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...

217. Chapter 217: The Spirit Library 8

The unyielding glare of the pale dragon was eerily reminiscent of Xin Long's own, back when they first had found him in the depths of his cave. Those whiskers were longer than Xin Long's, the white mane, beard and eyebrows far bushier, and the fangs in full display seemed larger and more menacing too. While Xin Long's age appeared impossible to pinpoint, Azula grew to suspect, after glimpsing this new, magnificent dragon before them, that Xin Long was an adult dragon, and the one they were facing was, most likely, much older than him.

The creature stepped forward, still menacing. The smaller dragons scurried away, potentially daunted by the large one – though the yellow, medium-sized dragon didn't quite hide behind rock crevices or plant clusters. Instead, it stood at a safe distance, too intrigued by Xin Long's sudden appearance to be intimidated by their colony's leader.

"Y-you think we're in good enough shape for…?" Sokka asked Azula quietly, huddling with her as he was. The Princess shrugged.

"I defended us against a fearsome dragon's fire once" she said "I could do it again, if need be. But, hopefully, Xin Long won't let it come to that…"

The entire cave had been rattled by the roar earlier: even the rocks had seemed to shift, as well as the stalactites that dangled from the cave's ceiling. Their theory that any entrances of the cave could have been sealed by a rockslide only strengthened after this: it would barely be surprising that a loud, reckless roar by the largest dragons could have resulted in cave-ins that blocked every possible tunnel in the mountain besides the ones through the water cave.

But further analysis of the situation would have to wait: Xin Long had stepped forward, his head held high, to face the first, fully-grown dragon he had ever crossed paths with.

The pale dragon continued to bare its fangs menacingly, but Xin Long didn't diminish himself for it. He puffed up his chest, infusing his lungs with a deep breath before releasing yet another loud roar, not loud enough to rival the pale dragon's own, but still loud enough to rattle the cave as well: he would not back down. He was a proud dragon, and he would prove himself to his kind as many times as might be needed.

His refusal to back down and leave the same way he had arrived seemed to outrage the pale dragon: plums of orange flames danced in the jaws of the fearsome dragon, and he roared upwards, showcasing the might of his fire before all who stood around him. His flames were accompanied by the same loud, deafening noise from before, and this time Sokka grew keenly aware of the rocks and stalactites above them: he tightened his arms around Azula, watching them with just as much dread as Azula watched the dragon ahead.

Once it was over, it was Xin Long's turn: he settled in a steady position, his legs perfectly balanced before rearing his head and opening his jaws as well, unleashing an inferno of blue that startled all the dragons within the chamber.

So accustomed to her fire, and her dragon's, it took Azula a moment to realize that the many dragons nearby had never witnessed fire of any color beyond the usual orange. While the smaller dragonlings had dashed away in fear, the yellow one had flinched but now watched Xin Long with awe… the large, pale dragon, remained hidden from view by the barrage of blue flames pouring from Xin Long's jaws.

Finally, Xin Long stopped. The last plums of fire danced in the air, fading into nothingness… and the pale dragon watched him with a prominent scowl. The dread Azula had already felt only worsened now: would the dragon feel affronted? Would they have to fight properly, to prove themselves? If she thought about it, Xin Long had attacked her, outright, when they had first met. Would this dragon do the same? Would it feel compelled to, despite it surely hadn't seen another grown dragon in centuries, if ever…?

The pale dragon took a step forward, his snout angled down. Xin Long stood in place, steady, betraying no fear and full readiness to enter combat, if needed. Azula could tell, through the bond that joined them, that Xin Long as well was unsure of how to read his fellow dragons…

The pale dragon was closer to Xin Long now, towering over him… and then he grunted, softly. Xin Long raised his head, looking into the creature's eyes…

The pale dragon's tail swayed. A simple, innocent sway, much like the ones from Xin Long's own tail, whenever he was curious or amused.

The creature released a softer sound now, bringing his snout closer to Xin Long's, as though asking him to show his fire again, but far more subtly now, with no intimidation intent anymore. Azula gasped, relief washing over her despite she wasn't quite sure they were in the clear yet… but Xin Long coughed a small plum of blue fire, and the pale dragon jumped, his eyes wide despite being covered by those bushy eyebrows.

"Is he…?" Sokka asked, smiling awkwardly.

"He's… curious" Azula replied, smiling too "He… he's not throwing Xin Long out. He's…"

Xin Long crafted a larger blast of fire, shooting it upwards, and now the pale dragon cooed and watched it with apparent amazement. The others crawled out of their hiding spots, eager to see more of those unusual blue flames.

Within moments, the seven smaller dragons had crowded around Xin Long, with the large one lurking amongst them, no longer half as terrifying as he had appeared earlier. Yet no one was more excited and cheerful than the dark dragon at the center of the group: his eyes gleamed, his jaws now open in a wide grin, and he barely seemed to know how to contain his excitement. He leaned down, sniffing the small dragonlings, who returned the favor, recognizing him as one of their own. He laughed in delight once he rose anew, and never before had he seemed quite as bright as he did today…

Another roar of delighted joy burst from him, and this time the other dragons joined him: all of them reared their heads, releasing weak and strong cries alike, and orange fire accompanied the blue flames of the newcomer, swirling together towards the cave's ceiling.

And it would have made a marvelous spectacle to behold – the acceptance of a new member in a tight family, the momentous rebirth of the race of dragons – if only the two humans, intruders in such an intimate moment, weren't about to face the consequences of one too many roars in a not-so-stable mountain.

"Azula!" Sokka's shout broke the moment shared between the dragons: as wary as he'd been, he hadn't known the whole group of dragons would choose to roar together…

The Princess only had a moment to glance upwards: the stalactites broke off from the ceiling, falling at increasing speed right where they had crouched, covering against the loud noises of the dragons. Without a second thought, Sokka tightened his hold on Azula and launched the two of them away from the collapsing rocks, rolling on the ground together only for the stalactites to crash and shatter on the ground mere instants after they were out of the way.

Sokka wound up atop Azula, and he glanced at the ceiling in further panic. There were other stalactites nearby, but none right above them anymore. He allowed himself a relieved sigh… only for Azula to interrupt it with a foreboding groan.

"Sokka?" she called him, and he flinched as he remembered their company was more than a bit menacing.

The group of dragons scowled in their direction: where Xin Long had been a nice, friendly guest, of their scales, flesh and blood, humans certainly weren't that. Had they ever encountered a human before? Surely not, just as Xin Long hadn't… and it wouldn't be surprising if they thought that anything that wasn't a dragon was, merely, food.

The large dragon was back to his intimidating self, and he stepped closer to the intruders with a menacing scowl… only for the newcomer to rush towards his riders, stepping between them and the pale dragon.

"Uh… I take it Xin's defending us?" Sokka asked, as he helped Azula sit up. She only nodded, sensing Xin Long's spirited attempt to defend them.

As much as he groaned and thought of how good Azula had been to him, there was a latent fear on the back of Xin Long's head… a completely justified fear, at that: he was remarkably communicative with humans, especially his rider, but not so much with his fellow dragons. What he had expected to be instinctive now proved a rather complicated and delicate ordeal, one he wasn't quite sure how to deal with.

The dragons watched him keenly: there was nothing for Azula and Sokka to do but wait and see if Xin Long would successfully communicate that they were his friends, and harmless… or, in the worst-case scenario, deal with the consequences if he failed to do so. It'd be up to Azula to defend them, surely, if Xin Long failed… Sokka gritted his teeth, wishing he had brought at least Space Sword along, for safety's sake.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, despite he could make an educated guess already.

"Xin's trying to plead our case, show we're not intruders, but… he's not exactly well-versed at communicating with dragons" Azula explained. Sokka's eyes widened.

"But he's a…"

"As much as you might expect otherwise, chances are you wouldn't be able to communicate with a human on first sight if you'd grown up away from all forms of civilization" Azula said, curtly "That's what's happening here. So…"

"We're in trouble"

"Quite so"

The pale dragon snarled again, swaying his tail slow and dangerously now. Azula breathed out and pushed herself up to her feet, startling Sokka.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked, rising slowly to join her – any fast movements might set the dragons on edge, and they certainly didn't want to antagonize them any further.

"Just… had a thought. A small idea" Azula said, with a dry grin "If all fails, we'll have to make a run for it, I suppose. But maybe I… I can convince them we're like them"

"Oh? Where'd you expect we can find horns and scales…?" Sokka asked, and Azula rolled her eyes before raising her healthy hand slowly. The pale dragon eyed her with caution, snarling menacingly at her from over Xin Long's shoulder.

"There's one thing certain humans and dragons have in common…" she whispered, and her intentions finally became clear to Sokka.

"Azula…" he sucked in a deep breath, just as the Princess evoked fire in her hand.

All dragons were startled anew at the sight of the same blue flames of the newcomer in the human's hands. Azula smiled, raising it higher.

"See? We're not that different, you and I" she said: to her relief, the pale dragon seemed just as intrigued by her fire as he'd been by Xin Long's.

Xin Long sent her a warning then, however, at which Azula frowned: she would likely be a rather confusing dragon for his new friends, for she could bend fire through her limbs rather than her mouth. Azula gritted her teeth: she'd have to resort to other measures to prove herself a worthy dragon indeed.

"Oh, well. As you wish" she said, breathing deeply to gather her strength…

And then she shouted, as loudly as she dared, while releasing a barrage of blue flames from her mouth. Sokka nearly jumped, but he was watching her with unabashed amazement soon enough, chuckling softly as he pondered how many times he had witnessed his lover using fire through her mouth over the past few months. Still, it seemed to do the trick: the dragons were noisy again, especially the dragonlings, who had taken to squeaking in strange but adorable ways, inching closer to Azula quite nervously, yet eagerly as well. Behind them, Xin Long beamed brightly, offering nothing but full-blown approval to his rider.

Still, it wasn't over yet: there was still one more human who hadn't proved himself a firebender, and while the dragons were no longer as hostile or cautious as before, it seemed they weren't quite convinced he was one of them as well. Sokka smiled awkwardly as the group of dragons came closer, eyeing him with questioning eyes.

"Uh… do they want me to firebend too?" he asked, gritting his teeth. Azula snorted.

"If so, you're in luck" she said "The only non-bender known to ever firebend can deal with this no problem, can't he?"

"B-but won't they want me to do it with my mouth too?" he asked nervously, as the Princess stepped behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Might be. Let's see if we can make it work" she smiled "Seems like we keep bumping into creatures who want you to firebend, don't we?"

"Yeah… might be a good idea to bump into less of those in our next travels, don't you think?" Sokka said, still grinning awkwardly.

"Okay, then…" Azula sighed, closing her eyes "I'm not sure it'll work the same way, but I will need you to open your mouth wide when I say so. Alright?"

"Okay?" Sokka said, swallowing hard.

"You'll be fine. I'm sure Jiare's ramen was far hotter than what you'll feel right now"

"I really, really hope you're right about that…"

Azula breathed deeply, trying to ignore the soft squealing of the dragons nearby. Something strange, primal within her, was begging her to drop on her knees and cradle one of those dragonlings… she'd hope it was merely her connection to fire what made her so susceptible to the young dragons, rather than some newly awakened motherly instinct of some sort. She briefly scoffed at the last, unlikely idea, smiling a little before gathering her power and pondering how to channel it through Sokka's chi paths. It would be more challenging, she knew… but if she focused, just as she had the first time they'd done it, she should be able to use him as a vessel for her power…

"Ready?"

"Yeah…" Sokka gulped, clenching his fists.

"Now!"

Sokka cried out loud, opening his mouth and closing his eyes tightly… and then he opened them again, as good as shrieking now upon finding plums of blue-orange fire surging before him. His nerves felt like they were on fire, despite it wasn't genuinely painful, and he had to do his damnedest not to close his mouth before Azula was finished bending. It was strangely fascinating… and utterly terrifying, just as well. The heat spread out of him in a perfectly controlled burst, and finally the flame decayed before vanishing altogether, allowing him to close his mouth and pant heavily, barely giving the situation any credit.

But as tricky as it had been, their stunt had paid off: the dragonlings now leapt around them eagerly, and Azula smiled after letting go of Sokka's shoulders. The gladiator pursed his lips, his mouth far dryer now after their latest instance of indirect bending, which had left a smoky aftertaste along with it.

"You alright?" Azula asked, patting his back affectionately. Sokka snorted but smiled at her from over his shoulder.

"I'd like to think I am, but… shit. That was exciting and scary, just so you know" he said, turning around to face her. Azula chuckled, gazing down at the group of cheerful dragonlings.

Yet again, their situation was surreal… but this time, in a far more agreeable way than in the Spirit Library, where all their understanding of the world had been turned upside down. Just as firebending through his mouth had scared but excited Sokka, the sight of the group of dragons was scarily exciting for Azula. Xin Long laughed and howled, not quite so loudly this time, in full-blown celebration of their grand achievement: they had found his kind, and they had been accepted among them.

"It worked. It… it really did. All our efforts paid off" Azula laughed, gazing at her dragon in sheer amazement. Xin Long returned her gaze, grinning enthusiastically. She could have sworn she had never seen his face alight with such unabashed, innocent joy.

"I can barely believe it, honestly" Sokka said, a slow smile spreading over his lips as Azula closed her eyes in sheer satisfaction. "Took us long enough, didn't it?"

"That it did. But Xin Long's with his family at last… and he says we've been accepted in it, too" Azula laughed: a small, red dragon was slipping between her bare feet, scurrying happily around her in bliss.

"Oh? Does this mean we're dragons, then?" Sokka asked, amused. Azula chuckled again "Here I thought I was a wolf…"

"A dragon-wolf, then, seems to me" Azula smiled, lowering a hand towards the red dragonling "You're quite a bold one, huh? Nice to meet you"

The red dragon slowed to a halt, moving closer to sniff Azula's fingers. Despite there was nothing on her hand, the dragon's small, bifid tongue slipped past his jaws and licked her palm softly. The curious gesture amused Azula, and other dragons – the green one, the first they'd seen, along with one of orange scales and another with gray ones – sought to scent the Princess and her gladiator as well, while the remaining creatures continued to sniff Xin Long instead.

The cavern was beautiful and wide, bright with the strange lights that drifted from patches of glowing substances on the ceiling. Scorching stains coated the walls, mostly visible where there were no lichens clinging to them – surely they had been burned off by any bursts of fire by the creatures. The dragons seemed carelessly playful, cheerful to meet new people, and they proceeded to sniff each of them in turns while Azula struggled to hold back her strange urges to be far more affectionate to the dragonlings than she should be. In the meantime, Sokka was thrilled to study their surroundings and learn more about how these dragons had survived here for as long as they had.

The large, pale dragon approached them before long. Azula rose to her full height anew, biting her lip nervously as the creature studied her carefully: perhaps it was wondering why a dragon would stand on two legs, or why she lacked a shiny set of scales like those of the rest of them. Still, Azula didn't flinch: instead, she raised her hand and offered it to the large dragon.

"You're not planning on bonding with him too, are you?" Sokka asked, smiling weakly. Azula chuckled and shook her head.

"I don't think it'd be responsible to have more than one bond with a dragon. Can you imagine fitting all of them in Xin Long's refuge?" Azula asked playfully, and Sokka chuckled "He'd bear with it for like three days before rioting, I'm sure…"

Xin Long huffed in disagreement, but Azula only laughed before reaching to touch the pale dragon's brow. He closed his eyes, trusting her fully, and Azula's heart clenched for it: another dragon had deemed her trustworthy. She certainly had meant him no harm, but it thrilled her to discover she was welcomed, accepted amongst their kind, regardless of the harm her forefathers had done to the dragon population in the past centuries. But just as Xin Long had known nothing of the extinction of his winged counterparts, neither did these dragons: they wouldn't hold her responsible for crimes that weren't her doing. Instead, they were curious about her fire, and surely wondering how on earth they had emerged out of the water as they had. As far as Azula could tell, dragons didn't often submerge in water – she had enough trouble as it was convincing Xin Long to take the occasional bath –, let alone were they likely to dive into a freezing cold pond like the one they'd jumped into to find them.

So, just as discovering the dragons was miraculous for the three newcomers, the dragons surely were as delighted by their sudden arrival as they were to be here. There were countless questions worth asking, so much to discover both through Xin Long's communication with the dragons and exploring the cave, and Azula looked forward to doing as much as soon as possible.

Xin Long had taken a liking to the yellow dragon, the one who had been less daunted by his sudden presence, but the younger ones were intrigued by him just as well: perhaps it was the color of his scales, or the size of his claws, or, in all likelihood, the blue fire he had displayed. All their previous fear and uncertainty was gone now, and they scurried playfully around the three newcomers, who couldn't stop smiling and laughing amidst so many dragons.

They had been playing with the younglings for some time when Xin Long addressed the yellow and pale dragons. Shortly afterwards, the three took flight, jumping across the mountain's walls, trekking across the plants, thin streams and many columns of solid rock. They never went too far, but they were often out of sight: the cave was far larger than it appeared, its many tunnels and spacious caverns spreading out through the depths of the mountain.

"You reckon these little guys can't fly yet?" Sokka asked, poking the side of the orange dragon. It squirmed before nipping Sokka's finger playfully, prompting him to chuckle before stroking the small dragon's hair.

"Probably not. Though, all things considered, you read more about them than I did…" Azula smiled, sitting cross-legged amidst the curious creatures. Sokka snorted and shook his head.

"Might be, but as soon as we saw them, I realized none of those books had nearly enough information about them. I didn't see anything to suggest the horned ones lived in big groups, colonies, whatever they might be called…" Sokka said, smiling as he dropped on the ground beside her.

"They've been getting by in this place for years" Azula mused, gazing about herself to take in the environment more carefully "They're safe here from the outside world, and… if I resonate, I can sense some of the earth's heat. It's distant, far more than in the Fire Nation, but it's there"

"Great" Sokka smiled, gazing at his lover.

"There's also a bit more heat, that way" Azula said, pointing towards a crevice in a wall not far from where they stood "But it feels…. latent, I suppose? I mean, it's there, but it's not quite as vivid as these little ones, so…"

"So…" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows as he and Azula shared a complicit, agreeable smile.

"So I'd say there's more of them than we thought" she said, grinning as she stood up carefully, taking Sokka's hand as they progressed through the cave, towards that promising gap within the walls…

The group of dragonlings followed them as they finally slowed by the hole. Azula raised her uninjured hand and conjured a small plum of fire: it illuminated the dark crevice, revealing it was a natural ramp that led downwards… right towards a small chamber where a cluster of ovoid shapes had been lumped together. It wasn't easy to distinguish their colors from here, but there was no way they could be anything else…

"Eggs" Sokka said, beaming, and Azula laughed in amazement "There's already eight dragons here, alive and kicking… and those guys in there will join them eventually, too. So… there's hope for dragons, huh? At least, for the horned ones"

"It's better than I expected" Azula admitted, grinning at Sokka as she allowed the fire to go out again "I had thought maybe we'd find one dragon, and with any luck it'd be a female, but…"

"This way Xin doesn't have to court anyone he's not ready to" Sokka chuckled, and Azula laughed as well, nodding and resting her head against his bare chest.

"It's done, though" she grinned "We've achieved a lot more in this particular journey than we usually do, don't you think?"

"Ah, nonsense. All our journeys are ridiculously productive, all the time" Sokka grinned "Thanks to you, of course, you insanely efficient Princess"

"And you love me for it" Azula smiled, caressing his chest gently.

"I love you for a million reasons, Azula. Don't you forget it" he replied, tightening his embrace before raising her chin to kiss her lips softly.

The small dragonlings that had taken to following them around were utterly perplexed by their display of affection. It wasn't until Xin Long landed anew, right beside them, that the dragonlings turned around towards him and that Azula and Sokka put a stop to their enthusiastic kissing.

Azula glanced at her dragon from over Sokka's shoulder, offering him a pleased smile that the dragon returned gladly. Still, he wasn't all that innocent when he told her the little dragonlings were surely wondering whether she and Sokka were trying to eat each other by putting their mouths together that way…

"Ha-ha" Azula smiled, shaking her head as she stepped towards Xin Long, grinning mischievously as he was "You're definitely in a good mood, aren't you? Troublemaker"

Xin Long nodded promptly, leaning in to press his head against her chest. Azula laughed, embracing his snout, her fingers slipping into her dragon's mane. This was the most remarkable, fulfilling sensation… they should have done this much sooner, many years ago, but at least they hadn't been too late. These dragons were still here, and they would soon be free too! Xin Long didn't have any doubts they'd enjoy discovering the whole world, once they had the chance to see it. Surely the little ones would grow much faster once they had a better diet than whatever fish they could catch in the underground cave, so…

"Wait, Xin" Azula said, startling her dragon with her not-so-enthusiastic tone "I… I know why you want to get them out of here, why you want to show them the world. I want that too, don't get me wrong, but… your friends surely survived my family's thrice-accursed schemes to kill all your kind because they were hidden in here"

Well, that was true. Xin Long knew it, but her father, for his many faults, didn't wish to kill dragons. He knew better than that, didn't he?

"He does know better" Azula conceded "But… mostly because to him, a dragon is an advantage. A tool. And if there's new dragons, out in the wild, there's a chance that… that my father would want to turn them into his allies for battle, in whatever way he can. Worse yet, if any of them refused to accept a fire offering made by him, he… he might commit the same sin of hubris that his father did. I don't think we can risk that"

Xin Long's enthusiasm waned now, and his proud, upright ears now turned downwards as he realized his rider was right. But then what? Would they be kept here, isolated from the world, forever?

"No, not forever" Azula smiled reassuringly, patting his hair gently "I can take measures, perhaps I can outright prohibit the hunting of dragons, even before I'm Fire Lord. I've already proposed laws that were issued out in due time with slavery, so I could have my father pass a law against hunting dragons too, I'm sure. Once that's done… your friends will be free, or at least, freer. They ought to be careful anyways, but they would have the chance to fly wherever they wish. Of course, once I'm Fire Lord I'd see to protect them even further, so don't despair, okay? I'm only saying this because… they're precious, aren't they? They're your family, even if you just found them now, for the very first time. The more we can protect them from harm, the better for all of you"

Xin Long nodded promptly in agreement, regaining some of his enthusiasm. Azula smiled in relief as her dragon pressed happily against her once more: her arms went around his head, embracing him tightly: the only words she could make out, in his excitement and non-stop enthusiasm, were "thank you".

"You don't have to thank me…" Azula replied, biting back the urge to cry "We should've done this so long ago, Xin… if anything, I'm sorry it took so long. I…"

Why would she be sorry, if they had been successful? Xin Long didn't quite understand, chuckling happily as he prodded at Azula's face with his snout. Azula laughed, stroking his hair gently until they were gazing into each other's golden eyes. The most peaceful, fulfilled bliss dwelled in the dragon's heart, and he wanted to share it with her. After all, she was a dragon, just like him: she had been the one to tell him their kind were siblings, born from the phoenix, weren't they? Azula laughed and nodded, stroking his scales kindly.

"Yes, that's true enough" she said "I… I'm grateful too, Xin. Finding you was… it was the greatest blessing of all. You've been a wonderful partner… a far too patient one, in many regards"

Oh, well, he wasn't about to contest that… she had definitely gone overboard with Sokka one too many times in the past, Xin Long snickered. Azula smiled as the dragon leaned closer, pressing his brow to hers. But her crazy shenanigans with her secret husband didn't bother Xin Long that much, because he knew that made her happy… and now she had decided they would search for dragons, and by doing so, she had made Xin Long happy too, so much he could barely contain himself…

"You don't have to contain yourself much, as long as you don't roar enough to bring down the mountain" Azula smiled, breathing out slowly "You deserved this from the start, Xin. Whatever happens next, I'm glad I helped you find them. I…"

Xin Long's excitement gave way to a mild confusion: whatever happened next? What did that mean? Still, Azula didn't answer outright: she smiled, embracing him all the more gently.

"I love you, Xin" she said, only realizing now how foolish she was not to have uttered those words to her dragon openly ever before. How on earth had she held back from doing so? Was it because it was implicit? That hadn't stopped her with Sokka…

Whether it was implicit or not, Xin Long would have blushed if his scales could have changed colors. He was visibly flustered, her words unexpected and heartfelt, and his eyes, ever the thin slits they were, had dilated instead… giving him an unusually innocent appearance, much like that of the younglings still crowded around them. Azula laughed as she pulled away, trailing a hand over his jaw.

"Now, then… your friends surely have much to show you still. I just saw a small collection of eggs in that hole, no less…" she said, smirking, and Xin Long gasped, venturing a glance through the dark hole. Azula chuckled "Go on now, go on. You have a lot of catching up to do, best not waste time with someone you've seen for the past years, alright?"

Xin Long snickered and shrugged, but before turning around to find the more grown dragons, he leaned close to lick Azula's cheek. The gesture wasn't anywhere near as clumsy and reckless as it usually was, whenever he decided to lick others for amusement's sake. It was a light touch, tender, and it conveyed something he hadn't quite formed into words for anyone before, not even her. Yes, perhaps it was implicit… but he loved her, too.

Azula clenched her jaw, briefly longing for the days when controlling her emotions had been child's play. But even before Xin Long took flight with his fellow dragons anew, hot tears burned in her eyes, as a confusing mix of feelings stirred within her heart. And while the touch of a firm hand on her shoulder helped support her, it only strengthened the intensity of such feelings.

"Azula…" Sokka whispered, reeling her into his arms until, once again, her head was pressed to his chest.

"We did it" she said breathlessly, clinging to him before laughing softly, despite the tears already slipped down her cheeks "And he's happy, happier than ever, and… and that's what matters most"

"Yeah" Sokka grinned, rubbing her back gently "Doesn't mean you're not allowed to worry, alright? Still… it's not like he's made up his mind to stay here, has he?"

"No… but I'd guess it's a matter of time, isn't it?" Azula mused "There's so much he needs to learn with them… and he can't help them out of here until there's enough measures to protect them in the outside world. So…"

"Don't jump to conclusions, love" Sokka whispered, pressing his brow to hers. As ever, the gesture helped soothe her, as did his closeness "You've always made fun of yourself for overthinking things a lot, right?"

"Right" Azula conceded, breathing out slowly "And the truth is, whatever happens, I won't lose him"

"He'll always be your dragon" Sokka grinned, cupping her face "And you his rider. Until the end of time, no matter what"

Azula smiled and nodded, burying her face in his neck as he hugged her tighter now. She could hear the strange, loud chatter of the larger dragons as they flew around the cavern again, as well as the squeaking and soft grunting of the smaller ones. As concerned as she might be about whatever Xin Long might do, now that their quest was over, she couldn't stop appreciating this miracle for what it was. She smiled and pulled away slightly from Sokka, an arm firm around his waist as she gazed upon the remarkable cavern in wonder. It was a small, contained world, unique and sacred, timeless and eternal. For how long had these dragons lived here? For how many years had those eggs remained in that small chamber? Had the larger dragon known the outside world, perchance, or had it been born inside the mountain and remained stuck there, as a consequence of a cave-in, as they'd suspected?

Such thoughts coursed through their minds as they relaxed, taking their seat in a comfortable enough patch of thin grass. The small dragons teased and prodded them, certainly curious about their unusual bodies, so unlike their own. Sokka chuckled as one of the dragons climbed over his chest, another one on his lap while a third rubbed his head against his outstretched palm.

"You think it'll take Xin a while to understand them?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"I think it might. But he's making enough progress. They seem fond of him" Azula smiled. She had a pair of dragonlings on her lap too, curling up around one another, seeking a comfortable enough position to sleep "I don't know what you read… but did you ever see information about dragons laying many eggs at once? Like, well… pickens?"

"Ha, no" Sokka chuckled, and Azula smiled as she propped her head against his shoulder "I really didn't see anything like that"

"As far as I remember, dragons only lay one, perhaps two eggs, at best" she said "And it doesn't happen all that often. I'm just wondering… maybe they're not all from the same mother. Might be this was a popular location for horned dragons to lay their eggs, and several of them did it"

"That's a thought" Sokka hummed, kissing the top of her head "So they're not all siblings, then? I mean… maybe dragons from the same bloodline have similar colors? As they're all so different…"

"Could be they're all from a different mother, yes" Azula smiled "And I was wondering too if… well, if the bigger one might have been stuck here all his life, or if maybe he visited this cave just before the rockslide that blocked the quickest exit happened. And, of course, we ought to locate the place of the rockslide too… then, once everything's ready, we could ask Toph or Haru to help us open the cavern to the outside world"

"Hmm, we can do that after we rest for a bit" Sokka said, closing his eyes "I don't know about you, but… I feel exhausted"

"It's been many long days" Azula agreed, smiling weakly "Maybe we all could use a nap, not just these two"

Sokka opened his eyes and grinned at the light-blue and red dragons on Azula's lap. The Princess sighed, sliding closer to Sokka while doing her best not to disturb the two sleepy dragonlings on her lap.

"So many questions, huh?" Sokka said "And nowhere near enough answers. But… you think the big one's a male?"

"Frankly, I'm about as clueless about it as you were with Foo Foo" Azula smirked "It just felt right. And, as I've brought him up… don't even think about coming up with names for these dragons, you hear me?"

"Hey, now! What's your plan, then, calling them by their colors instead?" Sokka pouted, and Azula laughed softly against him "That'd be so creative, just so you know…"

"It'd surely be better than anything else you could come up with" she replied mischievously. Sokka snorted.

"Really? Because I literally just offered you the idea of naming them after their colors, so you're saying my idea isn't that bad" Sokka smirked "Which, of course, eventually translates into the obvious implication that my ideas for naming are…!"

"Mediocre, at best" Azula finished, with a proud grin. Sokka huffed.

"I'm really going to name our daughter Azula Jr., just you wait…" he threatened, as the Princess laughed against his shoulder.

"If you want to name dragons, you must do it by keeping -long as a suffix, alright?" she said. Sokka snorted.

"And why's that?"

"Because it sounds far more regal that way, of course. It's how they did it in old days, as you should know if you saw that list of dragons…"

"I did, and Avatar Roku's dragon was merely called Fang" Sokka declared, at which Azula snorted.

"That's only further proof that Avatars have no sense…" she smirked, and Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.

"You just can't be argued with, can you?" he said "I'll come up with something else, something you won't be able to reject, that doesn't end in -long"

"Suit yourself" Azula grinned, as their strange competition to name dragons began.

Their discussion for dragon names was amicable and fun: they made a sport of dismantling each other's efforts, regardless of whether they genuinely liked the names or not, while the small creatures continued to play or rest around them, likely intrigued by whatever they were talking about. Still, as time ticked by, the two humans, eased by the comfort they found in each other's company, as well as that of the small dragons, fell into a sweet slumber. With the heavier work behind them, it was easy to let themselves forego all pressures and relax, at long last.

Merely a few hours later, the sniffing of Xin Long's large, violet snout, woke them: he prodded Azula's cheek gently before offering a lick to Sokka's ear. The gladiator squealed into consciousness: Azula jumped over his reaction, still groggy and at a slight loss over what had happened.

"Xin…?" she called him. The darkest dragon within the cavern smiled at her, before sending a surprising thought her way "You… you think we should go?"

"Uh… what? Already?" Sokka asked, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"Xin…" Azula said, raising a hand to the dragon's snout.

It wasn't that Xin Long didn't want them to spend a lot of time with the newfound dragons, it would be the thing he'd want most, normally. But it would be nightfall by now, if not later, despite it was difficult to tell the time in this dark, isolated cave. He briefly showed Azula a very small and narrow window he'd glimpsed in the mountain, hidden behind a cluster of rocks and covered by stray roots: that, it seemed, was the way out before the cave-in collapsed it. He still didn't quite know if the pale dragon had been here all his life, or if he had been trapped within when the rockslide took place, but it was a certainty that he wouldn't be able to get out without help. The little ones weren't ready to fly yet, and by the time they learned, they would be too large to fit through the small hole up there. Still, that was how the pale dragon had heard Xin Long's roars, and how he had managed to roar back, despite not knowing if he would be facing a friend or a foe.

The onslaught of information took Azula by surprise as she pushed herself to her feet, with Sokka's help. The dragonlings scurried about, interrupting their conversation by reaching for Xin Long's larger paws: the big dragon awkwardly stepped away, averting the mischief of the dragonlings, who seemed determined to play with him now that he had finally returned to the ground. As much as she was still processing all the information, Azula smiled fondly as she watched Xin Long doing his best not to harm any of the reckless children playing between his much larger paws.

"So… what's going on?" Sokka asked, and Azula jumped, nearly forgetting he didn't share directly in her mental bond with her dragon.

"Well, he thinks we ought to go, apparently" she started "And he thinks he found the actual way out, but it's blocked by a cave-in, like we guessed. There's still a small gap in it, but it's too small for any larger dragons to slip through, so… I guess we'll have to go back through the damn water tunnel"

"Ugh. But at least this time we can brace ourselves better for it" Sokka sighed, shaking his head "When are we going to… woah!"

All three newcomers were startled when the red dragon coughed a spurt of orange fire at Xin Long's claw. The dragon coughed again, and a ring of smoke puffed out of him, prompting the group to laugh at his endearing display.

"Maybe he can't fly, but he sure can spit fire" Sokka chuckled, before grinning at Azula "Aha! That's the name for this one, Spitf-…!"

"Not a chance"

"But Azula…!"

Xin Long laughed softly at Sokka's whiny complaints, then he shrank in his frame to communicate through soft, friendly grunts to all the small dragons about. They stood in line, forming a curious spread of colors: gray, green, orange, red, light-blue and auburn. The yellow and pale ones touched on the ground shortly afterwards, and Xin Long rose to his full height, hoping to explain, somehow, that he'd be back soon. He just had to take his friends back to their temporary den, but he'd return afterwards.

Azula's chest clenched at that, but she held in all her apprehension. Xin Long belonged here better than elsewhere, she knew as much…

Xin Long was rather nervous, unsure if his new friends had understood him. Communication between dragons was complicated, requiring just as much in the way of bodily motions as sounds and grunts to convey his thoughts. If anything, his constant vocalizing surely appeared weird to his new friends… perhaps he'd learn better after spending more time among them.

In the end, he settled for pointing at the cavern's tunnels with his tail, and gesturing at Sokka and Azula with his head. The dragons were still puzzled, but they finally seemed to gather his meaning better.

"Guess we're really going, then?" Sokka said, breathing deeply "Well, it was pretty amazing, and it's a shame to leave so fast… but we'll be back, right?"

"Yeah. Eventually" Azula smiled, nodding "We do have to break open the cavern, once all conditions are met. So… yes, we'll return. It'll take time, I'm sure, but it will be done"

Sokka grinned and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles in an affectionate, supportive gesture. Azula smiled as well, slipping her fingers between his. Then, the pair walked together with Xin Long, followed by the large retinue of puzzled dragons, who certainly weren't ready to see their new friends leave just yet. The tunnels were large enough for the pale dragon to slip through, but sometimes they appeared too narrow for him… Azula watched him over her shoulder with uncertainty, wondering if the dragon would continue to grow still. Chances were he had to come out to the edge of the water every time he wanted food or drink, so if he ever grew too large to fit through those tunnels…

She breathed in sharply: she'd have very little time to waste in ensuring their world would cease being a hostile one for dragons. Xin Long's friends would need it, direly.

They reached the rocky shore, and the cold water was about as inviting as jumping into an endless abyss to the Princess and her gladiator, but they knew they'd have to brave it eventually. They couldn't afford staying in this cavern forever…

Xin Long jerked his head at the water again, hoping to convey he would be jumping in now. The yellow dragon stepped forward, eyes large with curiosity, but Xin Long shook his head and urged all the group to stay put. He would be back, and one day they'd all be free to see the sky, the ocean, the mountains and volcanoes together. Until then… they would have to wait.

The yellow dragon, who Xin Long regarded as a female, lowered her head but seemed to acquiesce at last. The smaller ones crowded around her, watching Xin Long as he stepped closer to the humans, prodding Azula's shoulder with his nose.

"Ready?" Azula asked him, and Xin Long nodded.

Climbing on the dragon's scaly back while wearing very few clothes, yet again, was uncomfortable, but they knew what sensations to expect. Once both Azula and Sokka were on Xin Long's back, the little dragons took to jumping around them, as though asking to climb on his back too: they had to settle for the yellow dragon's back instead, for she was still short enough that they could emulate the humans with her.

Azula and Sokka laughed at the playful creatures, taking one last glance at the wonder no human eyes had seen for over a hundred years. The dragons would be safe here, if just for a few more months. Once everything had been settled, and it really shouldn't take long, Xin Long would be flying through the sky with his new friends, helping raise the young ones too, surely. They could even take the eggs to the Fire Nation, Azula pondered… if they did, they would likely hatch sooner yet. And who knew? Perhaps there were other dragon colonies, hidden within mountains just like this one. They should continue to search… but even so, all possibilities to rebuild the dragon population had become far more promising after today: a fragile dream was attainable, at long last.

"Well, I just met you guys for a few hours, but I'm definitely going to miss you" Sokka said, smiling and waving at the dragons "We'll see each other soon, I hope!"

"Surely" Azula said, bowing her head to the dragons. Xin Long did the same, grinning before shooting another plum of blue fire upwards.

The group of dragons roared and joined in, releasing orange fire to varying degrees: the pale dragon was by far the most powerful, and the yellow one followed. Amongst the dragonlings, the red dragon could release the strongest flames, while the gray one, the smallest of the group, could only cough up a few sparks that fizzled out quickly. Azula and Sokka smiled fondly as the dragons bonded over fire, and then Xin Long turned around, moving towards the large pool of water.

The humans had to tear their eyes away from the dragons to focus on their upcoming ordeal, but Xin Long ventured one last glance at the group of colorful creatures: as soon as he sensed his riders were ready, he turned again, breathed deeply as well and plunged into the water, now far more prepared to swim through the tunnels he had already traversed once before. And while every kick took him away from his kin, he knew he'd return to them as soon as possible. Every second that ticked past was another second closer to their next reunion, and that was what he'd cling to, at least for now.

Sokka managed to hold his breath better this time, but when they finally surfaced at the pool by the continent's shore, all three travelers were freezing horribly in the cold spring night. As much as Xin Long's plan had been to fly them back to the Northern Air Temple as fast as possible, even he was so affected by the low temperatures of the water that he was grateful for the fire Azula and Sokka crafted, once they were outside the massive sinkhole and back above ground. The gladiator had gathered firewood in a hurry, and his Princess had started the flames as soon as there was enough kindling. Afterwards, Sokka sought towels of any sort within their bags.

They didn't dress up right away, as they were still too damp for it to be convenient, but the cold air was chilling to the bone: Azula dragged Sokka towards Xin Long and the three crouched together yet again, with the two firebenders stoking their inner fires to regain the heat they'd lost earlier.

"You sure you want to go back right after dropping us off, Xin?" Azula asked, her dragon's head on her lap "I mean… I get why you do, but… you probably ought to recover from this, too. The last thing anyone would want is for that damn freezing water to get to you…"

Xin Long agreed, but he was sure he would be fine after another trip back and forth… Sokka, however, was perplexed.

"He wants to go back already?" he asked "Like… right after dropping us off? Won't he be exhausted? He's been traveling the whole day, did two trips underwater, no less…"

"Yeah, well… he doesn't want to be away from them if he can help it" Azula smiled, stroking her dragon's hair "And it's not like I blame him, but… I'd rather he doesn't kill himself trying to reach his friends again"

Xin Long groaned, sticking out his lower lip awkwardly in the silliest pout Azula could remember seeing. She laughed, burying her face in the creature's silky mane, as Sokka smiled and patted her back.

"They'll be okay, Xin" Sokka said, reassuringly "If you take a proper night's rest and return afterwards, they'll be thrilled to see you and play with you for as long as you stay with them. You don't have to rush that much"

Xin Long sighed but conformed to their suggestions. He knew he shouldn't be impatient, he had already waited four years and finally found what he had been looking for… it was too exciting to hold back sometimes, but he'd endure it as best as he could.

They warmed up for the better part of an hour, and afterwards Azula ran her heated hands over their clothes, ensuring they wouldn't freeze much while they flew back to the Air Temple. Sokka was happily grateful for it, delighted to wear warm clothes under his unavoidably cold armor, and he waited patiently as Azula helped warm Xin Long's scales, too. To Xin Long, it was a nice massage he couldn't quite get enough of, so he rolled over and encouraged the Princess to continue: Azula rolled her eyes but did as much, smiling as she pampered her dragon more than she usually did.

Ten minutes later, they were on his saddle, and Xin Long wore his full armor yet again as they traversed the skies. About three hours later, with the moon bright in the sky, they touched down on a courtyard in the Northern Air Temple, where only a few lanterns were still lit, merely so no one would lose their way if they had to step outside their rooms in the middle of the cold night.

"You alright, Xin?" Azula asked, once they dismounted. The dragon reared his head proudly, fluffing his mane as though to reassure them, but Azula raised a questioning eyebrow and he relented, whining softly "Just regain your strength, that's all we ask. You can go right back afterwards, alright?"

He nodded and surrendered, though he still urged Azula and Sokka to relieve him from his armor and saddle: he wanted to fly back to the cavern as soon as possible, so he'd take off by morning. They complied, and to the dragon's delight, they made their way to the kitchens too, hoping to find something to eat – or, if necessary, something they could cook quickly –, both for themselves and for Xin Long.

Upon arriving, however, they found a set of dishes – of small portions, not nearly enough food to sate two people and a dragon – sitting on one of the kitchen's counters. Sokka raised a hand greedily towards it, but Azula caught it and pulled him away.

"B-but it's right there! Maybe they left it for us!" Sokka pouted, as Azula guided them towards the Temple's cellar.

"If they had been leaving it for us, they would've left a much larger quantity of food. You alone eat thrice that much, and they know it" Azula grinned dryly, and Sokka huffed "Come on, what's the big deal? We've cooked before, haven't we? If we need to do it again…"

"We have, but Song's cookbook is safe and sound in the Fire Nation, remember?" Sokka grumbled. His assessment gave Azula pause briefly, but she shook her head and stepped into the kitchen's cellar.

"Surely you remember the instructions and proportions for simple things. Frying a fish wasn't that tough, or was it?" Azula asked, reaching through the stacks of food for anything that they might eat easily – though, as expected, most of what appeared available was fruit "Then again… I guess we could simply have some fruit? Wouldn't be the best diet for that gluttonous dragon, but it'll help him until he can go out hunting for something better"

"You sure there's nothing better in there?" Sokka groaned, entering the cellar as well.

It was a narrow room, longer and deeper than it was wide. Two tall shelves stood at either wall, and several barrels and boxes obstructed the way, limiting the area of movement for anyone inside. While that surely would make the cellar an uncomfortable place to enter with company, it wasn't a problem for Sokka and Azula to be in such a small, tight space together. If anything, Sokka smirked as he stood behind the Princess, taking advantage of his superior height to search the taller shelves, seeking any signs of meat of any kind.

"Any luck…?" Azula asked, biting back the urge to turn in his arms and make the most of his closeness. Sokka shrugged.

"Not sure… it's so dark in here" he said, his voice teasing. The Princess couldn't hold back a smile.

"You sure it's dark? Or are you just trying to play fun games we're not supposed to be playing anymore, gladiator?"

"Hmm? Where's the risk, Princess?" he snickered, still looking through the shelves meticulously "We're alone, in a dark cellar, in the middle of the night…"

"Just as we were alone, in a hot room, in the middle of the night, yesterday" Azula reminded him. Sokka bit back a grin.

"Yeah, and that was fun, wasn't it?" he said "Only problem was the morning, but don't worry. I'll bring Space Sword this time, knock down the wall, just like I said I should…"

"And no doubt they'll never know what happened when we leave and they discover the rooms we used have a huge hole in the wall between them. Totally not suspicious, not in the least" Azula smirked.

"We could just tell them we found a secret Air Nomad door. They could believe that" Sokka smirked, as Azula finally turned around in his arms.

"You're doing your damnedest to distract me and cheer me up, aren't you?" Azula asked. He was so close that, even in the shadowy cellar, she could glimpse the contour of his face… or perhaps she had memorized every line, every expression, as well as all the meanings of his different gazes, to the point that she could construe it all in the darkness.

"Is it working?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula bit her lip and shrugged.

"Might be you should try a little harder" she whispered teasingly, and Sokka chuckled before leaning in, pressing his lips to hers in a loving frenzy.

He could read her silences, understand her without needling her into surrendering her secrets. His arms kept her safe, for she knew he wouldn't judge her for her fears. She could be troubled and miserable, and he would simply stand by her through it all, reassuring her through the sweetest of all kisses that her feelings, whatever they might be, didn't make her weak, let alone did they make her a monster.

Her knees trembled, so she clutched at him hard, hoping to find stability in his arms. He pushed her back, until she was pressed against the shelf, and as uncomfortable as it was, Azula could do nothing but kiss him back, disregarding the way they bumped into ingredients, knocking a few fruits to the floor as they clumsily reached up to caress each other, her arms ever slipping around his neck to lock him in place while offering him full freedom to explore her flanks and back…

One apple had rolled off a shelf and out of the cellar. If only they hadn't been quite so passionate and driven, they would have noticed it. But as it was, someone else would notice it, instead.

Their eyes remained closed, their hearts oblivious to the arrival of two people who had just entered the kitchen. One of them was as quiet as he could be: he heard sounds behind the open door that led to the cellar… and he also glimpsed the rolling apple that only stopped halfway in the room. And it was possible to see all this, even in the darkness of the room, because of the lamp his companion, the Mechanist, was carrying with him.

"Where did you say you left my meal, again…?" the old man was asking his son, but Teo gestured at him to keep quiet, frantically. The Mechanist flinched "W-wha…?"

Again, Teo pressed his finger to his lips before wheeling towards the cellar, cautiously. As he always did, ever since the Fire Nation's pressures on his father had decreased, Teo had dropped by to check on his father before going to bed. On nights when the old man was particularly inspired, Teo took it upon himself to drag the Mechanist out to the kitchen to retrieve his dinner, ensuring the inventor wouldn't pass out due to lack of nourishment. But upon guiding his father to the kitchens today, his stomach sank upon noticing they weren't alone: someone lurked inside the cellar…

It couldn't be that Rhone and his people had returned, not now. Not when the Princess and Sokka weren't here, and who the hell knew when they'd be back too… still, Teo gritted his teeth and pushed his chair's wheels carefully, moving past the apple and urging his father to follow him quietly. With the light from his firefly-lit lantern, Teo didn't quite have the perfect view of whatever was happening inside the cellar right away…

But where at first he had assumed he'd find Rhone or his men eating like troglodytes, he found, instead, the silhouettes of two people immersed in a passionate, unbidden exchange in the most inappropriate place.

Still… it wasn't Rhone, for sure. And that was enough for Teo to sigh in relief, audibly.

The sound startled the two lovers at once, and their wild exchange came to an abrupt end as they glanced to the side: Sokka's stomach sank upon glimpsing the light of what he identified as the firefly lantern, one of the Mechanist's least effective inventions…

"Teo? What was it?" the Mechanist asked, and his son chuckled, waving a hand carelessly.

"I thought it could be one of them, you know, that they might be back?" Teo replied "But it's just two people kissing in there, so it's not…"

By then, the Mechanist was close enough that the light of the lantern bathed them far more clearly. And just so, Teo happened to glance again at the two transgressors, smiling casually at what he assumed would be a ridiculous, yet inoffensive escapade between one of the younger couples amongst the refugees… until he and his father recognized the tall, Water Tribesman, holding a young woman with long, dark hair who had buried her face in his dark armor… a woman who sported a shiny golden armor of her own, upon which the brightness of the fireflies bounced perfectly.

For one fleeting moment, Azula and Sokka wished it was just a dream. A really stupid dream, perhaps, but one where they hadn't been quite so foolish as to be caught with their guard down to such an absurd extent, by people who had damn near caught them just that morning. The pregnant silence between all four of them damn near convinced them that this couldn't be real, because if it were, surely the Mechanist and Teo would've said something already-…

"Princess?!"

"Sokka?!"

Oh, well. There it was.

Sokka groaned in undisguised frustration and dropped against the other shelf, still holding Azula closely… and the bump into the shelf caused a bag of beans at the top to spread open. It only took them a second to realize what was pelting them, as the grains spilled out most carelessly, and Sokka cried out loud as, for the second time of the day, they were attacked by projectiles from above. He damn near dashed out of the cellar with Azula in his arms, though she remained inert, whether oblivious to the falling beans because of how deep her current denial was, or not oblivious at all, and choosing to ignore everything because of how powerfully she was willing herself to become invisible, or to turn back time, or perhaps to develop a skill that allowed her to alter people's memories…

The father and son remained paralyzed where they stood, disregarding the falling beans completely, stunned cold by the two secret lovers they had just caught red-handed. Sokka gritted his teeth, at a loss for what to do next: merely this morning he had been as convincing as possible while trying to prove they weren't at all involved with each other… and now he'd blown it, thrown it all to waste, just in a whimsical attempt to cheer up the Princess that remained huddled in his arms. He could have just held back, eased her worries after they'd eaten, maybe… and now he'd pay the price for his foolish mistake. Surely Azula had changed her mind since this morning, and she'd be furious once she processed what had happened…

"Y-you guys…" Sokka started, glancing at the Mechanist and Teo with fear and dread in his eyes…

But Teo raised his hand again, pointing at them with a proud, vindicated gesture:

"I KNEW IT!"

---

Xin Long was grateful for the food they brought him, despite the meal was mostly comprised by fruit: Azula offered it to him, tense and wary as she knelt by his side. Not too far from where they sat in the open courtyard, Sokka still struggled to explain matters to the Mechanist and Teo, despite the pair of father and son were as calm about the situation as could be by now. The Mechanist was eating his own food – the plates that had been left in the kitchen were, naturally, his – while Azula and Sokka had collected enough food from the cellar for themselves and the dragon… yet, after the clumsy revelation of their relationship, they weren't all that hungry anymore.

"Do you want to switch foods, Sokka?" the Mechanist offered the gladiator generously, and he flinched as he blushed profusely "I have some meat in my dishes, so… maybe that will cheer you up?"

"Yeah, well… thanks, but it's fine" Sokka said, sighing and hanging his head "Look, I… I know we tricked you guys this morning, and I'm sorry we lied, but… you do realize why we have to keep it quiet, right?"

"Well… yeah" Teo said, biting his lip "I'm sorry I was so loud earlier, but at least no one sleeps so close to the kitchen that they might have heard me. Still, what I'm most relieved by is that it was just you guys rather than Rhone and his gang…"

"And having guessed correctly isn't all that exciting…?" Sokka asked, crooking an eyebrow. Teo chuckled and shrugged.

"It's probably none of my business, but I'm just so glad that I didn't misread the situation that badly…"

"You did, though" the Mechanist said, bringing some rice to his lips "You thought it was Rui Shi instead of Sokka"

"W-well, like I said, Dad, I thought that before talking to you and… well, it's not even that important" Teo mumbled, lowering his gaze.

"As much as I feel like crap every time someone thinks she's with Rui Shi instead, I don't really blame you for assuming that" Sokka sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at the Princess.

She was by Xin Long at the center of the courtyard, while they sat close to the building's entrance. Her hands caressed her dragon's mane affectionately as she rested against him, soothing him as best as she could, for as long as possible, before he took off to find his friends again. Where Sokka normally would be right there with them, he didn't dare intrude… let alone when the Mechanist and Teo were still nearby. As much as they knew of their relationship already, it wasn't a good idea to be too open about it right now.

"I've never thought I look like I'm prince consort material or anything, so it can't be helped, can it?" Sokka finished, his eyes still trained on his Princess.

"U-uh, well…" said Teo, blinking blankly "That's not quite right…? I mean, how would I know what's prince consort material…?"

"Truthfully, your social positions are supposed to be completely incompatible" the Mechanist shrugged "Yet… that's probably why I hoped it'd be you. The Princess may be a complicated person, but ever since we had that falling out and she went after you… I thought that perhaps she was a good influence on you. And that didn't make sense, did it? A Fire Nation Princess, ruthless as she presented herself, being a good influence on someone? So… I figured it was two-fold! You were a good one on her, and she was one on you, and… it sounded like an interesting possibility, at least"

"It's more than just interesting" Sokka said, smiling slowly "But it sure is embarrassing that you had suspicions about us from as early as that. We thought we were hiding well enough…"

"You… wait, you were already fully together by then?" the Mechanist exclaimed,

"Wait… you didn't think we were?" Sokka asked, his smile souring. Brilliant, and now he'd gone and revealed far more than he should have "B-but you just said…"

"I assumed you weren't all that chummy just yet" the Mechanist confessed, laughing "That perhaps you were close, but not this close? You've acted differently this time around, after all"

"Well… it's true enough that we only seem to grow closer as time goes by" Sokka said, smiling earnestly again "You'd think being with someone means you've already reached the pinnacle of a relationship, but with us… things only seem to get better and better. Well, that is, the relationship itself gets better, but we only get worse and worse when it comes to keeping the damn secret as quiet as it should be…"

"Really? Do a lot of people know about it?" Teo asked. Sokka sighed and shook his head.

"I wouldn't say a lot, but… many of our friends do" Sokka said "And who knows how many others have picked up on it without our awareness. We have been fending off suspicions for as long as it started, too… and somehow people have been finding out quite often these days. At least we've never messed up enough that the Fire Lord might hear of it, but…"

"You don't have to worry about that with us" Teo announced, grinning "My dad hates the Fire Lord, so…"

"I-I don't…! W-well, Teo, you shouldn't say things like those so boldly…" the Mechanist chortled, blushing. Sokka chuckled.

"It's fine, I hate him too" he said, reassuringly "The only thing I can say in that bastard's favor is that his daughter is amazing"

"Ah, I suppose we can all agree on that, then" the Mechanist grinned "Still, we would never tell anyone about you two. I know I'm a nervous mess quite often, yes, but I can keep a secret or two. Playing dumb can't be that hard, right?"

"It's not like anyone should come question you anyways" Sokka said, shrugging "If the Fire Lord ever suspected anything, he'd probably try to figure out the truth through other people first of all, like the guards or…"

"U-uh… that'd be bad" said Teo, frowning "Would he do anything to them for not knowing? Or, uh, for knowing and not telling him? I don't know if any of them do know, but…"

"Yeah, well, Rui Shi does know. The others… they might have their suspicions, but Rui Shi usually tries to steer everyone away from the truth, as far as I know" Sokka said, with a weak grin "And yeah, that's why Azula proposed they could get a promotion. While they're still assigned to work with her on long journeys, her guards aren't tasked with keeping watch on her at all times anymore, so… even if Ozai were to find out the truth, he shouldn't blame them for not knowing or not telling him, at least not right away. I guess it's hard to say what sort of ridiculous knee-jerk reaction he might have, but still…"

"At least they're somewhat safer now?" said Teo, raising his eyebrows "Is this really why they're promoted, then? And why Fei Li is a captain now?"

"Yeah" Sokka nodded "It's not to say they weren't fit to be Imperial Guards, clearly they wouldn't have passed the tests if they weren't, but this is what drove Azula to do it"

"Strange that Fei Li would wind up as the captain, though…" Teo continued, and Sokka chuckled.

"Well, to be honest, that's probably not about who's more skilled" he said "Seems like the one to pick their ranks was the General of the Guards, and he's not quite fond of Rui Shi, so…"

"He's not? Well, that's weird" said Teo, biting his lip "He seemed like a pretty good soldier"

"Yeah, the General's had it out for Rui Shi for a while. Still… it is pretty sketchy to pick Fei Li, of all people, for that rank" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow "I didn't make too much of it, figured it was just a way to torment Rui Shi… but maybe the General did it for some other reason"

"All your complications just make me appreciate our simple lifestyle all the more" Teo said, with a sigh "I hope you guys won't ever be caught. Rest assured, we'll keep quiet…"

"Good" said Sokka, nodding.

"Though, uh… well, we'll keep quiet with anyone Fire Nation, that is" said Teo, biting his lip. Sokka frowned "I mean… you guys keep having to sneak around and hide, right? And as we're as good as isolated from the world here, you could, maybe, just be together without much trouble while you're staying here. No one would mind…"

"U-uh… huh?" Sokka froze, eyeing Teo with uncertainty "That… sounds idyllic, and impossible. I mean, I know you mean no harm, but you guys aren't all that isolated, right? You travel to the nearest villages and to Ba Sing Se sometimes, so…"

"And you think those who travel will just blurt out the truth there willy-nilly?" Teo asked, raising an eyebrow "I'd like to think we're not such incurable gossips…"

"Who's the one who's shouted in joy every time he thought he'd caught us red-handed…?" Sokka asked, and Teo froze before smiling guiltily at him.

"W-well, that's… that's just me being me" he said, with a casual shrug.

"It's safer if no one else but us knows, Teo" the Mechanist said, smiling reassuringly at Sokka "Still… that means you two are safe enough while only me and Teo know the truth, right? I'll tell the others to stay clear off your hallway, that way no one will be likely to snoop around while you stay with us"

"Wait… that doesn't sound so nonsensical" Sokka said, his eyes brightening "Seriously, then? You could do that? Under what excuse?"

"Hmm, I guess I'll come up with something" the Mechanist said, with a shrug "Maybe I'll work on renovations there!"

"Then they'd only expect to be called to work there, if anything" Sokka said. The Mechanist blinked blankly.

"Oh. That's right" he stroked his beard with a light frown, as Teo giggled beside him "Then… a gas leak?"

"Then they'd expect us to be moved elsewhere" Sokka smiled awkwardly, and the Mechanist chuckled.

"True, true! Oh, dear, what a conundrum" he said.

"Can't you just say the Princess wants full privacy?" Teo suggested, with a shrug. The Mechanist hummed with interest, fiddling with his beard as he gazed at his son "We did give her absolute privacy the last time she came, why not do the same this time?"

"Makes sense… makes sense! Good boy, Teo!" the Mechanist beamed, patting his son's back as Teo laughed happily.

Azula sighed, hands in Xin Long's mane still as she glanced back at the three near the Temple's entrance. It was cold out here, despite the combined warmth of Xin Long's inner fire and her own… but she wasn't sure she dared go to her room to seek the warmth of the fireplace yet. Going by how they were laughing now, it'd seem things hadn't gone quite so awry with the Mechanist and Teo… she had felt quite cowardly, hiding away with Xin Long and leaving Sokka to deal with everything while she coped with how embarrassing it was to be caught making out with Sokka in the middle of the night. Still, she hadn't known what else to do, not when everything had become so awkward in the kitchen right after they had been discovered: the Mechanist had encouraged them to pick whatever foods they wished to eat, while Teo smiled awkwardly and tried to contain his enthusiasm at their discovery. Sokka had been uneasy, as had she… but together they had hauled enough food to provide Xin Long with extra energy that he'd be sure to use once the sun rose.

The dragon was still awake despite lounging with his head on her lap, eyes closed. Still, upon sensing Azula's hesitance to join the others, he reared his head and eyed her significantly.

"What? You think I ought to go to them? To each their own and whatnot?" Azula recited, knowing her words would sound far more bitter and miserable than she had planned for them to. She grimaced and sighed, dropping her head on her dragon's fluffy mane "Sorry, I know that's not what you meant…"

Xin Long chuckled and pressed against her, his ample brow pressed against her belly. Azula sighed, embracing him gently.

"You promise you'll rest until dawn?" she asked. Xin Long grunted in agreement, nodding lightly "Good. You've been flying far too much over the past few days, so… at least it's a good thing that you'll stay put with them for a while, right?"

Until their time was up, and they had to return to Ba Sing Se, yes. Azula's heart lurched when his thoughts solidified in her mind, and she gazed into her dragon's eyes with astonishment. His were clear, sincere.

"You… you do know I… I won't hold it against you if you choose to stay with them?" Azula asked, and she cursed herself inwardly for the knot in her throat upon merely saying those words. Xin Long huffed "I know, I know, I'm an idiot and I shouldn't have expected you to choose to leave me or anything like that, Xin, but… you've wanted this for so long. I'd hate to steal you away from them if… if you feel that's where you belong"

Xin Long nodded: he did feel he belonged with them. And he also felt he belonged by Azula's side. Surely there was no natural law that forced a dragon to belong in a single place, right?

His simple reasoning floored the Princess. Her eyes widened as she gazed at Xin Long, at his swaying tail and bright eyes full of life. A slow smile spread over her face as she cradled him over her lap, tears rising in her own eyes.

"Well, that's… that's wonderful to know" Azula said, laughing softly "I'm sorry I'm so stupid about this kind of thing, I am, but… I really would have missed you lots if you'd stayed with them for good"

Xin Long gurgled happily and prodded her with his nose. Azula laughed, stroking his hair further as the dragon stuck his tongue out at her playfully. He would have missed her lots too, which was why it would make no sense to stay away from her for good: she was his rider, and he was her dragon. She was family, every bit as much as the dragons were, and he was delighted to inform her of it, seeing as it seemed she didn't really understand it. She and Sokka had been accepted into the dragons' family too, or had she forgotten that?

Azula laughed and nodded, smiling fondly at Xin Long. He grinned back, pushing one more, gentle thought into her mind: in case she had forgotten it, he loved her, too.

The Princess breathed out and embraced him once more, wanting nothing but to lie there, with her dragon, for hours on end, even if the cold weather might freeze them into statues out here. Still, Xin Long needed his rest, and he wouldn't be likely to get any while she was with him. Azula had to find out if Sokka's attempt at damage control had yielded fruit or not, too… with one last kiss to Xin Long's brow, the Princess lifted his head gently and placed it on the courtyard's hard ground before standing up. Xin Long opened one eye lazily, gazing at her before smiling and settling down to sleep.

The set of Azula's shoulders could scarcely be visible underneath her armor, yet she suspected her unease would be apparent to the three men who sat not far from where she stood, even in the dark of the night. One glance told her they were speaking casually, and she truly hoped that meant Sokka had been successful at convincing the other two to keep quiet about their secret.

She walked slowly towards them, and their voices died down as she approached. Sokka bolted to his feet, offering her a moon peach, one of the fruits they'd found in the cellar. Azula nodded in acceptance, taking it while still holding her uncertain silence.

"Everything alright with Xin?" Sokka asked, his voice unusually soft, likely a consequence of his lingering guilt after they'd been caught.

"Yeah, he's finally agreed to rest. He didn't like the food very much, but that's no surprise" Azula said, with a dry grin "So…"

She glanced at the Mechanist and Teo now, who grinned as reassuringly as possible at her: Teo even waved shyly, and the Princess's stomach continued to churn and twist for it.

"Is everything alright, then?" she asked.

"Yeah, well… I've talked to them. I probably said more than I should have, as usual…" Sokka said, grimacing, and Azula raised a judgmental eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm afraid to ask in what regards…"

"Oh, nothing too serious" the Mechanist said, grinning.

"Just that he admitted you were together even when you were here a few years ago" Teo finished, and both Sokka and the Mechanist flinched.

Azula's eyebrow twitched at Teo's words, and she offered Sokka a judgmental glare instead. The gladiator hung his head in shame with a soft whine, but to his surprise, Azula patted his shoulder gently before turning to the father and son duo.

"I take it we can trust you'll be… well, more discreet than him and me, at the very least?" she said, sighing "Not like that's hard…"

"Well, we won't tell anyone, no" the Mechanist said, smiling "We understand your reservations. Though, we've told Sokka we can convince the rest of the refugees not to go to your rooms or your corridors until you leave. Teo suggested we could tell them you want to preserve your privacy, so… this way you two can be together far more freely, we hope!"

Azula's cheeks flushed gradually as the words sank in: the Mechanist's generous offer was far too kind… and it was impossible for Azula to ignore its implications. In short, the inventor was offering them a wonderful chance to have sex freely and spend nights and mornings together if they pleased. No doubt, she was grateful… but it was profoundly awkward that someone would generously help her get laid this way.

"That's… quite helpful of you. Thanks" she said, lowering her gaze. When she had first claimed it might not be so bad for Teo and the Mechanist to know about their relationship, this wasn't quite what she'd had in mind…

Sokka bit his lip, unsure if Azula was mad or merely embarrassed. Truthfully, the former wouldn't be surprising… yet he didn't feel any hostility from her, something unusual even when she was bottling things up. Her flustered, uncertain behavior nearly triggered his urges to take her in his arms and hold her until she overcame her feelings of unease…

"Well, then… I'd take it you two have had a rather long day, right?" the Mechanist said, pushing himself up to his feet, picking up his empty tray afterwards "Perhaps it's best if we all call it a night?"

"I'd rather clean up before turning in, frankly" Azula said "Your water heater is still functional, I hope?"

"Oh, yes! It won't be a problem!" the Mechanist said, beaming, though he blinked blankly moments afterwards: did she intend to clean up by herself or…? Oh, that was none of his business either way "A-anyways, feel free to use the bathhouse! As for me and Teo, chop chop it is! Off to bed we go!"

"O-oh, uh… okay? Good night!" Teo called after himself, as the Mechanist pushed his son's wheelchair back indoors.

The implications of their nervousness didn't go unnoticed by Azula. The Princess watched them leave, grimacing, before glancing at Sokka once she couldn't hear the Mechanist's footsteps anymore. She found her gladiator eyeing her warily, as though impervious to the last bit of the conversation.

"Are you alright?" Sokka asked her, his voice ringing with sincerity. Azula offered him a weak smile.

"I can't be sure, but… it wasn't so bad, seems like. At least they're on our side, to a fault" she whispered "I'm sorry I left you to deal with them by yourself. I shouldn't have, but…"

"It's okay. It's probably for the best" Sokka said, with a smile and a shrug "You're probably going to protect your reputation better if you don't let everyone know how you feel about me, right?"

"Because making out with you in cellars in the middle of the night doesn't speak for itself, does it?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. Sokka swallowed hard.

"Well, it's not that it doesn't, but… I just figured, you know, your reputation's so stark and you're always so dignified, so for people who don't know you very well it probably sounds weird that you'd be with me, of all people…" His voice was softer and faster as he spoke, almost ashamed of his words, yet not enough to stop saying them. Azula, uneasy as she had been, now scowled skeptically at her lover.

"Oh? You think I should be ashamed of loving you, then?" she asked, and Sokka flinched "What sort of nonsense is…? Oh. Is this about Rui Shi again? Because they thought it was him rather than you? Or, well, Teo did, anyways…"

"It's just…! Rui Shi is the perfect Fire Nation guy, right? Teo said so too, and you didn't disagree, so…" Sokka said, and once again his volume decreased as he spoke, as if the words hadn't quite sunk in until he'd uttered them himself.

Azula smirked and laughed, shaking her head as Sokka pouted. By the time she rolled her eyes he huffed, stubbornly.

"I know you think I'm an idiot, and it's not that I'm jealous of Rui Shi for real. I'm only jealous of people thinking he'd be the perfect match for you" Sokka said "Even your father and Zhao thought so…"

"They didn't think he was the perfect match for me, they thought he was an agreeable enough one that I might finally be married off to him so my eternally pending nuptials could be settled" Azula smiled "As perfect as he seems, Rui Shi isn't as highborn as some would want my husband to be. Seems to me a Chief's son is of higher birth than him…"

Sokka's pout vanished at that, as he turned his astonished eyes on Azula. The Princess chuckled and shook her head again, leaning closer to him.

"You're a fool if you think other people's opinions are that important" she said "Or that my reputation is, for that matter. I'd gladly run it to the ground if that would guarantee I can be with you freely, without needing to sacrifice anything else. That Rui Shi could look like a perfect match doesn't make him one: I know who my perfect match is, you goofball, and I'm staring him in the eye right now"

Sokka's heart churned now, and he smiled guiltily as the Princess cupped his face in her hands. With a light shake of her head, and an affectionate grin, Azula pressed a soft kiss to his lips, nowhere near as rash and passionate as the one they had exchanged in the cellar.

"You're… you're really taking this so much better than I am" Sokka said, smiling "I thought you'd be angry because, well… it was my fault they found out"

"Right, because I was telling you to stop kissing me and you wouldn't budge, was I?" Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka snorted and pressed his brow to hers "We're in this together, we go at things evenly, hence, it's safe to say we're both equally guilty. Stop fretting about silly things, okay?"

"I'll try" Sokka said, grinning "And… what of Xin? Everything good with him too?"

"Yeah… yeah" Azula said, breathing deeply and smiling as she glanced at her dragon from over her shoulder: he was sleeping restlessly as usual, but this time his thoughts and dreams weren't quite so goofy: this time he flew with his fellow dragons, the young and the old, the big and the small, guiding them all the way across a blue sky dotted with white clouds "He's thrilled to be returning there, of course… but he says he'll come back to us. Despite, well, I've told him he doesn't have to, but…"

"Heh. See?" Sokka smirked, and Azula sighed and buried her face in his chest.

"I knew you'd say 'I told you so', and it's fine if you must, but I still stand by believing he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to…" she said, as Sokka chuckled and guided her inside: Azula steered him towards the bathing house, ensuring they'd both clean up properly after their long, tiresome and chaotic day searching for dragons.

"And that's very noble of you, Azula, but you still refuse to accept how amazing you are and that's just wrong" he said, beaming "I won't speak for everyone else who might have bad sense and not see your worth, but Xin and I? They'll have to cut us into tiny little pieces if they expect to ever take us away from you!"

"And may no one ever try" Azula smiled, pressing her head against his shoulder.

She wasn't fully convinced yet that Xin Long would come back, no matter his certainty that he would – and she still forgave him preemptively for it, if he were to change his mind. As difficult as it had been to accept it earlier, especially once it had dawned on her that her dragon might find what he was looking for, right now she made her peace with the possibility, knowing that, no matter how much distance there might be between them, they'd always share a bond that no one would be able to break.

So, as much as both her and Sokka feared their carelessness would be their undoing at this rate – just how many people could have already guessed they were together? They barely even wanted to imagine the answer to that question – they still were in high enough spirits once they were in the bathhouse, cleaning up under the warm showers, and that didn't change once they returned to their rooms, clad in clean robes. Azula got the fireplace running, and they climbed into bed together. As much as this opportunity was virtually unprecedented, and they longed to make the most of their privacy, their exhaustion had them closing their eyes and nestling in each other's arms under the warm covers, drifting into sleep carelessly, easily.

By dawn, Azula was woken suddenly by her dragon's thoughts, colliding with her dreams: he was about to take off. Her heart clenched, but she ignored it: she only encouraged Xin Long to go forward, to race back to that cave… and he listened, taking flight right away.

"You okay…?" a drowsy Sokka asked her, his voice faint. Azula nodded, stroking his cheek.

"Sorry if I woke you" she said. He shook his head clumsily.

"No worries… I'm fine" he said, smiling weakly "Are you?"

"I… I hope I will be" Azula said, earnestly "But for now… we're better off getting some more rest, right?"

Sokka nodded, leaning down to steal a kiss from his secret wife's lips. Azula returned his affections earnestly, embracing him tightly. She couldn't know for sure that Xin Long would be back… whatever choice he made, however, she hoped he'd follow his heart and choose his own happiness, much as she ever did these days. Smiling against Sokka's lips, Azula's turbulent heart eased up, and with Sokka's soft and slow breathing against her skin, the Princess fell asleep anew, wishing that, much like Xin Long had, she'd dream of a future where the mighty, ferocious dragons were free from the restraints of rock and earth, so they could return to the sky they had conquered many generations ago…