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...

377. Chapter 377: Out of Smoke and Ashes 1

Out of the Smoke and Ashes

1

In due time, he would bask in the familiarity of places he had feared he might never return to. Eventually, Sokka might even smile over the memories that had usually brought him pain, after finally finding his way back to a city that, by all means, should have never become as dear to him as the Fire Nation Capital had… but ultimately, the years he had spent there had not gone by in vain.

None of those thoughts could so much as enter his mind now, however, as he carried an unconscious Azula up the stairs of Mai's home.

Her breathing grew steadier. She was recovering. Nothing suggested the corruption from this time had been as severe as the last… but even so, his anxious mind couldn't stop dreading that she might never open her eyes again. Fear gripped him so tightly, for there was so much they had to do, so many things for them to face together… they were finally side by side once more. He couldn't concede this outcome. He couldn't fathom a world where he'd have to say goodbye after finally reclaiming their bond, their love, after such a long and difficult period fighting to return to her.

"Here," Mai, leading him, opened a door of the second floor. Sokka nodded, absentmindedly, crossing the threshold while still holding Azula close.

A made bed awaited inside, even though this room clearly didn't belong to any members of the house's main family. None of its details registered in Sokka's mind thus far, though: he set Azula down carefully.

He undid her boots while Mai watched him, keeping a cautious distance as he finished unbuckling them, careful to prop her feet comfortably upon the bed.

His breath hitched at the sight of her. Still pale, but far less so than when he had caught her in midair… he truly owed Toph more than he would ever be able to repay her for countless things, but helping him save Azula right then and there certainly had risen in the deeds the talented earthbender racked up to her name. He'd tell her so eventually… not yet. Not right now. He just wanted to sit here. He just needed to…

"Can I ask… what happened this time?"

It wasn't often that Mai tried to get explanations for anything. Sokka gritted his teeth, unwilling to meet her eyes… almost unwilling to speak at all.

"I… I barely know where to begin," he said. "My army attacked. We… rushed the city. She was waiting in the Palace. We… we fought, Azula and I. When I defeated her, I… I surrendered."

"You…?" Mai frowned: the idea of anyone defeating Azula in fair combat sounded unthinkable, no matter how vulnerable her friend might be right now.

"She wanted… to save her father," Sokka said, bitterly. "She succeeded."

"She…? But isn't he dead?" Mai frowned. "I thought…"

"His piece of shit General of the Guards killed him. Shaofeng… Ozai pushed her out of the way, so Ozai took the blow alone," Sokka said, frowning and rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "His assassin used the volatile bombs to spread his corruption all across the city… a final command Ozai gave him in preparation for defeat, I'm sure. An order to kill everyone else once he was dead… so that neither my side nor his could claim a true victory in this war. Didn't matter to him then that he would kill his entire city… though it did matter right before he died, as far as I can tell. He regretted it, maybe, but it was too late."

"What she did, burning the Palace that way…" Mai reasoned. "Was she countering the corruption that assassin unleashed?"

"And in doing so, some of it… got her, somehow," Sokka said, raising a hand and brushing Azula's face gently…

The dirt he tracked over her features made him wince, pulling his hand back quickly. He sighed, shaking his head.

"I might need…"

"Bathroom's downstairs," Mai said. Sokka swallowed and nodded. "Go. I'll watch over her for now. Tell Ruon Jian to find you a change of clothes, if you want."

"A change of…?" Sokka frowned.

"Plan on wearing that armor after cleaning up too?"

Sokka blinked blankly: it wasn't as though he hadn't set down his armor at all, as of late… he certainly hadn't worn it at all times, but it almost felt as though he had. As though he needed it to face his army again, whenever he did. Setting it aside now…

He glanced down at himself: his waistcloth was beyond help right now, stained and corroded by the corruption Azula had coughed on it. That was a strong enough reason to change out of this outfit, if nothing else…

"Alright," he said. "Just… stay with her. And if anything happens…"

"I'll let you know as soon as you're done," Mai said, curtly.

Sokka sighed. He offered Azula a wistful glance, remorse running deep in his heart as he clasped her hand in his.

"Don't really like reliving the past if it's like this, you know?" he whispered. "I must have put you through hell if this is how you felt so many times when I was fighting… whether years ago, or nowadays. I… I'm sorry."

He squeezed her hand, gritting his teeth before rising to his feet. She didn't squeeze back.

Even as he reached the room's threshold, he couldn't hold back from glancing at her inert form: fear couldn't stop gripping his heart tightly, and it wouldn't until she woke up. Nothing could feel triumphant, nothing would feel right, until she was conscious, healthy and out of any danger.

Mai sighed after Sokka left. She shot a begrudging glare at Azula, one marred by tears in her eyes.

"See? We told you so. And I said I'd say it, so… now I've said it," she whispered, shaking her head. "For someone as smart as you are… you sure can be an idiot, Azula."

She spoke as though hoping, even expecting, that Azula would wake up and snap at her for them. Unsurprisingly, it didn't happen.

Even so, Mai didn't stay put in the room, doing nothing while waiting for the daunting Gladiator to return to his likely prolonged vigil by his unconscious lover's side: she made her way to her room, collecting her basin, as well as a change of clothes. There was no case to be made for propriety here and now, not when Azula was clad in an outfit that sported multiple cuts and gashes… perhaps those were Sokka's doing. He hadn't been unharmed himself, Mai knew, with that trail of blood spilling down his face… it wasn't too shocking that their fight had reached the apex it had, considering how stubborn and set in their ways they were. If anything, it spoke for itself that neither one had taken the damage too far. Even in the thick of battle, under no end of pressure, neither one could forsake the other to the extent the world wanted them to.

Changing Azula out of her damaged clothes took some time, but Mai was finished doing it around three minutes before Sokka returned: Ruon Jian had somehow found a long shangchan for Sokka to wear, of a blue color that Mai couldn't quite recall her husband ever wearing. Perhaps it was one of those gifts he never had quite tried out… Sokka would probably be welcome to keep it for good.

"Nothing's… changed?" he asked upon returning, though his eyes narrowed. "Well. You changed her clothes."

"Nothing beyond that, though," Mai said, gathering the damaged outfit and the armor. "I'll get you a chair. You can just… watch her. For hours, if you want. I'm sure you've missed doing that."

"I…" Sokka said, shuddering.

"No doubt you'd rather it were under other circumstances, of course," Mai said, sighing as she stepped up to him. Her hand fell upon his shoulder, and Sokka eyed her with uncertainty. "Thank you for… for proving her wrong about so many things. Guess you may have noticed in the battle, but she… she was trying to immolate herself tonight. We tried to tell her not to, but…"

"No reasoning with her when she gets a twisted idea in her head," Sokka said, with a sigh. "Don't I know it."

"She would've likely stayed with you all along if she weren't that way, huh?" Mai said, eyeing him compassionately. "I'm sorry for… for everything you've been through to come back. But still… I'm glad you returned. She is, too. If she gives you a hard time for any of it, well… she'll likely just be lying to protect her pride somehow. Hell knows if she'd even bother doing that kind of thing anymore, though…"

"I wouldn't care much, if she did. As long as… as long as she recovers," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "As long as she comes back to… to us."

"To you," Mai corrected: Sokka gritted his teeth, and she clapped his arm gently. "Wait a moment, then."

Within the next minutes, Mai dropped off Azula's damaged, unsalvageable Crown Princess attire, and she returned with a stool for Sokka to sit on. He didn't move an inch until then, and he nodded gratefully before Mai walked away anew.

The world might just be falling apart outside this house, Sokka knew… he, frankly, couldn't care less if it was. His pained heart begged him to stay here, to watch over Azula… to set aside everything he had been up to until now. Zuko had told him he had to embody everyone's dreams for a brighter future… he had done so, right until that final battle. He had fulfilled his purpose. Now… now he had earned himself some respite, hadn't he? He had worked too hard, for too long…

He was tired.

If the situation were any different, if there was any less tension on his shoulders, he would've just climbed on that bed and held the woman he loved until they both woke from a restful slumber. But the dread that she might not wake at all… he couldn't shake it off, still. The damage of corruption was never easy to gauge, and it certainly wasn't now.

Thus, he sat beside Azula, and he waited.

Sokka breathed deeply before withdrawing something from his fresh clothes' pocket: he had been lucky the pockets had been large enough to host it, even if he didn't particularly know why he had kept the golden crown at all… but the Fire Lord's hairpiece, five-pronged, mimicking fire, sat in his hand now. It had been on the heads of so many terrible men, a statement of glory and cruelty on equal measure… the symbol of a tyrant. Even so, he had saved it. He had kept it, unsure if Azula would find value in it after her father perished… even if he had entrusted it to her.

It had been the most shocking moment. The most painful one, too, when everything came undone. Sokka's chest tightened at the memory, at Ozai's unbelievable acceptance of defeat… of his body toppling over, blood spilling, as he fell helplessly to a lethal stab. Azula's pain, more than anything, had scarred Sokka's heart. Would she ever be able to look upon this symbol without feeling pain? Would she want a new crown? That, perhaps, would be preferable all in all… a new symbol to change the past. But perhaps repurposing that symbol, taking that crown and turning it into a beacon of peace, responsibility, true strength, would be far more meaningful than changing the uncomfortable past. It would be harder, yes… but Azula was capable of that. She would be… provided she woke up. Sokka swallowed hard, eyeing her again: he'd give her the hairpiece eventually, but he'd keep it to himself for now, he decided, pocketing it once more. He had carried it with him in his sash, alongside bombs and weapons… now, bereft of his armor and most everything else he had brought with him, it seemed the time for fighting was over. Now… now would be the time for diplomacy in order to establish true peace would begin now.

At least, it would once Azula awoke, once she was ready for it. Part of Sokka wasn't even sure if he looked forward to the political ordeals ahead or if he dreaded them, instead. Her wellbeing mattered more. Keeping her safe, easing her troubled heart, would be his priority rather than the political conflicts to be resolved still.

His heart pounded so hard, so fast at random bursts, as he gazed upon her features: the face he had longed to look upon again had changed in small ways since their last encounter. Dark bags under her eyes, less care in her usual makeup… her cheekbones were slightly more prominent, too. She had likely foregone meals more often than she should have, or eaten less amounts of food. He sighed, taking in the rest of her body, clad in an outfit that was very distinctly Mai's rather than her own…

How much had changed, whether inside or out? Her beautiful features still cast the spell they ever did upon him, and he couldn't quite find any noticeable differences over her body, around six months after she had given birth to…

His eyes widened.

Something he hadn't processed until then struck him like a blow from his club might.

He jumped off his chair, turning towards something that nestled in the corner of the room.

His heart sped up further as he took in the empty crib.

Yuudai didn't need one of those anymore. If it had been his, it would have been in storage by now. So that meant…

Tears surged in his eyes: she had been here. Hotaru… Azula had brought her here at some point. Where was she now? Evacuated with the rest of the civilians, he supposed, but…

He shook his head: he'd ask Mai once she returned. There was nothing more to it. He wouldn't find the child right now: he had to trust that Azula's plans for her safety had been effective. Once she recovered, she could lead the way so he could…

So he could meet his daughter.

His heart pounded, and he dropped on his seat again as tears bloomed in his eyes. His daughter… the child he hadn't known what to make of, whose existence had thrilled him until he had learned of Azula's marriage to Zhao. It was Sokka's child, he knew so now… Azula had done everything she could to protect her and bring her to life safely.

The very thought of finally holding that girl, of no longer having to imagine what she might be like, whether she might resemble her mother, nearly caused him to black out. He had to compose himself… to restrain his foolishness. She wouldn't be here yet. He had to wait. Azula would wake up, and once she did…

She had to wake up. She just had to.

The sun had started rising back when he had left the battlefield. Hours passed gradually, and warmth spread across the Fire Nation Capital as the fire burning down the Palace's remaining debris dwindled. All manner of benders worked together to subdue it, preventing it from reaching past the walls the earthbenders had crafted to contain the flames… and it finally appeared to have run its course around three hours after dawn broke.

The wounded appeared never-ending, even with the support of Fire Nation physicians. It was odd to help the enemy soldiers as well as their allies, but Katara continued doing so unthinkingly, until it seemed that enough physicians were hard at work for her to take a break… including the woman who had directed her in saving Azula's life.

Katara knew enough about Song to feel as though she actually had met her before… although she hadn't. An urge to approach her, to speak with her, to thank her for everything she was doing and everything she had done, nearly overcame her… but Katara contained it, breathing deeply, knowing better than to interfere in the healer's work, much less in her reunion with the man who walked with her everywhere, in whose arms Song appeared to constantly find support and comfort as she turned towards him, sharing bold kisses with no concern as to who might see them.

"Say…" she whispered, stepping up to Zuko, who had seemed to take charge of organizing matters in Sokka's absence: he glanced at her, uncertainty rising in his heart visibly before her. "The woman who offered her house was… Mai? Your, uh, ex?"

"Yeah," Zuko said. "You want to go too?"

"I just figured… seems like the others have things in order. Sokka was hurt, even if not too severely… idiot's bound to not care to get patched up just because your sister's in worse shape than him," she sighed. "Figured I'd do something about it, is all."

Zuko sighed and nodded.

"You know him. He really would do that," he said. "It's not far. Come with me."

Katara sighed in relief as she followed Zuko indeed. She would check on Aang again later, as he was busy helping at keeping the peace in the chaotic city, and she'd figure out where Kino was, too, for he had taken off on his own a few hours ago. Right now, her brother felt like the more urgent matter, one that needed attention at once.

Zuko marched across the streets, bitter familiarity spreading through him. He returned to the Fire Nation after years of distance, for the second time… and just as it happened in the first, it didn't feel like home at all. A part of him rejected his own presence here… the war was over, so it was time to go home, or so was his heart's mandate. He couldn't leave yet, but… as soon as the chance presented itself, he'd find his family. He had to.

The door to Mai's place was open once they reached it. Zuko breathed deeply as he led Katara inside. He meant to apologize for the intrusion… but when he spotted Ruon Jian inside, he frowned in perplexity at the sight of the man in an apron, hands covered in flour.

"Ruon…?" he said. Mai's husband smiled awkwardly.

"Zuko. Hi again," he said. "I… figured people would need food. The Princess, once she wakes up, too…? Uh, hi there. You would be…?"

"Sokka's sister, Katara," she smiled, bowing to Ruon Jian, who hummed and bowed right back.

"I'm pleased to meet you," he said. "If you want some breakfast, well… I'm not very good at this, but I'll try to have some food ready soon. So…"

"Thank you," Katara smiled warmly. "I'll probably check on that in a bit. Zuko… maybe you should tell the others to come? I'm sure… I'm sure a lot of them would like something to eat. They might even help in the kitchen…"

"There's no need for that. I'll give him a hand."

Mai's voice rang in the house, and Katara's eyes widened as the elegant woman stepped down the stairs: she appeared tired, but not so much that she couldn't get any work done. Her small eyes settled on Katara, and she nodded in acknowledgement towards her.

"Sokka's sister, I heard. Your brother's… upstairs. Waiting for her to wake up," Mai said, with a sigh. "Surprising no one."

"Guess he wasn't much better than this with… well, that other thing she went through," Zuko frowned. "With the spear…?"

"He was pretty much the same. Just… less intimidating and with slightly shorter hair," Mai said. Zuko smirked.

"Intimidating? Him? For you?"

"Isn't that the man who just led your forces into ending the Hundred Year War?" Mai asked, skeptical. "If I told him to leave that room I think he'd behead me. I'm starting to think I have better sense than you do, Zuko."

"I'm pretty sure you knew you did since ages ago," Zuko smiled. "But you're not wrong. It's just weird to hear you say anyone scares you. Always felt like nobody did."

"I'm afraid… life's been a lot more challenging of late for everyone than you'd expect," Mai said, eyes downcast. Zuko gritted his teeth. "But… we're here now, and somehow, we've made it through the Palace burning down. I'd call that a victory."

"It is," Zuko said, firmly. "Do you want help?"

"In the kitchen?" Ruon Jian asked. "Do you…?"

"I helped Suki often enough," Zuko said, with a smile. "Though… I doubt you need me to hunt anything, but I can still be of help with other things."

"The very thought of you going on hunting trips is… mindboggling," Mai said, blinking blankly before shaking her head. Zuko chuckled. "But… fine. The more, the merrier, I hope."

Ruon Jian smiled as Mai marched into the kitchen with him. Zuko glanced at Katara, who sighed as she turned towards the stairs.

"Guess I might join you there after I fix him," Katara reasoned. "Or I can be the one to tell the others to come eat here? Feels… odd, worrying about cooking right now, but…"

"Mundanity might just be the best way to cope with the madness we've been immersed in, as of late. Especially with what happened last night," Zuko said, swallowing hard. "Thanks for having my back as many times as you did. For… for your efforts to save him, too. Hell knows he… he didn't deserve any of it. But…"

"At least… it felt like his heart was waking up at the end," Katara said, mournfully. Zuko frowned, but he nodded. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I know this… this has to be so fucked up for you. But…"

"But it's over now. And… and Azula's alive. If I had to pick between them, I'd choose her over him, without a doubt," Zuko said. Katara smiled sadly. "So… go check on your brother and make sure he's not losing his mind up there, waiting for my sister to wake up."

"Alright," Katara smiled, nodding at him before climbing the stairs.

She approached the only room she found with an ajar door. Katara breathed deeply as she glanced inside, unsurprised to find Sokka sitting on a stool, hunched over, elbows on his knees… watching. Waiting. Dark shadows veiled his face, making him look much older than he actually was.

"Sokka," she called him. Her brother glanced in her direction.

"Hey," he said. "Do you… need anything?"

"I suppose you're rather busy making sure she's not alone when she wakes up, but…" Katara said, stepping closer to the bed.

Lying there, the formidable woman her brother had fallen madly in love with appeared so much more brittle than expected: the bending feat she had been capable of that night had certainly done away with any questions about what an extraordinary firebending master she was. Her firebending output far outdid anything Katara had witnessed before, but she had alsoheld it for far longer than any normal person ought to, with any kind of bending…

"She seems calm," Katara whispered. Sokka nodded.

"Hasn't… woken up yet. Keeps breathing, though. That's… that's a good thing," he said. Katara sighed, stepping up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It is. But you know what would be an even better thing?" she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "For her to wake up… and find that you tended to your wounds and weren't an irresponsible idiot husband who only sat by her bedside, with no concern for his own health."

Sokka winced. That her words could bring his cheeks to flush startled even him. Katara smiled, and Sokka pouted at her.

"I… I don't think my wounds are that severe. I'm pretty sure most of them stopped bleeding already…"

"Doesn't matter. You're coming with me."

"Wait, where? I'm not leaving…!"

"Just sit outside the room on that stool if you want, I don't know," Katara sighed. "We'll make a lot of noise and disturb her rest otherwise. You don't want to be a nuisance to her, do you?"

"No, but…" Sokka said, casting a hopeless glance at Azula anew: she continued to slumber, and he sighed in defeat. "Fine. Fine. It's… it's only been a few hours anyhow. Doesn't mean much. I mean, when Zuko found me, it took a lot longer than that for me to come to my senses, right?"

"Damn right it did. And I'm still pissed at you for that, mind you," Katara grunted, her voice grave. Sokka grimaced and shook his head.

"Fine, fine. Don't… don't scold me for that all over again. No need," he said: standing up and picking up his stool. "Right outside the door?"

"Right outside the door, if you really can't take your eyes off her for a second."

Sokka swallowed and nodded: he marched outside the room with Katara, setting down the stool and sitting in such a way that he might still be able to easily glance inside, to confirm that Azula's chest continued to rise and fall with each breath she drew.

"You know… by the time I stopped healing her, her chi was flowing okay," Katara said. Sokka swallowed hard. "I understand you're worried and I would expect nothing less from you, but I doubt this will be like, well, what you told us she faced before."

"Feels unreal that we could be going through anything like that again. Though… hopefully it won't be that bad this time," Sokka said: even now, he hadn't drawn his gaze away from Azula. Katara smiled, and his brow drew together. "Something funny?"

"I wouldn't say funny, just… it's odd how much you've changed already just by being near her."

That gave Sokka pause. He frowned, staring at Katara in confusion, and she raised her hands defensively.

"I'm just saying, it always felt like you had your eyes, your mind, set someplace far beyond anything we could see. And I guess you did," Katara said, pressing her healing water to the visible wounds on his arms. "So… it's kind of nice to finally know what you were looking towards, for all this time. You're… more present now. Yep, that's the right word."

"I… guess that's it," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry for all the times I've been difficult. It's just… well…"

"You don't have to be. We all understood," Katara said, smiling at him. "Though I have to say, the way things turned out, I… I didn't really expect her to do what she did. Not just the crazy bending feat, which is no small thing, but… that kiss?"

"Uh… oh," Sokka blinked blankly, eyeing his sister warily. Katara smiled at him.

"Guess any worries that you two would struggle to get back to where you left off are well and truly buried now, aren't they?"

"I mean… not exactly, but kind of?" Sokka said, cheeks somewhat red. "Not that I ought to be that optimistic while she's still not awake, but…"

"I just figured you'd be the one doing that, and she'd be a lot more reserved," Katara reasoned, switching to his other arm, for she was done with the first. "Didn't really expect her to be so bold as to kiss you in front of both your armies. That's a lot of trust she put in her forces… and in yours, in a manner of speaking."

"Well… I mean, sure," Sokka said, eyes on the floor now. Katara raised an eyebrow. "But, uh, well, I guess she figured it was fine to do it since I did it first, so…"

"You did it first?" Katara asked. Sokka shrugged.

"Might be how I finished my fight with her, is all…?"

"W-wait, you…? You just straight-up kissed her in the middle of a fight?" Katara asked. Sokka snorted and smiled.

"Would have, if she had let me… but no, it was at the end, instead. I… I had to fight her before she'd let me," he smiled sadly. "That's… where both our wounds came from."

"Both?" Katara said, raising her eyebrows. "The ones I healed from her earlier, and these…?"

"Yup."

"Huh… well, you two had better not have marital fights like these in the future. I refuse to heal you up every time it happens."

"Noted."

Sokka bit his lip as Katara smiled down at him: Sokka was desperate, eager to reclaim his bond with his long-lost lover… and somehow, she found that endearing. Instead of being irritated by it, even disgusted… Katara felt far calmer than she ever anticipated she would be at that prospect.

"Well, I think we can patch those up some more later," Katara said, withdrawing her water and pulling up a small bag she had brought with her. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I got these from the other healers earlier. Bandages, patches… it helped a lot to get more supplies like these. Means I can move on to the next wound a bit faster."

"The Fire Nation physicians weren't that bad to work with?" Sokka asked. Katara shrugged.

"Honestly, what's going on out there is… weird," she said, biting her lip. "If you'd told me Fire Nation people and members of the Gladiator Army would just be… coexisting, helping each other, one day? I would've laughed it off as a fool's dream. It's strange to see it happening, even if… if it's obvious why it did. You two really paved the way for it, making everyone work together so that we could survive that whole ordeal. What she tried to do in the Throne Room, too, I… I didn't think we'd make it until you two stormed in there."

"You would've stood a better chance than you know. You guys are strong," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "But all things considered, nobody with sense would've wanted that fight to happen at all. And it… it shouldn't have ended as it did. Curses, it's not even that I wanted that piece of shit alive, but… figures that when he makes one decent choice in his life, his worst lackey would do what he did. Couldn't he have done that when Ozai was screwing Azula's life over and over? Nah, just… just when he decided to stop doing it. Makes perfect sense."

"Why did he kill him?" Katara frowned, shaking her head. "I… I tried to heal him when he fell, but I… I couldn't do enough. It felt absurd that I would be trying to save the Fire Lord, but I did try. And all the time I just kept wondering… why would anyone be that much of a bastard as to attack him right when he gave up? Who could want war so badly?"

"Someone profiting off it," Sokka reasoned. "Shaofeng… he was up to no good. I don't know to what extent, but… that's the main reason why I made sure to keep him alive. As soon as he's dead, he'll take his secrets with him, and hell knows what the consequences would be."

"And we can't have him hiding some creepy successor from you guys somehow, huh?" Katara grimaced, shaking her head. "I'm just glad that… that at least I could help her. Even if I damn near couldn't… we're lucky Song turned up when she did."

"We are," Sokka said.

"She's, uh… a little intimidating, huh?" Katara said, with a weak grin. "The way you talked about her, I never would've thought…"

"Intimidating?" Sokka repeated, blinking blankly. "She's…"

"A very knowledgeable healer who kept level-headed and gave all the right orders so we could save your Princess's life?" Katara said, with a skeptical smile. Sokka grinned too.

"I mean, yeah, she's an incredible healer, but… I never thought you'd find her intimidating. You're the combat bender, not her… she didn't know how to wield anything other than medical tools, last I knew."

"Still means she probably knows exactly what it takes to kill someone… and instead she chooses to save their lives. It's no small thing, you know?" Katara said, swallowing hard. Sokka chuckled.

"I suppose she was just more driven than usual. She's… meeker than that, I guess, normally. Or at least, she was. I don't know if the things that happened might have changed her…"

"Or maybe you're just used to walking among giants and you don't realize how impressive your old friends were, huh?" Katara teased him. Sokka snorted.

"You… you're a waterbender strong enough to make Pakku shut his mouth about women's place in battlefields," Sokka said, skeptical. "Sedna, the Mist? She tried doing the same thing and failed. And you're actually talking about other people being giants?"

"Well…"

"You're friends with the Prince of the Fire Nation, with the man who's going to be Consort of the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe…"

"But you're involved with the Princess of the Fire Nation yourself…!"

"And you're banging the Avatar, so for that matter…!"

"Sokka! Don't say it that way, you…!"

He winced when she had smacked his shoulder lightly, right after having finished fastening the bandages over his wound. Her fluster was apparent, but Sokka eyed her skeptically anyway.

"Won't deny that it's weird, bringing both my worlds together this way, but… you really don't have an accurate understanding of yourself, Katara," he decided. She laughed, shaking her head. "I mean it…"

"Say what you will, it's probably your fault if I think too highly of you or of your friends anyway. All your big, bold stories…"

The voices that had risen between them had an effect they hadn't anticipated: the sole occupant of the room before them shifted slightly: the sound caused Sokka to frown at once.

"Kat-…" he started, a hand rising to stop her from pressing her healing water to his forehead's wound.

His sister stopped indeed, puzzled by his reaction…

Until they heard the unquestionable, unequivocal sound of a violent, thick cough.

Sokka darted into the room at once: Azula had rolled on her side, and she covered her mouth with a hand as she shrank into herself.

"Azula… Azula, it's okay," he said: he took her hand, pulling it away from her mouth and sitting by her bedside, angling himself carefully. "If there's something in there, just… just spit it out. Get all of it out…"

She had indeed held herself back, but upon hearing his words, Azula didn't think twice to obey: the latest of her coughs resulted in a blackened substance spilling out of her mouth anew.

Azula snarled at the sensation, but it faded quickly: Katara's water caught the blackened corruption and scooped it away from Azula. Sokka's hand rose, stroking her hair reassuringly.

"You're okay. You're… are you feeling better?" he asked, chest tight at the sight of her. Azula breathed once, then twice… then, she nodded.

"I… I…" she managed to utter, sounding lost, confused… "Where…? W-what is…? S… Sokka?"

She uttered his name as though she couldn't quite believe she was speaking it at all. As though she had no recollection of whatever events had brought him back into her life. As though he were still gone… as though letting herself hope for the opposite, only to find it to be a dream, would be too painful to endure.

So Sokka smiled: he stroked her hair carefully, letting his hand rest upon her cheek.

"I'm here. You're… you're at Mai's place."

The words caused her to frown, again seeming confused by the very notion of ever being near him again…

But then she gasped. Her eyes flung open fully violently, and she pushed herself to sit upright.

"Azula…?" Sokka called her: she appeared to have reclaimed far more energy than expected suddenly, startling Katara just as well…

Her eyes, however, glided past them to settle on the crib in the corner.

Azula's chest heaved as she remained in the spot where she sat. The crib was empty. It was, however, Hotaru's… but her child wasn't here. Her child was…

Her attempt to inquire over her whereabouts caused her to freeze up when her eyes fell upon the Water Tribe siblings.

Now she saw him, she reasoned with his presence, in a way she hadn't at first. Everything had appeared to be a dream… until it wasn't. Suddenly, Sokka was more real than he ever had been before.

"Sokka…" she said, tensing up. "You… you're…"

"I'm here," Sokka said, smiling a little as he rose to his full height again, standing before her. "It's… it's really me. Do you remember everything that happened? Are you…?"

"I… I think so," Azula frowned, grimacing as she rubbed her forehead slightly. "For how long was I out? I… w-where is…?"

"It's been about… five hours, I think," Katara said. Azula raised an eyebrow. "So not very long since you, well, saved the world by setting it on fire, contradictory as it may sound?"

Azula blinked blankly. She glanced at Katara, and the waterbender smiled awkwardly at her.

"Hi again. I guess you remember me?"

"Katara," Azula said, swallowing hard: the act resulted in pain in her throat, and she winced at the unnerving aftertaste that dwelled in her system, still. "I… I'm sorry if I've been taking up, well… more healing resources than I should have. If you have others to tend to, don't mind me…"

"You two really are as bad as each other, huh?" Katara concluded, startling Azula with her words. Sokka smiled awkwardly. "Same thing this one said. Anyway, most people have been tended to. If anything, I… might just head downstairs to help with the food. Should also go tell people to come eat, I bet Toph's going to be starving after working all night…"

"Heh… she would be," Azula said, a hint of familiarity and fondness in her voice that brought a smile to Sokka's face.

"So… I guess, if you're alright talking and sitting upright that way, you're not doing so badly right now," Katara smiled a little. "Maybe, if I see her, I could fetch Song? She might want to look at her again…"

"That'd be a good idea," Sokka nodded. "Thanks, Katara."

"A-again…?" Azula repeated: her questioning gaze rose towards Sokka. "What does that mean?"

"She showed up right on time to help you when you fell," Sokka explained. Azula shuddered. "I caught you, before things could get any worse. But… you needed help. Katara and Aang tried, but it was Song who told them what to do."

"Huh. Well… that suits her," Azula whispered, biting her lip. "Where… where is she now?"

"Out there… healing as many people as she can. Rui Shi's right beside her," Katar said.

Azula's eyes widened, gleaming with heartfelt emotion that soon translated into a sad, but earnest smile. She closed her eyes.

"That's… that's good. Fuck, that's good to know," she said, dropping her head on her hand. Sokka smiled warmly at her as Katara patted his shoulder.

"I'll get to your dumb head later, I guess," Katara said. Sokka chuckled. "Though it's so hard that I bet whatever damage it took wasn't significant, right?"

"Right. Thanks, Katara," Sokka said: she smiled, waving at him as she stepped to the door… and she bowed her head towards Azula, if just curtly.

Katara truly hadn't needed to leave, outright… but she suspected it was better if she didn't interfere now. It was apparent that those two had a lot of catching up to do, and she doubted either one would feel comfortable doing so with her nearby.

Sokka swallowed hard once Katara was gone before turning his attention towards Azula anew: the Princess eyed her forearm, scrutinizing her outfit with perplexity…

"Mai's the one who picked that for you… changed you into it too," Sokka said. Azula hummed.

"Figured it was her style, but… didn't remember how that happened," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. "D-do you know if…? If everyone's safe? If you already saw Song, then… w-were all of them there too?"

"I… don't really know if I saw everyone you're asking about, but I assume I didn't," Sokka said. Azula gritted her teeth. "Song, Mai and Ruon Jian came to the Palace when it went up in flames. Song showed up just in time to direct Aang and Katara with how to help you. Y-you… couldn't breathe for a while, with that crap stuck inside your throat."

"Corruption… guess I breathed it in as I was burning it out," Azula said, lowering her gaze. "I… I'm sorry. Must have been… must have been awful for you. Are you…?"

"Me? I'm fine. I've been fine since… since the moment you woke up, I think," he said, with a gentle smile. "Haven't felt this good in ages."

"Heh. Good to know I… I still have that effect on someone. More so that it's you," Azula said, her voice as good as fading once she said those last words. She breathed deeply, and she forced herself forward, surprising Sokka.

"You don't have to get up if…" he said, but Azula slung her legs over the bedside: while she trembled slightly, she managed to stand without feeling too dizzy or weak. She breathed out slowly after she was done, but she nodded, too.

"I'm fine. I… I guess it's a lighter kind of corruption poisoning compared to my first one," she said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Seems like I keep collecting those."

"Well, I only knew of two sources of that garbage and… they're both gone now," Sokka said, eyeing her with uncertainty. "I'd like to think it's never going to happen again. Plus… you're standing up and speaking and not bed-ridden this time. I… I may have been scared shitless, but I think things are looking more promising, this time around."

"Heh," Azula said, with a sad smile. "Sorry that I worried you. Should've… thought about not breathing while I was up there. Did Xin get…?"

"Same treatment as you, but it was smoother. Dragon's got a bigger air tunnel than you do, so Aang unclogged it faster…" Sokka said. Azula smiled.

"He's… he's better than I am, then. Good," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly. Sokka watched her quietly, waiting for her to finish communing with her dragon, heart churning with affection and relief as he took in every detail of her beautiful face. "He… he's outside the city now. No surprise there, I guess… the last thing he would want to do is stay anywhere near the place where he was imprisoned."

She gritted her teeth, and regrets crossed her face as she opened her eyes. Sokka nodded.

"Makes sense. But… you'll go hang out with him once you're both ready," he said, reassuringly. "He'll be fine. Nobody with sense messes with a dragon."

"He's… weak, after last night," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "Not that I expect anyone to mess with him anyway, it's just… he should've never been…"

"I know. I'm sure he knows it was never your intent…" Sokka said. Azula shook her head.

"Doesn't matter. Still happened. I still… S-Sokka, I…"

"Hey. Hey," he stepped closer, taking her face into his hands. Azula did her best not to meet his gaze, shame and guilt gripping her relentlessly. "Not now, okay?"

"I have so many things I…" she said, shivering. "So much I need to tell you and… a-and I just… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for so many things, I…"

"You… you are, huh?" Sokka smiled, a hand stroking her hair delicately now. Azula shivered under his gaze. "Funny. Maybe I… maybe I thought I wanted to hear those words, before we met again. But as soon as I laid eyes upon you anew, I… I forgot about that completely. Call me an idiot for it, if you will… truthfully, I can't even remember what you need to apologize for anymore."

"Heh. Need a reminder…?" Azula asked. Sokka snorted.

"How about you remind me tomorrow? In three weeks? Next year?" he said: despite everything, Azula smiled. "I… really don't want to think about bad things now, okay? I… I was terrified out of my mind that I'd lose you, but… you're here. Talking to me. Sorry, but I… I can't stop being grateful for that. Fuck all politics and responsibilities, I… I don't care about any of it. You're in front of me again, and that matters more than anything."

"Anything?" Azula repeated. Sokka nodded. "That's… too much. Sokka, I… I'm not worthy of those feelings. I'm not worth…"

His hand rose, this time settling with his index finger upon her lips. Azula stopped talking, eyeing him in confusion.

"You… don't get to decide your worth, sorry to say," he said, with a proud smirk. Azula scoffed. "That's not how it works."

"Oh, really? So, who does, huh? Oh, great Gladiator General, is it you're the one person in this world who sees things objectively and understands people's value when they can't see it themselves?" she asked, her voice charged with a light layer of teasing that brought a smirk to his face.

"What if I said I am?" he said. Azula scoffed… but she smiled.

"You've… you've grown confident. Bold. Full of yourself?" she asked. Sokka's smile widened. "Suits you better than it should, that's the real problem…"

"I missed you."

The words seemed to break the near-argument that had been ready to start between them: that light banter, so easygoing, so good-natured, set off a spark in Sokka's heart that spilled powerfully into Azula's. Her eyes grew tearful, and she swallowed hard as she met his gaze.

"I… I missed you too, Sokka. M-more than I can even say, but…"

He didn't seem to need to hear the rest of that sentence: Sokka stepped forward, and he leaned in to press his lips to hers.

Azula gasped: her hands instinctively gripped his neck, keeping him close as that long-lost, miraculous feeling became so much more solid and real than it had been in their visions, in all those dreams, in memories… her heart ached upon realizing he had chosen to kiss her anew. He didn't have to, in fact it would've made so much more sense if he hadn't, not only because of the terrible things they hadn't spoken about, but…

Azula yanked herself back, covering her mouth with a hand, startling Sokka.

"Y-you… I-I don't know if there's more of that crap left in my mouth," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I mean… the corruption. I don't want to… t-to pass it on to you."

"Ah. Huh. I… didn't even think of that," Sokka smiled. Azula sighed.

"I can tell," she said, a hand upon his chest. "I… I guess I missed that, too. Your utter recklessness."

"And I missed your bursts of sense when I'm being stupid," Sokka smiled, pressing his brow to hers. Azula gritted her teeth, placing a hand on his chest.

"There's… so much we still need to talk about," she said. "So many things we have to…"

"I know," he said.

"I just don't want you to… t-to end up getting hurt if I don't tell you the things you need to know," she said, closing her eyes tight. "The last thing I want is to…"

"It's okay," Sokka said, reassuringly, his brow against hers. "I get it. But… see, as difficult as it might be to get through everything we have to talk about? I… I have no intentions of letting go of you after it's done, unless you truly want me to. I love you. That's not going to change, regardless of whatever you may say."

"But I…" Azula gasped. "T-the things I…"

"Later," Sokka said, pressing his lips to her brow now. Azula shivered. "We… we have time. Finally, we do. I'm not going anywhere. We'll have a chance to get to it, but right now? You're… you're back on your feet. You might need food, and you need rest, and… and you should stop overthinking so much, for once. Though, yes, I know how hard that is for you…"

"Always making unreasonable demands of me. As if I could ever stop…" Azula smiled. Sokka grinned back.

"See? Some things about us don't change. You, the overthinker and I, the demanding jerk," he said, brushing her hair carefully with his fingertips. "Don't pressure yourself, okay? It's… it's going to be fine. We've come this far now. It wasn't easy, for either of us… so let's just take comfort in having made it… we can deal with everything else after. The worst… the worst is behind us now."

Azula breathed deeply and nodded… though her heart clenched upon hearing those words. Upon reasoning with what they meant.

As difficult as it had been to find her bearings at first, she had reclaimed them before long. Dizzy, confused, disgusted by the corruption she had inhaled, the reality of their situation sank in slowly… and where she had regained Sokka, she had lost her father.

It shouldn't hurt as much as it did. It shouldn't feel as though her heart were shattering at the mere thought. And yet… if only he had refused to see her side, if he had never listened, just as he never seemed to, she might have been able to accept this outcome a little more easily. If there had been no hope for him at all, no chance that he would change his ways and choose a new path, then the outcome might not have been as painful…

But he lay dead under Shaofeng's treachery. His life had been sacrificed while he ensured that hers wasn't. His heart was no longer beating just so her own could carry forward.

The grief had to be apparent across her features, for Sokka's easygoing demeanor changed quickly. He held her carefully, and Azula's breath hitched before she pressed her face to his chest.

"I… I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't… I-I know nobody would ever think it makes sense for me to feel this way about him. You, of all people… if it angers you, I understand. But…"

"He was your father," Sokka said, cradling her in his arms, rubbing her back affectionately, reading her reactions and words perfectly. Azula gripped him tightly. "Doesn't matter if he and I hated each other's guts… there was one regard in which we could occasionally see eye to eye, and that was you. I don't know if… if he'd have given a damn, if you had grieved me, had I died. But I know… I know I care about you so much more than I hated him. So… don't worry about me, okay? Cry all you need to. Mourn him. I… I can't even blame you. The way it went down, I… I don't know how I had enough restraint not to kill the bastard right then and there."

"You… you didn't," Azula said, sniffing and pulling back, looking up at Sokka with tearful eyes. "Why? N-not… not that it matters all that much, he's still gone, and he would still be, no matter if that piece of shit is alive or dead, but…"

"Because… because he said things that made me think twice of it, despite it all," Sokka frowned. "I have no idea what the hell he was up to, but from what I could guess, all those shady people, the ones in the uniform of the Amateur Arena's guards, were…"

"His men. His… private army," Azula said, bitterly. "I thought… he was doing it behind my father's back. He wasn't. He… he always knew. Shaofeng… he's been behind terrible things in the Fire Nation for so much longer than I know, I'm sure. But… everything that happened after you were gone suggests that he… he was the man in control of the slavery system all along."

Sokka's eyes widened, and his brow drew together. Azula breathed heavily, placing a hand upon his chest.

"If… if he still lives, then maybe… whoever takes charge of the Fire Nation next can try to break him. Figure out whatever he's been hiding. Actually, your… your White Lotus allies could do it too, I bet," Azula said, swallowing hard. "As it is… he has so much to answer for that… you did the right thing. Maybe you didn't really know it, but… killing him would have been the worse choice. I don't know if you held back out of compassion, but…"

"I didn't," Sokka said, curtly. Azula smiled at his bluntness.

"Whatever held you back… it may have been better for the world in the end. You… you have impeccable instincts, don't you? I messed with you over that all I did, but… turns out you knew the right thing to do here. Even when all logic suggested that killing him would be easier…"

"I just figured… if he left behind some bastard successor who might take to disparaging you, us, pretending we really planned all this madness, that you wanted your father dead, even that you killed him yourself?" Sokka scowled. "I don't know how else we could fight that kind of thing. The truth needs to be known. And for that to be done… he can't be a martyr. That would have made it easier for his designs to still come to pass, even if he's dead and can't reap the rewards personally."

"Good, then. Thank you," Azula said, breathing deeply. "For this, and… for everything. You… you didn't have to come all this way. You could've just…"

"No, I couldn't have stayed put," Sokka smiled sadly. Azula sighed, meeting his gaze once more.

"Maybe," she said. "Nothing would have changed quite so fast if you hadn't, it's true, but…"

"I wasn't safe there. No one was. My tribe… they've been safer because I've been luring your father's attention all over the world, away from the South, ever since I left," Sokka said. Azula gritted her teeth. "So… I did everything I could to keep everyone safe. I know, I'm not blameless anyway, my hands aren't clean and they won't ever be…"

"They can't be any worse than mine," Azula said, breathing deeply and shaking her head.

"I don't know about that," Sokka whispered.

She seemed so defeated… so tired. Sokka reeled her into his arms, letting her rest against his chest. He wouldn't blame her, at all, if she was reaching the very limits of her fortitude now. Her life had taken turn upon turn, and the last ones had been so massive she might not know how to keep up with them… he pressed his lips to the top of her head, reassuringly.

"What I do know is that… it's over now," he whispered. "Not just the war… our time apart. Our time hiding, too. The whole world knows what we mean to each other…"

"And rumors will start. Bullshit will spread high and low…" Azula sighed, shaking her head.

"I wonder about that," Sokka said. "Felt like plenty of people were scared of me, as of late. Guess, if I hear about any shitty rumors we don't like, I can just pay the gossips a visit…"

"Heh… someone's enjoying his newfound powers of intimidation," Azula smiled. Sokka chuckled. "Good that you are. You terrified a lot of people, you know? Didn't help that nothing… nothing could anger my father more than the mere mention of you, for many months."

"He made a legend out of me, now, did he? If that's how people are seeing me, it's all his fault, then," Sokka said. Azula smiled.

"Might just be," she said, before frowning, a hand rising to her mouth.

She coughed again: this time, she stepped away from Sokka and spat the outcome into a basin in the room. Sokka didn't pull far back, standing with her by the basin and rubbing her back gently.

"Not as much this time…" he said, eyeing the substance with irritation. Azula huffed, taking the jar of water by the basin and pouring herself a cup.

"Still too much," she said. "I… I don't know how much there is in there. At times it's like… it's gone and then, suddenly, it's not. I… I don't get it."

"Take it easy. Last time it… it must have taken a lot to fight it off completely," Sokka frowned: he didn't quite know how she had finished combating the corruption back then, for they had been apart by the time it relented fully. Azula breathed deeply and nodded, turning towards him. "But… you rinsed your mouth now, huh?"

"I did, but…"

Her attempt to explain herself was cut off with an impulsive kiss.

Despite the pain, the grief that ravaged her, the confusion and uncertainty of the future, Azula actually smiled. She let her lips curve into that kiss, her arms rising and locking around his neck before long: if she wouldn't infect him with this wretched corruption, it was fine to go with it. To let herself cut loose… to bask in yet another moment Sokka dared steal. It was so like him to do this, to surprise her in such a way…

She returned his affection heartily, closing her eyes and even daring spread her lips when he did the same. The familiarity, the intimacy, the closeness… all of it enveloped her with a blissful warmth she had chased, sought, needed desperately. The bleakness, the darkness that had dragged her down for as long as they had been apart appeared to lift now, as she allowed him to explore her thoroughly, as though mapping her out anew, reclaiming so much of what they had lost…

She wasn't surprised at all when he pulled back, a gentle smile on his face and tears blinking in his eyes.

"Fuck, I… I really needed to do that."

He had comforted her so far, watching over her, ensuring that she would be safe, and as healthy as can be: now, it was Azula's turn to embrace him tightly as he buried his face in her neck, pressing more kisses over her clothes as she reassured him as best as she was able.

"It… it still doesn't feel real," she admitted. He nodded. "That you're here, t-that…"

"It's over," Sokka said again. She smiled, even though her father barged into her thoughts anew, riddling them with grief. "Let's just forget about the bad stuff for a bit, okay? Big, bad, serious, awful matters can wait. I don't… don't think any of it matters that much, in the end. Feels like so many things didn't, when worst came to worst…"

"But… nothing's going to be like it used to be," Azula said. Sokka frowned. "I mean… we can't really go back to what we lost. I don't mean… our relationship, but just, everything around it. I know I wished it would, so many times, but… a lot has changed since we were last together."

"Yeah… starting with the League's destruction, I guess," Sokka said. "Not that it matters much, though. I… I kept thinking, before things got so tricky, that once we got married officially, I'd just retire because we wouldn't need to be in the League anymore, I wouldn't need to be a gladiator to have an excuse to be around you. Wish it hadn't been this awful, of course, but…"

"Well, whether there's a league or not… sounds like you're doomed to be the Gladiator forever," Azula smiled, cupping his face. "I did enjoy teasing you by calling you that back in the day, but… the whole world took that from me, seems like."

"They can fuck themselves," Sokka said, adamantly. Azula smiled. "You can call me anything you wish. Anything at all."

"Hmm. My gold fire and inner flame. I'm still sticking with those… and of course, my gladiator," she smiled warmly. Sokka chuckled.

"Always yours, my Princess. Always yours."

The words rang so painfully true as they preceded yet another healing, needed kiss: she had guided him here, whether she had meant to or not, ever since they had been broken apart. While he had certainly fought to end the war, he had fought for her, constantly, his heart set on rejoining her at all costs. And while it might take some more time for matters to flow truly smoothly, while they had a lot of explanations to offer each other… ultimately, the bond they had nourished and protected, the one they had fought for across all those years, had not been broken. Once again, they would be ready to face their challenges side by side, stronger together, as they ever had been.

Any physical weakness, any faltering, seemed to fade to nothingness. Even the discomfort that still nestled in the back of Azula's throat wasn't quite so strong as to surpass the powerful feelings rising in her heart: there was no telling if everything would remain quite so beautiful, so optimistic… but that it felt that way so far sufficed for now. Peace, warmth, spread inside her as she kissed her long-lost lover willfully, holding very little back as he did the same. Their emotional passion surged as waves crashing in the sea, climbing higher and higher, their hearts racing in bliss and disbelief alike…

They were together again. The darkness of their circumstances, punishing as it had been, had allowed a small light to blink past it, and they had seized it for good. They had followed its course, and amid so many possible outcomes, the one they finally found themselves living was one of the brightest, most gratifying possibilities of all.

Breathless, Azula still pressed her lips repeatedly to his: the sensation, the rising warmth, was as addictive as it ever had been. The chance to so much as do this again, after being deprived of him for so long, overcame her every bout of rational thinking, and it was apparent that he wasn't much better, either.

"I missed you…" he whispered between kisses: where his hands had touched her with reckless desire before, now she could tell they trailed her flanks, her arms, her waist with an intent to prove to himself that their reencounter had been real. That she truly stood before him… that their time apart, that had felt like a punishing, cruel eternity, was finally behind them.

"Sokka…" she whispered his name again, tears surging in her eyes: her fingers trailed over his cheekbones, tracing them gently. It hardly felt real for her, either, not after so long of being bereft of his touch, his kindness…

She could have spent all day in his arms, kissing him to oblivion. She could have done it and still not have enough of him. It wouldn't suffice to make up for all the lost time, even if she did, but curses, she wished she could. Selfishness rose inside her heart as she pushed in, diving deeper with her newest kiss, tears spilling down her cheeks as he held her closely, arms tightening around her.

There was but one sound in the world that could have ever caused her to break away from his grip. A single voice that could have snapped her out of the beautiful, shared daze between her and Sokka, as lips brushed together so sweet and comfortingly, as their tongues danced and twirled around each other, as their breaths mixed fully…

But a baby's voice, so very familiar for Azula, and not at all for Sokka, caused the Princess to pull back abruptly.

It had come from downstairs.

Her eyes widened as her racing heart skipped a beat.

"W-what…?" Sokka froze, glancing at the bedroom door. He was no fool. As relieving as it was to share those necessary, soothing kisses with Azula, his mind hadn't quite ceased working to the extent it might have had to for him to fail to unravel what that soft, sweet voice was.

"Sokka…" Azula said, patting his chest gently before smiling at him: now it was her turn to be reassuring while his anxiety shot off, quickly. "It's okay. I guess… they're back."

"They?" Sokka asked, nervously. "W-who… is they?"

"Oh… well. One of them should be, I hope, a good surprise for you," Azula smiled warmly. "I didn't mention it before, but I… had a friend of yours protecting Hotaru."

"A… friend of mine? What? Another gladiator?" he asked. "Is it Haru?"

"I think you're about to find out," Azula smiled: a set of footsteps up the stairs gave away that they wouldn't be alone for much longer.

Azula pressed one more kiss upon Sokka's lips before turning towards the door. He let her go almost begrudgingly, but he found himself a lot more comfortable with having done that when a girl Sokka had never seen before showed up at that threshold.

Her hair was disheveled, much as her clothes were: she had run up those stairs in a hurry, and her dark eyes were wide with emotion as she stopped on her tracks: Azula turned towards her with a compassionate, if guilty, smile.

"Mom!"

Nothing had prepared Sokka to hear a total stranger shouting that word to Azula. Much less was he ready to see the woman he loved spreading her arms, in which that young woman leapt without hesitation: tears spilled down her cheeks, and she sobbed quietly as Azula uttered reassuring words.

"I'm… I'm okay. I'm sorry, Rei, I… I know you must have been worried to hell and back. But… i-it worked out somehow, in the end. I'm so sorry, but…"

"N-no, no, d-don't…! Y-you're here. You're still here, and that's… t-that's all that matters, Mom…" Rei sobbed, hugging her as tightly as could be. Azula sniffed, a hand in her hair. "You're okay… y-you're okay…"

"I am, dear. I… I've been saved," Azula whispered, her voice as soft and earnest as a prayer upon uttering that last sentence.

Sokka tensed up, watching the scene before him in amazement: he was entirely out of place, caught in the middle of a moment that he played no part in… not as he was. Azula's willingness to talk, to explain things, had never been all that perplexing… he knew he had many stories to share with her, some that she might find enjoyable, some she might find frustrating… one, particularly, he knew would shock her profoundly. But he had known about Azula's daughter… and as much as he had figured he'd deal with this change once it arrived, it caught him off-guard completely now, at the sight of a bond as tight as it appeared to be, and that was entirely unknown to him so far.

Rei's tearful greeting and embrace might have carried on for longer, but upon raising her head to speak with her mother, her eyes took in the fact that Azula wasn't alone.

She blinked, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand as his blurry shape became more defined. Azula swallowed hard, easily guessing just what had caught Rei's attention… she glanced back to find Sokka, off-put and visibly nervous as he regarded Rei with distance and uncertainty.

"O-oh…" Rei started, eyebrows drawing together slightly as her lips parted. Azula swallowed hard, taking her hand reassuringly.

"Rei, I… I wish we could've done this in better circumstances," Azula said, breathing deeply. "But so be it. Rei, this is…"

"Sokka?" she asked. His innards twitched with nerves upon hearing her speak his name. Azula smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. That's him," Azula said, turning her attention towards the uneasy man standing by the bedroom's window. "Sokka… this is Rei. I… I expect that you know that she's…?"

"Your daughter. Yeah, I… I've heard," Sokka said, smiling too, if tensely. "Never really had met her before, but… I remember hearing about her. Back in… well…"

"Hahn," Azula said. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Yep."

"You… remember that too," Rei reasoned, raising her eyebrows. "U-uh, it's… it's an honor to meet you at last. I've heard… well, many stories about you. It's… it's kind of hard to believe that… you're here."

"It is for me too, believe it or not," Sokka smiled more earnestly. "I'm glad to meet you too, Rei."

Azula smiled: clearly, there would be a lot of ground to tread before the pair of them were fully comfortable with each other, but this was the beginning of that process, nonetheless. As far as she was concerned, both Sokka and Rei were family… though the exact terms of that would remain to be seen, once Sokka knew the full truth of everything Azula had yet to share with him.

She was surprised, however, upon glancing at Rei to find her eyeing Sokka with a curved eyebrow. Azula raised hers, too.

"Is… everything okay?" she asked. Rei winced, smiling nervously at her before dabbing at her tear-streaked cheeks again.

"Y-yeah, I just… don't know what I expected him to look like," she laughed. "Maybe… a ten-foot giant, or so."

"A giant?" Sokka repeated. Azula snorted, and Rei giggled guiltily. "Uh, well, sounds amusing but…"

"I think… that might be because of your preconceptions of gladiators, isn't it?" Azula said. Rei bit her lip and shrugged, her smile still as guilty as before. "I suppose now you see he's not quite as ugly as Combustion Man was, huh?"

"I…! W-well, I figured he wouldn't be…" Rei laughed, covering her face with a hand: Sokka snorted upon hearing those words, and Azula smiled empathetically at him.

"It's just… he's the image she had of gladiators before. Even though she's met Haru, but she didn't really see him as a gladiator, so…"

"I guess it's just all those stories, too. He sounded… out of this world, I guess. More than human," Rei smiled a little. Sokka chuckled.

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm just… plain old me," he said, spreading his arms. Rei shook her head.

"You… you don't disappoint at all," she said. "My mind is just… silly. But it's really good to meet you. I… I don't know what happened last night, but… if you're both here together, then that's… that's how it should be. Right?"

Rei gazed at her mother with hopeful eyes, and Azula sighed in relief, nodding gently.

"There are many things we still need to figure out, but… yes," she said. Sokka offered her a gentle smile as Azula turned towards Rei again. "Is everyone alright? You evacuated safely…?"

"Both times," Rei said, with a nod. "On our way out, and then back up here… we got here just now, figured we'd try to check if everything was okay. I, uh, heard someone say you were up here, so I wanted to make sure you were safe, and…"

Rei bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder: another person climbed the stairs now, mostly hidden from Sokka's view by Rei. Azula, however, made her way to the room's threshold without thinking twice of it: the soft whimper in a child's voice explained why at once.

Sokka froze, eyes widening as the most surreal sight emerged before him: the strangest element of it, he would stash away for later… because the first thing he glimpsed, the main one he focused on, was the small child held in strong, dark arms.

His breath caught, and now it was him who wouldn't breathe: Azula sighed in relief, and she smiled warmly, affectionately, as that baby squealed in excitement at the sight of her.

"There you are. Oh, I'm so sorry," Azula said, taking Hotaru into her arms without a second thought: the baby as good as jumped towards her, all restlessness replaced by thrilling excitement to be with her favorite person in the world. "I'm here now, I'm here…"

Rei smiled, watching Sokka's reaction with delight: she had truly wondered what kind of father he would be… and his tearful eyes suggested he'd be like nothing she had ever experienced or heard about lackluster fathers so far.

"Thank you," Azula said, smiling sadly at the man who had been holding the baby so far… a man who smiled back at her, but more so upon realizing she hadn't been alone in that room even before Rei's arrival.

"I'll… talk to him when he comes back to himself," Anorak smiled. "Don't think he can even tell it's me. But… here we go. Finish my mission for me?"

Azula laughed softly, smiling with gratitude at the Water Tribesman. He smiled back, watching as Azula turned around, cradling the child carefully… stepping towards Sokka.

"Now, now… there's someone here you want to meet, okay?" Azula said, bumping the child gently in her arms, as Hotaru squirmed happily in her grip, turning around as to play with her mother's hair. "I've told you about him quite a few times, haven't I? Of course I have. So… be good now, okay? As you always are, yes. Be good and… and say hi to your father, Hotaru."

If he had been emotional earlier, after their first thorough kiss upon returning to each other, it was nothing compared to the torrent of tears that spilled out of his eyes now. Azula smiled, and even she couldn't hold back her own emotional reaction as she offered the baby for a dumbstruck, wordless Sokka to hold.

"You… you know how to…?" Azula asked him: the question seemed to snap him back to his senses.

"I… y-yeah. I… holy shit. Holy shit…" he said, breathlessly: his hands slid underneath the child's armpits carefully, and his smile couldn't have been wider when he held Hotaru by the level of his face. "You're… you're Hotaru. Hotaru. M-my… my daughter. Fuck, this can't be a dream, she's prettier than anything I could imagine…"

"Good to know," Azula laughed, reaching out to pat his forearm gently.

"Our… our Hotaru?" Sokka said, laughing and crying at once. "Hi there. Hi. I know I'm a weirdo you've never seen before, but… but that's okay. You'll get used to me soon, I hope. Me and my bad jokes… and my endless teasing of your lovely mother, that too. Hope… hope I make you laugh, at least. I… I'm your dad. I'm your father."

Evidently, Hotaru didn't understand any of his words… but she smiled, nonetheless, at the sight of his grin. Her hand reached out, falling upon his face…

It slid down to his chin, and she giggled as she touched Sokka's stubble gently.

Azula's heart jolted.

A conversation from months ago, before the baby had been born, returned to her in a violent flash at the sight of that little girl with her smiling father… her curiosity as she explored something she had never seen before. Her little fingers slid through the hairs, and she tugged at it slightly, causing Sokka to flinch, but he didn't pull her away, nonetheless.

Tears bloomed in the Princess's eyes, as yet again, the pain she had no time to process bloomed over the loss of her father. Over a bond that had begun so much like the one Hotaru and Sokka were only starting to build… this time, the outcome would be completely different. This time, their relationship would be a highlight in their lives… one of the most beautiful of them all. The pain she had suffered at her father's hands… none of it would happen here. Sokka was incapable of that… and so, Hotaru would grow up in a beautiful, wonderful world bereft of the darkness that had plagued it so far.

Sokka glanced at her, finding her tearful and overwhelmed: he pulled Hotaru tight to his chest with one arm before spreading the other to embrace Azula, reeling her in so her tears would fall upon his shoulder, with Hotaru nestled in both their arms. The Princess responded in kind, tightening her grip around him, smiling as Hotaru laughed against Sokka's chest too, right beside her.

"See? He's… he's wonderful, isn't he? I told you so," Azula whispered, kissing her daughter's brow.

Sokka pressed his face to the top of her head: his tears spilled on her hair as his heart ached, as good as swelling over the overwhelming emotions, one after the other, surging inside him. Hotaru giggled happily, relieved to be with her mother again… basking, too, in being caught in two different people's arms, a rather fascinating experience for the child.

Azula wouldn't miss out on her growth. She would be there, every step of the way, across Hotaru's journey from childhood to maturity. And while there was no regaining the lost time for Sokka… he would be there, too. He was finally here, now. Even if he wished he could have been present from the first moment, he was a grateful man, a soulful one: his joy over finally meeting his daughter outdid any possible displeasure he might have carried over from their time apart.

It was their first shared moment as a family. The first time they held the warmest of embraces, thrilled by the bliss of knowing they belonged somewhere. Of having built something beautiful that they had succeeded at protecting… and that they would continue to do so in the coming days, regardless of the numerous challenges that they had yet to face. For as much as they would like to forget everything but each other, more so when they had the responsibility of a child to raise, the unfortunate truth was that a ravaged world still stood beyond the confines of that small room. The consequences of the war and its long-awaited conclusion had yet to be sorted out… and they would be, in due time.

Rei smiled fondly at the sight of them: her mother had always appeared to be far taller than she truly was, in Rei's eyes. A daunting, powerful energy never failed to surge from her, the authority she had surely commanded all her life, the result of being raised in the heights of society. Even at her lowest points, there had been a dignity to the Princess that nobody could have ever hoped to deny. Even when she dared show weaknesses, Azula had always seemed to stand her ground against whatever was coming, serving as a pillar of strength for everyone around her…

And that, Rei realized, was the same thing Sokka represented for her, in turn. Perhaps they supported each other in that manner, but right now, watching her mother sinking willfully in her lover's embrace, it became so much easier to understand what Azula had been missing desperately ever since Rei had truly gotten to know her. She was strong indeed… but even the strongest couldn't hope to withstand everything on their own. The partnership she had built with Sokka, the trust between them, had outlived every hardship… and now, upon just meeting him for the first time, Rei found great comfort and relief by confirming that her mother's love for that man had never been misplaced: his pure joy upon holding Hotaru, as well as the child's good-natured reaction to him, spoke lengths of who he truly was underneath the façade of the powerful warrior and general he had proven to be across the past year.

"I… I need to hear all about you, you little thing, you," Sokka whispered, between tears. Azula chuckled against his chest. "Does she… talk, yet? I don't really know when they start…"

"No… just unintelligible things," Azula said, caressing her daughter's hair affectionately. Sokka hummed.

"Guess she doesn't walk either?" he said. Azula nodded.

"So… we can teach her together. Didn't… didn't miss out on that," Azula smiled, reaching up and kissing his cheek. Sokka chuckled, even though more tears spilled down his eyes. "And I'll… I'll fill you in on everything else, too. You won't miss anything else. I… I mean it."

"Good. As it is, I don't know how anyone's ever going to pry me off her," Sokka laughed. Azula smiled fondly.

"I felt the same way. Couldn't seem to let go of her after she was born. Guess she brings that out of everyone she meets…"

"I guess she does," Sokka smiled, hoisting the baby carefully again.

Holding her at the level of his face, Sokka took in her features anew. Hotaru hummed, hands reaching for his face again, and Sokka chuckled before pressing a first kiss upon her brow. He lingered there for a good, long moment, as thorough joy and relief filled his heart further.

"You… you really are beautiful, Hotaru," Sokka said, bringing her back to his chest and cradling her warmly. "Prettiest baby I ever saw, without a doubt. Must be your mom's doing."

"Heh, not sure you knew, but… it takes two to make a baby," Azula teased him. Sokka snorted. "Can't lay the blame square at my feet for that one, sorry to say…"

"She looks more like you."

"Oh, no, she doesn't."

"She has your nose…"

"What? That's not true."

"And your chin."

"Oh, please! She has your smile, for that matter…"

"Your eyes? You can't deny that one, they're gold like… huh. Gold like yours. Firebender eyes? Is she a…?"

His question caught Azula off-guard. Her eyes widened, and she gaped at Hotaru in perplexity. The baby returned her stare, apparently as mystified by Azula's expression as the Princess was over her lover's question.

"Are you one?" Azula asked, teasingly, brushing Hotaru's hair with her fingertips. "I can safely say I haven't the faintest clue if you are or not."

"Wait, you didn't think to check?" Sokka asked, amused. Azula shrugged.

"I guess it didn't… didn't really matter," Azula admitted, with a guilty smile. "Do you want to know, though?"

"I mean… sure?" Sokka smiled, with a shrug. "How do we go about it?"

"Well, there was a whole test, but… we don't really need to do that. I can figure it out myself," Azula said, closing her eyes and pressing her brow to Hotaru's.

As of late, she had resonated mainly to ensure Seethus was nowhere around. She hadn't focused on bursts of natural, normal fire… not while Hotaru had been nearby.

So, for once, Azula focused her ability on the child before her, rather than letting it expand beyond: her inner fire's energy echoed across its own level of existence…

And there was an answer.

Azula's eyes widened, and Hotaru giggled as Azula raised her gaze towards Sokka, somewhat apprehensively.

"Uhhh…" she said, with a growing, guilty grin. Sokka closed his eyes and smiled.

"She's a firebender," he said, without needing her to admit it out loud. Azula laughed, covering her mouth with a hand as she pressed her head against his shoulder. "I mean, it's no surprise, I asked because her eyes looked that much like yours…! But, uh, yeah. Guess I'd better stock up on flame retardant clothes again?"

"Might not be a bad idea," Azula laughed, cupping his face affectionately. He smiled, leaning in to peck her lips quickly.

"The hell am I gonna do now? Two against one, the odds are always going to be against me…"

"Doesn't suit you to complain about it: you always overcome them anyhow," Azula said. Sokka chuckled and shrugged.

"I don't know about…" he started: for the first time since Hotaru had entered his field of vision, though, his eyes raked something other than his child and Azula…

He fell silent, and his smile was replaced by utter shock and perplexity, upon glimpsing a familiar face by the room's threshold.

"Wait. Wait a second…" Sokka said, eyes widening: Azula smiled, as the man being scrutinized laughed. "Anorak?! Y-you…! You're just…? What?!"

"Surprise?" Anorak smiled. Azula laughed, patting Sokka's chest gently.

"How did you…? How did he…?!" Sokka said, glancing down at Azula before looking at Anorak again. "You… you brought Hotaru? It was… you?"

"Love to see how powerful that kid is. Didn't even take her much work to completely snag your attention," Anorak laughed. "Going to be a pretty happy kid with two hopeless doting parents, seems like. But… yeah. I know, I know, you're probably not happy that I met your kid before you did, but I kind of was her bodyguard lately."

"You… were?" Sokka blinked blankly, glancing at Azula again. "How…?"

"It's… part of many stories we need to share," she admitted. "I guess we'll get to that in due time, but… after realizing he knew you, I figured he'd be the safest person to protect Hotaru in case, well… in case the worst happened. He could've brought her to you once everything was sorted out…"

"And that's exactly what I did," Anorak smiled, stepping forward, as Sokka's shocked expression finally shifted to a grateful grin. "Didn't know how anything would turn out, but… I figured I'd make sure the two of you would be with your kid sooner rather than later. So…"

"You… you're a damn good friend, Anorak," Sokka said, with a heartfelt smile: the hand that wasn't holding Hotaru reached out to clap his shoulder firmly. "Thank you. Seriously… I'm glad you're okay. No one had a clue that you were alive… hell, your master's out there somewhere right now. Same as Jeong Jeong. They're bound to be relieved to know you're here."

"Heh. I wonder about that," Anorak smiled awkwardly. "Considering what I was up to, well… maybe they'll be annoyed with me, but if I'm understanding right, the war's over now, isn't it? Means… I probably don't need to follow their orders too much anymore, do I?"

He smiled, clapping Sokka's shoulder right back before smiling at Hotaru.

"See? Told you I'd get you to them again. You had nothing to worry about. Your mom and your dad are right here… and you're all smiles for it, huh?"

Anorak grinned as Hotaru giggled: her hand reached up for Sokka's stubble again, and the Gladiator chuckled, as Azula watched them wistfully anew. She broke her gaze away from them before smiling earnestly at Anorak.

"Thank you, Anorak. Really," she said. He nodded.

"That kid really has it in her to save this messed up world with her cuteness alone, you know?" Anorak smiled. "I think my job here's done, but… I'll make sure to check on her often. She grows on you, the little thing."

"Quite quickly at that," Azula smiled, her eyes shifting towards her child.

Anorak breathed out heavily: it was a sigh of profound relief, of utter gratefulness to witness the sight before him now. He glanced back at Rei, who had stood by the wall with gentle contentment so far, and he nodded in her direction.

"A job well done to you too. You're a great big sister," he said, stepping towards her and patting her shoulder. Rei laughed, biting her lip and nodding.

"Thank you," she whispered, before glancing at Azula again. "She ate a little bit before we came here, by the way. So… you won't need to feed her too urgently. Might need to change her soon, but that's a given anyway…"

"Thank you," Azula smiled at Rei. The girl's earnest grin in response warmed her heart.

"You… you should head downstairs, too," she said. "Food's bound to be ready. Knowing you… you probably didn't eat anything since ages ago, right?"

"I… can't remember," Azula admitted. Sokka hummed.

"Me neither," he said. Azula bit her lip.

"If you lost track of your meals, means things really need to get reeled back into control around here," she said. Sokka laughed, shaking his head.

"I think… I think everything's on its way to mending. Little by little," he said, wrapping his arm around Azula's waist again and pressing his brow to hers. "I… I don't even know half of it yet, but… thank you. I do know it couldn't have been easy, getting this far… but thank you for doing it anyway. You're incredible, Azula."

"You're one to talk," Azula said, shaking her head before tightening her grip around him, too.

"Well… I'll go on ahead, make sure there's room for you somewhere by the table," Rei smiled. Azula raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "It's, uh, a little crowded down there. Or it was when we got here, from what I could see. I… don't think I know most of those people? But, from your stories… I think I can guess a few of them anyhow."

"Huh… more reunions are due. Unsurprisingly," Azula smiled. Sokka squeezed her gently.

"I do know of a certain Dirt Worm who'll likely cling to you like a tick the minute you step into her vicinity…" he said. Azula laughed at his description, shaking her head.

"I'm sure she'll get bored of that quickly enough," she said. Sokka smiled, pressing a kiss upon her brow.

"Sounds like you underestimate how much people love you, Princess."

His words ached in a nostalgic depth of her heart: Azula's eyes flooded with tears as she raised them to his anew, and Sokka cupped her face before kissing her one more time.

Rei bit her lip, stifling a smile before walking away. Hotaru would probably get used to that far more quickly, young as she was… but Rei didn't quite feel that she should intrude upon moments as intimate as those between her mother and the man she loved. She climbed the stairs quietly, casting glances at the room, aglow with the window's brightness still: it was such a blissfully domestic sight, so harmless, so pure… it ran contrary to so many things she could have imagined would come in the wake of a world just breaking free from war. The streets outside were indeed chaotic, and there were many wounded that Song was still tending to, with the help of any able-bodied physicians in the city… the Palace, Rei saw, was gone, outright. Different uniforms gave away that numerous armies had converged in this battle, and the mood between them could quickly take a dark dive downhill the minute anyone overstepped any boundaries…

Tensions had yet to give out completely. So much remained unresolved…

But that single vision, of the two smiling leaders of each force, cradling their child between their arms, sharing a loving moment in the midst of so much chaos, sufficed to quell Rei's concerns. Whatever hardships remained to be sorted out, the hopeful, young woman finally could believe that everything would be just fine.