Unwilling enemies
1
"Our daughter… our daughter. We have a… W-we have a…!"
Sokka's breathless words elicited a happy gasp from the woman sitting beside him: Ursa had remained with him, as good as coaching him through the process of this spike of spiritual connection with Azula. Her own ability to phase out, to lose touch with reality, had fallen to the wayside upon finding Zuko again, replaced by a clarity of mind she had not felt since the very beginnings of her time in the White Lotus's custody.
Even so, Ursa had been able to help Sokka reach the mindset he needed, regardless of the second-hand pain, so he could let himself go. So he could reach Azula on a spiritual level… so he could learn if she was alright, offering her his support wholeheartedly once he did. It hadn't been easy, but the Gladiator had as good as gone dormant at one point, around thirty minutes ago, and Ursa simply sat across him, waiting impatiently for him to return to full consciousness, hopefully with favorable news…
And he had done so. A smile curled her lips as tears bloomed in her eyes, much as they had in his. Sokka let out a spring of disbelieving laughter, covering his mouth as a powerful joy, so unlike the heavy feelings he had experienced over the past nine months, took his heart by storm. He leaned forward, as if he had received a low blow when he felt uplifted instead…
He wasn't truly surprised when he felt Ursa's hand on his shoulder. When she dared wrap her arms around him, rubbing his back as she spoke celebratory words for him, her own tears spilling down on his shoulder.
"Congratulations… oh, congratulations, Sokka. I'm so glad… I'm so glad…!"
"I can't believe I have a…! S-she said… she said it's ours. She says so, Ursa…!"
Ursa laughed, patting his back reassuringly still as Sokka's profound relief and joy continued to run their course – who knew she'd ever feel a motherly bond towards the daunting man sitting before her? Even when she knew he had been Azula's lover, Ursa's relationship with him had been cordial and respectful until this moment… it had never been as close as it was now, as he clung to her while completely ravaged by feelings he wasn't used to. It was an encouragement he hadn't experienced for over a month, a motivation and certainty that overwhelmed him…
"Is she alright?" Ursa asked again. "Is she… is she feeling well now? Even if you're not there right now, you probably can still feel her, can't you?"
"I… s-she's thrilled, heh. She's… she's so happy, for the first time in… in I don't know how long. Probably since the last time I was truly happy, too," Sokka said, pulling back with gentle laughter as he dabbed at his eyes. "She made it, she… she's okay. She's alright, and so… s-so is Hotaru. Our… our Hotaru."
He couldn't seem to process that reality, one he couldn't have been more grateful for: tears spilled down his cheeks again as he was infused by a deep need to hold his wife, to rejoice with her in the birth of their little girl… but as much as he might wish for more, Sokka's heart continued to soar with deep gratitude. There was no telling what the future might bring… but Azula had succeeded. She had brought their child into the world, and as much as she had questioned herself and her ability to handle the challenges of motherhood, Sokka didn't doubt that she'd overcome them as successfully and expertly as she ever did. He certainly regretted not being by her side to support her through everything, the highs and the lows, the complications that he knew were frequent and constant through the process of awaiting a child… but she had delivered their child: they were parents now.
That notion shook him with disbelieving laughter: a strange self-awareness took hold of him, perhaps a sense of responsibility, too. They were parents… he had pondered the possibility far more often than Azula had, but even Sokka had assumed they wouldn't be ready for a few more years. But that shake-up of their reality had arrived by now: their child was in Azula's arms, and he would reach the two of them as soon as he was able to.
His pure joy brought a fond, nostalgic smile to Ursa's face. A regret, or many, just as well: if only things had been different, perhaps Sokka could have been there with Azula to welcome their child into this world. If only they had been able to move faster, she might not have needed to give birth without the father of her baby…
If only Ursa had found a way to stay, if she had enough courage to try, to fight back, perhaps she could have stopped Ozai from becoming everything he had been in the wake of her leaving the Fire Nation. If she had been there to challenge him, to stop his worst, to keep him focused on what truly mattered, she could have protected both her children… all their families, just as well. Perhaps Zuko's kids would have been there too, to welcome their cousin…
But perhaps a deeper regret was the knowledge that, whether out of exhaustion, fear or confusion, Ursa hadn't welcomed Azula quite so enthusiastically when she had arrived in the world, either. She certainly had with Zuko, for it had been as good as a miraculous moment… but the hardships of labor, the length of it, the stronger pain, had weakened her considerably when Azula had been born. And within her first cries, a burst of fire had startled Lo and Li: Ursa still remembered those sparks dancing in the air, once she dared glance in the direction of her whimpering, weeping child.
It had been too much… it had been overwhelming, in its own way. When Ozai had showed up with Zuko, it had felt like a burst of normalcy had settled upon life again: everything would be fine, for she still had them. When Ozai picked up Azula, showing himself so much more involved in their second-born child's arrival in the world, she had been deeply relieved for it: she could recover, replenish her energies, and be a better mother to her daughter after she rested. That was what she'd do…
Perhaps her behavior and choices had been logical, even correct, due to the strain on her body. Perhaps she hadn't made a considerable mistake, objectively speaking… and yet, upon seeing Sokka now, upon hearing him attest that Azula was as thrilled as him, Ursa's heart churned with remorse: she should have welcomed Azula in the same way. Perhaps if she had, the world would be a better place… perhaps a place ready to accept Azula's love for Sokka, where he could have been waiting right outside the door of her delivery room, rushing inside at once to hold his wife and child. Where Ursa would be standing by her husband, still… a husband whose heart might be kinder than it had been since she had left him. A husband who might yet remember how he had cared for his daughter when she had been a child, showing her affection in the best ways he knew how, entertaining her, teaching her how to live…
Perhaps nothing would have been different, in the end. Perhaps this was the only possible outcome, no matter if she made other choices… but the part of her heart that longed to change the past for the better would also believe, wholeheartedly, that her daughter wouldn't come to experience the same regrets she did. That thoughts like her own wouldn't torment her, that they wouldn't anguish her… that she would be a much greater mother to her daughter than Ursa had ever been to her.
Footsteps outside, just as Ursa clapped Sokka's back kindly, revealed that someone had approached their room: Ursa raised her gaze towards the open door, and her eyes met her son's.
He had meant to seek out Sokka, as the pressing matter of organizing their troops' next ventures had to be dealt with at haste… but he certainly hadn't expected to find the strong and stalwart leader of their forces as good as crouched unto himself, with Ursa offering him whatever manner of comfort and support she could muster.
"What…?" Zuko frowned, eyes drifting from one to the other. "Mom? What happened to…?"
"Oh… it's alright, Zuko," Ursa said, with a reassuring grin. Zuko wasn't convinced: he entered the room rashly, immediately anxious as he marched up to the Gladiator…
Only to find, then, that he wasn't simply sulking, broken down in tears, completely shattered by the expectations and demands of his role, or perhaps by unwanted, dark news… for he was smiling.
"Sokka?" Zuko blinked blankly, kneeling beside him. "What happened? Mom…?"
"It's nothing bad, dear," Ursa smiled, reaching out with her free hand to clasp her son's.
"Sokka…" Zuko called him again, and the Gladiator finally raised his head, dabbing at the tears in his eyes anew.
"It… it's happened. I-I know you'll think I'm crazy, but I… I connected with her again," Sokka said, with a tender chuckle. "She… she's done it, Zuko. She's given birth to… to our child. To our Hotaru."
"She… what?" Zuko's eyes widened: he glanced at his mother, and Ursa only smiled kindly at him.
"It's… it's not the first time it happens, as you know. The spiritual bond between them has allowed them to seek each other before…" Ursa said. "It worked now. And Azula… your sister has a daughter now, Zuko."
Zuko's chest heaved as the information failed to fully register in his mind right away. A slow smile spread over his lips, though, even if it was tinged with confusion.
"But then… you even know what her name is? You talked to Azula?" he asked Sokka, who sniffed as he nodded.
"Hotaru… she suggested it, and I… I really liked it, heh," Sokka chuckled, covering his face with his hands. "She cursed me at first. She… she was in so much pain, so she was upset, but…"
"Sounds like her to lash out at you," Zuko smiled, and Sokka laughed too.
"I just wanted to help, I just… just wanted to be there for her, and I think I was. I think… I hope I helped. I just know… I just know I can still feel her joy. I don't know if she's truly safe or not… but our child was born. She's incredible, always has been, and… and she did it. She…"
"Wait… but you said 'our' child," Zuko blinked blankly. "Then… she confirmed it to you? Did she tell you outright that…"
Sokka shivered, smiling earnestly before nodding. Zuko gasped, though Ursa smiled knowingly – even though she had found Sokka's willingness to accept the child regardless of its parentage quite admirable, a part of her had suspected all too strongly that this had to be the truth. Zuko shook his head, but then he smiled, clapping Sokka's back.
"Hell… I have no idea how you managed to see her, you and your weird spiritual magnetism…" Zuko laughed, and Sokka nodded, wiping tears still. "But… congratulations. Damn, Sokka… you're a father now."
"I know!" Sokka exclaimed, his voice frayed with emotion. "I…! I-it doesn't feel real, but it is, and I…!"
Zuko chuckled, wrapping an arm around Sokka's shoulders as the Gladiator, so used to showing himself strong and above all circumstances, seemed to crumble under the weight of something as human, as natural, as fatherhood. He couldn't seem to stop crying or laughing while surrounded by Azula's family… by his own family, through her. Through the child he shared with Azula…
Zuko took off shortly afterwards – as important as their forces' progress was, it was clear to him that Sokka would be out of commission through the day. He didn't explain why, exactly… suspecting that none of the White Lotus people would accept, let alone understand, that Sokka's spiritual connection to Azula was as solid as it was, and that it could have shaken up their leader so profoundly that he would be indisposed until the next day, most likely. Sharing the news Sokka had received didn't seem wise… and while the Gladiator had also decided he wouldn't share the matter publicly with the White Lotus's leaders, he certainly had dared to share it with those closest to him:
"Sokka! Zuko told us something had happened with you, but he's off talking to the White Lotus people now and…" Katara's voice announced her arrival in the main dining room, where Sokka had relocated to with Ursa after Zuko left. "What is it? Sokka…?"
Sokka smiled, letting out a few chuckles as he swiped off a few more tears away from his face. Aang and Kino, with Momo flying in tow, had arrived right behind her.
"It's… it's happened. You're an aunt, Katara," Sokka said, clasping her shoulders kindly.
Katara's eyes widened before she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Aang and Kino froze behind Sokka, and Momo flew past Katara to land on Sokka's shoulder. For once, the Gladiator didn't simply reject the lemur, even as it perched on him by tugging at his hair with a hand.
"We just… connected. I felt sickly, I felt pain and… and it was her," Sokka said, with another torrent of disbelieving laughter. "I know you're already Mari and Zi's aunt, of course, but…"
"This is your child, Sokka," Katara said, though her smile waned as she hesitated upon that statement. "W-well, I mean, you would be the father regardless, is what you always said, so…"
"Going by… by what she said? I am the father after all," Sokka said, with a heartfelt, earnest smile. Katara let out a sigh, as good as crumbling where she stood before moving in to hug her brother.
"Ugh! I knew it, you dork! I knew it!" she exclaimed: Sokka couldn't hold back the laughter, hugging her back. "You have a kid! My goof of a brother has a baby…!"
"A daughter… and her name's Hotaru," Sokka said.
"Hotaru?" Aang repeated, with an amazed smile. "She told you that?"
"Yep," Sokka chuckled, nodding enthusiastically.
"That's out of this world…" Kino said, gasping as he ran a hand over his hair, smiling in amazement. "Damn! Congratulations, Sokka! This is…!"
"It's a miracle," Sokka said, nodding and hugging Katara tightly – Momo climbed off him, crawling over to Katara's shoulder before jumping into Aang's arms again. "But, uh… keep it quiet? Sort of? Just… don't let everyone know. Nobody's going to understand how I know what I know, and… I don't want crazy people making up theories that I'm communicating with the Fire Nation somehow? I shouldn't really be thinking about that, should I? But still…"
"You have good reason to, so don't worry," Katara said, pulling back and gazing up at him in concern. "We won't tell anyone you don't want us to share it with, or at least, I know I won't…"
"Me neither!" Kino declared, and Aang nodded firmly. "But damn…! You have to tell us everything! All of it! Every little bit of…!"
"Woah, woah, Sokka! What's going on here?" Toph's voice rang in the room: she marched in with Jet, as usual, a knowing smile on her face. "What's this talk I'm hearing about someone called… Hotaru?"
"Toph…" Sokka laughed, reaching out to her next. The earthbender stepped forward and clasped his shoulder firmly.
"It's… it's your kid, isn't it? What I heard kinda sounded like… damn, Sokka, your heart's all over the place," Toph laughed, stepping forward and hugging him. He engulfed her in an embrace too, and Jet chuckled as he watched them, nodding in Sokka's direction.
"Congratulations," he smiled, and Sokka nodded with a heartfelt grin.
Catching Toph up to what the others knew didn't take long… but before Sokka could lash out into a full explanation, a much larger and sudden group of people arrived: Rui Shi appeared worried, even after Sokka smiled reassuringly at him.
"Sokka, Zuko says…?"
"The baby's here! Or rather, uh, it's all the way over there," Kino said, with an awkward grin. Rui Shi's eyes widened.
"We have a daughter," Sokka said: the entirety of Azula's guard squad, standing behind Rui Shi, gasped in amazement… and then they lashed out in full on celebration, joining the rest of the group with their cheers.
That day became the most inexplicably peaceful one for the Gladiator Army. Naturally, several people continued to work on the restoration of Ba Sing Se, on healing the city from the severe damage it had sustained – though much of the chaos had been placated already and only the more challenging repairs were left. While it wasn't a small group by any means, Sokka's closest friends gathered at the dining room they frequented, rejoicing in the news and talking enthusiastically about the shocking news Sokka had found access to, miraculously so.
Piandao remained absent – whether he was away by choice, or whether Sokka had refused to trust him along with the rest of the Order, Ursa didn't know. It certainly seemed like there were far too many people cheering over Hotaru's birth for word of the matter to not spread… but Ursa could only hope that those within the dining room at the moment would succeed at keeping it quiet for as long as possible.
She often took a step back when it came to large groups of people, regardless of which group it might be. She was at ease with Sokka and his friends, but even so, she kept her distance from the larger celebration as she watched upon them with a kind smile… perhaps feeling too old to partake in their energy right now. She wasn't the only one who sat quietly in a corner before long, however: Zuko's return, after ensuring that nobody else would disturb Sokka's day, saw him walking towards Ursa's side rather than Sokka's.
"Is everything alright?" Ursa asked him. Zuko nodded, offering her a weak smile as he sat beside her.
"They were confused, but I haven't told them what happened," Zuko said. "Don't think Jeong Jeong is too happy… probably because he would have expected me to fold when he said we're in no position for leisure time."
"Curious that he believes as much, considering how much leisure time he and his people wasted for years… I should know," Ursa said, frowning. "But giving a man a single day is too much, of course it is…"
"Well, the circumstances are complicated, I'll only give him that much," Zuko said, breathing heavily. "But I don't really think one day or two will make much of a difference overall. We're not ready to go anywhere… not just yet, anyway."
"But you will move out soon… right? All of the Gladiator Army…" Ursa said, eyeing him expectantly. Zuko nodded.
"I… I would've likely argued that we should take more time to think our course through, but after today, I'm not sure I could," Zuko said. He leaned forward, with his forearms resting on his thighs, and he breathed heavily. "He's… he's a pretty extraordinary guy, isn't he?"
"Sokka?" Ursa said. Zuko nodded.
"I… I didn't plan on being here, you know?" Zuko said, with a weak smile. "When he first announced his intentions to charge into this war… I refused to come. I was going to stay with my wife and our daughters… then my wife said it was either me or her. One of us would go, she said, and… and she knew that it would be me, I suppose. Being the banished prince, I could help Sokka in ways she wouldn't be able to… I could play a political role, if it were necessary, in all this mess. All the arguments she gave me were sound, and yet I resisted because… the very notion of missing out on anything that happened with Suki, Mari and Zi was torture. That I would be away from them… that I wouldn't be able to keep teaching them countless things with Suki, that I wouldn't be able to raise them with her, for however long I had to be away… I couldn't stand that thought."
"You couldn't," Ursa said, with a gentle smile. "You're a wonderful father, Zuko."
"I… I don't know if I am, but he sure is one," Zuko said, gesturing at Sokka. Ursa gritted her teeth, her smile waning. "I… I told Sokka to think about everything that could take us by surprise once we went north. I warned him that Azula might not be the same person he had parted ways with… distance and separations do that to people, it did it to me and just about everyone I'd known before I was banished. I didn't really think their feelings would change, of course… I just wanted him to be prepared to face everything that might come his way.
"And now… look at him. He's… he's genuinely happy, in ways he hasn't been in ages, damn it. He's… he's acting the way he did when he was around her. This is what she brought out of him…"
"That… that happiness? That peace?" Ursa asked, raising her gaze towards Sokka: he laughed at something one of the guards said, and his sister seemed to tease him further. And as joyful as he appeared, there was still a vulnerability in him… a heartbreak, perhaps, that didn't stop him from cherishing the miracle he had learned of today.
"You'll see them one day, I'm sure," Zuko said, with a weak smile. "They're impossible to bear with, I'd say… always teaming up to overcome everything in their way, be it a dangerous, murderous enemy or just a silly argument with a friend. Though… if they were the ones arguing with each other, heh, things tend to be a little more entertaining for the rest of us, I suppose. They're cut from the same cloth, they just love bickering endlessly…"
"I can believe that," Ursa smiled fondly. "As different as he is from her, sometimes… sometimes, there are some things about him that remind me of Azula. Which, well, is difficult to understand, considering I haven't seen her in well over a decade, but still…"
"You're not wrong though," Zuko said, with a weak grin. "Sometimes the jerk even takes to calling me Zuzu…"
"She… she still called you that?" Ursa asked, a teasing smile upon her face. Zuko laughed and shrugged. "After all this time?"
"Of course she did. I was utterly stupid about it, so… how would she not make the most of her every chance to annoy me?" Zuko said, with a shrug. Ursa laughed, reaching to clasp his hand affectionately. "I still remember… that was one of the few things I told you about that she was doing to tease me, and you saw no issue with it whatsoever."
"What issue was I supposed to find in it? It was endearing, even," Ursa laughed.
"You know? As an adult, I think I can see what you mean," Zuko smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "Back when I was a kid… it was just infuriating. Though it can still be infuriating if she does it in front of lots of people who haven't heard the nickname before, and then she basically gives them all the ammunition they could ask for in order to mess with me… good thing she hasn't done that too often, honestly. But Sokka? Eh, if he ever wants to annoy me, he knows exactly what to do. But anyway… that wasn't my point, was it? What was I talking about?"
"You were saying Sokka's acting the way he did back when he was with her…" Ursa said. Zuko's smile waned.
"Yeah… yeah. Well, thing is, I just… I kept thinking I could relate to Sokka's plight to a fault. If I had to save my wife and children, there's nowhere I wouldn't go, nothing I wouldn't do, to make sure I could reach them. And he's doing exactly that, but… but he's missing out on so much. On many more things than I have. I… I could be there for Suki during both her pregnancies. I supported her faithfully both times, I helped her, and I was waiting right outside to see our children when they were born. I… I could do all that for her. Even if I'm away now… I didn't miss out on those moments. And yet Sokka… that's what he's going through. If I were in his place, I'd be so angry. I'd be so frustrated, I'd be thinking non-stop about what changes I should've put into my strategies just so I could be with my wife before all this had happened. I'd be furious… I'd be resenting everyone who played any part in pulling us apart, I'd just hate them with every fiber of my being and that rage would just consume me.
"But… look at him. He's… he's just so grateful that she's okay. He's so glad that she can be there for their child… so glad that he could learn about her birth at all, so relieved that she's safe that, if just for one day, he's set aside his burdens to be grateful for all those things. I… I don't think I'd ever have it in me to be like that."
"Zuko…" Ursa whispered, rubbing her son's knuckles with a thumb. "I suppose… perhaps you take after me, in that way."
"Do I?" Zuko said, raising an eyebrow with a weak smile. "You… you wouldn't be acting any better in similar circumstances?"
"I've spent almost twenty years unable to grapple with reality because of everything I've missed," Ursa said. "When you… when you explained everything you did, when you told me about your family, all I could do was hate myself, and hate everything that had kept me from being there with you, not only to witness as you grew into a man but… but to protect you from all the horrors your father inflicted upon you. But I… I couldn't do anything to help you anymore. You'd learned how to stand on your own, and you were so much stronger than you ever had been… much stronger than I ever was. I suppose… the more I understood about Azula's circumstances, the more urgent they felt. Unlike in your case… it felt like I could do something for her still. I could at least help you and your friends find the White Lotus… and if there's anything else I could still do, I'd jump to do so gladly. But… trust me when I say I… I've spent far too many years lost inside my mind because I refused to accept that I could've missed out on anything important. Because I didn't want that to be the truth. I just… I suppose it felt like I needed you and Azula far more than either of you needed me."
"That's not true," Zuko said, eyeing her remorsefully. "We did need you… even if we didn't realize how much, we did. It wasn't your fault that you couldn't be there… much as it's not Sokka's fault, either."
"Well… that's not entirely right," Ursa said. Zuko clenched up. "I mean… I suppose you could very well argue that I had no choice because of the circumstances that pressured me into doing everything I did that night. But I'm not even sure that there was none… perhaps there was, and I simply didn't realize it. I wasn't smart enough to find a loophole to exploit… it's different from Sokka for sure. He was driven away… and look at how far he's come, how hard he has fought, to return to Azula? I… I didn't do anything, because I didn't know how. And the longer I was away, the more I'd lose my sense of self and any modicum of self-control. Much like you can only admire him for his strength of heart, upon not resenting the world for the injustice it has dealt him by keeping him away from his wife and daughter, I can only admire him too, for his ability to translate his need of them into action. If only either of us were more like him… perhaps our world would be different, huh?"
"If there were more people like Sokka, altogether, I don't think this war would've lasted remotely as long as it has," Zuko said, with a weak smile. "I never really… never imagined I'd find him admirable, honestly. Impressive? Maybe. Daunting, whenever he's in a shitty mood? Well, sure. He… he did punch me in the face once for saying senseless things about Azula…"
"He… oh, goodness," Ursa said. Zuko smiled and shook his head.
"Weird as it is… I'm kind of grateful that he did it. Feels like it was a wakeup call for me," he said. "I didn't act on it right away… but it helped me a lot more than I realized, at the time. Just hurt a lot, too, but it healed alright."
"What a strange man he is, huh?" Ursa said, glancing at him. "Azula loved him… you and I admire him. Ozai and Iroh fear him. A non-bender from the Southern Water Tribe… and he's effectively turned the entire Royal Family of the Fire Nation on its head, hasn't he?"
"Yep," Zuko said, with a weak smile. "I have no idea how he's gone about it… but it goes to show that you never know where true greatness is going to come from. And I guess… the reason why I trust him, why I can believe in him and the path he chooses is because of moments like these. As ruthless a warrior and leader as he may be… he's so ridiculously human, isn't he? He can't even help but cherish the good things, where anyone else would find the respite too weak in contrast with the circumstances. But I guess… I guess he creates his own circumstances. He takes fate into his own hands, twists destiny around if he needs to, rather than allowing it to control him. If… if I'd learned early on that doing that was possible, I'd have loved to become that kind of person. I'd have dreamt of it…"
"You don't need to dream of it, dear," Ursa whispered, smiling kindly at him. "Perhaps you're not at the head of an army… it doesn't mean you aren't a man like that, too."
"Yeah, well… maybe I could be if I tried. But I'm kind of busy trying to figure out who I really want to be, for starters," Zuko said, with a weak grin. "Aang's another inspiration, I'd say… he has lost even more than any of us did. And then he struggles in the battlefield every time because… because he hates violence. Because he believes all lives wasted in this conflict should have been protected. Whether they're Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe… the truth is he's seriously the best person to be the Avatar, huh? He doesn't fight blindly for balance… he does it by giving it his all to protect everyone within his reach. And he grieves every time he fails to save a life… it's incredible to feel that kind of compassion for people, don't you think?
"And Katara… well, she's a lot like me, in some regards. We're impulsive, headstrong… and we really don't think things through more often than not. But she's wrapped her head around so many things she didn't want to accept… and now she's Sokka's biggest supporter, feels like. More than that, I feel like she's a lot like Suki in that they both seem to innately understand the right thing to do. I've always had trouble figuring that out, but they don't really seem to struggle with it at all. Might be… it's because they were raised in a nicer place than me? They're used to a different way of life, maybe? Still… I wish I could be that confident at times. To be that certain that the path I'm choosing is right, to not second-guess myself as often as I do."
"I would think second-guessing isn't a terrible thing, frankly," Ursa whispered. "I don't know that anyone can be completely sure of anything, Zuko. Sometimes… sometimes, being too sure is a problem, too. Hesitating can be troublesome, but I think your caution and your willingness to think things over is not a harmful thing, dear."
"I hope you're right," Zuko said, with a sad smile. "But even… even Kino feels amazing at times, as hard as it is to accept that I'm saying that out loud, but…"
"Oh, Zuko…"
"Thing is… he turned his back on the Fire Nation without needing to be burned by his father, without needing to be thrust into completely unfair and unjust circumstances that brought him, eventually, to question everything in his life. He didn't need someone like Suki to help him find his way, or even someone like my uncle… he was treated poorly by his fellow soldiers, no doubt about it, but even then, when Sokka decided he'd take off on this journey, Kino didn't hesitate. I thought, at first, that he might not understand the gravity of the situation, the complications of fighting against his own nation… but I underestimated him. That crazy guy just joined the battlefield, making the most of his ability to be the perfect spy, and he fought like the very best of us in Omashu. His role was a little different in Ba Sing Se, but still… even if he wishes he wouldn't have to fight his own people, he's never had to go through everything I did in order to see how misguided the Fire Nation was."
"He's a lot better than us, in that sense," Ursa said. Zuko sighed and nodded.
"I feel like… like I see so many great things in my friends that I wish I could embody too. But maybe I can't… and maybe my role is supposed to be to help them shine," he said, with a weak grin. "So… maybe I should be ready to give Aang any support he wants, if he finds solutions to end battles without violence. Maybe I should listen to Katara's ideas on what we should do next, to her counsel regarding what's right and wrong. Maybe I should talk more thoroughly with Kino… to understand why he sees the world as he does, and to encourage his strength of heart so that he'll continue to prove that being Fire Nation is no guarantee, and no excuse, for choosing my father's side in the war. We were all raised to believe in the same drivel… but some people understood early on how wrong it was. If those people were in charge of things in our world, in our nation… might be we would be much better off by now.
"As for Sokka… I want to help him finish this war. And I… I want to ensure he won't have to go more days than necessary away from Azula," Zuko said, frowning with certainty. "He's a great man, better than I ever imagined he would be. And he deserves to be with his family… to be the great father I'm sure he'll be, once he finally can hold Hotaru."
"That's your resolve?" Ursa asked, with a gentle smile. Zuko nodded. "I'm… I'm probably the last person who should say this, considering I might have no right to. I… I have very little to do with why you are the person you are nowadays…"
"No, don't say that. You were basically my entire childhood, Mom…!"
"Now, now… I don't know how much impact I had on you back then, but I'm thrilled that you've met so many good friends later on, my dear," Ursa said, raising a hand to cup his face delicately. "You're blind to your own virtues, I suspect… to the strength of heart that I know dwells inside you. Your ability to cherish those around you, to want to protect them… it keeps growing, doesn't it? Little by little, you've grown from wanting to protect your family alone to wanting to save the entire world as soon as possible. You understand what's at stake, and you want to do whatever it takes to ensure that you and your friends succeed at this task. So… whether I'm allowed to feel this way or not, I am proud of you, Zuko."
"You… you're allowed to," Zuko said, with a weak smile. Ursa chuckled. "Of course you are, Mom. I know the past month has been really strange, and I've been caught up in all the White Lotus meetings and such, but…"
"No need to explain, dear," Ursa said, leaning in to hug him. "You'll go further yet soon, won't you? You're determined to fight and end this war at haste, more so right now… and I sincerely doubt I'll have a role to play once you leave again. I… I will likely stay here, in Ba Sing Se."
"You will?" Zuko said – perhaps it should have been obvious, but his heart clenched at the thought of leaving his mother behind once more.
"I don't believe there's anything I could do to help any further," Ursa said. "I fear I'm not of much value on a battlefield…"
"I suppose it's safer for you to stay, but… damn, I feel like we never have enough time together," Zuko sighed, looking at her mournfully. "Would you really stay here for good?"
"Well, I… I don't know. I don't think any of us really knows what will happen after the war ends," Ursa said. "But if all turns out for the best, I… I suppose you'll be free to find me here. And wherever you wish to go next, well, I… I guess we shall see."
"What does that mean?" Zuko said, with a weak smile. "Mom… I'll be going back to Suki, Mari and Zi. You can come with me…"
"Oh, don't worry, dear. If… if all goes well? You'd be taking a considerable, exhausting detour to Ba Sing Se to find me just to bring me to the South Pole," Ursa said, shaking her head. "Once you've found them… well, once the situation is ripe, perhaps you can send word, and I will travel there at your leisure?"
"Well… we're bound to stay in the Water Tribe for a while, I suppose," Zuko said, frowning. "But… if I somehow did become Fire Lord, Mom, you could come back to-…"
"No."
Zuko's eyes widened: her mother's negative answer wasn't a rotund, harsh rejection… more of a reticent, resigned one. He frowned, and Ursa breathed deeply – her hand, gripping his, trembled just as the air did when she released it.
"I… I'm sorry. I wish I could say something more encouraging, dear, it's just…"
"You can't come back even if my father's gone?" Zuko asked. Ursa winced upon hearing those words. "Or… wait, you don't want him gone?"
"I don't know in which sense you've spoken the word, but I… I'd rather your father isn't killed if there's any other way to defeat him," Ursa said. Zuko frowned.
"Why? After everything he's done, not just to me or to Azula but even to you, Mom? He's been destroying the world for years, you know he has…"
"It doesn't mean I want him dead. That… that's almost an easy way out for him," Ursa whispered. Zuko's eyes widened. "I want him defeated… I want him deposed. I want to look him in the eye and tell him he betrayed all of us, and make sure he listens. I want him to spend whatever time he has left to live making amends for the wrong he did… without making excuses and pretending he had no other choice. I want… I want him to regret everything. To make sure he regrets it all just as much as I do. Nothing will ever be enough, no, we cannot turn back time to stop him from becoming the raving, mindlessly cruel tyrant he has been… but as treacherous as you may find me for saying so, I cannot want him dead."
Zuko breathed deeply and sighed. Before long, he shook his head.
"I understand, and yet I don't. Even if you feel that way, the world is better off without him," Zuko said, bluntly. "Either way, though… the Fire Nation should be safe for you once he's defeated. If it's not me, well, Azula would be Fire Lord… though I guess it could be Zhao instead. Hell, once I see it that way, maybe it's better if my father stays in power…"
"Zhao is…" Ursa said, snarling with utter contempt. "Oh, but even he isn't the worst among your father's associates, Zuko. Almost, but… no."
"He's not?" Zuko asked. "Is there someone worse than him who could take control of the Fire Nation?"
"Yes," Ursa said, bluntly. Zuko shuddered. "Who knows if… if he already controls it while Ozai isn't the wiser, too."
"What do you mean? What…? There's no way he would be sharing power with someone, or I don't know, being someone's puppet," Zuko said, scowling. "My father would sooner kill someone if he thinks they have power over him…"
"What if I told you he can't?" Ursa asked. Zuko's eyes widened. "What if I said his hands are as good as tied when it comes to this particular matter? If… if his killing this person could result in him losing all the power that he has sacrificed everything for?"
"I… I don't understand," Zuko said, shivering. "Mom, I… I don't know what you mean. I can't… I don't get it. How could the Fire Lord wind up in a position like that? And my father, of all people? What… what do you mean?"
Ursa breathed deeply, closing her eyes. The time had come. She had to do this now, though surely she should have done it much sooner, too. Her son was ready to know the truth… hiding it from him for any longer would serve no purpose.
"Zuko, dear, you… you have asked me to explain things, haven't you?" she said. Zuko clenched up. "To tell you what happened on the night I left the Fire Nation, knowing I'd never return. Tell me if you still want to hear it… and I will share everything now. If not… just know that there are reasons of weight keeping me out of the Fire Nation aside from my status as a prisoner of the White Lotus."
"So… you couldn't have gone back even if Jeong Jeong allowed you to go?" Zuko asked. Ursa sighed.
"I could run to the swamp whenever I pleased to, as you may recall. Sometimes they stopped me… more than anything because I was a burden and a bother to bring back, of course. But I typically got away without issue… and I could have simply gone to the Fire Nation instead of the swamp. I could have tried, at least…"
"Then… why didn't you?" Zuko asked, frowning with uncertainty as he took his mother's trembling hand. "I… I understand you may have done terrible things, Mom. I've already been warned about it, and… I don't know what to believe, but I do trust that, whatever you did, you did for a reason. You woke me in the middle of the night, and you told me… you told me that everything you did was meant to save my life. You told me not to forget who I was…"
His words seemed to shatter Ursa's heart deeply, so much that he stopped talking as she arched forward, clenching her chest with her free hand. Zuko gritted his teeth, glancing guiltily at the joyful celebration feast, away from them… nobody had noticed so far. Nobody could tell his mother was on the verge of tears, and not out of joy over Hotaru's arrival in the world…
"I'm sorry. Never mind, Mom, I…"
"No, no… it's time. It's… it's long past time, if anything, Zuko. I… I suggest we move away elsewhere, though. What I need to explain… it will be for your ears alone. For now… only you will understand. And I don't know what monster you'll think I am after I explain everything, but it's time I explain indeed that I…"
Ursa breathed deeply, raising her gaze to meet his. Zuko frowned as he recognized the tears in her eyes, the deep turmoil in her soul easily betrayed by that revelation of emotion…
"I killed your grandfather."
The day had gone by in a happy, careless blur. That he had been able to experience any happiness at all, any that reminded him of much different days in which he had lived life to the fullest, with his soulmate by his side, was a true miracle. As far apart as they might be, for once, the two of them appeared to experience unprecedented happiness, infusing each other with it at that distance…
And that was enough for Sokka. That meant she was safe, and so was their daughter.
While he had spent all day cheering with his friends and family, Sokka had returned to his bedroom in Ba Sing Se's Palace alone. The quiet room where his messenger hawk awaited him allowed him time to reason with his thoughts as he cleaned after Hawky, making sure he had sufficient water and food. Then, he removed his daily clothes, switching to a lighter outfit for sleep, dropping in bed and, as ever, reaching for the necklace that he always carried with him. He pressed its pendant to his heart, sighing in relief and amazement alike.
He had known, no matter how many times he rejected the notion, that the child might be his. He had wanted to be a good father, a fair man, and any child Azula might bear would be worthy of the most heartfelt love… but so much about Azula's choices seemed to make sense this way. She had immolated herself to protect others for far too long, taking greater risks every time: she'd fight for herself, she wouldn't take anyone's cruelty or violence lying down, ever defiant… but she would prioritize protecting everyone else before taking a stand.
She had done that by agreeing to a marriage she wouldn't have been likely to accept under any other circumstances: Zhao had been the only solution, the only reason why she would be allowed to bear Sokka's child and carry the pregnancy to term. Had Ozai known all along that the child was his? If he hadn't, would he remain in the dark for much longer? Could Azula keep their daughter hidden, did she have any plans to run away? Perhaps she did…
If she did, he certainly hoped she'd try to come to him. If not, he hoped that she would find some way to tell him where to find them. He had an army now, something unthinkable back when he had been her gladiator, when he had dreamt of building up a strong enough force to help Azula rebel against her father… now, he rebelled himself, eager to save her. He could do it now, protect her and the baby, and…
And everyone else they had to leave behind in the Fire Nation, too. Haru, Ty Lee, Mai… everyone he had bonded with across the years of being in the Fire Nation, everyone who couldn't have joined him in his current crusade, like Shoji, or even Yang, the Enforcers…
But the one that came to mind most noticeably was Song… Song, who might have been Azula's midwife. He had no time, no chances to confirm Rui Shi's belief that it was her, but Sokka hoped it was, even if it meant that she might be in danger… for Azula would be that much more likely to get by if she had at least one friend worth trusting by her side. Even if he couldn't protect everyone they cared for from the get-go, if Song was with Azula then, provided the Princess escaped, she'd bring Song too, and…
And also Zhao's daughter, Rei.
She was a true enigma for Sokka. He had never so much as met the girl, only hearing about her when Hahn had harassed her. Zhao's unwillingness to acknowledge her as his child legally had seemed a simple, perhaps straightforward matter, for his position in society demanded that he would preserve his reputation at all costs. Azula, however, had adopted the girl legally… and Zhao had paid her back for it with violence. Was it another scheme of hers, perhaps meant to highlight Zhao's less-than-virtuous past behavior? Perhaps a ploy to prove that he, too, had relationships before marriage and nobody had deemed him unworthy of his Crown Prince status for it?
It wouldn't have been impossible for that to be her intent… but Sokka wondered if, perhaps, Azula's choice to take in the girl had a different origin. Using the girl as a tool in a war against Zhao… the truth was that it didn't sound like something Azula would be willing to do when the main motivation in every choice she'd made of late was to protect others. Taking the girl in, protecting her… that would make far more sense than simply using her for her own ends. Which meant that, even if Hotaru was indeed his daughter… Rei was not. And Rei wasn't Azula's biological child either… but upon adopting her, Azula had as good as manifested that blood ties were not necessary to forge such a bond.
She had been so courageous and strong, staying afloat even when her circumstances were as dire and grim as they had been. He remembered their first spiritual encounter all too well, how helpless she had seemed to be, how desperate over the dreaded news of his death. At the time, she had appeared moments away from giving up… months later, she had successfully delivered their child, presumably after keeping countless people safe through her many choices and actions.
Warmth continued to embrace and envelop his heart as he turned in bed, feeling a keen awareness of her safety and wellbeing, as well as thrills and excitement over their newborn's arrival. He raised her necklace to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss upon it, closing his eyes and picturing her beautiful face…
"I wish we could've spoken some more," he whispered, with a sad smile. "But knowing you've made it is enough to keep me going now. Thank you, love… thank you. You've been through so much… and you continue to be the strongest person there ever was. You carry so much on your shoulders, always have… but I'll be there to help you soon. I'll carry you, if you need me to… I'll walk hand in hand with you, if you don't. I'll be with you again soon… so take good care of Hotaru for the both of us for now. It… it won't be long. I'll do my best to ensure it won't be long. Just hang on tight, okay?"
His sentiment, he hoped, would reach her. This rare night of hope would see him falling asleep with a sense of peace dwelling in his heart… one that, naturally, wouldn't last forever. It would be broken to pieces by the next day, once he had to climb out of bed again and face the world with the mask of a ruthless leader. But for now, for her, he could stop being the Gladiator if only for one day… he could be true to himself, to his heart's needs and desires, without having to embody anyone else's hopes and dreams. For just that day, the happiest one he had experienced since before Rhone's attack, Azula had granted him the freedom of simply being Sokka, nothing more and nothing less.
The awaited meeting to choose the future course of the Gladiator Army happened by the next morning. Well-rested and revitalized, Sokka marched into the grand room with his head held high, greeting the present members of the army's council respectfully, as well as the city's leaders, before taking his seat at the head of the table. Upon his doing so, all those present ensured to do the same thing: within a few minutes, all attendants were ready to debate the new information they'd acquired, the new resources at their disposal, and the circumstances in which they'd be making their next moves.
"As far as War Minister Qin has revealed, our way forward appears… truncated, to a fault," said General Fong, frowning heavily. "Our plan in the Northern Water Tribe has been predicted and presumably will be countered by the enemy. While I can understand that offering our aid to the Northern Water Tribe may be of the highest priority in this scenario, I do hope we can examine our alternatives…"
"Which alternatives?" Sokka asked, staring at Fong skeptically.
"W-well, I… we do have some captured Fire Nation ships back in the base, the ships we used on occasion to travel to the Fire Nation mainland whenever the need arose," he said. "While they're not numerous, they could help us transport troops to a closer position, perhaps the southern leg of the mainland, and from there…"
"You intend for us to march into the Fire Nation already?" asked Jeong Jeong, frowning heavily. "Without the support of the northern waterbenders, as well as risking being ambushed by the forces currently occupying the western Earth Kingdom lands?"
"The Fire Nation's greatest strength, as I've said numerous times, is their ability to communicate across vast territories with much more efficiency than anything anyone else has been able to muster," Sokka said, frowning. "Short of setting out to gather a legion of lemurs and training them in a manner of weeks to deliver messages, the way their messenger hawks do…"
"That sounds unlikely," Jeong Jeong said, dryly.
"Impossible, outright," Shiju agreed, arms folded over his chest. Sokka shrugged.
"Then our better bet would be, yet again, to disrupt their communication in order to ensure our future success. The more lands we take back, the more ground we overtake, the likelier we will be at ensuring they no longer can fight back," Sokka concluded. "The problem posed by their communication system means that any long-term fights are bound to be disadvantageous for us: they'll be able to call for reinforcements, multiple waves of them, if need be, while we generally can't have any of our own, and we won't seek out any if we stick to our original plan…"
"But will we?" Aang asked, puzzled. "With everything you learned from the War Minister… would that be a good idea, Sokka? Can we commit to those plans anyway?"
"Some of the plans haven't been disrupted by the information the War Minister gave us," Sokka said, frowning. "In fact, he has admitted that cities like Gaoling won't be receiving any troops to reinforce them in the near future. They're bound to focus on the Northern Water Tribe, more than anything, and the north-western Earth Kingdom."
"Which were meant to be the strongest of our pushes in the plans we'd designed, right?" Katara said. "Is it really a good idea to just charge ahead in those two fronts?"
"The situation is not promising," Jeong Jeong said – Sokka shot him a wary glare. "Not only for the Northern Water Tribe, but for the attempt to liberate the remainder of the regions of the Earth Kingdom still in Fire Nation control: even with Ba Sing Se's resources, we cannot hope to sustain a mobilizing army as it marches across difficult mountains and river crossings all the way to Yu Dao, when we're still a month away from the end of winter. We would only starve the city if we tried."
"Certainly," Sokka said. "And while we wait, Ozai would be facing no such struggles because the Fire Nation is a tropical land: harvest is possible as good as all year round. While they relied a lot on the food production in the Earth Kingdom to sustain their nation, the mainland will be likely to stay afloat throughout winter without as much difficulty as what we'll face. If they could sustain an army before taking over the entirety of the Earth Kingdom, for as long as a hundred years, there's no reason to think they won't be able to do it now, even if it might not be as easy anymore. Point being… they're at an advantage, we're not."
"So how do we turn that around?" Anorak asked, arms crossed over his chest. "Surely you have an idea or two in mind? Do you know of any quick hits, maybe, that we could commit to? Anything that could salvage our situation and deal a harsh enough blow against them? Do we think five airships with that fire-throwing weapon will suffice to lay waste upon the North Pole, or…?"
"Left unchecked, they might," Sokka said. Anorak's heart clenched, and he seemed to shrink upon himself after hearing those words. "But I don't mean for us to leave them to fend off against this threat alone… they don't even know what's coming. I would like to believe that Ozai will seek to strengthen his forces further before committing to a final stand in the north, he should only want to strike once he believes his victory is guaranteed… and if he believes we're headed there, he might just be paranoid enough to withhold his forces to strengthen them further, allowing us to reach the Northern Water Tribe's leaders and aid them in developing countermeasures for the airships and their raids."
"And if he's not?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"Then our timely arrival will still provide the Water Tribe with the means to reduce the current threat against their forces," Sokka said. "Five airships would be manageable for us to destroy with our resources. Knowing the weaknesses of the structure as I do, I could very well fly up to them and tear their fuel supply apart with my sword… wouldn't even take me more than twenty minutes to do that with all five, provided I have the mobility and time for it. As troubled as I was by War Minister Qin's confessions, I have to say… we intercepted him in the Northern Air Temple at an opportune moment. We put a stop to their scheme to rebuild their strength… and that should provide us with opportunities to defeat them."
"So, you intend to commit to the Northern Water Tribe regardless of knowing that's where Ozai will send the bulk of his forces?" Iroh asked. Sokka nodded. "You talked about a small group before… would that still be your preference?"
"I don't think enough hot-air balloons will be ready on time to carry too many fighters," Sokka said, frowning. "They will be at a disadvantage for sure, if Ozai commits to this attack during the northern winter: firebending will be weakened. The dark period is in full swing in the north right now… and while they'll still have other weapons and forces, that will be a considerable crutch over their firepower. It also means that whatever firebenders we bring along, and I do believe the guards will intend to join me, will be weakened too… but as usual, the element of surprise would help our side. The Fire Lord's troops never seem to see it coming when they're attacked by hostile firebenders."
"They're not trained to deal with enemy firebenders, no," General Fong remarked, stroking his beard. "For all they've ever known, all firebenders are on their side, save for our esteemed leaders of the White Lotus. But this is certainly a point in our favor…"
"But then… we'll still send troops to the other areas of the Earth Kingdom that were discussed before?" Zuko asked, frowning. "Gaoling, you said… but what about Yu Dao?"
"I believe we can delay the operation to retake Yu Dao. That's all I'm willing to push back, somewhat," Sokka said. "That city poses a greater problem than the others in how it may be more difficult to overtake due to the loyalty their people may feel towards the Fire Nation, as we've already discussed. Committing the bulk of our forces there would be the reasonable course of action… but as we've already mentioned, we won't find enough food, during winter, to feed a marching army that will have to cross the long distance it will, and that will likely have to square off against dangerous defenses in Pohuai Stronghold. I'd advise that particular operation is withheld until the second month of spring, at best."
"The bulk of our forces, then, will be withheld for this operation?" Piandao said, eyeing Sokka warily.
The Gladiator shared his apprehension: it was, after all, the operation that would be helmed by Jeong Jeong. As skilled a commanding officer as he might be, as tactical and strategic as he had proven to be, the old man was far from trustworthy, especially as of late. Handing him the reins of their entire army should have been unthinkable.
"You could say that, but I won't agree to committing all our remaining forces to that push. We can't leave this city undefended, and it would be if we prioritize overwhelming the Fire Nation with numbers," Sokka declared. Piandao nodded, visibly relieved by his words. "If this group waits before setting out, it's possible that the Mechanist and his people will be able to craft sufficient new hot-air balloons to attack the Stronghold from above, along with the captured airships. It's bound to be a weakness for them…"
"They might also develop means to counter the hot-air balloons," said Iroh. "Catapults, perhaps… ballistae, such as the ones in the tanks. Once Ozai grows aware of the Mechanist's presence among us, he will likely take into account that he will have to fight back against airborne vehicles…"
"And he might plan accordingly," General Fong remarked, frowning heavily.
"Well… maybe if we finish in the north quickly, we could offer some help with that particular operation?" Katara asked, glancing at Sokka. "Not that we have any guarantee that it would be over fast, but…"
"While the offer is generous, I don't believe the group I should lead will be quite as helpless as that," Jeong Jeong said, frowning. "It's no secret that my forces have sorted past the fortress before. While we should anticipate a stronger defense this time, it does not mean that we need to rely entirely on the Gladiator and the Avatar to save us whenever anything grows complicated. Otherwise, an army of this magnitude would serve no purpose."
"I suppose…" Katara said, eyeing him warily.
"I would like a substantial group to accompany Toph to Gaoling as well," Sokka said. "While the War Minister's information suggests they're not going to strengthen the city much, there's a chance that Qin's capture could switch things around for them too. Finding a new supplier of weapons wouldn't be easy, I hope, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them. What we've dealt to Ozai is a setback, we haven't stopped him by any means just yet, and the less risks we take, the better."
"Then we should send Colonel Beifong with around three hundred of our soldiers, perhaps?" asked Piandao. "She will be bound to travel through our established trade route, which will lead her to Omashu. She can very well recruit further forces there, perhaps even at the Fortress if she comes near it and guide them to Gaoling next."
"That sounds reasonable," Sokka nodded. "And knowing her, she'll say it's more than she needs, even. But yeah, that's a good idea. Maybe we could send the gladiators with her. We should also send word to King Bumi so he can begin preparing Toph's reinforcements early on."
"I'd say the largest portion of our current troops should stay in Ba Sing Se," Zuko said, firmly. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "While our incursions into the Earth Kingdom may yield significant results, if you're right to judge that Yu Dao won't rally behind us, it means we're not bound to find many new recruits there, the way we did in Omashu and Ba Sing Se. The troops left behind here can continue to reinforce the safety of the city while training the newer recruits so that they'll be ready for our final push…"
"Which, by the way, we ought to discuss as well," Sokka said, after nodding in acknowledgement at Zuko's suggestion. "As far as I've understood, Colonel Shiju, you were born in the western Earth Kingdom. Do you know the region well?"
"Naturally," Shiju said.
"Are there any trustworthy shipwrights in the area?" he asked. Shiju raised an eyebrow. "I understand that there's no Earth Kingdom navy and there hasn't been one in many years… but as it happens, we don't know if the Fire Nation's focus on the Northern Water Tribe will complicate our hopes of using their fleet in order to reach the Fire Nation eventually. While the Mechanist and his people might eventually build numerous hot-air balloons, it's hard to surmise if they'll make enough to transport, well…"
"An army that nearly numbers ten thousand by now," Iroh said. Sokka grimaced.
"It's… a lot," he said. It was possible that the Fire Nation's forces would have even more troops than they did… but their problems in distribution and organization could mean that the Fire Nation's superior numbers still might fail to repeal the Gladiator Army's forces successfully.
"We may yet recruit more across the Earth Kingdom, even if you're right about Yu Dao being prominently on board with the Fire Nation," Shiju said. "As for shipwrights, there are a few in the area, but they are primarily controlled by the Fire Nation. The only one in the western territories that crafts full warships for the Fire Nation is the Prison Rig…"
"Which should be dismantled and destroyed," Sokka said, frowning as unwanted memories returned to him.
"It could be a useful resource…" Commander Fong said, and Sokka shot him a meaningful glare.
"The people working in that place are slaves. It's literally the birthplace of slavery," Sokka stated, startling the man. "If we take the Prison Rig, we would be either forcing them to continue working there, which I certainly would rather not do, or providing our own people so that they can build warships there with likely very few resources at their disposal. I sincerely doubt Ozai would be so nice as to send more ships there, or material to repair them with, if we took control of the location. It's a worthless prison first, a potential source of ships second, and it's hardly a reliable one at that. If we don't even have the materials to build enough hot-air balloons, where the hell would we muster them for full warships?"
"The shipwrights I mentioned earlier mainly craft wooden ships," Shiju pointed out. Sokka nodded in his direction.
"And I imagine they don't do it through slaves," Sokka said.
"I can confirm their willingness to work with us, should that be your preference," Shiju said. Jeong Jeong frowned.
"You'd intend to go personally?" Jeong Jeong asked. Shiju eyed him with muted confusion.
"If this is a mission I can fulfill, I should do so," he said, simply. Sokka held back the urge to smile at Jeong Jeong's frustration over being deprived from one of his top lieutenants.
"Then do it. If you succeed, we'll manage to secure other means to travel to the Fire Nation once the time comes," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "The Water Tribe will have, hopefully, sufficient ships to carry forward all its troops, should I succeed at persuading them to send some with us…"
"More waterbenders in our ranks would benefit our efforts greatly," Anorak said. "Should our forces be intercepted at sea, one or two waterbenders could turn a losing battle on its head in a matter of moments. I don't know how many you'll manage to recruit, but even if it's only a handful, it will have a considerable, positive impact on our forces."
"I'll keep that in mind," Sokka nodded. "If… if we have no other way out, it may be necessary to reach out to the Southern Water Tribe for aid when it comes to the ships, though."
"What?" Katara gasped, eyes widening. "Sokka…"
"The ships you guys had been preparing for years are still there, as far as I know," he said, gritting his teeth. "I wouldn't want to bring our people into this battlefield if I can help it, Katara… they certainly have seen more than enough violence as it is. But if it's necessary, or even possible…"
"Didn't you say that sending our forces to the Water Tribe could be a danger, since they might not recognize us and assume we're a hostile party?" Zuko said, shivering: an unnerving urge to volunteer for Sokka's latest idea had nearly overwhelmed him, but he held back his impulses, trying his best to stay level-headed over the possibility seeing his wife and daughters again.
"Well, the new hot-air balloons the Mechanist has been building won't bear the Fire Nation's emblem but ours," Sokka said, with a shrug. "But I suppose, if worst comes to worst… I guess Aang could go with Appa?"
"Oh… yeah, they wouldn't distrust us," Aang said, with a weak smile.
"As long as it's reasonable to send you at all, of course," Sokka said. "We have no idea how difficult the battles ahead may be. But we do need to gather enough vehicles and means to travel to the Fire Nation… because, goes without saying, that's our end goal. I would say that, depending on the outcomes of the different battles, we'll be able to launch our incursions into the Fire Nation's waters primarily from three different places: the Northern Water Tribe, Yu Dao, and the White Lotus Fortress. The forces available in the northwestern Earth Kingdom, the ones you will take there, Jeong Jeong, will recruit whoever is willing to join us. After we've secured any shipwrights to aid us, Ba Sing Se's available troops, though not all of them, would set out through the trade route again, all the way to the Fortress, provided we can gather sufficient ships to mobilize them. Whoever can travel on hot-air balloons, of course, should do so as well, depending on however many the Mechanist can provide by the time we're ready to move out. Those of us who will go to the Northern Water Tribe would leave from there, with their fleet, should everything pay off…"
"And we should converge someplace," Anorak said. "You can't build plans for the final attack against the Fire Nation right now. We have so many different battles to fight still, we don't know what their outcome will be, we don't know what resources we'll have at the time of this final push, or how strong we might be by then…"
"Well… there's one island in the Fire Nation's territories that should be empty right now," Sokka said, frowning as he rose to his feet.
The map spreading before him was deeply familiar: the very notion of returning to the Fire Nation produced such confusing turmoil in his heart… but not enough to blind him, or cloud his judgment, as he picked one of the map's markers, setting it on a small island.
"Might be too small for our purposes… but provided its volcanoes don't start erupting at random, there should be little danger to our forces there, should we reach it without much opposition," Sokka said. Iroh frowned at the sight of it, as did Jeong Jeong.
"Isn't that…?" Jeong Jeong started, glancing at Iroh: the Dragon of the West breathed deeply and nodded.
"Avatar Roku's home island," he confirmed, before glancing at Sokka remorsefully. "The Slate."
Sokka breathed deeply and nodded. The hot spring cove in which he and Azula had indulged each other during that day of their vacation had also appeared to be deserted… but the Slate's island would be a better choice than that one, if just because it was closer to the heart of the Fire Nation.
"It can be a staging area for us," Sokka suggested. "We can reconvene there, all our forces, we can put our heads together and build up a final strategy once we get there."
"The blockade might be a problem in reaching that place for some of us, however," Anorak pointed out, frowning. "If, as I understand it, it spans across the Mo Ce Sea and much of the Earth Kingdom's western shores…"
"From what War Minister Qin has revealed, it seems reasonable to suspect that the bulk of the ships that were assigned to the blockade, as well as the general patrolling in the waters of the northwestern Earth Kingdom, will be joining Admiral Zhao in the north," Piandao said. Anorak frowned and nodded. "While the blockade may represent a threat regardless, I suspect it won't be a considerable one… it would even be smaller if, as I suspect, the Fire Lord recklessly sends all his ships to win the battle where he trusts General Sokka will show himself. After so many attempts to kill him have failed, I would suspect that he'll act on the assumption that no effort will be too little, no expense too steep, if he finally succeeds at the task of defeating our army's leader."
"Which begs the question of how, exactly, will our forces approach the North Pole without being detected," asked Zuko, glancing at Sokka. "I don't know nearly enough about how Zhao has handled the siege so far. I don't know if anyone here does…"
"I can tell you a few things about that," Anorak said, raising an eyebrow. "What would you like to know, Prince Zuko?"
"Has he attacked from different directions?" he asked. "Has he invaded the Tribe by landing his troops in other shores of the Pole, rather than simply attempting a frontal attack?"
"Back when I was still home, no, he hadn't done anything more complicated than frontal attacks," said Anorak, frowning. "He never has posed a strong enough challenge for our forces, which everyone believed meant that he doesn't have any particularly remarkable strategies in mind…"
Sokka frowned upon hearing those words: that didn't seem quite right to him, even if no one in the room questioned it. Of course, he was the one with the insight on the Fire Nation, he was the one who might know if Zhao had plans, bigger ones, than what everyone else could surmise.
He closed his eyes as the others discussed, and he allowed himself to remember. Zhao and the North Pole, the Northern Water Tribe… the main thought that came to mind was Hahn. He ought to ask Anorak about him one day, come to think of it…
Hahn had wanted to marry Azula in exchange for crucial information about the Water Tribe. The information, Zhao said, had been nothing new for him, for he had acquired that very knowledge in Wan Shi Tong's Library…
"Anorak?" he said, stopping the ongoing conversation with his sudden intervention. "I… I don't know how highly ranked you were in the Northern Water Tribe. Were you privy to, well, royal secrets or so?"
"Uh… I wouldn't exactly say so," Anorak said, blinking blankly. "I was one of Master Pakku's best students, but that doesn't mean I had much sway in anything that happened at court. I wasn't as highly ranked as Master Pakku, naturally… and he was Chief Arnook's right-hand man and most trusted waterbender."
"Thing is… well, the husband of the Water Tribe's Princess, Hahn, abandoned the Water Tribe and came to the Fire Nation," Sokka said. Anorak's brow furrowed upon hearing those words.
"The Chief pronounced the marriage annulled by now. Do not refer to him as her husband anymore, please," he said. Sokka swallowed hard and nodded.
"Sorry, though I'm glad to hear that. Definitely better for her, the bastard was disgusting," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "Thing is, he wanted to do the same thing in the Fire Nation. He had no chances to achieve it, of course, but he tried to weasel his way into Ozai's court and to insinuate himself as a potential suitor for Azula, all in exchange for crucial information about the Water Tribe."
"Heh. What a shocker," Anorak snarled, viciously. "How I wish he had drowned when his mission to assassinate Admiral Zhao failed…"
"Thing is… Azula devised a plan to discover his information without giving him what he wanted," Sokka explained. "We executed it perfectly. It worked… and he gave that information to Zhao, whatever it was."
"Why Zhao? Why not the two of you?" asked Iroh, puzzled.
"She suspected he would have a stronger impact on Hahn when delivering the final threats against him, and going by the outcome, we assumed she had been right to guess so," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Besides, back then… Zhao had been on whatever counts as his best behavior for some time. Azula was trying to trust him… she never should have, nor I, but that's not the point: he told us something about… an oasis? And healing water, I think. The thing is…"
"The oasis…?" Anorak repeated, frowning. Sokka swallowed hard.
"Does it ring any bells?"
"Yes, yes… of course it does. That's not actually a secret, not within the Tribe…" Anorak said, running a hand over his hair. "Though we're not really supposed to talk about it with outsiders, but the situation might call for it. Anyway, the oasis is a place that most of us don't have direct access to, I've only been inside it once, right before my final examinations before becoming a waterbending master. I was tasked with meditating there, and so I did. It's the most spiritual location in the Water Tribe."
"And it has… some kind of healing water?" Sokka asked, with a grimace. "That's what Hahn told Zhao, apparently… at least, that's all I can remember."
"There's more to it than that, actually," Anorak said. "The physical manifestations of the spirits of the moon and ocean, two koi fish, swim within the oasis. According to the stories we've been told, Princess Yue herself was saved by the Moon Spirit upon birth. She was born a weak child, it seemed she would die within a few days of her birth, but the Moon Spirit blessed her somehow and she became healthy because of it… the blessing she received is the reason why her hair is white as the moon."
"Oh, wow. I've never heard of anyone having white hair in their youth before," Aang gasped, raising his eyebrows.
"It's a spiritual matter, I can't presume to understand it entirely," Anorak admitted, glancing at Sokka. "So… you say the healing properties of the oasis might have beckoned Zhao, but that's not the only thing in the oasis itself. If he gains access to the oasis, then… a brute from the Fire Nation might just attack the spirits, right?"
"And that would be devastating," Jeong Jeong reasoned, frowning. "Should either spirit be slain… I would suspect waterbending, strongly influenced and ruled by the connection between the moon and the ocean, might be disrupted or perhaps annulled entirely."
"Like what solar eclipses can do to firebenders?" Sokka asked. Jeong Jeong breathed heavily.
"Worse. The solar eclipse lasts for a brief period of time, it is not absolute, it only takes place in its totality across some very particular areas of the world…" he said. "The destruction of the Moon Spirit could cause the ocean to turn unruly, impossible to course even for the Fire Nation's ships… the destruction of the Ocean Spirit might even have worse consequences. Water provides life, it is the element most closely acquainted to life. None can truly survive without it… and without the Ocean Spirit, water might be beyond our reach entirely. If Admiral Zhao is aware of these spirits, perhaps the healing waters will be the least of his concerns: he is a brute indeed, as you put it, Anorak. Out of all my students, none was as rebellious and violent as he. If he is the foe you will face in the north, and this is what he's after? I'm afraid your situation will be alarming and pressing, General Sokka."
"Then… okay. Let's say that we start off by securing this oasis, confirming its position and helping the Northern Water Tribe protect it afterwards, once we've devised how to work together to defeat Zhao's forces," Sokka said, frowning.
"Please, ensure to stress how important this is for the survival of the Tribe and the whole world. If you're right about Zhao… then they won't know what they're up against," Anorak said, with a stricken grimace. He rose from his seat, pacing around the table until he stopped by the Northern Water Tribe's area of the map, and he pointed at the location of the grand city he had been raised in. "This is the city. It's as good as sculpted out of the Pole itself, and that means it has immense cliffs hugging either side of the city. The oasis is at its back, at the very convergence of the two cliff walls… so around here."
He pointed out the location, and Sokka nodded as he handed Anorak a marker that the waterbender set in place.
"If we expect Zhao to attack frontally… that means our forces could, presumably go around this way," Sokka explained, tracing a trajectory between Ba Sing Se and the Water Tribe that resulted in their arrival into the city through its most spiritual landmark. "That being said, if he's after the contents of the oasis too, he might not settle for a frontal attack alone. All the more reason for us to come this way, since he might use troops as bait while he enters the Oasis through other means."
"How many entrances does the oasis have?" Katara asked Anorak.
"Two," Anorak said. "One in the cliffs, you could take that route on foot if you come in from behind the city… the other entrance is right behind the Royal Palace, in the opposite direction. That's where most of us left the tributes to the spirits on every full moon: right outside the oasis's gate. It's… a simple gate, even. It's not reinforced at all. It never needed to be. It never has been in jeopardy before."
"We'll strengthen it, then. We'll make sure the Water Tribe secures it fully," Sokka concluded, breathing deeply. "Alright… with all this in mind, once each of these battles are won, the troops will prepare for travel and reconvene in the island I've marked here. Master Piandao, you and Iroh will stay in this city, won't you?"
"It was as you asked of me before, and I meant to do so," Piandao said, bowing his head towards Sokka. "I will assist King Kuei and Lady Jin in maintaining the peace in the city."
The two people in question had very little to offer to the meeting on that day, for it had versed around subjects where neither one had a say upon. Most of all, however, it seemed they looked forward to the White Lotus's gradual vacating of their city, but they would only have the chance to rule however they pleased – or clash about how to do so, for no one knew yet who of the two would be the reigning force in Ba Sing Se in the future – once the war ended and the White Lotus ceded its hold upon the cities it had reconquered.
"King Bumi, I presume, will stay in Omashu as well, but we can send word to him to prepare whatever forces he can send to aid us," Sokka said. "Some forces should remain in the Fortress, too. General Fong, it might be a good idea for you to join Colonel Shiju in recruiting shipwrights to our cause…"
"Ah… perhaps my reputation as the sole enduring General of the old Earth Kingdom administration would help matters," Fong reasoned, nodding.
"So… with all this in mind, I think we're more or less set on what to do in the immediate future," Sokka said, eyeing the map before distributing markers anew.
Each one represented a group of the soon to be split army: up to the north, Sokka would lead forces to support the Northern Water Tribe and turn the battle in their favor, regardless of Ozai's efforts to vanquish them. In the northern Earth Kingdom, Jeong Jeong would bring forward a considerable number of troops in the spring, marching towards the city of Yu Dao, intent on taking the last of the largest three colonies the Fire Nation still held in the Earth Kingdom's territories. By the western shores, Shiju and Fong would begin the process of building up their forces' means of transportation for what, with any luck, would be the final battles of the Hundred Year War. And further south, Toph would lead her own battalion, mainly comprised by the remaining former gladiators of Omashu and Ba Sing Se who had chosen to join their ranks: she would lead them to conquer her hometown, Gaoling.
Several reliable officers and soldiers wouldn't be around to help Sokka anymore, after this split. He would no longer hold absolute control over the battlefields in which his allies would fight, and he would have to trust that their abilities to lead and strategize would win the day, with any luck… it was quite easy to see how communication had become such a key element in the Fire Nation's side in the war, for leaving his forces to rush into so many battles he would have no hand in left a sour taste in Sokka's mouth. Feeling responsible for so many people stung… he couldn't help but wonder if this was how Azula had felt upon tasking him to fight the Stingray, back when Rhone had attacked. In sending him, she had sent someone she trusted deeply, directly, someone whose judgment she believed would be the correct one, to a very important battle.
And it wasn't as though Sokka didn't trust the members of his army – though he certainly distrusted some of them –, but the level of understanding he shared with Azula was second to none. Besides Toph, the majority of his most trusted allies would be traveling with him. Jeong Jeong's group… even if Anorak would remain with him, Sokka had an unnerving feeling about whatever might come from the former admiral's attempt to overtake Yu Dao. The old man had already long proven that he wouldn't shed many tears, if any, over the countless people he might get killed if it meant succeeding at his quests… and while Sokka wanted to believe Anorak would know better by now than to trust Jeong Jeong blindly, Jeong Jeong evidently outranked him still. Sokka could only hope that the old man would make no senseless choices, or that Anorak would be able to stick to his virtues rather than bending over helplessly against his superior.
Enduring the information blackouts, the lack of understanding of the situations unfolding beyond them, wouldn't be easy. He'd have no choice but to hope that they might find ways to communicate regardless… but even if they didn't, he'd hope that their eventual reunion in the Slate's island would happen successfully, once every division was ready to congregate there.
The next hours of the discussion were devoted to determining which groups of soldiers would join each venture, and which ones would stay behind to protect Ba Sing Se. Ultimately, Jeong Jeong did retain the largest number of any of the marching armies, with two thousand soldiers. He appeared pleased by the concession, but he regarded Sokka with no shortage of apprehension once the meeting concluded.
"I would like to have a word with you," he said, simply. The Gladiator frowned as he rose to his feet, glaring at Jeong Jeong before sighing and agreeing to it wordlessly.
They walked to an empty hallway, watched by several of the council members who hadn't vacated the room yet. Sokka reassured his friends with a few nods before focusing on Jeong Jeong: he had wished to speak privately as well after another similar war meeting, and Sokka couldn't help but feel disgruntled about it. Back then, before they took Ba Sing Se, he had thought Jeong Jeong had finally grown to respect him… now, he wondered if the man was simply as skilled at deception as Iroh had proven himself to be.
"You remain displeased with me," Jeong Jeong said. Sokka snorted.
"And I probably always will be. If your idea was to change that, I don't think you'll be in luck," he said, bluntly. Jeong Jeong sighed.
"We have different opinions on what the world needs, and how to make that happen. You were content to sit by the Fire Nation's conquest, provided your Princess became Fire Lord one day…"
"The war was stagnant until Iroh pushed Ozai's buttons as he did," Sokka hissed. "And don't presume to understand how much we hoped to achieve and change even before she could take control of the entire Fire Nation. She had far more respect for balance than what I've seen from you."
"Your understanding of balance, to be sure," Jeong Jeong said. "Nonetheless, many would have found it unbearable to be ruled by the Princess, no matter how positive her image might be in the eyes of slaves and assimilated citizens. There are rebels who would have never agreed to her leadership. Even if you believed you could provide them with better lives, even if you truly hoped she would abolish slavery eventually, balance under the Fire Nation's banner would not be balance at all, no matter how benevolent she might have been as their ruler."
"And your point is?" Sokka growled. "I'm pretty sure you're as keen on talking to me as I am on talking to you, so… don't make up excuses, will you? Stop trying to make me accept the whole knife-in-the-back thing you pulled on me. Doesn't really matter anymore to begin with…"
"If it didn't, you would not regard me with such displeasure, but have it your way," Jeong Jeong said, breathing deeply. "Are you quite certain that your choice to commit fully to the north is correct?"
"You're serious? What, you'd rather I left my sister tribe to die just because saving them might not be as easy as a midday stroll?" Sokka growled.
"That is not what I mean," Jeong Jeong said, narrowing his gaze in Sokka's direction. "I want them saved and I would welcome their support gladly… but you are not facing the same tactical minds you have faced before. Omashu? You struck by surprise, nullified Ukano, his military officers and guards were hardly equipped to handle the avalanche of chaos you unleashed upon them. In Ba Sing Se you outdid General Tiang time and again through superior tactics, through warriors with skillsets they were not prepared to face, as well as through your strategic improvisations that won us the day. But here? You are not facing Ukano or his soldiers, nor will you be facing General Tiang: the mind behind the siege of the north is not Admiral Zhao's, Gladiator, if War Minister Qin's words are anything to go by."
Sokka clenched up, fists tightened. He shivered before shaking his head.
"It's not Azula's either," he said, firmly. "I was just thinking about how difficult it will be to articulate an army from a distance, how I'll be unable to follow what's happening with your troops and everyone else's while I'm in the north. What Qin said is worrisome, but I don't think it means Azula has the run of the place, or that she's in charge of Ozai's forces in any capacity…"
"If the Fire Lord is a fool… then yes, perhaps you'll be correct," Jeong Jeong pointed out. Sokka scowled. "If he is a fool who fails to recognize his own shortcomings, even more so. But if he happens to realize that his best bet to win this war is to use her against you…"
Sokka snarled: he wanted to say she wouldn't let that happen. That she would fight back, that she would resist…
But thoughts of Hotaru stopped him on his tracks. Thoughts of the possible threats Ozai held over their heads held him back. Could he truly expect Azula to outsmart her father, when the risk of lying to him, deceiving him, or simply working against him, could cost them their daughter?
He clenched up, his face twisted with irritation and misery. He probably looked like he was nauseous… perhaps he was. Jeong Jeong breathed deeply, seemingly satisfied with the turmoil he had instilled into Sokka.
"You do not march ahead blindly, then," he concluded. "You understand the risk. As appalled as you may be over the idea of being her unwilling enemy… it does not change that reality, General Sokka. Feel as much affection for her as you wish… you cannot march ahead without thinking of what tactics she would be likely to suggest, what plans she might have told her father to enact. As remorseful as you may believe her to be upon doing those things… she will be likely to do them if War Minister Qin's account of Ozai's strict control upon her is accurate."
"I know that. I understand," Sokka said, closing his eyes firmly and shaking his head. "I refuse to think of her as my enemy, though. Everything he's forcing her to do… it's not her fault. I know you'll disagree, but I don't care if you do. I don't think any of us has the slightest clue of what she's been through and of the sacrifices she's had to make to survive."
"I have no qualm with your compassion for her, with your empathy… go on and rescue her from his grasp, as you always meant to," Jeong Jeong said. Sokka shot him a distrustful glare regardless. "But… perhaps you'll need to fight her in order to save her. Maybe not physically, no, but you may have no choice but to face off against her strategic mind. No one here understands or knows her as well as you do, for better or for worse: it is your insight, and your ability to read through our foes, that should bring us to victory. Whatever you intend to do with that victory, after it's attained, is up to you. But for now… I say what I do in order to remind you of the path you're on. You continue to be a wiser leader than expected from anyone as young as you… but we all have weaknesses, Gladiator, and yours is bound to be sitting by Fire Lord Ozai's side, whether willingly or not, and he won't hesitate to use her against you."
Sokka breathed deeply, letting the air out with a sigh. Even if he wanted to punch Jeong Jeong quite irrationally, he withheld the urge. He glared at the window, at the world beyond this Palace… a world he'd need to brave in order to save the woman he loved, in order to meet his daughter and finally build a place where all three of them could belong, in peaceful freedom.
There was nothing he wouldn't do to achieve that goal. He had set out on this journey with eyes wide open, or so he had thought… he had been blindsided by many uncomfortable truths, by terrible twists of fate that had nearly broken him, but nothing had sufficed to tear him down still. Nothing had changed his course, even if he'd needed to take the long way in order to return to Azula… and nothing would in the future, either. Not even Azula herself.
"I know her. I know exactly how desperate she must be for a way out of this nightmare," Sokka said, frowning heavily. "How difficult her position must be, bearing with so many things at the same time, with trying to protect as many people from the harm her father can cause. She protects them… and she hopes that I, in turn, will be able to protect those she cannot save with her own power."
"Is that how it is?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"Where I'm weak, she's strong. Where she falters, I stand my ground," Sokka recited, fists clenched. "We have been evenly matched for a long time. She chose to treat me as an equal… she helped me become the man I am in more ways than you could imagine. I would have never come this far without her. Someone else would have had to lead armies because I… I wouldn't have had it in me. I wouldn't have known how. I only do… because I saw the leader I wished to be in her.
"Our chi courses the same way. Our lives are intertwined so deeply that they will never be broken apart. So I know her… I know the pain she is facing and I understand just how troubled and miserable she is about the choices she needs to make. Choices where she gets to live while others die…
"No one could save the men I had to kill in the Amateur League. I couldn't hope for anyone to sweep in and stop things from reaching that point, no, because… they forced me to kill even when I didn't want to. There was no other choice. But now? Now it's Azula who's stuck in a similar situation... and I'm the one who can set her free, the way she did with me.
"So… unwilling enemies? Yeah, I would never wish to fight against her, because I should fight by her side. That's my place. That's hers, too. We belong together… and we will be once this war is done. But if it takes everything I have to set her free… then I will give my all indeed. I will fight for her… as I've always fought for her. It's what being her Gladiator always meant to me. Even now, after so long… that's who I am. Who I want to be."
"Her gladiator?" Jeong Jeong repeated, raising an eyebrow. Sokka nodded firmly.
"Her Gladiator."
Jeong Jeong seemed skeptical, no matter how sincere Sokka's words were. He folded his arms over his chest as he breathed deeply.
"I thought you'd aspire to something else… but that is your prerogative, I suppose," Jeong Jeong said, breathing out slowly. "Then… you're prepared to fight your sponsor, if on a tactical level? You know what you must do in order to conquer this challenge?"
"I do. I won't fail," Sokka said, firmly. "Whatever awaits me in the North Pole, I'll stop at nothing to help them overcome Ozai's troops. Once that's done, the rest of the plan will follow… and I will be by her side soon. I will set her free from Ozai's expectations and demands… and with her, everyone he's holding for ransom. Everyone he uses as bait, as means to threaten those who stand against him. I will fight, damn it… and I will bring Azula home with me. Wherever that home may be, whatever it may look like… I will set her free."
"It is quite curious that I used to think your attachment to her could be a detriment," Jeong Jeong said. "An issue to be resolved, so to speak. But instead… it proves to be the strongest motivating factor in your choices. You are a curious, unpredictable man…"
"You're unpredictable enough yourself," Sokka said, glaring at him again. "Don't think this makes things better between us, alright?"
"I wouldn't expect it to," Jeong Jeong said, though his lips curled into a slight smile. "Good luck in the north. I hope conquering Yu Dao won't prove as difficult if I do not have to chase down a Gladiator and his Princess all across the Earth Kingdom countryside…"
"Are we really at a point where we can joke about that? Huh?" Sokka asked, skeptical: Jeong Jeong smiled more earnestly.
"Perhaps not. Either way… your leadership is appreciated, even if you do not believe that I speak the words with sincerity. Thank you, Gladiator."
Sokka's heart clenched still as Jeong Jeong walked away. He followed the man's footsteps with his gaze until he faded from view. By then, he slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping Azula's necklace firmly, his throat thick with tears.
Unwilling enemies… it was exactly what he had always hoped would never happen between them. Their connection had ever been a miracle in numerous ways, allowing the unlikeliest of souls to join forces and stand together against every menace that might come their way. They were stronger together… would they be weaker upon clashing, this time in opposite sides of a war? Was there any chance at all that he might be able to take her into his arms and protect her from Ozai's wrath… or would she stand against him if he tried, out of fear of knowing that everyone she held dear in the Fire Nation would be at risk otherwise?
What was she hoping for? Did she wish for him to come save her? Did she wish he'd stay away? Her anger upon yelling at him when they last had communicated had been easy to disregard in the face of the urgency of childbirth… but she had said he should have stayed, hadn't she? That he shouldn't have left his tribe… would she still cling to that belief once he stood before her again? Would she refuse to stand down, to withdraw her support from her father…?
Would she do it again?
Would she choose the Fire Nation over him once more, just as she had nine months ago, when their world had first fallen to shambles?