, pushing past the small fence's door, stepping carefully in the overgrown front lawn – Song clenched her jaw at the sight of the wild grass. Trimming that had always been part of her process in taking care of the house, too…

Yet the wild grass barely affected her as opposed to the unhinged door. Azula stepped closer to it, laying a hand upon the damaged wood delicately – it was dented, and it definitely could use a replacement, but while the knob's mechanism was well and truly destroyed, the door itself still could serve its purpose if only its hinges hadn't loosened over the blow it had received.

"It's lucky that they didn't try to burn down the place, I suppose…" Azula said, softly, running her fingers over what the lantern revealed was a scorch mark from a firebending kick. Song shuddered, lowering her gaze.

"It's not fair," Song said, shaking her head. "It never was, but… it's maddening just to think of that night again. The noise, the shouting… I…"

"I'm sorry," Azula whispered, closing her eyes as her mind impulsively tried to supply her with the images, with the sounds, that Song was already regretting evoking.

"You're the last person who should say that. You're the bigger victim here, Azula," Song said, stepping up to the Princess and wrapping her in a kind embrace. "I'm being a mess, but… I'm grateful to be here. Even if I don't sound that grateful right now."

"Well, I'm grateful not to be alone this time," Azula answered, truthfully. "But… if you're worried about your things, we should just go inside. No point in standing out here, I doubt anyone will come, but…"

"Yeah. Let's just… let's just go inside," Song nodded.

She marched through the ajar, unhinged door, and Azula turned towards Rei next. The young girl eyed her with uncertainty, clearly daunted by the damaged wood.

"Come on in. That lantern attracts plenty of attention," Azula said, with a weak grin. Rei breathed deeply and nodded, walking past Azula and entering the house, shedding light upon her surroundings immediately.

"I don't really understand what happened that night, but it looks…" Rei started, glancing at Azula as she held the lantern up in the vestibule.

Azula had entered the house by then, and Song was already by the living room, hugging herself tightly as the dust-ridden area greeted her once more. The darkness of that room offered her an advantage that the vestibule did not offer to Azula in the slightest: Rei froze as something dark crossed Azula's features, and her eyes drifted down to the floorboards quickly.

Blood. Splatters of blood, trailing over the vestibule, leading into the living room.

Azula covered her mouth with a hand and breathed deeply: she knew all too well that he had been wounded. She had rushed to see him, cried against his battered body as he held her in prison… oh, it was so easy, so damn easy to let herself reclaim the beautiful memories and forget about the dark ones, the ones that filled her with guilt, rage and misery…

"Princess…" Rei called, raising a hand towards Azula. The Princess's breath hitched as she shook her head, running a hand over her hair.

"Sorry, I… I know. I know it's all… covered in blood, damn it. I've known all along, I'm just… being stupid."

Her eyes fell upon the splatter anew, and her heart seemed to seize in, climbing deeper into places in her chest, in her soul, that she barely could recognize. The wood was stained now… and it would likely remain stained forever.

"Everything's… filthy as fuck."

Azula couldn't hold back a soft laugh at Song's frustrated statement. When she raised her tearful gaze towards her friend, she found Song's lips puckered out in a displeased pout, tears blinking in her eyes as well.

"I cleaned this place… almost every day? Almost!" she huffed. "And now it looks like… like it's been abandoned for months. Which it has been. And I… I'm angry about it, because it shouldn't have been and…! Oh, my kitchen!"

"You… you didn't forget anything on the stove, Song," Azula remarked, with a weak smile as Song sprinted into one of the rooms in the house in which she spent most her time. Despite herself, Rei smiled too as she led the way towards the archway Song had vanished through.

It was no surprise that Song would take to checking the kitchen and all its wares thoroughly: she opened every single cabinet, every storage area, even poked her head inside the furnace to ensure nothing was left behind…

"I was going to clean this thing… like, what, two days after things went down?" Song said, pulling her head back from the furnace with a still tearful smile. "I planned for it and everything…"

"You were far too thorough with cleanliness. And then you had the gall to say Rei was overdoing it…" Azula teased her. Song laughed and shook her head, covering her face with her hands. "Sokka used to build his bombs in the furnace… I didn't see him doing it often, only a couple of times, but…"

"Oh, yes. He'd make the whole city think we were setting fire on a dumpster whenever he messed up and defused the stench-and-smoke bombs by mistake…" Song said, chuckling at the memory. "It happened to him one time and I just… picked up my purse and took off. Didn't come back until sundown, at least, and I think the place still smelled dreadful by then."

"He did go slightly overboard with the stench-and-smoke ones," Azula smiled, trailing a hand over the central table: her fingertips were coated with dust afterwards.

It was the last place where the four of them had been together… where they'd enjoyed a meal as carelessly as they'd taken the habit to, ever since the end of the festivals from two years ago. She missed so many elements of their shared past every day… but she found she missed those moments of unconcerned, cheerful bliss the most. Life had become so merciless since then… even if everything came back to its course, and she highly doubted that would ever happen, she didn't expect it would be possible to reclaim that innocence, the happiness of two couples, four friends, laughing together while enjoying a delicious meal…

"It's been too long since the last time, huh?" Song said, quick to understand Azula's unspoken thoughts. Azula smiled sadly and shrugged.

"Nothing we can do about it… not really," she said. "We can't go back to those days, but… now that I think about them, I guess things would have been all the better if all four of us had worked together here in the kitchen, you know? It was usually just you and Rui Shi…"

"Woah, woah, woah…" Song gasped, eyes wide. Azula snorted, smiling more widely at her friend's horror. "That… that happened for good reason, you know? And I don't mean because you and Sokka were usually, uh, otherwise engaged while Rui Shi and I worked…"

"I know, we would've ruined all your meals because we were utterly incompetent in the kitchen, yes," Azula smirked. Song chuckled and shrugged.

"You know Sokka tried to cook for you several times: if it weren't because I was there to minimize the damage… well, I think the stench-and-smoke bombs would have been more appetizing than what he was trying to cook…"

"Oh, come on!" Azula laughed. Song eyed her skeptically.

"Have you seriously forgotten about the pulverized fire flakes? Or is it he hid those from you because he was that embarrassed by the outcome…?"

Azula bumped a hip against the table as she laughed, hugging herself as she did so. Rei couldn't hold back a smile as her two friends appeared to regain some of their brighter mood from earlier: the kitchen was, despite everything, untouched in most ways that mattered. The leftovers from Song feast to celebrate Sokka's great victory against Toph were gone, of course, just as Azula had said they were… which was fortunate, for perhaps the stench-and-smoke bombs truly wouldn't have smelled as bad as food left to rot for over four months. Still, ultimately, the guards hadn't stormed the kitchen. They hadn't done anything wrong in this room, and Song seemed to relish in the knowledge that at least one area of her home had remained untouched.

"So, we just… need to dust off this mess, that's all," she sighed, running a hand over the counter. "But everything's still here. Or most everything, there's a lot of missing bags and crates… but I suppose that's what they used to carry the food, huh?"

"Surely," Azula said, offering Song a sympathetic smile. "But if you think everything else is still here, then… hopefully all your belongings upstairs will be there, too."

Song swallowed hard and nodded. The words brought back her initial intent, her hopes to ascertain that her remaining belongings were indeed still in the house… and so, she marched past Azula and Rei, careless about walking in the dark as she made her way to the stairs.

Rei followed, though mostly unwillingly: the kitchen was safe. There were happy memories there, no sign of blood, pain or horror… she suspected the upper level of the house wouldn't be as harmless as the kitchen had been. Yet Azula clasped her shoulder, guiding her towards the stairs.

"Y-you're sure we should keep using the lantern…?" Rei asked "I don't think someone will see its glow from the windows, but…"

"You're worried about the bloodstains?" Azula asked, glancing at Rei with uncertainty. Rei shivered and nodded. "Unfortunately… while seeing it is a very unwanted reminder of what happened here, Rei, I saw him bleeding to what seemed to be his death once, long ago. There's no protecting me from the blood he's shed. Even without seeing it directly… I see it in my mind's eye often enough to feel like my heart's about to cave in over the pain of it all."

"I wish I could… I wish I could fix it," Rei said, softly. Azula smiled, hugging her with one arm as they reached the stairs.

"You're far too kind," Azula said. "But I doubt there's anything that can be done… well, other than overhauling this whole place and revamping it into perfection. Something I doubt any of us are ready to do, and it wouldn't be possible over the course of a single night, so…"

"I know… I know," Rei said, lowering her gaze: she could already see splatters of blood upon the final steps of the staircase. Azula noticed them too, and as much as her breath hitched, she took her first step forward, careful to avoid stepping on the stain on the floorboard.

They climbed the stairs slowly, together. The stains, Rei realized, seemed to have come from one room… a room with a closed door, unlike the one Song had already entered. Rei raised her eyebrows upon glimpsing Song rummaging through a closet, smiling brightly as she pulled out sets of clothes of a style Rei was utterly unfamiliar with.

"Ah… your hanboks, huh?" Azula smiled, stepping inside the bedroom before frowning slightly. "Is it the first time I set foot in here?"

"Must be, unless you and Sokka ever invaded the privacy of my poor bedroom while I wasn't paying attention…" Song said, raising her eyebrows. Azula scoffed.

"Why would we have ever done that?" she said, hands on her hips. Song's skepticism didn't diminish.

"I don't know. Ask the kitchen counter, maybe it'll have an idea or two," she said, curtly. Azula's face flushed crimson, and while the limited lighting should have protected her from showcasing her embarrassment, her awkward, guilty grimace spoke for itself. "See? I can't ever be too judgmental, not at all…"

"I never, ever, would have suggested anything of the sort in your room. Just for the record," Azula said, raising a finger as she made her statement. Song rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Fine, fine. I'll take your word for it," she said, smiling weakly as she gazed across the room once more.

That last night had truly been horrifying, but every night until then… during every night until then, this had been a beautiful haven. At first, it had been hers alone. Eventually, she had started to share it with the man she loved. The man who saved her from a dangerous fate that night, hugging her as they hid behind the bed, waiting for it to be over…

"Oh, it's no use thinking about it, I know it isn't…" Song said, shaking her head as she patted the mattress she had last slept in over four months ago. "Look at that, the dust is going to make us all sick. And you're pregnant, to boot… we really should've thought about that before going crazy with this idea, huh?"

"Probably," Azula agreed: Song smiled as she marched to her dresser, tugging the cabinets open one by one.

"Hmm… okay, some things are missing," she remarked, blinking blankly. Azula raised an eyebrow. "Though… the recipe book! Oh, I don't know whether it's good that it's here or bad… might have been better for Sokka if he had taken it, huh?"

"It was Rui Shi and the others who picked up as much as they could carry, so… I suppose they didn't think to take it," Azula said, with a sad smile. "Not to mention, I don't know if the Water Tribe would have had the same ingredients you used to prepare your meals with…"

"Not likely, true," Song sighed in defeat, shaking her head. "Still… well, what's missing are my hair combs. All the ornamental ones… funny, huh?"

"Terribly suspicious," Azula said, breathing out slowly as Song smiled sadly, tears blinking in her eyes. The Princess stepped closer to her friend, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Song…"

"If he took them with him, then… that's good," said Song, dabbing at her eyes quickly. "He has… something of mine to keep with him, kind of like you and Sokka with your necklaces, huh? And… like I used to, with his letters to Lo and Li. But I couldn't bring those with me, so…"

"If only I knew if there's anything he owned still somewhere in the barracks…" Azula sighed, wrapping an arm around Song's shoulders. "But knowing Shaofeng, that bastard probably burned everything that belonged to their squad…"

"I guess maybe we can ask Renkai. He might know of something," Song said, brushing the underside of her nose with the back of her hand. "Everything else seems to be where it should be, so I guess… wait. Oh, wait…"

"Wait?" Azula repeated: Song's eyes widened with panic.

"Azula… what happened to Hawky?"

The question was so sincere, so full of fear, that Azula's own, sincere reaction was but a soft chortle. Song, clearly, didn't understand what was so amusing as the Princess patted her head reassuringly.

"On our way to the South Pole, Rui Shi told us he sent Hawky to Ba Sing Se… permanently, that is," Azula said. Song's eyes widened. "He must have sent word to your mother about some of what happened, I doubt he could have explained a lot, but… if you were really worried about Hawky, you probably didn't have to be."

"Oh… oh, that's good. Oh, I thought… I thought we'd find him starved to death downstairs," Song said, eyes wide with horror. "My mom, though…? Oh, hell, I wish I could just… but I know I can't, I know, I'm not saying I'm going to, it's only…"

"I understand," Azula said, smiling reassuringly. "Both her and Hawky should be okay with Governor Tiang, as ever. If the opportunity comes up and you can communicate with her safely, we'll seize it."

"Good. We really should," Song said, nodding firmly. Azula smiled before pulling back and sighing deeply.

"I suppose there's less stuff to check in Sokka's room, but… if we really thought I might communicate with him, it's probably a good idea to go there," Azula said. Her gaze was clouded by sadness, but her words didn't betray her uncertainties. Song nodded, clasping Azula's hand.

"We'll be here with you, so… don't act strong if it hurts, okay? You don't have to. Just like I haven't, at all, so far," Song said, with a weak laugh. "Oh, this is all depressing but… at the same time it's so nostalgic, isn't it?"

"Terribly so," Azula agreed, smiling weakly before marching out of Song's bedroom.

Rei had already backed outside the room, remaining quiet and unobtrusive still. Azula squeezed her shoulder gently before turning towards the room she had visited as many times as she had. The room she had been in merely a month earlier, ready to set fire to this entire building and burn herself down with it… the room that had, instead, turned into her salvation, bridging her soul with Sokka's when she had needed him most desperately.

She pushed the door open delicately – it was damaged too, burnt, but Azula only breathed deeply at the sight of the scorch mark before marching inside the room. The light still drifted through the small balcony, the curtains fluttering against the night breeze.

The lantern's light fell upon the room, and Azula gritted her teeth: she had personally seen already that there were far more signs of violence and struggle in here than anywhere else, but it didn't hurt any less. Charring marks on the floor, on the bed, even on the swaying curtains… and blood. Bloodstains, so prominent at one section of the floor… her heart clenched at the sight of them, images of Sokka crumpled under the merciless assault of two full squads of Imperial Guards flashing through her mind.

She let out another deep breath before shaking her head and marching to the balcony. Impulsively, she shut its doors: less light bathed the room now, and the breeze stopped brushing and rustling the fabrics. It was unnecessary, but it helped ease her heavy heart to distract herself briefly with a simple set of actions to do.

"Okay, well… well," Azula said, closing her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply again before opening them once more. "Time to check if any wild Blue Wolf fans decided to steal his underwear, huh?"

"Ugh… don't remind me of that," Song groaned. Rei blinked blankly.

"Someone… tried to steal his underwear?" Rei repeated. Song shuddered as Azula laughed quietly, shaking her head.

"Fortunately, not quite. If anything, the shameless bitch was trying to give him some underwear of her own," she said. "Though she rummaged through his cabinets anyway. We mentioned her earlier, didn't we? Hina…"

"The people we met in the festival, they mentioned her too," Song said. Rei grimaced.

"T-the one they were mad at…?" she asked. "Was she some sort of…?"

"Stalker with no sense of boundaries? Indeed, she was exactly that," Azula nodded, marching knowingly to Sokka's closet and cabinets. "She was obsessed with Sokka, created some twisted fantasies about him in her head that she thought would be validated when he proved to be some helpless man, tormented by his wicked sponsor. I disliked her from the very first moment, she was shameless about her attempts to flirt with Sokka so I… well, I may have called her a slut, if not quite that bluntly?"

"You did?" Song snorted. Azula smiled and shrugged.

"She was slightly clingy and Sokka had no idea how to get rid of her, so I figured I'd help by insulting her. She, of course, never forgave me for it. One day, about a year later, she pulled that filthy stunt of breaking into this very house and doing who knows how many undignified acts in it. Nobody was home, so…"

"Did you call the guards?" Rei asked, eyeing Azula with uncertainty. "It sounds awful…"

"It was awful. And I didn't. I sorted it out by… heh, by setting her up with someone just as amoral and disgusting as she is," Azula said, with a dry grin. "Someone you had the misfortune to meet, too: Hahn."

Rei blinked blankly before frowning. Her mouth fell open as she processed Azula's confession.

"H-Hahn…?" Rei repeated. "With… huh. A lady who invaded others' privacy…? That… that might be the perfect match. You shouldn't be that helpful to people like that…"

"It was the better alternative, believe it or not," Azula smiled. "Hahn wanted to marry me, you see…"

"He did…?!" Rei gasped: she seemed genuinely outraged by the notion, and Azula laughed again at her reaction. "S-so you had to get rid of him? Make him marry someone else? Is that why…?"

"Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but in a nutshell, yes," Azula shrugged. "And all our lives were slightly better for their absence, for certain."

"Of course," Rei pouted, nodding. "I'm glad you did away with them and… and that you didn't marry Hahn. He was… he was a very bad man. He would have never deserved you."

"Indeed. No matter how lowly I may think of myself some days, I certainly don't think of myself lowly enough to believe I could have ever deserved to marry that bastard," Azula said, pushing the closet doors open.

The armor stand was empty, and she smiled sadly as she dragged a hand over the spot where the black-blue armor usually sat. No armguards, no waistcloth, no sash… she remembered his outfit choices by heart, and she rummaged through his cabinets while thinking of them, smiling whenever she found any clothes her guards hadn't brought with them on the hot-air-balloon. The widest of smiles spread upon her face once she found a black, sleeveless changshan, with red and gold highlights…

"What a shame… though I suppose this wouldn't have served him well in the South Pole," Azula said, dragging a thumb over the smooth fabric. "Shu Jing really feels so distant, and… and it was almost a year ago, to be honest? But not a full year, not just yet…"

"I remember buying those…" Song said, smiling warmly as Azula tucked the tunic back into place. "As well as your clothes for the trip. I never did know if you liked the ones I chose…"

"They were good choices for sure. I thought I'd thanked you for them, but… I suppose I was too busy basking in the last throes of happiness over that week to remember to do so," Azula said, smiling at Song. "Thank you, though. If almost a year late."

"I can't believe it's been that long, and at the same time, I can't believe it's only been that little. It feels like a lifetime, instead," Song said, breathing deeply as she glanced across the room with a weak smile. "To think I've really gone so long without fixing this room at all…"

"Did you have to tidy it up for Sokka?" Rei asked. Song chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't the most orderly man in the world, though he wasn't too awful either," she clarified. "If anything, it's lucky I barely had to tidy up a lot considering the kind of activity this room certainly saw…"

"You just won't stop bringing that up, will you?" Azula huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Instead of being grateful that I never made you pick up after me, you just want to shame me? This is terribly unfair…"

"Well, it's true that you didn't exactly make me pick up after you," Song acknowledged, with a nod. "And yet I can't help but remember one day, when I came back home from shopping to find a mess in the living room, with burned curtains…"

"U-uh… oh. Oh, uh… that," Azula blinked blankly, her face flushing again. Song smirked as she continued, disregarding Azula's obvious embarrassment.

"The best part, of course, was the sight of those two swords right outside, all those signs of violent fighting…! And then I suddenly heard someone's melodious voice up in this very room…"

"You…! Well, you didn't pick up after any of that either!" Azula exclaimed, flustered as Song laughed carelessly. "I mean, maybe you had to change the curtains, I suppose you did, but…!"

"It's kind of funny that you sound even more embarrassed by it today than you did on the day right after your big slip-up," Song remarked. Azula scoffed, shaking her head.

"Maybe it's because you used to have respect for me in those days, unlike how it is now," Azula said, hands on her hips as Song laughed and shook her head.

"You were terrifying and intimidating for me back then, you mean, and now you're not quite that intimidating because you like me too much, yes. Guess that's why Sokka felt comfortable being such a troublemaker with you all along, huh?" Song laughed as Azula rolled her eyes, smiling regardless.

"Must be," she said, letting out a deep breath… and then growing aware, once more, that Rei had listened to all of that and, knowing the girl, stashed away all the information she considered important. A slow chill of nervousness rose in Azula's gut as she glanced at the younger woman, whose inquisitive eyes were on her still.

"W-well, Rei…" she started, unsure of how to explain what Song had been talking about… let alone when Rei's eyes glowed so brightly.

"Did she just say… that there were two swords?" Rei asked. Azula froze on the spot, as did Song. "Is it the sword in your room? You… you would spar with Sokka with your sword, then? That sounds…!"

"That's what interests you about that story…?" Azula asked, perplexed. Rei blinked blankly.

"Well… yes? I mean, I suppose what Song is getting at is you were having sex with Sokka, but I didn't really grasp until now that you're a sword master too!"

Azula's befuddled expression seemed to shift into blankness as she stood in place, ever baffled by Rei's prodigious mind and its unexpected workings. No, it didn't matter to her one bit that Azula had been intimate with any man, whatsoever… let alone did it matter to her whether she had been fighting Sokka violently one moment, then making love to him for the first time. No, that was utterly irrelevant to the curious young woman…

"You… you're one of a kind for sure," Song laughed, stepping up to Rei and hugging her quickly. "Look at that, you totally broke Azula with that response!"

"I…! B-but it's so exciting! Swords, I…! I've never seen any sword fighting, it has to be so…! U-uh, Princess, are you alright? D-did I say something…?"

At this point, Azula's petrification appeared to have receded… giving way to her nearly curling onto herself as she stumbled to sit at the foot of the bed, hugging herself again as she laughed at Rei's utterly unexpected reaction… but was it truly that unexpected? From the get-go, Rei had made it clear she didn't assign the same importance to sex as most people in society did. It sounded mundane, irrelevant… swords, on the other hand, sounded like something utterly exotic, a fascinating concept she would no doubt be asking many questions about in the future. And so, Azula could only laugh… for her adoptive daughter was, undeniably, the most innocent soul she had ever known.

"Am I not supposed to be… focusing on that?" Rei blinked blankly before clearing her throat. "U-uh… oh! How… scandalous! I am… uh, mortified? Princess, that's, eh, very inappropriate of you…?"

Her attempt to save face made matters even worse: Azula roared with laughter as she dropped fully on the bed, covering her face with her hands as Song squeezed Rei even more tightly. The younger woman started laughing too, surprised by the utter swing in mood in what could have been such a somber experience. As dark as this house was, as unsettling as the atmosphere might be, as many ghosts of long-gone leisure days still lingered in the location, the happiness to be found in said ghosts proved so much more powerful than every other thought, every smidge of sorrow that could have dragged down both Azula and Song so far.

"Oh, you're… you're really one of a kind, Rei, there's no denying that," Azula finally said, wiping the tears from her eyes as Song relinquished her grip on Rei slightly. Rei grinned awkwardly, shrugging in Azula's direction.

"I don't know if that was supposed to be more important than the swords, but… it's the first time you say something like that," Rei said, beaming. "It's not like I always wanted to use a sword or so, but it sounds incredible that you could use one yourself! You're a firebender already, and also a sword master…"

"Well… it was Sokka who taught me how to use a sword, if you want to know the truth," Azula said. Rei's eyes seemed to gleam even more brightly. "But what Song is talking about is… well, the day when he and I took things to the next level, so while it's the first time you hear about my ability with swords, that wasn't at all what made that day so dangerous for us in the end. That being said… you really have the right idea, focusing on the swords instead."

"I do?" Rei laughed, scratching the back of her head. "To be honest, your story with him is so complicated that you'll have to write out the timeline of everything for me. I somehow thought you were together from the start, at some point… but then you mentioned that you weren't, back when you got lost in the forest? So… I guess I just lack references in some regards."

"And you also don't care much about whatever she was up to with Sokka behind closed doors," said Song, patting Rei's shoulder. Rei shrugged.

"If they had fun, then… good for them?" she said. Azula smiled as she sat up on the mattress.

"If only the rest of the world were like you, Rei, it would be a much better place for sure," she said, breathing out slowly. "Anyway… stop bringing up stuff like that, Song. Else we'll end up proving Sokka right about women being perverts and I'm pretty sure you don't want to do that…"

"Oh, blast him…" Song laughed, shaking her head at another memory as Azula smiled and rose to her feet.

"I can't pretend it's safe for me to teach you how to use a sword as I am right now," Azula told Rei, whose eyes glistened at those words. "But, who knows… maybe if you use wooden swords, I can try to train you and Song by telling you what to do. That's how my old firebending instructors would train me, in the past…"

"Oh, you want to train me too?" Song asked. Azula shrugged.

"You can't be so mean as to make Rei start on this path of the art of the sword all by her lonesome, now, can you?" she asked. Song snorted at her question.

"Well… it never really occurred me to ask, but I did say I wanted to learn at least some basic fighting skills. Guess we could do that after all," Song said, glancing at the excited Rei.

"That would be…! That would be wonderful, yes!" Rei giggled. Azula grinned as she rounded the bed, marching towards the nightstand. "I'll probably be terrible at it, but if you would train with me, I'd be honored, Lady… Song!"

"Woah… nobody's called me Lady Song before," Song smirked, as Rei blushed at her potential mistake. "Odd feeling, but… I suppose if you insist on doing it, I'll get used to it."

"Hehe… it seemed right," Rei grinned, as Song patted her head gently.

"You're too nice," she said, before glancing at Azula. "Looking for something else now?"

"I suppose it's just very stupid of me, isn't it…? To look at this cabinet and expect the necklace I returned personally to still be there," Azula whispered, pulling the cabinet open.

Pages rustled inside the cabinet, and Azula frowned upon noticing the closed scrolls within the cabinet. Rolled sheets of paper nestled in there, along with carved, small oval rocks with clumsy engravings in them… no doubt, the very rocks with which Sokka had practiced before carving Azula's necklace.

Still, Azula focused on the papers, raising a trembling hand to the one in the middle. She withdrew it from its spot delicately, spreading it slowly as she found herself forcibly reminded of the day she'd found his haiku poems, just when she had been looking for that abacus…

This time, however, a smile spread across her face. Even if tears bloomed in the corners of her eyes, even if pain over the loss stabbed into her heart, a blissful blanket of happiness seemed to have fallen upon her all the same.

She didn't remember just how beautiful the artwork had been. He had worked so hard on it, intending to capture the feeling of peace and comfort they had experienced in Shu Jing… the very moment he had told her he wanted to paint was right here, in her hands. And where the traces of paint lacked expertise, where there were occasional mishaps that he had covered up and redone until he had finally found the right way to depict something, Azula could see no true flaws… no true faults. All she could see was brightness, beauty, as her very soul returned to that day, sitting beside him by the steps of Shu Jing's mansion after the last meal they had enjoyed together in that marvelous place. Xin Long nestled in the courtyard, prepared to fly back to the Capital, but waiting patiently for the two of them to be done saying their farewells to the beautiful mansion that had hosted them for almost a full week…

"It's… art?"

Rei's question seemed to break the brief spell Azula had fallen in, but she didn't mind the interruption. Azula smiled, dabbing at her eyes with her fingertips before showing the painting to Rei and Song. The healer gasped and smiled.

"Oh, I remember when he worked on that…" she said. Rei's jaw dropped.

"Wait… he painted this?" she asked. "He… he could paint too?"

"You wouldn't be too surprised to know that, had you known him," Azula smiled fondly. "Though he wasn't always great at it, but… he was a very quick learner. I gave him a few tips to improve on this one, but he did the bulk of the work by himself, back when I wasn't home… I was stuck in the Crescent Island Summit."

"And Rui Shi went with you," Song said, with a sad smile. Rei glanced back at her. "It was me and Sokka… and Toph, on occasion, when she decided to drop by. She'd usually just talk his ear off while he was painting and he'd be so irritable about it…"

"I suppose she had nothing fun to say to begin with," Azula smiled. "Might have been welcome company if only she hadn't been brooding over me and Iroh and our irksome cold war…"

"Yeah, that's what it was all about, right?" Song sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry you were collateral damage of it in every way you were, but… I'm also sorry you couldn't be with Rui Shi on those days," Azula whispered. Song shrugged.

"Well, much as you taught Sokka how to paint, Rui Shi had been teaching me how to play the pipa, remember?" Song grinned. "We were both just… trying to practice what you both had taught us. It wasn't perfect, but… at least we had a way to feel close to you while you were gone, huh?"

"Indeed… indeed," Azula let out a deep breath, glancing at the artwork once more. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it. A smile spread over her face as she gazed at it fondly. "I really ought to bring it with me… though I'm scared of doing that, too. But… it's just not fair to leave it here. If looters did show up, and I hope they never do…"

Azula bit her lip, rolling the scroll closed again before reaching in for the next artwork. Rei, next to her, reached for the last one in the cabinet. Azula pulled open the one she was holding only to let out a soft laugh, shaking her head at the rather awkward depiction of her in a rather revealing outfit… Sokka's very first attempt at painting.

"He definitely had a learning curve to envy, I have to say…" she smiled, rolling it closed quickly again. "Going from that to…"

Only then did Azula realize that Rei, following her example, had pulled the third scroll open, no doubt expecting another beautiful masterpiece that gave away Sokka's grand painting talent…

And certainly not expecting a depiction of a naked couple in bed together.

For once, Rei's cheeks flushed over something even slightly related to sex. She froze where she stood, the artwork spread open and depicting, indeed, a masterpiece… if a slightly more risqué one than she had been expecting.

"Rei…!" Azula gasped: her own cheeks heated up as she impulsively reached for the last artwork… and Rei closed it quickly, handing it over to Azula.

"I-I'm sorry! I just thought…! I wanted to see if it was…! I-I didn't…! I'm sorry!"

Azula pulled the artwork close to her chest, her face a twisting grimace of awkwardness as her daughter stared at her in uncertain chagrin…

And then, as expected, Azula chortled and roared with laughter, bending forward as she wound up taking her seat on the edge of the bed again. Rei remained frozen on the spot, hands still in the same position after having handed the scroll back to Azula… and her nervous gaze rose towards Song, whose judgmental stare was set on the laughing Princess.

"Well… damn. I mean… I suppose it makes sense, considering who we're talking about, but… wow," Song smirked, arms folded over her chest as Azula set the scrolls down beside her, covering her blushing face with her hands. "Well, we're definitely bringing all of Sokka's masterpieces back to the Palace now. We absolutely cannot leave something that incriminating lying about in reach for just… anyone, can we?"

"Definitely not…" Azula chuckled, her shoulders shaking as she shook her head. "Oh, hell… I'm sorry, Rei. Oh, I didn't mean to scar your mind with it…"

"It's… very pretty. B-but definitely inappropriate," Rei admitted, with a light giggle. "Sorry. I shouldn't have opened it…"

"You had no idea what you'd find. I should've thought about it, but it totally slipped my mind because I was looking at the other one… which isn't particularly appropriate either, but it's funnier because he had no idea what he was doing yet," Azula laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, goodness… I really forgot about that artwork. I really did…"

"Are there others that… uh, won't embarrass you like that one?" Rei asked, with a guilty smile. Azula shook her head.

"Not that I'm aware of. Unfortunately, he only picked up painting as a hobby quite late in his time with me, so… well, there's the one he painted of Ty Lee's wedding, but that one was a gift for those two. If… if we ever visit her? I guess you'll be able to see it. She put it on display in their living room, if I recall right…"

"Oh? That sounds very sweet," Song said, smiling. "And definitely better suited to be put on display compared to…"

"Well, you should be grateful, truly, Song, that I persuaded him that pinning this one to his wall wasn't a good idea," Azula said, with a dry grin. Song's eyebrow twitched. "He genuinely wanted to hang that last one here in his room and I told him not to for your sake…"

"Wow. I can't believe I'm still baffled by his shamelessness, this late in the game," Song said, before letting out a soft laugh. "Oh, he was insane… I mean, I suppose he had reasons to be proud, it looks great and he absolutely improved a lot! But… damn, that kind of private stuff is meant to stay private, as far as I'm concerned…"

"Well… uh. Little secret…?" Azula said, with an awkward smile as she rested her head on her hand. "Both this one, and the one from Ty Lee's wedding… both of them were collaborative efforts, heh."

"Wait, you mean you…?" Song blinked blankly, eyes widening by the second. Rei's jaw dropped. Azula smiled guiltily and shrugged.

"I… have nothing to say in my defense. If you expected otherwise," she said: naturally, her revelation saw both her friends bursting out with laughter.

"You are just as bad as him! Of course you are, always were…!" Song laughed, stepping up to Azula as the Princess laughed and shook her head. "The perfect match for each other, whether in shamelessness or anything else…"

"In just about every way that mattered," Azula said, with a weak grin. "Though I still didn't want to put it on display anywhere, for the record…"

"If you were his accomplice in drawing that, saying that won't cleanse your reputation much, Princess," Song smirked. Azula's shoulders shook with laughter again as she gathered the three scrolls.

The room she had often shared with Sokka hosted so many good memories, so many beautiful reminders of what she had lost, of what she had valued well above her own life. Of the companionship, the affection, the peace she had never experienced until he had granted it to her… and just so, a simple glance at the crumpled sheets reminded her of some of the last, dark events that had taken place in it. Of the horrors Song had listened to, of the excruciating pain Sokka had suffered with no warning, with next to no chance to defend himself…

The blood still stained the bed. It still stained the floorboards, evidence of the trail Sokka had been dragged through. Whatever moments of joy she could reclaim, the darkness would encroach around them anew once she came back to reality. Once she was no longer in Shu Jing, no longer remembering the shamelessness of their art sessions, no longer lost in sweet memories of the gentle blue eyes of her beloved Gladiator.

"This place…" Azula whispered, spreading a hand over the bedsheets. "I know what happened was… it was a nightmare, even if one I didn't experience directly, back when he was taken by the guards…"

"You experienced your own," Song whispered, sadly. Azula closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly.

"I did… and I still live and spend my every day in the very room where mine took place," Azula confessed. Song's eyes widened, as did Rei's. "It's easier to forget, because there are many more memories now… many things I can think of to avoid thinking of that. There were no… no physical signs of what happened there. Hell, I… I burned down the bed sheets at one point, not quite accidentally that time. Right after I saw Sokka in prison… that very night. I had a chance to cleanse off some of my frustration and pain that way. And I feel like doing the same here, but… I don't want to set sheets on fire. I don't want to burn this place down, not in the slightest… I just want it to be what it was. To feel like it used to… to no longer feel it was broken, and for that broken state to determine everything I feel upon looking at it. I… I'm not fully healed in any way, no. I'm still struggling every day, even if it's easier sometimes. It's not fair to just leave this place to be a testament to pain when… when it used to be a haven of true peace and happiness for all of us who were lucky enough to live here."

Azula breathed deeply before glancing at Song meaningfully. Her friend returned her heartfelt gaze, her own feelings twisting and turning inside her gut.

"We can fix this place… if just little by little. Maybe… maybe once a month?" Azula asked. Song raised her eyebrows. "If all goes well tonight, of course. It's only… I can't stand it. I can't fathom coming back only to… to grieve over all that was lost rather than rejoice in what we once had. And as long as all that dust piles up, as long as the blood stains every floorboard and sheet…"

"You want… to make the bed?" Rei asked, biting her lip. "If there's spare sheets, we can do that. I don't think there's much to be done about the blood that dried on the mattress, that's not usually easy to cleanse, but a new set of sheets could help…"

"It should," Azula agreed, nodding. Rei smiled.

"Then we can make the bed," she said. "You already know how, so… b-but that's not all, right? There's the blood everywhere else too, and the dust…"

"We can't clean up thoroughly," Song sighed, shaking her head. "At least, Azula can't. You're pregnant, being here with so much dust could be a bad idea, even if you're not particularly allergic to it… and the floorboards, well, I can't even say they could've been cleaned properly before the blood dried. It's only worse now…"

"It doesn't mean there's nothing to be done about it…" Rei said, softly. Azula raised her gaze towards her adoptive daughter, puzzled. "W-well, that is, if there are enough tools here to work with…"

"Tools?" Song repeated. "Well, we had some basic tools, but… we don't have wood, and making new planks to replace the damaged ones is easier said than done."

"We don't need to make new ones," Rei said, with a shrug. Song's confusion only increased further. "We only have to flip them."

"Wait… flip them?" Azula repeated, frowning.

Rei nodded, with a weak smile. Song remained mystified by the girl's conclusion, so Rei shrugged.

"I had to do it at times, when lady Meili wanted to hide stains on floorboards too," she explained. Azula and Song gaped at her, perplexed. "Sometimes… well, things could get messy in the brothel. Not always violently, but… there were many stains everywhere, and if they were too strong to be cleaned out, lady Meili would make me fix it by flipping the floorboards. I-it was kind of funny, though, a few times the flip wasn't much use because… because the board had already been flipped before? So then I had to find one that wasn't stained, like under beds or so, and swap them for the stained ones so that the stains wouldn't be visible for high-profile customers and… u-uh, am I talking too much?"

"Not particularly," Azula said, staring at Rei in utmost astonishment. "Did you… ever have to fix a door's hinges, too? The front door is… well, damaged badly, but I think the hinges could be fixed, if not the full door…"

"Oh, yeah! I'm sure it can be," Rei nodded positively. "And if something can't be fixed that quickly… well, you did just say that maybe coming here once a month would be a good idea? We could gather supplies for whatever we want to fix. Maybe we could flip the floorboards for now and buy new, good boards for the future! Maybe change all the flooring, altogether? That way… that way you won't have to remember that night whenever you see the floor, at least. I can't say fixing the bed would be that easy, we'd likely have to buy a new one, but…"

"He goes through beds at an alarming rate, I suppose," Azula said, with a weak smile. Rei raised an eyebrow and Azula laughed. "It's only… this one is his third mattress already, I believe? We had to dispose of the first one after our first time, the second one after Hina's disgusting stunt… and this is the third one. So, getting a new one…"

"I don't think it's a bad idea," Song said, simply. "He'll be grateful for it, even… if things ever made sense again and he could come back? I'm sure he'd be happy if he had a new mattress. Hell, if he had a fully refurbished house to come back to, all new floors, and new doors…"

Slowly, Song's smile gained strength as she spoke. She turned towards Rei with a proud smile, as the girl grinned back at her.

"You're sure about this whole plan of flipping floorboards for now?" she asked. Rei nodded positively.

"Though it won't look pretty," she admitted. "The color is usually uneven, especially in floorboards that received a lot of sunlight… but if that doesn't bother you for now, it can be done."

"I'll have to clean thoroughly first," Song declared, glancing about the room with sharp eyes. "So much dust… I'm not allergic to it either but it's driving me crazy. So… I'll fix that first. Azula… you can go sit outside for a while, and Rei and I will take care of everything."

"Oh, come on. I can at least make the bed myself, can't I?" Azula said, huffing. Song raised an eyebrow.

"Do you even know where the clean bedsheets were stored at…?"

"I… don't. But I can go look for some anyway while you clean everything else," Azula declared, stubbornly, prompting Song to chuckle at her earnest reaction. "I can fix your bed with fresh sheets too, while I'm at it. Truly, it's not that taxing and I can handle it while you two do the heavier work. After that… I'll just sit somewhere else and stay put like you want me to. Or I'll help with some things if you think I can handle it. But leaving it all to the two of you feels… well, it feels wrong. Rei herself said that families work on chores and such together, right? We're a rather strange family, the three of us, but the logic still applies."

"See, you can't say nice things to Azula because then she turns your own kindness against you," Song said, nudging the laughing Rei with her elbow as Azula huffed in her direction. "Fine, then, fine. We'll work together as the family we are and patch up this place as best we can before… before what, a couple of hours until dawn? We shouldn't stay out here forever…"

"We won't. I'll let you know if it's too late to stay out. Though, to be honest, I think the city will be the judge of that," Azula said, rising to her feet. "Once we stop hearing blasts of fireworks in the distance, it'll mean everyone's gone to bed and that dawn's not that far away. They do go the extra mile with fireworks on the final day of the Festivals…"

"Then we'll do that, and that means you're on firework watch duty, Azula," Song determined, grinning broadly. Azula snorted and smiled.

"Sounds like such a taxing job…" she teased. Song shook her head.

"A taxing enough job for a pregnant woman, yes. I mean, as it is, we're expecting to be awake all night? This is already a pretty unhealthy thing to ask from someone who's pregnant, so…"

"That's fine, we'll just sleep all day tomorrow and make up for it…" Azula said, waving a hand dismissively at Song. The healer laughed and nodded.

"If that's how it'll be… let's get to work," she smiled.

The house would return to its previous state in due course, Azula suspected. For starters, as promised, both Rei and Song focused on sweeping all the floors and dusting off the furniture. As they worked together, the process proved much quicker than it ever had been when Song maintained the house on her own: after they had swept and dusted each room, Azula took to her self-imposed duty of making the beds. She knew she hadn't done a brilliant job with Song's sheets, but at least there weren't as many wrinkles as the ones from her last attempt in her own bed, back in the Palace.

Then, she returned to Sokka's room, which was also clear of dust now. Azula smiled as she tugged the sheets loose, letting herself recall more memories of many mornings and afternoons spent there with her lover… of the occasional nights, too, when she had needed his company direly. What would he think if he could see her now, if he knew what she was up to…? The thought brought a soft laugh out of her lips as she imagined him yelping, squeaking in horror at the sight of her making the bed, demanding immediately to be the one to do it so she wouldn't overexert herself. Then, as soon as he finished the job, she would push him on the mattress all over again, climbing on his body and teasing him over how quickly his hard work with the sheets would come undone… he would laugh too, scolding her playfully for sabotaging him, and then…

Her breath hitched as she stopped at that thought, a tear trailing down her cheek as she shook her head at her own foolishness. She smiled again, though, feeling herself so close to him she could hear his voice perfectly, recall his scent, the warmth of his body, the softness of his hair… the brightness of his smiles, ever easing her sorrows with his pure, uncontestably good heart.

"Well… I guess you'd have a chance to mock me right back for being a mess at making our bed, huh?" she said out loud, after tucking the spare fabric under the mattress.

It was all clean now… the signs of burned stains and blood were no longer visible, even if they had bled into the mattress below. It was one starting point… one out of many bits of progress they still needed to make. But as much as the memory of that painful night lingered so vividly, it truly was easier to ignore it now. Azula let out a deep breath as she dragged a hand over the mattress, leaning over it and taking her seat before stretching across it – yes, now she'd have to fix the sheets again upon getting up, she knew so, and yet…

"Here we are," Azula whispered, dropping a hand on her womb. "This was the best place in the whole world, you know? The place where… where we were at our happiest. Hell, the pillow still smells like… like your father."

She bit her lip hard as she tucked her face into the newly changed pillowcase. Dressing the bed newly didn't change what couldn't be changed: Sokka's presence was still so strong she could easily picture him climbing on that bed, right behind her, wrapping his arms around her figure.

Her fingers slipped down to her pocket, pulling out the necklace and bringing it to her lips for a soft kiss. Her eyes closed… and she felt that warmth, that sensation she had been chasing ever since she had first experienced it. The sensation of connection… of being linked to him across oceans and continents. He didn't seem unhappy, no… right now, the feeling he gave her was slightly familiar, though it was hard to place. Determination? Was that it? Her heart sped up, painfully so, at the realization that it was the confidence of her Gladiator… the strength of spirit he had developed over the years of fighting for what he believed in. She remembered that feeling all too well, the inspiration it provided her, the direction, even… she had missed it dearly. Reclaiming it now, if just briefly, brought a smile to her face. She could only hope he felt her too… she could only hope he knew she was doing better now. That her life was improving, no matter if their most glorious days were long past them.

"I love you," she whispered against the necklace, pressing another kiss to it before rolling on the bed and forcing herself to sit upright again. "But I guess a full connection is not in the cards today. Maybe… maybe this is enough for now."

She smiled as she put the necklace back in her pocket, caressing her womb one more time. The baby was growing still, larger than the last time she had been here. Azula supposed it still couldn't understand her, let alone understand where they were… but the need to speak with it overcame all logic and rationality.

"I'll bring you back here again soon, I suppose," Azula smiled, trailing her fingers over the bump. "Hopefully… it will be sooner than we know. Maybe you'll be able to come here after you're born too. If it weren't for this place, well… none of us would've come this far, I assure you, little one. It's important. It's meant to be treasured."

And she intended to do exactly that in the coming months. However hard the work might be, she wanted to come back as often as possible to fix this place to the best of her ability. There was no erasing the past… but this was no erasure: it was closure. It was a way to put distance between that night and the present time, to accept it and to move forward. To continue to value what mattered, and to protect it with all her strength, no matter how little of it she might have left.

She fixed the bed anew and returned to the ground floor when the other two were almost done with the sweeping. After a brief break where they replenished their strength with food and drink, Rei decided to get started with fixing the door, the most urgent issue, it seemed. The backdoor was busted, too, so they assessed its damage first before Rei and Song, together, dismounted both doors and checked the hinges, to determine how to fix them. The backdoor appeared less troublesome, so they amended it in about an hour. The front door was slightly more complex due to the severe damage it had sustained, but some extra work – and this time with some of Azula's assistance, for she had insisted on helping them hold the door upright – had seen to the reinstalling of the door, even if the lock remained busted.

"It'll be a while before that can be fixed… but this should do for now," Rei smiled, pulling the door open and closing it multiple times to test it was firmly lodged where it had to be. Azula let out a deep breath and smiled.

"It's a functioning door. That's already pretty solid progress," Azula commented. Rei giggled and shrugged.

"I think it's not bad, for the first night of work," she said. "But…"

"No more fireworks since about ten minutes ago, yeah," Azula acknowledged, with a deep breath. Rei and Song sighed.

"We still have all the floorboards to fix…" Song commented, gazing at the trail of dry blood with displeasure. Azula shook her head.

"It's better to be safe and leave now, I think," she said. "We'll come back… we'll fix the rest of it, little by little. It won't be the same, no, but… but it might feel like the house again. Our house. The good memories… they can't make the bad ones go away, but I loved this place. It was the only safe place in this whole damn city, it feels like… and I can't let my father taint that. He has damaged enough things, done enough harm, to let him destroy something that meant so much to me, too."

"Which only means we'll have to be very careful about how we handle the repairs," Song pointed out, with a deep sigh. "We'll figure out how to get the supplies we need… be it new doors or whatever. We'll make it untraceable to you, I hope, and… and once that's done, we can come here just to spend some time in this place rather than just to patch it up, right?"

"Right," Azula smiled. "You'll be taking a few things back to the Palace too?"

"Some clothes, yeah… though I won't be wearing them anytime soon, of course," Song admitted, with a sad smile. "A few books I couldn't bring with me back then, too. And so many of my mother's letters, my goodness…"

"That's a good idea, though keep them hidden properly," Azula said, biting her lip. "I can hide them with my own papers, I thought I'd put the artworks there… the naughty and the nice ones alike."

"Sounds about right," Song smiled, and Azula chuckled softly. "I… I know it's been an emotional mess for the two of us, but… thank you for bringing us here, Azula. Really… thank you."

"You barely have to thank me at all, I was very selfish about wanting to come here, myself," Azula smiled before glancing at Rei. "Though we should definitely thank Rei… that was a lot of hard work you did with the doors."

"It's not that difficult," Rei smiled. "Not when you're not alone, at least."

"Then this lady Meili made you…? Ugh, I shouldn't even ask," Song groaned, pulling Rei in for another sudden hug. "You're never putting up with that kind of treatment again. We'll make sure of that."

"I know… I'm very lucky for that," Rei said, with an innocent smile. "This place does feel like a beautiful home. I've never lived anywhere like this before. It's… it's much prettier than the Palace."

"It is, there's no point of comparison," Azula smiled, breathing in and closing her eyes. "If only I could get away with it, I'd just move here permanently. Sokka and I joked about it sometimes, even…"

"You almost did it once, too… back when you had that other falling out with your father," Song said. Azula shrugged.

"Unfortunately, we had to stay at Ty Lee's for appearances' sake, but yes," Azula said, with a sad smile. "Home is where the heart is, people say… I won't pretend all my heart is truly here, but a small part of it just might be. Coming back… it hurts, but this nostalgic feeling isn't so bad, is it?"

"No… not at all," Song said, smiling warmly. "It really is home… and it's worth fighting for."

Azula nodded, firmly, glancing one more time at the now-closed door to Sokka's bedroom. She smiled fondly at it, letting thoughts of the past infuse her with that newfound, gentle peace lined with longing…

"I'm sure he feels that way, too."

Her introspective moment was interrupted when Song said those words. Azula blinked blankly for a moment before looking at her friend: her eyes seemed aglow with determination under the lantern Rei had picked up again, readying herself to set out back to the street.

"You mean… Sokka?" Azula asked. Song raised an eyebrow.

"Of course," she said. Azula gritted her teeth.

"Well, even if he does, he… he's home in his own way, now. With his family… and that's where he should be," she said. Song frowned.

"Well, that's where you left him. I don't know, and neither do you, if he still is there," she said. Azula's brow drew together at Song's words. "I mean, you communicated with him and… and he said he was still fighting for you, didn't he?"

"Right… because my father sent his troops down south and attacked them," Azula said, matter-of-factly. Song huffed. "You don't think that's what…?"

"You said he would come for you, didn't you?"

"That doesn't mean he's on his way now," Azula said, eyes wide. "I mean, if he were he… he'd be in so much danger, Song. I would welcome it, believe me, if… if I saw him again, directly, I think I'd just lose every shred of rational thought and not look back as long as I could be with him again, but… I can't do that. I won't see him again because he can't come back just like that. If he feigned his death, if he tricked my father, then… it has to be because he's waiting for the right chance, the opportune moment, to try to reach me."

"Well, you know Sokka better than anyone. Waiting for that chance, that moment, to produce itself out of thin air, would never be his first choice," Song said, simply. Azula's brow drew together slowly. "Look, I'm not saying he's going to show up tomorrow, but… I do think that what he told you that night wasn't intended just as 'wait for me and when your dad drops dead out of natural causes, we'll be together again'. I… I think someone like Sokka is too stubborn, too strong, too crazy not to go the extra mile for you."

"I… I told him not to," Azula said. "I… I said he should stay, not to do anything that would put him and his people at risk…"

"And Sokka always was the obedient type, now, wasn't he?"

Song wasn't mocking her. There was no intent of ridicule in her voice. If anything… she was being a voice of reason and sense. She reminded Azula that the man she had left behind in the South Pole had more guts, courage and recklessness than anyone else she'd known…

And he was rebellious. He never did as he was told. He had an untamable, unbreakable soul… and he'd do whatever he pleased, whenever he felt like it.

Their conversation in that strange, spiritual space of existence suddenly took a whole new turn as Azula stood there, retracing each moment of their exchange with growing dread inside her chest:

"You wouldn't believe… the kind of weird shit that's happened to me lately."

He had said those words, and she hadn't understood their meaning. Chakras and chi… he had even spoken of some strange, philosophical matters that he had never spoken of before. Whatever he'd been through while they were apart… how could she have the slightest clue as to what it had been?

"You've fought until you couldn't take it any longer, right? So… so now you can stop fighting, Azula. Now I'll do what I always have. Now… now I'll be the one to fight for you. It's the destiny I chose… it's the destiny I'll always choose, no matter what."

He had spoken similar words all through their partnership, through their relationship… but had it meant more than she had been ready to understand, to accept? Yes, perhaps she had told him the truth, perhaps she had told him that she needed him by her side, that she couldn't stand the agony her father kept inflicting upon her… but the pain had receded now. Ozai was no longer as punishing as he used to be. The cruelty was no longer as bad as once had been, so Sokka didn't have to take any wild risks…

But did he know that? Could he ever understand that, when she hadn't told him so? She had been unable to connect with him fully again ever since that night… they hadn't been able to speak, to understand each other beyond sensing their emotions.

He couldn't know. He didn't know. If he had taken her despair and misery as a sign of action, then…

"The right path isn't always the easiest one. I know you're scared… I know you don't want me to get hurt. I know you're worried… but don't be. Believe in me, just as I believe in you. Trust me… because, girl: I need you too. I need you more than I can ever explain, I… my heart is yours, it always has been, and I can feel it beating a thousand miles away, where I left it with you. I can't live on in this damn world either… not knowing if you're safe. Not knowing if he's taking out his wrath on you…"

The right path wasn't the easiest one, he had said as much twice. The hardest thing would be to stay away, to keep their distance, to ensure they wouldn't risk each other's safety by doing anything reckless, and yet his insistence that he couldn't live without her…?

"I failed to protect you from what he's done to you so far… but I won't fail forever. I'm coming for you, Azula. And this time, I'm never letting go. Never again."

She had foolishly held her silence. She had said nothing. She had as good as encouraged him to do exactly that by not telling him not to. By caving in to her desperation, to her need to be with him, to the wild emotions that had even led her to reveal she carried his child… she had lost all rational thought, of course she had, she had been on the verge of suicide, for crying out loud, she had thought she'd lost him…!

But he was still out there.

And maybe he wouldn't be anymore if he took action to return to her side once more.

"I… I'll come for you. For the both of you… for the both of you! Don't ever… don't ever let go. I'm coming, Azula… I'll find you, no matter what it takes!"

She froze on the spot, shivering as a new, foreboding feeling took hold of her. How had she overlooked all of this? How had she assumed he spoke of some distant future, of a possibility many years away…? How was it possible that it hadn't even crossed her mind, not once, that he might decide to recklessly come for her now, waiting for nothing and creating his own chances like the best swordsmen were wont to do…?

He couldn't, though. If he did… if he did, Ozai would kill him. If he revealed he was alive, wouldn't her father send more troops to the South Pole, whether Sokka was there or not, to wipe them out for good this time? He couldn't be so reckless, he couldn't be so thoughtless…!

"Azula…" Song called her. Azula shook her head.

"It's… it's no joking matter," she said, her voice deeper and graver than Song had heard it in months. "He… he has to be aware of… of how dangerous something like that could be. Of how much he'd risk if he… I did everything I did to make sure he survived. I did…"

"He knows that. I have no doubts he does," Song said, eyeing Azula with uncertainty. "But just as you did everything for him… he would do anything for you. That's… that's what he was always like. Azula, I'm not telling you he's already on his way or anything, but it's entirely possible he'll do something…"

"He can't…"

"He isn't an idiot. He knows how much he'd risk if he tries to do anything that could harm you in significant ways," Song said, clasping Azula's shoulder delicately. The Princess swallowed hard, lowering her gaze. "But he's… he's your partner. He loves you more than anything. You're everything to him, always were. A man who was as loyal to you as he was… he wouldn't just sit on his hands and wait for your father to have a change of heart or drop dead out of nowhere. I do think he's too smart to… to do anything too reckless. But you said you'd be ready, didn't you? That when he showed up…"

"I'm never going to be ready for him to do anything utterly stupid to risk the very precarious peace we've only just built back in this mess of a nation," Azula said, bluntly. Song winced. "If… if he managed to communicate with me again, if he could come here through… through the tunnels or so, somehow avoiding detection entirely, even that would be… even that would be…"

Even that would be dangerous and risky for more reasons than the obvious.

For even if Ozai didn't find out, even if Sokka dodged everything that the Fire Lord could throw at him, even if he faked his death so effectively that Ozai truly and genuinely believed it and it never crossed his mind that Sokka might yet live…

Even then, Azula had done things she was profoundly ashamed of. Things she couldn't forgive herself for. She had made choices for the right reasons, supposedly, and yet… and yet she had betrayed him, in many ways, in doing so.

If she was wrong, if Sokka came storming in, riding thunder and lightning in order to save her… he'd find a wreck in the place of the upstanding Princess he had once loved profoundly. He'd find a weakened woman whose entire repertoire of choices right now was comprised by doing whatever would minimize the risks and damage her father might inflict upon others if she took any steps out of line. She wasn't the woman who had championed the rights of slaves anymore, the woman who had stood up to Ozai and gotten away with it…

There was so much she regretted, so much she could never forgive herself for, so much she could never be ready to tell Sokka, so much she could hardly imagine herself explaining to him… she could see the disappointment in his face, the anguish, the frustration. She had told him she would never let her father force her to marry Zhao and yet that was exactly what had happened…

He loved someone who no longer existed. If he came back for her and risked everything for her… he'd be sorely disappointed by what he'd find.

She wasn't worthy of him. She hadn't been for months, at least… if not for much longer than that.

"Stop worrying…" Song whispered, stepping closer to Azula and wrapping her in her arms delicately. Azula shuddered against her, unable to do what Song had told her to. "It's not going to happen yet and… and who knows? Maybe you'll be able to communicate with him again before anything happens, alright? You can warn him against doing anything too risky. He'd know better, I know he would, but… if that's what bothers you, I'm sure you can persuade him to be careful if he's up to anything at all. Maybe he's waiting, just as you thought he was… but if he's not, I don't think he'll do something that could endanger you, Azula. So…"

"S-so I should just… stop taking it that seriously?" Azula asked. Song patted her back.

"You should focus on living out your life as best as you can while he's gone," Song said, sniffing softly. "You should forget your fears for a little while, because… that's no way to live. You were terrified when I first returned here and… after you talked to him that night, you've changed. You've found strength you lacked, you've regained your will to live, I'd dare say, so… don't let this trample over you, alright? Sokka… he will be fine, Azula. He knows what he put you through by pretending he'd died already, doesn't he? You told him that, so…"

"He… he was sorry for that," Azula admitted. Song smiled.

"See? He'll never put you through that kind of pain again," Song said, pulling back and smiling at her friend kindly. "He always felt like shit whenever he did anything that upset you, so… he's not that stupid, okay? But Azula… you don't have to be so scared. You don't have to be so worried about the downsides… it's the same as looking at this house and only seeing the bloodstains rather than all the beautiful, good things we had here before that night. Maybe, yes, there will be danger… but there is so much more to Sokka coming back for you than that. Think on that, instead."

Unbeknownst to Song, that was exactly what Azula was doing… and it was only making matters worse. The Princess shivered under Song's grip, knowing her friend wouldn't drop the subject until she agreed with her, until she believed her… but she didn't quite feel that way just yet. How could she? How, when the likelihood that Sokka would come back was lined with so much danger, so many ways for his grand, triumphant return to go wrong…?

And she was the reason why it would go wrong. Azula herself, and her very fall from grace.

Would Sokka be able to forgive her? Would he be able to accept what she'd done? Would he be able to live with it and not begrudge her for the horrible choices she'd been stuck with making? She had let herself think carelessly of how much happier she'd be if he were back… but it was a wishful fantasy, a fantasy that didn't take into consideration the many consequences of this chaos. If she saw him again as she was now, yes, she would carelessly, recklessly, run into his arms as she did in that vision… but when reality returned, her heart would break upon knowing she'd have to break his in turn. Upon knowing she'd have to tell him the truth of her choices, why she'd made them… and why she had betrayed him, too. Why she had failed to fight back against her father, why she had stupidly trusted Xin Long would be okay…

She had made so many mistakes. She couldn't forgive herself for them. If Sokka truly had enough kindness in his heart to forgive her, in turn, then… then he'd certainly be the most generous, gentle soul alive, for she didn't know how anyone could forgive sins like hers. Not after bearing the scar she did across her hand… not after having sworn as many promises as she had to him. No, of course she didn't love Zhao and never would, but… but that wouldn't make matters any better, would it? She didn't think it did. If anything…

She shuddered before forcing herself to nod. Song sighed, pulling her in for another embrace.

"It's going to be okay, Azula. It's going to be okay," she said, even though her reassurances did nothing to quell the Princess's spiraling doubts and fears. She had spoken the words in the hopes that they might encourage her friend… but now it became starkly clear she'd had the entire opposite effect on Azula instead. Perhaps it was something they'd have to discuss more calmly in the future, once they weren't as tired as they were after this all-nighter. "Let's go back now, okay?"

Azula breathed out slowly and nodded. Back to the Palace… away from the safety of this house, the beautiful haven that it was. She dared venture one more glance, one last gaze at that bedroom… one more chaotic, contradictory wish to see him again, clasping the necklace firmly in her hand as entrails of despair threatened to wrap around her heart once more: she had to tell him not to do anything reckless, anything foolish, anything they might regret…

She wanted him to live on. It was painful, but it was possible. She wanted him to keep going… to move on, even, if that was possible at all for him. He would be better served by doing that, rather than being utterly disappointed when he returned to her in hopes to find everything they'd lost, everything she'd lost, restored instantly upon their reunion…

She closed her eyes, tearing her gaze away from that door. The future hadn't looked promising ever since she had stopped seeing it with him by her side. But now, the mere thought of a future that featured him, far sooner than she was ready for, proved terrifying too. She couldn't even visualize it, for such was the fear that shook her very core. She still loved him desperately, dearly, and she always would… but for the first time ever, she found herself suspecting Sokka would be better off heeding his own words: the right path was not always the easiest one. And perhaps the right path, regardless of all the pain she had experienced on it, was the one they were on right now… Perhaps he would be better off away, safe with his family, with others who loved him and who would never break his heart the way Azula was sure to if he dared return to her.

Their blissful days of careless, wholehearted romance were well and truly over. Nothing would ever be the same after the Fire Lord's wrath had reached them, no matter what they attempted to do. She could only hope Sokka would come to terms with that truth before committing to a course he might not be able to back down from…