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...

391. Chapter 391: A New Era 2

A New Era

2

Only two days had passed since Princess Azula had been crowned. Now, as Fire Lord Azula, new responsibilities hung over her shoulders… and while nobody knew where her efforts to salvage the world would begin, it didn't come as a surprise for anyone in the city when a group of earthbenders started working in the debris and destruction at the heart of the Capital, where the Royal Palace had once stood.

Azula breathed deeply as she watched them work: as much as her flames, paired with Xin Long's, had burned across the corruption, the area still seemed charged with unwanted remnants of dark fire. She shook her head before deciding on how to handle the worrisome matter: the last thing she needed was for the people working in the construction of her new home to be infected with poisonous corruption.

"It doesn't look safe," she said. Sokka nodded.

"Lots of ugly, blackened stuff, huh?" he said: Haru and his coworkers had hoisted a chunk of earth out of place. It crumbled at their feet, and a puff of smoke spilled from the ashes.

"Stop!" Azula said: they had barely begun, but her concerns had already overwhelmed her. Haru gazed at her with uncertainty as she approached, glaring at the ashes with distrust and wariness. "I won't risk you inhaling corrupted gases or whatever that was."

"We could wear masks," one of Haru's coworkers suggested.

"That could help, but it's not the only thing that will," Azula said. "I'll head to the Temple. The Head Sage should be able to help with he oils… I'll give you fire to purify this to its foundations."

"Oh?" Haru raised his eyebrows. "Your colorful fire?"

"It should help," Azula said, breathing deeply. "Take a break for now. I'll be back soon."

"Of course, Fire Lord."

To this moment, being addressed with that title continued to feel entirely surreal. Azula froze upon hearing it. Nevertheless, she nodded and walked back to where Sokka still stood.

"To the temple," she said.

His hand clasped hers. She slid her fingers between his own, refusing to shy away from his gesture of affection.

Haru watched that with a smile, though the two coworkers with him let out amazed whistles at the sight.

"Can't believe it still," one of them said, with a wild smile, before bumping Haru with a shoulder. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

"U-uh…" Haru smiled awkwardly: the other one grabbed his shoulders.

"You know way more than you're letting on! Were they always a thing? Or were they trying to be a thing and the Fire Lord didn't let them?"

"Look, I don't really think I should be, uh, well…" Haru shrank in place, flustered.

"Those two have been going at it like rabaroos for years. If you really must know."

Haru's coworkers froze: Haru grimaced as Toph stepped up, with a proud smirk.

"And there's a bunch of us who're ready to kick anyone's ass if they get in the way of that," she said: the two men eyed her warily, hearts racing… Toph sensed it, and her amusement only increased further. "So I'd say… keep your funnier thoughts to yourselves unless you want Spicy Lord and the Dog to throw you away and leave your jobs to me just because you're snooping around too much."

"R-right, right… but we're supportive! We are!" one of them explained.

"Anyone who wasn't a trueborn Fire Nation citizen ought to be supportive," said the other one, amused. "I mean… isn't it damn amazing to have a Fire Lord who's not marrying some bigshot noble? Though she did have to marry one before, but…"

"Just because the Fire Lord forced her to," Haru said, his voice ringing with sadness. "But as things stand… Fire Lord Azula is free to follow her heart. And that's where it's taking her."

"I can't decide if that dude's the luckiest guy ever or… or if it's way more complicated than that," one of his coworkers said, chuckling. "But eh… they make a good match, don't they?"

"Supposed to be the best team there ever was," Toph recited, with a gentler smile now. "Guess we'll see if that's true outside of a Gladiator Arena, too."

Within another twenty minutes, the work by the Palace's foundations resumed: this time, they had a large torch, brought by Azula and Sokka, borrowed from the Temple. The torch, fueled by that oil with special properties, had allowed Azula to cast blue and gold flames, one at a time, into the fuel, allowing a potent burst of colored fire to burn in the torch now. The supervisors at the job certainly made use of the fire from that point onwards, pinpointing every worrisome, crumbling remnants of blackened material that appeared to be corrupted rather than merely burned.

"It's wise to chase away all corruption… in every sense of the word," the Head Sage remarked, with a slowly growing smile. "A good omen for your future as Fire Lord, of course."

"I would hope it is a good start," Azula said, breathing out in relief as she watched smaller torches being lit with colorful fire, distributed among the construction workers.

"There's one more thing, though," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows at Azula before smiling awkwardly at the Head Sage. "Right now, uh, we're living at my old place. But it's not exactly a great spot for Azula to hold big meetings with the council and whatnot…"

"Not that there is a council yet, but still," Azula cut in. "Either way, we had meant to visit you today to ask if there's any hall within the Temple that we may use for official meetings while the Palace is still… well, unbuilt."

"Ah! Naturally, naturally," the Head Sage said, nodding promptly. "I would be delighted to offer you our finest rooms for your purposes, Fire Lord. I will see it done."

"Thank you," Azula smiled.

"I have no doubts you have countless matters to deal with… even trials, I assume," the Head Sage said, frowning. "As far as I'm aware, General Shaofeng has been taken to Prison Tower to await judgment. Shall you carry it out here?"

"I suppose I shall," Azula said, frowning. "But… I don't wish to do it yet."

"Truly?" the Head Sage said. "As far as I've understood, as far as all information that has spread… he was the one who slew the Fire Lord."

"He… he was," Azula said, tensing up. Sokka's hand on her shoulder eased her slightly. "But there's more to that man than you might think. He had as good as an army under his control and command… many of whom turned against him that night, but I cannot say for certain that all will. He's one of the bastions of corruption that needs to be fully unearthed and cleansed… not unlike the Palace's foundations. Hell, I'd be willing to say the Palace is far more salvageable than he is."

"But… you would rather be astute. Not claim justice and revenge until all his secrets are revealed, I imagine?" the Head Sage said, frowning.

"Indeed," Azula said. He breathed deeply.

"Well… I can only wish you luck as far as your investigation is concerned," the Head Sage said. "He has always been a cryptic man. Difficult to grasp. May you be more fortunate where others before you failed to read through him, including your own father. I shall go see about setting up this meeting room you requested, then…"

"Thank you," Azula nodded: the Sage bowed his head towards her before walking away.

Azula watched him leave, a slight frown upon her face. Sokka, standing beside her by the top of the Temple's stairs, kept focused on overseeing the Palace's works from afar… but he sensed her unease quickly.

"Something's up?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said. "I don't know. I feel like he didn't quite tell me everything he knows about Shaofeng."

"Maybe he didn't," Sokka agreed. Azula sighed.

"I don't know what to do right now," she said. "He's in Prison Tower, sure, but… the bastard could very well escape whenever he pleases. I don't know how far his corruption in our armed forces has gone. There must be no records of whatever he's been doing… the only connection we know he's ever held onto is Koshing."

"Right. Well… you could always ask the Dark Rook and the Light Bearer about that," Sokka suggested. Azula raised her eyebrows. "They came to the Capital with us. As far as I know, they survived the battle."

"Good. That… that's useful," Azula nodded. "If the connection between Koshing and Shaofeng is stronger than expected… perhaps the evidence that we've lost in the Palace's fire could be compensated by Koshing's. But…"

"We'll need to act fast to apprehend him," Sokka grimaced. "And he doesn't live here, does he?"

"No. Koshing's base of operations is in Fire Fountain City," Azula said, grimacing. "Ugh. We'd better act fast. I'm sure the bastard will escape if he gets the chance."

"Then… how about sending a task force to seize him?" Sokka suggested, raising an eyebrow. "You know… a team that could strike away quickly, swiftly, within the law but navigating across it stealthily, to a fault?"

"What are you thinking?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka grinned and shrugged.

"Figured you have a master spy in your guard's ranks. Might as well make the most of him, right?"

Azula frowned. Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"Where… where the hell is Renkai?"

Her earnest question startled him: he had no answer for it, either. Their eyes met with uncertainty… and so, their impromptu quest to track down the suddenly elusive guard began.

Some of Azula's guards had been in the area: only one of them offered an answer that served some purpose, for Renkai hadn't even frequented Sokka's house across the past days. He had last been seen with Chan and Aonu, on the day of the meeting, right after the Palace's destruction.

It took them around thirty minutes to finally track them down, at a tavern in an area of the city the two had visited once before.

"This is… near those buildings," Sokka remarked, glancing back over his shoulder. "You know… the ones we visited back when you were trying to figure out what Seethus was up to?"

"Right," Azula frowned, eyeing the tavern warily. "Which probably means something unpleasant. This… this could be Dong's tavern."

"Who's that?" Sokka asked. Azula smiled awkwardly.

"An unforgettable man, I'll say…" she said, eyes wide as she pushed the door open. Sokka followed.

As anticipated, a man she had only seen once in her life, and yet not forgotten, stood behind the bar, wiping plates and glasses when they entered the establishment. He brightened up at once: it was barely midday, and he didn't have many customers just yet.

"Welcome! Welcome to…!"

He yelped. The sound that left Dong's throat was entirely unprecedented, almost as though he had swallowed his own tongue.

Azula eyed him skeptically: Sokka, beside her, raised an eyebrow as Dong's wide eyes flipped between the two.

"Y-y-you… Ah! Welcome, Fire Lord! Anything you want, anything you need…!"

He dropped in a full reverence… on the floor, behind the bar. His voice barely reached Azula by then. She smiled awkwardly before turning towards the only few patrons in the tavern… one of whom stood from his seat, watching her with unreserved guilt. The other pair, instead, sat by the table still, without paying her any mind.

"Prin-…" Renkai almost blurted out: he chided himself fast and bowed far more respectably. "Fire Lord. I… I apologize for my absence as of late."

"What's going on here?" Azula asked, stepping closer to him.

Renkai stood by the table indeed: Chan and Aonu sat across each other, with a considerable number of empty bottles nearby.

"Oh… hey. Hey! Hey, there!" Chan exclaimed, beaming carelessly: his flushed cheeks gave away that he was quite drunk. Azula's judgmental glare bore on him at once. "What're you doing here, Princess?"

"I'm afraid that's not the right title anymore," Azula said, with a dry grin. "Your worst nightmare has come to pass, Chan. No one outranks me in the Fire Nation anymore, which means that, if I feel like it, I could very well toss you in the Boiling Rock with absolutely no justification just because you irritate me."

"You… you wouldn't do that!" Chan laughed, waving a hand carelessly. "You couldn't make fun of me anymore if you… w-wait. Wait. You… huh? You're… not a Princess now?"

Aonu, groggy and out of sorts, raised his head to glance at Azula too. He seemed half-conscious, at best… but at the sight of the five-pronged crown upon her head, he gasped loudly and braced himself on his seat.

"Y-you… oh. You… you're Fire Lord?" Aonu said.

"What? What?! Nah, no way!" Chan laughed. "We wouldn't have missed the coronation, you're just drunk and seeing more pointy ends on that crown than… t-than, uh… wait. Why're they seven?"

"They're five, you utter… ugh," Renkai groaned, bowing his head in repentance towards Azula. "I apologize. They've been… well, the truth is, Chan thought Aonu might just do something terrible if we weren't there to stop him. He's singlehandedly decided that we must keep watch over Aonu until he's better, but… Aonu just wanted to drink. It was the only thing he agreed to do, so… we've been here."

"For three days! Business has been decent!" Dong announced from the bar. Azula grimaced and shook her head.

"So… you guys have spent three days drinking without respite?" Sokka asked, eyes wide. "That… doesn't sound like a healthy choice."

"I've been sober," Renkai said, eyebrow twitching. "Unfortunately, I'd dare say. Being drunk might actually make Chan's nonsense funny…"

"I don't think any amount of alcohol would achieve that," Azula said: Chan squirmed.

"Hey, now, that's rude…"

"Renkai… I need something from you," Azula said, with a dry grin. "And considering you missed my coronation, I'd dare say you owe me one."

"I am so sorry…" Renkai sighed, hanging his head in defeat.

"You should be. Though… on one hand? I commend you for not losing track of these two at any point in time. That would have been worrisome," Azula said, but she shifted to business mode at once. "I need you to finally put your information and investigation abilities to work. We have Shaofeng under our control… but that could change at the drop of a hat if his people have any manner of contingency plans for this very scenario."

"Which… some might," Renkai remarked, frowning.

"You've had no chance to pursue that lead on Koshing. The Dark Rook, and the Light Bearer, are in the city right now," Azula said. "Figure out whatever you can from them, pertaining Koshing's partnership with Shaofeng… then, head over to Fire Fountain City as fast as you can, take Koshing into custody as well. You can bring… well, whoever you deem decent enough for this job to help you. Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like those two are in any fit state for it, so…"

"Hey… we could sober up," Chan said, with a hiccup. "Wouldn't take too long. Just got to… well… stop drinking?"

"Don't wanna," Aonu said, slumping on the table. "Sorry, Princess Lord…"

Azula frowned: while her opinion of Chan remained the same, whether sober or drunk, Aonu's state right now was a cause for concern. She breathed deeply and stepped closer to him, clasping his shoulder.

"I know you might think this is a way to cope with what's happened… but there's a lot at stake right now," Azula said. Aonu pouted.

"I know… he wouldn't want me to fall apart, either way," he said. "Everyone says it… b-but… I was always a shitty friend to him anyway. I… get to be a mess. Should've been me who was dead… not him."

"But it's not."

Sokka's words startled everyone in the tavern: Chan shrank in place, their authoritarian tone startling him. Renkai, too, eyed him apprehensively, and Aonu closed his eyes, as though to hide from Sokka's likely rage.

Azula wasn't as calm upon hearing him as she would have liked to be. Her own caution rose… but she didn't intervene. She didn't interfere. She trusted him to have a unique way to handle this, as complicated as it might be.

"Renzhi… he was an upstanding, great guy. Might have been better than all of us combined," Sokka said. Aonu gritted his teeth. "But he thought there was something about you worth fighting for… even if you two were at odds as often as you were, you mattered to him. He cared about you. And I'm damn sure that nothing in that fight could have ever meant more to him than the choice you made, right before he died. He inspired me… encouraged me to come here and fight for what I believed in. And as countless gladiators before him, he died doing exactly that. He believed in you. You have nothing to prove to me, or to anyone else… but you do have to prove it to yourself, and I'm pretty sure you're here because you know that."

"It's… not easy," Aonu said. "It hurts. I want to see him again…"

"You might one day," Sokka said. Aonu's eyes widened. "You might be able to evoke him with your thoughts… you might be able to hear him speak to you just as he once did. What kind of man do you want to be, by the time that happens? The man who, at the very end, finally took a stand for who he was and what he believed in? Or a man who drank his sorrows away because that was easier than facing reality?"

"Well… 's not so easy either," Aonu mumbled. "Drink's not that good."

"Hey!" Dong squeaked.

"You have a chance to do better. Your Fire Lord is here to offer it… in whatever shape she wants to offer it," Sokka said. "If you ever hope to become a man worthy of living in this world, one that countless people shed their blood to see fulfilled? Then this is where that starts."

Aonu groaned, pushing himself upright awkwardly. He slumped in his chair… then glanced up at Azula, through half-lidded eyes.

"What… d-do you need of me now?" he asked. Azula sighed.

"Well… if you were up for it, I suppose you could team up with Renkai. And Chan, if he wants to go. Not sure he should," Azula said. Chan huffed. "Either way, I need a man captured, I need his assets frozen and investigated at once. It's Koshing."

"Ko… Koshing," Aonu frowned. "Hey. I… I hate that bastard."

"You do, don't you?" Azula smiled. "Another one of the High Tier that you have unfinished business with, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he… yeah," Aonu said, with a scoff. "Piece of shit. What'd you want me to do, though…?"

"Sober up, first. Then, accompany Renkai as he investigates everything he can hearn from the Dark Rook and the Light Bearer before you go to Fire Fountain City," Azula said. "In fact? Bring them with you to Koshing's place. They'd know Koshing's tricks thoroughly, better than any of us could."

"That… that's a thought," Renkai nodded. "Very well…"

"Aonu can help you investigate anything hidden, say, underground, as he's an earthbender," Azula said. "After you're done with that, come back here with everything you can seize. The sooner, the better."

"Understood, my Lord," Renkai said, nodding. Azula blinked blankly.

"Heh. Yeah, still not used to it," she said, eyes wide before glancing at Aonu again. "Once all that's done… we'll see about your future. I would offer you a place in my yet-to-be-formed council… but that depends on whether you're willing to serve or not. As cruel as it may sound… I cannot afford to build that council with allies who are unreliable. You can't run off to drink every time things get hard."

"I know that, I do, but…" Aonu groaned, covering his face with a hand. "I miss him."

"I understand that," Azula said, lowering her gaze. "And I will cut you slack in as many regards as possible because of that. But… if you agree to help me, I will need to be certain you can give your every effort to see this nation restored and healed. Otherwise… well, I'd just pawn you off to these two. Chan seems to be enjoying watching over you."

"Just because he's drunk. He wasn't so much fun when he wasn't," Chan said, with an awkward smile. "B-but, uh, say… are we gonna be in your council too?"

"I already have a court jester in mind and it isn't you, so…"

"Hey," Sokka stiffened. Azula smiled, and he nudged her with an elbow. "That's not going to be my official title, now, is it?"

"No, no, of course not. Gladiator, derivate of 'glad', which might mean you're funny…"

"Azula!"

She laughed, but she patted his arm reassuringly as he pouted slightly.

"We'll figure out your title later, don't worry about it. As for yours, Chan? I… don't even know what to offer you. I'm not sure I want to give you any responsibilities as it is," Azula said, bluntly.

"But I'm only drunk to help out your buddy…" Chan pouted. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Okay. I'll promote you," she conceded. Chan beamed. "You are hereby known as… Captain Chan, of the Fire Nation Army."

"Hell, yeah!" he cheered: both Renkai and Sokka froze in place, eyeing a smirking Azula skeptically.

"As for you, Renkai…" Azula said. He tensed up, immediately apprehensive. "I have my reasons to not be certain as to where to assign you yet. But it hinges a lot on how I'll restructure the guards, of course…"

"Captain Rui Shi… he'd be your new General of the Guards, wouldn't he?" Renkai asked.

"I would imagine he would be open to the role, but I'll have to make certain first," Azula said. Renkai nodded. "I don't trust a single survivor who served under Shaofeng directly in the First Squad by the end of the war…"

"A sound choice," Renkai said.

"The second, depending on your advice, as well as Rui Shi's, may be another matter," Azula said. "The current members of the third, too, are yours to judge. But considering the situation… we're bound to go down to two squads rather than three again. You'd be open to leading one of them?"

"Oh? Why… naturally. Of course, my Lord," Renkai nodded. Azula smiled.

"Good, then. That's what you have to look forward to… after you get these two sobered up and track down what I asked of you," Azula declared, her grin gaining a dangerous edge. Renkai, however, nodded stoically and bowed his head one more time.

"I shall do as you've asked. All of it," he said. "It won't take me long to track down Koshing's gladiators. Thank you… thank you for this opportunity."

"I don't expect you'll fail me," Azula said. "So… make sure that you don't?"

"I promise," Renkai smiled, bowing his head towards her… then, he glanced at Sokka, with a somewhat shy smile. "Thank you, too, for talking to him. He's been… difficult."

"I can't imagine why," Azula sighed, before glaring at Chan. "If Chan suggests drinking as some grand solution for any problems on this mission, or at any point in the future? Seize Aonu and run for the hills."

"Understood."

"Heeeey…"

Renkai reassured her many times that he would do as she asked: he seemed deeply remorseful for how things with Aonu had spiraled out of control, but with a straightforward purpose now, he seemed determined to see Azula's orders fulfilled. That this moment had been building up for years didn't hurt matters in the least, either: Azula had seen how driven Renkai could be, but the fire that burned in his eyes suggested he would stop at nothing to undo Shaofeng's schemes for good.

"Alright… with that settled, what now?" Sokka said, as they stepped out of the tavern. Azula gritted her teeth.

"I don't think we ought to waste any more time. Our top priority is what it is," she said, frowning. "So… I think I'll summon the Enforcers' leadership. We'll meet with them in the Temple, we'll get their assessments regarding how to handle the next set of slavery laws."

"Right. Abolishing the whole system, in full," Sokka said, with a proud smile. Azula nodded.

"Shaofeng himself is a key element to achieve that. Everything we've ever gleaned out of his actions and connections suggests he's been behind this all along," Azula said, as they set out back to the Temple anew. "Evidently, he won't be compliant with whatever we try to do… but following leads that connect with him should help us ensure that the laws will be respected."

"Sabotaging his criminal underground," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "Your dad had those crime dens, like Shu Wo, Hui Yi… you kind of had brought them to heel through the Enforcers already, but I guess that's changed since I last was here."

"I'm afraid so," Azula said, lowering her gaze remorsefully.

Sokka's hand slid into hers, intertwining his fingers with her own. His free hand cupped her face, tilting it upwards, to meet her gaze with his own.

"No beating yourself up about things that were beyond your control," he said. "We can change everything we couldn't before, at last… and we'll do it together."

Azula smiled slowly as the last of those words sank in: she found herself at the receiving end of a tender, heartfelt kiss, and her heart seemed to somersault for it, much as it often did in their early days together. They were in the middle of the city, after all… as much as they had kissed in public many times since the battle, she couldn't seem to grow used to the sensation yet.

But she relished in it. She craved it. She leaned into him, rising to peck his lips as earnestly and affectionately as possible. Sokka smiled once he pulled back, caressing her hair gently.

"We're only getting started," he said, softly. "It's barely day two, after all."

Azula nodded. She smiled, pressing her face to his chest. Sokka rubbed her back gently, kissing the top of her head repeatedly, though he dodged the crown with a smirk as he did.

"That thing's way more dangerous than the last one, you know?" he said. Azula laughed as he winced away from it, and she tilted her head forward to further threaten him with its pointy edges. "Hey!"

Azula laughed, raising her head again and claiming one more kiss from his laughing lips. Sokka smiled affectionately as she pulled back, letting her take his hands in hers.

"Alright, alright. Let's get going," she said. Sokka wrapped an arm around her shoulders, marching by her side.

Upon returning to the Palace's area, they found a soldier willing to convey a message to the Enforcers' Headquarters for their meeting: it was already midafternoon by the time the Enforcers' leadership arrived, stepping into the Temple room. They found their Fire Lord sitting by a desk, writing down important information on long scrolls, while her stalwart companion stood by her: fashioned with his weapons, even if not clad in his armor, the newly arriving leaders of the Enforcers seemed to freeze at the sight of him, uncertain of what to think of the now daunting General of the Gladiator Army.

He glanced towards them quickly upon hearing their approach: Mei Xun bowed her head towards him, then more deeply towards Azula. Never before had Sokka seen them as apprehensive as they were now… not that he was surprised for it in the least.

"Fire Lord," Mei Xun said, her voice trembling with emotion as Azula rose to her feet.

"Captain Mei Xun," Azula smiled, eyes trailing over the rest of the Enforcers next: it seemed her grin eased up their earlier distrust and wariness, and so, they smiled right back at her. "Welcome. I know this isn't quite the expected location for a meeting, but…"

"Well, without the Palace, it doesn't stand to reason to be hung up about the matter," said Commander Rahi, stepping forward. "It's a great honor to have been summoned today, Fire Lord Azula."

Azula smiled: Rahi, Daiki, Jung-woo, Sae… it was the same leadership she had left behind. They remained in service as Enforcers, still… Shaofeng hadn't taken that from them, at the very least.

"It's a relief to see you all again," she said.

"For us, too," Sergeant Daiki smiled, bowing his head towards her. "We had hoped to serve you anew, my Lord, but… we didn't realize we'd be able to do it as quickly as this."

"I'm glad for it as well," Azula said. "You look no worse for wear than you did when I was last your leader, so… that's good."

"Unfortunately… we can attest that it is the case because we have not been on active duty for some time," Mei Xun admitted, breathing deeply. "Fire Lord Ozai activated us anew over the last few months, but…"

"Naturally, Shaofeng had his own designs," Azula said, frowning. "Did he recruit new members? Infiltrate any strange soldiers into your ranks?"

"Oh, he did no such thing," Commander Rahi said. "That would have required for him to take us seriously as a branch of the army, I'm sure…"

"It's been like a long vacation, if anything," Lieutenant Sae said, lowering her gaze. "We couldn't really defy him, unfortunately. The consequences would have been steep."

"Well, that means his underestimation of your group plays in our favor," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "The Fire Nation's armed forces have been crippled severely over the past months. If the Capital's Enforcers are as good as intact… that's only good news amid all the bad, I'm sure."

"We are ready to serve in whatever capacity you ask of us," Mei Xun said, bowing her head again. "Be it our old duties, or new ones… we have been waiting for this moment for quite some time. It's a relief to see it has arrived at last."

"It is," Azula said. "Though, as you bring it up… the duties you used to uphold will change indeed. Many accused me of having a deeper intent when I first wrote the slavery laws… they were correct to do so, for the greater goal was always to ensure I could abolish slavery when the time came."

Azula paused then, taking in their reactions: she didn't miss the way several of them glanced at the so-far silent Sokka, perhaps wondering if she was speaking for him... or if he had influenced that decision somehow. No doubt he had, but in a much greater way than most of them would imagine just yet.

"The duties of the Enforcers need not change too vastly, for you will be tasked with upholding the next set of laws much as you did the first time around," Azula explained. "Nonetheless, there's no better group of experts to ask about this subject: you have knowledge of the limitations of your possibilities as an enforcement group, on how slave masters attempt to cheat the laws, on the slavery black markets… just as you have been in close contact with slaves and helped them out of their dreaded circumstances before. What I ask of you is but a greater effort than what we've spent on this so far. We shall bring all this knowledge together… in order to craft firm, unyielding slavery laws that no one may bend over to their benefit. That is why I've called you here today."

"Wow," Jung-woo swallowed hard, running a hand over his hair. "That's… that's no small feat. But…"

"Good," Mei Xun said, nodding and meeting Azula's gaze with certainty. "If this is your intent, Fire Lord, I will be proud to see it done."

"I'm glad to hear it," Azula said, with a small smile. "Thank you, Mei Xun."

"She speaks for all of us… I believe, anyway," Sae said, bowing her head too. "While we weren't in active duty for a long time… our work with slaves certainly opened our eyes to the harshness of their reality."

"But that also means we must remain level-headed about what needs to be done," Commander Rahi said, hands on his hips. "It's easy to be led by emotion when it comes to matters that touch our hearts. But the first thing to ensure our laws are written properly, with no room for misinterpretation, is to keep our minds clear and our goals in sight."

"There are many things that need to be worked towards, yes," Azula said, with a nod. "An example is that all those who kept the record of slaves who were taken into Enforcers custody will have to pile these records, cross-reference them, in order to assist slaves in reconnecting with their relatives. Deem this a secondary matter if you will, it needs to be done nonetheless."

"How about the slave owners who haven't committed any terrible crimes?" asked Daiki. "Not that I think they should still have slaves under their control, that's not my point at all, but… they might think they're entitled to some kind of compensation, right? As far as most these people see their slaves, they were investments… wrongful as it may be to see them that way, they are bound to protest against the laws if they deem them unfair."

"There have always been many who argued they needed slaves for whatever their businesses might be," Mei Xun admitted. "But that doesn't change what needs to be done."

"No, but it does mean we will account for these potential protests," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "Enforcers will be expected to keep such protests at bay. We need not descend into madness over abolishing slavery… it's disturbing to think that after only eleven years of slavery, our nation appears to have taken to pretending this was always part of our culture. It wasn't, it isn't, and it will be undone, much as it did not exist merely a few years ago. Slave owners who have not broken the current laws will not be severely punished for anything but failing to abide by the new ones. Simple as that."

"Can't enforce laws that weren't in effect before, yet again," Sokka recited. Azula glanced at him, almost remorsefully, but she nodded.

"It's unfortunate that it works this way, but we can still do right by the slaves even if it does," she said.

"Would slaves be… compensated?" asked Jung-woo. "I don't know if the Fire Nation is in any position to do much to make amends to those who were victims of slavery, but…"

"It's possible to attempt it in several years. Once our economy stabilizes again," Azula said. "The same is true for any potential monetary compensation for slave owners, as much as it feels utterly wrong to do it, but still…"

"The main thing that will be changing is just the status of a slave in society, though," Sokka pointed out. "They'll be equals to those who called themselves masters, in the eyes of the law…"

"Indeed," Azula said. Sokka nodded.

"Then, for those who never broke the laws… I'd think they'd have the option to pay their former slaves for their services, as they'd pay any lawful employee, right?" Sokka asked. "I just think some people, those who were treated with respect from the get-go, might not be as unwilling to abandon stability and households that didn't treat them like garbage, right?"

"I suppose, but… I doubt we'll see many cases where that happened," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "Nonetheless, that'd be something else for Enforcers to keep an eye on, all across the board: is an individual being treated as an employee or as a slave? Payment wouldn't suffice to determine as such… the conditions of their work would determine if the laws are being upheld or not."

"I'd propose establishing an institution, too, to aid slaves not only to reconnect with their families but to reenter society," Mei Xun suggested. "Similar to your Social Rehabilitation Center. A lot of things can be done through it, perhaps there can be one such place in all important cities… though, of course, you have no control over the former colonies anymore, do you?"

"No, but cooperation between all different nations is expected in the coming years," Azula said, breathing out and spreading her arms. "At any rate, please do take your seats. We can discuss this for hours at this rate… best if we're comfortable as we do it, wouldn't you say?"

After everyone was seated, the conversation began anew: even now, many eyes glanced over at Sokka, sitting by Azula's side, with a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

"As things stand, we need to split our focus between slaves themselves and slave owners," Azula said, breathing deeply. "Both elements of this particular equation present different kinds of problems, and we must think of solutions for all of them, or as many of them as possible, in the coming days. There is, indeed, the matter of diplomatic relations with the rest of the world… that is for me to worry about and resolve, naturally. But the first step to ensure that the other nations will believe in our willingness to help resolve all the problems that slavery poses, problems we stirred up in the first place… is to create these ironclad laws that cannot be contested, especially not by slave owners who wish to make profit out of what they've been doing for all these years. Today, we will work towards building up all these questions and answers, to create a plan of action that we may set in motion soon… but I know this will take time, and I know it will be a difficult job to assign to you."

"There's one thing I've been wondering about so far," Jung-woo said, biting his lip. "If I may…"

"Please," Azula nodded. Jung-woo breathed deeply.

"I would very much like to know… if we shall serve under your direct command anew, as we did before, or if we're to be incorporated to the Domestic Forces, to a fault?" Jung-woo said. "I ask because… all logic suggests that, if the new laws are effective and we manage to enforce them as expected? Our role in the Fire Nation's armed forces will diminish and fade away in time… we'll wind up doing nothing again, I suppose. We were assembled to help enforce the slavery laws, but… in the best of cases, slavery will be outlawed and criminalized fully. So…"

Azula nodded: it wasn't a question pertaining slavery itself… nonetheless, it was a rather important one, at that.

"I don't wish for the Enforcers to lose their importance or power within the Armed Forces," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "The truth is, the sole army branch I feel I can fully trust at the moment is yours. I oversaw the formation of the Enforcers and I do believe the work you can do isn't something the Domestic Forces ought to be trusted with. The Domestic Forces are tasked with maintaining order in the Fire Nation, no doubt… but they are also a line of defense against any invasive power. Just as they were earlier this week. The Enforcers… they aren't here to protect the Fire Nation people from outside threats."

"More like… to protect outsiders from the worst of Fire Nation people," Sokka said, with a grimace.

"Pretty much," Azula said. "I'm under no delusions when it comes to what the Fire Nation people are capable of after over a hundred years of ideological indoctrination that all of us, in this room, have been subjected to. The Enforcers… overall, may just be tasked with fighting against that. I know it's easier said than done, I know it will sound vague at first… but I fear that, much as Commander Rahi once told me I could not prepare measures for every mishap, for I couldn't hope to account for everything, I cannot attempt to unveil all possible ways in which Fire Nation supremacy will rear its head in the future. What I can say… is that I believe your duty, all in all, shall be to tear it down whenever it does. I do not wish for unnecessary violence against our own people… but I do believe measures need to be taken in order to ensure that Sozin's legacy died just as the war reached its conclusion."

"It's not as easy as just claiming you'll do better, I'm sure," Sokka said, frowning.

"We need to hold ourselves accountable for what we've spent over a hundred years doing… when it comes to slavery, a little more than a decade, yes," Azula said. Sokka nodded. "While there certainly are many Fire Nation people who never hurt another, who didn't espouse all these beliefs we've been raised with? Assuming that everyone will feel that way would be a terrible mistake. It needs to be made clear that the Fire Nation will never again tread down that warpath… our people, above all else, need to understand that."

"Then… education?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded. "You'd have to reform all of that too…"

"I intend to. In time," Azula said, with a dry grin.

"And while you do… we shall keep matters in line," Mei Xun nodded. Azula smiled. "I believe… I believe this is a worthy purpose. I don't know if everyone agrees, but… I certainly can pledge myself to this cause without hesitation."

"The rest of our armed forces would still be in operation, I take it?" Commander Rahi asked. "I mean… it seems natural that they would be, but I can only wonder if the White Lotus has demanded for us to undo our armed forces completely, in order to ensure we will never again be a hazard."

"They haven't made any such demand so far," Sokka said. "If they did, I'd let you know… but I don't think it's in their best interest to try. All nations would have to dissolve their armies in that case, I suspect… and perhaps that could be a goal to aspire to, in many, many years. But as things stand now, I don't think you have anything to fear when it comes to that."

"Very well," Commander Rahi said, nodding. "I think it's for the best. The Fire Nation people can be fickle, quick to rage… if they believed the Fire Nation's armies are now operating against them, through us, the acceptance of Enforcers in society might just crumble."

"That's a reasonable concern," Azula nodded. "But one we cannot allow to control us for the time being. I fear that the Enforcers may indeed be known as the Fire Nation army branch that acts against our people, yes… but provided we all understand our mission? Public perception of the Enforcers will be the least of our concerns. If anything, it's expected that they'd reject us due to the current belief system the Fire Nation holds. On the day Enforcers' duties are no longer needed? That's when we know we've been successful at undoing the horrors that my forefathers injected into the very core of Fire Nation identity. Only then will I consider, if I'm still alive to dictate anything to begin with, that the Enforcers' job is done."

"It would take a long time indeed," Sae mumbled. "Maybe a few more generations."

"It took multiple ones for the Fire Nation to reach this point. So yes, multiple generations are quite likely to be needed in order to finally burn down the foundations of that belief system and give voice to a new one in its stead," Azula said. Sae nodded. "But it has to start someplace, and this seems to be a reasonable beginning."

"We will devote ourselves to this cause. We will purge slavery's every wicked grip upon our nation," Mei Xun said, firmly. "As Enforcers we have seen and heard the plights of countless slaves who have suffered indignities beyond counting. Spending our lives righting these wrongs may not suffice… but it's a cause I will commit to wholeheartedly."

"Thank you," Azula said, nodding. "I will ask for much from the Enforcers in the coming years…"

"And we shall endeavor to provide everything you ask," Mei Xun said. Azula nodded.

"You will, however, require a boost of authority and position within the Fire Nation's armed forces to do so," she said. Mei Xun froze. "Yes, the Enforcers overall will require that, but… you, in particular, as well."

"I… I've been leading the Enforcers thus far. What more could you wish to…?" Mei Xun asked. Azula smiled.

"Well, Captain Mei Xun, if I am to ensure that the Enforcers are respected as a branch of the Fire Nation army on its own, rather than seen as some appendage of the Domestic Forces… I will need to level the playing field between your faction and all others," Azula explained, her smile sincere. "Therefore… I intend to draft documents to do so, and to name you, Mei Xin, the General of the Enforcers."

A gasp escaped her throat, much as a rumor of amazement arose among the others. Sokka, beside Azula, smiled with approving warmth at the Fire Lord…

"I… General?" Mei Xun gasped. "T-that's…! Princess, it may be too soon, perhaps, or sudden, or…! I… General of the Enforcers? That… that would make me…"

"The first female General in the history of the Fire Nation?" Azula asked, with uncontained pride. "That's correct."

Mei Xun's chest heaved as she laughed, tears of disbelief in her eyes. Azula nodded in her direction, and Sokka grinned, too.

"I know it's something that might have seemed to be well out of your reach… but it doesn't have to be anymore," Azula said. "From a young age I've thought our society has a long way to go when it comes to our role in it… now that I'm Fire Lord, I can start to remediate those problems. May the next female general in the Fire Nation army rejoice for the acknowledgement of her contributions to our nation, and not as much over shock to receive an honor that she never expected would belong to her, no matter how well-earned it might be."

Mei Xun breathed deeply and nodded, a slow smile spreading across her features. Azula smiled, bowing her head towards her respectfully, though that only compelled Mei Xun to offer her a greater reverence. While the others appeared amused, they joined her in doing so: Azula swallowed hard as the Enforcers bowed to her… as Sokka smiled fondly at the scene before him, delighted to find his lover's efforts to amend their world were already paying off.

The meeting's technical aspects proceeded then, as the group split duties among themselves: Rahi would aid Azula personally in writing the laws in full, while the others would take a hands-on approach to building up the infrastructure needed to host the former slaves they would surely need to take in, once the abolishment was effective. Mei Xun took care to begin organizing their troops, set on distributing them all across the Fire Nation's archipelago to make certain that no city or town would escape Fire Lord Azula's first grand step forward as leader of their nation.

Sokka mostly kept his silence across the meeting unless he had something important to provide: it was a relief to see the Enforcers were as deeply devoted to undoing slavery as Azula was. Their work with slaves, the efforts put into protecting them across the past years, had prepared them for this next step, no matter how radical it might appear to the rest of Fire Nation society… but they would be ready to face their reactions and rejections. They wouldn't back down from the path Azula had set for them to follow.

The meeting dragged out until dusk: by then, most of the Enforcers appeared exhausted but satisfied, if none so as much as Mei Xun, who spoke candidly with Azula, along with Commander Rahi. Sokka knew to exert patience, to wait until she was finished, knowing better than to interfere in the Princess's chance to secure the bridges she had built with her people long ago… and that distance he kept from the bulk of the group allowed someone to approach him while he was watching her.

"I-instructor Sokka. Curses, does it even make sense to call you that now?"

Sokka tensed up: Sae eyed him with uncertainty, but she smiled at him nonetheless.

"Well, I never really cared to be called that to begin with but… if you'd rather still do it, that's fine," he said, offering her a small smile. "Thanks for coming today. I hope the rest of the Enforcers support this initiative as you have."

"I'm sure they will. This is… it's exciting, even. Dangerous, difficult, yes, but… I know we can do it," Sae said, with determination. "We won't let the Fire Lord down. The… the Fire Lord."

The girl's smile upon saying that title a second time surprised Sokka. Sae laughed, shaking her head.

"It's incredible. I mean, deep down I hoped she would be, one day, but… I kind of thought, after she got forced to marry Zhao and all that? That she'd never have a chance to do it," Sae said, her smile fading before coming back in full strength. "You must be even happier than I am to see it happen, though."

"Well… I suppose you could say that," Sokka smiled. "It's been a long time coming. No one's worthier of that crown than she is."

"No… no one could hope to be," Sae smiled, hands behind her back. "Of that crown, and… of you, I'm sure."

Sokka tensed up: Sae chuckled, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"I always did wonder if it was her. When you said you weren't available…" Sae said. "I was curious about what that meant. Were you just so loyal to her that you wouldn't possibly entertain the idea of a relationship with anyone…? Or, maybe, were you just that loyal because you already had that relationship with her?"

Sokka swallowed hard: his cheeks flushed slightly, despite himself, and Sae laughed, bringing her hands together in a small clap.

"Are you really that happy to know I was always in love with her?" Sokka asked, confused. Sae nodded, startling him.

"I mean… it's ridiculously romantic," Sae laughed. "The rest of the girls? So many of them hoped so, too."

"Even now?" Sokka asked.

"Maybe now, more than ever," Sae said. "If you'd done everything you have without her in mind, then… well, it would have been less impressive, I guess. You'd just be another warlord, you know? But… you were more than that. You weren't fighting to claim power for yourself… you were fighting for the woman you love. And that's about the most romantic notion I could've ever imagined, heh."

Sokka smiled, shaking his head.

"So you're saying half the Enforcers suspected something was up all along, huh?"

"To be entirely fair… you were a little obvious," Sae said: Sokka laughed.

"Yeah? Were we? I wouldn't have guessed," he said. Sae shook her head.

"No, not both of you, you alone," she clarified: Sokka's eyes widened. "I mean, the way she treated you could've meant more but… she appeared more restrained than you did. Like… she could have held a torch for you and not acted on it at all, you know?"

"And I looked like I was ready to pounce on her at once?" Sokka asked. Sae snorted.

"More like… like you already had pounced," Sae smirked. Sokka huffed. "I know I shouldn't be poking my nose into it, it's none of my business, but I just wanted to say…"

"Yeah?"

"That you love her makes you… a lot less scary, and a lot easier to see you by her side again," Sae smiled. "You're still intimidating for a lot of people, hell knows you are still, even when I'm talking to you like this now, but… seeing you two together again makes it feel like the world is actually on the right track now. And if you'll be with her for good…"

"That's the plan," Sokka said. Sae smiled brightly.

"Then I really hope, and I speak for the Enforcers in general… that the two of you have a wonderful lifetime of happiness together," she said. Sokka smiled again at last, nodding in her direction.

"Thank you. It… it really does mean a lot to know the Enforcers, at least, might not think I'm some unforgivable monster," he said, though he twitched afterwards. "That is, if the Enforcers don't actually think I am one…"

"They don't," Sae confirmed, with a chuckle. "You are Instructor Sokka, after all. The swordsman who taught us so much… and who'd get starry-eyed the minute the Princess was anywhere near him."

Sokka chuckled upon hearing that. Sae smiled brightly before bowing her head slightly towards him.

"Thank you for coming back… and setting things right for her, and for all of us," Sae said.

"That last thing's still a work in progress," Sokka pointed out.

"I'm sure you two will succeed," Sae said. "And we'll be happy to help ensure that you do. We'll look forward to… to the new wedding, heh. We will be invited this time, right?"

"I'm not sure about any details, but… I assume so," Sokka said, with an awkward smile. "We haven't really settled on how to do it, or when, or…"

"It's a given that it will happen eventually… we'll sit tight and wait until it does," Sae grinned, waving at Sokka. "See you later, then! Hope things keep working out for the two of you!"

"T-thanks," Sokka smiled awkwardly and nodded in her direction.

Sae giggled before rushing to cling to Daiki's arm, who was waiting for her on his way out of the meeting. The sight brought Sokka to raise an inquisitive eyebrow… it seemed the outgoing, forward girl had found affection elsewhere after all. He smiled, watching them walk away briefly before changing his focus to Azula anew.

"I will attempt to organize the different elements of the law in articles by the next meeting, then," Rahi said: he held a rather thick scroll in his hand, the one Azula had been writing in throughout the meeting.

"I hope it's not too much work…" Azula said. Rahi smiled and shook his head.

"This is good work. I look forward to digging in," he said. "It has been an honor, my Lord. Feel free to summon us again whenever you require it."

"Indeed," Mei Xun smiled, bowing her head.

"I will see to making your promotion a reality as soon as possible, Mei Xun," Azula promised: the woman's face lit up further upon hearing those words.

"Thank you. I… I can't quite say how much this means to me," Mei Xun smiled earnestly. "I will do everything in my power to prove worthy of this honor, Fire Lord. I promise."

Azula nodded, with a kind smile. Mei Xun and Rahi offered her a new, profound reverence, before leaving the room. Azula breathed out heavily once they left: as tired as she might appear, she seemed quite satisfied, too. Sokka smiled at her, and she raised her eyebrows in his direction.

"That was a lot of work… and a lot of progress," she smiled. He chuckled, stepping close to kiss her lips softly. "And that does help make things less heavy, I will say that much…"

"I love you. Thank you," he whispered, pressing his soft lips to her brow: it seemed hotter than usual, and he frowned at the sensation. "Hey. Are you feeling sick?"

"Not fully, but… I may have a slight headache," Azula laughed, resting against his shoulder. "Feels like it's time for you to kiss it better, though…"

"Gladly," Sokka said, rubbing her back. "But… heh, maybe we could find Katara. She can heal a headache away, I'm sure."

"That's handy," Azula smiled. "Though I'm sure this is just… tension, stress, all those unpleasant feelings combined. You're pretty good at making them go away, though. But, well… maybe we ought to go home first. That might help, too."

"It might," Sokka said. "But, just in case…"

He cupped her face and kissed her fully again. Azula chuckled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to return his affection without restraint. Sokka smiled as he pressed his lips against hers playfully, letting his mouth caress her cheek and neck, too.

"You're getting bold…" she said.

"Just a little," Sokka said, with a proud grin. "Say… Sae talked to me just now."

"I noticed," Azula smiled, rubbing his back with both hands. "I was glad to see it. Felt like everyone was giving you the widest berth possible… hopefully they'll stop feeling so antsy about you soon."

"Hopefully. But… she said something that kind of caught me off-guard even though it shouldn't have," he smiled. "Remember how things used to be? How everyone took me as the obvious idiot clearly in love with you?"

"Uh… sure?" Azula smiled.

"Seems like most the Enforcers saw me that way," he said, with an awkward smile. Azula snorted. "Apparently… they think more highly of me because I love you. She outright said that if I'd done all this for power, I'd just be scary and unsettling, but… that it was a matter of love makes me less awful in their eyes, heh."

"Well… that better be the case for the bulk of the Fire Nation too, then," Azula smiled, rubbing his arms now. "Though I suppose it's easier said than done. A lot of people might not think highly of you just because of what you've done to get here, others because you're not Fire Nation… but a lot might just like you because we were Gladiator and Sponsor, right?"

"Right," Sokka smiled, kissing her brow again. "It's just… a relief to know that they don't hate me. If just them. That… that they support us like that. She asked if the Enforcers will be invited to our wedding, outright…"

"Oh," Azula laughed. "Well… that's a whole other source of stressful planning to work on. But…"

"We can put it off for a bit. It's fine," Sokka smiled.

"I'm just thinking… if we did it in the Coronation Temple again? It would be fine," Azula said. "We could basically invite the whole city… though, worth noting, we'll need tons of security if we did that. But…"

"Oh, how I missed my overplanning wife…"

Azula laughed, pressing her face to his neck as Sokka herded her out of the room, too. They remained in a gentle embrace, wound up together on their way across the Temple's halls.

"You'll marry me officially, so… whatever your title might be, you will become part of the Royal Family," she said, breathing deeply. "You'll be crowned on that day, I expect… so your position by my side can no longer be questioned."

"Ah… that's how it'd work?" Sokka asked, curious. Azula shrugged.

"I'd think so. But… it's not just you who needs to be crowned," Azula said. "Once you're my lawful husband in the eyes of the Fire Nation, well… Hotaru needs to be presented at the temple, you know? Before the sages… and I did hold it off so I could do it with her actual father, remember?"

"I… I remember," Sokka smiled, slowly. Azula grinned at him. "We could do that on our wedding too? And then… she'd be Crown Princess? From that moment onwards?"

"She can have a little crown of her own," Azula chuckled. "Her own coronation ceremony, provided she doesn't hate it and throws a tantrum for it. Not that she's much of a tantrum-thrower, but still…"

"She'll be our little Princess… well, littler. You're always a Princess for me," Sokka said, with a proud grin. Azula huffed, rolling her eyes before poking his ribs with a finger.

"I can't decide whether that's infuriating or endearing about you," she said. He chuckled. "And, considering your track record… it's probably just both and I'll just have to get used to it."

"You enjoy it when I mess with you, love," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "Say… wanna go home already? We ought to go to Hotaru, but… I kind of wondered if we ought to go talk to the White Lotus people who're still around first."

"Oh?" Azula raised her eyebrows, eyeing him with uncertainty. Sokka bit his lip.

"I figure it'll make them less apprehensive if they know we're already working on the slavery abolition," he said. Azula hummed. "Not to mention I'm hoping they're not causing a lot of trouble… they might be, you know. I can't say Jeong Jeong will be as strict as usual now that the war's over… and I have no idea what he's going to be doing next. Doubt he'll stick around for long, but…"

"But if he leaves, is he taking the rest of his White Lotus folks with him?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka shrugged.

"There's also… well, those who were like me. Gladiator Army but not White Lotus," Sokka said. "I'd like to make sure they'll be going home safely now that things are well enough in order… though, if you'd rather we leave that for tomorrow, that's alright too. We've gone most the day without Hotaru as it is…"

"Rei's taking good care of her. It's a novelty, really, leaving those two together without constantly worrying that they might be in danger," Azula smiled. "Though, granted, if I think about it too much, I start getting paranoid again. Maybe some sketchy bastard will try to approach your house and…"

"If they did, Rui Shi would set them on fire," Sokka declared, proudly. Azula smiled. "He's good at that. Blew up the Stingray once, after all, so… nobody with sense ought to go picking fights with him, you know?"

"That's true," Azula said, nodding and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'll try to relax… try, of course. But… well, we could go to see your White Lotus allies, then. Where are they, anyway?"

"As far as I could tell… they've set up camp in Harbor City," Sokka said. "Guess we'll have to try and get a lift there, if we can."

Azula nodded: they ensured to thank the Head Sage before bidding him farewell for the evening, and they set out together to find a carriage, deeper in the city, that might take them across the damaged streets, all the way to their next destination.

"We ought to have one of these for our personal use," Sokka determined, once they sat on the cushioned seats of the only carriage they had found, several streets past the Palace's premises. "I could drive it myself, even. I mean, after learning how to ride a moose lion, anything else is bound to be small in comparison…"

"Perhaps, but that might not be the wisest choice," Azula said. Sokka raised an eyebrow…

Her arm looped around his waist, and she pushed herself up to kiss him impulsively. Sokka smiled for it, cupping her neck with one hand, the other moving to her flank.

"See? I wouldn't have a chance to do that if you were driving. No can do," Azula said, shaking her head sagely.

Sokka chuckled: his earnest smile saw Azula grinning the same way as he swept her into his embrace, kissing her deep and thoroughly. She moaned happily, arms locking around his neck. This was nothing new, fundamentally, for the two of them… but the thought that they could course across the city, beyond its borders, while wrapped in an intimate embrace, without fear of the consequences, thrilled the two of them profoundly.

They could kiss passionately one moment, more lazy and leisurely the next, but that they nestled warmly in each other's arms across that entire trip was a given. No one would have guessed that they were currently making decisions that would change their world for good, for the careless joy between them would have suggested that they were carefree souls, simply basking in the love they shared.

Nevertheless, the carriage finally stopped upon reaching Harbor City: Sokka sighed as he tugged a curtain aside, confirming they were at their destination.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll ask the driver to wait for us until we're done, how about it?"

"Sounds good," Azula said: while he certainly didn't want to be away from her for one second, Azula appeared at great ease after the long session of kissing they had indulged in so far. Sokka smirked at her placid smiles and demeanor.

"I never imagined I'd see such a happy Fire Lord. Seems like I'm doing something right," he teased her, kissing the tip of her nose before pushing the carriage door open. Azula laughed, gazing at him in wonderment as he stepped out first, offering his hand for her to take.

"You're doing everything right. And you know I'm telling the truth because… well, if you weren't, I would be utterly forthright and blunt about it," she said, simply. Sokka chuckled.

"That much is undeniable," he said.

He still held her hand as he instructed the carriage driver to wait: the man's eyes drifted towards their intertwined fingers, cheeks flushed as he swallowed hard and promised to await them there. Anxiety inevitably arose within Azula's chest over the man's reaction… soon, not over his alone.

They turned gazes as they walked across Harbor City, be it the gazes of the White Lotus and Gladiator Army, or those of the locals who happened to be out and about on that day. Even so, she ensured not to let go of Sokka's hand. He smiled as he gazed at her with affectionate eyes, but his demeanor changed noticeably as they approached an area to the west of Harbor City: tents had been erected there, some smaller, some bigger, but all of them with painted or embroidered emblems of either the White Lotus or the Gladiator Army.

A few members of said army were loitering outside already: they gasped and bowed upon glimpsing Sokka, with a few quick, wary glances towards Azula, too. As much as their reactions mattered to Azula, her focus shifted towards Sokka completely: he had been easygoing, supportive and gentle over the past days, but a hardness surged in him now as he approached the people for whom he was a figure of authority. His blue eyes gained a coldness that gripped Azula's heart in a rather pleasant way, truth be told…

He frowned and glanced at her upon sensing her gaze insistently on him: he raised an eyebrow, and Azula failed to bite back a smile.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's just interesting to see General Sokka at his finest, that's all…" Azula mused, smirking. Sokka huffed, smiling slightly even if he couldn't quite let his guard down completely.

"I have to play the part of a proper leader, don't I?"

"You don't play it at all, silly. You are one," she smiled. "And seeing you wield your power and authority over them, well… it's bound to do a number or two on my system. Just saying."

Sokka chuckled, shaking his head. Azula grinned proudly at him.

"Keep talking like that and all this façade of the serious leader is going to crumble as easily as that," he chided her playfully. "So… you know, bottle it in, save it for when we're out of here. You'll get whatever you want from me after we've talked with Jeong Jeong."

"As you wish…" Azula smiled, tightening her grip on his hand.

His seriousness took a hit, nonetheless, by Azula's insistent staring. Sokka tried not to let her affect him, though he was unable to diminish his amusement as he marched across the tents until reaching the largest one: Jeong Jeong stood at the far end of it, poring over some manner of plans or documents with General Fong, and Anorak stood behind them, watching them nonchalantly. As the nearby members of the Order straightened up and saluted Sokka, with Anorak even smiling and waving, Jeong Jeong grew aware of his presence… and visibly stiffened upon realizing that his army's leader had marched into the room with none other than his future wife holding his hand.

"General Sokka," Jeong Jeong said, clearing his throat and nodding in his direction. "We were not expecting you."

"I suppose not, but I dropped by as a surprise nonetheless," Sokka said, glancing about himself before raising his eyebrows. "Everything alright?"

"Well… to a fault," Jeong Jeong said. "We're managing ourselves as best we can. But… unfortunately, sending our troops back home is no easy feat."

"Why?" Sokka frowned.

"To be blunt… because many do not wish to leave yet, to begin with," Jeong Jeong said.

"Several members of the Order are determined to remain in the Fire Nation until they see undeniable changes have been set in motion here," Anorak explained.

"An understandable concern, and yet an inconvenient one," Jeong Jeong mused. "We do not have the infrastructure or resources to feed this entire army, long-term, in Fire Nation lands."

"You won't need to," Sokka frowned. "If it's change they want, then they ought to set out sooner than later. Azula has started working on the laws to abolish slavery today."

Anorak's eyes widened. Jeong Jeong stiffened, and General Fong hummed in interest and acknowledgment.

"Well, that's… that's quite some progress in quite little time," Jeong Jeong said. "As I understood, work to rebuild the Palace was beginning…"

"As I'm not the one setting the stones in place, it seemed natural to leave others to handle construction while I took care of other urgent matters, myself," Azula said. "The Enforcers are supporting me in the construction of the laws, as well. We made quite some progress today alone, I'm hoping the full document will be ready soon."

"Good," Anorak said, with a slow smile. "That's great news."

"It is, but… you've come to inform us of this?" Jeong Jeong asked. "Or is it… you'd like for us to have a say upon the matter?"

"Well, it's not the worst idea to let you have one, yeah," Sokka shrugged. "But ultimately it won't be up to you. There are, unfortunately, some limitations that need to be set on how these laws work. Even if you have demands, it's entirely possible that they won't go fulfilled simply due to the constraints of building this kind of law…"

"I understand," Jeong Jeong said. "But… it does seem that White Lotus assessment ought to be involved in these laws as well. Not that I do not trust your judgment, General Sokka… but a representative of the White Lotus could be present to confirm to us that everything's going according to the promises made on our meeting, some time ago."

"You really don't trust my judgment, then," Sokka said, with an awkward grin. Jeong Jeong huffed.

"I didn't say…"

"If it's a representative you want… I could take care of that."

Anorak spoke out, interrupting a likely argument between Sokka and Jeong Jeong. Both Azula and Sokka eyed him with interest, whereas Jeong Jeong appeared irritable… and yet, defeated.

"You, Anorak?" he asked. "Are you quite sure? This role… it may entail staying in the Fire Nation for a prolonged period of time."

"As it is, there's plenty of people who want to do that. If I stick around, I can try to keep those in check," Anorak suggested, hands on his hips. "That way, General Sokka won't have to worry about babysitting White Lotus members instead of working on changing the world, see?"

"Babysitting?" Jeong Jeong repeated. Anorak shrugged.

"It isn't only the White Lotus ones, though," Fong interjected. "In fact… I'd dare say the ones who aren't White Lotus are a bigger concern."

"You're worried about those who only joined the Gladiator Army?" Sokka asked.

"They seem quite determined to stick around and we have very little authority over them, if any," Jeong Jeong huffed. "Anorak would have to handle them, if he stays indeed. And that means… not visiting the North Pole for quite some time, still. Are you certain?"

"Well… my family's still there. I'm sure they can wait a little longer until I can come," Anorak said, nobly. "For now… I would be proud to provide my support and ensure the Fire Nation's new course continues to be as it was promised to us."

"It will," Azula said, with a nod. "But… in what capacity would you become an active element of our work? Would you be some kind of White Lotus-sanctioned supervisor, seeing what we do, sending reports…?"

"I… I suppose?" Anorak said, glancing at Jeong Jeong with uncertainty. The old man shrugged.

"And where does that leave you, for that matter?" Azula asked the firebender.

"Hopefully, far away from your shores," he said, bluntly. Azula raised her eyebrows. "I do not intend to stay here for longer than necessary. If Anorak will take charge of the remnants of our army who choose to stay, then my work here is… well, as good as complete. I would return to the White Lotus headquarters and ensure to… to return to our roots, if I can make it so. Our role in amending balance across years of war has been fulfilled, if not in the expected manner… and it may be time for the White Lotus to truly stand for what it was meant to."

"Hmm. So you were aware that your guiding principles had been entirely dismissed over the past years, then," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "Can't say I expected that, but good to know."

"It was necessary," Jeong Jeong said: he sounded exhausted, but he spoke sternly, nonetheless. "I do not intend to make excuses for our worst actions and choices. The universe has certainly seen to proving me wrong in enough regards as it is. I will not pretend otherwise. But with the world in disarray, it seemed an institution like the Order would be better suited by actually fighting for what was right instead of standing idly on the sidelines… whether we did it the right way or not, that's a whole other matter."

"Well… if you intend to go back to the Fortress that's fine by me," Sokka said, with a shrug. "The truth is it's going to be difficult to keep tempers from flaring and chaos from rising if our forces stay here. Take as many with you as you can, I'd say."

"I shall attempt to," Jeong Jeong said. "But as I said, some are quite reluctant to leave at all."

"I'll handle that. As best as I'm able," Anorak assured them. "Though, when it comes to the actual gladiators… I don't believe that group will listen to anything I have to say."

"Some might go back to the Dragon's Pit of their own volition," Sokka reasoned. "They were there because they wanted to be. As for those who were slaves, we will attempt to reunite as many families as possible. The gladiators I saved from the Amateur Arena that time… they might just choose a reunion rather than remaining here, at least. I don't know about the rest."

"That's an admirable initiative, though a challenging one, I'm sure," Jeong Jeong said. "It will take many years… and I cannot say you will succeed with every case. Many may have lost their lives, be it while fighting in the war, rebelling against their masters or simply as victims of their violence."

"I know. We'll do our best, nonetheless," Sokka said.

"You would need the cooperation from the rest of the nations to that effect, though," Jeong Jeong said. "There's a chance that the separated families were spread across colonies and Fire Nation territories alike. If you intend to search for them… well, you will need to collaborate beyond these borders."

"That much was a given, but… we can't set out to establish these diplomatic bonds just yet," Azula said. "I, at least, thought abolishing slavery first would be a priority…"

"But he does have a point," Sokka said, glancing at Azula with a raised eyebrow. "Not to mention… we are worried about retaliation from Shaofeng and his forces, aren't we? If you establish the law, and then leave for a few months on your journeys to establish proper terms of peace with each nation, he could very well start a coup or so, taking advantage of your absence…"

"So… what, we withhold the laws?" Azula asked, frowning. "I'm not quite sure I wish to do that. I agree that the diplomacy is absolutely necessary, but…"

"You may just need it first in order to secure slavery's abolishment for good," Jeong Jeong mused. "I do not intend to tell you what to do, personally… but while I appreciate the rush to see it done, I do believe it may be best to see it done effectively, rather than quickly. If General Sokka's assessment is correct… you may be better served by leaving the Enforcers behind, to hone these laws and texts, while you set out to establish peace talks with each nation's leader indeed. I know these talks will entail many subjects, not only slavery… but if you do intend to reunite families and aid the victims of these atrocities, setting up these bridges may be the better way forward. It's but a thought."

Azula sighed: it would be a setback… but one that, politically, could play out in their favor. Her people would be rejoicing in her current status as Fire Lord, proud to follow her lead, but a considerable number of them might just change their favorable views on her quite quickly if she changed their world too abruptly. Politics did require subtlety, subterfuge... she breathed deeply as she rubbed her forehead with her free hand, and Sokka eyed her with intent.

"I… I will think on this. You may just be correct," she said. Jeong Jeong raised his eyebrows. "But I do need time to ensure that leaving the Fire Nation for this journey won't be a mistake just yet. I wanted to strengthen my position properly first."

"You may. It isn't up to me to decide this," Jeong Jeong said. "Nonetheless, the White Lotus can very well provide support when it comes to reuniting families. It is a noble goal, and one that might allow us to return indeed to these roots. Should you approve, we may collaborate with the Enforcers for your purposes abroad."

"That sounds like a plan," Sokka nodded. Azula did, too.

"Then… perhaps we may discuss the terms of this collaboration more thoroughly tomorrow," she said. "And I'll see to the journey, next. It's always been a priority to start on it, but… this might be coming about sooner than I intended it."

"It's probably a good idea, provided we secure your position in the Fire Nation properly," Sokka said, his voice firm and strong. "The Head Sage can help, but we'd probably need military force to ensure your position is respected while you're abroad, too."

"Rui Shi is reliable. You said so earlier," Azula said, with a shrug. "The Enforcers can help, too. I'll have to name someone deputy Fire Lord, I suppose… too bad Zuko's gone, huh?"

"That might have been a risk anyway, with people wanting him to take the role in full," Sokka said, with a skeptical grin. "But yeah… we ought to figure something out. Someone needs to fill in for you while we're gone."

"You would travel with her, then," Jeong Jeong said: Sokka's skeptical glare spoke for itself. "I merely wished to confirm it, there's nothing more to it."

"We'll sort this out," Azula sighed. "It might take time, nonetheless. But… the sooner we get going, the sooner the new laws will be in effect."

"And the White Lotus will support you in this venture, for sure," Anorak said.

"Say… we would be visiting the Northern Water Tribe on this trip," Sokka pointed out: Anorak raised his eyebrows. "Whenever it does happen… if you stay with us, you could visit your family once we get there."

"O-oh. Well… that would be agreeable," Anorak said, with a slow smile.

"In that instance, would that mean we'd travel with all the White Lotus people who intend to stay in the Fire Nation, too?" Azula asked, puzzled. "If Anorak came with us, he would not be watching over them, so…"

"We could assign someone else to keep tabs on them. Like… Jet," Sokka shrugged. Azula raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I know why you'd be skeptical, but he's been a pretty upstanding guy ever since he's been part of our group, at least. I think he could be given command over the White Lotus people who stay in the Fire Nation… and Toph can have command over him, too."

"He does strike me as a masochist. No doubt he'll enjoy giving her that much power over him," Azula smiled. "Well, this is all stuff we ought to settle over time. Figuring it all out right now might be beyond us."

"That's true. So… we might reconvene tomorrow to make bigger decisions," Sokka said. "For now… we'll call it a day, I think. It's been a lot of work as it is."

"And we appreciate the efforts, do not doubt it, General," Jeong Jeong said, bowing his head towards him. "Once we have a clear course for the days ahead, I shall take my leave. But for now… do ensure to maintain control and clarity, both of you. The leadership of the Fire Nation, of the whole world, is nothing to scoff at. You may just be the most capable hands they could have fallen into."

His compliment caught Azula off-guard. She raised her eyebrows skeptically, but Sokka smiled and wrapped his free arm over her waist.

"Thanks for that. Let's hope we don't disappoint," he told Jeong Jeong. "See you all later."

"Have a good evening, General!" General Fong exclaimed. Anorak bowed his head in Sokka and Azula's direction, as did Jeong Jeong.

Sokka's demeanor was different as they made their way back to the carriage: Azula might have relished in seeing his stressed façade crumble, but her mind raced with countless thoughts after that short meeting.

"That's a lot of changes he's insinuated into our plans… some of which might just be fine, yes, but still," she said, once they were in the carriage anew, on their way to Sokka's house. "Traveling so soon? I… I don't know. It's not the worst idea, but I haven't been Fire Lord long enough to feel comfortable leaving the place for months at a time."

"I know, and I understand entirely," Sokka said, with a deep breath.

"At least, we have to pass the ban on dragon hunting first," Azula said, shaking her head. "That way… we could set them free on our way through the world, right? Two birds with one stone. Otherwise, we'd have to travel again and…"

"We won't need to do that," Sokka smiled, squeezing her hand gently.

"Where would we even start?" she sighed. "We'd need to go to Ba Sing Se, without a doubt… maybe Omashu, too? The Northern Water Tribe, the Southern Water Tribe…"

"Some of the colonies, maybe?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"Would that be of any use? I'd need to establish our stance on the colonies with the Earth Kingdom first. I mean, I think it's obvious that they'll go back to Earth Kingdom control, but…"

"Your ideas on multiple citizenships were great, though," Sokka smiled. "I'm sure it will be hard to implement, but it's a great way to ensure that your people won't feel like they're bereft of protection once the colonies return to Earth Kingdom jurisdiction. But I guess you may just need…"

"Someone to be in charge of all that?" Azula sighed, closing her eyes. "Why does it feel like I know a thousand people, and yet right now I can't think of anyone I'd ask to take up such difficult jobs for me…?"

"Because you know how big a burden this may be… you don't want to give anyone more trouble than they can handle," Sokka said, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. "But I'm sure you can delegate properly. You already started doing it, and you'll keep on doing it too."

"I'll try, if anything," she said, sighing before meeting his gaze. "Who do you think we ought to leave in charge of the Fire Nation while we're gone, though?"

"Well… the Head Sage comes to mind," Sokka said, raising an eyebrow. "But, uh, I don't know if he should have full power. Splitting it between him and someone else might be a good idea, but I don't think anyone from your family should be an option. You can't exactly leave Hotaru behind to be your substitute, the way Ozai did with you back in the day, can you?"

"Certainly not," Azula huffed. Sokka chuckled. "She's coming with us. Without question."

"And… what about the others?" Sokka asked. Azula frowned. "Be it Rei, or Song… hell, even Aang and Katara. Maybe… maybe we could ask one of them?"

"I wouldn't want Rei to face that kind of hardship," Azula said. "She's smart, but… too kind-hearted. I doubt she's ready to face the world of politics. The Avatar… he ought to be with us, right? He's the broker of peace and balance, as far as the world is concerned. Leaving him to watch the Fire Nation instead of bringing him along, as some kind of arbiter or mediator between me and the other leaders… it might not be wise. And your sister would follow him anywhere, I'm sure."

"Which leaves… Song?" Sokka said. Azula grimaced.

"Would she want to do something like that? She knows enough about this kind of thing, after over a year in the Fire Nation Palace, but… she's not Fire Nation, to begin with."

"But… most people don't know that," Sokka mused.

Azula's eyes widened. She met Sokka's gaze, and he smirked mischievously.

"You… you mean…" Azula huffed. "I wouldn't be asking Song to do it… I'd be asking Niece Wen?"

Sokka snorted, covering his mouth as he laughed: even so, Azula's eyes lit up with the grand idea he had only just brought to her tired, but eager mind.

Naturally, the woman in question was far more distressed by that notion than the two of them were, once they presented it to her after arriving at Sokka's house: with Hotaru happily fed by her mother, carelessly laughing as her father set her on his bouncing knee, Azula smiled awkwardly at an utterly flabbergasted Song, whose fiancé appeared just as apprehensive as she was.

"I know this is sudden, but… considering everything you've proven capable of?" Azula said. "Do you really think this is beyond you?"

"Azula, I am… not Fire Nation. Let's start there, shall we?" Song asked, with an awkward grin. "As much as I intend to stay here, with all of you, t-that doesn't make me the most suitable choice for your replacement. Y-you could ask Mai! She'd be a better choice…!"

"She'd be far more ready to shoot me down than you already are," Azula smiled. "But I suppose, if you refuse in full, she'd be my next choice…"

"I received lessons on nobility from Lo and Li, sure," Song recited, elbows on the dinner table, head between her hands. "They taught me how to act, how to be a proper fake noble and all that, but…! They never taught me how to be Fire Lord, of all things. I can't… can't fathom something like this. And if it were known that I'm Earth Kingdom…! Wouldn't you get into trouble for that?"

"As long as nobody learns of it, I suppose not," Azula said, with a slow smirk. "Plus, you'd have Rui Shi to protect you from any bastards who might try to do you harm, so…"

"Me and the rest of the group," Rui Shi reasoned, frowning. "The entire team would have to stay while you go abroad, wouldn't we?"

"I'd entrust the safety of the Fire Nation to you, yes," Azula said, nodding. "As for Song… you'd just have to hold office in the Temple, on the most part. The Sages will support you, the Head Sage in particular… you two get along fine, right?"

"Well, sure…" Song grimaced.

"Say… how about you shadow me for about a week? Kind of as you had to when I was pregnant," Azula suggested, with a teasing smile. Song raised an eyebrow. "See what kind of work I get up to during this week, and if you decide it's too challenging, I'll turn to Mai and endure whatever torment she inflicts upon me in consequence. But… I do think you could do it. I know you have it in you. It's just about whether you want to or not, in the end."

"W-well, as things stand, I can't say I want to," Song mumbled, shrinking in her seat. "It sounds way more terrifying than you're letting on. I mean, what if someone comes to me with big, important questions like… what kind of marble you want on the Palace's floor, for instance!"

"I'm sure that they won't be at the stage of asking for that kind of decision just yet," Azula smiled. "But… would that really bother you? Nobody has a clearer idea of what Fortress Sokkazula looked like than you did. Sounds to me like you'd have it well in hand if they wanted that."

Song groaned, glancing at Rui Shi with uncertainty. He smiled, running his hand over her hair.

"To be quite fair… Deputy Fire Lord Song isn't a bad notion altogether," he said. Song gasped in horror. "You'd be the first person of Earth Kingdom blood to hold the Fire Nation throne… well, as non-existent as it may be right now."

"You're saying I… I'd go down in history as…?" Song asked, chest heaving. Rui Shi laughed as she appeared to hyperventilate. "That… that does not help. Not one bit, Rui Shi…!"

"Oh, you're so insecure sometimes," he laughed, wrapping her in his embrace: Song's wide eyes spoke for themselves. "One week. If that doesn't feel manageable… you heard her, right?"

"I did. I… I understand, but… this is terrifying," Song said, with a small voice.

"It won't be too long… or will it?" Rui Shi asked. Azula sighed.

"I would do my very best to settle all diplomatic affairs as fast as possible, but… even so, it will be a matter of months. Over three months, I'd wager," she said. Song's eyes widened. "I would not wish to leave the Fire Nation for that long, no, but…"

"But the world needs you to confirm that the Fire Nation is no longer a threat," Sokka said, hugging Hotaru to his chest as the child giggled. "As hard as it may be to do this… it's necessary."

"It won't be forever," Azula said. "But it does feel like I'll be stagnant in my leadership unless I do this soon. It's a greater danger not to try than to do it, in short."

"Right… and your brother's no longer here. Nor is there any other member of your family in any position to handle this," Song sighed. "How about… calling Lady Morishita? She looked up to you, wanted to be like you, right? Being your substitute certainly would make her feel like she's important, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe, but… that would be difficult to arrange. Bringing them here now…?" Sokka asked.

"It would take time too, and I'd have to train Kori just as much as I'd train you," Azula pointed out. Song groaned. "I suppose… Aonu? I didn't think of it before, but…"

"He's busy now, isn't he?" Sokka pointed out. "You wanted him to work with Chan and Renkai…"

"I did," Azula sighed. "Not enough foresight with that one, I guess. I suppose I could try him too, but… I have the feeling he'd be even more adamantly against it than Song is. After losing Renzhi… he's going to take a long time to recover from that."

"Yeah," Sokka sighed, but he glanced at Song and smiled. "Which means you're the likeliest, best candidate! Congratulations!"

"You're so funny," she said, with a twitching smile. Sokka chuckled. "I… I don't know about any of this. I mean, what you say about a week of watching you handle things doesn't sound so bad. But… it's still scary."

"I'd offer to do it, but I don't think I'd be any better at it than you," Rei chimed in, smiling as she approached Song, setting a hand on her shoulder. "But, say… I could take care of the house, and cooking, all the things you're doing lately, while you work as Fire Lord!"

"Y-yeah, well… it's good that you'd handle it, Rei, but I…" Song said, blinking blankly and shaking her head. "Oh, goodness. Oh, goodness, you'll owe me a very long vacation if I actually comply, Azula…"

"Once I have money again? I'll pay for it off the Palace vaults entirely," Azula promised: Song burst out laughing. "I'll pay for your wedding, too! See, I'll be indebted to you for quite a bit, even more than I already am, so…"

"I suppose making it so the Fire Lord owes me a lot of favors isn't the worst thing in the world," Song reasoned, though she eyed Azula warily. "You'll… you'll pay back with one thing for starters, then. You'd bring my mother a message for me, and… w-well, if she's willing, she could come visit, at least, if she'd rather stay in Ba Sing Se permanently. But if she wants to move here for good, then… then that means you'd bring her to the Fire Nation with you on your way back. That's a start, right?"

"That… that's doable, yes," Azula said, with a slow smile. Song smiled back. "Any other requests?"

"I'll get back to you on that. This might actually make it worth it…" Song reasoned, with a smirk. Rui Shi laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"Deputy Fire Lord Song," Sokka smiled. "We were talking about titles people would be holding, from now on…"

"Titles?" Rui Shi repeated.

"Well, in your case, you'd have to agree to be the General of the Guards, Rui Shi," Azula said, with a slow smile: the man raised his eyebrows slowly. "If, of course, you'll concede to that…"

"Huh. Shaofeng's accusations that I only ever wanted his job will feel justified this way," Rui Shi said, though he smirked as he finished the statement. "You're quite sure?"

"There's no one else I want in this role," Azula said. "You'll handle the guards, for now we'll only have two squads. The remnants of the previous first squad will be taken into custody, at least until it's proven that they're not still under Shaofeng's thumb…"

"They most likely are," Rui Shi said.

"Precisely. I do believe there's a chance that the second squad isn't quite so bad," Azula said. "So… I'm thinking we'd merge the remnants of the current second and third squads and make it a single squad, led by Renkai. Captain of the new Second Squad. As for the first… I believe Fei Li has done fine as captain across the years. He can retain his role, whereas you'll outgrow yours and be tasked with managing both squads and securing the safety of the city this way. How about it?"

"Why…" Rui Shi said, as he smiled more earnestly. "I will be honored to serve as General of your guards, Fire Lord Azula. Thank you for this opportunity."

"You've long earned it. Thank you, right back," Azula smiled.

"The deputy Fire Lord and the General of the Guards…" Sokka recited, smirking: Song huffed in his direction. "Sounds like an even more outlandish love story than ours, Azula."

"Not a chance," Song smiled.

"The Fire Lord and the man who brought the world to heel?" Rui Shi asked. "The Gladiator, beacon of freedom across all four nations? You wish we were as scandalous as you two are. That seems like too steep a challenge for anyone to achieve."

"Maybe so," Azula smiled fondly at Sokka, who snickered proudly.

"What about Sokka's official title, though? Thought of that yet?" Song asked.

"Well… we'll still have time to figure that out. I suppose the wedding's not going to happen until we come back, so… we'll think of something as we travel," Azula said, smiling at her partner before turning to Song and Rui Shi again. "Also, we'll try to maintain contact constantly while we're out. If any dangers arise, any serious threats, simply send word and we'll be back as soon as possible. If you need any advice, any official Fire Lord decisions, my approval for anything in particular… then send word about that, too."

"Please do," Song smiled. "This is going to take time for me to wrap my head around. It might be less scary as time goes by. But, just for the record… I can stash away some things for you to handle once you come back, right? Because, well, stuff like the Fortress's construction, I shouldn't have the final say on things like the furniture and such! Right? Right. The only thing I would need is… oh! The rug!"

"The… rug?" Sokka said: Song's eyes lit up as she glanced at Azula.

"Okay. That's… that's one thing you have to do before you leave," she said, with a bright grin. Azula blinked blankly.

"What… the rug you wanted us to decorate and paint ourselves?" she asked. Song grinned and nodded.

"Well, the plan I had in mind is pretty simple, but… seeing how things are going to be, going forward? I think I had a good idea for it," she said, with a happy chuckle. "Yep, that rug is the one thing we have to make sure makes it all the way into the big new Palace."

"What exactly is this thing about the rug?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Song had a simple, plain rug in my room, waiting for the right moment to decorate it since, well… before Hotaru was born," Azula explained. Song nodded.

"Thus, the sooner we do it, the better," she smiled.

"Well, then, if I agree to your rug decoration, you absolutely agree to serving as Deputy Fire Lord for a few months?" Azula asked, amused. Song stiffened, but she sighed and smiled.

"At this point… I think it's as good as a deal that I'll do it," she said. "I'll still make sure to enjoy all the benefits that come along with it, though. Mark my words."

"Duly noted," Azula smiled. "Thank you."

The hectic dinner seemed to still be quite energetic after the conversation: Rei was determined to start working in the kitchen already, helped by the book of recipes that Song had long ago compiled for Sokka and Azula. Supported by the rest of the group, she ensured to set up everything for that night's meal, getting in good practice for the days to come.

Azula as good as slumped into bed by the time she reached Sokka's room, falling face-first into the pillow. Sokka smiled as he watched her, carefully tucking in a sleeping Hotaru, as well.

"You're as cute and tired as your mom, aren't you? Yes, you are…" he said, beaming and kissing the child's brow.

"G-give her one more… for my share…" Azula groaned. "I'm not getting up until tomorrow at this rate…"

"I bet you're not," Sokka kissed Hotaru again and smiled, pulling back and gazing at his lover with heartfelt affection. "You know… you'll probably still keep working while we're on the road. Writing up proposals, documents, treaties and whatnot…"

"Yeah… fun times galore," Azula sighed. Sokka approached, sitting by her bedside. "What about it?"

"That you don't have to do it every day, I guess," he said. "We can take a few leisure days, you know? Maybe not so much once we reach our destinations, but… before that, at least. And frankly… the idea of traveling around with you again is blissful, Azula. I… I really missed doing that. Just revisiting all those places with you… I have no doubts it'll make the world look that much brighter than before."

"Hmm," Azula sighed heavily. "We'll still have a lot on our plate…"

"We will," Sokka agreed.

"But maybe the most exhausting thing is… that we haven't had a chance to fuck for a couple of days."

Sokka smiled knowingly. Despite herself, Azula smiled a little, too.

"We'll find the time. On the road? We'll definitely have more chances for it," Sokka said, leaning close to kiss her cheek. "I'd offer now, but…"

"Hotaru's in the room," Azula mumbled.

"We can be quiet. Well, at least, I can…"

"Hush, you."

Sokka chuckled, kissing her again: her smile was stronger now as she turned in bed, gazing at him with heartfelt emotion.

"It really is starting to take shape, huh?" Azula said. "The world we wanted to build… the Fire Nation I wanted to lead."

"That's right," Sokka smiled, kissing her brow. "Of course, we have a lot of work left ahead of ourselves… but we can do it. I know we can."

"For sure," Azula cupped his face, kissing his lips softly. "Just, uh… one question. Where are we going first?"

"On our trip? Well, I figured the Northern Water Tribe is the logical place to start…" Sokka said. Azula hummed. "Why?"

"And after?"

"I suppose… heh. We'd be going backwards. You know, the same way I progressed through my campaign, but the other way around," Sokka chuckled. "Next closest place would be Ba Sing Se, then Omashu, and then the South."

"Hmm," Azula's eyes drifted off. Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"Azula…?"

"I… am going to see her again. In Ba Sing Se. Aren't I?"

Sokka stiffened. Azula breathed deeply, meeting his gaze as he perched himself atop her.

"Well… yeah. Unless you don't want to," he said. Azula breathed deeply.

"I… I think I'll want to. I think I need to," she said. "Just one more thing to prepare for, when we get there. One more thing to brace myself for."

"Yeah… but you'll be okay," Sokka said, affectionately. "I know why you're tense, I know why you worry, but…"

"I know you know, but… doesn't really make me stop doing it," Azula said, breathing deeply. "It… it doesn't matter. I'll be able to handle her. You'll be with me, and… that makes everything that much easier. Or it should, at least…"

Sokka smiled, kissing her again before rolling into bed, taking her into his arms. Azula sighed before coughing lightly, startling him. She shuddered, shaking her head upon the resurgence of that unsettling sensation in her throat…

"First time today, isn't it?"

"Kind of shocking, huh? Considering how much I've talked in one day," she said, with a soft chuckle. "Anyway, don't mind it. If it's spacing out further, then… I'm getting better. I'll be fine."

"You will be," Sokka said, nodding and hugging her tightly. "Be it when it comes to your mother… or when it comes to that corruption."

Azula nodded, hugging him just as tightly… unaware of the thoughts that Sokka's mind already indulged in, when it came to the latter matter. There might just be a chance, one place in the world, where they'd be able to find help for Azula's condition. While her remaining corruption might not be lethal or permanent, Sokka would rest easier if they could heal Azula for good. While his thoughts as to their first destination obeyed practicality, his ulterior motive to propose the Northern Water Tribe as their first stop would become apparent to Azula once he requested one final favor from Arnook… from his healers, and their powerful, spiritual water.