Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

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

349. Chapter 349: The North's Aftermath 8

The North's Aftermath

8

"Our current situation is as follows: scouts have reported a massive mobilization of troops from Ba Sing Se."

A rumor of disturbed voices rang through the Throne Room: the Fire Lord's fists remained tight upon his lap as he glared at the curtain of fire before him. Aonu, standing at his rightful position as War Minister, ensured to retain control of the meeting by speaking out loud and clearly:

"The enemy forces appear to be marching west. It's possible that their intent is to storm Pohuai Stronghold, and from there, progress to the city of Yu Dao. Their ultimate goal, as far as we can ascertain, will be to secure sufficient shorelines, ships and overall resources to commit to a full-scale naval invasion into the heart of the Fire Nation."

After that, ominous, dark silence settled over the room. Aonu's words elicited a profound fear in the hearts of the members of Ozai's council, one they had never truly experienced before.

"Colonel Shinu is… is he prepared for this?" asked General Mak, glancing at the Fire Lord.

"He might not be," Ozai acknowledged. "A large number of his Yu-Yan archers were sent to the battle of the North Pole. His stronghold is no longer the bastion it used to be."

"It's still a strong defense that could delay the advance of the enemy forces," Commander Tsong said. "Shinu and his troops could wear down the enemy, Pohuai Stronghold has always served that purpose."

"Taking up a battle we know cannot be won is only a way to sacrifice our troops pointlessly," Ozai hissed. Tsong fell silent. "I have no intentions of surrendering the Stronghold without a fight, but if this army is led by Jeong Jeong… it stands to reason that he would be able to maneuver it past the Stronghold if it pleases him, as he has in the past. Isn't that so?"

Sitting by Ozai's right hand in the Throne Room, her silhouette starkly contrasted against the burning flames on the Fire Lord's dais, Azula tensed up but nodded. Her hands balled into fists over her lap.

"The northwestern Former Earth Kingdom were the territories where the Deserter's last attacks against the Fire Nation took place," she said. "He held a continuous attack on the Stronghold, a decoy, while he sent his forces stealthily everywhere he pleased, including Yu Dao. While I don't believe he would commit to the same approach now, considering the circumstances are rather different, it would be unwise to assume that he cannot navigate past the Stronghold if it suits him, or that he cannot tear down those walls at his leisure. Allowing him to carry out battles on his terms could very well signify an immediate defeat for our forces well before the fight even begins."

"You did deal with him directly once before," Ozai said. "Your insight on the Deserter is invaluable, Azula. I recall the circumstances during which you were pursued by him and his forces: you attempted to outmaneuver him to no avail, isn't that so?"

"His plans had multiple layers, more than I anticipated at first," Azula said. "I didn't know his actual goal back then: we do now. He will aim for the coastal colonies, commandeering as many of our ships, whether civilian or military, as he can gain control of. If he can reduce our military strength in the process, he will do so without hesitation. I can also attest that Jeong Jeong is not a sentimental leader: he will sacrifice anyone and anything provided he believes his plans will succeed for it."

"So, it would stand to reason that we could weaken him by targeting the strongest soldiers at his command," Ozai said. Azula swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer that assumption.

"We would need complex strategies to achieve that, wouldn't we?" General Bujing said. "Whether at the Stronghold, or in Yu Dao itself."

"Do we believe it worthwhile to protect the smaller villages nearby?" asked Commander Gei. Ozai shook his head.

"Most have minimal presence of Fire Nation troops. If anything, our forces should be called back to defend Yu Dao," Ozai said. "Should defense of the city prove successful, we may have the opportunity to reaffirm our control in other nearby locations. But for the time being, we will prioritize Yu Dao."

"Should we give out evacuation warnings in the nearest towns and villages?" Aonu proposed. "The more civilians stay safe, the more of them should be available for conscription, should we agree to do so…"

"Conscription will not be necessary," Ozai stated: the certainty with which he stated those words caught both Azula and Aonu by surprise. "Our resources may not be unlimited, but we should have enough troops to protect the Fire Nation territories still within our control."

Azula eyed him with quiet suspicion, dread rising in her chest: so much as being here, giving out ideas and information, was sickening. But for her father to suddenly reveal that he had sorted out the problem posed by the shortage of troops… something was terribly ominous about that statement. How had he found enough forces to counter the enemy's, when they had always been spread too thin? Did he mean to use his assassin, perhaps, or…?

Her conversation with Renkai from months ago returned to mind. His investigations, his inquiries… her fist tightened further as she wondered if her father wasn't as ignorant of Shaofeng's operations as she had assumed he was.

"I will provide you with the total number of available forces for the Fire Nation's defense later, War Minister Aonu," Ozai said. Aonu nodded. "For now, we may plan Yu Dao's defenses based on the forces we currently have at hand."

"Understood," Aonu said. "Even so, if the mobilized forces from Ba Sing Se are indeed the bulk of the enemy's army, our current numbers would not be able to sustain a persistent assault. As strong as Yu Dao's walls may be, they will be certain to crumble if earthbenders reach them."

"Then it's a matter of ensuring they don't reach them," Ozai said, firmly. "Can the technological advancements we have procured serve this purpose, Princess Azula?"

"If used correctly, yes," Azula said, frowning. "Powerful earthbenders can bend from afar, but the further away, the harder it will be for them to properly control earth or rocks. It's a weakness that can be exploited."

"Do you have any strategies in mind?" Ozai asked. Azula breathed deeply.

"The volatile bombs currently in production may be useful as mines," Azula said. Ozai raised an eyebrow. "Burying them in the grounds surrounding the city could provide us with a considerable advantage: should they approach us with their forces, they will be certain to trigger the bombs and considerable damage would be dealt to their soldiers. Should we have enough bombs, a full protective ring of mines could be built all around Yu Dao, to ensure that they cannot approach safely."

"If kept at bay this way, their earthbenders won't be able to provide much aid on the battlefield," Aonu reasoned, frowning. "The Mad Alchemist has also been developing cannons through which these bombs could be launched from a distance…"

"Should his designs prove successful, a prolonged defense could be sustainable," Azula said.

"Their aerial troops could be defeated through these cannons as well, but… how mobile do we expect these weapons to be, exactly?" General Mak asked.

"The intent is for the cannons in question to be carried easily by a well-trained soldier," explained Aonu. "That is the baseline for that technology. It will allow our non-bending forces to also rely on firepower to keep our enemies at bay. They may be able to defeat the aerial forces indeed."

"Explosives can also be used in Pohuai Stronghold," suggested General Bujing, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not in the same manner," Azula pointed out, startling the General. "Using the same defensive mechanism twice would give away our strategy in Yu Dao well before we're ready for them to learn of it. Jeong Jeong is a dangerous opponent, most of all due to his resourcefulness. If given sufficient time to plan ahead, if he has any insight on what our defenses will look like, he will find some way or another to circumvent our defenses in Yu Dao. We cannot afford that."

"Perhaps something simpler, then," General Mak said. "Blasting jelly? Could it serve that purpose?"

"Rudimentary… but, with any luck, effective," Ozai said. "If supplied with enough blasting jelly, Colonel Shinu may be able to destroy the Stronghold altogether, should it be in danger of falling into enemy control. It could take out some of their forces, and it would keep them from obtaining a solid fortress to use at their leisure. Send word to the Colonel about this strategy, War Minister Aonu: let him know that, should the situation appear insurmountable, him and his troops are to prepare emergency escape routes so that they may rejoin the rest of our forces in Yu Dao. We cannot afford to lose his soldiers in the battle preceding the main one we are preparing for."

"It certainly would be for the best to obliterate the stronghold rather than yield it over to the White Lotus forces," growled Commander Tsong.

"We will assign as many forces as are available, then, to defend Yu Dao," Aonu said, frowning. "The technological advancements in our control certainly can turn the tides of the battle for the better. Even the airship they stole wouldn't be easily maneuvered against our forces if we defend the city through the means at our disposal."

"Indeed… but there are threats greater than the Deserter among them," Ozai said, his eyes dark and stern. "Everything indicates they are in the North Pole for the time being… but the Gladiator and the Avatar are certainly a considerable danger to the stability of our defense of Yu Dao."

"Do we expect them to reach Yu Dao so quickly from the north?" asked General Ling. "If the damage against the Water Tribe was so severe…"

"Reports of a sky bison have been heard since the fall of Ba Sing Se," Aonu said, startling the man into silence. "If we're correct to assume that it belongs to the Avatar, for he was an Air Nomad after all, the journey from the North Pole to Yu Dao could be completed over the course of a few days, a week perhaps. The Deserter's army is sure to take much longer than that to traverse the mountain range all the way to the Stronghold, and from there, to Yu Dao itself."

"Then… they will be a likely addition to their ranks once the battle begins?" asked Commander Tsong, finally appearing concerned about news, rather than simply seeking a way to profit or prove himself superior to the rest of the council's members.

"We cannot say for certain," said Aonu. "The situation in the North Pole is unstable. It's possible that they might choose to stay in the Water Tribe for longer, perhaps to recover from their wounds, but if they don't, we'd do best to prepare ourselves for them as well."

Azula gritted her teeth: Sokka in Yu Dao… if he chose that path, he would be closer to her than he had been in so long. But would it matter, if he were? She wouldn't be in the city herself. She wouldn't have a chance to talk to him. She wouldn't be able to reason with him… or to say she was sorry for the horrors she was responsible for.

"The Gladiator is a threat unlike any we have prepared for, but the Avatar proved himself more than just his thrall in the battle of the Northern Water Tribe," Ozai scowled. "The Avatar is as good as a weapon… the Gladiator will be the one to choose where to aim it. But unlike our weapons, his is of flesh and blood… as otherworldly as his powers may be, he is ultimately one man, and that means that, under the right circumstances, he may be as vulnerable and weak as any other."

"Which circumstances?" Azula asked, frowning. "Considering the catastrophe he wrought upon our forces in the north, it would appear he is prepared to face and undo an entire army as he is…"

"There's but one weakness. One that could turn the tides of this war," Ozai said, with a heavy scowl. "It has always been said… that the Avatar State is the Avatar's greatest strength as well as his greatest moment of vulnerability. It stands to reason that what he achieved in the north was done through the Avatar State: a powerful enough attack could kill the Avatar just as he enters the Avatar State, and it would put an end to the cycle of his rebirth for good."

"Powerful enough…? But the bombs would not suffice…" General Ling said.

"Approaching an Avatar while in the Avatar State sounds impossible, my lord…" said Commander Tsong. Ozai frowned.

"There is no need to approach him. Attacking from a distance should suffice," he said. "A well-placed arrow in the Avatar's heart by the best of the Yu-Yan archers would be enough to put a stop to his rampage."

"He is an airbender, however," Azula pointed out. Ozai frowned. "A gust would knock any arrows off course. The archer would need to lie in wait to attack when the Avatar drops his guard, if he ever does. If he doesn't, then… the Avatar would lay waste upon our forces before we can stop him."

"If this appears unreliable…" Ozai said, eyeing Azula warily. "There is but one more ranged resource I can think of through which the Avatar may be slain."

Azula frowned, meeting his gaze. Her perplexity didn't diminish until the implications in her father's eyes truly dawned on her.

"Lightning," she said, simply. Ozai nodded. "A lightningbender could… I don't quite know for sure if the Avatar would be able to build a defense against it, but perhaps that could work."

The notion made her lightheaded – she didn't want to be responsible for this. She didn't want to have anything to do with the Avatar's potential death… he had to stay in the North Pole with Sokka. The two of them, along with Zuko as well, had to stay in the Water Tribe…

"Lightning?" repeated General Bujing, frowning. "We do not have many renowned lightningbenders in the army, however. We had a handful, at best…"

"It's not a skill easily mastered," said Commander Tsong. "I have never succeeded at it, myself, but that would be fast enough, faster than an arrow, not easy to knock off course with bending…"

"It's the best option," General Mak nodded. "But who would be tasked with fulfilling such a delicate operation? Do we maintain records of our available lightningbenders in the armed forces?"

"I'm afraid I have not seen any files on the subject," Aonu said, grimacing.

"What if our lightningbenders were serving in the battle against the Northern Water Tribe?" asked Commander Gon. "Is it possible that we would have lost them…?"

"There is no need to imagine scenarios of the sort, commander. Whether that happened or not, what matters is that we find a willing and capable lightningbender who can commit to taking out the Avatar at the opportune moment," Ozai sentenced.

"Then… perhaps I could compile a list of available benders capable of this feat," Aonu said, frowning. "I remember… there were at least a handful of gladiators who could fight with lightning. Tracking them down, however, would not be easy…"

"I would not rely on the fickle loyalty of a gladiator, whether one born to the Fire Nation or any other nation," Ozai stated, bluntly. Azula's fists tightened. "Speaking of which… if the Gladiator himself turns up, even without the Avatar, he will be a hazard. What kind of danger would we need to brace ourselves for? Can you venture a guess as to what his choice on this battlefield might be, Azula?"

The conversationalist tone seemed entirely out of place, and Azula suspected all the council would agree with that notion. Being asked something like this, in front of so many, knowing all too well that they judged and resented her for her bond with their greatest foe…

"Well… for the time being, I would say he would be capable of rounding the city and attacking from flanks, perhaps even moving past the city altogether, should it be clear that it's as defensible as can be," Azula said, frowning. "He would not want to waste unnecessary time and resources taking Yu Dao if he recognizes that doing so will cripple his forces. He lacks the bolstering of his numbers that the Water Tribe could have provided. He cannot take unnecessary risks, and he wouldn't thrive in sending his forces to their deaths to claim a pyrrhic victory, unlike Jeong Jeong. We are far more likely to deal a serious blow to their forces if the Deserter leads this assault alone. He would not be as reckless as the Deserter is."

"Then, would you expect him to use the Avatar to tear apart the city?" Ozai asked. "Would that be a possibility?"

"It's difficult to fathom, seeing as he intends to be a liberator," Azula said. "Destroying the homes of those whose loyalty he seeks would be terribly counterproductive for his purposes."

"I see," Ozai said. "If you're correct to assess as much, perhaps he won't be as much of a threat as expected. That being said: who would be willing to lead our forces in the defense of Yu Dao?"

The hall was silent upon his posing of that question: Zhao's death apparently had been a rather potent message to the other military leaders, some of whom might refrain from offering their services at once due to their other duties, while others might be doing so simply out of deep fear, down to their very marrows, of facing the Gladiator and his forces in any capacity.

Azula scowled: the opportunistic fools suddenly appeared not to care one bit for the protection of anything but their lives, then. Unsurprising, and no less disappointing for it.

"No one volunteers?" Ozai scoffed, glaring at his officers with disdain.

"My lord, I could perhaps…" Aonu started, but Ozai silenced him with a huff.

"You are my War Minister. You have much to do in the organization of our armed forces. I understand your willingness to defend your hometown, but you will not be the leading officer in this assault."

"My lord, if I may…" Bujing said, eyeing him warily…

His eyes, however, shifted towards Azula.

The Princess frowned with uncertainty: she detected no ill intent by the man, who had grown to respect her to some degree long ago… but what, exactly, was the meaning of his stare?

"You spoke of lightning as an ideal weapon to slay the Avatar," he said. "And you require a strong leader, with proper understanding of our resources and forces to lead this defense effort. I understand if I overstep my boundaries, but… perhaps you could find both of those things in one candidate?"

Ozai's brow drew together: Bujing's implication didn't sink in fully, and perhaps it was better if it didn't…

"Do excuse me. I… I have overstepped my boundaries," Bujing lowered his head.

"Colonel Shinu could be given command over the army in Yu Dao," General Ling suggested, next. "He is in the area already, knows it better than most of us…"

"Colonel Shinu is not here," Ozai hissed, startling Ling. "I would prefer one of the members of this council, present in this meeting, to volunteer and partake in the defense of our strong, virtuous nation. Why else would you be part of this council, if not for this purpose?"

"My Lord…" Commander Tsong said, grimacing. "I'm afraid I'm not well-versed in leading troops on land…"

"Neither was I at leading them at sea, and I've spent years doing so," Bujing rebuffed him.

"This is a crucial operation to maintain our forces in the Colonies," Tsong said. "We cannot take risks. I would be far better suited at focusing on strengthening our navy's defenses, now that Admiral Zhao has passed away…"

"Is that so?" Ozai said, disdainfully: in other circumstances, every member of the council would be fighting for scraps if need be, for any opportunity to prove their worth to him… today, of course, when matters were more challenging than ever before, they appeared not to want his approval all that badly anymore. Suddenly, advancement seemed like no manner of reward when everyone suspected they might die on Yu Dao's battlefield, should they join it.

"My Lord…" said General Ling, eyeing Ozai remorsefully. "The Deserter is no foe to take lightly. The forces he leads might be furnished with weapons and possibilities we cannot truly envision. Princess Azula has the most insight on him… on the Gladiator, too."

"What?" Ozai scowled, his tone shifting.

"She is a lightningbender, as well," Bujing added: Ozai glared at him with affront, finally understanding what the man had been implying before…

He wanted to scream at them. To stand up and berate every last one of them for being incompetent buffoons. A girl whose military ventures had been localized, specific missions, who had only led an army once, and nearly paid for it with her life, his one true heir, mother to his grandchild…

And they wanted her to lead the Fire Nation's defenses in Yu Dao.

A glance in her direction gave away that she was as perplexed by the notion as Ozai was. She was apprehensive… unwilling. Of course she would be. Of all people in this room, she was the least eligible for the job…

But was she?

Bujing had a point. So did Ling. It wasn't only her insight on their worst foes… it was the possibility that she might hold power over the Gladiator, still. The chance that, provided his heart was true and he still held affection for Azula in it, he might be unwilling to fight against her, should she be his greatest weakness still.

Along with that, Azula had never failed him in matters of war, unlike the rest of the fools at this meeting. When it came to missions of this nature, Azula always delivered. The Princess's heart had to be torn up by confusion and distress… but without needing to ask, Ozai knew she would find this possibility appealing, if solely for the sake of protecting the citizens of Yu Dao from the Deserter's forces. She was, too, a better lightningbender than most…

His silence was foreboding, regardless of his initial outrage. Azula met his eyes, finding a strange emotion in his father's own: he wasn't seriously considering this, was he? She had imagined he might want her to lead forces eventually… but not in a situation like Yu Dao's. Not when so much would ride on a mission as delicate as this one…

"It… it would not be the first time you are sent on a mission to the Former Earth Kingdom," Ozai said: her stomach sank. "But it does not sit well with me to send you at all. There are many reasons why this would not be a suitable course of action. Even so… there are motives for you to be the better candidate, just as well. Tell me: would you wish to lead the defense of Yu Dao? Simply refusing would suffice, Azula. I require and request for nothing aside from your honesty."

Her honesty. He wanted her to tell him, directly, what she thought of this sudden, utterly unwanted, inconceivable proposal.

She wanted to stand up and scream. To yell at him that she would not stand for his war for another second. That she had no business defending him after everything he had put her through. That she was sick and tired of hurting the man she loved, of contradicting her heart's mandate, just to keep him, her monster of a father, appeased.

But the same reasons that held her down for a year did the same today.

She didn't want to be here. She didn't agree with his choices. She hated being complicit, responsible, for the massacres he was capable of.

But wasn't this a small allowance, a glimmer of power within her grasp? Wasn't this a chance to ensure that there would be no massacre, to begin with?

If the play with the bombs paid off, Jeong Jeong might back off upon finding no vulnerabilities in the city worth exploiting. If the battle didn't need to be fought at all, both sides would retain their strength. If she gave him a chance to back down and walk away, for his benefit as well as that of his forces, he might have enough sense to do so… but would he? A man as stubborn, as cruel as Jeong Jeong had been… could he ever fathom walking away from a battlefield where he believed he would win?

Maybe he would… if Sokka made him back down.

She didn't know whether she should long or dread to see him. She had virtually memorized the letter he had sent, reading it over and over, focusing on the parts that relieved her, then locking in on those that hurt, instead. If he still held her in such high regards, if he still understood what was in her heart, would he step between her and Jeong Jeong, and put a stop to a battle before it could begin? That was, of course, provided he showed up…

But the matter of Ozai remained unsolved: how could she ever join forces with Sokka anew if that would mean leaving countless valuable people behind with him, in the Fire Nation? Starting with her dragon… Xin Long wasn't likely to be freed anytime soon. Breaking him out would surely cause the Fire Lord to unleash his wrath tenfold against those she loved, against their people, making the White Lotus's job easier once her father laid half of the city to waste in outrage against her while they took care of destroying whatever was left. Mai, Ty Lee, everyone she had known from the Gladiator League…

If she didn't do this, all those people would be at risk anyway. Even if Ozai didn't seem to be doing this to harm her, for he was giving her a way out, ultimately, this was a test, like all others had been: he wanted to find out if would do right by the Fire Nation people, or if she feared she would lose her center if she crossed paths with Sokka again.

As ever, there was only one possible answer. Even when she would rather set this entire room on fire, there was only one thing she could do. Her throat seemed to close in at the very thought… but as ever, with so many sins to her name, what was one more? What was one more stain upon a blackened canvas? One more wound into a heart scarred times beyond counting?

"Unlike how it was during your first mission to hunt down the Rough Rhinos… I'm afraid we do not have the leisure of time, Azula," Ozai said, after she remained in conflicted silence for far longer than he was comfortable with.

He wouldn't withdraw his initial question. He wouldn't think about how painful, how difficult this was for her: that simply didn't matter to her father. He needed victory… he needed to defeat his enemies. Perhaps he believed Sokka would be so weak-willed that he would falter if he came across her again. Did he truly believe, then, that they had loved each other? Had he finally accepted that? Or was she giving him too much credit, as usual?

She was a tool. A weapon. His best weapon against his worst enemy. As much as she'd rather turn around and attack her father, she couldn't do it. The cost was too steep, the risks too great. And her frustrating, foolish heart had been broken painfully, but it still clung to her father, no matter if she knew he didn't deserve her loyalty.

But she could make use of this. She could take advantage of this situation. She could use the power her father was granting her to reach for Sokka… and if he didn't turn up?

Then she would defend Yu Dao from Jeong Jeong.

She would protect her people.

"There are many reasons why I shouldn't agree to this proposal," Azula said, averting her gaze from her father. "I needn't list them. Nevertheless… if you truly believe I am the most suitable candidate to lead the defense of Yu Dao, I will endeavor to do so and protect the Fire Nation with my very life."

Her decision caught the council by surprise: where they had made excuses, she had accepted her father's mission. She was the least likely, least appropriate candidate for the job… they should protest. They should demand for Ozai to change his mind and block her from the role at once. She was unreliable. She was compromised by her chaotic loyalties, by her attachment to their enemy leader…

"My Lord…"

The voice that rose up in protest, however, belonged to her only ally in that room.

The chagrin on Aonu's face spoke for itself: he was concerned for her safety. He saw no sense in sending her into a battlefield, for reasons much different from the ones Azula had expected to hear.

"I understand you place deep trust the Princess's skills, leadership and judgment, but she is the Crown Princess once again," Aonu said, staring at Ozai apprehensively: he wasn't someone as established as everyone else in this room. He could lose his damn job for doing this… and it seemed that he couldn't care less if he did. "Crown Prince Zhao was recently slain in battle by the very enemies the Princess would be confronting. The danger is too great… someone else would be more suitable for this task. If her skills with lightning are what compel you to do this, I'll ensure to track down every available lightningbender I can find within the next hours, but you cannot risk your only heir in this way."

"I should not… but I certainly can," Ozai said: Aonu's eyes widened. "Your concerns are well-placed and entirely understandable, War Minister Aonu. That being said, out of all those present, Azula's history of success in the defense of the Fire Nation is entirely spotless. Her grasp over lightning is second to none, too. It's difficult to fathom that you would be able to find someone else as capable as she is."

"Princess Azula is the only one who has a proper understanding of the foes in question, too," Commander Tsong pointed out. "Whether the Deserter or the Gladiator… she would read them far better than any of us could hope to."

"Her advice has not led us astray thus far," General Ling said, eyeing Azula with uncertainty. "She may be the best suited candidate for this role, indeed…"

Aonu gasped, staring around himself in horror: were they serious? They couldn't be. Were they this cowardly? Could they truly be this willing to hide behind the Fire Lord's only remaining heir, the mother of his grandchild, and hope that she served as a shield for them against the might of the worst threat the Fire Nation had ever seen?

Not for the first time, the highest circles of Fire Nation society filled him with profound disgust and anger. They were shameless… they were disgusting. The Fire Lord himself was, but every last one of his goons was no better…

"The only alternative I can think of is for me to handle it myself," Ozai said, and now a gasp of disbelief rushed through the room. "I am a lightningbender of my own, of course. Should it be necessary, should no better option arise…"

"No," Azula stared at her father in disbelief, and Ozai eyed her warily. "I understand your willingness to defend your nation and keep me safe… but this would not be the first time I set foot in a battlefield."

Whereas it would be, in Ozai's case.

His pride clearly was hurt by her implication, but Azula didn't waver, even so.

"The Fire Lord is needed here, in the Fire Nation," Azula said. "This is not the only battle that needs to be waged. You cannot march to Yu Dao and leave the Fire Nation undefended."

Her words struck a stronger chord now, if a different one than she would ever know: so much as stepping out of the Palace, leaving the city, would be a hazard with an emboldened Shaofeng waving his personal forces in Ozai's face, as if proving he had as much power in the world as he cared to. He would be certain to return to a coup, a nation lost to the greed and malice of a man whose only concern was his personal comfort, his gains, his profit…

"I suppose that's so," Ozai said. "Bereft of better options, however, I can only thank you for your willingness to join the battle personally. This being said, your role will be that of a leader. You have done this before: you will avoid unnecessary risks this time, you will step aside and allow others to do battle while you remain in safety. There is no need for you to launch yourself into hazardous situations when you'll have the bulk of the occupation forces at your disposal."

"I understand," Azula nodded.

"War Minister Aonu… you shall search for these lightningbenders all the same," Ozai said. Aonu flinched and nodded. "If it were possible to avert unnecessary risks to Princess Azula, it would be for the best to take them. The Avatar might not make an appearance to begin with, but if he did, others could put the strategy into effect. Azula would be capable of it, but she shall not attempt to do so, should there be other choices."

Azula nodded. Aonu, however, remained as disturbed by the situation as he had been before. Of all members in this council, Azula was the last one who should be partaking in this madness… why would she agree to it? She had a child to take care of, she had finally freed herself from the shadow of her unwanted marriage to Zhao… and now she would potentially march into a deadly situation, where she was likely to wind up captured or killed by enemy forces?

It was quite ironic, Azula had to admit, that every single one of these men would have coveted the role of the triumphant leader, chosen by Ozai's hand, and dismissed the notion of allowing her to join any battlefield merely a few years ago. It was her fault, of course, that they had grown to respect her as a leader… that they had decided to set aside all concerns about her relationship with Sokka simply because they believed she could save the Fire Nation from total ruin. For once, their foolish, mindless pride would be preferable to respect, for it would spare her from making further treasonous, unforgivable choices… but such was her luck. Much as her achievements had been meaningless in the face of her so-called crimes with Sokka, now the crimes in question were easily dismissed whenever her efficiency and strategic mind were convenient… she could only imagine that nothing would change for the better once this was over, should she succeed. She would still be untrustworthy, still be the Pricness who gave herself out of wedlock to a man from the Southern Water Tribe… by then, whatever victories she claimed would be entirely worthless all over again.

She reassured herself again: her goal was to defend the Fire Nation people, to protect Yu Dao from a man who was, undoubtedly, a major threat against the city. Jeong Jeong had already sent his forces to infiltrate the city once before, they had gone as far as to break into the Mayor's home as they attempted to find Sokka… he had his troops searching the northwestern Earth Kingdom relentlessly to track him down. He had sacrificed his own people, those loyal to him… if the loss of lives of his allies hadn't fazed him, slaughtering the Fire Nation's civilians would be meaningless for him.

But if Sokka did turn up… then her goal would be to put a stop to his war by finding another path forward: she could reason with him. If Jeong Jeong listened to Sokka nowadays, then she could prevent so much bloodshed… and no one else could hope to do so. Even if her father and his council interpreted her actions as colluding with the enemy, it would be the only way forward that could prevent a massacre on par of that of the Northern Water Tribe, on both sides…

The risks, of course, would be immense. Her heart pounded as she thought of Hotaru, Rei and Song. She had to make a decision, she had to find a way to keep them safe… leaving them in this city, unprotected, wasn't an option. She needed to keep them with her, or send them to someone who could genuinely look after them… Mai and Ty Lee, evidently, were ruled out: Ozai would know to look for them in either of their homes, should he feel the need to seize hostages openly anew…

"Your Barge's preparations can be completed over the course of two days," Ozai told her: Azula tensed up. Only two days? She only had that much time to sort this out? Of course there was no time, the journey to Yu Dao would take about a week, maybe less than that at the fastest speed of the Barge, and the sooner she set out, the better…

Vertigo tugged at the pit of her stomach. The boundaries of her body seemed to blur out as the reality of what she had agreed to struck away at her, mercilessly: unless the best-case scenario took place, she would lead forces in a deadly war within less than a month, perhaps. She would be personally responsible for so many lives, and likely, for so many deaths…

She had no choice. She had lost the privileges of making her own choices long ago. She was trapped. She was her father's dutiful daughter: whatever he demanded of her, she would have nothing left to do but to obey.

"Understood," she said. "I will begin preparations to set out at once."

"We will remain in touch. War Minister Aonu, you'll organize the transport of the developed bombs and weapons as soon as they're usable," Ozai said. "The Stronghold should provide Yu Dao enough time for all preparations to be laid down, but it will only happen if all supplies from our new provider arrive on time."

"I'll make certain that they do," Aonu said.

"As for the rest of you, I will require all your cooperation," Ozai stated, firmly. "The Domestic Forces will continue to serve in the defense of our mainland, General Mak, but the rest of you will lend your aid to Princess Azula in this endeavor, be it by supplying your forces to her service or by partaking in the battle yourselves. Commander Tsong: you will be tasked with protecting the waters of the Mo Ce Sea. Should they have secured any ships we haven't accounted for, perhaps in Ba Sing Se…"

"My men will destroy them at once," Tsong stated, proudly.

Azula frowned: they wouldn't forsake her to fight in Yu Dao alone? Wasn't that what her father wanted her to…?

"General Ling, can I count on you to organize the regrouping of our troops abroad and their return to Yu Dao at once?"

"Of course, my Lord. I shall be at the ready for the Princess's orders."

The Princess's orders.

She wouldn't make a stand in Yu Dao alone.

It was both a disturbing and reassuring realization: they weren't setting her up to fail… but rallying behind her. They would support her. They would stand with her… obeying her leadership? Would they truly be open to doing such a thing? It was hard to believe, and yet it meant they would fight… but they refused to lead. They were fearful due to their lack of knowledge, their inability to act against the Avatar or Sokka… but that didn't mean they would forsake her entirely.

More such commands and choices were swapped afterwards: Bujing would remain in the mainland, aiding in the organization of communication that Commander Gon was in charge of. Commander Gei would handle the supply chain, providing Yu Dao's troops with weapons, armor and the food rations necessary for their operation. Little by little, everything seemed to come together, in a threatening and supportive circle that closed in around her, tighter with every passing second…

Would she be able to reach out to Sokka at all? With so many of her father's leaders nearby… was there any chance that she could do so without it being seen as utter, unforgivable treason?

The end of the war meeting was everything a younger, innocent Azula had once wanted: so many of her father's higher ranked officials greeted her with respect, offering her their best wishes, reassuring her that they would support her in this endeavor and that they even looked forward to doing so. Had this happened well before she had ever known Sokka, she would have thrived in the success, the attention, the validation she had sought for so long… today, she only responded to all of it with graceful reactions that concealed her deep apprehension. Her father hadn't even left quickly, as he typically did: he extinguished the flames surrounding his dais before approaching to speak to her.

"This is not a choice I've made lightly," he told her. Azula nodded. "For all the reasons why that would be so. Your experience at managing the Fire Nation's many crises suggests that you should be able to face these challenges far more effectively than most officers here. That being said… the last thing I want to do is sacrifice you for any manner of victory."

The sincerity in his voice took her aback. Azula swallowed hard.

"I will endeavor to avoid that outcome, Father," she said.

"If that's so, it means you will be ready to abandon the city should matters grow too muddled, should the Deserter outmaneuver your defenses somehow," Ozai said. Azula frowned.

"Abandon…?"

"I'm serious," Ozai said, firmly. "Your life is the most valuable in this nation. You are the heir to this throne, the only one I will ever acknowledge. Your past experiences leading my forces were not in vain. You have certainly earned your place at the head of this army… but I impress upon you, again, that you cannot jump into danger as you did when the Bloodlust Spear struck."

"I… I will ensure that doesn't happen anew," Azula said, tensing up. "But protecting the Fire Nation will require difficult choices. It already has. If it's success you seek…"

"I won't accept it at the cost of your life," Ozai said. Azula's eyes widened. "That would be no success at all. I needn't say that extends to allowing yourself to be captured, too…"

"Naturally," Azula said. Ozai breathed deeply.

"The Fire Nation counts on you. I count on you," he said. "Come home safely, Azula."

The Princess's heart clenched: her father's concern for her sake was conditioned. She needed to remind herself of that before losing her mind to guilt, to helpless hopes that her father might actually care about her. He had showed her, so many times, that he didn't… his unwillingness to address the core concern that bothered him, the main reason why her capture was unacceptable, spoke for itself. He hadn't accepted that she had every right to live her life freely… he wouldn't release Xin Long from imprisonment. As much trust as he offered her now, his eagerness to have his military leaders nearby ensured that she wouldn't stray from the path he marked for her…

"I will do so, Father."

She bowed respectfully towards him, hoping not to show her conflicted feelings. Hoping he'd understand and back away, aware that she wouldn't be likely to change her heart, that her loyalty was true, that he should treasure it for what it was rather than force more than that from her. What she had agreed to do was already far more than she should conceive, and she could only bear it by focusing on saving people, on putting a stop to the violence, if possible…

The rest of the council loitered about, speaking among themselves, but one in particular beelined towards her once Ozai retired: Aonu's anguished expression cut deeply into Azula as he stopped right in front of her.

"Princess…" he said. Azula swallowed hard.

"Not the outcome either of us anticipated from this meeting, no, but… I'll do my best to protect your hometown," she told him. Aonu gaped at her in disbelief.

"I… of course, surely you're bound to succeed at it! But Princess, you… you shouldn't do this. You shouldn't be the one to…" he said. "I swear I'll tear the army apart until I find a suitable lightningbender. I'll get to it right away, because…!"

"I know, Aonu, I know. Calm down," Azula said. He gritted his teeth as Azula jerked her head towards the curtain behind which the Throne Room was concealed. "Please… let us be on our way."

Aonu snarled, fists tight as they marched outside the room together. Azula guided him away from the remaining council members nearby, from the servants, guards and any onlookers or eavesdroppers, all the way to the gardens. Aonu shivered, eyeing her warily as she finally slowed to a halt, arms behind her back.

"What are you going to do about them?" Aonu asked. "About… your daughter?"

"I intend to figure that out next, but…" Azula said, frowning. Aonu's eyes widened.

"Would you… bring her with you?" he said. "A baby, in the frontlines?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't bring her to the battlefield directly… but it has become clear to me over time that I cannot simply hand her over to someone else and hope they'll be able to nourish and care for her while I spend months or weeks on the road," Azula said, with a scowl. "She's still very young…"

"The two of you are the only acknowledged heirs to the Throne," Aonu rebuffed.

"Not really," Azula said, breathing deeply. "Only I am."

Aonu's eyes widened.

"You… haven't presented her at the temple yet," he remembered, a hand over his head. "Princess, that's…! You still can't risk her, she's your child! I… I could find a solution, I could get help…!"

"Aonu, please…" Azula said, eyeing him with earnest humility. Aonu shuddered. "You have much to handle as it is. Sorting out my family's chaotic situation wasn't part of what I hired you for. I have three people to look after, not just one baby. I need to think it over and unravel how best to protect them. I know there are threats that could close in at any second, and I'm afraid you don't have the time or the resources to help me sort this out on your own. I appreciate your concern, but…"

"I can barely fathom the idea of seeing you off to Yu Dao at all…" Aonu said, shaking his head. "I can't understand it. There are as many reasons for you to lead this operation as there are for you not to do it. Why would the Fire Lord agree to this as readily as he did?"

"Because he's desperate. So are the rest of them," Azula said, simply.

"Well, you'll have to excuse me for saying so, but they're spineless cowards," Aonu snarled. Azula smiled. "That they'd leave this up to you, when you have a child to look after, when the enemy is someone like the Gladiator…"

"Indeed. An act of cruelty… a test of loyalty," Azula said, with a shrug. "Depending on how you look at it, it's one of the two, perhaps even both. I'm constantly being challenged and measured, Aonu. Is it wrong or right? I don't know, but it forces me to make choices I'd rather not, every single time. It's unnerving, I admit… but my father thrives in trapping people, rendering all choices irrelevant, beyond their reach."

"You… you have one choice," Aonu said, eyeing her with uncertainty. "At least, one way to protect your daughter. I know you'll find the idea unappealing, especially after what you've been through, but these are desperate times and that calls for desperate measures. I could… I could be the one to present your daughter at the temple, pass her as my own, provided I… if I…"

"If you… were to marry me?"

The concept hung between them for a moment: Aonu's apprehensive expression brought a fond smile to Azula's face.

"I wouldn't do something so cruel to you, Aonu," she said. He gritted his teeth.

"I can be your shield if you do. A better version of one than Zhao was," he said. "I don't care who the child's father is, it wouldn't be me, evidently, but I would acknowledge her. That way, I could keep her safe or… or I could be the one to join the battlefield instead, while you stay with your companions here."

"You're not going to achieve any of that in two days," Azula said. Aonu snarled, burying his face in his hands. "Most of all because I won't let you. We both know there are far more reasons for you not to ever indulge in that idea than the obvious. We would never want each other in the way a husband and a wife should… and I, frankly, have had enough of political marriages after Zhao. My heart has long been claimed, and I've betrayed the person I gave it to enough times as it is. I won't do it again."

Aonu sighed, eyeing her helplessly. Azula shook her head in his direction.

"We'll remain in touch. I'll let you know if I need your help in protecting them, but I'll think on how to do so, myself," she said. "For the time being… I advise that you focus on the many tasks you need to handle before Yu Dao's battle begins. I hope Takase's weaponry is formidable."

"I believe it will be, but… time will tell, I suppose," Aonu sighed. "Can you truly do this? Can you face them… fight the Gladiator? Is it you hope that he'll hold back once he sees it's you, or…?"

"I have no idea what he'd react like, if he turned up at all. He might not," Azula said.

"But you want to see him again, don't you?"

Azula sighed: of course she did. Of course she wanted to run into his arms and forget the worst of her sins from the past year… but she couldn't do so.

"I'm afraid that's not important right now," she said, evasively: movement in the walls, far away, brought back her full caution, and she resonated quickly while still speaking with Aonu. "I have a mission to fulfill, and that matters more than anything. I do advise, though, that we don't speak of such matters quite so carelessly out in the open if we can help it, A-…"

Her calm demeanor froze. Aonu blinked blankly as he watched the Princess, so placid and resigned, shifting into a sudden, inexplicable outrage.

"Princess?" he called her. Azula's eyes snapped up at him, gold glowing with wrathful intent.

"I'm afraid I must cut this conversation short, Aonu. I'll be in touch while I'm at sea, that is, if we don't see each other before I leave. Thank you for your generosity and your concern, but something… something has come up. I'm sorry."

"Princess…" Aonu eyed her warily, but he shook his head in resignation. "If there's anything I can do to help… reach out. I'll be here for you, I promise."

"Thank you. Farewell, Aonu."

Her shift in mood and behavior would likely confuse him for weeks, but Azula had no time to waste: she marched purposefully back into the Palace, no longer concerned with keeping up any pretenses of perfection. Her mind quickly drew multiple potential paths, across the secret passageways that would lead closest to her father's study, and she purposefully picked the path where she would be least likely to bump into anyone. Once she reached her intended hiding spot, she opened the secret passageway with her firebending and she left the doorway ajar, only slightly. That would suffice.

She resonated constantly throughout the process. She could sense her prey, moving slowly, drifting away from his earlier target and towards his master's most frequented location…

He was effortlessly quiet even when he was closest to the hidden doorway. Accustomed to his invisibility, to the ease of his footsteps that slid over grand hallways while no one was the wiser, Seethus failed to detect the ajar door until a hand darted out of it and forcefully clawed the back of his neck.

He gasped at the sudden, unwanted and unwelcome contact.

He was invisible. No one could have known where he was…

No: someone could have known.

Said someone dragged him inside the small, dusty room with an aggressive yank: Seethus lost control of his invisibility as he crashed, face-first, chaotically and painfully, against a solid stone wall. Behind him, the door closed: he was struggling to make out his bearings when a blue light bathed him, allowing his crumpled hood, his clumsy, shaken body to be visible under the power of the Princess's menacing firebending.

"Princess…"

"Don't waste my time with pitiful excuses, Seethus."

Her voice was charged with a blend of rage and disdain that daunted the seasoned assassin. He pushed himself against the wall, knowing he was trapped. Knowing the one person in the world with the power to destroy him stood before him, her eyes blazing with cold steel that seemed to want nothing more than to cut him down for good, right then and there.

"We both know exactly where you were… and the only question that remains is what, exactly, you were doing there," Azula snarled. "How did you get in? You opened the window from outside, did you?"

The assassin didn't respond, and Azula's patience threatened to weaken even further. The fire in her hands grew more rebellious as Seethus shrank in his place.

"What did you want in my bedroom, Seethus?" Azula hissed. "Answer me. Now."

"I… meant to see the child."

The urge to end his miserable existence on that very instant nearly overwhelmed her.

Her fire spiked with that rage, and it daunted Seethus further.

"Did he send you?" Azula asked, her voice deceptively calm. To her surprise, Seethus shook his head. "Then… he truly is testing me in many ways, but this was entirely your idea? You're stepping out of your boundaries and doing things no one should do… testing me, in your own way?"

"I did not intend to…" Seethus said. "I didn't think…"

"Clearly, you didn't: I can track you down, Seethus. I do so all the time. Did you think I'd forgotten about you, for some reason? Don't I stare at you whenever I'm in my father's study often enough to give away that you and the threat you pose are always on my mind?" Azula snapped, raising her voice. Seethus winced.

"You… shouldn't have touched me," he said. Azula scowled. "I'm… I'm ill. My body… you shouldn't have."

"I don't give a damn," Azula snarled. "If you're not under orders… then you ought to know better than to risk my wrath as you have. I'm not a merciful woman, let alone when my privacy is invaded. Twice, I dare add."

"You noticed…?"

"I noticed the first time too, yes," Azula growled.

"You should have… no reason to fear or hide the child," Seethus said. Azula's eyes narrowed. "If you have none… I could have seen it. You could have let me…"

"My child is mine to protect," Azula stated, sternly. "Both my children are. You expect me to trust you not to bring them any harm, when your entire existence revolves around inflicting harm? When you said, yourself, that you're ill and no one should touch or approach you?"

"The Fire Lord…" said Seethus. "He wishes to meet the child. He doesn't dare do anything to that end, for he fears your distrust will grow…"

"And you chose to do something that would convince me that he could not be trusted, didn't you?" Azula said. Seethus flinched. "He's actually giving me important missions, tasks, responsibilities… and in the meantime, you're in my room, trying to unravel information about how treacherous I am, aren't you?"

"I merely… I need to know who the child's father is," he stated, point-blank.

"I am the child's mother," Azula hissed. "And that's all that truly should matter to you. She is of royal blood. She is a descendant of Sozin's, just like my father, just like I am. She is barely a few months old and whatever harm or indignity you intended to inflict upon her…!"

"I wouldn't have, Princess, I…!"

"I will kill you if you so much as dare lay a single one of your putrid fingers on her!" Azula roared. Seethus backed down. "And you know I could. You know that, out of all the people in this wretched world, I have power that can destroy you. I'll have no regrets upon using it against you, especially when you admit that you were operating by your own judgment, endangering people under my care, my protection!"

"I… would have done nothing," Seethus said. "I would have…"

"You would have run to my father with whatever information you procured about me, whether for good or ill," Azula snapped. Seethus didn't have anything to say to that accusation, it seemed. "In short: you were spying on me. You were careless about how you did it, too, enough that I caught you just as you were returning to my father…"

"I… only meant to do what was best for the Fire Lord," Seethus said. "You… you have conflicting loyalties. As much as he has grown to trust you anew… you are not the Fire Lord's ally."

"Neither are you, if you'd disloyally spy on his family," Azula growled.

"You cannot… you cannot kill me. He would know it was you," Seethus said.

"So what?" Azula said, threateningly. Seethus winced. "You're his executioner, aren't you? He's spent a year attempting to kill the man who, according to him, fulfilled the same role in my life. Might as well even things out, wouldn't you say?"

He had no answer to that. Azula preferred it that way.

"Take one more step out of line, attempt to spy on my daughter when I'm absent one more time… and it will be the last thing you ever do," she said, fiercely. "Am I clear?"

Seethus nodded slightly. Azula scoffed in his direction.

"Feel free to tell my father what I've done. Evidently, tell him, too, of what you've been up to," Azula hissed. "If he'd like to antagonize me right after entrusting the protection of Yu Dao to me, he's welcome to do so. I have endured more than I thought possible for myself… but I will not stand for any harm brought to my daughter. Do you understand this, Seethus?"

"I… I will not say anything," he whispered. Azula huffed.

"You won't, then?" she said. "Is this truly so contrary to his orders that you'd rather keep it a secret?"

Seethus didn't speak again. Azula breathed deeply, shaking her head as the fire in her hand burned brighter and hotter still.

"Tread carefully, Seethus. Test me one more time, and I will end your miserable existence for good."

She glared at him, finding no pleasure in the power she held over him. A power that, unbeknownst to him, she couldn't destroy him with – at least, she doubted it. As much as gold fire hadn't been beyond her reach for good, conjuring enough of it to counter Seethus's corruption would be no easy feat. But she had threatened him with it before, and it had paid off back then. He had no way of knowing that wielding gold fire was a struggle for her at the moment when he had seen her controlling blue as successfully as she did.

Azula opened the door, shooting one last glare at the assassin before marching away, speeding towards her room. Whatever the bastard would do next was none of her concern: she meant to make sure her room remained untouched and that the three people hiding within it were still safe.

Renkai and the guard by his side were confused by the heavy scowl on the Princess's face once she stormed up to her room. She didn't even acknowledge the captain of the Third Squad, marching past him and shoving the door open forcefully: she scanned the room, fists tight, quickly attempting to assess any changes since she last had been inside it… any changes besides the open window and the swaying curtains. She detected nothing else on plain sight.

"Princess…?" Renkai called her from the open door. She glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Please, close the door," she said, simply. Renkai grimaced but nodded.

"As you wish, Princess."

Once it was safely closed, Azula marched up to the trapdoor, shoving the rug out of the way and knocking the code quickly. After a mere moment, the trapdoor opened from within: her tension didn't fade fully, but it certainly decreased sufficiently at the sight of Song, Rei and Hotaru, the last of whom was nestled in her sister's arms.

"You're back," Song sighed in relief. She held Wolf's Bane tightly in her hand: she had noticed Seethus had been in the room, of course.

Where Song had expected Azula to pull them up to the surface, though, the Princess surprised her by stepping into the tunnel instead, clasping the trapdoor and closing it behind herself.

The oppressive atmosphere inside the tunnel, where the air was stale and there wasn't much room to move, should have never felt soothing, but it did today. Impulsively, Azula reeled Rei, Hotaru and Song into her arms, releasing a heavy breath as tears pooled in her eyes.

"You're all safe… he couldn't get in here. He didn't think of it, maybe…" Azula said.

"He showed up again," Rei confirmed, gritting her teeth as Azula pulled back: the Princess reached for her youngest daughter then, and she held her tightly to her chest. Hotaru cried out, rejoicing in her mother's return as Azula pressed soft kisses to the child's temples. "We heard his footsteps… they weren't very loud, but we could hear them."

"He wandered all over the place again," Song said, swallowing hard and tapping a box on the ground with the sheathed sword. "I'm glad we brought all our papers underground with us. I get the feeling that he was looking for anything to incriminate you or prove your disloyalty, or…"

"He may have wanted that, but he intended to achieve that by seeing Hotaru for himself," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "The bastard is trying to ascertain that Zhao isn't her father. I don't know why he's so hellbent on doing it now… I don't know what the hell makes him think he should do this just as my father's starting to trust me again. Sure, I'm not truly trustworthy in his eyes, he believes I'm not loyal to him at all, but…"

"You are in the ways he wants you to be. For better or for worse," Song said, scowling. "But you're saying this… because you have reason to believe it? Or did you… did you hunt him down, Azula?"

"It wasn't so hard," Azula said. Song gasped, and Rei's eyes widened. "I gave him a piece of my mind. If he ever comes back… I'll kill him."

"Azula…!" Song gasped. "Isn't he your father's assassin? If you do that…!"

"He says he's acting of his own free will in this specific matter," Azula said. Song frowned.

"Then… he didn't come find Hotaru under the Fire Lord's orders?" she asked.

"Indeed. And perhaps he wasn't lying when he said he didn't mean to hurt her personally," Azula said, with a disbelieving smile, sniffing and wiping away the tears of frustration with a hand. "But he would report back to my father anyway. And once he did, the outcome would be… it would be obvious enough."

Song snarled, fists shaking as Rei hugged herself, shaking her head.

"What are we going to do?" Rei asked. "C-can we do anything? Leave? Song always says we should go, but…"

"I can't afford to escape now," Azula said. Song eyed her pleadingly.

"Are you sure of that?" she asked. "Azula… this is only going to get worse. I know it's crazy, but maybe our old ideas have some merit still. We can look for a child, close to Hotaru's age, swap them for a while for her safety, I don't know…!"

"There's no need for that if you want me to be away from my father, and away from his influence for some time," Azula said, shaking her head as she sat on the ground, holding her daughter tightly. Song and Rei frowned, exchanging a confused glance before joining her there. "There's… trouble. Big trouble, after that war meeting. I'm in a very complicated spot right now… worse than before."

"Why?" Song asked.

"Because he has appointed me to lead Yu Dao's defenses," Azula said, closing her eyes.

Song's jaw dropped. Rei froze, unsure of what to say, even if the words, unwanted and terrifying, had a rather clear meaning…

"W-what…? What?" Song gasped. "Azula, you… you're not joining the war. You can't…"

"The same pitfalls of old have trapped me where I am," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "I told myself… maybe it was a good idea. Maybe I can do this… and keep Yu Dao's people safe from Jeong Jeong. He's the one marching towards Yu Dao, for all we know. But… but then my father and his council brought up Sokka, as well as the Avatar. If the Avatar attempts to destroy us, I… I'm supposed to kill him."

"What?!" Song gasped. Rei shuddered, shaking her head.

"I… I don't even know if I can bend lightning," Azula said, with a disbelieving laugh. "I have no idea if… if I'm ready. If I can't, then all the best, the Avatar might as well annihilate everything and that will be that, for the second time around. I'll fail… surprising no one, considering everything that's happened to me lately. But… but if the Avatar didn't do this, if Sokka were with him, Song, I… I might have a chance to reach out to him. To put a stop to this madness. To find another solution… another way to end the war without more violence. It's… it's a chance, as fucked up as it is, but it's still one…"

"I… I don't know about that, Azula," Song said, warily. "I mean… shit, it means you have to lead Fire Nation forces into… into destroying rebels? What if there's people in Yu Dao who disagree with the Fire Nation, who want this liberation?"

"I'll defend them every bit as much as I'd defend the others," Azula said. Song's eyes widened. "I don't want to fight. I'll do everything in my power to keep their forces at bay… both for their sake and ours. I know this war is as good as lost for my father… the Fire Nation cannot win anymore. All that I can do, at this point, is protect the people who cannot protect themselves."

Song gazed at her in confusion… but that perplexity slowly shifted to understanding: Azula wouldn't set out to fight her father's war. She was intent on saving lives, instead. On doing exactly what Song had always wished she could. Even if the situation was as distant from ideal as could be, if Azula truly had the freedom to protect vulnerable people, if just for a little while, it meant her circumstances might be better, in Yu Dao, than here…

But someone else didn't seem to agree with that notion.

"W-why you?" Rei asked, her voice hitching as her throat thickened with tears. Azula raised her eyes towards her. "N-not… not a general, or a soldier, or… w-why would he want it to be you? Y-you're… y-you're his heir. He should want you safe… m-my father already died, why would he…?"

"Rei…" Azula's voice was charged with empathy as she reached for Rei with a hand: the girl didn't even notice, wiping her tears forcefully as she was.

"I… I know they might need you, a-and you're probably better at this t-than anyone else, but… why you? Why…? I… I already lost him, I… I can't lose you… I can't lose you…!"

The girl collapsed, shaking her head as Azula inched closer: Song took Hotaru briefly, allowing Azula to envelop her crying daughter in her arms, rubbing her back affectionally as the girl sobbed, clawing desperately at Azula.

"D-don't do this…! Don't go, please, I…! I'll do anything, just don't… d-don't leave me…!"

"Rei…" Azula whispered her name affectionately, gritting her teeth as her own tears threatened to spill as well. "Rei, dear, I…"

She didn't have any reassurances to give the girl. She couldn't swear she would survive, couldn't promise the battle wouldn't be as fierce as it likely would be. If the best-case scenario didn't happen, if things didn't fall into place… then she would be drawn into the violence and the struggle of two factions vying for power, one for the sake of global domination, the other to impede such a thing. Even if the enemy was Jeong Jeong, a man she fundamentally despised, she knew he was on the right side of the war: she was stuck having to fight for the wrong one regardless of her beliefs, of what was in her heart, or else she'd risk countless things she prized and treasured… such as Rei herself.

"I know this is hard, Rei. I know how painful it is to fathom seeing me off to war…" Azula said, and Rei sobbed on her shoulder, shaking her head repeatedly.

"I hate war…! I hate this, so much, I… I want it to stop. I need it to stop…!"

"I'll only have an opportunity to stop it if I go, I'm afraid," Azula said, tightening her grip around Rei. The girl shook her head again, crying desperately. "I know, dear, I know, I… I wouldn't be any better off if I were in your shoes. I wanted to… to scream at Sokka when I knew what he'd been doing. But…"

"Y-you'll have to stay. I won't let you go anywhere…" Rei sniffed, and Azula smiled warmly at her.

"Is this your very first tantrum, Rei?" she asked. Rei hiccupped, shrugging afterwards.

"Maybe. I don't know. I'm not… n-not letting you go. I can't… I just can't," she said. "I don't know what I'd do, I… I don't know what any of us would do. We need you… we need you, Mom."

The word struck her hard, more so after what Rei had been through, not that long ago: her birth mother, the opportunistic woman, had sought to build bridges with Rei for the sake of profit. It wasn't only the danger posed by Seethus… but the one posed by the Scarlet Oasis, too, if her daughter was left defenseless.

"I know… I need you too, all of you," Azula said, closing her eyes and sighing. "I don't… I don't want to let go either. I won't know how to trust that you would be safe if I'm not around to make sure of it…"

"Then… tell him you can't do it," Song pleaded. "Go back to your father and… and tell him you can't. I know you could change things for the better, Azula, and that's the only reason why I could ever think this was okay, but… you can't rush into a battlefield and leave everyone behind in your father's control. It's not just Hotaru, Rei and I, it's…"

"It's Xin Long. Mai and Ty Lee…" Azula finished. Song nodded. "The entire nation is his hostage to force me to do whatever he pleases. I'm aware of that. But I can do more for them by doing what's expected of me…"

"No, please…" Rei wept. Azula sighed.

"I know this sounds terrible, Rei… and I know you don't want to leave me. But just thinking about it…" Azula said, frowning. "The truth is I can't leave you here either."

"You can't leave us?" Rei asked, pulling back and wiping her tears. "You… you won't? You'll tell him no?"

Azula breathed deeply, glancing at her two companions, at the baby in Song's arms: leaving them was not an option. It never had been.

"As wary as either of you may feel upon hearing these words… I think I have a plan, at last."

---

The latest developments in her life had ensured that Princess Azula wouldn't be able to visit her dragon as often as she would have liked: she had spent months without seeing Xin Long when she returned to his refuge that evening, for she hadn't dropped by ever since the dreadful day in which she had been confined to bed rest until her pregnancy ended.

She usually visited during the day: it was rare when she turned up near dusk, as she did on that day, with her usual companions. Captain Renkai stepped forward, approaching the familiar guard of the refuge.

"Good evening," Renkai said. The guard bowed his head respectfully. "The Princess intends to visit her dragon."

"Well, of course. I'm sure he'll be stoked, he must have missed her," the guard said, with a weak smile. Renkai's reaction wasn't quite so leisurely, though.

"Certainly. But please… come this way."

"Oh? Is something the matter?" the guard blinked blankly, as Renkai clasped his shoulder and tugged him away from the refuge's gate, forcing him to turn his back on where the Princess and her companions stood. "Captain…?"

"Am I mistaken to suspect that there are less guards patrolling the walls than there should be?"

"Wait, what?"

"See, there's too large a gap between those two. Someone is slacking off, don't you think?"

"Why… I don't know. Perhaps they're just not properly synched…?"

Whatever Renkai was doing to distract the guard's attention, Azula breathed out slowly and marched forward: Song, beside her, helped her with keeping a proper screen of bodies in front of Rei, in whose arms nestled a confused, restless Hotaru.

"Well, I don't know if there's any trouble, Captain, but if you believe there is, perhaps you should bring it up to the Fire Lord…?" the guard was saying by the time they were closest to him: Azula urged Rei to hurry, and the girl slipped through the refuge's open doorway just before the guard turned towards her. "Princess! Welcome. I'm sure you'll find your dragon is in good conditions still…"

"I hope so. Renkai, what was that about?" Azula asked. Renkai hummed.

"They're not in proper synch," he told her. Azula crooked an eyebrow.

"Well, that's too bad," she said. "Don't be so neurotic, you'll drive our friend here mad."

"O-oh, it's fine, Princess! It's no trouble…" the guard laughed carelessly as Azula nodded in his direction, entering the refuge quietly: Song remained by the door, glancing back at Renkai, ready to convey any warnings over danger to either the guard or the girls within the refuge.

Azula breathed out in relief once she was inside: Xin Long groaned a drowsy greeting, pushing himself up to his feet and approaching her so his brow would press against hers.

"There you are… Xin Long," Azula sighed, her heart momentarily eased by embracing her dragon warmly… though the reality of what would happen in the coming weeks weighed on her, still. "I'm sorry I couldn't come, I'm sorry I…"

Xin Long growled, shaking his head and offering her cheek a careless lick. Azula laughed, sliding her hands over his hair as her dragon's golden gaze sparked with hope: she had a chance to leave. She should take it, get out of her father's control for good and live freely by Sokka's side…

Her smile waned quickly, a stricken expression replacing her smile. Xin Long groaned again, worried over her hesitation.

"I can't… you can't ask me to forsake you for good, Xin," she said. Xin Long huffed, and his eyes glared at her judgmentally: her father could do whatever he pleased to him, so long as she survived. "Considering what that actually entails, Xin, what he's proven capable of… I can't fathom doing that to you. You know what I actually have in mind, you can see it…"

He could, and that was exactly why he wanted to be the voice of reason: she had to be free. If she could cut him free right now, wouldn't she do so too?

"I would if I didn't fear the consequences," Azula whispered. "They'd hunt you down anyway, Xin… and then my father would replace you with any other hostage at his leisure. Such as… as Hotaru."

Xin Long's ears perked up as she spoke her daughter's name. Azula smiled a little before turning towards Rei: the young woman approached Azula, offering the baby to her mother delicately.

The Princess turned towards her partner, slowly uncovering her daughter's face: the blankets wrapped around her revealed the child to Xin Long's eager eyes, and he whimpered in a rather unusual way at the sight of her.

"She is quite cute, yes," Azula smiled. Xin Long groaned, approaching more, eyes glued to the little human before him…

She truly was endearing, with those round cheeks and the golden eyes of firebenders like them. To think she was so small, too… most humans were small indeed, but she had to be a record! Azula laughed at that thought, and Xin Long groaned in a fond manner: Hotaru gaped at him with curiosity, raising her hands out of the bundle of blankets she had been kept in, and reaching out to touch his scaly body.

"Now, now… careful," Azula whispered, though she held Hotaru close to Xin Long, allowing her to pat his forehead.

The texture of the scales was like nothing she had ever touched before: that, apparently, thrilled Hotaru, who made a rather unusual cooing sound, her mouth a small circle as she patted him some more. He giggled in approval, and Hotaru hardly seemed to notice his voice, enthralled as she was by the ridges and overlapping scales.

"Looks like you both love each other right away. As you should," Azula said, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "This is Hotaru, Xin. Hotaru, this is Xin Long… my dragon. He had wanted to meet you for so long…"

Xin Long groaned, as though to confirm Azula's claim with a proud nod. Hotaru squirmed in Azula's arms, and Azula gasped as she tightened her grip: the baby continued to reach for Xin Long, this time raising her hand for one of his horns.

"Someone wants to grow up to be a dragon rider, from the looks of it," Azula smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek. Hotaru cried out happily again, kicking her legs in the air as Xin Long groaned warmly. "Here I was worried she'd be scared… but I suppose that wouldn't make much sense, huh? This is a dragon family, after all."

Xin Long groaned again, nostalgically this time: their family of dragons had been torn apart so cruelly, but there was one new member in it now, if not more than one… he glanced at Rei, who smiled and waved in his direction, and he acknowledged her with a nod and another draconic groan.

"I know how hard this is, Xin," Azula whispered, cradling Hotaru tightly in one arm while using her other hand to caress his cheek. "But the world Sokka wants to build is certain to be one where you'll fly freely. You'll be able to return to your friends… you'll live the life of freedom I promised you and that I failed to provide. I know you don't hold it against me, even if it's my fault…"

Xin Long huffed, and Azula sighed as she pressed her face to his head again.

"But everything I do now is meant to ensure that you'll be part of that world, when the time comes," she whispered. "I… I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll give my father no reason to hurt you again. But, in the case that he… that he loses his mind somehow, that he decides to take out his rage on you, be ready, Xin. Eat, retain your strength. Stay away from that damn blade…"

Oh, that last thing was a given: he never approached the area of the refuge where the blade hung, still. If anything, he was tempted to figure out how to destroy the mechanism, but it was easier said than done. He wanted to break free, of course, and he gnawed the chains at times, dug holes in the ground at others, even spat fire in hopes of melting the metal… but it hadn't worked just yet.

"Well… maybe do a mix of those things," Azula suggested. Xin Long groaned, curious over her intent. "Take a big enough chunk of the chain into your jaws… and burn it until it melts, as you did with Wolf's Bane? Might not be easy if you can't really bend your body that way, but… if things get dire, maybe look for a way to do that?"

Xin Long groaned and nodded. But if things didn't get that complicated… he'd stay here. He'd wait for her to come back. As soon as the chance arrived, as soon as she told him the time was right, he would break free by any means necessary… but if his escape would endanger her and those she wanted to protect, he'd endure a little longer. She had helped free him from the worst of this captivity already… he had found strength in her, and he would cling to it. If this was the path she chose, then he chose it with her.

"You're… you're as stubborn as I am," Azula said, with a heartfelt smile. "I'll do everything I can to come back to you as soon as possible. Stay safe… stay strong. No matter how far away I might be… I'll come back for you as soon as I can. This isn't goodbye for good…"

No, it wasn't: she could speak with him from a distance, after all. If she needed him, he would answer every time. It wasn't like he had much to entertain himself with in the refuge anyway.

"I suppose that's true…" Azula said, smiling sadly at him.

If only she could have set him free… if only she could have done more than introduce him personally to her daughter. Hotaru cooed again, taking advantage of Xin Long's closeness to slide a hand through his hair once again.

"Maybe… maybe the next time I come here, it will be indeed to set you free," Azula whispered, leaning in to kiss his brow. "I love you, Xin Long. This… this will be over sooner than we know it, I'm sure."

Xin Long groaned: it would be… and she would be free, just as he would be. She would no longer do her father's bidding.

Azula sighed and nodded: the exact circumstance of her freedom was yet to be determined… but whether she lived or died through the ordeals yet to come, Sokka's success was a certainty she didn't question. The only remaining thread to resolve was what sacrifices would be necessary for Sokka to overcome the Fire Nation's tyranny and end the Hundred Year War.

Azula sighed as she pulled back: it seemed that Hotaru might throw a tantrum over being pulled away from the amusing creature she had just met. Azula hushed her softly, rocking her in her arms and turning her back on Xin Long, forcefully breaking Hotaru's line of sight from the dragon.

"There, there," Azula said, soothing the pouting child as tears began blooming in her eyes. "I'll bring you back to him eventually, Hotaru, but we have to go. And you have to be very quiet, too…"

It didn't seem that the child was all that willing to obey, pouting and crying out softly in protest. Azula couldn't hold back a soft chuckle, wiping the tears from her daughter's cheeks with a thumb.

"I've certainly lost my mind. I thought I'd stop finding you cute once you started acting up… turns out I love you too much for that to happen, Hotaru. Isn't that astounding?" she said, pressing her lips to Hotaru's brow again, repeatedly, rocking her from side to side tenderly.

She eased her as best she could, at least until she wasn't as prone to weeping anymore. She bundled her up in the blankets once more before Rei approached, offering to take her sister.

"Thank you," Azula said, and Rei nodded, with a weak smile.

"We have to go now?" she asked. Azula breathed deeply and nodded.

"We're ready," Azula said.

They had spent the bulk of that day, the one that followed the Fire Lord's latest war meeting, preparing for Azula's impending departure: they would enact her plan to protect her family as soon as they returned to her room.

Azula spared one more glance at Xin Long, who groaned lovingly in her direction: if someone could achieve the unthinkable, the impossible, it was her. He would stay safe… and he would believe in her wholeheartedly as she protected the Fire Nation people, and the whole world, from her father and from the warmongers that sought to destroy everything.

She would bring back balance somehow, he believed she would. He meant to wait patiently until she succeeded.

Azula breathed deeply, nodding at Song by the refuge's threshold: she, in turn, conveyed a non-verbal cue to Renkai, leading him to distract the guard once more, this time by speaking of the constellations in the spreading mantle of the starry sky. The guard couldn't seem to fathom why the usually stoic guard would be so chatty, but he carried on watching the stars with him as Song helped Rei return to the Palace's hallways: Azula bid farewell to the guard, and Renkai joined her right away in their procession back to the Princess's room.

The beginning of Azula's plan would be even more dangerous than this goodbye to Xin Long had been. At a lack of certainty regarding the future, she had decided to do this now, to talk to her dragon personally, to introduce him to her daughter… for if her father decided to interpret her next actions as treason, as he was wont to do, she couldn't know what the cost would be for herself and her family… but she had to stand her ground. She would refuse to be entirely helpless when so many lives seemed to ride on her ability to protect them. She would do what she needed to do… for no cost could be too great to keep her child safe from the wretched reach of her father's assassin.

---

"Princess Azula's Barge set out from the bay only ten minutes ago, my Lord."

Ozai frowned as he sat at his study: the bleak expression on Aonu's face suggested he still firmly believed this course of action was a mistake. Were the situation any different, Ozai would have proudly rebuffed such beliefs, he would have told off Aonu for his incredulity… but he, too, dreaded that it would be one.

She was his heir: she shouldn't be in danger, especially when the enemy had already killed a Crown Prince.

She was the enemy's former lover: how could he trust that she wouldn't be swayed by that wretch if he were given any chances to communicate directly with her? He had already broken his daughter's mind once before: couldn't he do it again?

She was the greatest threat to the enemy: should the Gladiator not show up, the Deserter might target her in particular once he learned she was in the city. His known animosity towards the Fire Nation's Royal Family could not be underestimated. Even if the Gladiator cared about her, enough to want to keep Azula safe, the likelihood was that Jeong Jeong would refuse to respect his wishes.

And sometimes, the warnings of his dead friend would come to mind, too: this was all part of her plan, Azula and the Blue Wolf had schemed to destroy the Fire Nation, to break his control over the world. Treason and disloyalty, lust for power and control… could those truly be the motivations behind Azula's latest choices?

He wanted to believe otherwise. He wanted to trust otherwise.

Zhao hadn't trusted her. He was dead now.

Seethus hadn't trusted her either.

Shaofeng believed she was a threat to the stability of the Fire Nation.

She was his daughter… but Azula might just be the greatest threat against Ozai's rule, rather than the White Lotus or the Gladiator. She had the power to overtake this nation… to turn it on its head and destroy everything Sozin had ever stood for. Would she dare do it? Would she choose to? Had the Gladiator changed her so profoundly that she would abandon everything she had ever believed in, all be it for that man…?

Doubts crept in every corner of his mind. Questions went unanswered. But one that had rounded his thoughts too often finally seemed to rear its head too loudly to ignore it: it was time to learn the truth. He had put it off for too long. The answer to that specific question would have no small role to play in his willingness to trust Azula, from now on…

"Was my request fulfilled on time?" he asked, his voice charged with emotion. Aonu nodded.

"I saw to its delivery personally, my Lord."

"Very well. Carry on with your duties, War Minister Aonu," Ozai said, pushing himself up. Aonu eyed him with uncertainty.

"I will be on my way to check on the Mad Alchemist, then. With any luck, the first shipment of weapons will be delivered shortly," he said. Ozai nodded.

"Very well. See to it that his weapons reach Yu Dao at haste."

"Yes, my Lord."

Aonu retired then: Ozai waited briefly, breathing in and out as he pondered his course of action once more…

With his resolve built, he stepped out of his room, on his way to Azula's.

His guards flanked him there: Seethus followed invisibly, as well. Ozai's fists trembled as he approached the room that, for the first time in months, was not protected by two guards of the Third Squad, all of whom had joined Azula in this voyage. Ozai approached the door, checking it quickly to find it was locked.

It was a quickly resolved matter: the head of staff arrived shortly, carrying the master keys for every room in the Palace. Unlocking Azula's door was a menial matter, and it was handled quickly: the dark room greeted him, and Ozai stepped inside to find all curtains drawn, all furniture pristine, the bed properly made, her breakfast tray waiting for a servant to take it away.

It was no different from the last time Ozai had been there, barring a few details – the replaced bed, the plain rug, the curtains too…

He frowned, though, upon realizing that something was missing, something he had never seen for himself, but that should have been there nonetheless:

There was no crib.

There was no sign to indicate that a newborn child had ever been in this room, in fact.

He scowled before approaching the cabinets by Azula's wall: pulling them open revealed some of Azula's belongings, but nothing that offered him even the slightest understanding of where the child could be… or of where the child's older sister was either, for that matter.

As far as he knew, Rei and Lady Wen had taken up residence in the Princess's bedroom to assist her with any eventualities that arose as she cared for her newborn. But judging by this room… they hadn't been there, either.

"What…?" he frowned before turning on his heels and leaving the room at haste.

He wasn't one to frequent the servants' quarters, but he did so on that day, to mortifying results: no one knew where Lady Wen and Rei were. Their rooms were empty.

He should have commanded for every available guard to search the Palace, high and low, for the two of them, for the child as well. But an unsettling feeling in his gut told him he had made a terrible mistake, countless of them, in fact… and one of those was pushing his daughter so far, so cruelly, that she would sooner take a baby to a battlefield than leave her in his care.

Considering what he had in mind by searching for the girl, could Azula even be blamed if she thought so?

He snarled, fists tight as regret, once more, took hold of his very soul. He had failed her… he had failed her in so many more ways than he could count. He had failed her just now, too, by proving her correct to protect her daughter fiercely, by any means necessary, from her very own grandfather.

He was everything she dreaded he might be. The irresponsible, foolish, cruel father she had never deserved.

"My Lord… should we search further?" asked one of his guards.

No… he knew exactly where they were. There was no point in searching any further.

The only course of action would be to call her back. To demand for her immediate return… to confront her for the obvious truth of the child's parentage. To berate her for having pushed Zhao into a burst of madness that had spiraled out of control, so badly that he had wound up paying with his life for his marriage to her. She had lied, deceived, tricked and manipulated until the very last moment…

He opened his mouth… and no words came out.

A sigh did, instead.

A smooth, soulful voice, all too familiar, seemed to speak by his ear then, causing shivers to run down his spine:

"Is this the kind of father you always meant to be?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"There will be no search. Leave it be," he said, turning on his heels, marching not to his study, not to the Agni Kai Arena… but to his bedroom. "Leave me be."

It was enough. He'd done enough. He had pushed his daughter into becoming everything she now was, for better or for worse. Ursa had been right about so many things… and he had never listened. Maybe it was time he listened now.

The child would be safe. Azula would see to that. Her midwife and Zhao's daughter would help to that end, too. Whether she betrayed him or not, it was no longer in his hands: perhaps dying by her hand would be a fitting death in the end, for the ultimate culprit for all the deaths, including Zhao's, had been Ozai himself upon attempting to rain his idea of justice upon the Gladiator to heinous consequences.

They would be safe and sound in Azula's ship, on their way to Yu Dao. He would communicate solely to ensure that she remained on course. But for now…

For now, he would hold Ursa's hairpiece, hoping to find her someplace in the dark depths of his dreams anew as he closed his eyes.