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...

307. Chapter 307: March Army-Unknown enemy 2

Marching army/The unknown enemy

2

Leaving the Fire Lord waiting for an hour would have been unacceptable. For a whole day, it should have been a criminal offense. Three whole days should have been grounds for execution.

Only a handful of people could potentially toy with Ozai's thin patience to that extent, testing and teasing it as a fool poking a vicious serpent with a pointy stick. Ozai felt tempted to lock up Zhao somewhere, be it the Boiling Rock or the Prison Tower, after having spent five days waiting for his appointed Crown Prince to turn up somewhere, somehow. Servants had been scouring Hong Qu for the Admiral to no avail… and so, Ozai had resorted to extreme measures, sending the actual Domestic Forces to track down Zhao and drag him back to the Palace forcibly, if necessary. Perhaps he had snuck off somewhere other than Hong Qu this time, who knew…? Whatever the case might be, Ozai was livid. He sat at his study's desk, getting next to no work done, festering in his resentment… it was eerily reminiscent of the last time a certain, now-deposed Crown Princess had broken the boundaries of his patience and pushed him into a spiral of hubris he had finally thought he was breaking from…

The written reports he had received over that cabbage merchant's situation had changed that, though. His letter had been delivered to Ukano… and a response had arrived not long ago:

To the most honorable and esteemed Fire Lord Ozai,

The information you have received regarding the complications in Omashu is correct. I had hoped to resolve these issues before they reached your attention, and I apologize profusely for my failure in doing so.

The horde of moose-lions taking residence in the outskirts of Omashu do represent a menace we have attempted to thwart. Along with this very significant threat, I have uncovered corruption in the ranks of our city's soldiers: Captain Tseng, a once-upstanding leader of the city guard, has been found guilty of the severe crime of hiring mercenaries to rob trading goods from merchants, months before the moose-lion debacle began. I requested of him to send word to the merchants to withhold their visits to Omashu while we sorted out this complication with the horde of creatures, but it seems he intended to profit off the circumstances instead, taking hold of the merchandise and reselling it inside Omashu's walls at staggering prices. We are still investigating the root of this terrible corruption, and once we have matters well in hand, controlled by faithful Fire Nation soldiers once more, we shall reopen the city to commerce. It is with great shame that I acknowledge my shortcomings in identifying this severe problem, but I shall be sure to send word to War Minister Qin once peace reigns in the city once more.

As for the moose-lions, an operation to displace them is already underway. They are far too numerous and dangerous to be attacked directly, lest we risk further chaos if they, somehow, were to cross the chasm that leads to the city – something they have already threatened to do. Earthbenders are currently working on creating a secondary bridge and exit for Omashu, a project I had been developing for many years, but due to other pressures and constraints, I hadn't set it in motion yet. It will be done now, my Lord, and once the corruption has been quelled, and the city freed from the creatures' unwanted presences, Omashu's status as a magnificent colony that honors you deeply will be reinstated.

I apologize profusely for my failures, and I thank you, as well, for sending word when you did. Your message aided me in learning that none of my missives explaining the situation to our esteemed War Minister Qin had been mailed at all due to Captain Tseng's interference. Even at such distance, your wisdom and benevolence touch the lives of all your subjects, and I'm profoundly grateful for your dedication to ensuring Omashu, the city I have been honored to govern, is running smoothly.

I will write once again after these troubles have been dealt with successfully.

Your devoted subject,

Governor Ukano

He had read the damn letter multiple times since its arrival. Something about it sat wrongly with him, and he didn't know what it was. He knew next to nothing about this Captain Tseng, but that anyone quite as corrupt could have risen so high in the army's ranks suggested that the man had been efficient about covering up whatever nefarious deeds he was up to. Ozai's years in power certainly had taught him enough about what corrupt officials acted like… and if this Tseng had been working under Ukano for so long, he couldn't help but suspect that Ukano must have been complicit with Captain Tseng's criminal actions.

A falling out between them, perhaps, had resulted in Ukano finally deciding to discard this ally and pin the blame for their mutual crimes on him alone. What could have caused it, though? The tale of the moose-lions was still hard to believe, and he was even more incredulous at accepting that it could have anything to do with the uncovering of any corruption…

Even if War Minister Qin reported that he had confirmed all of Ukano's claims, Ozai wouldn't feel inclined to believe him… still, he needed another set of eyes to help him unravel what felt so wrong with this message. Would Zhao be of any use in unraveling this mystery? Ozai foolishly hoped that his friend might bounce back from the dark recesses of his mind and finally fulfill his duties as Crown Prince, but Zhao apparently had no intentions of doing that.

Footsteps outside the study. Ozai frowned: would it be yet another servant, intending to announce Zhao remained elusive, or…?

An irritable, familiar voice brought a mix of anger and relief to Ozai's chest: finally, the fool had been found. Curse him and his irresponsible behavior…

A guard pushed the door open, bowing his head respectfully in Ozai's direction.

"Crown Prince Zha-…"

"Get out of the way, you needn't announce me," Zhao growled: his mood seemed to be just as foul as Ozai's own, something that only guaranteed to make matters worse for both men.

The guard froze on the spot: Zhao had stormed in, dressed in clothing befitting commoners, his half-knot poorly combed, his body reeking of alcohol. The bags under his eyes suggested that whatever reckless behavior he had been indulging in, he had been doing so for much longer than through the five days Ozai had sought him.

"Leave us," Ozai said, curtly, to the Imperial Guard. The firebender bowed his head, stepping around Zhao and closing the door.

Zhao huffed, glaring at Ozai reproachfully and dropping on the vacant chair across the desk. Ozai's judgmental stare seemed a perfect match to Zhao's shamelessness.

"Hong Qu?" Ozai asked, skeptically. "Again?"

"What is it to you?" Zhao asked, rolling his eyes and sinking carelessly in the chair. Ozai scoffed.

"You were less foolish and reckless in our younger years," he said. "I thought age had tempered your most vulgar needs…"

"Only because you kept me too busy," Zhao lied. "You had no reason to think I'd be any different now than I was before."

"You exerted some degree of restraint once," Ozai hissed. "Whether you still visited that place or not…"

"What is it to you?" Zhao asked, pointedly, again. "I was under the impression you would be much happier this way, Ozai. Weren't you the one who was outraged because I had dared touch your precious daughter, after everything you put her through in the first place?"

Ozai's scowl grew more prominent, though Zhao seemed undeterred regardless. It seemed he had a death wish… or perhaps he couldn't have cared less about losing more of Ozai's respect after everything they'd clashed about as of late.

"I wanted to be left alone," Zhao said, curtly. Ozai huffed.

"Clearly. I can only wonder in what manner of rundown hovel you were hiding to avoid capture," Ozai hissed. "Do tell, did you embarrass yourself by ensuring the soldiers dragged you back to the Palace after making a scene in Hong Qu, of all places?"

"I… it doesn't matter. You're not truly about to concern yourself with the reputation of the Royal Family now, or are you?"

"Your new position has muddled your judgment a thousandfold, curses," Ozai shook his head, rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "I have kept Azula's worthless indiscretions a secret… and now you'll disgrace her further by behaving in this way, ashaming the whole family in the process?"

"Family… whatever the hell this is, it sure isn't one," Zhao said, shaking his head. "Not that you could know any better, you've never known what a family truly is like, but…"

"Quit attempting to goad me into a pointless argument. Hate me for dragging you out of your drinking or whoring, whatever it was you were doing: you have important responsibilities, and I brought you here because of them."

"Oh? I do, now, do I?" Zhao asked. "Will you shove me again if I attempt to fulfill them? Or will you insult me, demean me, claim that I'm the cause of my own suffering when you're the one who has been inflicting it upon me, upon everyone, constantly?"

Ozai glared at Zhao pointedly. He was tempted to throw him out of the study… and Zhao could see that, too. The two men glared at each other in silence… until Ozai finally spoke, anew, with words Zhao hadn't expected to hear:

"There is trouble in Omashu."

The perplexity in Zhao's face made it clear that the man was quite so lost in his personal frustrations that he had forgotten the true duties of one in his role. A speck of panicked clarity brought him to see Ozai differently, for the first time in months.

"Trouble… how?" he asked. "What kind of trouble?"

"I can't presume to know. Perhaps it is no trouble at all, in the end," Ozai said, picking up Ukano's letter and handing it to Zhao from across the desk. The Admiral frowned as he picked up the paper with unsteady hands. "But something about that letter feels… wrong. Perhaps you will be able to see it more clearly than I… though, with your behavior so far, I question that you'd be in any condition to advise me properly."

"This is… what you required of me?" Zhao repeated. Ozai rolled his eyes.

"Is it truly that hard to fathom that I might require you for reasons beyond berating you for your misdemeanors?" Ozai huffed, rising to his feet. "I have always known of your wretched tendencies to visit that forsaken place. I only take issue in you doing so whenever I happen to require your presence."

"I couldn't have known…"

"I've waited five days for you to show yourself at the Palace," Ozai hissed, turning at Zhao fiercely. "Do you think I take pride or joy in sending anyone to track you down in the muck of Hong Qu? Had I not required you for anything meaningful, I would have left you to return on your terms, as I had until now. Quit vanishing for weeks at a time, Zhao."

"You haven't asked for me over any political matters since… since you sent the troops to destroy the Southern Water Tribe," Zhao said, reproachfully. "Do excuse my oversight in assuming that you wouldn't require me for anything else of that nature…"

"You're not excused, but it makes no matter. Read that letter already," Ozai said, glancing through the window: the skies were starting to take on an orange hue. Dusk was on its way.

For once, Zhao set aside his misgivings, obeying Ozai's orders. He focused on reading Ukano's letter, his face a mask of perplexity as he took in the contents of the missive, finally setting it down once he had scanned it in full.

"I… require more context than whatever Ukano wrote in this letter," Zhao said, frowning. "Merchants are being harassed by Omashu's corrupt guard captain?"

"The origin of this tale is… a cabbage merchant, to be precise," Ozai stated, pacing before the window. "He claims to have sortied through the moose-lion herd somehow, only to reach the city and be turned away by a group of men out of uniforms, by the gates. I suppose they're the mercenaries Ukano speaks of… though how he wouldn't know that mercenaries were manning the gates to his city, I do not know."

"It's a ridiculous oversight. It certainly speaks ill of his ability to govern Omashu," Zhao said.

"Either way, these mercenaries took the cabbage merchant's goods without compensation, and sent him back out of the city. The merchant shared the story at the next village he reached, and said story eventually reached the ears of War Minister Qin," Ozai said, turning toward Zhao again. "Upon my personal request for an explanation, Ukano answered with this letter."

"And you're asking for advice… regarding how to discipline Ukano for his foolish behavior?" Zhao asked, puzzled. Ozai huffed.

"No: I'm asking you to inspect that letter and figure out if… if anything stands out as unreasonable to you. Anything at all," Ozai said, hands on his hips. "Other than the fact that Ukano is an incompetent buffoon, that is."

"Well…" Zhao frowned. "What are you looking for, exactly?"

"I don't know," Ozai admitted, frowning heavily. "Something about it rubs me the wrong way. Odd rumors in Omashu should be no surprise… but I cannot shake off the feeling that something is amiss."

"Has War Minister Qin contacted anyone else within the city other than Ukano?" Zhao asked. Ozai nodded.

"He has, and he has received no other answers so far. It may be too soon for any answers to arrive, but…"

"Give it enough time for them to answer before jumping to any conclusions, then," Zhao said, shrugging. "You're in no position to do anything else yet. Though… you could send independent observers to the city if just to confirm this nonsense about the moose-lions… it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"I cannot presume to know what the Earth Kingdom's fauna is wont to act like, but… yes, it does," Ozai conceded, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest. "Moose-lions… they aren't common creatures, are they?"

"I know as little about them as you do," Zhao said, with a shrug. "If all this is true, then I'd advise that they're exterminated, especially if they intend to threaten our cities abroad."

Ozai hummed, his arms folded over his chest. Zhao let out a sigh, eyeing Ozai skeptically.

"You wanted my advice?"

"I did," Ozai responded, sensing the increasing hostility from his friend once more.

"And yet it seems everything I suggest results in dismissive responses," Zhao said. "Send troops to obliterate those creatures. Maybe airships: shoot them from above and burn them to a crisp. Omashu will be free, and you can bring Ukano to task properly by then. How about it?"

"You're focusing on resolving that problem," said Ozai, frowning. "Which may be wiser, but it's only… it doesn't feel like a horde of moose-lions, or a corrupt captain, are common problems, let alone problems that would come up simultaneously. That captain… I cannot help but think that Ukano must be outing him for a reason. Corruption of that level isn't easily achieved without aid from higher-ups…"

"Do you think Ukano has betrayed his own city guard captain?" Zhao asked. "Two bad things happening at once may just be a coincidence. But that this corrupt official might have been controlling the mail system in Omashu to such an extent that Ukano's letters could not be sent…"

"It defies reason, doesn't it?" Ozai said, glaring through the window anew. "I do understand Omashu's mailing system is industrialized due to the city's infrastructure before we conquered it. But that doesn't excuse the lack of information pertaining the complications the city has seen over the past month, or however long it has been."

"A month, and the moose-lions haven't left?" Zhao asked, perplexed. "That seems unlikely. The areas surrounding the city are not ripe with resources for creatures like those."

"What is their preferred diet? Do you know?" Ozai asked. Zhao shrugged.

"I'd assume those beasts would eat anything and everything, but… perhaps Ukano isn't being truthful about a few things, after all," Zhao said, frowning. "Perhaps he even… wanted the creatures there?"

"Not killing them out of fear of risking they might trample the city sounds difficult to believe," Ozai said, running a hand over his hair. "I suppose they are not small by any means, but Omashu's bridge is notoriously fragile…"

"His intent to build a new one is his sole good idea," Zhao remarked. "I cannot say if it will yield much success, but… do you believe these moose-lions might be attacking, or perhaps even eating the merchants that don't know of what's happening in the city? The Captain is taking advantage of the beasts to make a greater profit while keeping Ukano deluded with information that claims the creatures allow no commerce to happen… Ukano eventually learned of it, perhaps through your letter, and that's why he only bothered to respond now?"

"It's one possible interpretation," Ozai said, nodding. Zhao huffed.

"What other interpretation do you think there is?" he asked. "What do you think Ukano could be covering for, if not his own mismanagement of Omashu?"

"I… I wish I knew," Ozai said, frowning heavily.

Why didn't Zhao's explanations fit the questions Ozai wanted to ask? It seemed that he had figured out a most straightforward explanation for this strange chaos in Omashu… but it didn't feel right. The penmanship was unmistakably Ukano's, Ozai could tell at a single glance… but something about the letter unsettled him. He was tempted to fish out more of Ukano's reports to confirm the writing style was indeed Ukano's own, and not just the penmanship…

"Do you believe he's hiding something far worse than what appears in plain sight?" Zhao asked, tapping the armrest of his chair. "What, a worse kind of corruption than what he has reported? Something he actually profits from?"

"I don't know," Ozai said, scowling. "I can only venture pointless guesses and none will lead me to anything conclusive. It's why I wanted your advice on how to proceed, Zhao: I'm not dismissive of your ideas… I simply do not know yet what the better path forward may be."

"And you wished me to point you in the right direction," Zhao said, eyes narrowing. "Because that… is what you'd expect your Crown Prince to do."

Ozai didn't meet Zhao's eyes: a sudden burst of unwanted emotion pulsated in his chest… a longing, perhaps. Nostalgia for something he didn't wish to miss, and yet…

And yet Zhao had the nerve to put it into words, well before Ozai was ready to hear it:

"It's not my advice you want… it's Azula's."

Ozai winced, shooting a glare at Zhao with no shortage of guilt and outrage. Zhao let out a soft laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're not about to ask me to coax any sort of theories or ideas out of her, are you?" Zhao said. "I refuse to do so."

"I said… no such thing," Ozai said, firmly. "I wouldn't have asked anything of the sort from you."

"Then you ought to ask her yourself and stop beating around the bush," Zhao retorted, rolling his eyes. "If you want to know what she thinks…"

"I… do not want to share any information of this nature with her," Ozai said, bitterly. "She may be powerless, but…"

"You haven't cut her off for no reason, I know," Zhao said, with a careless shrug. "And yet… isn't it ironic, counterintuitive, to punish her by keeping her in the dark when the outcome will be that she, of course, will be perfectly happy now, with her new posse of fools, while you stem in your resentment and frustrations over this matter and she remains utterly unaware of what plagues you?"

"That's not…" Ozai said, gritting his teeth as Zhao sighed, rising from his seat. "You are as aware of her crimes as I am. One who has already proven so fickle… how do I even know what sort of information she shared with that scum? Curses, I know enough as it is, she even ran to him with the tale of… of the second waterbender from the south, long ago. Before you came back…"

"Is that so?" Zhao asked, raising his eyebrows inquisitively. "That was quite a long time ago, Ozai."

"I'm aware. You needn't rub it in," Ozai hissed, frowning heavily.

"And you needn't lose your temper over something like this anymore. Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Zhao huffed, skeptical. "At least, it's what you told her… and what she told me. You're the one who thought her association with Rei was meaningless and didn't represent any manner of hazard for the Fire Nation… who, exactly, do you expect her to share this information with?"

"I don't know," Ozai hissed, scowling. "But her loyalty to this nation remains in question and it likely will remain that way for as long as she may live."

"Odd…" Zhao said, eyeing Ozai skeptically. "She's quite the manipulator, I'll never deny as much, and trusting her is an exercise in futility. She's always playing a long game, longer than any we could possibly conceive… but do you truly believe she would have returned to the Palace, allowed me to bring her back here, if she had truly forsaken her loyalty to the Fire Nation? If she had, she would have likely stayed in the South Pole with her Gladiator and died there when our forces stormed the place rather than coming home willingly…"

Ozai grunted… though then he shot Zhao a questioning glare. Zhao crooked an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Zhao asked. A sparkle of fear, it seemed, was aglow in Ozai's eyes.

"You've only just said… that she's a master manipulator," Ozai said. "Is it remotely possible that… that all of this could be connected?"

"Uh… right. Azula reached out to a herd of moose-lions to pester Ukano in Omashu?" Zhao asked, raising his eyebrows. "I don't intend to underestimate her, but that sounds like a wild assumption to make with no evidence to speak of…"

"I don't mean that, but…" Ozai said, running his hand over his hair. "I don't know. I don't know, I… so much of what has happened ever since her affair was revealed has been confusing. I've received strange reports from the sages in Crescent Island about… about the Avatar's statues glowing?"

"That is odd," Zhao acknowledged, frowning. "We both know they hadn't done that for well over a hundred years… though I can't see how Azula has anything to do with it."

"It's just one more example of the odd things that happened ever since then. Azula's behavior has been erratic, at some points she's perfectly compliant, at others she is the most rebellious fool anyone has ever known. Is it really hard to believe that she could be up to something…? You're always convinced that she's up to something, aren't you?"

Zhao held Ozai's gaze. For once, it seemed the two men were on the same page again over their mutual distrust of Princess Azula.

"Some manner of twisted plan… that she could have hatched with him?" Zhao suggested, dubiously. Ozai huffed.

"A plan well and truly destroyed by now, if so," he said. "He's dead. What use would she have in standing by such schemes, had they come up with any to begin with, if the scum is dead?"

"It's possible that whatever they set in motion was already happening before the Gladiator was killed," Zhao suggested. Then he blinked blankly, eyeing Ozai skeptically. "But… for that matter, it's worth wondering why, exactly, you're so convinced that he's dead."

"What?"

"You received word of it?" Zhao asked. "Official confirmation, as in…?"

"A knife of Water Tribe craftmanship," Ozai said, scowling. "A sealed letter, as well, confirming his demise…"

"A knife, truly?" Zhao asked. Ozai rolled his eyes.

"A messenger hawk would hardly be expected to carry any weapons more significant than that, let alone anything else, like the wretched bastard's corpse…"

"The Water Tribes have quite an assortment of knives," Zhao said, curtly. "What makes you so certain this one belonged to him? The black sword would be a better means of confirmation, perhaps a chunk of his armor. A lock of hair? Though that, as well, could be faked through someone with similar hair color and texture…"

"Faked? You think our troops would deceive me about the outcome of such a crucial mission?" Ozai hissed, eyes narrow with fear, misery and distrust. Zhao shrugged.

"It's probably pointless to even think about this. It has nothing to do with Ukano, or whatever corruption he might be up to," Zhao said. "But if that's all your evidence that the Gladiator's dead … I would say it's not enough evidence at all. Why would you be so certain of his death with just a letter and a common Water Tribe knife?"

Ozai frowned heavily: a shiver wracked his body and a surging need to reject Zhao's words took hold of him… but some part of him, the part that saw that wretched Gladiator as a much bigger menace than anyone thought him to be, couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling of being deceived one more time. The bastard had spent all those years under Azula's protection, taking advantage of her foolishness, her mindless infatuation with him, to change the Fire Nation to his liking through her. To think Azula spent as many years as she did dismissing the concept of being a puppet for anyone, namely someone like her uncle, only to become one for that wretched Water Tribe scum…

She was supposed to be smart, but she had been fooled by that man and she had refused to understand as much. Ozai, as well, had been fooled by the both of them… more than anything, because he had believed his daughter had sound judgment and that the slave was insignificant, even if amusing in his bursts of rebelliousness. He had seemed to think himself much more important than anyone of his standing could ever hope to be… and that had entertained Ozai at first. Why had he found it entertaining rather than recognizing that wretched behavior as the true menace it was…? The bastard had spelled it out for him since the start: he had no respect for Ozai or Azula, for the Fire Nation as a whole…

But he had to be dead. If he wasn't dead… no, he couldn't even fathom that possibility. He couldn't even let himself think…

"He couldn't have survived an assault by the ships we sent," Ozai said, sternly. Zhao shrugged.

"It isn't likely, no," he admitted. "Fifteen hundred men should have sufficed to murder one Gladiator, I cannot fathom otherwise, and yet the evidence you were sent is… insignificant, largely. Did you show Azula that knife? In fact… did you? Perhaps…"

"I did not," Ozai said, frowning warily. Zhao blinked blankly.

"For a moment I thought… had she seen it, her regained confidence could have been a sign that she knew he still lived, somehow," Zhao said. "If she had failed to recognize the blade as his…"

"She never saw it," Ozai repeated, firmly. Zhao sighed and shrugged.

"Then it boggles the mind how she went from such apparently profound panic to being perfectly collected and even fiercer than her usual self from one day to the next," Zhao said. "What did you say to her, exactly? Was she…?"

"She left my study in a heap of tears," Ozai said, firmly. Zhao's frown strengthened. "I would much rather not think of that day."

"Why?" Zhao asked, skeptical. "Isn't it too late to feel sentimentality over…?"

"She was unhinged," Ozai said, snarling. Zhao's eyes narrowed. "I… have never seen anyone reacting to… to anything that way. I witnessed my brother's grieving over his dead wife years ago, her corpse was right in front of him and he… he managed to remain far more composed than Azula did. The mad sounds that left her… Captain Renkai had to carry her out of here. So no, Zhao, she was not… she was not confident and fierce. Whatever changed in her across that night, I have no clue what it was… but I don't think she believed he was alive, judging by that reaction."

"Then she truly is as confusing as she is infuriating," Zhao said, shaking his head. "Either way, we're getting sidetracked, aren't we? You merely wanted to know what I suggested regarding Ukano…"

"And I'll ponder your ideas," Ozai said, eyes drifting towards the window again. "Whatever's happening in Omashu, I won't stand for chaos in the Fire Nation, or the Colonies, for as long as I call myself Fire Lord. Let alone now."

"Then confirm Ukano's information as soon as possible and be prepared to take disciplining measures against him," Zhao said. "It's only fitting for…"

"For one who has been irresponsible?" Ozai finished. Zhao frowned, eyeing Ozai warily.

"Ozai, I…"

"I don't care what manner of entertainment you seek, what manner of distractions you may require," Ozai said, his voice surprisingly smoother than Zhao had expected it to be. "Be it in Hong Qu or anywhere else… I have never told you not to frequent that place, regardless of my personal reservations about it. I have no intentions of doing that now, either… but at the very least, let me know where you'll be. Come back to the Palace at least once every two days, if you cannot stand to be here for much longer. Whatever conflicts we've had, whatever mistakes I've made… you're my Crown Prince. Even if I happened not to heed your counsel in some regards, it does not mean I do not require it, Zhao. Your personal life is yours… but you have a duty to your nation. One I cannot entrust to anyone but you."

Zhao didn't respond immediately. Ozai hoped that would be a good sign. The man's eyes drifted to the floor with an emotion that hinted at… remorse, perhaps. Shame…?

"I understand," Zhao finally said, and Ozai's clenched stomach seemed to ease up: he wouldn't antagonize him anymore? Was their rift finally amended? "I won't make myself as scarce in the future. I'll… go clean up now."

"Very well, then," Ozai nodded, hoping not to appear too eager: it was odd to only recognize now, upon potentially rebuilding a bridge between himself and his old friend, that Zhao's absence had also been part of the swirling discomfort that had taken residence in the center of his chest ever since that wretched night, when Azula's affair had been revealed. But rekindling his friendship with Zhao wouldn't dismiss the distressing questions the man had elicited in Ozai's heart.

Once Zhao was gone, Ozai took off to his personal chambers: he had kept that letter safe, thrilled by its news even if a smidge of guilt, namely due to Azula's reaction, still managed to weave its way into Ozai's heart at times. Yet he sought the letter within the chest under his bed, lying next to the shards of that broken knife. If he brought that weapon to Azula, would she recognize it as her Gladiator's weapon? Ozai didn't remember him wielding any damn knives, he could not recall if the Gladiator had used any during the few fights Ozai had witnessed himself…

The letter was written in the appropriate, expected structure for information of this nature. Everything about it seemed legitimate… so why would he find it unsettling now? Why would he question it now? Zhao had blurted out casual, careless comments about there not being enough evidence of the wretched Gladiator's demise…

Could he be right about that?

No. Azula's reaction spoke for itself: she had fallen apart in front of Ozai, she had pleaded for the scum's pitiful life, begging her father to call back his forces and let him live… she wouldn't have humiliated herself quite so embarrassingly if she thought the bastard could survive. If this were some sort of scheme… how could she ever anticipate Ozai's choices to that extent? Zhao had believed that sending so many ships and troops was excessive, that killing a single man should not require as many resources as Ozai had devoted to that sole mission… there was no way he could have survived. None at all, no matter if Zhao believed Azula's subsequent behavior had been too alarming to ignore…

The Gladiator was dead. He had to be. And even beyond that, Ukano's mistakes couldn't possibly have any connection with that wretched man…

He was losing his grip. He needed to clear his mind, to shake off his ridiculous, baseless fears and suspicions. Ukano's letter hid something deeper within its composition than what Ozai had unraveled so far and he'd do best to focus on that. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the message felt… familiar. Out of place, yet oddly familiar.

He snarled, closing the small chest again and shoving it back into place. His eyes unintentionally drifted to the crimson hairpiece without its pin. Fool that he was…

Ozai left the room again, marching aimlessly across the Palace's many dark corridors. He might just need to visit the Agni Kai Arena just to let out some steam, it might just be the right thing to focus on while he waited for War Minister Qin's investigation to bear fruit: the War Minister, as ever, would be the messenger between himself and Ukano. He would also be tasked with delivering Ozai's likely admonishments for Ukano's irresponsible leadership in Omashu…

Yes, he could threaten to remove Ukano from his position as governor. He wouldn't do it, outright, but he would certainly try to scare the man into confessing his crimes. Perhaps he could have War Minister Qin looking deeper into that Captain Tseng and whatever illicit dealings the man was said to have: who knew if, at worst, maybe Tseng was the actual victim while Ukano was the corrupt one? And if the investigations didn't pay off, Ukano's family would be the right weakness to exploit against…

He slowed down his walk when he heard cheerful voices in a corridor ahead. His brow furrowed: such sounds were quite uncommon in the Palace, in general… more so these days. That made it even easier to guess who could be responsible for them even before he turned the corner where they stood, near the gardens… near the dragon's refuge.

"… So maybe you can try your luck with other arts! What you wrote was pretty poetic, you know…"

"I don't know anything about art, I don't think I could paint anything…"

"You shouldn't sell yourself short, you've been surprisingly talented at just about anything we've taught you. You can do it as long as you give it a shot, Rei!"

"It's fine to have certain passions in life, I'd say… a calling, maybe. But it's a good idea to discover if math truly is your calling after experiencing other possibilities too, Rei. We have plenty of time as it is, you can try anything you might be curious about…"

"I… I'll think about it, Princess…"

Ozai's chest tightened: he overheard the conversation, so easygoing and simple as it was… and yet his heart churned with frustration. His daughter had been the second-to-last to speak, and it almost sounded like she truly was back to her old self. The ease with which she talked, the calm demeanor…

The stark difference between her behavior that night and the one she exhibited later was, indeed, disturbing. Her mourning for the wretched bastard for whom she'd sacrificed everything shouldn't have been… so quick. So effective.

She had to be fooling them all, Zhao was right. She was deceiving them somehow, and Ozai had no idea how she'd done it, but surely she had. He had underestimated his daughter far too many times to heinous consequences: he refused to let it happen ever again.

Scowling heavily, he stepped forward, ensuring his footsteps would resound loudly enough that the carelessly chatting women would quiet down. The guards flanking him followed as he took the corner, head held high, eyes gleaming with powerful intent…

Four people stood in the corridor, one of them another Imperial Guard, holding a large, luxurious box that Ozai immediately recognized as Lu Ten's old guzheng's case. He slowed in his march as his eyes drifted from one person to the next…

Of course, Zhao's daughter flinched instinctively, shrinking in place to attract little attention. The midwife, Wen… she seemed defensive, to a fault, but fearful too. Azula happened to stand the closest to him… and as ever, an unsettling vacancy greeted him when her eyes met his. There was no warmth, no kinship… no sign of the bond they had shared in the past. Azula merely met his gaze… and then she bowed respectfully, ensuring not to stand in Ozai's way if he meant to walk past her quickly. She was as reverent as a lesser, meaningless servant… Ozai's stomach twisted for it.

"It seems we chose to take a walk at the same time," Ozai remarked: the vitriol in his voice, he knew, was unnecessary, but he couldn't restrain it. Azula didn't react to it.

"Do excuse us. We will be on our way now, if you so wish," she said, firmly, her head bowed still.

The impersonal manner in which she spoke… curses, it shouldn't have infuriated him as much as it did. Her willingness to behave as some feeble, submissive commoner… it ate away at him for hours whenever he witnessed it, and it would be no different today. The fierce woman who had attempted to fight for her freedom… he had rejected her for the depth of her sins, for how rotten her alleged virtues had turned out to be. But this… he couldn't help but be even more appalled by the sight of such submissiveness in his daughter than he was by her outrageous, reckless rebelliousness from months ago.

"You needn't leave at haste. I'm only passing through," Ozai said, sharply.

"I see," Azula responded. She raised her head… though not her gaze, at first. Only when she noticed he had made no moves to leave did she bother glancing up at him… to find him scrutinizing her, harshly. She seemed tempted to say something more, but she hesitated… Ozai's eyes narrowed.

"Is something on your mind, Princess Azula?" he asked, his voice almost mocking: it would be so easy if she would simply confess to her treasons outright, admitting she had schemed nefarious plans with the Gladiator, acknowledging that, for whatever reason, she didn't believe that he was dead…

"I… I suppose there is," Azula admitted, and Ozai's brow drew together. "I don't intend to overstep my boundaries, I only wished to know if Ad… if Prince Zhao attended the meeting you required him for."

"Ah. One of the servants mentioned you had no information to share regarding his whereabouts," Ozai said. Azula winced at his words. "Inappropriate, yes, for a husband and a wife to be quite so distant… but I suppose it is for the best in this case. As for that matter… indeed, you have no need to worry about it any longer. My meeting with Prince Zhao was quite fruitful."

A slight twitch in the corners of her eyebrows. A spark of life in her gaze, an immediate urge to question Ozai, to figure out what he was doing now, whatever he was up to…

Just as quickly as all such small signs presented themselves, they were gone. The Princess was back to bowing her head towards her father, controlled, collected… knowing better than to intrude where she wasn't wanted.

"It pleases me to learn as much," she bowed again, her words failing to match the impersonal tone of her voice.

Ozai snarled: she had been moments away from asking about the subject of their meeting. He would have even welcomed her input if she had anything to share, he knew Omashu's troubles weren't likely to be connected to the wretched slave…

And yet she abided by boundaries so faithfully now, when she had spent her whole life skipping past them, instead. She tore her eyes from his, focusing them on the floor… like a slave might. She betrayed no ill intent, there were no real signs of treason… and yet Ozai almost felt as stabbed in the back now as he had upon learning the truth of her secrets. This… this was not his daughter. This was a front, a mask meant to keep her safe by diminishing herself…

She wanted to know. She was curious, and yet… this was, once more, evidence of how far he had pushed her. She wouldn't ask for more information than whatever Ozai was willing to volunteer…

And he wouldn't volunteer more. His eyes narrowed at the submissive woman before him, her bent head reminding him of enough moments, across the past months, where she had shown genuine fear in his presence. Even her pleas on her dragon's behalf had been lined by fear, no matter how much more courageous she had been upon requesting just that smidge of leniency. Perhaps she finally understood boundaries better than she ever had…

If that were the case, how could she ever be as foolish, as reckless, as to scheme and betray her Fire Lord once again?

His eyes traveled over her companions quickly… noticing that Azula's body seemed angled in such a way as to ensure the other women would stand behind her, so they wouldn't be targets of Ozai's attention. His eyes drifted down to her womb: her bump was more prominent on each of their encounters, and with her current posture she seemed to hide it from him, too. Protecting others from him, whether deliberately or by instinct, to this day…

She had too much to lose to dare indulge in any manner of betrayal.

Nothing in her circumstances had changed, not truly. She knew there would be consequences if she stepped out of line. The lesson had been learned… and she wouldn't foolishly fall back into bad habits, would she?

"Raise your head, then," Ozai said, finally. Azula's brow furrowed slightly as she obeyed the order slowly. "This obsequiousness of yours is unnerving."

Ozai walked past the group without betraying remorse upon speaking as harshly as he had. He didn't look back, didn't acknowledge any of Azula's companions… he simply marched on his way through the Palace, followed by the two Imperial Guards tasked with flanking him on that day.

Azula didn't react visibly to his words. She only stood in place, waiting patiently for those footsteps to fade. Her companions were paralyzed as well. She hoped they'd know better than to talk, to take action in any manner, to so much as voice a smidge of protest…

Once the footsteps were too distant to be heard, Azula released a deep breath and heard Song scoffing behind her.

"How could he…?" she started, but Azula turned quickly towards her, raising a hand in her direction.

"It's quite fortunate that we were just done visiting Xin Long," Azula stated, offering them a muted, insincere smile. "My feet are bothering me again, though. Let's go back."

Song gritted her teeth but nodded. They knew better than to talk carelessly outside of Azula's bedroom – they always remembered to call Song by her false name, Wen, whenever they spoke in the corridors or gardens. Still… the outrage, the sheer indignation she felt on her friend's behalf was so strong she almost tossed aside all manner of restraint to protest Ozai's cruelty right then and there.

Rei, surprisingly, didn't seem to be better off than Song. She reached for Azula's hand, clasping it as she trembled… but it seemed that, for once, fear was accompanied by displeasure. Where she was typically meek, quiet in the face of authority, ever ready to make herself insignificant and as small as possible, for once it seemed that something sat so ill with her that she couldn't help but feel outrage on behalf of her adoptive mother.

"Come on, then," Azula said, squeezing Rei's hand gently and jerking her head in the direction of her room. "No point in loitering around here."

Rei nodded, stepping up after Azula as the Princess progressed to her room. Renkai and Song followed… and it took Song a moment to realize Renkai hadn't been unaffected by Ozai's behavior, either. There was a certain heaviness to his breathing, an unnecessary tension in the grip of his fingers around the guzheng's case…

He only relinquished that grip once they were safely inside Azula's room: the Princess let out a sigh as Renkai returned to his usual post on the door, closing it behind himself. She sank in one of her chairs, letting her head loll back as she stretched her legs: it was no lie that her feet had been uncomfortable after standing up for too long.

"He really has some nerve…" Song growled, reaching for another chair and dragging it close to Azula. Without even bothering asking if it needed a massage, she reached down and hoisted Azula's feet, propping them up on her lap. The Princess couldn't suppress a slight smile at Song's instinctive choices: the longer she worked for Azula's benefit, the more it seemed Song could understand her needs before the Princess spoke them out loud. She removed her flat shoes quickly, and her fingers worked over the soles of Azula's feet with a little more strength than strictly necessary. "After everything he's done…"

"Y-yes, well, my feet are not to blame for my father's ghastly choices, so…" Azula said. Song winced, easing her grip.

"I'm sorry, I just… fuck, I'm so angry," Song said, shaking her head.

"Don't be," Azula said: Song eyed her skeptically. "I'm saying it for your own good, just… learn to swallow it all. It's for the best."

"I know you're in no position to defend yourself, or fight back against him, but…" Song said, gritting her teeth. "I can't believe how much of a piece of shit he can be to his own daughter. He didn't even ask if you were alright, if… if the baby's coming along well and safely. We were just there for a walk, we weren't doing anything wrong…"

"And isn't that rather telling?" Azula said, with a sad smile. Song raised an eyebrow. "Something's off, Song. I… I don't know what it is, but something has to be wrong in the Fire Nation, otherwise he wouldn't have been so desperate to find Zhao. As of late he… he hadn't been quite so harsh, even if he's very distant from being kind. Whatever is happening… I can only hope it's some manner of divine retribution for the nightmares he has inflicted upon us all."

Song sighed: that was rather wishful of Azula, but she didn't respond as she worked on smoothing over Azula's chi once more. The Princess seemed to relax, but her eyes fluttered open after a moment, gazing up at the distant ceiling in her room.

"At any rate… I'm better off keeping my distance from him, and my mouth shut. Not only is he unlikely to share his secrets… but it's none of my business anymore. I'll be better off focusing on our little group… including this one."

Her hand fell upon her womb: it was difficult to sense it sometimes… but there was more motion inside her body lately. She closed her eyes and relished in feeling it more deeply, in hoping the baby was still growing safe and soundly…

Stress, Song had said, could harm the child. She was better off forgetting… setting aside her worries and forgetting. It would be for the best, it would aid the baby's growth, and that was her sole priority. Nothing else was important… nothing else could be important. Not secrets, not spiteful, prideful insults… not the cruel glare of a father, in eyes that had been kinder once, in what felt like a lifetime ago…

---

His heart had raced on the day he had become a father. He had been anxious, fretful, fearful of anything going wrong, anything at all, and he'd taken walks to ease his uncertainties. He had talked with Shaofeng, who had reassured him. He had even written a letter to Zhao, off serving the navy somewhere halfway across the world…

He had worried sick until, at last, Lo and Li had approached him in the living room he had been waiting at. They announced their assistants were already cleaning up, that Ursa had survived the process safe and soundly: she had delivered a boy.

A boy. The name they had agreed upon, then… Zuko. His son. His firstborn… his son.

The excitement had been odd, foreign, innocent. He had marched up to the room Ursa had been resting in, where she had given birth to their child, their Zuko…

The door was ajar when he arrived. Lo and Li's assistants had likely left already and neglected to close the door properly. Thus, Ozai caught a glimpse of his wife through the small slit left between the door and its frame…

He should have pushed the door open, marched inside and told her she had done a magnificent job.

Instead, he stood outside the door, watching as Ursa cried joyful tears, holding a baby that had ceased his weeping by then, finding utmost comfort in his mother's embrace.

"There you are… you're beautiful. Oh, but you're truly beautiful, my little Zuko…" Ursa said, laughing softly as she hugged the child comfortably to her chest. "My little Zuko…"

Mothers surely spoke that way to their children often… perhaps all the time, even. Ozai, with scarce memories of Ilah, couldn't know as much.

But his chest, so full and overflowing with enthusiasm upon learning that all was well, sank suddenly at the sight of his smiling wife. The tears spilling down her cheeks, the beautiful sincerity of her grins…

She had never smiled at him that way before.

She had never talked to him that way before.

She had never looked at him that way before.

He was a selfish bastard, just like his father often said he was. He truly couldn't have been lowlier if he tried… was he truly coveting what his son had? The child had barely just been born and he… he was being a fool. Ursa's laughter wasn't his to monopolize. Her happiness wasn't exclusively his to provide…

What kind of wretched fool could resent his own son solely because his wife had never smiled at him that way? That his instinctive reaction would be so pathetic… it suggested he was unworthy of her, of being the father to her children. Iroh would have never behaved this way… he would have never questioned Daiyu's affection for him solely because she loved their child, but…

Was that it, though?

The profound emotion in Ursa's eyes was… love?

For, if that was why she had never gazed at him like that…

Ah.

His hands balled into fists as he frowned. He should have entered the room. He should have acted like none of it meant a thing to him… but it did. It did, and that infuriated him. Fury, at least, was easy to act upon. Frustration at once again falling short, being second-best, losing his privileged position as the sole ally of his wife… now there were three of them, and Ursa would devote herself to the child above anything else. Ozai's sole choice was to accept that as their new reality.

He couldn't intrude. He wouldn't intrude. They didn't need him inside… and he didn't care make a fuss over something like this. He would walk away and only return when Ursa was ready for him, too.

It had been a stubborn choice… the wrong choice, it was easy to tell as much now, so many years later, knowing everything he now did. But as Ozai's mind brought back such unwanted thoughts, his heart churned with guilt. He should have been clearing his thoughts, his walk should have served that purpose. But instead… instead, he had returned to his study to ponder the punishments he constantly inflicted upon his daughter. The child on his side, on his corner… the one he had raised and protected for so long.

The one who had truly betrayed him and sundered his trust in her forevermore.

She had asked for this… for being sidelined, left out, for knowing herself insufficient, just as him during his younger years, both with his father and with his wife. But even now, mad with wrath at the thought of the Gladiator's potential survival, Ozai's own treacherous heart seemed to grieve over what he'd done. Otherwise, it wouldn't hurt so inconveniently… it wouldn't spread that familiar vacancy inside his chest quite so persistently: it was the very loneliness that had accompanied him more faithfully in life than any one person ever had.

And he was likely inflicting that same sensation on his daughter upon shutting her out as he had. She had her secrets, that much was clear, and he was hurting her in countless ways. He regretted it sometimes, mostly on those rare occasions in which the Fire Lord could feel a modicum of peace and control over his circumstances again. Today, though, was not one of those days… and still, he regretted that it had come to this. He regretted that he couldn't trust her, rely on her advice, hear her wisdom…

And however much he regretted it, he couldn't change course now. Not until he confirmed whether she wasn't up to no good or not. If his daughter's rebelliousness was merely latent, waiting for a moment to strike, he wouldn't be caught unprepared. And if it wasn't… if he had truly broken her to the extent where escaping wasn't even a thought on her mind, where she wanted to be nothing but his faithful daughter, perhaps he'd reconsider his stance… perhaps.

But he had to focus again now. He had returned to his study indeed, and he spread his world map upon the desk. His eyes drifted back to Omashu, to the city that bore the largest statue in his honor, out of all Fire Nation-held territories. He picked up a blank paper and started writing his own message for Ukano, a new reply that would either set the man on the right course or condemn him for good, instead…

---

A journey across half a continent would never be an easy matter: if said journey was to be undertaken by a massive army, complications were guaranteed. Keeping all marching forces on the right track, avoiding or resolving accidents when they occurred, challenged everyone, since their march was far from leisurely: the Fire Nation might learn of their approach eventually, regardless of their efforts to keep their presence quiet, simply because of the massive size of their forces.

They numbered close to five thousand troops. The reality of that number hadn't quite fazed Sokka until he had seen the fully assembled army. Thus, he kept their forces marching, often confirming that the squad of earthbenders in the rearguard was thorough at erasing their tracks, ensuring no one was left behind – Appa had to land constantly so his riders could assist whoever required help at any given moment. Within a few hours, Zuko chose to climb off the saddle, marching on foot with the troops he had to acquaint himself with – he had been assigned as the commanding officer of the firebending troops under Sokka's direct leadership, a position he didn't take lightly, though he hardly knew how to be a leader at all. Thus, he decided to start by marching with the troops he was meant to command, forsaking the comfort of Appa's saddle.

Kino took his leave from Appa's saddle frequently as well, either joining his new friends from the music squad or visiting his also new earthbending friends, who were part of Sokka's troops. Toph continued to ride with Jet on his moose-lion, marching at the lead of the army whenever Sokka took off on his rounds to ensure everything was in order.

They took breaks on occasion, slowing down at the wider rivers they found during their trek across the plains near the territories northwest to the Si Wong Desert. The occasional shroud of trees and forests helped conceal their army at times… but Sokka's chest churned with fear over how exposed their army was, and how quickly Fire Lord Ozai might learn of their presence if they ever came across Fire Nation patrols or troops… scouting teams helped them keep distance from all populated areas of the Earth Kingdom, but the further they went, the harder it would be to find places where five thousand troops, and all the logistics forces with them, along with their carts and cargo, could slip through unnoticed.

Their army was in good spirits: people chatted cheerfully as they marched together, exchanging ideas, food, occasionally engaging in singing songs or simple games to keep themselves entertained. It was a surprisingly enthusiastic group, all of which touched a fiber of Katara's heart as she watched so many people joining forces for their righteous mission…

But that emotional reaction would freeze over quickly whenever Sokka rode below the hovering Appa, doing his many rounds of checkups: the only person who seemed oblivious to the infectious high morale of their army was their very leader.

"So… Zuko's off with his new squad, huh?" Aang smiled carelessly as he shook Appa's reins. "And Kino's with his, so I guess that means we're, uh… alone, again? For once…?"

His nervous words didn't seem to register with Katara, the only occupant on Appa's saddle right now. Her eyes raked over the army persistently… but it wasn't hard for Aang to notice her attention wasn't on the marching troops as much as it was on her hardworking brother, riding back and forth among the army on Foo-Foo Cuddlypoops's back.

"Katara?" Aang called her. She breathed out slowly, shaking her head.

"Everyone's thrilled. We're finally making good progress against the Fire Nation, and yet I feel like I haven't seen my brother more tense than I have over this first day of marching," she said, glancing at Aang. "It's hardly like he's working alone, we're helping him navigate this and ensuring we won't come across anything dangerous. We're well outside any known or common roads, and there's a lot of scouts on the lookout in case anyone misses something…"

"But he's still as stressed out as can be, huh?" Aang said, with a grimace. Katara shook her head.

"I wonder if he's right to be so worried, or… or if he should calm down and relax for at least ten minutes. The world's not going to end just because he wasn't paying attention to the four thousandth, eight-hundredth soldier, is it?"

"For someone who's lost as much as he did… maybe it feels that way," Aang said. Katara sighed.

"I'm not trying to diminish the weight of his losses, but…" she started, only to be cut off by the sound of a tsungi horn.

Both Katara and Aang glanced down at what appeared to be the middle point of the marching army. They were about to enter a heavily forested area, and the message the horn had conveyed wasn't meant to be a warning of danger… but rather, a request that Appa landed once more.

Aang obeyed, shaking the reins and ushering his animal companion to land by the edge of the forest… where Sokka, astride his moose-lion, stood with Kino and a few members of the music squad.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked. Sokka let out a deep breath.

"Nothing yet, and hopefully nothing will be, but you have to go on foot now," he said. Aang blinked blankly.

"Um… you want Appa to fly alone?" he asked. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"No, I want Appa to walk, not fly," he clarified. Aang's eyes widened. "Look, this is a big forest. We're sending scouts out to find the optimal route, but you won't have much visibility of what's going on down below if you're above the treetops. On top of that, you have no way of knowing if you'll happen to fly right above cabins or small human settlements… and if anyone sees Appa, all our secrecy will be over. So…"

"Eh… I suppose it makes sense," Aang grimaced, pouting a little. Appa growled as Aang patted his shoulder. "No worries, we'll fly again as soon as possible. Walking… who ever wants to walk places when you can fly?"

"Probably someone who's fighting the Fire Nation and hoping to take them by surprise," Sokka remarked, nodding at Aang, who hung his head in defeat. "Stay grounded, then. I'll check on you guys later."

"Sokka," Katara called him: her brother had been about to lead Foo-Foo away when he froze on his tracks. He raised his head towards her, uncertain of what to expect from her unexpectedly deep, stern tone. "Take it easy. You're going to wear yourself out, and your mount as well, if you keep this up."

"I… guess so," Sokka acknowledged, grimacing but nodding in Katara's direction. "It's alright, I'll go back to the head of the march and stay there for a while. If Foo-Foo needs any breaks, I'll just stop and, I don't know… maybe wait for the rest of the troops to go past us while we rest? I'd get a good look at the rearguard and confirm how they're faring if I do that. Huh. Not a bad idea…"

"I said you would wear yourself down too," Katara retorted, cutting him off. Sokka's discomfort only seemed to increase. "There's a lot of people here who can help you. If you want me to do rounds in your stead, I can…"

"No, no, I… I'm sorry if I'm being a mess. I'll try to keep it together," Sokka said, with a sigh.

"That's not really the problem," Katara said. "You're trying too hard to keep up with everything. You can ask for help sometimes, alright? I'm not scolding you or anything, it's just…"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Sokka said, nodding in her direction. "I just… don't feel like I can lower my guard at all. Maybe I'm wrong to think so, but… it's hard to break that mindset. I'll be back later, alright?"

"Right…" Katara almost pouted as her brother raised a hand in farewell. He spurred Foo-Foo onwards and entered the forest.

"I guess he really might be overexerting himself, but it's pretty nice to see a commanding officer who cares that much about the people in his army," Kino remarked, with a lop-sided grin.

He stretched a hand towards Aang, who promptly helped him climb on Appa – though doing so while the tsungi horn dangled off a strap on Kino's chest was easier said than done. He let out a happy sigh once he sat on the saddle once more, removing his boots and wiggling his toes carelessly as the freshness of the breeze smoothed over the aching and discomfort of his tired feet.

"That's great, up until he ends up losing his mind because of how stressed he is," Katara said, sighing as she watched Sokka from a distance. "I know he's never had to bear with this sort of responsibility before, but…"

"Is that's all there is to it?" Kino asked, surprising Katara. "I get the feeling he's not just paranoid about the threats beyond, but the ones within, you know?"

"Uh… say what, now?" Katara blinked blankly. Kino bit his lip.

"Well, some White Lotus folks have come around, but not all of them. At least, not yet," he said. "Just walk among them for a while and you'll see for yourself…"

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Katara said. "Do you think they might… I don't know, attack Sokka or something?"

"I wouldn't go that far, I don't know…" Kino grimaced, shrinking in place. "But I guess Sokka is wary of them, just as they're wary of him?"

"I guess that makes sense," Aang admitted, glancing over his shoulder at his two friends. "Considering what their Order put him through before."

"But they've changed their minds about him. At least their leaders have," Katara said. "And I mean… I'm not justifying any of the awful things the White Lotus did in the past, but I think they were just desperate. When they hurt Sokka… they were rash, they misunderstood what was going on, and they really shouldn't have done that. But from what I've been able to gather… they've been trying to save the world, in their own way, for a very long time. They've just… failed at it more often than not, I guess."

"So… you're saying they did what they thought was right?" Kino asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not trying to piss you off here, but… that's similar to the reasoning that sustained the Fire Nation's war effort for a hundred years."

"What?" Katara frowned, glaring at Kino. He grimaced, raising his hands defensively.

"I'm not saying it's the same, only… if you do awful things and pretend it's fine just because you assumed it would be a good thing, instead? It only means you're an asshole, no matter which side of a war you're in. The Fire Nation's done worse than the White Lotus, I don't question that… but the White Lotus has been detrimental to their own efforts in the past. And the weird mentality that led them to try to kill Sokka is probably responsible for it, on some level…"

"I don't think they had the right to decide whether Sokka should or shouldn't have stood by Azula's side back when they nearly killed him," Katara said, frowning. "But… we've all done stupid things and hurt people when we shouldn't have. The difference between us and the Fire Nation is… well, there's a lot of differences, but the Fire Nation leaders are never sorry for all the awful things they do. They do it for profit, for their benefit, for… for whatever excuse they can come up with. When we make mistakes… well, we face them. We acknowledge them. We don't repeat them…"

"You do," Kino said, with a nod and a shrug. "The White Lotus, though? You can't speak for, eh, about four thousand White Lotus people marching in this army, Katara. For all we know, there could even be actual Fire Nation spies here somewhere and we just don't know it."

"That seems unlikely," Katara frowned. "If the Fire Lord had spies this deep in the White Lotus, he would've uprooted the organization ages ago."

"Eh, fair, fine," Kino admitted, scratching his head. "But anyway, you don't know what's in their hearts, you don't know if they're sorry for the worst they did to Sokka… and neither does he. I'd say he's smart to be cautious, even if you're right about his stress…"

"I have to say… I agree a bit with you, Katara," Aang said, smiling at her over her shoulder. "The White Lotus isn't perfect… but the more we've seen them in action, the more relieved I've been to know they're not as monstrous as we expected them to be. I guess it's much easier for us to see them this way than it is for Sokka… so just be patient, Katara. Give it time."

The waterbender frowned as her gaze raked the forest ahead: her eyes followed her brother once more as he stopped by a group of White Lotus troops. He spoke with them quickly, namely with their leader. Both Sokka and the White Lotus soldiers seemed tense… but nothing came from it. The Gladiator marched off shortly afterwards and the soldiers carried on forward, talking quietly amongst themselves…

Someone else marched up to them shortly afterwards, startling their group. Katara raised an eyebrow: different tension slowly mounted between Anorak and the White Lotus soldiers he was speaking to. It seemed he was nonchalant, judgmental… perhaps even harsh? Katara blinked blankly, watching as the soldiers appeared to apologize for something… and then Anorak took off again, following Sokka, it seemed.

What was he doing? Katara's chest churned with uncertainty and wariness. He had helped during the attack in Omashu, but afterwards, Anorak had made himself scarce. Had he spent all that time working to organize the White Lotus's forces, somehow? He hadn't been part of most of Sokka's meetings with the White Lotus leaders, if she recalled correctly…

It didn't simply happen a handful of times: whenever Sokka approached any White Lotus group, Anorak would stop by them afterwards, too. The reactions were varied, but Katara couldn't make heads or tails out of what the northerner was doing as she watched him from afar. Was he somehow strengthening the animosity some of those White Lotus people might feel against Sokka?

She was unsure of what to think of Anorak's odd behavior once the army stopped for the evening: the logistics crews started pitching tents within the forest, in a slightly less dense area than those they had traversed so far – Appa had bumped into plenty of trees, groaning with likely jealousy when Momo flew from branch to branch with absolute ease. Dusk was already falling, and as urgent as their situation was, marching onwards in the middle of the night would be ill-advised, for the forest might hide many more dangers than they were prepared to face.

Katara climbed off Appa's saddle and took off cautiously towards where Anorak now spoke with a handful of White Lotus men, all of whom regarded him with apparent respect. If he was causing any trouble for Sokka, she'd give him a piece of her mind…

"… So, what you're saying is, if I go check through the assigned crates of food for this meal, I won't find anything out of place?" Anorak was saying, his voice dripping skepticism. The man standing opposite him seemed equal times confused and outraged… but a much more predominant fear kept him from speaking his mind.

"This was part of my personal supplies. I brought this jerky from Omashu myself, I haven't come anywhere close to the general army supplies, Captain Anorak," the man said. Anorak hummed, still sounding utterly skeptical.

"That so?" he said, stepping closer to the man he spoke to.

The others around them appeared uncomfortable, but not to the point of standing their ground against Anorak. The waterbender stopped mere inches from the lower-ranked soldier… and he took the jerky off his hands.

The soldier stared in disbelief as Anorak took a bite out of the dried food. He chewed, staring the soldier in the eye… and then nodded.

"Hmm. Not bad at all."

He didn't hand back what was left of it: instead, Anorak simply turned around and walked away without another word.

The displeasure in the others was apparent, but Anorak ignored it entirely, his back turned towards them. He marched away carelessly, without any fear of turning his back on those upset with him… and he almost bumped into Katara while still munching on the jerky.

"Do you need something?" he asked. Katara scoffed.

"I… no. You do, though, apparently," she said. Anorak hummed.

"I do, yes. And I'm off to find it, if you don't mind," he said. Katara frowned.

"What are you up to?" she said. "What you just did with those soldiers…"

"Is White Lotus business, and White Lotus alone," Anorak said, eyebrows raised. "Your group needn't be concerned with it. Have a good evening."

Katara's fist trembled as Anorak walked away. The urge to call back to him almost overcame her, but she settled for shooting a glare after him… was he truly bullying his own soldiers? He hadn't shown any signs of being that much of an asshole back in the White Lotus's fortress, nor during their attack in Omashu. What was wrong with him…?

It was clear that the other soldiers were as confused by his behavior as she was. They even glanced at her with understanding when she met their gazes, and they shrugged before returning to the setting up of their tents… badmouthing Anorak now that he was out of earshot.

With a sigh, Katara marched off, back to the thick of the encampment once more. By now, a multitude of tents had been erected across the area: while several soldiers were open to sharing tents, fitting over five thousand people into temporary sleeping accommodations was easier said than done. Some soldiers helped the logistics crew with preparing everything while others helped by distributing food, so no one would go to bed on an empty stomach.

Appa's large figure gave away the location of her friends' current whereabouts easily, so Katara didn't take long to return to the area where her friends had set up their own camp: Zuko had joined them for dinner, it seemed, exhausted after marching with his group for most the day. Aang and Kino ensured to fetch bowls of stew for each of them, and Katara resolved to save one for Sokka, too: her brother didn't approach their tent until about ten minutes after everyone else had finished their meals, though.

"Ah… here you are. Good!" Sokka smiled: his hair was slightly unkempt, and he looked exhausted. Katara grimaced. "Everything's in order around here?"

"Sokka, you haven't eaten at all, have you?" she asked. Sokka bit his lip. "Come on, don't be silly and sit down to eat, will you?"

"I, uh, I will. I just have a few other groups to check on, and I'll be back here afterwards. Promised thing," Sokka said, breathing out slowly. "Things were a bit of a handful with the animal handlers, some of the moose lions were unruly without their riders, but… anyway, I'll just check on the gladiators quickly and then I'll be back. I know I've been all over the place today, but…"

"I'd be much less judgmental about it if you were all over the place with food in your stomach," Katara said, raising an eyebrow. Sokka offered her a guilty grin.

"I accept your judgment, sis. Just give me a minute, okay?" he said.

"Just the one?"

"Oh, you know what I mean…" he grumbled, nudging her head lightly with his fingertips. Katara huffed as she clasped his wrist.

"I have something to talk about with you, so make sure not to take too long, alright? Besides, the food really will get cold and Zuko's not going to heat it for you…"

"No, I won't," Zuko said, with a smirk. Sokka huffed, glancing at Aang.

"I would've asked Aang first, actually…" he said, and the Avatar grinned guiltily.

"I… can heat it for you, yes."

"See? Great!" Sokka grinned, yanking his hand out of Katara's grip. His sister rolled her eyes but smiled as Sokka slipped away from her reach. "I'll be back, I said! Save that bowl for me!"

Katara sighed after her brother turned around, lightly jogging towards another group of their army, this time one that sat at a fair distance from them.

"Well… at least it sounds like he intends to eat later. I'll take that as a victory," Katara said, turning towards their small fireplace once more.

"You don't need to watch over him that much," Zuko said. Katara swallowed hard. "I'm not saying you shouldn't worry at all, but… that guy's got himself together in ways none of us will ever understand."

"He looks like he's the scariest guy out there, at first sight," Kino said, staring carelessly at the treetops as he laid by the fire, with Momo curled over his chest. "Then you get to know him… and he's a dork. But then you get to know him more, and you can't help but realize that…"

"He's terrifying," Aang concluded, with a nod.

Despite herself, Katara couldn't hold back a snort of amusement at Aang's words. Her own laughter seemed to unlock that of the others, and before long, all four friends would laugh together by the fire, their hearts lightened briefly. Katara could only imagine Sokka's squeaky reaction upon hearing the Avatar calling him terrifying… but she guessed she'd tell him about that later, after telling him about Anorak's alarming behavior. Perhaps once he returned to find his food, once he was done with all his rounds…

The Gladiator breathed deeply as he marched through the tents. Some people he passed by wouldn't acknowledge him, but those who did offered him either cheerful grins or respectful reverences, and Sokka answered in kind in either instance. There were so many people, truly so many… the reality of the massive marching army he was leading couldn't seem to sink deeply enough in Sokka's heart. At times it was hard to believe he was truly doing this… and then he'd think of the reasons why he had set out on this long, difficult mission. By then, his wonderment and anxiety over the situation would be replaced by one-track-mind determination and fierceness… both of which would go unsatisfied for the time being. He couldn't reach Azula that fast, he knew he couldn't… but how he wished he could.

He needed a distraction from such thoughts: he smiled at the sight of the group he had meant to check on now: the gladiators had taken their seat around a large fireplace, some chatting amicably, others eating with very little restraint… and others picking playful fights with each other, too.

Toph and Jet were here, sitting side by side, but Shanyuan noticed Sokka first and he urged him to join them.

"Everything going well over here?" he asked, as he knelt by Shanyuan: the Hallowed Rock sat with him, and he greeted Sokka as well with a deep bow of his head.

"There you are!" Shanyuan exclaimed. "Are you on your downtime for now? I could use some advice for my new name…"

"Your… what, now?" Sokka blinked blankly as Shanyuan stroked his chin.

"My name, you know, like all of yours," Shanyuan said. "Goes without saying that I refuse to use the one I was known by…"

"Which is why I kind of assumed you'd just… choose to be known by your actual name instead?" Sokka said. Shanyuan shook his head, though.

"It's wrong for everyone to call each other by their gladiatorial names while I'm just Shanyuan. I'm trying to come up with something and I asked Hallowed Rock here to help me out, but…"

"He appears to find my suggestions far too pretentious for his tastes," the Hallowed Rock told Sokka, who smiled sympathetically at him.

"What exactly have you suggested so far?" he asked.

"The Elegant Crane," the Hallowed Rock remarked, and Shanyuan shuddered. "It is a most noble creature…"

"Pretentious, see?" Shanyuan told Sokka, who couldn't hold back a soft chuckle by now.

"Or maybe 'the Enlightened Vessel.' Perhaps 'the Pristine Monument'?"

"That… huh. Monument's not bad, but 'pristine'?" Shanyuan said, grimacing. "Nah, nah, nah. You're being too scholarly."

"Could you truly ask anything else from a scholar?" The Hallowed Rock remarked. Sokka smiled slightly.

"You really are a scholar? I kind of thought you might be a priest, or so…"

"I'm afraid not," The Hallowed Rock answered, shaking his head gracefully. "I am indeed a scholar, and I have been dutifully tending to Omashu's most priceless reservoir of knowledge, the Omashu Heritage Instutite, since I was twenty-three. Therefore, for forty-one years of my life."

"Oh. Uh, that's cool," Sokka said, startled by the revelation. "Though… don't get me wrong, I'm interested in research in some regards too, but why would someone like you serve as a gladiator, exactly?"

"Do you think research pays well?" the Hallowed Rock asked, and Sokka's smile twisted into a grimace. "We never had the best of fundings, but it got worse after Governor Ukano took over the city, of course. I had to make a living somehow: as I am a decent earthbender, I decided a second job as a gladiator would suffice."

"Huh. So… if you still worked at that Institute, it means you weren't a slave at all, were you?" Sokka asked. The Hallowed Rock shook his head.

"He's one of the few among us who wasn't one," Shanyuan said. "But anyway, about my name…"

"Can't you just pick one that's already tried, tested and true?" asked the Lotus Tempest, smirking at Shanyuan. "There's a bunch of gladiatorial names you can use, you don't have to come up with a new one from scratch…"

"I'm not using other people's names," Shanyuan stated, firmly. "That would be disrespectful, and it wouldn't honor my identity at all. No, I will come up with a new one…"

"It would be way easier, though," the Lotus Tempest said, carelessly. Shanyuan frowned. "I mean, suit yourself, but people might be a little freaked out if they thought Stonesworn is here. Or Manic Boar…"

"Out of the question," Shanyuan huffed. The Lotus Tempest snickered, resting against a tree with her hands behind her head.

"Those two were big gladiators, or so I've understood…" Sokka spoke to the Hallowed Rock as subtly as possible… but even if Shanyuan and the Lotus Tempest failed to hear him, someone certainly didn't.

"They were Omashu's top dogs, Sokka," Toph declared: she as well had taken to lounging carelessly by the fire, lying on her back, even more relaxed than the Lotus Tempest was. "At least, when it came to earthbending. They weren't much to write home about, though."

"And she certainly must feel the same way about me," Shanyuan stated, somewhat bitterly.

Toph smirked, though she kept her silence: Sokka had forgotten about Toph's grand venture of defeating every earthbender in the League above her position in the ranking, just as he had done the same with non-benders. A lot of the earthbenders here seemed to think highly of her, Shanyuan among them.

"Anyway, it wouldn't feel right to use their names, and that's that," Shanyuan said, shaking his head.

"Your loss. I mean, they're not here to claim them, so…" The Lotus Tempest shrugged carelessly, but her words certainly gave Sokka pause.

"Say… why aren't they here, exactly, when they were the best gladiators?" Sokka asked. "Not that I'd expect every single gladiator out there to join us, but… someone even said they weren't in the city anymore?"

"The actual best gladiator in Omashu was Death Sentence," the Lotus Tempest clarified, closing her eyes. "But… yeah, him, the Boar, Stonesworn and a bunch of others didn't show up, you know? Back when you guys liberated the city, some of us started reaching out to each other because it was the Blind Bandit and the Blue Wolf, and we wanted to join you, but… we couldn't find them. Apparently they've been long gone for a while."

"Does anyone have any clue of where they might be?" Sokka asked.

"I have… some theories," the Hallowed Rock stated. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "You see… I received a rather cryptic missive some days before you and your army arrived in Omashu. It must have been… fifty-six days before that, give or take."

"Give or take?" Sokka repeated, perplexed at the man's precision that he, apparently didn't regard as such.

"Indeed, I may have miscalculated a day or two. Anyway," the Hallowed Rock continued. "The letter lacked any manner of signature or identification. It stated that, if my fighting spirit still thrummed within my soul, I had to visit a certain building in Omashu, on a certain day, at a certain time. I found the message perplexing, but I couldn't obey curiosity blindly, I had much work to do in the Institute anyway. Thus, I only visited that location three days later… and the building was empty when I arrived."

"Wait… is someone setting up a trap for gladiators?" Sokka asked, frowning. "Is that what you're saying?"

"I cannot presume to be sure. It certainly is a possibility," the Hallowed Rock stated, closing his eyes gracefully. "But I cannot reach any conclusions as it is. As Manic Boar, Stonesworn and Death Sentence, the three strongest gladiators in Omashu, offered no support in this war effort, I would presume that they received similar, cryptic messages and that, perhaps, they did heed them. Whether it was a trap or not… this could explain their absence."

"And you're all sure they've been missing for the last months? They never contacted any of you to explain what was going on?" Sokka asked. The Lotus Tempest shrugged.

"When shit hit the fan and the Gladiator League collapsed, most of us took it to mean it was over, you know?" she said. "It sucked, but what else could we do? Some of us knew each other, to a fault, but we weren't exactly best friends, you see. As much as I was White Lotus, I was officially a slave, so was Shanyuan… he's probably the one who had it worse out of all of us. He didn't have much time to socialize while that pig of a man had him on that tight leash, you know?"

"I understand that, it's only…" Sokka said, running a hand over his hair. "If they simply are in Omashu and don't care to join us, that's one thing. If not… then someone's actively seeking out gladiators for nefarious reasons, for all we know. Who knows if maybe they've struck in other cities, like Ba Sing Se or Gaoling…"

"Good thing we're headed to the first one soon, then," Shanyuan said, breathing out slowly. "Could it be they're just… trying to revive the League furtively somehow, going by what that letter said?"

"The thought crossed my mind too, yes," the Hallowed Rock nodded.

"Heh, that'd be fun," Toph smiled carelessly, closing her eyes as she let herself recall the thrill of the fighting ring… that feeling she had positively adored when she hadn't had a care in the world besides proving herself to a world determined to underestimate her. "I mean, I know there's a bunch of stuff we've got to get done first, and stuff we ought to fix about the League, but I wouldn't think twice about joining it again, if I could."

"Heh. I wouldn't mind going back, either," the Lotus Tempest admitted. "It wasn't always great… but it was damn fun when it wanted to be."

"I suppose I'd be benefited by the League returning… maybe I'd actually fight in it consciously at last," Jet said. Toph chuckled next to him.

"I can be your first opponent, then: you'll eat sand, but at least you'll get to fight with someone you're familiar with," she said. Jet chuckled, shaking his head.

"A new league, though? By gladiators, for gladiators?" Shanyuan reasoned, running a hand over his hair. "Can't say for sure that I'd join it… but if I did, I definitely need a new name."

"The Eloquent Monument!" The Hallowed Rock blurted out. Shanyuan scoffed immediately.

"What? No!"

Sokka couldn't hold back a soft chuckle at the argument between the two earthbenders. The conversations seemed to grow disparate by then, but he fell silent as he pondered what the Hallowed Rock had revealed. Gladiators were vanishing for no apparent reason… could it be a ploy of Ozai's, somehow? Was his rage against Sokka not sated yet, and he was taking it out on everyone who had ever been part of the League?

No, the message the Hallowed Rock had received suggested otherwise. Ozai, if level-headed, would send his assassin to destroy whoever he held a grudge against, especially if said grudge was not a matter of common knowledge. If it were, he would choose executions, public ones… though not as flashy as Sokka's failed execution, he supposed. Either way… cryptic messages with no trails to follow, no sign of what to do, didn't feel like the Fire Lord's usual behavior.

His next thought almost made him smile: it sounded like something worthy of the White Lotus. If he weren't with them right now, he would have honestly expected them to be the party responsible for these confusing, mysterious gladiator disappearances. Therefore… it was something else, beyond White Lotus and Fire Nation, transcending all political conflict somehow. Who? Why? How were they getting away with it? Could they be a potential ally… or was the culprit someone to regard as an enemy?

His momentary distraction caused him to lose track of the gladiators' conversations: a burst of laughter made him focus on it again, and he frowned as two of the younger warriors rose to their feet, smiling determinedly at each other… fists raised.

"Woah, woah, woah. What's going on here?" Sokka said, jumping to his feet.

"Didn't you hear? They want to deck it out for old times' sake," Toph smirked, leisurely. "I say let 'em!"

"Of course you do. I'm so shocked," Sokka rolled his eyes before focusing on the still-smiling gladiators. "You do realize we're a marching army? And we're supposed to be taking a break right now? There's no need for you guys to pick fights or try to measure yourselves against each other right now, you should focus on eating and resting…"

"We're not really picking a fight, though!" said one of the young men. "We just want to spar a bit, you know? A brief duel! The first to land an actual blow on the other wins, simple as that!"

"It's not going to be dangerous, or exhausting," said the other one, grinning innocently at Sokka. "Heck, think of it as training for the future instead of a duel, how about it?"

"How convenient," Sokka said, his voice deadpan. He let out a sigh after a moment and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is the right time for…"

"What's going on here?"

The mood in the gladiators' area seemed to chill when Anorak's voice almost boomed across it. Most smiles waned at the sight of the White Lotus leader, hands on his hips, as he regarded their group with what most could only read as contempt.

"Eh, Anorak," Sokka turned, eyeing the waterbender warily. "You don't have to worry, they're not going to cause any trouble. I'm on it already…"

"Did I overhear your gladiators want to duel each other?" Anorak said, nonchalantly. Sokka grimaced. "Or am I misunderstanding something?"

"You're not," said one of the young men, hands on his hips. "Got a problem with what we want to do, do you?"

"Hmm. I think General Sokka is correct," Anorak said, raising his head haughtily. "It's most unbefitting of you to spend your valuable break time fighting amongst yourselves…"

"And that's none of your business, now, is it?" asked Shanyuan, raising an eyebrow. "What's it to you what our side of camp wants to do, anyway?"

"It'd be nothing…" Anorak said, stepping closer to the younger man who had spoken up about his willingness to duel his friend. "If only I didn't want in, too."

"W-wait, what?" the young man said. Sokka, behind Anorak, frowned.

"You're messing around, aren't you?" Sokka said, stepping up and scowling at Anorak. "Don't you have a lot of stuff to do right now?"

"Don't we all," Anorak said, with a dramatic sigh. "I'll leave you and your group alone if any of you succeed at beating me. You can have your little, uh, gladiatorial tournaments freely and I won't be here to bother you about them… but only if you land a blow on me, first, as per your rules. How about it?"

"Uh… is that a plural you?" asked the second gladiator. Anorak smirked.

"Evidently," he said.

His words, so ominous, only seemed arrogant to those who had never witnessed his waterbending prowess before. Laughter rang in the gladiator camp area as word spread among them about Anorak's challenge to the gladiators… and little by little, the rumor of what the waterbender was up to would reach the rest of the large army too.

But before that could happen, Anorak stood by the fire with the defiant young man, who raised his hands towards the White Lotus captain.

"You're sure you'd like to fight with your bare fists? You're allowed to use a weapon…" Anorak said, nonchalantly. The gladiator smirked.

"I'll be fine like this. You ready?" he asked. Anorak nodded. "Then let's go!"

Anorak shrugged in silent agreement: the gladiator lunged for him… and Anorak flicked his hand quickly in his direction when his foe was still four steps away from him.

A burst of water, shooting out at an alarmingly fast speed, struck the gladiator's shoulder and knocked him back before he could aim his fist at his opponent. Anorak waved his hand again, and the water returned to the waterskin he had drawn it from, a smirk across his face.

"Ah. I landed the blow. Guess I win," he said.

"Anorak…" Sokka huffed, stepping up and clasping his shoulder. "This is stupid. I don't think they should be doing what they're doing, but…"

"It's not stupid," Anorak said, glaring at Sokka begrudgingly. "Have you considered that maybe I'd like some training, as well?"

"What?" Sokka scoffed, but Anorak didn't change his tune.

"I thought it would be fun to measure myself against your group. So far, I'm not too impressed, but who knows if someone else will be more interesting than that," he said, smiling proudly.

"Hey, now… you're rubbing me the wrong way," the Lotus Tempest declared, pushing herself up to her feet: she had a weapon in hand, a heavy whip with a set of thorns and spikes bursting in the shape of a flower at its very tip. "Want a proper fight, do you?"

"Certainly," Anorak grinned. "You're next?"

"Damn right I am," the Lotus Tempest declared… and she raised her whip.

This time, Anorak had to dodge the Lotus Tempest's attack: he moved his hand, however, while she was striking at him, and a burst of water suddenly drenched the woman's face, well before her whip could make contact with Anorak's body.

"Not bad, not bad," Anorak smiled, drawing the water back into his pouch as the cocky Lotus Tempest froze on the spot, even if he hadn't encased her in ice with his bending. "You have good speed, that's for sure."

"Okay, now… you're kind of a jackass but maybe you're more fun than you look," Toph said, smirking at him. Anorak returned the gesture. "Bet you wouldn't have the balls to take me on, though."

"On the contrary, I have balls to spare. Would you care to demonstrate your fabled extraordinary earthbending abilities?" Anorak asked. "We in the White Lotus have heard a few things about them, but… I'm afraid it all sounds quite inflated to me."

"Does it, now?" Toph smirked. "After you were trembling like a newborn kitten when we took Omashu, you're going to pretend you're all high and mighty now?"

"I… suppose I shall," Anorak nodded in Toph's direction. She chuckled.

"Alright. You seem to think you're ballsy, at least. Let's see if you're not all talk," she said.

Toph gave away no sign of intending to rise from her current position: instead, she kicked her foot upwards in an arch, and with it, commanded a rapid spike that burst right between Anorak's legs: he jumped back, avoiding the blow, and waved his hands towards Toph just as she kicked a second time.

The splatter of water against her ankle hit her a mere instant before her second spike grazed Anorak's elbow.

"Oh, shit!" the second of the two initially belligerent gladiators froze on the spot, as did most the onlookers… as did Toph, too, pushing herself up to a proper sitting position as Anorak smirked at her.

"You were saying?" he asked. Toph huffed, smiling and shaking her head.

"Maybe you do, huh? That's pretty weird. Most people who are full of it can't back up their shit at all. Not bad, Bubbles, not bad…"

Sokka blinked blankly at Toph's apparent ease in accepting her defeat – she certainly had changed over time, but he hadn't anticipated that she would have lost at least some of her competitiveness. Back in the day, she would have demanded for a rematch or claimed that she hadn't been ready, even…

"So, any other takers?" Anorak asked, smiling brightly at the gladiators… many of whom seemed to smile wildly at the prospect of confronting the White Lotus member, and defeating him when even the Blind Bandit had failed to do so.

"Wait, now, you can't be serious…!" Sokka blurted out, but Anorak ignored him as the next taker, another young gladiator, stepped up and raised his weapon against the waterbender.

Three more duels followed in quick succession. Sokka's eyebrow twitched as he witnessed them, perplexed and confused, more so when other outsiders joined in to watch the fight. Then, another three opponents followed, and Anorak's fast waterbending techniques continued to award him the victory right away. Next, he challenged a few of the onlookers, White Lotus members such as himself: they seemed as eager to defeat Anorak as the gladiators were, if not more so… but the five who went up against him fell to his quick strikes in no time.

By then, Sokka's patience was at an end. He was hungry, tired, and he certainly had very little interest in watching Anorak's strange, new arrogance bolstered by the reckless, combative fools who wanted to be the ones to defeat the obnoxious and proud waterbender. Even if he understood the competitiveness fairly well, having been part of the Gladiator League, it seemed entirely out of place right now, and Anorak's behavior was rubbing him the wrong way.

"Alright, I think that's more than enough by now, from all of you," Sokka huffed, stepping in after Anorak defeated yet another reckless challenger – a White Lotus soldier. "Anorak, I don't know what point you were hoping to prove, but I'm guessing you've already pulled it off, so…"

"Not even close," Anorak said, turning towards him with a smirk. "Give me a few more minutes, I'm sure it'll work sooner than later."

Sokka rolled his eyes as soft laughter rang in the area. The fact that the gladiators were actually enjoying this madness shouldn't have surprised him, if anything, it was just what he would have expected from this lot… but it irritated him regardless.

"Besides, if you want me to stop, why not defeat me yourself?" Anorak asked, smirking.

"Because I'm not all that concerned with getting them permission to hold gladiator tournaments to begin with," Sokka said, curtly. "And because I'd rather our two factions get along nicely…"

"They surely would get along far better if they saw their leaders having perfectly friendly fighting bouts once in a while," Anorak said. "Look at your gladiators, they think fighting is a good way to make allies, from the sound of it. How about we follow their example?"

"This is a waste of time," Sokka said, through gritted teeth. "And I want to go eat, the others have my food all the way over there… but I have the feeling you're going to say you'll only let me go if I beat you?"

"Why, yes, I was thinking of something along those lines," Anorak smirked.

"I left my weapons with them," Sokka said. Anorak shrugged.

"Bad call on your part. You shouldn't be caught unarmed at all in life, General Sokka," he said, flicking his waterskin open. "So? Are the circumstances too unfavorable for you, Blue Wolf?"

Sokka sighed, fixing a skeptical glare on Anorak. The waterbender smirked still.

"If I win… you'll cut this out? You promise?" he asked. Anorak nodded. "No more ego trips, no more boastful nonsense…?"

"You won't hear a peep from me again. I'll consider myself exiled from this side of camp," Anorak said. Sokka smirked while the others whistled at the steep stakes Anorak was proposing.

"You're serious?" Sokka asked.

"Dead serious," Anorak said. "So?"

Sokka breathed deeply… and shifted his weight to take a combat stance.

Anorak didn't waste an instant before flicking his hand towards Sokka: the whip of water shot towards the Gladiator right away… but it didn't find purchase on his body.

Sokka dodged the whip by shrinking in his frame, his quick feet allowing him to launch himself towards Anorak's left, below the water Anorak had bent to start their fight. Anorak rerouted the water quickly, a spark of concern crossing his eyes as he aimed it towards Sokka's current position.

But the Gladiator leapt, spinning in the air as he moved to Anorak's right. The change of position caught Anorak by surprise once more: he turned towards Sokka's direction once more, intending to use his water whip to attack him here…

The liquid dropped flat on the ground when Sokka pinched Anorak's right shoulder with the right amount of pressure to block his chi.

Anorak winced, and Sokka struck again at the base of his neck. A couple more attacks to his spine, and Anorak fell, completely powerless, into the humid soil… finally defeated.

"There we go! Enough nonsense. Now we can all go to our tents and get some…!" Sokka started, with a dry grin… that soured quickly when the entire area of the campsite burst into joyful celebration.

"Woo! You did it! Damn, you actually did it!" the Lotus Tempest laughed, clapping as Toph scoffed in Sokka's direction, smirking regardless of her apparent disapproval.

"You're a pain in the ass, Dog! I'm gonna beat him next, right when he gets up again! You'll see!" she declared…

And along with her, lots of other people, White Lotus and gladiators alike, laughed and rejoiced in Sokka's success, some even attempting to challenge him next. Sokka declined all such invitations for fights: his discomfort should have been apparent, but it seemed everyone was quite so delighted by Anorak's defeat that they couldn't care less about how uncomfortable the Gladiator was right now.

"That's our leader, alright! Cheers to the Blue Wolf!" roared Shanyuan, raising a cup with sake in Sokka's direction: others joined the toast, and Sokka smiled awkwardly at him, nodding in acknowledgement before kneeling by Anorak… who, to this moment, laid face-first on the humid soil.

"Uh, okay, I'm sorry I went so far, and that they're going too far, too," Sokka said. "Want me to get you out of here?"

"If you'd be so kind…" Anorak managed to say.

Sokka collected Anorak carefully, draping the man's arm over his shoulders. He only had to explain his intent to take Anorak to safety – and to get some food, because he truly was famished – to leave the area without further ado, despite his many challengers. It was hardly a surprise to find the rest of the campsite appeared much less lively than in the section the gladiators had hogged up for themselves. The rest of the army's members glanced at the gladiators with interest and curiosity, or even a smidge of displeasure over how noisy they were.

Still, most eyes were drawn to Anorak, as Sokka hoisted him carefully and marched with him towards his friends' fire. Anorak reassured a few people that he was fine, though only a handful of them appeared genuinely concerned, until Sokka finally dropped him next to a shocked Katara.

"The hell is…?!" she blurted out as her brother took his seat beside the unmoving Anorak.

"Do you think your waterbending healing can, uh, do something about chi-blocking?" Sokka asked, with a weak grin. "I mean, I know it's not a permanent condition, but I figured I'd ask anyhow…"

"I… no! I've never had to heal anyone chi-blocked before, and why did you chi-block Anorak anyway?"

"Because I was asking for it," Anorak declared, with a careless smile. Katara's jaw dropped. "Very good technique. I can't feel my toes. Or my legs. Or most my body, really."

"You can feel your tongue just fine, though, if you're talking so much," Zuko said, with a slight smirk. "This is… weird."

"Tell me about it. I didn't exactly intend to wind up chi-blocking him, but he seems to be in good spirits about it anyhow," Sokka smiled awkwardly. "Anyway… I'll eat now. I hope you already ate too, Anorak, because I'm not about to feed you while you can't move…"

"I did eat already, but I could go for a late snack anyhow," Anorak said, smiling carelessly. Sokka scoffed.

"Well, then, you'll find one for yourself when you can walk again. Good for you," he said. Anorak, despite being paralyzed from the neck down, laughed at Sokka's bitter response as Katara handed Sokka his bowl of stew. "Thanks, Katara. Say, you wanted to talk with me about something…?"

"Uh… never mind. Maybe tomorrow," she said: her eyes flickered towards Anorak: for the second time that day, she realized she wasn't sure what to make of the waterbender.

As confused as Sokka might feel over Anorak's behavior, he sat by the waterbender and he ate while the man's body reawakened – it had taken well over thirty minutes before he started cramping uncomfortably after the effective chi-blocking. Anorak waited for his body to feel real once again, sitting against a tree trunk while eyeing the stars above…

"What the hell were you up to today?"

Anorak glanced at Sokka when he heard the question. The Blue Wolf sat with his elbows propped over his knees, eyeing him warily, finished with his stew. His friends from the South had either turned in already or were busy cleaning up after their meal. The rest of the traveling army appeared to be getting to bed by now as well, with only a handful of sentries pacing around the tents to ensure nothing was out of place.

"You mean… since early on, and not just right now?" Anorak asked. Sokka nodded.

"I'm not so careless that I didn't notice you were… well, doing something, whatever it was," Sokka said. "You followed me everywhere I went, it looked like. I tried to ignore it on the most part… but it was kind of unsettling."

Anorak let out a soft laugh and closed his eyes. Sokka scrutinized him intently: it was clear as day that the waterbender no longer regarded him with as much caution and disdain as he once had… so whatever he had done, it couldn't have been intended to sabotage Sokka, could it?

"Do you trust the White Lotus yet?" Anorak asked. Sokka tensed up. "You'd be well within your rights not to, after everything we've put you through, after everything we forced you to do to prove yourself. Conquering a city… the fact that you pulled that off with less than half a year of preparation is nothing short of mindboggling. And yet… we've done nothing comparable to earn your allegiance, have we?"

"No," Sokka said, plain and simple. Anorak nodded.

"Yet several White Lotus members don't seem to trust you. Not even now," he said. "Your attempts to make sure everything was going well… they were probably a matter of nervousness, maybe even paranoia, because you haven't done anything like this before. And to be frank, nobody has: what you're doing is far from ordinary. It's no real surprise if you don't like the White Lotus… but we can't pretend that we're in any position to reject your leadership or your strategies. I can't afford to see the White Lotus come undone over their distrust in you. Therefore…"

"Therefore, you picked fights with them to prove I could be trusted?" Sokka asked, perplexed. "How, exactly…?"

"I spent all day antagonizing as many people as I could," Anorak said. Sokka's eyes widened. "If they were talking about how little they cared for you, at first… they changed their tune to saying such things, and worse, about me instead. Suddenly, I'm the bigger problem… the bully badgering them. Eventually, you'd play the role of the one who put me in my rightful place, which you did when you defeated me. Those gladiators certainly sped up matters by picking fights with each other that way…"

"And you knew I'd defeat you?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Anorak shrugged, then smiled upon realizing he could move his shoulders again, if only slightly.

"I hoped you would," he said. "We've seen each other fight as it is. You're pretty formidable."

"For a non-bender?" Sokka asked.

"For anyone, outright," Anorak said, simply. "I had hoped our fight might end in a draw, but you strategized better, I suppose."

"I guess," Sokka said. "But I didn't want to fight you anyhow. We did see each other's fighting styles because we worked together in Omashu, and I'd dare say we did it pretty well. I guess I understand what you were going for now, but… couldn't you come up with another way to give me a hand and convince people that I'm not as much of a monster as they thought I was?"

"Maybe," Anorak said, with a weak smile. "But I don't think it would have been as quick as this was."

"You pissed off your own people…" Sokka said. Anorak shook his head.

"These aren't really the ones under my command. Most of those already respect you properly, I'd say, perhaps with the exception of Unnuaq," Anorak said.

"Who?" Sokka frowned. Anorak sighed.

"A talented but hot-headed waterbender in my group. He, uh… doesn't seem to take it too well whenever I enforce any limits on him," Anorak explained. "He despises the Fire Nation, everything in it…"

"And I'm the wretched traitor who used to live there and served their Princess," Sokka completed. Anorak shrugged.

"I've managed to keep his nonsense at bay, and the rest of the waterbenders don't really seem to follow his tune so far. I'll keep watch over him to make sure he doesn't do or say anything stupid to hinder our forces' progress, though. As for the others beyond the waterbenders… I'll tone down my belligerence with them from now on. If I find anyone else acting out in worrisome ways, glaring at you weirdly, spewing nonsense about you, I might start again, but…"

"Well, hopefully it won't happen. Or at least, not too often," Sokka said. "You're watching my back quite a bit, though. I mean… I'm grateful, but you really don't have to do that. This is an association of convenience, I'm under no delusions that the White Lotus will ever be fully amicable with me. I don't need to get along with everyone…"

"You don't… but you do need to command their respect and know that they will follow," Anorak said. "You need to be a leader they can't dismiss as a potential traitor… and telling people what a great guy you are isn't bound to serve much purpose. Master Piandao has done that for ages and nobody believed him…"

"Heh. Sounds like he's had a blast trying to promote me as a good ally to the White Lotus," Sokka grimaced. Anorak smiled.

"My point is… I want to be sure that, when we reach Ba Sing Se, everyone will be ready to follow you. If my doubts had shaken me even one more moment in Omashu… I could have failed you when you needed me the most, and things could have taken a turn for the worst. You may be a hero for some people, but until the others learn to see more to you than they have so far…"

"I really don't want to be anyone's hero, though," Sokka grimaced. Anorak snorted.

"Then you should've thought twice about setting Omashu free," he said.

"It's not like it was all my doing: even if the plan was mine, I…"

"You've come this far when no one else ever has," Anorak cut him off. "There truly aren't leaders like you out there. You may not want to be a hero… but you don't get to choose how people will perceive you. You already are one for some of them."

"Not for you, though. Am I?" Sokka asked, grimacing. Anorak chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid I saw too much of your group's nonsense to think too highly of you," he said. "I suspect I'm safe from the crime of idealizing you beyond what's reasonable. I do believe you have the potential to set a lot of things right… but that doesn't make you some sort of unnaturally extraordinary hero in my eyes. You're just… a really strange guy, willing to go to the ends of the earth over the woman you love, it seems."

"Further," Sokka said, bluntly. Anorak's smile strengthened… then waned.

"I hope she feels the same way about you," he said. Sokka frowned. "Don't get me wrong, it's only… I can't pretend I trust her. I don't know her, to begin with, and as amazing as you say she is, it's hard to wrap my head around it. I can't help but wonder whether you're more important to her than her nation is… than her piece of shit of a father and Fire Lord, too."

"I'd like to think so, but the Fire Nation always has been an important priority for her," Sokka admitted, rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "She chose to return there rather than stay in the south with me because… because she hoped to protect her people from her father's wrath. I can't help but wonder if she succeeded on some level or another… I really don't know if she did."

"Maybe she did," Anorak said. "But… if she really cares about the Fire Nation that much, will you be able to keep fighting if she, somehow, tells you to stop? Not that I can imagine she'd have a chance to tell you that at all, but… she might not want you in danger, just as she might not want her nation to lose the war. If you'd go anywhere for her, if you'd do anything for her… is that part of it, too? Would you listen to her if she told you to put down your weapons and surrender just because she asks it of you?"

Sokka frowned. Anorak's question probably was the very reason why the majority of the White Lotus members distrusted him so much. Was he truly strong enough to challenge Princess Azula, should she beg him to stand down? Would he oppose her wishes, no matter how deeply he loved her and longed for her…?

"I'm not the only one with a reason to fight," Sokka said. Anorak's eyes narrowed. "Zuko made that clear to me before we set out. I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing it for her, for sure… but that includes going however far I may need to go in order to save her, and I know she won't like it. She asked me… she asked me to stay put in the south until she could come for me. I broke that promise, so… she's not going to be happy about that, I suspect. But my partnership with her wasn't… it wasn't the kind of relationship where I just did whatever she told me to: I could fight back if I disagreed with her, we could bicker for hours on end if we had reason to. She would listen to me, and I'd listen to her, and… and eventually, we'd find a way to move forward. This time, it seems she's powerless to act while I'm not. I've made sure not to be. It hasn't been easy, but I've done everything I could do so that one day, in the future, a chance to save her will finally present itself. And it might be thankless work if she's truly cross with me for breaking my word and putting myself in so much danger… myself and the Fire Nation. But… this war has to end. She knows it just as well as any of us does. This world deserves peace, and if the only way to find it is by fighting the war to the bitter end, I'll make sure that end arrives as quickly as possible. And if she's upset with me, if she's mad at how I've gone about it… well, it'll be our problem to deal with once the war has been won. Not much use worrying about it now, is there? Let alone is it any use for you to worry about it…"

"I just want to be sure your leadership won't be disturbed by anything like this," Anorak said. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"It won't be," he said. "She and I have been clashing over countless things since ages ago… and as long as we stand strong and make the best choices, this will turn out for the best, for everyone. If we succeed, she'll have the chance to chide me and berate me for all I've been up to: how could I ever deprive her from that?"

"That's one way to look at it," Anorak smiled too. "Well, then. If that's how it is… I can set aside my one concern. She was, as far as anyone knows, the one in power in your partnership… I was only worried that she might still be the one who had the final word, you know? Wives bossing their husbands around and whatnot…"

Sokka chuckled and shook his head. Anorak smirked.

"I mean… well… sort of?" Sokka admitted, and Anorak laughed now too. "But it's not that simple, alright? I mean, sure, she had the final say in several things, it's true, but, well…!"

"So, you really were that whipped. Heh. I knew it," Anorak smirked. Sokka couldn't contain some disbelieving laughter, or an accusatory glare he leveled at the waterbender sitting by the tree next to his own.

After about a month of hardly even coming into contact with Anorak, Sokka didn't doubt that the man was a friend now. Without his awareness, Sokka had been earning the loyalty of people like him, people who had meant to oppose him stubbornly. If Anorak could change his mind about Sokka… perhaps there truly was a chance that the White Lotus, complicated as the group was, would become reliable allies… a powerful army he would lead into battle with full confidence.

Thus, their first day on the road ended on a relatively high note… but that changed on the next morning. The campsite was being collected, all tents and luggage stashed into carts and onto wagons pulled by beasts of burden – the earthbenders preparing to erase all tracks and the firebenders ready to fully consume all their used-up firewood so only cinders would remain. Sokka marched up to the frontlines, where the three White Lotus leaders of Fire Nation origin and Captain Shiju spoke to a man in dark clothing.

Sokka frowned: even from a distance, he could tell it was a member of the scouting team that Jeong Jeong had sent ahead of their group, to confirm they could continue marching undetected through the forest. But the concerned frowns upon the leaders' faces, as well as the distress in the scout's own, suggested that there was trouble brewing in the horizon.

"Okay, skip the preambles: what's going on?" Sokka said, wasting no time greeting anyone as he stopped right next to Piandao.

"A Fire Nation outpost," the scout answered him, immediately. "We've spotted it about ten miles away, overlooking the valley… right in the path we intended to take."

"Ten miles, then?" Sokka repeated, frowning. It was still far away, it might not have spotted their army yet…

"We could attempt to hug the mountain range from the south rather than the north…" Iroh proposed, stroking his beard. "We would have to march through the desert to do that, however…"

"We cannot afford to do so," Jeong Jeong cut him off. "Even beyond the difficulty of marching an army through the desert, there are villages and towns within those mountains: the forest would keep our army hidden, avoiding detection by the Fire Nation outposts and patrols in the mountain range. Marching through the desert would mean relinquishing our only means of concealment."

"Then we should attack that outpost, quickly," Shiju intervened. Sokka scowled as he glanced at the man, who spoke as stoically as ever. "One clean hit. We would defeat the soldiers stationed there, and that should suffice in keeping us safe."

"The Fire Nation army keeps a tight leash on its soldiers," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Their communication cannot be severed: as soon as it is, they will send forces to investigate what's happening and if they find their outpost unmanned, and pick up on signs that a large army is marching towards Ba Sing Se, they might strengthen their defenses before we get there. No… that's not going to work."

"Then what?" asked Iroh, eyeing Sokka warily. "Would you rather choose the desert route? As much as I suggested it, we would consume our water reserves alarmingly quickly, and there's no telling if Jeong Jeong's concerns about us being spotted by anyone would worsen if…"

"I didn't say the desert was the solution, either," Sokka said, breathing deeply as he raised his gaze, glancing past the treetops.

The beginnings of the central Earth Kingdom mountain range started a few miles away from their current location. They were tall mountains, not quite as tall as the ones in the area where he and Azula had found Xin Long, let alone in the one where they had found the other dragons…

But they were tall enough. Much, much taller than Appa, or Foo-Foo…

"Well, we're going through the mountain," Sokka decided. Everyone in the group frowned at him.

"What?" Jeong Jeong huffed. "There are numerous villages and towns there. You cannot presume to be certain that all of them will be complicit with our cause…"

"Even if they were, the outpost would spot our forces if they marched up there, in plain sight," Iroh remarked.

"Sokka… what exactly are you thinking?" Piandao asked, the only one who, as ever, had enough insight into the unusual, wild ways in which Sokka's mind worked.

Sokka smiled at him with the confidence of a man who had found an unexpected solution where others saw a problem. He didn't answer Piandao directly, though, instead turning towards Iroh and Jeong Jeong.

"Command all your earthbenders to gather at the head of the army. I'll get Toph to bring in the ones under my command, too," Sokka said, breathing deeply as he gazed at the tall mountain's silhouette. "We'll have no choice but to sacrifice haste and speed for safety… but it'll work out. The Fire Nation won't see us coming… and we'll get through their watchtowers and outposts safely this way, that's for sure."

"W-wait, wait, wait…" Iroh eyed Sokka warily: Jeong Jeong, next to him, had frozen in place too, as both had put together the implication in Sokka's words. "Are you intending to…?"

"To have our earthbenders digging a tunnel for the army through this entire mountain range?" Sokka asked, with a dry grin: the two firebenders paled upon confirming their suspicions. Even Piandao, ever supportive of Sokka's endeavors, seemed astonished by Sokka's ambitious, unthinkable solution for this problem… "Well… yes. That's exactly what I have in mind, and exactly what I think an army with almost a thousand earthbenders can pull off if we plan to give the Fire Nation the slip just before they figure out what we're up to. The sooner we get started, the better, so… what are we waiting for?"