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...

233. Chapter 233: The Ultimate Gladiator 4

She was sore, there was no denying that: burn marks and bruises appeared to cover most her body. Yet all the physicians to inspect her had declared it a miracle that she would have fought against such a dangerous opponent and survived with mainly minor wounds, despite it had been a rather wide assortment of them. Toph had accepted the diagnosis, although she wasn't all that thrilled to stay in bed for two whole days… but for once she didn't feel like rushing off to fight right away. She nestled amongst the pillows in the room she had been temporarily assigned at the Palace's physicians' wing, and she wondered just how many people had wound up taking refuge here over the past month. She should count herself lucky that she had only needed to do so over a gladiator fight, rather than anything else…

"Is the bed comfortable?" Iroh asked. He sat beside her, uneasily: Toph suspected all along that he was taking this loss harder than she had.

"Eh… I'd rather have a dirt tent" Toph answered bluntly. That at least got a laugh out of her sponsor. Warmth fell upon her face, and Toph cringed upon sensing it "Did you light up a furnace right next to my bed, or is that sunlight…?"

"It's sunlight, yes" Iroh chuckled, standing up "I'll close the drapes if it bothers you"

"Thanks" said Toph, listening as Iroh tugged the fabrics to close off the windows.

It was a placid sunset on what had been anything but a placid day. The consequences of the fight still lingered in the air, most of them unsaid… yet Toph was in no rush to speak them aloud. Strangely, she felt as though she had all the time in the world to process the latest happenings, but while she hoped her peaceful demeanor might rub off on Iroh, it seemed their roles would be reversed, for once.

"At the very least they believe your wounds are not that severe" Iroh said, sighing as he returned to his seat.

"Yeah… I'm staying here just for the sake of it, right?" Toph said "I can walk already… even if a few things hurt still"

"If they bother you a lot, please let me know" said Iroh, sighing "I know how difficult this must be, you're not used to lying around, recovering…"

"Heh, might be I got used to it after what happened that day, huh?" Toph said, shrugging "It's not bothering me that much, Iroh. And I'll probably just run off when I get bored of lying around here…"

"That does seem like you" Iroh grinned "Then… I should keep you entertained so you're not bored at all. Would you like me to bring you some tea? Some brews have soothing properties, they might ease off the pain a little"

"Sounds helpful… but not too entertaining" Toph smirked. Iroh laughed.

"Then… I'll bring you a Pai Sho board too!" he declared. Toph scowled.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you've got to swear you won't switch the tiles around when I can't sense what you're doing. I can't trust you not to when I'm on a bed and you'll probably set the game on the floor…"

"Oh, I wouldn't cheat" Iroh said proudly, as he rose to his feet again "And I'll set the game up on your bed, of course! Why not?"

"I… still won't be able to sense everything. This is a mattress, not solid ground" Toph smiled "But fine, then, fine. I'll try to trust you"

"After all these years, accusing me of cheating while we play Pai Sho?" Iroh recited dramatically as he walked towards the bedroom door. Toph scoffed "Who'd have thought…?"

"It's because you DO cheat when we were playing Pai Sho!" Toph exclaimed, smirking a little once Iroh crossed the bedroom's threshold, laughing carelessly as he made his way through the Palace's corridors.

Toph shook her head and relaxed again against her pillow, closing her sightless eyes. So much would likely change from this day onwards… and for some reason the idea wasn't all that scary. She genuinely looked forward to whatever surprises her new normal might bring. She never thought freedom would be the sensation to permeate her mind if her victory streak ever broke… but she was pleased that it was, nonetheless.

She had thought to nap briefly until Iroh returned… and then she heard rushed footsteps right outside, footsteps that seemed to be approaching her room. She turned her head in that direction, perplexed until she heard the voices:

"Let's be quick, we won't have much time…"

"I know, but I'm going as fast as I dare. You'll be the first one to scold me if I rush when I shouldn't…"

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just that he'll be back any second…"

"You two just sneak around for sport, don't you?" Toph smirked, just as the door closed behind her sudden visitors. They turned to the earthbender, finding her nestling on her assigned bed, arms crossed over her chest, surprisingly calm after the violent fight she had starred in earlier.

"Well… it's not really for sport" Sokka admitted, grimacing as Azula crossed the room while he stood by the door. The Princess sighed as she stopped by Toph's bedside, a sad smile on her face.

"Well, you don't look to be in bad spirits. That's something" she said. Toph scoffed.

"Is that some roundabout way of saying I look like hell but don't act like it?" she asked. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"You could look a lot worse, all things considered. I expected worse, frankly…" Azula mumbled. Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Did someone tell you it was worse?" she asked "Or…?"

"Eh… there's a reason we're sneaking around, and not the usual one" Sokka said, biting his lip as he approached Toph's bedside, too "We, uh, watched the fight"

"Uh… huh?" Toph said, puzzled "Then… you were worried I'd be mad that you guys saw me wasting my victory streak?"

"No, that's not it" Sokka huffed.

"Iroh… saw us, as we were on our way to see you, right after the fight ended" Azula explained, taking her seat by Toph's bedside "He may or may not have shot us a killer glare harsh enough to convince us that he, well… partially blames us for how things turned out for you today"

"Partially blames you guys? Why?" Toph said, perplexed "That makes no sense…"

"This stuff just keeps happening over and over, doesn't it?" Sokka sighed, and Azula grimaced.

"I… improved a lot, since we last talked" Azula said "You could say I found a method to accelerate my recovery, and… that's why we decided we could risk watching your fight. Yet the whole reason you fought Combustion Man was because I was indisposed, and you decided not to fight us, and to move on to him right away, because of that…"

"Oh. So… Iroh thinks you guys were avoiding fighting me because you're a pair of cowards?" Toph concluded. Azula and Sokka shrugged and she snorted before laughing and shaking her head "You three are just a whole other case of dumb, you know? Yep, it's all three of you, for sure. Don't care how smart you guys think you are, you're dumb"

"I'll allow it… just because you're bedridden, apparently" Azula smiled. Toph shook her head.

"Listen here, Spicy: there's no problem if you got better faster than everyone thought you would, alright? I only care that you got better, and that's that. If you can walk around without needing anyone to snatch you up, I'm happy. So, if Iroh's going to be pissed that you recovered fast, I'll smack sense into him somehow. Literally, maybe"

"Huh. I'll allow that, too" Azula smiled, weakly.

"And as for the other thing? I don't think it matters if I fought you guys before or after Combustion Man" Toph said, closing her eyes "I don't know, really, if I would've beaten you two. I don't want to lie and act like I know for sure anymore. But I was going to lose against that guy, no matter what"

"Toph…" Sokka said, eyeing her with concern… until she smiled.

"And you know what? You were right, Sokka. Losing really… wasn't that bad. I don't feel that awful about it, not now that it's done. I thought it'd be worse, but… I don't know. Might be what happened a couple of weeks ago messed enough with my head that losing a gladiator fight doesn't look like that big a deal" Toph shrugged "I'm not even that badly off, you know? I just need to rest for a bit, and I'll probably be all good again in a couple of days"

"You're taking this way better than I expected" Azula said. Toph smiled and shrugged.

"It's not that bad, you know. I can just learn from it, right? That's what the Dog said, anyhow. Next time I fight that asshole, I'll know what to expect. I'll do worse than turn his damn foot into a hammer I can't use. That's probably my one regret, I damn should've had a chance to use it… might have gotten him if I had, huh?"

"Crafting your own weapons in the middle of a fight… definitely sounds just like you, huh?" said Sokka, smiling though a sound outside brought him to frown, instead "Say, uh, we can come visit you again, if Iroh leaves you be for a while…"

"But we shouldn't stay very long now, yeah" Azula mumbled "We were waiting for him to leave before stopping by. Where was he off to?"

"To his room, probably. It's not that close by, you guys probably still have some time" Toph shrugged, but Azula sighed and pushed herself up again.

"Might be better not to risk it anyhow" Azula said, glancing at Toph again "Feel better soon, alright?"

"Say… Spicy? Dog?" Toph called them, raising her eyebrows. The two had meant to make for the door, but her words compelled them to stop "If you're better enough to… to drop by the Dome and watch a fight, it really does mean you're in shape to sponsor him again, doesn't it?"

"I suppose, yeah?" Azula said. Toph grinned.

"Then… we have a challenge to finish, don't we?" she said.

"W-wha…?" Sokka gasped. Azula frowned.

"Toph…"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't go around challenging people when I'm stuck in a bed and healing from a bunch of wounds" Toph chuckled "But I won't be here that long, will I? Iroh's probably going to challenge you guys as soon as I'm ready too, if you're right about him being pissed… I'm just saying, why not? I don't have a victory streak to worry about anymore, and I owe you guys a fight anyway. Sokka told me, back then… that he was going to kick my ass for breaking your wrist in the Race, right?"

"Well, yeah, I did…" Sokka said, pouting stubbornly. Azula scoffed and glanced at the earthbender.

"That's something you can do once you're really recovered. And even then, you're sure you want to fight Sokka next?"

"Why not?" Toph relaxed on her pillow, closing her eyes "I guess if you guys want to wait that's fine too… but you'll fight me eventually, won't you? I'm not trying to boost your egos here, but… can't think of anyone I'd want to fight more than you two"

"Well… we might not stick around very long, right?" Sokka mumbled, glancing at Azula with uncertainty. Toph frowned "It might be a good idea to finish the challenge before we leave…"

"What's that supposed to mean? You guys going on a trip somewhere?" she asked.

"Once my father decides I'm ready to go, yes" Azula admitted, biting her lip "We'll be relocating, permanently, to the Colonies in a few months, likely"

"The heck…?" said Toph, snorting and shaking her head "Well, hell, no! If you two are running off into the sunset then I'll fight you in the Dome, Dog. You're taking me on as soon as I'm out of here!"

"So demanding…" Azula smiled "Well, we'll see, Toph. I don't think Iroh should be that eager to send you to the ring yet… but if he issues a challenge against us, I guess we'll accept it. If you're not fully recovered by then, Sokka can go easy on you"

"He… what?! Did you just say…?! Hey! Get back here, Spicy! Go easy on me?! As if! What bullshit is that?!" Toph bellowed, as both Sokka and Azula laughed while slipping out of the room quickly.

They snuck into an empty, nearby room, waiting patiently there until they heard Iroh returning. Hopefully Toph wouldn't give away that they'd been there until they were long gone… if she did at all, that was. As soon as the old General's footsteps passed them by, and the bedroom's door closed behind him, the two lovers snuck out as quickly as Azula's condition allowed them, ensuring not to get caught by the man who seemed so cross with them both.

Iroh sighed as he reached Toph's bedside, setting down the teapot and the portable Pai Sho board on the mattress at first. He started working on the tea quietly while Toph waited, just as silently, for him to say something… and it seemed he wouldn't. She had a good idea as to why that was the case.

"Did you… notice?" Toph asked. Iroh sighed again.

"I'm no fool. They, on the other hand, might be utter fools indeed" Iroh huffed. Despite herself, Toph smiled.

"They think you're pissed because they got to see my fight… are they right?" she asked. Iroh held his silence as he warmed the teapot with his own hands "I'll just tell you what I told them: you three are dumb as bricks"

"That's…" Iroh said, glancing at Toph with uncertainty.

"That's how it is. Just accept it" Toph grinned, closing her eyes "She couldn't even walk on her own by the time I talked with her. She was barely starting to recover. There's nothing wrong with her being better now, is there?"

"If she had the intentions of watching your fight, it meant she could have been there to sponsor Sokka anyways, and…"

"And whether I beat him or not, I would've lost against Combustion Man when I fought him, eventually" Toph said, simply. Iroh frowned, lowering his gaze "I'd still have gotten hurt, Iroh. And besides… they were there to support me. I know they were. They probably hoped to congratulate me on winning and all, if I did… so why would I be mad? Why should you be mad?"

"You see them in a rather different light than I do" Iroh whispered.

"Yep. Because I can't see. And that, apparently, makes things way clearer for me than for any of you people" Toph said "Who'd have thought, huh? Being blind's actually better for understanding others, turns out"

"Who'd have thought, indeed" Iroh agreed, dejectedly "Though… are you sure you know them that well, Toph?"

"Why did you help them so much back when those wackos attacked the city if you thought they're the worst people ever?" Toph asked, raising an eyebrow "I mean, I get it if you thought to join in to make sure they didn't mess things up, but you sounded… friendly. You were working with them like there was no bad blood between you all. Why are we right back to square one now?"

"We're not, we're not" Iroh sighed, shaking his head.

"You sure?" Toph said. Iroh nodded "Then you'll play nice if I tell you I've already told them we'll challenge them again, once I'm all better?"

Iroh nearly dropped the kettle, just as it started to boil. He glanced at Toph with wide eyes, only for the earthbender to relax calmly in bed.

"Y-you told them…?" he said. Toph shrugged.

"I kind of figured you'd want that. If you don't then it's fine, because I told them we'd be the ones sending the challenge, so I doubt they'll be challenging us themselves. They seemed not to want to, anyway" Toph said "But… we did make a promise and a challenge, right? We said we'd fight them once she was better, she is now. I can fight Sokka once I'm pain-free, whenever you feel like sending that challenge"

"Are you certain of this course of action, Toph?" Iroh asked, dubitative "Perhaps you should fight, well…"

"Someone less likely to beat me?" Toph asked, smiling. Iroh flinched "Well… where'd be the fun in that?"

Iroh remained speechless, though he took care to prepare the tea now, as Toph relaxed with eyes closed again.

"He's come a long way, Iroh. I don't know if he's strong enough to beat me one-on-one… but if he isn't, he'll go as far as he can to become that strong anyway" Toph said "And… that's what I want to do, too. One day I'll beat Combustion Man… just as one day those two will beat us. It's the nature of it. It's the only way to keep things alive in this line of business. There's always someone stronger out there, and maybe that's not such a bad thing, in the end. Maybe it just means you know what to aim for, rather than moving around without any direction. And maybe I'm just rambling nonsense, and in a couple of days I'll be annoyed about this whole situation… but once you think I'm ready, I'll gladly fight Sokka again. And Combustion Man, too"

Iroh breathed out slowly, hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't trust Toph's strength or her growth. Her maturity through this ordeal had been astonishing, but not unwelcome. And even then, he wavered. He doubted. He didn't want to put her in danger… for she had become as good as a daughter to him. And what father wanted to see his daughter pummeled as she had been that day?

But Toph was as certain of herself as she could be. She was calm, resolved, displaying strength Iroh wasn't sure he shared. He extended a full teacup to Toph and she accepted it graciously, more than she usually did, without spilling a single drop although she languished on several cushions.

"Then… we'll do this, Toph?" Iroh asked. She grinned and nodded.

"You'll trust my judgment, Iroh?" she asked. He smiled.

"It wouldn't be the first time, would it?" he said, and Toph chuckled "I do want you safe… but that's not a possibility in a business as violent as this one, is it? And if this is how you hope you'll grow… then I shouldn't hold you back. I should have always given Lu Ten the chance to choose for himself, after all… perhaps this is how I make amends for it. By giving that chance to you"

"Sounds good to me" Toph said, her smile softening "Thanks, Iroh"

He smiled too, spreading the portable Pai Sho board and producing his set of tiles just as well. Toph smirked as she sensed what he was doing, expertly setting up the game while sipping from his own teacup.

"I'm going to remember where every tile is, you hear me?" she warned him. Iroh chuckled and shrugged.

"So be it. I won't cheat, and I'll win nonetheless" he promised.

"Ha! We'll see about that!"

Iroh smiled and picked up the last of the tiles needed to prepare the game. His golden eyes glistened coldly as he took in the sigil of the White Lotus, ever feeling a charged energy upon touching his favorite tile… and he set it on the board, right at the very center.

---

The Head Sage made no attempt to hide his surprise as his fingers, lit by fire, shifted over Azula's form. Sokka, sitting by her bedside, glanced without knowing what the Head Sage might be seeing, for he couldn't perceive much from where he sat. Granted, the flickering fire lit up his beloved's features, and that was plenty to admire anyway… but he found himself wishing he could read chi, much as the Head Sage too. Surely her chi was rather beautiful, just as everything else about her was, no matter how much pain she had been through recently…

"Is… everything alright?" Azula asked, slightly nervous over the Sage's reaction so far. As his back was turned towards Sokka, the gladiator couldn't see the man's expression, but he had noticed the tension of his shoulders as his hands shifted while hovering over Azula's shape.

"If anything, it may be too fine" said the Head Sage, laughing and shaking his head "This is nothing short of a miracle, Princess. You're not fully recovered yet, no… there's also to account that you may have had a higher chi concentration than others, considering how talented a bender you always were. So surely you won't be fully ready to work with your bending yet… but at the rate at which you've recovered so far, you might be able to start a light training regime again in about a month or so"

"How's the chi over at her shoulder?" asked Fei Rou, who had been present during the chi reading just the same "Is it flowing smoothly yet?"

"Yes, on the most part. It seems there are a few ridges to be smoothed over, but the network is fully connected, from what I can see" the Head Sage said, raising his hands towards Azula's left shoulder.

"If that's how it is… the sling might be more detrimental by now than helpful" said Fei Rou, glancing at Azula with unequivocal curiosity "You've recovered rather well… too well, I might say. If it were anyone but you, I'd be surprised. As it's you… I'm merely wondering how it happened"

"Should I be flattered to hear that?" Azula smiled a little, though her heart sped its rate slightly. She had no intentions of answering questions regarding how fast she had recovered from her condition, especially when said answer would be as damning as it was.

"That's for you to decide, I'll just set you free from one of the last burdens of your recovery" Fei Rou sighed "That is, if you're quite done, Head Sage"

"I suppose I am, yes" the Head Sage announced, smiling at Azula: the crackling sound of the fire at his fingertips faded away once the flames vanished from his grasp "Does it make sense to congratulate someone for making a lightning-quick recovery?"

"I suppose?" Azula smiled. The Head Sage chuckled before turning towards Sokka.

"See? In the end, you wouldn't need to give her your own chi" he said. Sokka grinned sheepishly "Who knows if you would be able to regenerate it quite as fast as she did, if you'd donated yours that way?"

"Heh… fair point, huh?" Sokka smiled awkwardly.

No, it wasn't a fair point, for if Azula's suspicions were correct – and so far, it seemed they were –, Sokka might have been able to recover from depleting his chi as long as he and Azula resorted to the same technique with which they had sped up the Princess's own recovery. But it was more than obvious that he shouldn't disclose that… not even with a man who might have already figured out their relationship, if Azula's suspicions were correct. Sokka had been particularly careful not to be too bold around Azula ever since she had shared her thoughts about the Head Sage with him, but he doubted keeping some distance from the Princess would serve any purpose at this point. Strangely enough, it seemed no one had decided to report his presence at Azula's side as anything worrisome to Ozai… yet, going by how his latest encounters with the Fire Lord had developed, Sokka feared Ozai would be the next to consider Sokka's behavior around Azula was far out of line for one of his measly station…

But perhaps Ozai would see him the same way Zhao had: as long as he had no reason to suspect their relationship was as close, intimate and real as it was, Ozai might consider Sokka's obvious feelings for Azula an asset worth exploiting. A source of loyalty from a warrior whom Ozai might expect would sell out his own, if need be, for mere breadcrumbs, if Azula decided to cast them towards him…

"So… I'll be removing the Princess's bandages" Fei Rou told Sokka, bringing him back to his senses to discover the Head Sage had long left Azula's room by now "Feel free to take a walk"

"Oh. Uh, sorry" Sokka said, grinning awkwardly as he rose to his feet "I'll come back once you're done, no problem…"

It wouldn't be long, he knew, and he offered Azula a warm smile as he stepped outside the room. After as tiresome a day as yesterday had been, with that catastrophic fight between Toph and Combustion Man, this one had been slow, though far from uneventful. He had paid Azula a visit, expecting she'd need further exercise, suspecting she might want to take flight with Xin Long too, but her medical appointment had put a stop to all such possibilities. It wouldn't be the last of these appointments, Sokka knew… but this one was yet another sign of progress. Azula would be back to using her arm properly, and she would be allowed to build up her strength again gradually with stronger exercises soon. Perhaps, by the time they relocated to the Earth Kingdom, she would be completely healthy again…

Fei Rou left after a mere fifteen minutes: he had instructed Azula with new, light exercises for her arm, as well as the muscles over her left collarbone. While it wasn't the first time Azula had loosened up the sling in the past weeks, she definitely seemed more cheerful now, stretching her fingers slowly.

"Just you wait. We'll be back to training together in no time" Azula smiled at Sokka, who chuckled as he sat by her bed, grinning warmly "I'd say we'll also be back to doing other things together, but… we already are"

"My heart nearly stopped when the Sage mentioned it was a good thing I hadn't given you my chi" Sokka said, eyes wide. Azula laughed, reaching for his hand with her right – as much as the left was allowed to be functional again, it was sore from lack of use for over two weeks now "I mean… technically? I could have given you my chi anyway, and then the sex would've healed me, not you…"

"And that would've been unnecessary entirely" Azula smiled "Besides… if Toph was serious about that challenge? You need to be fully healthy far more than I do"

"You'll be dealing with Iroh in the sponsors' balcony, though. Sounds like going there without being fully healthy can't be a good idea" Sokka whispered, biting his lip.

Azula made to shrug, but stopped by instinct. Instead, she shifted her left shoulder very lightly, grimacing at the awkward sensation. In moments, Sokka had slid behind her on the mattress, gently caressing the skin around her scars, in hopes to aid the blood and chi flow. Azula sighed, closing her eyes and basking in his kind massage.

"Well… Fei Rou did say stimulating the area would be necessary" Azula smiled absent-mindedly "You're doing a fine job of that so far, huh?"

"I'd hope so" Sokka grinned, leaning closer to kiss her cheek.

"Say… it's probably not the best idea to get started today" Azula mumbled, relaxing under his caresses "But if we do have to fight Toph… you probably ought to get back into shape against earthbenders, right?"

"I guess" Sokka answered "Though I'm not that out of shape, you know? I was pretty strong against Rui Shi when we sparred the other day, even if he says otherwise…"

"He was trying to mess with you" Azula smiled "Don't tell me now that he was succeeding at it…"

"He wasn't, I'm just saying… I'm not that weak right now" Sokka mumbled, letting his chin rest on Azula's right shoulder "I mean, it's not that I'm against training with Haru, I figure that's what you had in mind… but I'd rather focus on helping you recover instead"

"It'll help me recover to know you can beat up every earthbender in the world without breaking a sweat" Azula said, simply. Sokka chuckled and shook his head "I have simple needs"

"That sure sounds simple" Sokka grinned, pressing yet another soft kiss to her cheek "Fine, then. We can go tomorrow. They'll be happy to see you too, they haven't dropped by to visit in a while…"

"For shame, isn't it? I know I must have been quite boring to be around in this whole recovery process, but still…" Azula said, playfully. Sokka scoffed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Azula chuckled, lowering her head a little – the muscles by her shoulder tensed, but while there was mild pain, she could bear with it. Fei Rou had told her to move her head gradually, slowly exercising each muscle until they were fully usable again.

"You're never boring, love. Not even when you try to be" he decided, hugging her gently. Azula grinned and relaxed in his arms once more.

"Flatterer" she whispered.

"Beautiful" he retaliated, and she laughed as she shook her head quite lightly.

"Just had to go and prove me right, huh?" she said. Sokka chuckled and kissed her brow sweetly "I love you, Sokka. Thanks for sticking with me, boring or not"

"I said you're never… ah, you're just not going to stop messing with me no matter what, are you?" he said, tickling her flanks very lightly, only to make Azula squirm a little before he stole a bold kiss from her laughing lips.

The promise to meet again on the next day was as good as a given by now, as not a single day had passed for the last month in which they hadn't seen each other, and they would spend most their time together, too. It was a pleasure neither one took for granted, yet Azula asked Sokka to wait for her at his place instead of stopping by at the Palace on the next morning. As much as he had protested with many pouts at first, he had relented in the end: letting Azula fly to his house without needing constant assistance would probably ease the Princess's mind, and as she seemed to come closer and closer to her usual self with every new day, Sokka decided it was an acceptable risk to take. All the same, he made a point to stop by Xin Long's refuge before leaving for the day, to ask the dragon to take care of his rider and make sure she wouldn't fall off his saddle or anything else as distressing as that.

Those were unnecessary warnings, naturally, for Xin Long didn't take Azula's recovery for granted, no matter how mischievous the dragon might be. Few things worried him quite as much as Azula's health, and he was willing to do rather unthinkable things to help her if need be, such as how he had picked up Sokka and allowed him to ride alone back when Azula had been sick years ago. The dragon encouraged her to get help if she needed any on the next morning as he sensed her walking down the Palace's corridors, occasionally slowing to a halt, or supporting herself with her right hand on the wall. Regaining her full faculties with her left was definitely going to be a slow process, for it felt like dead weight whenever she tried to exert it in any significant manner. She needed to make sure to do all of Fei Rou's exercises, and to ask Sokka for occasional massages to ensure her chi was flowing properly…

Lost in such thoughts, Azula hardly realized someone stood in the corridor that led directly to Xin Long's refuge until she was a mere few steps away from him. She froze in place, uneasy, for once again that accursed golden glare was as unforgiving as ever… as unforgiving as she had made it with her actions back in Crescent Island.

"I figured you'd come this way sooner than later" Iroh said. Azula stared pointedly at him, a hand on the wall still "I suppose I should've checked on you personally to know whether or not you were in any condition to sponsor someone… but I suppose you'll tell me you truly did recover in great strides across the span of a single week?"

"If you won't believe me, ask the Head Sage" Azula said, curtly "I have places to be, Uncle, so if you're only standing in my way to pick a fight, please do so in another week or two. By then I might just be able to rebuff you with the energy the act warrants…"

"Why, that's precisely what I'm here for" Iroh said, raising his eyebrows. Azula froze on the spot "As much as her head injuries did bleed a lot, Toph didn't sustain any severe damage. She is far sturdier than most would give her credit for, isn't she? The resilience of an earthbender…"

"You're truly here to challenge me?" Azula asked, point-blank. Iroh's eyebrows now drew together in a frown.

"I'm here to inform you that I will be sending you a challenge, rather" he said "I'll schedule the fight for next week. Ensure your gladiator is ready by then"

"I can always ignore your challenge… refuse it" Azula said, matter-of-factly "Why are you so certain I'll abide by your terms and by whatever you're asking of me?"

"Ah… then you intend to disregard the older challenge you agreed to, in Gladiator Brawl?" Iroh asked "And here I thought a Crown Princess would be a woman of her word…"

"How do I know you're not sending your gladiator into a fight she's ill-prepared for?" Azula asked, scowling "I know Sokka won't do anything too harmful to her… but if she's not truly recovered by the day of the fight, any wounds left unamended might get worse. Are you trying to punish her for losing against Combustion Man, by any chance, or…?"

"She deserves and requires no punishments for her performance that day" Iroh stated "You owe it to her, to your promise and to the arrangement we made, to see this new fight through. The challenge will be set for the end of next week, time enough for Toph to recover safely, if that's what you're concerned about"

"It is what I'm concerned about, yes" Azula said, cuttingly "Make sure she's fine. Whatever you may think of my gladiator, he's proven himself enough times as it is. Toph has underestimated him in the past and he has surprised her… do your best not to make that same mistake yourself"

"It isn't me who's set on making sure that this fight takes place" said Iroh, raising his eyebrows "Surely you already know, don't you? After visiting Toph yesterday…"

"What am I supposed to know?" Azula asked, deliberately overlooking Iroh's blatant confession of having known both she and Sokka had snuck in to see Toph without him.

"That the one who wants this fight the most is Toph herself" Iroh said, curtly "Whatever her reasons may be, she asked me to arrange this. She claimed she had already told you and your gladiator, just as well…"

"She had… but I thought you had better sense than to jump at this opportunity" Azula said "If Toph isn't as recovered as she should be by the assigned date, you'll withdraw. I might as well do the same, for fairness's sake, and perhaps it won't be reflected on our respective records anyway. But a forfeit fight ought to be better than to forfeit a gladiator"

"You only just said Sokka would mean her no harm…" said Iroh, raising his eyebrows. Azula shrugged lightly – her left shoulder still pained her for it.

"He may not mean any… it doesn't mean he can't cause it without intending to. You saw him in Gladiator Brawl just as well as I did" Azula said, curtly. That, at least, silenced Iroh "Have it your way, then. I'll accept the challenge sometime this week, if that's how you'll have it"

"I would appreciate that" Iroh said, nodding in her direction before taking his leave.

Azula breathed deeply, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. She should've appreciated her long time recovering a lot more than she had… not having to deal with Iroh's cold war and passive-aggressive behavior for a little longer would have been quite welcome, truly. She wouldn't have been happy if she hadn't recovered enough to watch Toph's fight… but she certainly wasn't any happier now, trudging into her dragon's refuge as though the whole world hung on her wounded shoulders.

Xin Long whimpered at the sight of her, reaching to prod her chest gently with his nose. Azula groaned, leaning forward and wrapping her right arm around his snout. Xin Long's eyes gazed at her insistently, so much she wound up closing her own in response.

"I'm so tired of this nonsense… aren't you?" she asked "I kind of hope she's fine by the assigned fight date… just to put this rivalry in the past, where it should stay for good. Can't wait to move to the Earth Kingdom…"

Xin Long couldn't wait either, most of all because he'd have it much easier to visit his friends this way. Azula smiled and nodded, guessing she shouldn't look at their future relocation as a chance to run away, but as a chance to bask in many glorious, blissful things together with those she loved instead. The visual of a full flock of dragons gliding in the sky would surely prove marvelous, and it was a much nicer argument for moving out of the Fire Nation than running from Iroh could ever be.

Once Azula decided she was ready to go, Xin Long lowered himself until his belly brushed the ground: Azula clasped the saddle with her right hand and slung her leg carefully over her dragon's frame. It was a small movement in general, but one she hadn't dared do on her own until now. She released a slow breath after she settled in place and smiled at Xin Long, encouraging him to fly out of the building: as much as she had hoped to deter Iroh from going forward with the challenge right away, she and Sokka had already made up their minds about what they'd do today…

---

"You know… it's odd that you'd pay no mind to rumors, for once" Mai was saying, staring at her friend across a tea table with amused confusion "Is marriage making an honest woman out of you at last, Ty Lee?"

"It's not that!" Ty Lee retorted, scowling "You saw Azula, you heard the best hopes were for her to be fine in like… a year? It's definitely not been a year. I can't imagine her going to any gladiator fights… and I really hope she didn't go to that one, too. I was busy and couldn't watch it myself, but from what I heard, Combustion Man was horrible to Toph…"

"Why would anyone expect anything else?" Mai sighed "He's Admiral Zhao's gladiator and he has been at the top of that ranking for as long as the League has existed. As powerful as Toph might be, the likelihood for her to win was… not great"

"I know that, I know, but… oh, it's just so sad" Ty Lee sighed, slumping on the table: her husband rubbed her shoulder gently as she pouted "A lot of sad things have happened lately, Mai. How aren't you more depressed over them, huh?"

"I'd rather stay level-headed in times of crisis. Feel free to overreact for the both of us, though" Mai said, with a bleak grin. Ty Lee gasped and scowled at her friend, rising back to her sitting position.

"You're such an ass when you want to be, Mai…" she growled "Did you just want to drop by to mess with me because I'm sad about all this, or…?"

Or… the other possibility to come to mind silenced Ty Lee for a moment as she gazed at her friend. All these attempts to play the level-headed, strong-willed, unaffected woman… they might just be a front. If someone could put on fronts whenever she felt like it, it was Mai. But she had been dropping by to visit Ty Lee far more often lately rather than once a week, as was the old agreement between the three friends. Was she bored at home? Or was she actually lonely…?

She didn't often stop to weigh her friend's motivations, for they were always so much more straightforward than this… but perhaps taunting Ty Lee was merely another way to reclaim missing normalcy. Perhaps it was a manner of finding peace, in Mai's own, strange ways.

"And here I thought you appreciated a friendly visit…" Mai said, enigmatically. Ty Lee scoffed, smiling and shaking her head.

"I do, Mai" she assured her "I guess… we're all on edge over what happened. Over everything that keeps happening. I mean, maybe I'm crazy, but doesn't it feel like… like something weird's going to happen soon? Something… something worse than everything that already has…"

"Well, damn. Aren't you a mood killer" Mai said, raising her eyebrows as she gazed at the troubled Ty Lee. Haru, as well, appeared puzzled.

"What makes you say that?" Haru asked, reaching to caress Ty Lee's hair now "I thought you wanted me to get a job because it'd be a good thing…"

"And it is!" Ty Lee exclaimed, glancing at him eagerly "I'm thrilled about that, Haru, but that's not the big thing I mean. I just… I don't know what it is, or where it's coming from. Might be I'm just on edge because of what happened over the past weeks…"

"You just need to see Azula out and about again to feel like the world's back to normal, I suppose" Mai suggested. Ty Lee groaned.

"So it'll be forever until things feel normal?" she sighed "We should go visit her again. People should've calmed down already, and… well, maybe she's improved some more, right? She might be doing more than moving a hand around by now…"

"More than giving Sokka heart-eyes, too?" Mai smirked "I hope she's toned that down by now. At this rate, the whole world will find out they're married"

"I think most people suspect there's something going on between them, actually…" Ty Lee mused, nibbling on her lower lip "I try not to bring it up, but…"

"Your gossiping sources already guessed at it?" Mai asked. Ty Lee grimaced.

"At first, they were just like me, you know? Merely thinking they probably had something going on because they're both young and pretty and unless they were superhuman there was no way they'd keep their attraction in check forever… but over time there's been, well, more? Like, when Sokka became the best non-bender? Azula carried him out and accepted no help from anyone else. And then she gave his fans a thumbs-up, the way he often does?"

"Really, now?" Mai raised her eyebrows.

"It's… way too much, right?" said Ty Lee, with an awkward smile "Back in the day people just thought it was fishy that they'd go to the stand-by room together, and they were shocked when she had carried him out of his first fight with Toph too… but this time it's just different. And while we know why it's different, they don't, and yet they're guessing at it just fine, right?"

"Right" said Mai, raising her eyebrows.

It didn't seem Ty Lee made any connection between her concerns and suspicions just yet… but it was inevitable for Mai to do so. Was this why Ty Lee felt uneasy? Was that the big change that loomed ahead…? Would the secret relationship, as poorly-kept as it had been, be revealed because of their recent behavior…? If so… yes, that would certainly be a lot worse than Toph losing against Combustion Man, or even Azula's near-lethal injury. For all those things were bad enough already… but she didn't even want to imagine how much their lives would change if Azula's big secret was ever outed.

"Ugh, I don't know, maybe we should stop thinking about all of this" Ty Lee sighed, slumping against Haru.

"Good, then. Let's talk about when you and Haru will start having children"

"… Say WHAT?!"

Mai smirked at Ty Lee's explosive reaction, amused about having made the usually extroverted and careless girl blush so profusely. Haru blinked blankly, though his own blush was no surprise, as he was far more easily embarrassed than his wife.

"We… children?" Haru said, gazing at Ty Lee "Will we…?"

"I'm not ready for that yet!" Ty Lee exclaimed, flustered "We got married like a month ago…!"

"It was four months ago"

"Doesn't feel like it to me! I'm still enjoying life without a crying child interrupting my beauty sleep" Ty Lee declared, shooting a quick glance at Yuudai: the boy was rather busy playing in the backyard of Ty Lee's house, using a stick to draw something on the ground "You got started way too early, if anything, Mai…"

"Did I?" Mai smiled "Well, the sad thing is, if you're not ready for children you'll have to find someone else to get you your tea this week… and the coming months too, probably. My main plant has taken a turn for the worse, the parasites aren't relenting and my aunt says it can't be used for tea this way…"

"No way!" Ty Lee squealed, grimacing "You can't be serious!"

"Well, if you'd like to drink parasite spores and grow them in your stomach, that's up to you…"

"Ew, of course not! Ugh, fine, I'll see if I can find some herbalist to sell me some… though, you'll need your own, right? Unless… you're asking all this because you're expecting another baby already?! Oh, Mai, you rascal…!"

"I'm not expecting anything. I have enough for myself for the next few weeks anyway" Mai smiled "But I don't think I'll have enough for you. And as Azula shouldn't need any at the time…"

"Oh, poor Azula… she must be so sad about that" Ty Lee sighed, her mood taking a quick swing to melancholy again "I really hope she's coping well, but if she's not…"

"You don't give her any credit, do you?" Mai asked, amused "Might be she's healed a lot since we last saw her, and those rumors about her watching Toph's fight are true…"

"You said yourself it wasn't likely, Mai…"

"Mom…! MOM!"

Yuudai shrieked as he ran back inside at haste: Mai was alarmed by her son's voice, despite sensing a hint of amusement in it. Ty Lee and Haru both froze too as Yuudai tugged at his mother's sleeve, pointing at the backyard again… and at the sky.

"It's the dragon! It's the dragon!"

"What?!" Ty Lee exclaimed: Haru wasted no time jumping to his feet and rushing out of the house "The dragon…? Wait a minute, what?!"

"Didn't I tell you?" Mai grinned.

"Well, who says it's Azula?! It could be someone else…!"

Mai laughed and shook her head, as she, her son and her friend made their way to the backyard…

And to their utter amazement, Yuudai's words proved true: Xin Long was landing slowly, delicately, careful not to make forceful movements, even avoiding the flower patches Ran had arranged at the back of the garden, as well as all the new additions that Ty Lee had decided not to remove after the wedding party was finished. And on his back…

"AZULA!"

Ty Lee's exclamation and excitement brought an unusual smile to the Princess's face. Sokka, astride behind her, caressed Azula's waist in a gentle gesture as he grinned at their friends too: things weren't quite back to normal just yet… but it felt like a start, at the very least.

Half an hour later, Sokka and Haru had taken to training as expected, though by keeping a fair distance from the rearranged garden and the beautiful flowers. Yuudai watched them, laughing and encouraging the two to fight to the death despite it was merely a training bout. It was hard to see them from where the three girls sat inside the house, as they couldn't train right by the backdoor anymore due to all the new additions in the garden, but the occasional glimpse of Sokka's powerful, agile and skillful form was enough for Azula to smile as she sat on the softest cushion Ty Lee had to offer.

"Azula, this is…! It's amazing, but it's so confusing!" Ty Lee exclaimed, staring at her as though she were an apparition. Even though Mai smiled, there was just as much disbelief and confusion in her eyes, Azula realized "I heard you watched Toph's fight with Sokka, was it true? I assumed it was nonsense, but…!"

"It wasn't" Azula confirmed "It wasn't the first time I left the Palace, but I hadn't shown myself before the general public until then. It caused quite the stir just before the fight caused one all on its own…"

"I'm not entirely sure someone who went through what you did should be watching a gladiator fight within two weeks of taking a serious injury, of all things… let alone such a dangerous fight" Mai pointed out. Azula smiled weakly.

"I know, I know" Azula said "But… we found a way for me to regenerate my chi faster. I'm not fully better yet, Fei Rou only removed the stitches last week, and the sling just yesterday… but according to the Head Sage, the rate of my chi's recovery has been impressive. Sokka has helped me by supporting me in my walks ever since I was first allowed to stand up again… and while it's felt like a slow process, I guess to you guys it must feel too fast instead"

"Well… yeah, but it's not something bad!" Ty Lee grinned "We were just surprised, but it's amazing if you're making this much progress!"

"You're quite lucky in many ways, it seems" said Mai, raising her eyebrows "How's your shoulder? Still hurts?"

"Often, yes" Azula admitted, casting a hesitant glance at it "And it looks quite gruesome, too"

"Oh, Azula…" Ty Lee said, grimacing "S-surely Sokka will be okay with it anyhow, don't worry…"

"I didn't say I was worrying" Azula said, smiling "And I know he doesn't find it gruesome because of what it looks like, it's more because it reminds him I nearly died, so…"

"U-uh… yeah, I guess that's true" said Ty Lee, lowering her gaze. Mai's attention remained on Azula, however.

"You know this for a fact?" she asked "Meaning… he already saw your scars directly and you've already confirmed as much? Or is it you've grown so much over the last years that you trust him so blindly…?"

"Uh… both?" Azula said, with a weak grin. Ty Lee gasped, and Mai snorted.

"You… oh, goodness, Azula, you're bold!" Ty Lee said "Are you sure you guys should be, w-well…?"

"For once, I can say for certain that yes, we should be" Azula smiled "I doubt I should be forthright about any of this, but… that's the way to recover chi faster"

Mai and Ty Lee blinked blankly for a moment, and then for another. Azula gazed between one and the other, wondering if her cheeks were flushing and if, perhaps, she had been completely crazy to disclose this much information with her friends… some things were certainly off about her ever since she'd taken her severe injury. Many things that used to matter so much, be it her pride, dignity or reputation, now often appeared superfluous next to her new priorities…

"Y-you really… you really mean that?" Ty Lee asked, glancing at Mai next "D-does that make any sense?"

"You're asking me?" Mai said "You're the chi-blocker, you ought to know this stuff better than I do"

"Well, I am, but…!" Ty Lee said, and then she froze in place "Huh. Huuuh… chi-blocking. And sex regenerates chi…? Hmm. Hmmmm…"

"If you're having any filthy ideas about what you'll test with Haru in bed later, please don't share them" Mai said, cuttingly. Ty Lee smirked cheekily and shrugged.

"Fine, then, you prude…" she snickered, surprised upon hearing Azula was laughing quietly, too "Well, it's good that that's the secret, though! Must have done wonders for your body, heart and soul all at the same time, right?"

"You could say that" Azula said, breathing out slowly.

"And it means things will get back to normal faster, then" Ty Lee said, beaming.

"Well, barring the obvious…" Mai said, raising her eyebrows before gesturing at the garden "You were serious, Azula? When you said Sokka will likely be fighting Toph again soon? And that she didn't take any severe injuries…?"

"So it seems" Azula said, her previous smile fading from her face "It's for the best if they fight soon, though I'd rather Toph doesn't rush her recovery… if it seems she's in no shape to fight by the date Iroh picks, I'll either convince Iroh to forfeit or retire Sokka from the fight myself"

"Why is it for the better to fight soon, though?" Mai asked "Hasn't Sokka fought her enough times by now?"

"It's because Iroh issued an off-the-record, long-term challenge for us. That's why Sokka was proving himself the strongest non-bender in the League" Azula explained "If both Sokka and Toph proved to be the very best gladiators at their respective categories, non-bending and earthbending, they'd fight each other later, and the winner would challenge Combustion Man. Toph altered the terms of the challenge a bit, because I wasn't in any shape to promise I could take Sokka to a new fight… and so, she challenged Combustion Man first, and wants to fight Sokka now"

"Oh, goodness. That's so unnecessary…" Ty Lee said, shaking her head "You guys are all too ambitious for your own good. I know I always say Haru will be the best gladiator in the ranking, but I wouldn't do anything quite that crazy to prove it…"

"And even after losing against Combustion Man, those two want to fight you next?" Mai asked. Azula shrugged weakly "That's insane…"

"A little, yes" Azula admitted "Though the reason we should do it soon… well, it's something I wanted to talk about with the two of you anyway. It's part of why I thought we should see you, in the first place"

"Oh? Sounds important" said Mai.

"Quite! You never tell us anything, Azula!" Ty Lee grinned, and Azula laughed quietly.

"Well, I guess it's time for that to change. You'd surely kill me if I don't tell you about this anyway" she said, biting her lip "The thing is… my father had assigned me as his substitute that week because he was training me for the future, to a fault. But not quite for a future as Fire Lord… rather, for a future as High Governor of the Fire Nation colonies"

As expected, Mai and Ty Lee were silent again, cluelessly so. Azula released a breath slowly as she reached to pour herself some tea – the teapot had been left sitting on the table, and while it wasn't so warm anymore, Azula neglected the drink's temperature as she poured it on her cup. No matter how much she had recovered, she still didn't dare firebend to test her skills' extent yet, let alone for something as innocuous as heating up a teacup.

"Y-you… wait a minute" Mai said, looking at Azula with uncharacteristic emotion. The Princess offered her a tight-lipped smile, waiting for the reality to sink in further while she drank the tea quietly.

"High… Governor?" Ty Lee repeated, her jaw dropping "Y-you mean…?"

"He'll appoint you as High Governor?" Mai asked "You'll… you'll have political power over the entire Earth Kingdom continent?"

"That… seems to be the plan, yes" Azula said, and Ty Lee let out a gasp that almost became a shriek. Mai shot her a pleading glare, as though begging her to quiet down until she had gotten the full truth out of their friend, but Ty Lee's wide eyes appeared to be about to fall off their sockets as she stared at Azula "I thought he wouldn't go forward with it, after my injury, but… he called me to his office last week and told me he intended to do this nonetheless. So… yeah. I'll become your parents' direct boss, Mai. Funny how life turns out sometimes, huh?"

"You…?" Mai said, before a snort of laughter poured out of her "Shit, I hadn't even thought of that. Oh, hell… Azula, you're not joking. You're dead serious about all this, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid so" Azula smiled. Mai shook her head as Ty Lee covered her mouth with her hands "It won't be a done deal right away, of course… I do need to be in better shape before my father lets me do this. We have been pondering where exactly we'll move to, my father's giving us leeway even in those regards… but I thought it was better if I told you two before it slipped my mind to share. I know neither of you would give me a break if I forgot to mention it…"

"No, we certainly wouldn't" Mai smiled.

"Goodness, but then you and Sokka… you'll be living way out of your father's reach? You'll have your own house and everything?" Ty Lee asked, her eyes glistening "You two will be free to do whatever you want…!"

"I wouldn't quite say we'll be free yet… but it should be safer than sneaking around in the Fire Nation, for sure" Azula smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, it must be a dream come true for you, Azula…! T-that is, well, yeah, I know you have to work too, of course I know that, but surely you're thrilled to be with him without anyone holding you back…" Ty Lee smiled dreamily, intertwining her own fingers as she imagined the possibilities. Azula laughed and nodded.

"I'm keeping that in mind too, don't doubt it. But this isn't just a vacation for me" Azula said "If I ever dreamt to change anything in this world, there's no better opportunity for it than this one. I won't take it lightly… not now, not when it's finally here"

"Then there's no deadline of any sort?" Mai asked "Your father won't demand that you leave within a few months or anything…?"

"Not as far as I know, no" Azula said. Mai nodded.

"Then make sure to tell us once you have a set date to leave. We didn't see much of you lately anyhow, but that doesn't mean we won't send you off as we should when you take off to your new life…" said Mai. Ty Lee gasped.

"Oh… oh! You're leaving! I'm so stupid I hadn't even reasoned with that! Y-you… you'll leave the Fire Nation for good?!"

"Okay, no need to be so dramatic" Azula smiled awkwardly "I will have to leave, yes… but I will come back whenever my father asks me to. And you can visit us as well, if you wish… perhaps you could accept challenges over at the Earth Kingdom, Ty Lee? If you ever do, you and Haru could stay with us…"

"O-oh… that. Uh, yeah, well… I'm not sure that's going to pan out?" Ty Lee said, with an awkward grimace. Azula raised an eyebrow "Y-you see, with all these changes and stuff, as we finally got Haru his Honorary Citizenship, well… we realized he could get a real, paying job, after we came back from the Race. I didn't mention it to you because I didn't even see you until this mess happened, and I meant to share, but…"

"Huh… a job that doesn't require beating people up, I take it?" Azula smiled "What is it?"

"Well, we found a rather helpful initiative, actually!" Ty Lee grinned, delighted that Azula had taken the news well, even if they were a roundabout rejection of her offer of receiving her during her potential visits to the Earth Kingdom "It's a proper building company, but it's mostly run by Honorary Citizens like Haru! Many are earthbenders, and that's why he was eligible for the job. They're really cool, they build houses so fast because they're earthbenders…! And they're really interested in Haru's abilities to craft glass from sand, you know? They think he could help them expand their business even further!"

"That sounds intriguing" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "Come to think of it, it'd come in handy hiring people like that to build my future fortress in the Earth Kingdom…"

"A fortress?" Mai repeated. Azula laughed quietly.

"Yes, Sokka has it in his head that's what it must be" she said "Probably to daunt anyone away from discovering our secrets, or sneaking in altogether? Either way, he's set on that. He's even started drawing plans of what it should look like, according to him…"

"He's thrilled about it then" Ty Lee laughed "Oh, this is wonderful! So many good news in one day, Azula, it's amazing! Ah, this must have been what that feeling was…"

"Feeling?" Azula repeated. Ty Lee grinned and nodded.

"I was just telling Mai, before you and Sokka arrived, that I felt like something big would happen soon, and look! You are getting a new amazing job as High Governor, and Haru has his own job too, and it'll pay so well! And Mai…! Oh, Mai, see, this is why the parasite attacked your tea plant! You absolutely have to accept it now!"

"Say what?" Mai said, curtly.

"You'll have another baby! It's a sign!" Ty Lee exclaimed. Azula huffed, looking at her dark-haired friend in disbelief.

"Your plant has a what, now?" she asked.

"A parasite, and it's no sign of anything" Mai hissed, glaring at Ty Lee, who kept grinning and clapping carelessly "Curses… really, Ty Lee? Azula and Haru get new jobs, but I have to have a baby? That's the only possible big thing that could ever happen in my life?"

"Well, I don't know, it was just an idea…" Ty Lee squirmed, prompting Azula to laugh as Mai scowled at her friend.

As odd as Azula's new, mellow behavior seemed to be, it didn't sit ill with her friends: if anything, she fit right in with them as she ever did, only with less scathing remarks than usual. Eventually the three girls joined the excited Yuudai at the veranda, and they watched Sokka and Haru's fight while rooting for one or the other: regardless of who they were supporting, though, Sokka slipped past all of Haru's defenses remarkably often, shattering the earth he couldn't evade, and landing blows whenever Haru couldn't react quickly enough to protect himself. That he'd achieved such a level of efficiency over the years was only natural… yet it took both Mai and Ty Lee by surprise, even if it sat perfectly well with the proud Princess, who could only beam at the sight of her beloved warrior.

The thorough training could be exhausting, yet Sokka was still filled with energy once they finished in the afternoon: they would still return throughout the week for further training, despite Haru was convinced Sokka hardly needed any more work.

"From being a wimp against earthbenders, now it seems I scare them. Feels like we've come full circle, huh, Azula?" Sokka grinned shamelessly at his wife, wiping sweat off his face with a towel Ty Lee had lent him.

"Only took you years… but yes, it seems we have" she conceded, smiling warmly at him as they stood together, right by Xin Long, who had returned at haste once Azula summoned him.

"You'll be back, then? For sure?" Ty Lee asked, breathing out agitatedly "Oh, you must keep us posted about your big relocation, Azula! Don't even think about leaving without telling us, okay? Promise!"

"I promise, I promise" the Princess said, raising her hands defensively before Ty Lee lunged in for a hug.

"Woah, woah, woah! Be careful, Ty Lee!" Sokka squeaked, prompting the girl to release Azula with a pout "She's wounded, remember? And she's still recovering, so…"

"From what I hear, you did a lot worse than hug her in recent times" Ty Lee huffed. Sokka's cheeks gained a red hue so fast Azula couldn't hold back a chortle of laughter as he turned a confused glance towards her.

"Y-you… did you really tell them about that?!" he squeaked, his voice unusually shrill.

"Guess I really haven't recovered that much, my tongue's a bit loose… not sure what's the remedy for that" Azula said, sticking her tongue out at Sokka playfully. Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't hold back his laughter, covering his face with his hands.

"See, see, I should be free to hug Azula too! You can't be so greedy and selfish, Sokka, hogging her up all to yourself…" Ty Lee pouted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I always do mind her wounds whenever I touch her. So, if you're going to hug her, do the same thing and I won't complain" Sokka determined, once the surprise over Azula's revelation – and her unexpectedly childish gesture – had faded from his mind slightly. And even then, he still smiled for it.

Ty Lee rolled her eyes but complied, hugging Azula far more carefully now, and doing her best to avoid her wounded shoulder. Mai and Haru had no intentions of hugging her, fortunately, and neither did Yuudai, who appeared to be quite dismayed over the end of the fun battles he had been watching earlier.

"I'll probably drop by through the week anyway" said Mai "But if we somehow don't see each other in the next days, I hope you win without needing to go too far with Toph. Good luck out there"

"Thanks" Sokka smiled. Haru nodded too.

"If someone can do it, it's you" the earthbender smiled "But if you can't yet… you can always train with me some more, though I'm not sure there's much left for me to teach you"

"There's always something else, surely. You are an amazing bender, after all!" Ty Lee declared, hugging Haru next "We'll see you guys tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, most likely" Azula told her friend with a weak nod, as Sokka led her to Xin Long's saddle "Though… we'll have to stop by the Dome first, I think"

"To accept the challenge?" Sokka asked. Azula released a breath and nodded anew.

"Among other things" she said. Sokka crooked an eyebrow as he helped her onto the saddle as carefully as he could. Only once he was sitting beside her did she whisper "We do need to add your new weapons to your file, after all"

"My… you mean the dispersers?" Sokka asked. Azula released a breath and waved in the direction of her friends once again before Xin Long took off to the skies.

All matters pertaining his precautions for his future fight against Toph had escaped his notice as of late: so overwhelmed by Azula's wounds as he'd been, even the weapons he'd worked so hard to craft had gone forgotten. His hands fell upon Azula's waist, but he remained silent… and however wounded she might be, the Princess was still as sharp as ever.

"You don't want to add them to your list of weapons?" she asked. Sokka tensed up.

"Well… it's not really that" he said "Though… I guess there's a really stupid, stubborn part of me that thinks I should beat her fair and square? If that makes any sense?"

"It wouldn't be unfair to use the dispersers…"

"See, it makes no sense" Sokka sighed. Azula smiled, despite it all.

"You're not particularly keen on being told your victory is any lesser, if attained over the use of a new, insanely powerful weapon, I take it?" Azula said. Sokka sighed and shrugged.

"I guess. And I bet it sounds so very stupid, huh?" he said, biting his lip "I should go all out to win. I shouldn't hold back. And yet, after we saw her fight against Combustion Man, I just… I want to give her the very best fight I can. A fight all of us can be proud of. And… can I achieve that, with these dispersers?"

"You can" Azula said, simply. Sokka swallowed hard "Just as you can achieve it without them. I'd say… use them only if you truly have no choice. If Toph is overwhelming you or threatening to tear your body to pieces, like she seemed to want to on your first fight, you should do anything you can to protect yourself. And that includes using the dispersers, like it or not"

"Hmm… so it's a valid failsafe plan, you think? In case I can't get her otherwise?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged weakly.

"Its's up to you to decide… but I'd see it that way, if I were in your place" she decided. Sokka smiled and nodded, leaning close to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Thanks" he whispered "Considering all the trouble we went through to make those dispersers work…"

"It was a lot of trouble, yes… but I never intended to force you to use them anyway" Azula said "You were ready to give up the very notion of making these after you decided against it over Wan Shi Tong's behavior, right? And most of our trip wound up being about finding Xin Long's fellow dragons…"

"Building the dispersers became a secondary matter, to a fault" Sokka whispered.

"Hence, I won't hold it against you if you don't use them" she said "Besides… it might be better if you use them against Combustion Man instead, right? While his bending is a mystery… it's still bending. It still should be connected to his chi. Disrupting it somehow… it should defeat him too, just as the volatile bombs might"

"Ugh, I still need to put some thought into what else I can make of those" Sokka sighed "It's been some rough weeks. Feels like everything's piled up…"

"Yeah, it really does" Azula said, leaning back and relaxing against Sokka's frame "And yet I don't feel so lost, or so anguished… I feel like I can take my time with everything, for some reason. I guess I'm truly not myself yet…"

"You might not be, but it's good if you're not stressing out about things anyway" Sokka decided, his arms fully around her waist now "Then… tomorrow we'll check Iroh's challenge and set up the dispersers as new weapons for myself. I'll keep training afterwards…"

"And we'll pay a visit to the Enforcers eventually too, when we can" Azula said. Sokka tensed up again "Not to work too hard, mind you… just to make sure everything's running smoothly still, and to inform them that we might not be around for much longer. They'll have to find another sword master… or promote someone into the role, maybe"

"Makes sense" Sokka said, biting his lip "I wonder if Mei Xun will be pissed again because I haven't visited them in forever…"

"Depends on how much she's heard about your latest activities, I suppose" Azula said, closing her eyes "If she knows you've been assisting me so dutifully, she'll likely be fine with your absence. If she doesn't… then yes, she might be in a bad mood. Might even assume you were having some fun again, you know…"

"As if" Sokka pouted, squeezing her body gently. Azula laughed.

"Then it wasn't fun? And here I thought you enjoyed sex even if I've been such a wet blanket at it lately…"

"H-hey! That's not what I meant! Azula, I didn't say that…!" Sokka squealed, prompting her to laugh anew as he grunted and peppered her exposed neck with kisses "You are such a troublemaker, teasing me this way…! Once you're all recovered, you'd better beware, you hear me? I'll tickle you so much, for all the times you've teased me while you're convalescing…!"

"Oh, curses, you'll make me puke if you do that…"

"What…? No, I won't!" Sokka squeaked, as Azula continued laughing "I'll just make you laugh like this, see? Totally harmless!"

"Keep being adorably silly and I might end up puking of laughter right now, too" Azula said, chuckling against him "It'll be very gross, considering we're flying, and…"

"Yeah, okay, you don't need to finish painting that visual for me, thank you very much" Sokka said, as Azula laughed into his chest again.

Their plans were fulfilled as best as possible across the next days: Shoji was delighted to see them again, surprised by their announcement that Sokka would have a new weapon on the next fight… and altogether astonished when they had agreed to the latest challenge that had arrived for them.

"You're sure about this?" he asked, blinking blankly "It's due in ten days… will the Blind Bandit be okay so quickly?"

"If she's not… we'll deal with it on that day, I suspect" Azula said, with a shrug "For now, however, it is what it is. You don't need to be afraid, though, we won't cause any serious harm to your earthbending teacher…"

"I know you wouldn't. She's a friend of yours, after all" Shoji grinned, offering Azula ink and a brush to fill in the challenge… only for Sokka to astonish them both by clasping the brush himself.

"Sorry to be so bold… but it might be better if I do it this time" he said, smiling weakly at Azula. Despite herself, she smiled "You prefer writing with your left hand, after all, so…"

"And my pulse with it is more than shaky still, I admit it" she said. Sokka grinned and leaned over the counter, doing his best to fill the challenge with slender, understandable handwriting, as similar to Azula's own as possible. And all the while, the Princess smiled at the gladiator who was too focused to notice… ignoring, as ever, that a certain staff member of the Grand Royal Dome watched her heartfelt expression with rather wide, eager eyes.

The next days were split between training and further planning for their relocation to the Earth Kingdom. By now, Sokka's wild plans for their future fortress had been reeled back by Azula's far more rational approach, and while he had a rather ambitious project in mind, it certainly looked more plausible now than when it had featured a massive moat filled with lava, as well as a barrier of retractile spikes, all be it to deter any fools from approaching their glorious abode. Rui Shi and Song often gave their input too, for as things stood, it was a given that they would be following the Princess and her gladiator, no matter where they might go in the future.

Whenever they had time to spare after Sokka's training, Azula and Sokka would indulge in further intimacy, hoping it would continue to speed up her recovery rate. Her health checkups with Fei Rou were positive so far, and the Head Sage offered another reading of her chi to confirm she was still recovering successfully. It was easier for the Princess to walk unaided, and her left arm was slowly but surely becoming usable once more. Her energies were returning gradually, something mostly apparent to her eternal companion, who seldom left her side… yet to those who hadn't even seen the Princess at her worst state, anything different from the driven, ambitious Azula they had known was a rather confusing change, as was the case with the Enforcers. In the end, they put off visiting them until the day before the assigned fight with Toph, and while Azula had regained much of her usual spark by then, the difference still took the leaders of the Enforcers by surprise.

"You're certain it's fine for you to be here?" Captain Mei Xun had asked Azula, for the umpteenth time, after Sokka escorted the Princess into the meeting room where the heads of the Enforcers usually gathered. Azula smiled and nodded weakly "If you're forcing yourself, you don't have to. I meant to visit you eventually, but I didn't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't have imposed, but it's probably better that you refrained from visiting anyway. If you're uncomfortable by seeing me like this, I can't tell you just how distressed you might have been if you'd seen me right after the battle ended…"

"We had hoped to offer you assistance somehow" said Sergeant Daiki "But they struck the factory, of all places…"

"And you were assigned to the north, not the south, of the mainland" Azula finished "It's of no concern anymore, I'm already recovering after all, and as far as I can tell, you've done a good job in my absence all the same. It seems your team works rather well, Captain Mei Xun"

"Why… I should hope so, Princess" said Mei Xun, smiling and bowing her head towards Azula "It flatters me that you believe so"

"Your success so far certainly speaks well of your leadership" Azula said, and Mei Xun's smile brightened further "It'll be necessary in the future, too…"

"Necessary?" Mei Xun repeated, and now her smile waned "What do you mean?"

"Once I recover, I'll take up a new assignment, by my father's express request" Azula said, with a tight-lipped grin "And I'll have to relocate permanently to the Fire Nation Colonies to fulfill it"

"You… you'll leave?" asked Captain Jung-woo, puzzled "Really?"

"Not too soon, no… but perhaps sooner than my father projected" Azula said "You'll have my direct support until my relocation happens, but afterwards I won't be able to supervise your operations personally anymore. Which means… the Enforcers will need an official commander, going forward. And while I'll have to discuss it with my father… I have hopes that he'll accept my nomination of Captain Mei Xun for the role"

Mei Xun gasped, and a general sense of awe and astonishment seemed to rush through the room at Azula's words. Sokka, standing behind the Princess, smirked proudly at the not-quite professional reaction of the very composed, stern soldier who had just been offered the position of her dreams when she had least expected it.

"Why… fitting, I'd say" Commander Rahi smiled at Mei Xun, who gasped again, glancing at her fellow Enforcers leaders in disbelief "The Fire Lord will find no fault in this promotion, I'm sure"

"The first female commander in the history of the Fire Nation…" said Sergeant Daiki, grinning at Mei Xun "If this goes forward… you'll make history! You really will!"

Mei Xun laughed, covering her face with her hands as Azula smiled fondly at her. All the while, Sokka's grin turned towards Azula instead: without fully intending to, without deliberately setting out to change the world from the get-go, the Princess left her mark wherever she went, making everyone's lives better with her every choice.

The excitement in the small group surged further as they discussed the newest developments: Azula was occupied answering Rahi's questions about her future assignment while Daiki and Jung-woo debated which of the current serving Enforcers would be better suited for taking up the roles of captains of their own squads, once Mei Xun was promoted fully. It meant the captain in question was free to address Sokka instead… which could have been a daunting prospect, if only Mei Xun hadn't offered him a most agreeable smile.

"I suppose our commanding officer won't be traveling to the Colonies by herself?" she asked. Sokka grinned back and shook his head.

"Nah. I'm afraid she's stuck with me, whether she likes it or not" he said. Mei Xun laughed quietly "I'm sorry I haven't been around, if you meant to scold me for that this time too…"

"I wouldn't, not anymore. You've been away long enough that we've adapted to training without your instruction" Mei Xun said "Which, I suppose, is a good thing considering you're not very likely to give many more lessons in the future…"

"Maybe once in a while?" Sokka smiled weakly "Before we leave for good, of course. If Azula needs to drop by again, I'll tag along and I can try to give a few final lessons before we move"

"Well… that would be agreeable" Mei Xun decided, nodding "Despite our past clashes, I must say it was an honor serving alongside you, Instructor Sokka"

"You'll call me that until I die, won't you?" Sokka asked. Mei Xun grinned and nodded "Thought so. Well, it was an honor serving alongside you as well, Captain… well, soon-to-be Commander Mei Xun, eh? Sounds fitting, doesn't it?"

Mei Xun laughed again, restraining the sounds as best she could, though she clearly couldn't have been happier. Attaining dreams, countless years in the making, would fill any heart with the most delightful joy. Knowing the Princess was safe had already been relief enough… but receiving further opportunities and chances that Mei Xun had been denied until then had shot her very soul into the highest heights of satisfaction.

And it was all by the hand of the Princess, who, ever escorted by her faithful companion, took her leave that day, after watching a few drills of the newest recruits – the headquarters were no longer large enough to fit the constantly growing ranks of the Enforcers, and another building was being erected nearby, to host the newest recruits more comfortably. They flew into the sky on the back of their dragon, leaving behind a compound full of bright hopes for a most-promising future.

Yet their thoughts weren't set as far away as Mei Xun's were: the captain looked forward to great changes, to proving herself an adept leader for all the Enforcers stationed in the Fire Nation's mainland… whereas Azula and Sokka had a much closer goal in mind.

"I'll drop by early tomorrow. Really early" Azula warned him, dropping her head against his shoulder as he embraced her on the saddle "You're allowed to sleep in if you want to, though: I'll just crawl into bed with you"

"The fight's not early anyway. We should be fine if we do that" Sokka grinned, pressing a kiss to her brow "You think they already fixed what Combustion Man broke in the Arena…?"

"Uh… no idea" Azula admitted "Be extra careful, in case they didn't remove all the glass that dangled from the roof. Any funny earthquakes from our favorite Dirt Worm and you could end up in trouble if shards fall on you…"

"I'll be careful, no worries" Sokka grinned, stroking her abdomen gently "I'll wear my full armor and helmet, so even if there's still glass left, I'll be safe. If anything, I'm more worried about you. You think Iroh will be an asshole again…?"

"That implies he ever stops" Azula sighed "In recent experience, he doesn't. Even now, I'm wondering what the hell he had to gain from giving us a hand at the factory's battle…"

"Hmm" Sokka grunted "I haven't given it much thought yet, but surely there was something…"

"I don't doubt it" Azula said.

"Anyway, just… promise you'll be careful. You know what? Bring your knife with you, or something" Sokka pouted. Azula snorted and laughed "I know it's not much protection, and you're better with your fire, but still…"

"I'm just thinking it'd be the last straw if I pull that knife on Iroh, whether to attack him or not, you know?" Azula smiled "He probably doesn't even know I have it. He's the one who gave it to Zuko, you see…"

"And… then Zuko gave it to you. Oh, fuck" Sokka groaned, as Azula laughed anew "It's like walking on burning coals with that guy, all the damn time. He's always got an ostrich-horse in every race, doesn't he?"

"We've managed to outdo his ostrich-horses many times so far, though" Azula said, glancing at Sokka "I'm thinking we'll be able to do it again this time, too"

"In every regard?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded, and he grinned too "I guess you're tired of playing every game to his beat, huh?"

"And we won't do that anymore anyway, once we leave" Azula said "We'll finally get rid of him, if just in virtue of being too far away for him to pester us. If we ever meet again… well, it'll be an occasional, temporary thing, rather than living in the same space as him, no matter how large said space might be"

"And that applies to your dad, too" Sokka said. Azula nodded, releasing a breath slowly.

"It does feel like… like we're headed for quite a different way of life soon" she said, smiling as she dared glance over her shoulder at him "I guess I should be a little scared of so many changes… but I'm not. I… I really look forward to this"

"Me too" Sokka grinned, pressing his brow to hers "It's a new start, in a way. And considering all our new starts so far have been rather blissful, this one should be no different, right? We always do things better the second time around, you said…"

"Heh… I wonder how many new starts we've had by now?" Azula smiled awkwardly "Our first meeting was dreadful. The second… not quite so bad, but not that great yet. I suppose the third new starting point would be once we agreed to stay professional and no longer think of each other romantically, which…?"

"Didn't quite pan out how we intended" Sokka chuckled, kissing her lips softly. Azula laughed too.

"I'm damn glad it didn't" she said "And I suppose, after that… maybe once we got together. And then again once we first had sex, as I'm sure you'll love hearing me acknowledge it, but it was a big change just the same, why lie…"

"And after that…?" Sokka said, biting his lip "I guess we remained pretty stable after that, for a while, despite the occasional conflicts… so I think the next one might as well be our weddings, right?"

"Those definitely count as new beginnings" Azula grinned "And now… this. A new life awaits us… and it might very well be a disaster, eh? But if it's not…"

"If it's not, it'll be the greatest step forward yet" Sokka grinned, stroking her hair gently.

"And I could never want to take this step with anyone but you" Azula smiled, leaning in to press her brow to his "My goof of a gladiator… my gold fire"

The words resounded in his chest as those she'd spoken when she had persuaded him, at the bay. The words he had been moved, and heartbroken by, when she had decided she could fight again because she had him by her side. Of so many muddled memories she still couldn't fully unravel, it was surprising she recalled that one… or was it she'd merely called him this because it felt right, deep in her heart, rather than because she already had used those words before? Had she taken to thinking of him, in her heart, as her gold fire…?

"You know… that's the best term of endearment anyone's ever heard before" Sokka said, caressing her face with his knuckles. Azula laughed, closing her eyes.

"Of course it is. And it's not only because I came up with it, which yes, is a very important factor in making it a great name… it's because it's meant to describe you" she determined. Sokka chuckled and shook his head, kissing her lips softly "Feel free to call me your murderous blade, or your bouncy boomerang, if you like…"

"What the…? I would think of something better!" Sokka laughed, as Azula pressed herself to his chest "I'll come up with one par with yours, I swear I will!"

"Feel free to try… though it's an uphill battle. You'll never outdo me" Azula declared, proudly. Sokka laughed and shook his head, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hmmm… how about 'my warm kiss'?"

"Eh? Nah. Definitely not on the same level of greatness. Try again"

"Uh… my bright bender? The lightning to my thunder, maybe?"

"That one's way too long, and the first one? Weak"

"Azulaaaa!"

If he had needed further convincing that she was improving, their silly banter proved to make a good enough case to reassure his troubled heart further. Their jokes, barbs and taunts, their many kisses and the brimming laughter, crafted more moments and memories to treasure as they traveled together across the sky. The sun set in the horizon, offering them a spectacle of beautiful colors they barely seemed to notice, busy as they were with their playful bickering and countless jokes at each other's expenses. But just as it was a glorious spectacle to behold, the spread of nighttime's mantle conveyed the message that time was ticking past them, whether they realized it or not, closing the distance between the two lovers and their awaited fight against their longest-standing rivals…