Negotiations and Compromise
1
Mai's house had never been as crowded as it was on that day: many people came and went, but most of Sokka's primary allies remained there, mainly out of uncertainty regarding what to do next. Aang stepped out briefly to check on Appa, finding his exhausted bison ready to eat as many fruits as Aang could procure for him.
"We'll try to find some more food, buddy. It's just… tricky right now," Aang admitted, glancing about himself warily.
Truthfully, the city was in surprisingly good shape in the face of the utter disaster that had nearly destroyed it. Azula's bending feat remained vivid in his mind, the sight of that firebending as good as hypnotizing for everyone who witnessed it. The pillar of gold fire escaping her hands, and the blue one leaving her dragon's jaws… it had been beautiful, just as it had been terrifying. Fire had the power to destroy… just as it had a power to cleanse and purify, even if at a steep cost. He only hoped that his work alongside Katara to help Azula had served its purpose…
Katara stepped out of the house then, marching up to Appa and kindly caressing his horn. Momo, perched on the saddle, leapt down and flew a lap around her before landing smoothly on her shoulder.
"Is Appa doing okay?" she asked. "No sign of him being sick with that awful stuff, or is there…?"
"No, fortunately," Aang smiled, and Appa offered Katara a gentle lick for her concerns. "I really was scared for a while there. The dragon was overwhelmed, but not in as bad shape as she was…"
"Where is he, by the way?" Katara asked. Aang shrugged.
"After we helped him, he rested for a moment and then flew off," he said. "Hopefully he's okay. The things Sokka heard he went through… I wouldn't be surprised if he just wants to fly around and forget about humans for a while."
"Even though he's bonded to one?" Katara asked, glancing at the skies as though hoping for a sign of the creature. "Heh. Well, I guess it's more things we'll have to sort out in due time. It… it feels weird, doesn't it? Knowing that it's over now. We don't… don't really have to plan future battles or worry about the next conflict…"
"Yeah," Aang smiled, gazing at her with warmth. "I hope Sokka starts feeling that relief soon, too. It's been a challenging time for him… but he's with her now. And it almost looks like they're just fine together again, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I kind of figured it'd take them longer, but… it's Sokka," Katara smiled. "The moment he heard her coughing he jumped out of his seat and rushed to make sure she'd be okay. They haven't really given themselves much time to process what's happened, but… then again, there's good stuff happening for them, too. Hotaru… she's so cute, heh. I'm so glad she's Sokka's… he might have said he would've cared for her even if she wasn't, but I'm sure he's relieved too."
"Surely," Aang smiled sadly. "She really was a cute baby, and she took to Sokka so quickly… like she instinctively knew he was her dad, huh?"
"It's adorable," Katara sighed. Aang bit his lip, eyeing her with a hint of mischief and amusement.
"Can't help but wonder… if our kids will be like that, too."
Katara froze. She glanced at Aang with confusion, and he didn't back away this time, most unlike the careless remark he had made once, in Whaletail Island, that had set off an unfortunate moment of displeasure for Katara…
"Our kids? This time… you mean it as the same kids, do you?" Katara tried to bite back a smile, and Aang chuckled. "Not your kids, separate to mine…?"
"I definitely want your kids to be my kids," Aang smiled. Katara chuckled, lowering her bashful gaze, cheeks flushed. "And… maybe we can finally start thinking about those things now, huh? If the war's over…"
"It is over," Katara stepped closer to him, taking his hand and tucking her head in his neck. "No need to make stupid choices just because we're afraid of losing each other anymore. No need to hold anything back, either. We have time to… to figure out how we want to build our future. Be it kids, or a wedding…"
"Yup," Aang smiled, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head. "I'm so grateful, Katara… so grateful that you found me when you did. So grateful that it was you. I could have never so much as dreamed of a girl like you… and if I get to spend my life with you, I'll be the happiest man in the world."
"Then I guess we know what to do," Katara laughed, raising her head and kissing him enthusiastically.
She was tired, as was he – they hadn't slept or rested in any significant way for over twenty-four hours now. The heavy events to take place across the past day and night still wore on them, on everyone who had partaken in them… and it was time to rest. It was time to recover. Finally, peace was right there for the taking…
Or so they thought, until a familiar voice cleared his throat, unceremoniously interrupting their kiss.
"Sorry to intrude?" Sokka said, with an awkward grin. Both Aang and Katara jumped to look at him, the latter blushing all the more.
"Y-you… you're one to talk, curses… stop looking at me like that!" Katara scoffed. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.
"Guess you two have the right idea anyway. But… I'm sorry to cut it short," he said: his face soured, unfortunately, startling Katara and Aang.
More people arrived alongside Sokka: Azula, unsurprisingly, was one of them, and she was caught in discussion with the very woman who had directed Aang and Katara to save her, while tailed also by several soldiers, as well as Rui Shi.
"Jeong Jeong's turned up… wants to hold a big meeting to put on paper the exact terms of the Fire Nation's surrender," Sokka explained. "Apparently, that includes the Fire Nation's throne's succession… it's going to be a tough time. I didn't really want to get to it so fast, but it may be for the best to do it already. We don't really have much time to waste when it comes to establishing solid grounds for peace, so…"
"Oh," Katara frowned. Aang sighed. "Guess we'll join you at that. Do you want Toph there too, or…?"
"I get the feeling that she'll hate being involved in it, but we can let her know, for good measure," Sokka said: Azula stepped forward by then, away from her group, who marched into the house, and Sokka visibly tensed up as she stopped beside him, bowing her head respectfully towards Katara and Aang.
"Thank you again for your help so far, but… I may need a favor from you before the meeting anyway," she said. Aang blinked blankly.
"Well… sure? As long as it's not hard to do…"
"I just… need your bison to give me a lift outside the city briefly," Azula said. Sokka frowned, and she met his gaze quickly. "Xin Long's beyond the crater. He doesn't want to be anywhere inside the city right now. I thought it might be a good idea to see him now, and, if you two can give him another health check before he takes off, I…"
"Takes off? What…?" Sokka asked. Azula sighed.
"I'll tell him to go back to his family," Azula said. Sokka's eyes widened. "Both because he'll want to be away from the Fire Nation after what he faced… and because, whatever the outcome of matters may be, I hope it'll be possible to liberate them soon. The Fire Nation… its many failings can and will be remediated. Whoever's Fire Lord will be able to draft a law against the hunt of dragons, with severe punishments to anyone who attempts it. But right now… he just needs to get away."
"Right," Sokka said, eyeing her with uncertainty. "And you're alright with this?"
"I… am feeling a lot better about it than I thought I would be," Azula admitted. "I used to worry that he'd forsake me and live with them. But after the agony of what… what he faced over the past year and a half? That was much worse than him being safe and sound among his own. If it's what he wants, I'll encourage him to do so."
"Wait, though… I thought you'd made up that story," Katara said, staring at Sokka in surprise. He hummed, and Azula raised her eyebrows. "The one you told Mari about how you found the dragons? That wasn't just… a happy story to cheer her up or so?"
"Uh… not really. Pretty real, actually," Sokka said, with a crooked grin. Aang's jaw dropped.
"Then… you guys found actual, living dragons in the Earth Kingdom? That's incredible!" he exclaimed, beaming. Azula smiled and nodded.
"It is. And they need to be kept safe and away from all danger," she said. "We'll take the necessary steps to ensure that, but… I wanted to see him first, if I could."
"Do you want to bring Hotaru, too?" Sokka asked. Azula bit her lip, glancing at the house.
"If she's awake, it would be fine. Though I'm sure Xin might not be too pleased that he wasn't the one to provide her with her first flight," Azula smiled sadly. Sokka chuckled.
"Then maybe leave it for later. Ask him to drop by over here so he can see her," he said.
"He did see her once… just, not in the best of circumstances. That child's a true marvel, entirely unafraid of a dragon. Guess it comes with being born to a family of dragons anyway," Azula determined. Sokka's warm smile shouldn't have surprised Katara and Aang, but it still did. "Either way, is it okay to…?"
"Yeah, absolutely!" Aang nodded, turning towards Appa and patting his hind leg. "Appa, this is Princess Azula. Princess Azula, meet Appa, my sky bison!"
"I never did imagine how large they'd be," Azula said, smiling and bowing her head towards Appa, who huffed in acknowledgement. "Nice meeting you."
"He's being more restrained with you, I see," Sokka said, reaching out to pat the bison's snout. "Dork licked me from head to toe when we first met. Guess you'll be happier not to greet Xin Long while coated in a bison's scent…"
"He might scold me for it, for all I know," Azula laughed. Aang helped Katara up on the saddle before jumping on the bison's neck: Sokka offered to hoist Azula, who nodded and allowed him to do so.
The feeling of his hands upon her waist was almost searing. Her body, so dormant after a year without him, craved so much more than her mind would allow her to reach for. He was a mere breath away… and he was strong enough to hoist her over the saddle, which she climbed with Katara's aid, once she was there too.
Her heart skipped a beat as Sokka jumped up too: she was an utter fool, wasn't she? She had missed him, that much was obvious… she had longed for him, his manly figure, his strong arms, his firm and confident stance. But she couldn't cave in to her greater needs yet. Even if they had walked in on Katara and Aang's open affection – something that had only slightly surprised Azula –, she didn't dare offer Sokka her own right now… and it wasn't merely because they had an audience. A darker shadow loomed over her, at war with her base needs, and all it resulted in was silence and restraint.
"Which way?" Aang asked. Azula slid closer to him on the saddle, relying the instructions on where to go, and without further ado, Appa sprung up into the sky…
And along with him, a smaller creature suddenly caught Azula by surprise by climbing over her shoulder.
"What is…?!" she gasped, at first fearing that a small child had infiltrated the saddle, for those cold, tiny hands couldn't possibly have belonged to either of the adults sitting with her…
She jumped, as did Momo, when she jerked away from him by instinct. Sokka laughed as the lemur flew away from her, landing on Katara's shoulder.
"Yeah… that's Momo. He's a flying lemur and he's a little shit," Sokka said. Azula's chest heaved as she stared at it, while Katara scratched the creature's neck. "He and I have been at war from the moment we met…"
"Not true. You're the one who fights him for no reason, Momo loves you," Katara smiled, taking the lemur into her arms.
"I seriously thought Yuudai had climbed on the saddle or so, when I felt those hands," Azula admitted. Sokka chuckled. "You really should've warned me…"
"Eh, what can I say. I tend to forget he exists," Sokka smirked. Momo squawked at him.
"Yeah, he really shouldn't like you, come to think of it," Katara rolled her eyes, though she smiled a little.
Their flight proved rather brief, for Appa certainly had nothing to envy Xin Long, as far as speed was concerned: Aang soon glimpsed a dark, serpentine body by a river… accompanied by a familiar man, mysteriously absent for most of the day, ever since the battle had ended.
"Kino?" Aang scrutinized him, a frown over his face as he directed Appa to land by the riverbank.
The deserter from the Fire Nation army appeared to have taken his seat by the river, holding a fishing rod he had either found in the city or brought in his luggage. Their approach startled him, as it did Xin Long: the dark dragon had been stretched across the riverbank, lying on his back for the first time in what felt like ages, and he groaned at the sight of Appa's large figure… immediately realizing his rider was there, too.
"Xin!" Azula called him, rising to her feet even before Appa landed. Sokka impulsively reached for her hand, keeping her in place until the bison touched the ground.
Azula glanced at him with uncertainty, then gasped when Sokka leapt over the side of the saddle first, spreading his arms for her to jump into them. An act of such casual intimacy, one they had indulged in countless times… Her heart clenched before she crept out of the saddle carefully, falling into his embrace as intended: his warmth still hardly felt real. That he truly was here, and that he still offered her the kindness he had accustomed her to…
She smiled at him, squeezing his arm gratefully before turning towards her dragon. Sokka smiled too, relinquishing his hold on her almost unwillingly. He breathed in, basking in the awareness that she was with him anew… that it was her he had been holding, if just for an instant.
That her glorious, eager dragon awaited them, too.
Azula rushed towards him, and Xin Long turned around on time for her to wrap her arms around his head firmly: he gurgled gratefully, rubbing his head against hers… then, slowly, his entire body encircled her, prompting Azula to laugh between tears over Xin Long's typical display of affection. His body, regardless of his suffering, remained strong and firm. His moist scales gave away that he had dipped into the river's waters, too, washing off the filth he hadn't been able to do away with for the past months.
"Xin…" Azula managed to sigh, her embrace around her dragon's head tightening further. He groaned still, pulling back and licking at her face – she didn't protest, instead smiling between tears. "I'm so sorry it took so long, Xin, I…"
Xin Long gurgled again, shaking his head: she had been a prisoner for just as long. She had tried her best to survive, he understood as much. He had been lucky, even, that her father hadn't gone back on his promises even though it very much had looked like he might, considering his track record… Azula tensed up, but she nodded in agreement. She had tried to save him, Xin Long knew… he was sorry that Ozai had only seen sense briefly before being stabbed in the back. Even so… Azula was safe now. That mattered more to Xin Long than anything else could.
"And what, exactly, are you doing here?" Katara asked Kino, amused, as she and Aang stepped up to him: the Fire Nation man smiled guiltily at them, still unwilling to relinquish the rod.
"I… saw him flying out here, after you two healed him?" he said. "After a while of not knowing what to do, I figured I'd come see if he was okay. Took me some time to get all the way here, what with Appa not being available, exactly… but once I got to the edge of the crater, I saw him languishing by the river. I figured he might just be too tired to fish for himself, so…"
"So, you did it for the dragon," Katara concluded, with a smirk. Kino shrugged.
"I kinda missed fishing," he admitted, smiling a little too. "Reminds me of easier, simpler times! And he looked like he'd need it. He's been pretty nice so far… I just fish, he opens his jaws, I throw the fish in and he chomps it down! It's a whole system, really…"
"No doubt you're becoming one of his favorite people now just because of that," Sokka smiled at Kino too, nodding in his direction. "Thanks for looking after him."
"No problem! Oh, Momo!" Kino gasped happily, as the lemur dove down towards him, fluttering around him and landing on his shoulder. "You should meet Xin Long too! Well, maybe after they're done, but still…!"
Azula sighed, running her hands over her dragon's hair before turning her head, awkwardly, towards Kino. The soldier smiled and waved at her, and she smiled back.
"You do look much like you did in Whaletail Island. No guessing games this time," Azula said. Kino snickered.
"I was way more honest about who I was than Aang, yup," he said, standing up and bowing towards her. "I'm glad to see you again, Princess. I hope you're feeling better! Though, I guess you must be, if you're here now…"
"Out of my chi corruption incidents, this one seems to be the lesser one," Azula said, unable to hold back the sarcasm. Sokka, near her, flinched upon hearing that… and his movement caused Xin Long to perk up.
"Buddy…" Sokka smiled, as Xin Long slowly released Azula…
And he leapt unceremoniously on Sokka, knocking him on the ground and pinning him amid the grass, to everyone's surprise and amusement.
"X-Xin! Xin, I get it, I missed you too, I love you too, Xin…!" Sokka exclaimed, amid wild licks that brought him to burst out with laughter too.
Azula laughed, watching them with unrestrained affection. It was a sight she had never imagined she would see anew… a miracle she had feared would only happen once she was inevitably gone, to expunge her sins through death when no other option appeared possible.
But even now, she found herself uncertain regarding what other options there might be for her. Considering Jeong Jeong's intentions to solve the political turmoil left in her father's wake, she dreaded that her reckoning would come sooner than later. Knowing that Sokka still loved her, that he had never stopped having faith in her, certainly relieved a deeply selfish part of her heart… but the more she saw of the world after her father's demise, the clearer it became that this peace would not only continue to feel undeserved, but it would also be ephemeral for her. Whatever might come next… she would have to bear the brunt of her mistakes and commit to doing whatever it might take to finally set her nation on the path of redemption.
The first choice she'd need to make to that end, however, stood right before her now. Xin Long perked up at the realization that she had something to convey to him, and he offered Sokka a final lick for good measure before moving towards her. Azula smiled, caressing his scaly jawline before pressing her brow to his.
"Once… I was full of fear that I might lose you if you chose to stay with your kind instead of being my companion," Azula said. "Whether you chose me to appease me, or because you genuinely wanted to… the horrors that followed made me wish countless times that you had stayed with them for your own safety instead. Even if we might not have survived without you… your life is so much more precious than most can ever fathom, Xin Long. I… I'm so sorry, for everything… and I have to ask you, now, to rest and recover all you need to, and then go to them. Don't even think about me for a second, okay? You don't have to worry about me anymore. I don't know what the future holds for me… but I cannot guarantee your safety, not even now."
He would have liked to guarantee hers… but he certainly felt weak, more so after the wild bending outburst they'd both committed to on the previous day. Had they won? He didn't feel the rotting fire anymore, but he wasn't sure…
"Yeah… it seems to be gone now. Somehow," Azula sighed, nodding. "We're still a formidable team, looks like."
Which explained why they had been cut off from each other for so long. If the two of them, and Sokka, had been together all along, the Fire Lord would have never stood a chance. Azula swallowed hard and nodded. Was she sure, then, that she wanted him to leave like this? He wouldn't set out right away, he was tired indeed… but a part of him certainly wished to see his draconic family anew. Azula smiled, pressing a soft kiss upon his brow.
"I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you again, Xin," she whispered. "Go when you're ready. And… whatever I must do still, I will ensure that whoever takes charge of the Fire Nation protects you and yours. Dragon hunting will be forbidden for good. Once that's the case… we'll break that mountain open, as we intended to. Okay?"
Xin Long gurgled gratefully and nodded. Azula smiled, and he hugged her anew as best he could. He would go to them eventually, then… he would return anyway, for the heinous place that had entrapped him was gone now. While the harrowing memories wouldn't fade for good, time would tide him over, just as it had been when she had first set him free from the darkness of his cave. Eventually, thoughts of those dark days would fade… and better ones would come. They already had, Xin Long thought…
"Feels like they have, huh?" Azula said, breathing deeply. "But… I guess it remains to be seen."
That foreboding meeting with Jeong Jeong loomed ahead. She didn't truly wish to deal with it just yet… just as she knew it was a necessity to do so. She couldn't hope to stall this out for much longer.
"Will you ride back with him?" Aang asked Azula, with uncertainty. Azula breathed deeply and shook her head.
"If I may be so bold… can I ask you to keep up the fishing for a little longer?" she asked Kino, who jumped upright before smiling brightly.
"Absolutely!" he said. "I'll get him all the fish I can catch! I've gotten better at it, I have… I knew it'd come in handy one day, see, Momo? Look at me now! The official fish supplier of the coolest dragon alive!"
"No doubt he's flattered to hear that," Azula smiled, caressing Xin Long's hair gently. He snickered in his usual way. "You'll stay here with him, then? Let me know if you need anything else anyhow. But… enjoy being out in the open again, dear. You deserve it."
Xin Long harrumphed and nodded before licking her cheek anew: he bumped into Sokka again, shortly after he finally pushed himself up to his feet, and Sokka chuckled as Xin Long licked him too.
"You're such a lovebug today…" he said: Xin Long huffed, looking at him with obvious affront. Sokka blinked blankly. "A… lovedragon?"
Xin Long nodded, now with a draconic smile, before rushing into the river anew and splashing water everywhere: Appa groaned, not appreciating the impromptu shower, while most everyone else laughed for it… everyone but Kino, naturally.
"O-oh…! They won't come by if you're in there, though. Uh… hey! Momo, wait a second, where are you going?"
The lemur leapt out of his shoulder, flying around near Xin Long, who perked up at the sight of the white creature.
"W-wait! Don't eat him!" Aang exclaimed. Sokka scoffed.
"Tried to eat Hawky, once. Might as well try to eat Momo too. I allow it, Xin!" he declared.
"No, you don't!" Aang and Katara exclaimed, as Kino yelped in horror: Xin Long, naturally, reacted with delight at Sokka's mischief and took to the skies anew, chasing the small creature with amusement and playfulness.
Azula chuckled, conveying to Xin Long through her mind's bond not to roughen up the lemur too much – he reassured her that he wouldn't, it was just fun chasing something across the sky. His pirouettes gave away that, even though he outpaced Momo's speed, he wasn't genuinely trying to devour him, something that relieved Aang, Katara and Kino once they realized it.
"You're just really showing off for her sake, aren't you?" Katara scoffed, glaring at her brother. Sokka snickered. "We ought to leave you here so you can return to the city on foot after that…"
"Oh, come on now. It was just an ill-spirited joke meant to mess with you all, what's so bad about that?" Sokka said, with a careless shrug. Katara rolled her eyes but smiled.
"You're impossible," she said: she couldn't help but notice Azula's nostalgic, affectionate smile over Sokka's behavior. "But, uh… we really should get going now, then. I guess… the big war stuff is waiting, right?"
"Right," Azula said, her smile waning: a foreboding feeling, her frequent negativity, spurred her to fear that this might just be the last time she'd have a chance to enjoy their company this freely… for it might be the last time they actually treated her as the woman she had been before, in Whaletail Island, instead of the one she had been over the past years.
"You'll stay here and keep them in check?" Aang confirmed with Kino, who groaned as he watched the two creatures floating about in that careless chase.
"I'd say I will, but I don't think I have that much to offer. More like I'll have to run after them and hope I don't lose sight of them… but eh, I guess I can fish some more for now," he admitted, with a careless shrug. "See you guys later?"
Aang nodded, offering Kino a quick hug before returning to Appa. Once again, Sokka aided Azula in climbing the saddle, and they set out once he and Katara climbed up, too.
"Do we have to make any other stops before heading to, uh… the temple, is it?" Aang asked. Azula sighed and shook her head.
"At Mai's place, so I can check on Hotaru before the meeting. Who knows how long it's going to take. But beyond that, I've already asked the others to find the people who will be expected there… they should arrive in due time," she said. "If you need to find anyone, though, go ahead."
"Jeong Jeong's bound to have told everyone that matters by now. Rui Shi said he'd tell your brother, too," Sokka said, breathing deeply and crossing his arms over his chest. "I figure Jeong Jeong has reached out to Pakku… maybe Shiju and Fong as well. Anorak might just be there too."
"Is… is he here?" Azula asked, uneasy. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I think you said he didn't come to the Fire Nation with you, but I figured I'd confirm… I mean, Iroh."
"Oh… no, he's in Ba Sing Se," Sokka said. "With Piandao. He's kind of keeping him in check, or so…"
"Well… good. Can't leave that bastard in charge of that city. Of anything, really," Azula sighed, relieved to know she wouldn't have to face her uncle… that he wouldn't be here to make demands regarding the succession, too.
"No worries. He answered to me for the past year, he knew he would have no freedom to do whatever he cared to. Much less ruin more lives the way he did ours," Sokka said. Azula sighed and nodded: knowing Sokka had kept Iroh in check sufficed for now. No arguments would persuade her of forgiving the bastard, and she could only be grateful that Sokka wouldn't attempt to argue for that, to begin with.
"Then, shall we get going? You're sure you won't need to reach out to some other bigshot general…?" Katara asked Azula, glancing between them: while there was an undeniable bond between the two, she was admittedly surprised by the tense distance that appeared to have been rising between them… a result of Jeong Jeong's summons for them to attend his meeting, she gathered.
"I don't think so," Azula answered. "I can only imagine the Head Sage will take care of the rest. I don't even know if… if any of the higher ranked military officers are still alive, actually."
Sokka swallowed hard: he suspected several had been casualties in the battle, but he couldn't bring himself to regret them at the time… only now, and only upon fearing how this would muddle Azula's circumstances further.
"If you need anything else, though… feel free to say it," Sokka whispered: his hand twitched, as though to reach for hers… but he held it back. "More so now that you can't really have Xin take you anywhere while he's still recovering. But Appa will help, no problem."
"Right," Azula said, with a weak smile: she wasn't about to remind Sokka that, over the past year, Xin Long hadn't given her any lifts to wherever she needed to go. While she certainly had yearned to reclaim that opportunity, it had not been nearly as frequent or as common as he had been used to, back when they had been one unit in the far more controlled challenge of the Gladiator League.
But as things stood, she'd leave her other allies to handle gathering whoever she might need. The glaring, obvious reality that Sokka appeared happy to ignore was that her supporters, be them whoever they might be, were his enemies. She, too, would attend that meeting as a representative of the side of the war that opposed his. For the last time, she hoped, they would have to face one another on opposite sides… she certainly didn't look forward to it. Fighting for the Fire Nation's dignity now appeared a pointless endeavor… but it was one she couldn't forsake. Even now, after her father's death, she remained stuck in the role he had wanted her in… and as kind and thoughtful as Sokka might be, things wouldn't be as simple as they once had been for them, particularly not once they joined the meeting to settle the final terms of the Fire Nation's surrender.
She hoped he knew that. She dearly hoped he'd understand she would have to stand against him once more. If he didn't… then perhaps that would end this blissful spell of carelessness. Of believing their circumstances fully resolved and pacified by now. He appeared so ready to return to what they once were… and while her heart raged with the same need, her mind remained apprehensive, guarded, against that very notion. For Sokka's sake, he was better off holding back on his openly given, kind affection until he actually understood who she had been in their separation, until he made up his mind about whether or not he could still love her after all her dreadful mistakes.
Tensions were rising anew, whether between them or all across the city: while the shocking events had caused most people to freeze on their tracks, utterly horrified by everything that had taken place on the previous night, it wouldn't be long before the White Lotus and the Fire Nation's most extreme factors began colliding anew. Jeong Jeong had been rather wise upon demanding that they hurried this matter along: the sooner the White Lotus could leave the Fire Nation, the faster all brewing hostilities would be put to rest… provided a proper agreement was reached quickly.
The bulk of the people expected to attend the meeting that would determine the fate of their world, going forward, had already been notified and had begun making their way to the temple, witnessing first-hand the destruction of the Palace as they walked near it. Only one remained unaware of what he was expected to do… for only he remained on the same spot where he had been for hours, unwilling to make a single move, still sitting by a corpse that had long gone cold.
Several Fire Nation soldiers, gladiators and White Lotus agents had approached him, seemingly intent on prying him off Renzhi, but Aonu didn't respond to any of them. None made much of an effort to get him to loosen his hold on the defunct Millennium Dragon, but most would gaze at him with uncertainty, wondering if he intended to sit there until he, too, died out of starvation or exhaustion.
Two sets of footsteps neared him, and Aonu didn't react to them in any noticeable way. Renkai and Chan watched him from afar at first, but the Imperial Guard had decided to approach, knowing there would be no right way to handle this situation. Chan, uneasy, seemed ready to leave this to the firebender.
The first person to actually kneel by Aonu was Renkai. Everyone else had approached, attempted to speak, and then walked away in defeat. The Imperial Guard set his hands on his knees, glancing at the vacant Aonu, whose chest only rose and fell slightly, whose face was marred with tears.
"I was told I'd find you here," Renkai said. Aonu might have recognized his voice, but he didn't react to it. "You've been here since last night, haven't you? You didn't realize what happened after your friend… your gladiator, I suspect, was killed. The Princess needs your support, though…"
"N-no," Aonu shook, finally reacting to someone's words. Renkai frowned. "The Princess… she would forgive what I did. She shouldn't. She… should brand me a traitor. Execute me… for my betrayal."
"For sitting here with your gladiator while she fought for her life against hers?" Renkai asked. Aonu winced. "He could have killed her. He chose not to."
"H-he…?" Aonu shuddered. "Is she… i-is she alright?"
"I don't know for certain, but she appears to be more prepared to face what's coming than you are," Renkai said. "The Fire Lord is dead, Aonu."
Aonu blinked, slowly glancing at Renkai in confusion. The Imperial Guard frowned heavily.
"The war is lost for us," he said. "The Fire Nation has been defeated. And now… the enemy wishes to settle the terms of that defeat. The Princess needs all the support she can get in order to secure the best, fairest terms that the Fire Nation may be able to deliver on…"
"She… she would be able to do that without me," Aonu whispered. "No one… no one should count on me. No one should ever need me. I… I disappointed her, disappointed Renzhi, I… I failed everyone. Failed my ambitions, failed my heritage, I… I tried to save him. I did, c-captain, I… I turned my back on the Fire Nation. Do you understand that? Do you realize what I…?"
"I do," Renkai said. Aonu winced, eyes filled with tears anew. "You stood with the enemy, if just for the brief instant before your friend was killed. If you believe you have to answer for it, then be my guest. But sitting here, cradling his body, will serve no purpose. You won't face the true consequences of your actions this way. You're merely avoiding them out of fear, aren't you?"
"I… I don't really care," Aonu admitted, tears spilling down his face. "If you had come to take me to my reckoning… the only reason why I wouldn't wish to face it is so that… s-so that I wouldn't leave him."
"Aonu… he's already gone."
Aonu shivered, sobbing as the words failed to sink in again: his best friend, his greatest ally, the strongest connection he had ever built… gone. The only man who had understood him, who had wanted to teach him to embrace his heritage, to accept who he truly was… and Aonu had wasted every single one of those opportunities, stuck on a mindset that demanded for him to bow to every power that called him worthless. Instead of cherishing the one person for whom he was enough, just as he was… he had wasted everything hunting down the approval that had never amounted to a damn thing.
"I failed him… I fucked up so badly…" Aonu cried, leaning over, careless about the dry blood that might cling to him as he held his friend's body. "I can't… c-can't go back to the Fire Nation like this… I don't want to, captain. I… I lost him because I stood with them. B-because I didn't want to accept… that I was what I was. That maybe… I belonged somewhere else. I… I could've run with him. I should've. I… I joined the Fire Nation, I got what I wanted, I was the fucking War Minister…! And… and for what? S-so that I could be a traitor to… t-to both sides? I… I don't deserve pity. I don't deserve mercy. Captain, please, just… leave me here. Please…"
"I would… but perhaps that's exactly why I shouldn't," Renkai said. Aonu shook his head, glaring at him between tears.
"Why?"
"Because… the Princess also feels the way you do," Renkai said. Aonu's frown eased up. "She is terrified of the consequences that await her… and she's about to face them even if nothing she did was done willingly. She wanted to fight alongside her gladiator, she most certainly did… and instead she spent all this time being his enemy instead, all be it because, like you, she was trapped by her ties to the Fire Nation. It… it's not much better than what I went through, standing faithfully alongside a man who was the most worthless of us all. I supported General Shaofeng, I spied on the Princess for him, nearly destroyed her life… I would have succeeded at it, if the bastard had listened to me. And, knowing all this, she still gave me a chance. We may have been on the wrong side of the war, Aonu… but we're terribly fortunate that the enemy is not a butcher. He is not a monster. He won't want revenge… for if he did, he would have killed you when he had the chance. And I'm quite certain that he did have one."
"H-he… he did," Aonu admitted, sniffing. "But… I don't deserve…"
"At this point, I don't think it's up to you to decide that," Renkai said, rising to his feet. "Not up to the Princess, either. The mercy either of you, or any of us, may be granted… it's in the enemy's hands, not ours. That's why we're capitulating. That's what we're subjecting ourselves to. You're not the only one who expects that he may just die to pay for his sins, Aonu. But… it is probably for the best if we seek to do right by the world, by our people, before the funerary pyre is lit. Otherwise… everything will have served no purpose. Even your friend's death."
Aonu sniffed. He shook his head, raising a hand to touch Renzhi's masked face.
"It served no purpose. Nothing… nothing could have ever been worth his life," Aonu said.
"All those who lost someone to the war feel the same way," Renkai said. Aonu tensed up. "Maybe I should rephrase that, then… take that grief, the pain you're feeling, and open your eyes to the world around you. Realize that, even if just for one more moment, you might be able to do right by the people who have only ever been wronged. To protect those that your friend hoped to protect. He was… Earth Kingdom, but with Fire Nation heritage, wasn't he?"
Aonu nodded, sniffing anew. Renkai breathed deeply.
"A slave… just as countless others. Wouldn't you wish to be among those who finally ensured that no other man like your gladiator would ever be chained down that way anew?" Renkai asked. "I have no doubts that slavery will come to a close after all this… you could be part of that. Of building a legacy in his honor. Perhaps even… of living your life without the same shame you're feeling now, provided you live it for his sake. I suspect he cared enough for you to wish that you would live on? That he would want you to lead a better life than you have thus far. The life where you would no longer need to be in conflict with who you are and what you want… it may not be possible, truly, but it certainly won't be if you don't try, Aonu. And right now… the first step you can take to do right by your friend is to join us now. Serve… serve a greater purpose than your ambitions. Than the Fire Nation. The Princess needs you… and something tells me that, despite all your suffering, you don't wish to disappoint her."
"I… I already have. Haven't I?" Aonu asked, glancing up at him, as well as Chan. "I'm here… I failed to fulfill my duties, the enemy ran past me, and I survived when I should've died like so many others did…"
"She could say the exact same thing," Chan pointed out. "We saw it ourselves, you know? How she fought the Gladiator… it was terrifying, man. You would've shat yourself if you'd seen it."
"Could you not be so… disgusting?" Renkai scoffed. Chan smiled a little.
"I'm just saying… she could've been killed, and then wasn't. She knew she was walking into her death, kind of like how you think you are headed there now. But… maybe you can be a little less selfish and endure your miserable existence for a little longer, eh? If you truly want to do right by her… I think that's what you ought to do right now. She… she'll understand why you stopped fighting, I'm pretty sure. So did her gladiator, once he spared her and, uh, maybe kissed her in front of two armies…?"
"I suppose you're rather rattled by that, aren't you?" Renkai asked.
"I wasn't expecting it, man! But… you know? Definitely proved he's the kind of guy who can keep up with her," he smiled a little. "No one else would have the balls."
"Indeed," Renkai smiled slightly, before looking at a confused Aonu. "I don't think your life is worthless. Maybe you could convince yourself that it has been, up until now, but… the Princess valued you. She believed in you. She still does, enough to ask us to find you. I'd say… if you feel worthless? Perhaps the best way to change things is to start over. If you see things clearly now, when you didn't before… the least you can do is approach her and tell her the truth of who you wish to be, from now on. If you're turning your back on the Fire Nation for good… well, something tells me that she'd be the last person to blame you for that. But she deserves to know. And, if you don't care to do that, if you'd rather stand by her forever… I'm sure she will be grateful for it, too."
Aonu shuddered as he raised his hopeless, vacant green eyes towards Renkai. He never would have expected the firebender to seek to aid him after their unfriendly beginnings… and yet there he was, offering him kindness when Aonu most believed himself undeserving of any. All of it, on behalf of the Princess…
"And… w-what if I only wish to join him in death?" Aonu said. Renkai frowned. "Would… would she let me do that, too?"
"I… I would dare say no one is as likely to understand that feeling as she is," Renkai admitted, his heart clenching. The memory of the night where he had carried the Princess back to her room as she came undone under the weight of her utmost agony, upon believing Sokka was gone…
"Would she… allow it?" Aonu asked. "If I couldn't endure the burden of living in this world for another moment, would she…?"
"I do not know. But if you never wish to burden those you care for anew, if you wish to never drive anyone to the state of sadness you now suffer… perhaps you ought to consider what your death would mean to them now," Renkai said. Aonu scoffed.
"My death… should mean nothing. To anyone. Even her," he whispered.
"I have the feeling this isn't the first time you've endured thoughts of this nature," Renkai said. "And yet you've lived on to this point. Wouldn't it be worth it to try and live on for longer, just to find out if one day you'll feel worthier of the life you still have? The life your friend no longer can live? Wouldn't it be better to honor him by showing you treasure your existence… and that you'll help build the world he died for?"
Aonu snarled, closing his eyes tightly as tears slipped past them. It hurt… it would hurt all the more to try to live. He had never shied away from challenges… but for once in his life, the truth was that he felt utterly alone. The only people he could reach for… they were the very ones who should want him dead, and it seemed they didn't. He didn't know what he'd do now. He only imagined a future rotting in jail… perhaps no future at all, should he be executed. If he told the Princess what he had done, directly… she'd see to either thing. She'd agree to punish his crimes. She was merciless with herself, she had to be all the worse with others… wasn't she?
But did he want her to be? Did he truly wish to be another life she had to mourn, to sacrifice? He had come here to help her… and now, would he allow himself to only be another burden for the woman who had already endured the weight of the world, and now was likely to do so anew? Could he live with himself if he inflicted that on her?
Aonu shivered, gazing at Renzhi's empty body. He trembled, tears spilling down his face as he accepted the unfathomable reality… they would not meet again. They would not argue, spar, join forces in any significant manner anew. Being second-best… they wouldn't have to clash over it anymore. He sniffed, a hand upon Renzhi's wounded chest before leaning close, pressing his brow to his.
"I'm… I'm sorry for everything," he said, between sobs. "But… if I'm strong enough, I… I might try to live as the man… a-as the man you always thought I could be. I… I'm going to miss you. I've missed you for all this time, Renzhi, I… I'm so sorry. It should've been me, not you, never you, but… b-but if this is all I can do, I… I will see to it that I live for the both of us now.
"Thank you… for being my truest friend. I… I won't lie to myself anymore. About who I am, in any sense. No more hiding… no more believing that the Fire Nation will save me. It won't. Maybe… maybe our common roots will be the ones to do that, instead. So… wish me luck. Thank you. Good… goodbye, Renzhi."
His choked throat didn't let him speak much more as he hugged the man's body one last time. He released him from his grip, rising to his feet at last, finding himself unsteady, dizzy. Renkai placed a hand upon his shoulder as Chan leaned down, scooping up the corpse as best he could.
"We may carry him… someplace better than the middle of this road," Renkai suggested. Aonu sniffed and nodded. "The Princess will surely see to it that he's given a proper funerary pyre. Though… if you'd rather handle it differently, you only need to say it."
Aonu nodded, still uncertain of what the right choice would be: even if he spent the whole trek crying, he carried Renzhi's large body with Chan and Renkai, taking him out of the main road, setting him down among the dead in the Harbor City's area. One final squeeze of his inert hand… and Aonu rose, still tearful, to join Chan and Renkai on their way back inside the city.
"Say… sorry about your loss," Chan told him. Aonu sniffed and nodded. "Can't be easy, losing someone who mean that much to you, but… you're not alone, bud. If that's any relief."
"It… it doesn't feel like one yet," Aonu said, swallowing hard.
"Well, maybe it will one day," Chan smiled, patting his shoulder. "Me and Renkai here, we're going to keep you company and we'll be your friends from now on! You'll see!"
"Uh… I didn't say I'd do any such thing," Renkai scowled. Chan scoffed.
"Well, it's implicit, damn you. Obviously, we're all going to watch over each other and…"
"I don't mind being his friend. I do mind being yours."
"Wha-…? HEY! You know I'm cooler than you want to admit, damn you, Jerkkai!" Chan exclaimed, shaking a fist in the guard's direction. Renkai raised a hand as though to keep him at bay.
Aonu watched their banter, puzzled by it. His own conflicts with Renzhi had always been of a much more serious nature than that. His bonds… had never been quite as careless and easygoing as theirs was. Renkai himself didn't appear to be an overly chaotic, humorous person… the other one, on the other hand, was a whole different story.
But would it be fine to try that? To find new bonds… truer bonds than those he had sought before? Deep down, he felt a need to pull away from the Fire Nation after what had happened to Renzhi… but what if he allowed himself to find its true value instead of chasing his ambitions, instead of searching for meaning where he'd find none? He didn't need to climb the social hierarchy, to be accepted as a nobleman in spite of his heritage… his heritage was nothing to scoff at. His mother… she was no blemish upon his life, no obstacle on his way to greatness. It was, perhaps, time to return to those roots… while learning to appreciate the true good things the Fire Nation had to its name. They weren't that many, truthfully… but Renkai and Chan had offered him kindness when he had expected and deserved none. They weren't pretentious social climbers… they weren't vying for power at all costs. Perhaps, instead of looking up as he had all through his life… it was time to look around himself, to see everything on his level, to find beauty and value in that which he had taken for granted. Maybe that was the true way to honor Renzhi… to live life as he would have, if he'd lived it for any longer.
It would take time… he wouldn't be able to overcome his anguish all that quickly, and his grief for his friend would last him a lifetime. But these first steps towards an uncertain future would tide him over, for now. Maybe one day, he'd be able to live a life that he could value… a life of peace, most of all, with himself.
But the starting point to that kind of challenge would be to aid someone who needed him now: it took them an hour to cross the last trek of Harbor City, climb the chaotic, damaged crater of the Capital, and then to traverse the streets to reach the Temple. By then, Aonu felt utterly exhausted, hungry, weak… but he climbed the steps to the top of the Temple, anyhow. A number of people were already there, be them allies or enemies… but the Princess, he realized, was nowhere to be seen just yet.
Appa landed by Mai's house once more, a necessary stop, the last one, before the Temple. The Princess coughed, covering her mouth with a cloth upon doing so, before finding Rei, Song and Hotaru by the inner garden. Rui Shi, it seemed, had already taken off to the Temple.
"Mom…" Rei smiled. Azula grinned back, if halfheartedly.
"Is she alright?" she asked, leaning over to check on Hotaru. "I have to go, but… she needs to eat, doesn't she?"
"Well, we could've handled that with our supplies… but I'm sure she'd rather you do it yourself," Song smiled. Rei hoisted Hotaru and handed her over to Azula, who collected the baby carefully in her arms. Hotaru cried out once she saw her, smiling innocently as Azula smiled back at her.
"Yeah, I'm holding you again," Azula said. "Do you want your dad to be the one to do it instead? No doubt his arms are stronger than mine…"
"Yours are warmer. She likes that better."
Sokka's statement brought a tender smile to Azula's face: he stood by the garden's threshold, watching her and Hotaru with unabashed affection.
"I suspect we'll have to wait for her to speak before we confirm who's her favorite," Azula said, rubbing Hotaru's back. "You hungry, then? No doubt you must be…"
Azula sat in a corner, deliberately ensuring that no one would witness her breastfeeding unless they actively peeked to do it. Sokka chose not to watch, uncertain still on where things stood between them after Jeong Jeong's intervention. The pull to draw closer to her was as powerful as ever, if not more so… but enough factors kept him at bay, above all, the uncertainty of what Azula would be comfortable with right now. This, for all he knew, might be a sacred moment between mother and child… eventually, once the talks were done, he'd speak with her about that too. He'd figure out where she wanted him to stand when it came to moments like these.
"Is Xin Long alright?" Song asked him, rising to her feet and stepping towards him, in the corridor. Sokka nodded.
"One of my allies, Kino, took to feeding him with fish," Sokka said. Song smiled. "He'll be happy to have a willing servant… and a lemur snack, if he feels like eating one. Yeah, there's a flying lemur with us…"
"I have the feeling you have about a thousand weird stories to share," Song said. Sokka chuckled and nodded. "But maybe none will be as weird as your owl and its library."
"You still refuse to believe that?" Sokka asked, amused. Song chuckled. "Come on, now, give us some credit… you can't actually believe two different people hallucinated the exact same thing after drinking cactus juice, can you?"
"Cactus juice?" asked Rei, puzzled.
"It's bad for your health. Don't drink it," Sokka advised, bringing Rei to smile with confusion as Song chuckled.
"It's what some people resort to when they're lost in the desert and find no water besides cactus plants," she explained. "Sokka smartly drank some… so did Xin Long, didn't he?"
"Yep. Azula was the only one with sense… and the one who had to put up with us while we lost all our dignity for a good long while," Sokka admitted, with a guilty grin.
"It was an experience, I can say that much," Azula commented, and Sokka chuckled.
"Rui Shi and Song were convinced that the Spirit Library we found in the desert had to be false because we had access to cactus juice… but they're wrong, okay? They are," Sokka said, proudly. Rei blinked blankly.
"A library, though…?" she said. "What kinds of books would a desert library have?"
"Oh, heaps. More than I can recount. Lots of good stuff you could spend years reading. Hell, I'd dare say nobody's got a long enough lifespan to read the full contents of that library," Sokka chuckled. Rei's eyes glowed with illusion.
"That sounds incredible," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"So, you do believe me? See, Song? How is it that she believes me, and you don't?"
"Me and Rui Shi, mind you," Song laughed. "Call us skeptical, but we'll believe it when we see it."
"Sure you will," Sokka smiled. "Say… he took off already, didn't he?"
"Yeah… a while ago, with the others," Song said, with a light nod. "I think one of them was Azula's brother, actually. First time I see him, but I didn't even get to introduce myself, heh."
"There'll be time for that later, when… wait, you didn't know Zuko," Sokka reasoned, blinking blankly and looking at Song with astonishment. She chuckled and shrugged. "Heh. I hadn't realized that. Well, you can meet him, I can introduce you properly to everyone else, too… but, uh, the big meeting comes first. Hopefully it won't take too long, but…"
"It shouldn't. I'm sure both sides can reach a proper compromise this time. The right people are the leaders here… it's different from how it's been for over a hundred years," Song reasoned. Azula tensed up, but she deeply hoped her friend was right.
"It better be," Sokka said, sighing. "If nothing else, I can promise I'll kick Jeong Jeong's ass myself if the bastard does anything he shouldn't…"
"That will be appreciated," Azula remarked: Hotaru had pulled back by then, seemingly having her fill. "You're… all done? You sure? Don't give your sister and your aunt trouble by getting hungry later…"
Hotaru didn't latch onto her breast again, though, so Azula sighed and gave up on feeding the child anew. If the meeting truly didn't last too long, she would be able to feed Hotaru better again before long… she only hoped a proper agreement could be reached as quickly as Song thought it would be. But even Sokka's promise to keep Jeong Jeong at bay didn't suffice: multiple voices would rise, giving way to conflict and chaos, once the debates over succession and the Fire Nation's amends to the other nations began.
She fixed her appearance while Hotaru nestled on her lap. Once she was properly dressed anew, Azula hoisted the little girl in her arms and kissed her brow.
"Be good while I'm gone, okay?" she said. "Sleep if you haven't yet. Seems like it's going to be a long, cumbersome day for the rest of us all over again, so… enjoy being a baby and not understanding what's going on around you, huh?"
Hotaru let out a soft, confused sound, and Azula smiled before offering her briefly to Sokka, once she reached him. He didn't hesitate to take the baby into his arms, beaming brightly: Hotaru cried out happily, and immediately reached for his beard.
"Who'd have thought this would be such a hit with her," Sokka laughed, as the baby giggled, patting his chin. "Not a lot of bearded people in your life, I see… even those soldiers were all clean-shaven. I'm a rarity, aren't I?"
"She knows who her father is," Song smiled, reaching over to caress Hotaru's head kindly. "Which is to be expected, if she's as smart as the two of you combined…"
"Ooooh, that's scary," Sokka said, eyeing Hotaru warily. Azula laughed. "You're going to be running circles around us in a heartbeat if that's the case, kiddo. Outsmarted by a baby… well, seeing as she's mine, I can't say I'll mind that much."
"You've always been ready to lose to those you love. Guess this is just another such instance," Azula smiled. Sokka snickered. "That being said... we should get going now."
"Yeah… unfortunately," Sokka sighed, gazing at Hotaru one more time before handing her to Rei. "We'll be back soon, kiddo. You can play with my beard all you like by then."
"She'll be delighted to, I think," Rei smiled. Sokka grinned back at her. "Good luck, both of you. I… I hope everything turns out well."
Azula sighed and nodded: while she certainly believed that most negotiations looming ahead could only have a positive outcome, a part of her heart was restless, anguished, by everything she had kept silent about, everything Sokka needed to know. Something told her that she would have to confess some of it to him before the day was out… the guilt that gnawed at her wouldn't relent otherwise.
"Take care. Stay here, eat, rest… and keep that little one out of trouble, too," Azula said, hugging Rei and Song at the same time. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
They smiled encouragingly, and Azula tried to smile the same way right back as Sokka offered Hotaru to Rei. Sokka dared place a hand upon her shoulder, and she nodded in acceptance before making her way back to the front door. He followed, still uneasy, stopping once she did the same, by the house's open door.
"Azula?" he called her, softly.
"I… know we have to do this," she said, swallowing hard. "But there are many things we need to do, too. I don't know how far we can take this, Sokka, before…"
"Before…?" he started, uneasy by her statement. Azula sighed, meeting his eyes.
"There are many things we need to talk about. I'd have rather done that before doing this, but… I know the world is waiting. We need to address the political side of things, but… after that's done, you and I have to…"
"Okay," Sokka said. Azula breathed in and nodded. "I want to get it done too, frankly. This is… a little more stressful than it should be."
"Being around me again?" Azula asked, her voice small.
"More like… not knowing if I'm welcome to act the way I used to or not," Sokka said, with a sad smile. Azula's heart clenched. "I'm fighting my impulses to take you into my arms at every waking moment, believe it or not. All because… I don't know if you want me to. I don't know if I should. I don't know where we're standing just yet. So… I'd rather figure that out, too."
"Our own negotiation, huh?" Azula smiled sadly. Sokka nodded. "For the record… I'm fighting the same impulses as well. Returning to each other has been easier, in many ways, than I imagined it would be. But mostly because… because we're overlooking reality as best we can. And we can't afford to do that forever."
"I know," Sokka nodded.
Azula took his hand in hers, and she squeezed it gently. He squeezed back, offering her a heartbroken smile.
"Let's go," he said. "The sooner we settle things with the world… the sooner we can do that with each other, too."
Azula nodded, leaning closer to press her head to his shoulder. Impulsively, he dared kiss the top of her head, and Azula pat his abdomen before pulling back, knowing this wasn't the right time for comfort. They'd find that later… hopefully, provided matters didn't go downhill in the meeting ahead.
Again, they climbed on Appa, and the bison made a quick trip to the Temple indeed: the Head Sage awaited them there, and he smiled brightly when he saw the Princess, even when he saw the Gladiator.
"We have been expecting you," he said, though he gaped at the bison, too. "This is… hard to believe, truly. I'd heard there was a bison, but…"
"His name's Appa," Aang smiled, jumping off Appa's neck and landing by the Sage. "And I'm Aang. The Avatar."
"T-the… goodness," the Head Sage winced, pulling back and bowing his head curtly towards him. "It is… an honor. Truly."
Aang smiled awkwardly: it appeared the man wasn't entirely sure of whether it was an honor or an utter outrage to speak with the Avatar directly… but he wouldn't concern himself too much with that right now. The Fire Nation hadn't spent a hundred and ten years hunting down the Avatar in vain: the sentiment their people would have towards him wasn't bound to be all that positive.
"It's good to see you again," Azula said, stepping forward: the Head Sage's demeanor changed immediately as he smiled at her.
"I can only agree. Are you well? I was told, well, that you'd collapsed…?"
"I did. I may have done things that could only be labeled as treacherous beyond belief… but they needed to be done," Azula said, mournfully. "The Palace would have been destroyed if I hadn't intervened anyway… but it doesn't change that its destruction could be pinned on me."
"A lot of things can be blamed on people, whether rightfully or not," the Head Sage said. "But we shall handle all such matters soon, Princess. Never fret. For now…"
He turned his gaze towards Sokka, who nodded solemnly in his direction. Despite knowing they should be enemies, the Head Sage smiled.
"It's no small feat that you've come as far as you have, Gladiator," he said. "No lesser man would have achieved half of what you have… as proven by the fact that only you could do it."
"I didn't do it by myself, but… thanks anyway," Sokka said, with a small smile. "I'm glad you seem to be alright. I take it you… you've been supporting Azula for all this time?"
"As best as I was able. Though there wasn't a lot I could do, too often, but… either way, we'd best not dawdle," the Head Sage said. "I believe everyone else is ready. Follow me."
Azula sighed as she did as she was told: Aang and Katara tagged along with her and Sokka, on their way through the Temple's corridors and to the grand hall, where a number of highly-ranked members of either army awaited: even now, it seemed there was already a set distribution among White Lotus and Gladiator Army, to the left, while the Fire Nation army, a notably smaller group, stood to the right. Anorak, naturally, stood with the former group, but he offered Azula a respectful nod when she entered the room. Jeong Jeong, standing with him, no doubt had been speaking with the waterbender just now, surely shocked by his survival… perhaps, hopefully, apologizing for his missteps during the battle of Yu Dao. Rui Shi and the guards, it seemed, were uneasy regarding where to stand… in the end, they backed further towards the wall, as if to take no party, merely witnesses of the talks that were about to take place.
Sokka and Azula exchanged a glance: they had to take their respective places at the head of each group. Their relationship was no secret here, not anymore… but even so, they didn't dare do more than squeeze each other's hand gently before parting ways briefly, each walking to the allies who had awaited their arrival.
"Princess," Mei Xun smiled, bowing towards her when Azula approached them. Her heart jolted at the sight of Aonu: he was disheveled, in worse shape than most, still stained with blood… but he nodded in her direction, too. "The Head Sage summoned me. It seems…"
"We have an important meeting ahead of us. It will determine the Fire Nation's role in the future of our world," Azula said. "It is up to us to defend our people, as best as we're able… but I'm sure you all realize by now that concessions will be necessary."
"Regrettably," said Bujing, one of the few members of her father's council to survive. "We will have to be tactical about that. Some things we can sacrifice… others are out of the question. The Fire Nation cannot become the thrall of the White Lotus, a mere puppetry of a nation instead of the sovereign one we have sought to be."
"I agree," Azula said. Bujing nodded. "But unfortunately, we're in no position to impose our demands and ensure that we remain in full control of our nation. Sacrifices will indeed be made… we will have to take a stand, so that hopefully our fate is kinder than that which we were hellbent on inflicting upon the rest of the nations. There will be vengeful impulses on the enemy side… they can't be helped. But we will be as diplomatic as can be… and we will protect the Fire Nation. What's left of it, anyway."
"We will," Chan nodded, firmly. "And we'll make sure to do away with the people who aren't much help at it, too. Like… like that bastard of a General."
"Shaofeng… is it true, what he did?" General Ling asked Azula, eyes wide. The Princess tensed up. "I've heard, but… curses, I am so sorry, Princess. I never imagined…"
"I wish I could say the same. But whatever control the General had over my father, it didn't end until his… until his assassination by the wretch's hands," Azula said. "He will be ours to deal with. He's still alive… and he will be given the rightful punishment to someone responsible for the Fire Lord's death. Enough witnesses can evidence it was his doing, so… it shouldn't be difficult to arrange, regardless of who takes the throne."
"It must be you," Bujing said, frowning. Azula frowned. "Pardon me, Princess, but no one would stomach seeing your brother on the throne instead…!"
"He… would make a fine Fire Lord, provided he proves he won't be their puppet," Azula said, startling them. "But that's part of what needs to be negotiated, anyway."
She sighed, turning to face the other side of the room: far more crowded, somewhat louder, it seemed the White Lotus and the Gladiator Army were ready to start the talks that would, with any luck, lead to lasting peace between all nations. Sokka met her gaze, and Azula nodded in his direction. He cleared his throat, and he reeled his people in.
Little by little, everyone took their seats at the cushions the Head Sage had provided. The man himself sat with Azula, as the leader of the second most powerful institution of the Fire Nation. Once everyone was settled, silence fell…
Jeong Jeong stepped forward, between the two factions, beginning the diplomatic discussion to fully, legally conclude the Hundred Year War.