Negotiations and Compromise
2
"There is no need for introductions. Everyone here knows why we have gathered, as the circumstances could not be more obvious. In the wake of the latest developments, our world has changed. A new era has begun… and in this room, we will determine what the new world order will become for the foreseeable future. This war was waged for no more than a hundred and eleven years… and at no point before this have two warring factions sat down for peace talks as we have today. It certainly appeared unlikely to happen until as early as two years ago, when the Fire Nation's advance seemed unstoppable and its triumph all but assured. This has changed now… with the Fire Lord's demise, and the inevitable defeat of his firebending forces. Before we move on… does any representative for the Fire Nation intend to protest the outcome of the latest battle? Is there any question left pertaining who has claimed victory in the war? Or may we move forward with the certainty that the Fire Nation, regardless of whatever shape it shall take in its future, has surrendered on this day?"
Jeong Jeong's eyes traveled over every member of the Fire Nation's group: unsurprisingly, they settled on Azula in particular, at the very end of his question. Azula's eyes narrowed: it would be up to her to answer. Those around her would defend whatever choice she made now… even if she were quite so stupid and callous as to make the wrong one. She certainly hoped that any loyalists of her father, such as Bujing, would be able to keep their mouths shut when she nodded towards Jeong Jeong.
"As… as a representative of the Fire Nation, and daughter of the late Fire Lord, I publicly state on this moment that the Fire Nation has surrendered. The Hundred Year War is at an end, and we accept our defeat."
Jeong Jeong nodded: there were pained faces among the Fire Nation group, but nobody protested. Sokka sighed, arms folded over his chest, hoping that was the last of the theatrics Jeong Jeong intended to put out…
"Then the specific terms of this surrender shall be discussed now," Jeong Jeong said. "As is well known, the Fire Nation has over a hundred years of warfare and cruelty to answer for. It is in our best interests to ascertain that the Fire Nation will, indeed, make amends and compensate other nations for the countless grievances that…"
Azula raised a hand, stopping him on his tracks. Jeong Jeong scowled, and the Princess breathed deeply.
"I may be the main representative of the Fire Nation now… it does not mean that I am the indisputable one, much less is there any certainty that I will be the next Fire Lord. While I certainly see no harm in discussing whatever the Fire Nation can do to make amends for the war… I will say, any promises spoken in this room are of little value unless you draw them directly out of the next Fire Lord."
"There is no new Fire Lord yet, however," Jeong Jeong said, firmly. "One will be chosen in the coming days, if not today. That, too, was to be part of these talks…"
"And you intend to determine the succession yourself?" General Bujing said, with a scoff. "Pardon me, but that is rather presumptuous coming from none other than the Deserter…"
"You did just lose the war. If you need to be reminded of that," Master Pakku spoke. "I'm not sure you're in any position to dismiss Jeong Jeong's words, or call them presumptuous. The victor of any war pronounces their terms, the loser must abide… isn't that how it works?"
"If that's the case, why are we even gathered here?" Azula asked. Pakku frowned. "If you merely meant to determine the Fire Nation's course regardless of the opinion of Fire Nation representatives, you could have very well done this on your own, seized power in whatever manner you cared to, and sidelined or executed every last one of us to ensure that the Fire Nation people would fall into your punishing hands, should this be the shape of your revenge. Yet we were summoned here, and as we were, we will be heard. The Fire Nation's defeat does not imply the perpetual obedience or subservience of our nation to the White Lotus's whims."
"What of the Gladiator's whims?" Jeong Jeong asked. Azula flinched, but her scowl didn't loosen up in the least.
"The Gladiator knows better than to impose his will upon other nations and conquer them mercilessly," Azula said, surprising members of either side of the discussion. "Otherwise, he would have been crowned Earth King, Chief of the North and South, and he would have called himself Fire Lord by now. No one in history has achieved what he has, and yet I do not see him vying for power and control as desperately as you're implying he would."
Sokka's heart clenched, even if warmth spread in his chest at her words. The weight in his pocket seemed to grow heavier still… but he didn't make any moves yet. He merely sat in place, arms folded, clearly unwilling to join in on whatever Jeong Jeong was saying.
"Yet you are in no position to make whatever demands you care to," Pakku reiterated. "That is what is most important for you to understand…"
"I continue to wonder how, exactly, you expect to determine the fate of the Fire Nation while openly disregarding the will, not only of the people themselves, but of those of us who were summoned here today," Azula said. "Were you expecting us to sit back and nod along your every word? I can certainly agree to the obvious: the war has ended and the Fire Nation has been defeated. But I insist: any promises I may make now will be irrelevant simply because I do not have the authority, as things stand, to choose anything for the entire Fire Nation."
"There are matters that should be agreed upon regardless of who takes the throne," Jeong Jeong said, firmly. "I do not know what the matter of succession will boil down to, but I have asked all of you here simply to establish clear rules in those regards. Or is it that you would disagree to notions as straightforward and simple as ending slavery? As withdrawing the Fire Nation's presence from all nations it does not belong in? For if you wish to protest those notions, it will be all the easier for the whole world to decide that you are not fit to sit on that throne in the wake of your father's demise."
"Ironic… there is no throne for me to sit on to begin with," Azula said. Jeong Jeong's eyes narrowed at her straightforward response. She breathed deeply, though, and raised her head in defiance. "If those are the terms you're concerned by, then I shall address them as I can now, even if… if I'm certain more time would have allowed me to compose a more reasonable answer. Good thing I'd pondered them in the past, I'd say. Slavery will be abolished, evidently. There are no grounds for it, there never were, and I haven't spent the past years seeking to unravel it just to demand for it to remain standing now…"
"But a mere abolishment does not imply you will punish all those who held slaves across the past years, or will you?" asked Shiju, frowning. "Otherwise…"
"I would have to face the punishment myself? Half the nation would," Azula said. "Is that what you would demand? Any slave master must pay for their crimes in blood?"
"No," Sokka finally spoke: his voice echoed in the room, startling those who sat with him. Jeong Jeong's eyes showed a spark of panic Azula would have relished in, if the situation had been any different. "Of all the people in this room right now… I'd dare say the only one who has faced slavery in the flesh was me. Consider me presumptuous for trying to decide for those who suffered it in worse ways than I did… but I will not allow an indiscriminate hunt of every single person who ever held a slave. The main culprit behind slavery, as far as I've been told, is General Shaofeng."
"That doesn't change that countless people were held as prisoners, hostages, used for forced labor for years…" Shiju said.
"And they will be free from those burdens now," Sokka said. "They will be allowed to walk away and never look back. Just so… those who do not wish to do so would be free to stay. That is, indeed, the point of freedom."
"Stay?" Shiju asked. Sokka scoffed.
"I'm afraid there's a lot more complexity and nuance in this matter than most of you are willing to accept right now. Not every slave owner was a monster, believe it or not. Even if most were bastards, there is, indeed, a record of the truly harmful people who ever owned slaves… that record exists because of the Enforcers. Azula's initiative. If you're concerned that she would be ready to defend herself and her right to own slaves, you're barking up the wrong tree. Across the history of slavery in the Fire Nation, only Azula ever made choices that would benefit slaves and hold masters accountable for their harm against them… she would have abolished it outright back then if she'd had the chance. And that chance exists now."
"You… have records of the criminal slave owners?" asked Pakku, frowning, glancing over at the Princess, but she wasn't the one who responded.
"The Enforcers have been in operation for two years now," Mei Xun spoke up. "We have kept records of numerous slave owners, we settled better terms for their commerce in official markets, we protected slaves that were victims of mistreatment and cruelty by their masters. The masters were to be sentenced in different ways, depending on the severity of their crimes…"
"The punishments were never as harsh or as strict as we would have liked," Azula said, frowning. "But the laws have been in place for sufficient time by now that they should allow easier tracking of all slave owners in the Fire Nation."
"That being said… should every slave owner be treated as criminal for doing something that was legal during Fire Lord Ozai's tenure?" Bujing asked. Azula eyed him skeptically. "Outlawing it now… it would mean that past slave owners should not be punished for crimes that weren't that, in the times in which the laws did not exist. You would not prosecute a criminal for cutting down a tree that was only pronounced sacred on the day after it fell. The same logic applies now: we cannot retroactively imprison the Fire Nation citizens who were ever slave masters solely because they were… not unless it's proven that they broke the slavery laws. Those, too, did not come into effect to sentence everyone who committed crimes before they were established…"
"A rather irksome matter, when it comes to the worst slave abusers," Azula remarked, startling Bujing. "But indeed, that same logic was spoken back in the day, and as much as I can understand concerns on the subject, we cannot promise anything but steep punishments, be it immediate imprisonment or outright execution, to anyone who continues to enslave others once the abolition has been decreed. If ever partaking in slavery across the past ten years means immediate guilt… well, there would simply not be enough room in prisons, not enough wood for pyres, to have us all subjected to the punishments we deserve."
"It doesn't have to come to that," Sokka said, firmly. Azula met his eyes remorsefully. "I know why anyone would argue for this outcome, but I've said all along that I didn't set out on a quest of revenge. It remains true now. Anyone who fails to uphold the abolishment after the new Fire Lord establishes it will pay the price. The ones who didn't treat their slaves as scum will be certain to follow the new laws and agree to their freedom. Those who didn't will continue to prove their spinelessness and no doubt will earn the punishment they deserve."
"Some might be cunning enough to slip through the cracks," said Anorak. Sokka sighed.
"We'll try to avoid it. The Enforcers can help with that. But for now… I think it's safe to say that putting an end to slavery, and punishing those who dare continue its dark legacy, will suffice for anyone who ever bore the brunt of slavery."
"This, however… means that these Enforcers will have their hands full," Jeong Jeong pointed out, staring at Mei Xun. "You would be in charge not only of taking the slaves out of their masters' hands… but, perhaps, of sending them back to their lands? Of reuniting their families?"
"I'd dare say that's far too much work for a group as small as the Enforcers," Azula frowned, looking at him sternly. "How about you give us a hand in that sense? The White Lotus has a wider network of agents than the Fire Nation does. You have contacts all across the Earth Kingdom, spies everywhere… you could do better at reuniting families than we would. Whatever support you require, the Fire Nation would agree to provide… but as things stand, the compensation for over a hundred years of war already will be steep enough to add such a complicated enterprise for us to handle, too."
"Cooperation can be done," Sokka said, nodding. Jeong Jeong nodded back at him. "White Lotus agents could work alongside the Enforcers to bring families back together, relocating people back to their homes… it does seem like a job far more fitting for the organization you were supposed to be than anything you've done so far."
"I suppose it suits you to say so," Jeong Jeong said, skeptically.
"What of those who won't wish to leave?"
The sudden question came from an unexpected source: Aonu, slumped, nearly crouched by the back of the room, stared at Jeong Jeong with dead-like eyes.
"You speak of slavery and reuniting families with simplicity…" Aonu said. "But each individual case is different. I'm… a Fire Nation man, an illegitimate child of a nobleman, who just so happened to be born an earthbender. I don't know where I belong… where I want to belong. My… my best friend, my gladiator, was the opposite of me. He would have thrived in the Earth Kingdom with his family… but his only living relative died, just… j-just as he is dead, now. What answer do you wish to give to people like him? People who have made a living… made families, even, with people of other nations? What of slaves who have nowhere left to go because the Fire Nation destroyed their homes? Would you… would you force them to rebuild when they barely have the strength to hold themselves upright? Not everything is as cut and dry as you're making it sound. What exactly are you to do with… with Honorary Fire Nation Citizens, huh? You mean to force them back to a nation that will likely punish and retaliate against them for betraying their birth nation?"
"That… is a whole other matter," Jeong Jeong scowled. Sokka breathed deeply.
"He has a point, though," Sokka said. Jeong Jeong turned towards him. "It's rather ironic for him to ask that question to you, too. You forsook your nation, didn't you? You despised fire, you joined the White Lotus, spent your life in the Earth Kingdom, working with those of other nations… would you return to the Fire Nation now, forcefully, even when you don't wish to be here for good? Or have you changed your mind about the Fire Nation's value and you're finally at peace with your own element?"
Jeong Jeong, for once, fell silent. Azula almost wanted to thank Sokka for it. The Gladiator, though, breathed out slowly and pushed himself to his feet.
"This isn't exactly news to most of us. Even those who are at peace with their nation, who don't wish to live elsewhere, have undoubtedly met others who don't necessarily feel the same way," Sokka said, pacing in the room. "And I do believe… that balance isn't going to be achieved by confining people to a set territory and forcing them to only thrive within those boundaries. That's only going to send the world on the same path that led to the Hundred Year War… only, another nation might be the one to attack next. Who knows, maybe a Water Tribe might. Maybe a section of the Earth Kingdom. All be it because nobody's allowed to choose for themselves, even though the land they were born to wasn't their choice."
"And what do you propose?" Pakku asked, perplexed. "It seems unlikely for every nation to expel all foreigners at this point, I accept that, but…"
"Mixed marriages and children have become more prevalent and common as time goes by," Sokka told him. "How would you treat someone like Aonu, born to Fire Nation nobility, with mixed heritage, whose home was always Yu Dao? If the colonies return to Earth Kingdom jurisdiction, you'd force a man you acknowledge as Fire Nation to live in a nation that isn't his. Conversely, if he decides to stay in Fire Nation territories and abandons Yu Dao, it means he's now barred from returning to his hometown? How is either alternative fair?"
"The Fire Nation cannot retain power over the colonies, though," Pakku said, firmly.
"I never said it would," Sokka responded, before turning towards Azula. "You never meant for that to be the solution, did you?"
"No," Azula admitted, meeting his eyes with uncertainty.
"Do you have anything in mind?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. "Because… I might have some thoughts."
"Feel free to share," Azula said, her voice likely far more affectionate than intended, a tone out of place in a meeting as serious as this one. Sokka cleared his throat.
"The Fire Nation has already lost power and control over many cities. Ba Sing Se, in particular, is a predicament: the Fire Nation administration was surprisingly transparent, helmed by General Tiang, who pushed forward initiatives to improve the lives of Earth Kingdom folk in ways that the Earth King never did. This… doesn't mean Tiang should be the man in power. But it also doesn't mean that Fire Nation people were only capable of cruelty. If good could come of their presence in other nations, if they could impact them positively rather than negatively, then we could build each other up instead of tearing each other down. If Tiang's initiatives and ideas were carried forward by the Earth Kingdom administration… wouldn't it be, ultimately, a good thing? No matter whose mind brought those ideas to the fore?"
"Yes, but…" Jeong Jeong said, frowning. "That would qualify him as an advisor. And there are risks there, too."
"He doesn't have to be a snake whispering in the king's ear. Not that Kuei would allow him to be, anyhow," Sokka said, hands on his hips. "There are Earth Kingdom citizens in the Fire Nation. Honorary Citizens. If the Earth King forsakes them for good… those people would have nowhere left to go but to remain in the Fire Nation. If he wanted to take them back, he can't quite force all of them to go back to the Earth Kingdom either. Those who would rather stay here, living the lives they've built… they should be free to make that choice."
"Then… you mean everyone ought to live wherever they want to?" Aang asked, puzzled. "Kind of like… nomads?"
"Not quite what I had in mind," Sokka said, with a small smile in his direction. "But I do think the freedom to forge one's path in life should not be so hard to come by. I told you once before…"
"Balance isn't as simple and stunted as just splitting up the nations and hoping everyone will get along that way," Aang said. Azula blinked blankly, meeting Sokka's warm gaze with her own, astonished one. "If my job were merely to serve as the one who keeps the peace by forcing nations apart… then nobody will ever understand true balance. Different nations won't learn to appreciate each other… for all they'll ever know is their own way of life, and everything else will look like a threat. So… everyone should be free to choose where they live?"
"It can't be as straightforward as that, though," Zuko said, frowning. "I'm all for it, don't get me wrong… but Fire Nation-born people can face trouble if they decide to stay in an Earth Kingdom that is only going to be hostile towards them after the war's consequences. As things are, the Fire Nation hasn't been great at how they treat those of other nations either, we only just discussed slavery after all. Even if we're not going to set down boundaries … something needs to be done for each nation to coexist with the others, or else it's just going to result in countless conflicts, blowing up at every waking moment."
"Those, unfortunately, aren't agreements that can be reached within this room," Azula said. Zuko eyed her with uncertainty. "For it isn't up to the Fire Nation alone to make this decision. Every leader of every nation should be consulted for it… every single one would have to agree to allowing all people to have the freedom to choose for themselves. And along with that… a system of accountability needs to be built."
"Accountability?" Zuko frowned.
"You imagined a situation where the Earth Kingdom folks respond poorly to a Fire Nation one," Azula said. "These Earth Kingdom people wouldn't be breaking any laws for doing that, as things stand right now. The Earth Kingdom would need to establish grounds where any such attacks on foreigners would be punished. The same is true for all nations, again. But… who would answer for those who aren't living in their homeland? Should we trust the foreign government to oversee the safety and wellbeing of each individual?"
"I mean… hopefully they would?" Aang said. Azula sighed.
"Indeed, but we're not here to make choices based on hope only," Azula said. "I've learned that you can't do everything alone. I've stretched myself thin over much smaller challenges than what we're speaking of now. The system of accountability I speak of should spread beyond each nation's borders. Small contingents of each nation should be sent to the others… diplomatic groups sanctioned and approved of by the Earth King, Water Tribe Chiefs, and Fire Lord, respectively, to every nation. To all the largest settlements, if possible. This way… any Northern Water Tribe man like Anorak, living in the Earth Kingdom, to say one thing, could have a group of his own people to support him if anything goes sideways. It would not be usurpation of authority: each nation would send their group, they would offer protection to the individuals who belong to their nation, and that would allow them to live peacefully wherever they might wish to be. They would only oversee individuals, not territory, not the local administration by any means. The Earth Kingdom, then, would regain full authority and control over all its territories… same for everywhere else. The only thing the Fire Nation would have in the now defunct colonies would be, then…"
"Representatives," Sokka finished. Azula nodded. "Diplomatic overseers, of a sort, tasked with the protection of those who choose to stay with their families abroad, or who simply have built lives for themselves elsewhere."
"That… would not be an easy solution to implement," Pakku said, though his eyes glistened with curiosity. "We would need to convince each nation of the validity of this idea…"
"White Lotus supervision would probably be expected over this system, too," Azula sighed, even if she didn't particularly care for that side of things. "As things stand, the Gladiator Army holds power over the world, whether it will wield it or not. But as I suspect the gladiators themselves will scatter… the ones who will seek to have a say upon how the world is run would be the White Lotus. If you're concerned with how these representatives will be established across important cities or so… send your own people, too, to keep matters in check. Provided you're actually reliable at ensuring that corruption won't lay roots in that system, that is…"
"It could be done," Jeong Jeong said, frowning. "But… I am surprised to hear you would allow us such power over your initiatives."
"They are not mine. I am merely offering options that I expect might serve the world well," Azula said, firmly. "I never said I'd be the one to implement any of it."
"The matter of succession hasn't been discussed yet, after all," said Pakku. Jeong Jeong hummed.
"That isn't all there is to it, though: what of dual citizens?" Jeong Jeong asked. "The Fire Nation has countless Honorary Citizens to its name at this point. Will you undo that, too?"
"I don't see why we should," Azula said, raising an eyebrow. "Most people who have become Honorary Citizens paid a hefty sum to do it. Revoking their status would be a manner of theft, and it would leave them bereft of protection until the system of representatives is indeed in action."
"Then… what if they wish to return to the Earth Kingdom?" General Fong asked, puzzled.
"They can do that… and still retain their right to be deemed Honorary Citizens, should they choose to visit the Fire Nation anew," Azula said.
"Truly?" the Head Sage said, eyeing her with surprise. Azula shrugged.
"There are people with mixed heritage all across the world as it is," she said, her heart pounding at the thought of her daughter. "I couldn't fathom forcing them to choose between either side of their natures in any definitive manner. While such choices may be easy for some… we cannot assume that everyone would be ready to make them. Honorary Citizens can very well forsake the status if they don't want it anymore... but I don't see the issue with people who belong to more than one nation."
"If… if that's how it is, it's kind of like allowing people to branch out and become more like, uh… like me?" Aang smiled, looking at Zuko. "I am an Air Nomad… but I'm a bender of all four kinds, too. Even if people can't bend all elements… belonging to more than one place is a strange but interesting way to make them all a little like the Avatar, huh?"
"And we do have all chakras, of all different elements," Katara pointed out. Aang beamed at her. "It makes you think… balance isn't a matter of what you bend, or what nation you were born to. True balance is within us… and only once it is, we'll be able to expand it beyond us."
"That's how we'll do it. How we'll change the world for the better," Aang smiled brightly. "I would work towards establishing those diplomatic representatives, too! I think I might do well at brokering that kind of thing. It's so much more agreeable for me than, well… fighting wars."
"Still will be a challenge, but much better suited for you," Sokka smiled at him. Aang nodded proudly.
"There are more matters to be addressed, however," Jeong Jeong sighed. "The Fire Nation's willingness to cooperate with… well, compensations for the harm against each nation, to say one thing."
"The loser pays for the war?" the Head Sage asked, skeptical.
"I don't rightly know if the Fire Nation's Royal Family is in any position to offer monetary compensation to anyone after the destruction of the Palace, but…" Azula said, with a dry grin.
"There are coffers in the Temple," the Head Sage reassured her.
"The Fire Lord did have others elsewhere, too," Aonu said, surprising everyone with his new intervention. "I… had to access those accounts to expedite matters with Goro and Takase, in particular. But… I think he'd spent a lot of whatever was in those coffers too. Wars aren't cheap, not even if you think you're winning them."
"There are other ways to do it," Sokka said. "Trade, commerce between nations… the Fire Nation has a lot of good it can offer, export, to the rest of the world."
"It can be done," Azula said, frowning. "Though the rates of that kind of trade would have to be established with each nation, I figure. Either way… provided ships can come to buy whatever we can offer, I suppose it can be done. Unfortunately, most our fleet is gone and whatever's left of the civilian ones isn't exactly reliable to begin with. So…"
"It's something that can be handled with each nation indeed. You can't expect to decide for the Earth King, or the Water Tribe Chieftains, what kind of compensation is right for what their people endured," Sokka told Jeong Jeong, who sighed and nodded. "The certainty that the Fire Nation's next leadership will negotiate directly with them it is all you can get, at this point."
"And what, exactly, is this next leadership going to amount to?" Pakku asked, for the umpteenth time. Sokka glanced at him next. "Not that I don't trust your ideas or your opinions… but while this might just be the birth of a new world, the world we deserved and wished for, the Princess was not wrong to say that it all sounds like empty promises until someone sits on that… or, well, wears that crown. If that crown is anywhere around anyway."
"The… crown," Azula said, frowning.
Her father had entrusted it to her… mere moments before he was cut down. A symbol of passing his power on to her… of granting her the responsibility he believed she would wield better than he had. He relinquished his right to build this world… offering it, fully, to her instead.
And in the chaos that followed, she had lost the hairpiece he had given her. Her heart clenched at the thought of failing her father, when it mattered most...
Voices rose suddenly within the room. Azula frowned as Sokka pulled something out of his pocket: her eyes widened when she identified the golden hairpiece in his grip.
"I… picked it up," he admitted, startling those who had been there at the time, and yet had failed to notice what he'd done. He glanced at Azula with compassion, as her face was a mask of relief. "So… no throne, maybe, but the crown's here. Once the successor is chosen, uh… I guess a coronation would be held? I'd imagine I should give it to…"
Sokka started, moving towards the Head Sage, who readied himself to take it… only for Jeong Jeong to step forward, cutting Sokka off abruptly.
"What?" Sokka frowned. "Something the matter?"
"Yes," Jeong Jeong said, turning and glancing darkly at the Head Sage, who scowled at him. "Pardon my bluntness, but granting the crown to a man who will be as fickle as to choose whoever he prefers for the role… may just be a mistake."
"You accuse me of petty behavior, quite so shamelessly?" the Head Sage scoffed. "If you had that crown, you would be no better. You would refuse to give it to the Princess even if the entire meeting agreed on that course of action."
"I never said I would be the one to keep it," Jeong Jeong said, firmly. "If anything… let the Avatar have it."
"W-what, me?!" Aang gasped.
"You are, indeed, the Avatar. You have a connection to the two main contenders for the throne, however indirect in the Princess's case… I can imagine you would not choose unwisely," Jeong Jeong finished. Aang's jaw dropped.
"W-wait… I'm not going to choose the Fire Lord! That's crazy!" Aang gasped.
"Is that the great plan you had in mind to solve this matter?" the Head Sage asked. Near him, Chan scoffed.
"No offense, Avatar… but it kind of sounds weird for anyone else to choose that. Fire Lord's kid is the heir, it's as simple as that!"
"Thus there are two heirs," Renkai said. Chan blinked blankly, and Renkai pointed at Zuko. "That's Prince Zuko."
"Eh? Oh! The banished one? Wait, but if he was banished, how is he up for the contest?"
"He is a legitimate child…"
"It is no small concern, though," the Head Sage pointed out, raising his eyebrows. Zuko winced. "The Fire Nation has known Prince Zuko as an enemy over the past months, ever since the Fire Lord announced him among the foes who stood along the White Lotus and the Gladiator. He does not have the prestige you might assume he would among our populace."
"And I'm certain Princess Azula does," Jeong Jeong said, skeptically. "Her connection to our leader is no secret anymore. Is she still deemed trustworthy when that is the case?"
"As many of us can attest… Princess Azula has never once betrayed the Fire Nation. For better or for worse," Mei Xun stated. "It is not to say that I would reject Prince Zuko's candidacy… but I did wish to clarify that Princess Azula is not nearly as reviled by public opinion as you may have thought."
"Be that as it may…" Jeong Jeong said, sternly. "Need I remind you, again, of the fact that your nation has lost the war? You are in no position to demand that your preferred leader is the one who takes control of the Fire Nation now. The White Lotus has enough reasons to put Prince Zuko forward instead, and as the older male child of the Royal Family…"
"That's not much of a basis when you consider the Fire Lord himself named Princess Azula his successor," Bujing stated, with a scoff. "I even saw him hand that hairpiece to her, with my own eyes, as he surrendered! The will of the Fire Lord…!"
"Is the will of a tyrant and a murderer," Jeong Jeong hissed. "I would not abide by it, and no one with sense would choose to do so either."
"So, what, Zuko inheriting the throne is the right choice because Ozai wanted Azula for it instead?" Sokka asked, scowling. Jeong Jeong eyed him warily. "She's more than her father's daughter, always has been. That Ozai made one right choice in his life doesn't negate all the bad ones… and it doesn't mean Azula is inherently a wrong choice just because he wanted her for the role."
"If that's the reasoning you'd choose… I suppose I'll remind you that you are not a member of the Order of the White Lotus, by your own choice. While I obeyed you and followed your command while the war was waged… it seems to me that I must choose what I know is right, as far as the Order is concerned," Jeong Jeong said. Sokka scoffed.
"Oh, really? Well, gee, turns out that the White Lotus isn't the one that won the war, then. It wasn't the Order of the White Lotus leading the final charge or leading that army for as long as I did. If your entire logic is that the winner gets to decide, then that isn't you, or your order, Jeong Jeong. How about that?"
"Curses… this is pointless," Pakku hissed. "All these promises and words of sense and logic! And yet the whole lot of you will eat each other's heads off over who takes the throne?"
"It's not as simple as merely choosing one or the other," Bujing growled. "The Fire Nation will not follow Prince Zuko. Not after what he has done."
"Then he may just have to enforce his will and leadership by any means necessary," Jeong Jeong said, but his words startled the man in question.
"Wait… I'm not about to become a tyrant," Zuko growled. "My father… you just described him as one. What's the point if I follow his footsteps and spend my supposed tenure as Fire Lord strongarming my own people?"
"A strong leader is needed. One who can endure the protests and rejection at its worst and carry this nation to its best," Jeong Jeong said, looking at Zuko sternly. The Prince breathed deeply.
"I don't disagree. But I don't like the way you're implying that I'd do that… and it's not just that, but the fact that what you're asking for isn't beyond Azula's possibilities either. Why would you assume she can't handle that kind of pressure?"
Zuko glanced at his sister, no doubt suspecting she would be surprised, perhaps even grateful for his apparent support of her… only to find her apprehensive, uneasy. Zuko frowned.
"Azula?"
"I… I don't know about any of this," Azula said, shaking her head. "None of it feels right. Not this way. No doubt my father chose me but there are enough reasons working against either of us, Zuko. There's no clear-cut answer."
"You're the Princess. The Fire Nation reveres you!" Chan scoffed. "No offense but it… it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be you. Hell, if you push me, it sounds like you're the one who stopped the Fire Lord, so, if that's how it is, you're the one who actually ended the war…"
"That may be so… but it doesn't change that the Order of the White Lotus would not trust Princess Azula on that throne. Not without… some manner of supervision," Jeong Jeong said. Azula snorted.
"And I'd be expected to embrace your supervision, now, would I? I suppose Zuko doesn't require that kind of treatment?"
"Prince Zuko is a lawful member of the White Lotus by now," Jeong Jeong said. Azula's eyes widened. "We have no reason to question his allegiances."
"So… not that I'm saying that he'd send the Fire Nation in a downwards slope, but you wouldn't care to intervene if he did, simply because he has a White Lotus tile in his pocket?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Way to show you have the right priorities for this matter…"
"The White Lotus's presence will be stronger across all nations, no matter what the circumstances may be, in the coming years," Pakku said. "I was already at the side of the Northern Water Tribe's Chief, and now Masters Piandao and Iroh remain in Ba Sing Se, where the next leader will have their counsel. I cannot say for certain that one such master will be in the Fire Nation next, but it would hardly be unheard of."
"The question is whether or not the Fire Nation would accept such interventionism," the Head Sage scowled. "Why should we trust your people? Why should we abide by your demands?"
"Because we would be the main power that would ensure your leaders do not overstep their boundaries anew," Jeong Jeong hissed.
"But that's… not up to you only," Aang said, frowning. "That's my job, in a manner of speaking. As much as I understand your intent, Master Jeong Jeong, you're not exactly the most balanced man in the world yourself."
The words weren't ill-spirited, but they nonetheless caused an ominous silence to settle in the room. A few smiles spread on the Fire Nation side, and Aang shrugged at Jeong Jeong's questioning stare.
"I'm just saying…" Aang mumbled.
"Look, this is a bit too much, isn't it?" Katara sighed. "Either you guys pick a specific logic as to who to take as the better candidate or you'll be stuck here forever. I mean, maybe they would both do a great job!"
"Right!" Chan exclaimed, nodding. "So… split the Fire Nation in half and…!"
"What? That's unthinkable," Zuko said, eyeing him in disbelief. "More separation wouldn't be the answer. I… I think it does have to be one of us. Uncle's not an option, neither are either my children or Azula's…"
"Nobody with sense would have dropped this kind of responsibility on mere children," Azula growled. Zuko nodded.
"But… well, we do need to make a choice. One of us has to do it, but…"
"But you're at an impasse," the Head Sage said. Zuko eyed him warily. "Which… I dare say leaves but one solution ahead. One that might displease you, Prince Zuko… but it's the best I can think of."
"Displease…?" Zuko repeated.
His eyes widened.
The painless scar upon his face seemed to ache anew an instant before the Head Sage spoke the two words he never had thought to hear in such circumstances again:
"Agni Kai."
Azula froze up. Zuko shivered, the urge to refuse rising at once. Their eyes met, and their reluctance couldn't have been more apparent.
"What? No!" Aang exclaimed, stepping forward, between them. "They don't have to go that far to decide something like this…!"
"Agni Kais needn't end the way Prince Zuko's fire duel did," the Head Sage remarked, sternly. "I am not saying the Princess and the Prince need to fight each other to the death for the privilege of the throne… but this is, indeed, the way many such impasses have been resolved in the history of the Fire Nation. Multiple clashes of succession have been sorted out this way. Upstart princes have even challenged and defeated seating Fire Lords through Agni Kais in the past. I understand your reluctance, Avatar… but it is, indeed, tradition in this nation. And it might be the best way to ensure that the Fire Nation's general populace will accept the outcome, regardless of their personal opinions on whoever wins."
"That… that is true," said Mei Xun, frowning. "Fire Nation people have always thrived in duels of this nature… gladiatorial combat was its own take on Agni Kais, spread to all manner of benders and non-benders rather than confining its use solely to firebending. Nevertheless… it's usually a last resort."
"Is this not a situation that calls for it?" the Head Sage asked.
"Only if we can't find a compromise otherwise," Azula said, frowning.
"You would say so… but that does not seem to take into account that not all of us are as keen on embracing the Agni Kai as the solution to all problems," Jeong Jeong hissed. "I, for one, see no solution to your refusal for accountability to the White Lotus, should you be victorious, Princess Azula. If you will not accept our supervision, then neither us nor the rest of the world will…"
"Can you really speak for anyone other than yourself as things stand?" Sokka snapped. "I mean, even if you're right…!"
"Wait, though…" Aang said, hands behind his back. Everyone turned towards him, and he bit his lip as nervousness bubbled over inside him. "Look, I get that figuring out a solution so both sides are satisfied isn't going to be easy. Whether an Agni Kai makes sense or not… I don't really know. But Zuko… if he were to win, or just to be chosen as the next Fire Lord, would need to have just as much Fire Nation supervision as Azula would have the White Lotus one, if she's the one to inherit the crown instead. What I mean is… your problems have solutions. I think it's fair to say that both of them are good choices, neither side needs to treat the other as the enemy anymore…"
"You may believe so, but the Princess is already pushing back against White Lotus supervision well before she takes a throne at all," Jeong Jeong said. "And these Fire Nation representatives appear entirely unwilling to have Zuko as their Fire Lord as well."
"They'll have to come around," Aang said, looking at them earnestly. "I know you don't trust us… but Zuko is a good man. He would be a great Fire Lord, and he wouldn't merely serve as a puppet regime for the White Lotus, if that's what you feared. And…"
He turned towards the White Lotus's side now, eyes drifting towards Sokka quickly. He shrugged in the direction of the others.
"It's a little weird that you'd have followed Sokka this far and now you would be this adamant that you can't trust Azula," Aang said. "By which I mean… isn't it obvious that whatever comes next, those two will be together?"
Azula tensed up, her heart fluttering upon hearing those words, no matter if she didn't think she should take them as a good omen. Sokka, too, froze on the spot, cheeks flushing slightly.
"I'm just saying… what kind of problem could you possibly have if Sokka is with Azula as she serves as Fire Lord?" Aang asked. "Once they're married, you'd have the man you followed, the man who led us to the end of the war, standing by her side and making choices alongside her! Even if you don't trust her… would you really be so blind as to not trust him anymore, just because he never really joined the Order?"
Jeong Jeong frowned. He eyed Sokka with uncertainty, and the Gladiator immediately suspected his answer would be 'yes.' He scowled back at Jeong Jeong, fists clenched, as he readied himself to join Aang's attempt to reason with everyone…
"You're not saying…" Azula's voice rose suddenly, startling both sides of the group. "That the next Fire Lord is either going to be my brother, member of the White Lotus, watched closely by a Fire Nation council, or me, provided I'm married to Sokka, so that he can offer the supervision the White Lotus is demanding?"
"I… well, yes?" Aang said, his certainty dwindling at the strange emotion Azula spoke with: was that… fear? It didn't sound like excitement, much less approval…
"It isn't an entirely unthinkable notion," Jeong Jeong said, startling Sokka. "You may not be a member of the Order, but we do remain connected to you, General, even so. While I cannot say that I would not have any White Lotus visitors dropping by to confirm all is well, to report back to our Order's leadership… I would indeed feel more comfortable knowing that you're stubbornly contesting any misguided choices she makes, General. Much as you have done with all of ours."
"You're sure?" Sokka said, eyes wide. Jeong Jeong nodded, even if Pakku, behind him, grimaced in uncertainty.
"I suppose I could agree to that…" he said.
It seemed a pristine, perfect choice. It was right there, for the taking. Sokka would have political approval, support, provided the Fire Nation accepted him as Azula's husband, by her side once she took the throne…
They seemed not to disapprove of it. Some seemed confused… others, resigned. Some, even supportive.
But Sokka's rising excitement froze over suddenly, when the least expected person reacted in the least expected way: Azula let a husk of a laugh slip from her lips… then she shook her head, rising to her feet.
"That's… that's how it is? As easy as that?"
"Azula…?" Sokka frowned: she met his gaze begrudgingly before shaking her head: his allies, even hers, watched in utmost confusion.
"I… I don't think any compromise can be reached this way. I'm sorry but I… I can't do this."
Sokka's stomach sank. Katara and Zuko blinked blankly, startled by her reaction… Chan's eyes widened, and Renkai did a double take as the Princess turned on her heels, marching out of the room without another explanation.
"W-what…? Was she mad at…?" Aang asked, frowning. "But… what did I say? I figured she'd want to…!"
"Aang…" Sokka said, raising a hand to slow him down. "I… I don't know what got into her, okay? But… it can't be good."
"If she's walking away now, then…" Pakku scoffed: Sokka's glare saw him freezing as though the Gladiator were the waterbender, rather than the White Lotus master.
"No decision will be reached without Azula's agreement," he hissed. "Or mine. I'm going after her, I'll figure out what's wrong… and you lot will wait. All of you."
Without Azula around, it seemed he had switched back to his full authoritarian behavior: even the Fire Nation representatives appeared daunted into silence by his threatening glare.
"Take a break. I'll come back later," he growled.
A heavy frown upon his face, he marched through the same door Azula had left, immediately scanning his surroundings for her. The accursed feeling in his gut reminded him all too well of the betrayals he had experienced far too many times in her absence… the sensation of knowing that this wasn't the way things were supposed to be. Either there was more to Azula's sudden storming out of the room… or he was about to face the most uncomfortable truths, one bad enough to render him unconcerned with the fate of the world altogether. For if Azula no longer wanted the future Aang had as good as gifted them, if what he had said sat ill with her, fundamentally…
He wanted to scream at the mere notion.
He couldn't lose her again. It would hurt all the more if it was by her choice.
He found her by a garden: the way her shoulders shifted suggested she was either breathing heavily or outright sobbing. He gritted his teeth, approaching her somberly, solemnly, only stopping once he was close enough to know that she would be able to tell she was no longer alone.
The Princess's chest eased up slowly, even though his presence didn't help matters one bit. Azula swallowed hard before turning to face him… finding a mask of pain, of confusion, across her lover's face.
"What is it?" he asked, point-blank. "Why did you just…?"
"You… you can't do this to yourself," Azula said, shaking her head. Sokka's heart clenched. "Please, you… you can't seriously think that this is the way you and I would find… w-what we always wanted. It makes no sense, not this way…"
"You mean… you don't want a political marriage. The two of us…"
"After years of hiding, of meeting in secret, of risking everything… you're telling me this is going to be it?" Azula hissed. "As good as… an arranged marriage? A promise that you'll be there, breathing down my neck to make sure I don't fuck things up?"
"Azula… I know you wouldn't do that. I…"
"No, Sokka! You don't because…! Because even I don't know!" Azula snapped, startling Sokka. "This is… this is exactly why we shouldn't have done this yet. This is… Sokka, you don't have the slightest idea of who you're talking to. You don't, because… b-because I've become someone far too different from the woman you remember. Because I've made choices, decisions, that nobody with sense should forgive! How could I…? How could I saddle you to a marriage with me under these circumstances? When you have no idea yet what I've done, when you hardly understand why I…?"
"I think I know… at least some of it. I think I understand that many of the worst choices you made, you made under duress," Sokka said, earnestly. "I don't know if all of them, but considering what Xin Long's condition was, I don't think anyone should say with any certainty that…"
"There is no excuse… for countless things I did wrong. Starting with allowing Xin Long to be captured and used as a hostage against me," Azula said, her voice trembling. "I… I've betrayed you, Sokka. In ways I… in ways I swore I never would. If I were in your shoes? I… I wouldn't ever want to go back to someone who did the awful shit I've been doing, no matter what the reasons might be…"
"But you're not in my shoes," Sokka said, firmly. Azula scowled. "You don't get to decide how I feel about you, or whether I should reject you or not. Saddled to a marriage… Azula, I've never once stopped thinking of you as my wife. No matter what I learned, no matter what you did, I…! This bond between us, it wasn't meant to be so easily broken…!"
"I never said it was broken… but maybe it's time you face that you deserve better," Azula said. Sokka frowned. "Maybe the woman I was once… maybe she was worthy of you after all. But this? Sokka… you can't throw yourself blindly into this. Because if I were to marry you lawfully, to take that fucking throne, and I only told you the truth after everything was said and done, and you…!"
"And I… couldn't forgive you?" Sokka finished: the tears in her eyes blinked down her cheeks as she shook her head.
"I'd rather… I'd rather die than have it all just to lose it again," she whispered. Sokka's eyes widened. "If this between us… if it can't work, then I don't… I don't want to fill my head, my heart, with the hopes and beliefs that it will only for it to backfire, okay? I… I know, you're an unbelievable man, you make a sport out of defying expectations…"
"Learned it from the best," Sokka said, softly. Azula swallowed hard and raised her gaze towards him.
"I'd rather you blow me away now… than wait for you to do it after you've married me under false expectations, then," she said. "And if… if you can't forgive me? Just… just say it. Just admit it. Tell me you can't accept this, that everything we were, we aren't anymore… I'll handle it far better if I know it now. But not later… not if I let myself falsely believe that… that you'll stand by my side no matter what kind of monster I've become."
"It's no false belief… at least, I don't think it would be," Sokka said, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. Azula shivered, lowering her head. "You've faced hell, Azula. I can tell you have. It's been a nightmare of a year for you, and I wish I could've been here so much faster…"
"Don't… don't be crazy. No one would've thought this war would end within one year, just like that," Azula said, breathlessly, wiping her tears with a hand. "What you achieved was unthinkable. You didn't have… to push yourself any faster to save me. I failed you, failed people countless times, but… you didn't fail me."
"What if there are things that you don't know, either?" Sokka asked, frowning. Azula swallowed hard. "Things about me… choices I made that you can't abide either? Would you think I failed you then?"
"I… can't really fathom it, but I don't think… don't think any of what you did could ever compare to…" Azula said, breathing deeply and shaking her head. "Fine. I need… need to hear you out just as much. If that's what you meant… then I agree. But… we will need time. A lot of time. There's no way we'll be able to explain everything in a matter of… of a few hours."
"Then I'll tell them… that we'll put this meeting on hold for now," Sokka said. Azula swallowed hard and raised her gaze towards him. "Is that okay with you?"
"For now, as in…?"
"Until tomorrow, probably. Maybe two days, if we need that," Sokka said. Azula sighed, but she nodded.
"Fair. We… we should do that. Frankly, we should've done this from the start…" she whispered. "We shouldn't have rushed this meeting as they wanted us to."
"Maybe not," Sokka said, with a sigh. "I get why it was rushed, I do, but… the last thing I ever want to do is give you more cause to be upset or heartbroken, okay? I know you're afraid that I might think the worst things possible of you after you explain yourself… I don't know if that could ever happen, really, but I understand that you need to get this off your chest now. There are things that I really think I should tell you too. Even if… if I don't know how well you'll take it. Just… know that you're not the only one who made mistakes. Know that… even if I did what looks like the right thing, I still knew how much strife it was bound to cause you. So… neither of us is entirely innocent, no matter how good our intentions might have been."
Azula breathed deeply, trying to calm herself before raising her gaze to meet his eyes. The hardened, fearful man from before was compassionate again. She raised a hand, taking his kindly.
"I'm sorry if… if you thought I was rejecting you," she whispered. Sokka swallowed hard.
"The thought did cross my mind… I shouldn't panic that badly about it, heh," he said, with a sad grin. "But… it seemed like you would've been happy to hear someone vouch for our relationship that way. I wasn't expecting…"
"An outburst like this. I know," Azula said, closing her eyes. "I chose you long ago… just as you chose me. It feels wrong, with that in mind, for our union to be agreed upon solely as a political tool, yes… but this isn't because I don't want you, Sokka. If anything… if anything, when you told me to forget about everything we still had to talk about, I was content to do so. I wanted to, but… I can't keep denying reality. I can't keep pretending we can go back to the way things were."
"The world can't go back to what it was. A new kind of balance is going to be born from the ashes of the old," Sokka said. Azula shivered. "So… just as the world will be reborn and renewed, so can we. If… if we give each other a chance. There will be no more hiding… no more sneaking around, no more panic over how anyone would react to us. I know other changes might not be so agreeable as this… but that doesn't sound so bad to me, if I can say so."
Azula sighed, raising her eyes to his. Sokka swallowed hard, the urge to cut the distance between them so powerful he nearly disregarded all sense…
Azula pressed her face to his chest. The contact between them, the invitation to hold her, didn't go to waste. His strong grip around her eased his heart: they wanted the same thing. She hoped for forgiveness, no matter if she didn't believe herself worthy of it.
"Let's go somewhere else," Sokka suggested. Azula swallowed hard and nodded. "Someplace where… where we can talk properly. I'd love to bring Hotaru over too, but… I don't think we should. It's bound to take a while, though… maybe we should drop by and check on her again before we go."
"Your place," Azula said. Sokka froze on the spot. "It… it's not in bad shape, or it shouldn't be. Rei… helped us fix some of it. It's not all better, but… we can go there."
"My house is… still there," Sokka whispered. Azula nodded. "Heh. Don't know why I thought your dad would've burned it down or so…"
"Didn't cross his mind, I guess. Fortunately," Azula said, pulling back and looking at him intently. "Then… we'll do this?"
Sokka breathed deeply and nodded. Despite his better sense, he leaned in to press his lips to her brow. Azula shivered, a hand upon his chest.
"I'll tell them. Wait here and we'll go together," he said. Azula shivered, but she nodded in agreement and gratitude.
Within ten minutes, the meeting was officially put on hold. The confused members of either faction accepted the Gladiator's request for another twenty-four hours to gauge the offered options, and little by little, both groups spread out, on their way to either provide further aid in the repairs of the city streets and buildings, or the healing of the wounded. Some chose to rest, instead… an entirely valid and understandable decision, too. Aang, though, followed Sokka out of the room, followed by Katara.
"Is everything okay?" Aang asked. "I thought what I was suggesting would be fine, but…"
"It's… complicated, but not because you said something wrong," Sokka reassured him. "But as you're both here… maybe it'd be a good idea for you to come with us to Mai's place. You could check Azula for further corruption, help her with it if she feels any before we set out…"
"Set out where?" Katara asked.
"My house. Apparently… it's still there," Sokka said, with a nostalgic smile. "And it's a good place for us to set a lot of things straight for each other. She… she doesn't want me committing to anything until I know all the truth behind her choices."
"Oh… so that's the issue?" asked Aang, blinking blankly. "She's not against marrying you…?"
"On paper, no, but… maybe she will be once I tell her about the things I've done," Sokka said, with a dry grin. "It's hard to say what this will result in. I hope it won't be bad, but…"
"Come on, you're both crazy about each other," Katara sighed, hugging her brother reassuringly. "Just… get through it. I know it's bound to be hard, but hey, you just won a damn war that nobody had been able to bring to a close across a hundred years! One conversation with the woman you love can't be much harder than that, can it?"
"Eh… the woman I love is pretty formidable. I wouldn't underestimate her," Sokka said, though he smiled. Katara snorted and smirked, bumping him with her elbow.
"Don't be stupid now. Just… don't lose sight of what matters and set things right, okay?" Katara said. "We're rooting for you… for the both of you. And I don't mean with the whole Fire Lord thing, I honestly don't even know who I'd rather becomes Fire Lord, between those two, but… just make sure you don't throw this to waste, okay? You didn't come all this way just to give up now."
"No, I most definitely didn't," Sokka said, a firm frown upon his face.
Azula awaited by the temple's gates. Sokka smiled at the sight of her, but not quite as carelessly as he might have, in different circumstances. She appeared apprehensive too, more so at the sight of Aang and Katara, but she nodded respectfully in their direction regardless.
"Uh… hope you're okay," Aang said, with uncertainty. "Sokka said it's not on me, but still… maybe I shouldn't have decided that for you guys just like that."
"You didn't. Technically… we decided on that long ago as it is. I'm not blaming you for assuming what you did," Azula said. Aang sighed in relief. "It's…"
She couldn't quite finish explaining, though, before another fit of coughs burst out of her. Katara and Aang winced, and Sokka gritted his teeth as Azula cleared her throat as best as possible.
"Let's get her back to Mai's place as fast as we can," Katara said. Sokka nodded.
They returned on Appa's saddle, quickly. Mai's house was emptier than before, even if a rhythmic noise gave away that someone was snoring in one of the rooms – Azula guessed it was Toph, but she didn't bother confirming it. Song and Rei had been keeping Hotaru entertained when they arrived, and both smiled with relief upon seeing Azula again.
"That was fast…" Rei said, but her grin soured gradually at the lack of any triumphant demeanor on their part. "Is everything okay?"
"It will be. Hopefully," Azula said, smiling and leaning down to pat her baby daughter's head. "I'll feed her after they unclog my throat again."
"Oh…" Song grimaced, rising to her feet. "If they want any help, I'm available."
"Thank you," Azula said, smiling sadly at Song before focusing on Hotaru again. "It's not all sorted out yet. But… it can't be. Not until… until I talk with Sokka properly."
Both Rei and Song eyed her with uncertainty. Azula's face, somber, gave away the subject of the conversation easily enough.
"Then…" Song said, biting her lip. "I guess you'll come clean about the things you were worried about? Are you ready for that, or…?"
"I think I'll go mad if I don't do it now," Azula admitted, gritting her teeth. "I want… I want to put it behind me. If he can't get over it, I want to know that for sure already. If he can… then whatever comes next will be easy enough if I face it with him. But… I need to do this now. I can't drag it out any longer."
"You're so tired, though. And you were hurt…" Rei grimaced.
"The Fire Nation can't afford any more dawdling," Azula whispered. "Once this is done… I'll either accept or refuse the proposed Agni Kai against my brother to see who takes the throne."
"What?! An… an Agni Kai?" Song gasped. "You can't fight someone right now, Azula, you're still not okay…!"
"I don't think he'd try to kill me… if that worried you," Azula smiled a little. "But if I don't feel up for it, I won't do it anyhow. I… I don't even know if…"
She left the statement there, unwilling to finish it. She sighed, shaking her head and patting Rei's shoulder.
"Hold Hotaru a little longer. I'll feed her in a bit, okay?"
Rei nodded, and Song sighed, tense anew as she followed Azula out of the garden. Aang and Katara waited in a nearby sitting room, and Azula joined them there: the waterbender used her healing skills to locate the main problems in her chi, and as awkward as it might be, Azula allowed Aang's airbending to aid her breathing so she could cough out the remaining corruption on a small cloth Song offered Azula, as she guided the Princess's breathing as best as possible. The Princess's body nearly convulsed each burst of corruption until her airhole was clear anew… and Sokka watched her with a scowl, unease rising in his heart. The corruption never seemed to fade away… Azula had fought it off once already, he knew she had, but his tension didn't recede anyhow. It felt as though any lingering rot within her system would spread, taking hold of her chi gradually, only broken whenever Aang and Katara aided her.
It would be one more thing to handle later. One more thing to figure out after this long-awaited and needed conversation was over. He stood by outside as Azula fed Hotaru, unwilling to intrude even now… more so upon knowing that there was much Azula needed to say. With his shoulders squared, he simply sat against a wall and waited.
"Are you alright?"
Rui Shi's question would be a hard one to answer: the firebender had returned mere moments ago, welcomed back effusively by Song. Now, though, both had approached him, and they eyed him with remorse and compassion. Despite himself, he smiled, most of all at the sight of them together again…
"I think I will be," he said. "Guess… you two will have to do it too, little by little. Explain and share everything you needed the other to learn about…"
"Well… we're not in any rush. But unfortunately, you guys can't afford that," Song mumbled. "Just… well, I don't even know why I'd advise this to you of all people, Sokka, but…"
"What is it?" Sokka asked, heart pounding. Song sighed before meeting his gaze.
"Be kind," she said. His eyes widened. "She… she's beaten herself up about everything from the moment I reached the Palace, and I have no doubts she did it plenty before I got there, too. Even if she fails to convey just how much this anguished her, and tries to put up a front… know that none of what she did was ever in cruelty. She never wanted to hurt you… and every single time she did, it seemed it would destroy her. She loves you, Sokka… doesn't matter what you talk about, whatever you tell her, I know she does."
"And I love her," Sokka said, with certainty. Song smiled. "I have a hard time imagining that she could ever say anything that would change that. But… if anything ever tempts me to have that much of a leave of my senses? I'll remember what you said. I promise."
Song smiled: moments later, Azula emerged from the garden and she eyed Sokka with uncertainty. Her robe was properly bound anew, even if she fixed it slightly still. He stood upright quickly, and as ever, Azula's presence seemed to erase the rest of the world from his perception.
"Ready?" Sokka asked. Azula sighed.
"Feel free to say goodbye to Hotaru, if you wanted to," she said.
Behind Azula, Rei held Hotaru tightly and she stepped forward: the baby cooed, immediately smiling at the sight of Sokka. He smiled heartily as well, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to the child's brow: predictably, Hotaru moved her hand to grip his stubble.
"Yep. It's stubble guy again," Sokka smiled. Hotaru laughed, sliding her fingers down the hairs. "You look happy and healthy. Must be you're being pampered the right way, huh? Good to know. I'll take your mom out for a bit… but we'll come back soon, okay? Won't be too long, I hope."
Hotaru, naturally, didn't understand his words, but she let out another soft, confused sound as Sokka pulled back. Azula sighed, cutting in and kissing Hotaru's brow as well.
"Make sure to feed her with whatever you can if I don't get back early enough to do it myself," Azula said, and Rei nodded. "This is bound to take a while."
"Don't worry. We'll be right here, waiting," Rei smiled, holding Hotaru to her chest. "Your sister's got you, doesn't she, Hotaru?"
Azula smiled warmly: her heart trembled, though, knowing that even this was something to explain to Sokka. That until she did, the connection between Azula and Rei, and Rei and Hotaru, would feel utterly foreign to the man she loved…
She stepped back. Her hand brushed against Sokka's and she jerked her head towards the door. He nodded solemnly, waving a hand in farewell not only to Song and Rui Shi, but to Aang and Katara, as well as Rei and Hotaru.
"We'll be back soon," he said: Azula was already by the door then, and she offered them the bow of her head instead.
Uncertainty spread among those who watched them leave: whatever the outcome of their conversation might be, it might just change everything, for better or for worse.
But for Azula and Sokka, it was finally the opportunity to come clean and change the accursed, unpleasant, unresolved confusion that never seemed to fade away in the wake of their separation. At long last, they would understand each other completely, as they ever had in the past: whether they would fly together as hawk and turtle, or crash on the ground to never set flight anew, their long overdue explanations would finally bring the closure they had craved, opening a new beginning for them, whether together or apart…