The documents had been signed. The council, the military, the servants, the nobles, and by now, the entire city, had heard of the Fire Lord's decision, and so far, it seemed everyone had accepted it. Some noblemen were begrudging to do so, regardless of Prince Zuko's sudden departure and the fact that, whether they liked it or not, Azula would become Crown Princess for all effects soon enough. She had been acknowledged by the Head Sage as well: all the relevant factors that could have delayed or stopped her from taking up this new role had instead paved the way for the Princess to rise to the highest position of honor she could reach, second only to the Fire Lord himself.
It was in fact the Head Sage who presided the session taking place now in Ozai's Throne Room. He stood before the Princess, chanting the oaths that she would have to abide by as she became her father's exclusive heir. She was to honor her father, to serve her nation, to protect her people, to preserve her dignity… the very last one made her stomach sink, but she gave away no sign of discomfort as she knelt before the man, her head bent, her fist against her palm. Ozai watched from his throne, a pleased smirk on his face, as his brother sat to his left, with a prominent scowl on his usually jovial features.
Azula and the Sage were at the center of the room, in the area that was often occupied by the world map. Lined at either side stood her father's council, with the latest arrival amongst them. Azula had wondered briefly if her father would have Zhao joining him at his right hand, the position that was now hers by right. He hadn't, though: Zhao stood at the same level as everyone else, even when Azula wasn't meant to use her place beside her father today.
"Do you swear, by the blood that built our nation, by the lives of your father and your forefathers before him, to uphold your nation's honor until your last breath?" the Head Sage said. It was the last oath she had to take.
"I swear," Azula replied, loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the room.
The man nodded and made a gesture towards the doors. Two servants stood there, holding a golden armor in their hands.
It was the present Zhao had told Azula about when he sought her in her room, the day after the Ball. He had led her to Ozai's offices, where she had been measured by the designer Ozai had hired for the task of creating two new sets of armor for himself and his daughter. Seeing as the Crown Prince's headpiece had been missing for over a century, he had decided to present Azula with something with even more grandeur than just a hairpiece. Of course, he decided he required one to match: it seemed it was time, in Ozai's eyes, to renovate the Royal Family's wardrobe. The rest of the military were bound to follow eventually in the innovation of their armor style.
Azula's current outfit was comprised by a black shirt, with gold cuffs like the armor that would be fitted around her body now. The tunic she wore atop it was deep red, with a gold thread highlighting its hem. Her trousers were made of the same soft fabric and shade as her shirt – her boots were the only element in her outfit to feature only a small variation in the form of a golden ring wrapped right under her knee guard. Her hairpiece rested on her half-knot, and with its golden glow, it matched the armor that the servants had finally brought to her.
"With this armor, and our Fire Lord and his council as witnesses, I now declare you, Princess Azula, the Crown Princess of our Nation of Fire," said the Head Sage, as Azula lifted her arms, allowing the servants to slide the armor over her head and attach it to her body by the flanks.
Every eye was upon her when the servants withdrew themselves, and Ozai smirked before saying:
"Rise, my daughter, Crown Princess Azula."
She shifted into a standing position slowly, with the same elegant fluidity she had performed her ceremony with. Her eyes found her father's, who grinned and nodded at her curtly as she turned on her heels, facing the rest of the occupants of the room.
They all bowed down by the waist, even the oldest of them, their fists pressed to their palms. Azula stood in place, her head held high in a proud gesture. It was done now. Despite her fears and all she had dreaded, her father's will had been enforced, as expected. And seeing how Zuko had been at sea for over a week now, no factions of opposition were likely to rise against her new position any time soon. Ozai had dealt with every single obstacle in his daughter's way as effectively as Azula often did with the tasks he appointed to her. Nothing could stop her, at least, not at the moment. The world was hers for the taking.
Had it been a Fire Lord coronation, it would have taken place in the Coronation Plaza, but announcements of new Crown Princes weren't considered a public matter, since they usually weren't a matter of joy. The Crown Prince was always supposed to be the firstborn son of the Fire Lord: if another of his children took up the position it was usually because said son had perished in battle, which was a national tragedy. Hence, the next heir to the Fire Lord was crowned in a private procedure and announced to the public afterwards. Azula's new position had been announced already during the Ball, so the private procedure was the only thing left to be dealt with.
Hence, here she was now, one week after her father's announcement, with a brand-new golden armor and a strange sensation of ease nestling within her: he could barely believe this had gone as smoothly as it had. Fortune had taken her side this time, no doubt, or else instead of celebrating her new title she would have found herself fighting her brother in the Agni Kai Arena.
Zuko's departure had been just as quick as his choice to leave. Word about it had spread throughout the city easily, and along with it, the news about Azula's new status. There had been little to no unrest, though, and Ozai had made a point to let her know she had done a great job at earning recognition throughout their nation as she had. Her fame and glory were the main reasons why there had been no ruckus, no scandals, after her appointment as Crown Princess.
But she couldn't stop here. She had to preserve said fame, said glory, and since her father had no missions for her at the time, the only way for Azula to accomplish that feat was by keeping up with the Gladiator League. She had accepted a challenge recently, one by a fighter from the lower levels of the ranking, a newcomer with a mostly positive record so far. Going against Sokka was bound to result in another loss for him, though, seeing how he was a non-bender and the Blue Wolf's skills had improved to the point where he had to be one of the best non-benders of the League, if not the absolute best.
Xin Long commented on her new bright scales, as he referred to her new armor, once she found him in his refuge after all the matters regarding the Coronation were through. Azula rolled her eyes at her dragon but smirked as Xin Long let out his gurgling laugh. She climbed on his saddle and they flew together to Sokka's home, and Azula tried to soothe her rapidly beating heart as they approached. She'd encountered her gladiator a few times over the course of the last week, but not often enough for her liking. She had conveyed the news about his new fight, and she hoped he would be ready to face it. The gladiator she had chosen wasn't supposed to be much trouble, so even if Sokka hadn't recovered fully from his wounds against the Millennium Dragon, he should be able to obtain victory.
He was clad in his own armor as he sat on the steps that led to the house's backyard, ready for her to carry him to the Arena. Even from a distance Azula could see the large smile on his face as he jumped to his feet and picked up his weapons upon sighting the dragon above him. He squinted when he noticed there was something different about her appearance, though, and he soon blinked in astonishment as he took in, once Xin Long had landed, all that had changed in the Princess's usual outfit.
"Woah. That's new," he said, surprised. Azula smirked.
"It is indeed. I only tried it on for the first time a couple of days ago," she said. "It's supposed to be my Crown Princess armor."
"You have a new armor instead of a new crown?" Sokka asked, smiling. "Then maybe you're the Armor Princess, heh?"
Azula stared at him with a twitching eyebrow, shaking her head as Sokka chuckled at his lousy joke. He climbed on the saddle behind her, nodding approvingly at the golden armor.
"It suits you really well, though," he said, grinning. "Though I guess you're not going to do any stealth missions any time soon, with such a shiny armor…"
"I didn't plan to, so I guess that's not likely to be a problem," Azula said, with a shrug. Sokka smiled as a response, as the dragon took off again. "Still, I won't be wearing this armor at all times. Today is a special day, I suppose, since I've been acknowledged as Crown Princess legally, but I don't think I'll wear it too often…"
"You wouldn't want to dent or stain it, I figure. You have to take good care of it," said Sokka, smiling as he looked at his reflection on the piece of armor protecting her upper arm. It was a remarkable piece of metalwork, no doubt…
"I intend to," Azula stated, though it wasn't her armor what she was most dedicated to protecting. Her new position, all in all, required as much protection as she could give it. She wouldn't relinquish it, no matter what.
Their flight was quick, and they entered the Grand Royal Dome to a general reverence, for everyone who laid eyes upon the Princess bowed down immediately in her direction. The Princess strode through the vestibule and halls with her head held high, and unlike how it usually was, Sokka felt forced to walk behind her instead of by her side. This new status Azula had acquired had established further distance between them, just as he had expected. Sokka only hoped that maybe things would go back to normal once enough time had passed, but for now he would just have to bear with his sponsor's new circumstances.
They remained as professional as they could as they reached Shoji's counter, who gaped at Azula before bowing down clumsily, as everyone else had. She had to order him to straighten himself up, so he would return to doing his job as he was supposed to, but he was still far more nervous than usual. Azula rolled her eyes impatiently at his behavior, which amused Sokka as he told Shoji what weapons he would be using for this battle.
His opponent didn't sound like an intimidating foe. His name was Scoundrel, another name that Azula confessed she found quite ridiculous. She gave Sokka the information she had on the fighter after accompanying him to the stand-by room, as usual, and then she headed to the sponsors' balcony. Nothing she did or said betrayed any interest in showing him any signs of affection, unlike how it had been during the last time she had sent him off to battle. Perhaps it was because his rival wasn't supposed to be too strong… or perhaps it was due to how aware the Princess had become of the risks in their relationship. It had always been dangerous, but she was far more conscious of that after acquiring a new position in society.
Nevertheless, Sokka managed to give his best in the fight. His opponent was another non-bender who showed promise, but he hadn't been trained as well as Sokka in close-quarter combat. He was a skilled archer, with extraordinary aim, but with little means of defense against Space Sword, or Sokka's boomerang or club.
"Oh, wow, he's seriously amazing!" exclaimed Scoundrel's sponsor, a brown-haired girl a couple of years younger than Azula. The Princess raised an eyebrow and looked at her rival reluctantly. It was quite clear she wasn't talking about her own fighter, not when Sokka had only just struck her gladiator on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword, sending Scoundrel tumbling clumsily on the sand.
"Why, thank you," Azula said, and the girl next to her looked at her with a large and shy smile. "Normally my rival sponsors are less willing to admit it than you are."
"Well, most your rival sponsors probably didn't join this League in hopes to have the honor to fight your gladiator one day, Princess," she said, bowing her head towards her. "If you hadn't joined, I surely wouldn't have either."
"Were you always interested in the League?" Azula inquired, and the girl shrugged.
"I liked watching the fights, but I never considered joining until I realized that there was no reason why I shouldn't. My gladiator is actually a good friend of mine, you see…"
"So, he's not a slave?" Azula asked, and the girl shook her head.
"We made an agreement about joining the Gladiator League as partners, but we didn't know who would be the sponsor and who the gladiator. So, we rolled the dice, and he's going to be fighting in there at least until he gets to fifty fights," said the girl, smirking. "If his record is negative by then or he's injured and can't go on anymore, we'll switch and it'll be my turn. I'm a firebender so I should have a better chance than him, but he's always been good at non-bending combat… he used to be in line for joining the Yu-Yen Archers and everything."
"I'm not surprised to hear that. He has great aim," Azula said, nodding. The girl grinned.
"Yours is the obviously superior fighter, though. I'd seen the Blue Wolf in action before, but it's so much better when you're sponsoring his rival…" she said, her eyes gleaming as Sokka succeeded in disarming Scoundrel from his bow. "Ooooh, heck, he's done for!"
"And you're happy about it?" Azula asked, amused.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, as Sokka delivered the finishing blow to the archer's temple, leaving him unconscious effectively. "Oooh, yeah. Way to go! That's what I'm talking about, real fighting right there!"
"Well, this was fun, no doubt," Azula said, smiling as she watched Sokka raise a triumphant fist. The crowd cheered him on as the judges declared him the winner and the medical staff rushed inside the sand pit to pick up Scoundrel. "You're quite possibly one of the weirdest sponsors I've met."
The girl was flustered by that, but the words served to reel her back to reality. She offered the bag of money she owed Azula after losing the fight and smiled politely.
"Thank you, Princess," she said, bowing her head again. "This was truly amazing. I'm still ecstatic that you'd accept my challenge…"
"It was no problem at all," Azula said, not giving away that she had accepted this fight to make sure Sokka was in fighting conditions again. The wounds in his hands had healed, seemingly, but she had hoped to make sure he was ready for combat again through a simple fight first. The result, naturally, had pleased her.
The other thing she didn't tell this sponsor, though, was that she had agreed to her challenge upon being told by Shoji, back when she was still selecting Sokka's fight, that the opposing sponsor was a woman as well. Azula hadn't known there were other female sponsor aside from herself and Ty Lee yet, but this meant that at least there was one more. Hopefully she wasn't the only new one so far, Azula thought, as she made her way through the halls to find Sokka in one of the waiting rooms. Still, if there were only three female sponsors so far, it still meant they had made progress, at least compared to the League's state two years ago, and that was an achievement worth cherishing.
"Hey," Sokka said, smiling at her as she finally entered the room. Again, all the physicians bowed to her upon noticing her presence, and Sokka jumped before doing the same, guessing it would be the only appropriate thing to do. Azula smirked.
"Well, that's new," she said, and Sokka blushed. "Rise, all of you. Carry on with what you were doing."
"There's not much for them to do, really," said Sokka, shrugging. "I'm fine. That guy didn't land a single blow on me."
"Lucky for you," said Azula, raising her eyebrow. "There were quite few arrows that nearly got you."
"Oh, of course not," said Sokka, smirking. "I simply moved out of the way last minute, so he would shoot them before I'd changed positions. He was clever, but not clever enough!"
"Which is great for us, why deny it?" said Azula, smiling a little. "Well, then, if you're done…"
"Yeah, let's go," he said, grinning as he picked up his weapons and headed to the door she had been standing before. Again, the physicians bowed, but the Princess paid them no mind this time around. "Say, we haven't checked where I'm at in the Ranking, have we?"
"Actually, I have. After the Slate you were in the 142nd slot," Azula said, and Sokka smiled with delight. "You're likely to still be there, there were about five hundred points of separation between you and the gladiator below you, so it's unlikely you were surpassed in a matter of a week…"
"Is that so? Heh," he said, proudly, as they climbed down to the vestibule. "And how many points did I get this time? I know they weren't too many, but…"
"Around a hundred and sixty, I think," Azula said, frowning. "But that's unlikely to be enough for you to reach the next position, so don't get your hopes up."
"Well, it's not that big a deal anyways. I must have skipped over a pretty big stretch of the ranking thanks to the Slate, right?" he asked, and Azula nodded.
"The problem is, as I've told you, that rising from now on will prove slightly more difficult. The distance between gladiators is bigger, the fighters are stronger, and…"
She fell silent suddenly, to Sokka's surprise, and he realized that everyone in the vestibule was already bowing down to her even before she reached the last step of the staircase. Yet two people, standing by Shoji's counter, didn't bow… it was rather unsurprising out of one of them, who jumped upon noticing their presence and smiled, but her sponsor's brow had furrowed as soon as his eyes had fallen upon Azula. Unlike how it was with his gladiator, who simply wasn't the type to be respectful, his lack of reverence had an obvious undertone of displeasure to it.
"Spicy! Dog!" Toph exclaimed, waving at them.
Azula did her very best to keep her composure as they strode towards the other pair, knowing all too well that her warm and jolly uncle would be showing a very different side of his personality towards her from now on. She had seen him serious a handful of times before, but this was more than just stern behavior… it was anger.
"Hey there, Toph," Sokka said, well used to her nicknames by now. He smiled and patted her head, something that she didn't seem to enjoy. "Nice to see you in a good mood again."
"Quit that," she said, shaking his hand off. "Strange, running into you two here. You had a fight?"
"Yep, and I won without letting the opponent land a single blow," Sokka said, proudly, as Azula ushered the people bowing to her to rise with a gesture of her hand. "Yet another victory in my record!"
"Huh, congratulations, I guess," said Toph, with a smirk, and Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"What's with the condescendence, huh, Toph?" he asked, looking at her judgmentally as the girl snickered.
"What else? Win all you want, at the Slate if you wish, but it doesn't make you better than me anyhow. I've got every right to be condescending," she claimed, grinning.
"Why, not sorry to rain on your parade, Bandit, but as it happens, Sokka is well above you in the Ranking right now," Azula stated, and Toph froze.
"Say what?" she exclaimed, and Shoji, behind the counter, gulped and nodded.
"T-The Blue Wolf is around 1500 points ahead of the Blind Bandit, it's true," he said, and Iroh scowled upon the news. "The Slate gave him a boost, after all…"
"Heh, well that's not much anyhow," said Toph, shrugging. "Give me two months and I'll be the one ahead by the same number."
"As if," said Sokka, an eyebrow twitching. "You need a reality check, you know? The Ranking's only going to get tougher for both of us from now on."
"Only for you, Dog," said Toph, smirking. "Iroh will make it so I take up several challenges a week. I'll rise high, keep kicking butts of jerks in the top hundred, and soon enough I'll be the very leader of the League, no problem!"
"Not if I get there first," Sokka said, smiling and looking at Azula proudly. "Isn't that right?"
Azula didn't reply right away, though, staring at Iroh as she was. The man was somber, looking about as displeased as he had when she was being pronounced Crown Princess by the Head Sage. His glare was cold, much as hers often was when things didn't go according to plan.
"Of course it is," she said eventually, and Sokka beamed.
"If only it could be so," Iroh finally said. Azula was sure she didn't imagine the hint of concern that crossed Toph's face when her sponsor spoke. "But I'm afraid it's easier said than done, Blue Wolf."
Sokka frowned, having noticed already that Iroh wasn't in the best of moods, but his intervention right now was nothing short of eerie, if just for his voice tone. Azula raised an eyebrow, refusing to back down despite her common sense advised otherwise. She had no trouble imagining that her uncle blamed her, ultimately, for Zuko's departure. It was Azula who had been declared Crown Princess instead of her brother, after all. She was the reason Ozai would never treat Zuko as his heir. Without Azula, Zuko would still be around…
And while he surely believed Azula was the main reason his nephew was gone, that didn't mean she was the only one he blamed: Toph's tension gave away that she was uncomfortable around her sponsor right now, which was completely outside the norm for them. The earthbender and her sponsor had always seemed to be in perfect synch, understanding one another right off the bat, whereas it had taken Azula and Sokka months to finally find a rhythm to settle into so they could be the team they were supposed to be. Genuine arguments or disputes between them were unheard of, at least as far as Sokka and Azula knew. But for the first time ever, Toph looked as though she wanted to race straight into the sand pit, not so much because she was eager to fight, but rather, because she wanted to get away from Iroh.
"It's likely that it won't be as easy as it sounds, indeed," Azula said. "But that's not true to us alone, Uncle. Regardless of the Bandit's prodigious skills, only the very best reach the top. Her perfect victory streak is unlikely to last much longer."
"As if. I'm the best earthbender in the world, Jewel," said Toph, smiling a little and hoping to deflate the tension with her words. "Even if the higher ups are tough, I'll get around them easily. The most challenging fight I've had so far was the one where I had to go to the bathroom, so…"
"It's precisely why your luck is likely to turn itself around eventually," said Azula, shrugging. "You're so used to winning that when someone better than you comes along you won't know what to do. But still, let's see if you two can reach the top as you want to. As it is, though, Sokka and I are closer to it than the both of you, and you know it."
"Only by a technicality, really," said Toph, waving a hand carelessly. "The Slate's the only reason you guys have any advantage over us right now."
"Well, then, maybe we should challenge you to the Slate and see if you can push ahead again," Sokka said, with a teasing smirk. Azula looked at him skeptically. "What? Come on, it'd be perfectly legal to challenge an earthbender there!"
"It may be so, but it would be the same as fighting a waterbender inside a volcano. How do you expect the fight to prove your superiority if you're not on even terms?" Azula asked him, and Sokka pouted.
"Here I am, trying to give us the perfect shot to beat Miss Arrogance Incarnate and you shut it down like that…" he said, and Toph snorted.
"Come on, as if! You know, you can challenge me there if you want, I don't mind at all!" she said, proudly. "Go ahead, really! Even while stuck in some metal cage I'd be able to beat you no problem, Dog!"
"Oh, really? With no earth for you to bend? I'd really like to see that!" Sokka said, smirking, and Azula rolled her eyes.
"Not happening," she said, staring at Sokka sternly, but a soft chuckle startled her. She looked at her uncle with a sense of foreboding, finding he was smiling now.
"Well, why not? If I think about it… our gladiators should indeed fight against one another once more. It's been a while since they last did," he said. Azula froze.
"What?" she said, as Sokka looked at Toph warily. The girl had her hands on her waist, a look of interest on her face.
"Your gladiator is above Toph at the moment, it seems… something I cannot quite accept, if I must be honest," said Iroh. "I would if only it was well-deserved, but I doubt it is. If you're so certain that your gladiator deserves that position, though, and if you're so convinced he'll reach the top of the ranking, then he should prove himself a better fighter than Toph is…"
"I really don't see why I'd be so interested in proving Sokka can beat her," Azula said, folding her arms over her chest. "But if it's the Slate you want, fine. In six months' time, we can have our gladiators fight one another there if you're so eager to see how Toph measures up…"
"Six months? No, no," said Iroh, shaking his head. "I don't want the Slate, I want this fight now. By next week."
"Next week?" Azula repeated, raising her eyebrows. "And just why am I supposed to accept these demands, Uncle?"
"Why else? You said it yourself, Toph is likely to run into fighters stronger than her on her way to the top. So is Sokka," said Iroh, shrugging. "Toph happens to be one of those fighters who were stronger than him, as you must recall. If he was strong enough to defeat the second-best gladiator of the League by now, he should be able to defeat Toph too. That is, of course, if Toph isn't still superior to the Blue Wolf, as you refuse to accept…"
"Is this some sort of ego trip, Uncle?" Azula asked, looking at him skeptically. The man's apparent amusement dissipated at that. "Or are you really trying to challenge me for the first time?"
"I'm challenging you indeed," Iroh said. "Now, the question is whether you trust your gladiator enough in the battlegrounds or not…"
"The question isn't whether I trust my gladiator, the question is whether I trust yours," Azula stated, her gaze flickering towards Toph, who folded her arms over her chest by now.
Truth be told, Azula wasn't as distrustful towards Toph as she was trying to appear. She was sure the girl wouldn't attempt to kill Sokka as she had during their first confrontation, and she was also sure that Sokka had improved enough to prevent that from happening. But her uncle…
He was defying her in a battle of wills indeed. It was the same game she had played with other sponsors, taking advantage of their confidence, only to knock them off their pedestal when they least expected it. It was what she had done with Chan over a year ago, what she had unwittingly done to Aonu recently as well. Sokka always seemed the underdog, but he found a way to win in the end. But when it came to Toph…
Just how far would Toph go to get back in Iroh's good graces? Surely, she wouldn't be willing to hurt her friends if he commanded her to, would she? The girl was spirited, straight-forward, blunt to no end. If Iroh ever pressed her to do something she didn't like, she would put her foot down. Azula wanted to trust she would, if nothing else…
But the bigger question was whether Sokka was ready to defeat Toph or not. Azula had no doubts that Sokka was in his best shape right now, despite the fact that his wounds from the Slate might still pain him once in a while. With as many new skills as he had acquired, perhaps he could beat her right now. Perhaps…
Was this a risk she was willing to take? It would be quite wonderful to deliver a finishing blow to her uncle's pride, to make him back down and leave her be for once and for all. Yet something told her this couldn't go as smoothly as she wanted it to. That was the best-case scenario, but what of the worst? Which one was more likely to take place?
"Well, now, Jewel… I'm not about to break Sokka," said Toph, with a smile. "I know it's hard to believe, knowing what my first fight against him was like, but he's not that same wimp anymore, is he?"
"No, I'm pretty sure I'll land a lot more than two blows on you this time around," Sokka said, smirking. "If anything, the one who should be afraid should be you. I've trained harder than ever as of late, and I've learned lots of skills that you'll never see coming."
"Wow, that's just so very funny, Dog," Toph said, an eyebrow twitching as Sokka grimaced, only realizing the blunder in what he'd said when Toph reacted to it.
"If that's truly the case, why not accept this challenge?" Iroh asked, looking at Azula questioningly. "He's stronger than ever, it seems. If he cannot weather this challenge, how will you ever defeat Admiral Zhao?"
Azula wasn't surprised to hear Iroh speaking of her ultimate goal so blatantly, because she had suspected he understood it from the start. It did surprise Sokka, though, that Iroh would speak so carelessly about the subject. He frowned at Iroh with unease now, as the man's gold and clear eyes proved more unreadable than ever for the gladiator.
"I will have Sokka fight Admiral Zhao's gladiator eventually, Uncle," Azula said. "Once I deem him ready for such a challenge, and not a moment sooner. I'm in no hurries in that regard."
"Fair enough," said Iroh, with a smile. "Is that the case with Toph as well? Is Sokka not ready for this yet?"
"He's…" Azula started, frowning. Truth be told, if he wasn't ready now, he probably never would be.
"If that's so, I won't press on," said Iroh, nodding. "I understand if you're uncertain. Though it is the perfect chance to prove that you two are the superior combination of gladiator and sponsor, is it not?"
"Goading my pride to get a fight, are you, now?" Azula asked, and Iroh chuckled.
"It's not every day that I find my niece shirking away from a challenge. I'm curious as to whether you're simply refusing because you're already convinced of your superiority or because you truly are afraid of what the result of this fight might be…"
"I wouldn't use the term 'afraid', Uncle," Azula said, looking at Iroh with irritation. "But if you're really that eager to see your gladiator biting the dust, then…"
"You'll do it?" Toph asked, her voice betraying her excitement as a smile broke across her face. "Really?!"
"In all fairness, you're the underdogs as it is. Even if you won, you wouldn't manage to pass Sokka on the Ranking, so no matter what, he remains the superior fighter," Azula said, with a smirk. "And indeed, he's far stronger than he used to be, so the risks are definitely not what they were. Perhaps it won't be as bad an idea after all."
"Heh, when you look at it that way, they lose no matter what," said Sokka, smirking as Azula nodded, and Toph scowled.
"As if!" she said, as Azula laughed under her breath. "You know well enough that no matter the outcome, you two won't come on top. You know it!"
"Right," said Sokka, patting the girl's head again, to her irritation. "Get ready to get off your high ostrich horse, because I'll be kicking your butt the next time we meet in battle."
"I suppose we'll find out in a week whether you can fulfill that promise or not," Iroh said, again with that ominous voice tone. "One way or another, one victory streak will be broken once we meet again in the fighting pit."
Sokka frowned in confusion until he realized what that meant. He looked at Azula to find she was staring at her uncle defiantly, a flicker of anger in her eyes. It wasn't Sokka's latest victorious streak that he spoke of, but rather, Azula's. She had been successful at just about everything she set her mind to as of late, even developing new firebending techniques when she was cornered by the circumstances. Sokka had risen above all expectations and triumphed in the Slate, granting her even more glory, and now she was Crown Princess, no less.
And Iroh was more than willing to ruin her streak, it seemed. Rather than willing, he looked forward to it, and Azula was fully aware of it, even though Sokka was only realizing it now.
"It might just be so, Uncle," Azula said. "Fortune should favor the better of either one of us, then."
"If it's fortune you've relied on so far, I'm afraid it's likely to betray you before you know it," Iroh said, raising his eyebrows. Sokka turned a stern frown on Iroh, folding his arms over his chest.
"You know damn well fortune had nothing to do with all she's done," he stated, startling the older man. "Everything she's accomplished, she has because she's capable of those feats and much more. So how about you quit it with that attitude, old man? You should know better than to underestimate Azula."
The Princess did her best to keep her composure, despite her heart ached pleasantly upon hearing him say those words. She chose to give her uncle a malicious smirk, and he answered it with a smile of his own.
"Right. Well then, so be it," Iroh said, turning to Shoji. "Schedule a fight between us, in a week's time, Princess?"
"Be my guest, a week should be fine," Azula said, nodding. "Good luck on your fight, Bandit. Oh, sorry for that. I forgot luck will only betray you, my bad…"
Sokka snickered and followed Azula out of the vestibule, both their heads held high. Iroh scowled as he watched Azula walk away, but he returned his attention to Toph moments later and ushered her to the waiting rooms, where they'd stay until their upcoming fight.
"That was a nice comeback, Azula, way to go!" Sokka said, as they left the building's premises. "Right where it should hurt that uncle of yours!"
"That's right," Azula said, somewhat proudly, as they walked down the steps that led to the street.
"Though what's with him, really?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why is he being such an ass to you all of sudden?"
"Well, it's probably because he holds me at least partially responsible for Zuko's departure," Azula said, shrugging, and Sokka looked at her in confusion.
"Say what? Why? You didn't convince him to go, or did you?" he asked, once they were at the sidewalk. "Heck, you even asked him not to do it and he didn't listen. How is that your fault?"
"It's not, but that's not worth much to Iroh. I already told you he'd see my appointment as Crown Princess to be undeserved and…" she was saying, but she fell silent upon taking notice that someone had stopped on the sidewalk to bow down to her as she spoke to Sokka. She frowned as she realized that at least ten people nearby were performing reverences, and possibly listening to what they were saying. "Oh, for crying out loud. Rise, and keep walking!"
Her bellow was loud enough to startle all the people who were performing reverences, even those across the street, but they were quick to obey her, to her relief. Sokka chuckled a little, smiling at her as she rolled her eyes.
"One would think a position like this would bring about less inconveniences, but alas…" she said, shaking her head.
"It sure doesn't seem to be much fun, does it?" Sokka asked.
"Especially not when you're talking to someone about matters that don't concern their lot," Azula muttered, folding her arms over her chest. "But I guess it shows me not to discuss this in front of everyone."
"Well, you could come over to my place, we can talk about it there if you want," Sokka suggested, smiling. "And we can train, too. That fight just now barely counted for anything, and if I'm going to fight Toph soon…"
"You are, huh?" Azula said, rubbing her forehead. Sokka looked at her with uncertainty. "Are we sure this is the right idea? I mean, it's too late to back down now, but…"
"It may not go smoothly, it's Toph we're talking about," said Sokka, sighing. "But it's true that I'm at my best right now. And heck, I've gotten a lot better against earthbenders ever since I first fought her. I might be able to pull off a decent fight against her for once."
"You also know her fighting style far better by now," Azula said. "Fighting alongside her in Ba Sing Se helped with that. So, I guess your chances are better than they've ever been against her, aren't they?"
"They should be, yeah," said Sokka, with a smile. "So, don't worry. I can't promise I'll win, but I don't think I'll need a lift on your palanquin this time. Nor will I end up useless for two months either."
"You'd better not," said Azula, raising her eyebrows and prompting him to laugh a little.
It wasn't a good moment to get lost in his eyes, but Azula found it unavoidable to do so. His gaze was so clear, so mesmerizing, so sincere… his eyes seemed to light up as he smiled at her, as though he were staring at something so precious that he couldn't help but cherish it with everything he had. And that something was her…
"So, uh… should we go train?" he asked her, looking at her in anticipation. "Or would you rather…?"
"I… I'm sorry. Actually, I have someplace to go," Azula said, surprising him.
"Wait, really?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly.
"Yes," Azula stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry to blow you off like this. But it might be better if you train with Haru instead, don't you believe? He's an earthbender, and the reason we made sure Ty Lee could buy him in the first place was so you could train with him against other earthbenders…"
"You have a point, but I just thought…" he started, but he shook his head and breathed out heavily. "Never mind. You're right, that makes sense. So, I guess I'll go to her place, then, see if Haru is done crying about how romantic it is that Suki and Zuko left together."
"Right," said Azula, with a smirk. "If I'm done early I might catch up with you there. If not, then…"
"Then you'll catch up with me there tomorrow, I figure?" said Sokka, smiling and shrugging. "I should have an intensive of earthbending training for now, after all…"
"You're not wrong," said Azula, nodding. "Alright, let's make it so. I'll see you later, then,"
"See you, Azula," he said, with another of his gentle smiles before turning on his heels and heading off down the street, towards Ty Lee's house.
Azula released a breath slowly as she called Xin Long to her, wishing her heart would just stop aching by watching Sokka's tall frame shrinking as he walked away from her. She certainly could enjoy the sight of him, but the further he went, the more her chest ached, begging her to run after him, even if she knew better than to do so. She tore her gaze away from him almost begrudgingly when her dragon landed; Xin Long was chuckling at her, and she flicked his nose in retaliation.
"Stop that," she snapped, and he disobeyed her most blatantly as he took advantage of their mind bond to show her and Sokka making dreamy eyes at one another. "It's not funny, I said."
Xin Long rolled his eyes and tried to prod her about her faltering sense of humor, but Azula had been distracted, again, by the increasing number of people who were bowing before her once more.
"I'm really starting to grow weary of this," she said, rolling her eyes and climbing on the dragon's saddle. "Get going. They'll stay here forever if we don't leave."
Xin Long chuckled again and pushed himself upwards, allowing the winds to carry him above the city. Azula was relieved to be led away from the crowd, and she watched the people decrease in size as Xin Long flew higher still. Again, she recalled her conversation with Zuko while they both were riding her dragon, remembering how she had told him his problems might seem smaller from above. Now she found that she couldn't expect her problems to shrink away in the same way as the people bowing down to her had. Because she couldn't be airborne forever… and so, she couldn't avoid everything she needed to address sooner than later.
She hadn't planned on going anywhere after Sokka's fight, and she wondered if he'd noticed she had lied to him about that… surely not. For better or for worse, Sokka had faith in her. And even if he were to know she had been lying, he probably wouldn't hold it against her. How could they trust themselves to keep their desires in check while they were alone by now? After the Ball, Azula had realized this wasn't a game she was playing anymore; rather, it seemed like she was the one being played by the circumstances instead. How to continue resisting her feelings for Sokka? How to cope with this undying thirst when the only solution for it might send him to his death?
She barely knew why she gave Xin Long the directions she did, but she tried not to berate herself much for it. If there was someone who would likely help her think properly, with her brain again and no longer with her confused heart, it was her. Still, explaining her predicament surely wouldn't prove easy…
Azula climbed off her dragon's saddle in front of the house she would be visiting, letting Xin Long know she would call him when she needed him. The dragon took off quickly, chasing the sparrow hawks that hovered many feet above them.
The Princess took a deep breath and knocked on the door, wishing she didn't feel as uneasy about this as she did. She needed to hear the voice of reason, though, and there was nobody better suited for that role than Mai.
It was Mai herself who opened the door, with a raised eyebrow that soon turned into a confused frown when she noticed who her visitor was. Her eyes scanned her quickly, taking immediate notice, naturally, of her golden armor.
"Someone has renewed their wardrobe," Mai said, and Azula shrugged.
"Not by my own initiative, truth be told, but I can't say I'm displeased," she said, and Mai nodded.
"It suits you," she admitted, stepping back and allowing Azula inside. "But something tells me you're not here to discuss your new fashion choices?"
"Indeed, I'm not," Azula said, nodding in her direction as she crossed the threshold that led into the small front yard of the house. "Are you alone?"
"Not entirely. The servants are around," Mai said, as they crossed the small yard and reached the front door. "Do you want me to send them away? Is this conversation that confidential?"
"Quite confidential, actually," Azula admitted, with a grimace. "I don't want to risk being overheard."
"I'll try to arrange that, then," she said.
They entered the vestibule, where one of Mai's three servants was holding Yuudai. The child was restless, and he reached out for his mother upon seeing her.
"Li Fan, could you please take Yuudai upstairs?" Mai asked, but before she was obeyed, the servant's eyes flew open and she bowed her head to Azula, who rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Rise. Leave. Now," she commanded, curtly, and without further ado, the woman raced to the upper floor as she was told, with Yuudai whining softly as he continue to reach for Mai. His mother watched him with longing in her eyes, but she focused on Azula again once Yuudai was out of sight.
"The other two are in the kitchen and will remain there for at least a couple more hours as they prepare dinner," she said. "Is this safe enough for your comfort?"
"I guess it should do," said Azula, and Mai nodded before leading her friend towards her house's inner garden.
Azula took her seat on a cushion, allowing her gaze to rake the flowers that grew elegantly before her, but her eyes were unfocused. It was more of a blur of colors, mixed and mashed, that she was scarcely interested in detailing. Mai soon took her place beside her, concealing her obvious curiosity behind her usual stoic façade.
"I suppose you must be wondering why I'm here…" Azula said, in a hushed tone. Mai shrugged.
"I am intrigued, but I'm also amused. Not many months ago your brother came to me in this same manner," she said, smiling. Azula raised an eyebrow.
"He did, huh?" she said, and Mai nodded.
"It must be a family trait, thinking I'm the one who has all the answers to your troubles…"
"If someone can be trusted to give reasonable advice, it's you, Mai," Azula said. "It's why I came to you, and likely why Zuko came as well."
"You're not wrong about why he came," Mai admitted, nodding. "I don't know for certain about the reasonable advice, though."
"You didn't get to say goodbye to him, did you?" Azula asked and Mai shrugged as she shook her head.
"I didn't say goodbye the last time either," she muttered. "Back then it was too painful. This time it was different, though… now he has someone who will travel the world with him, after all. It wasn't something I was willing to do."
"You were a child, Mai," said Azula. "You couldn't have been expected to give up your life, your education and your family when you were but twelve."
"Of course not," she said, smiling. "I'm actually glad I didn't try to go with him back then, and also that I didn't wait… I could have, as you told me to, but I'm glad I didn't regardless. Else I wouldn't have Ruon Jian and Yuudai now, and Zuko wouldn't have found Suki."
"Somehow everything fell into place. Strangely," said Azula, raising an eyebrow. Her breath caught in her throat, though, as she tried to poise her next question. "Say, I… I never really understood why you chose Ruon Jian. I'm not saying he was the wrong choice, because by now it's clear it wasn't, but at the time… how did you know it was right?"
"Why, I didn't," said Mai, simply. "I guess I was just… selfish. It almost felt like I was cheating on your brother, despite our relationship had barely just started when he was banished, and he had been gone for at least seven years by the time Ruon Jian asked me to marry him. I didn't know what to do, at all. I'm sure you remember…"
"I remember well enough, yes," said Azula, nodding. "You were troubled, and that's not something I can say I've seen often. Ruon Jian had moved into the Capital, even found a job… all so he could provide for you, were you to accept him into your life."
"You remember what he used to be like," said Mai, with a smile. "A conceited, arrogant fool who was certain I would be swooning over him if he just flicked his hair in my direction. But he read me wrong, and for some reason he couldn't understand that at first. He was never a bad person to the core, he was just… used to having everything go his way. And when I remained unmovable he realized he couldn't get me through the same means with which he had caught the attention of other girls."
"Yet he pressed on," Azula said.
"He did. After a few weeks he contacted me again, through messenger hawk now, asking me what he had to do to gain my favor. I remember he worded it that way, and I rolled my eyes as I read it," said Mai, still smiling fondly. "I found it ridiculous, but somehow endearing regardless. I said to him that I wasn't available, romantically, but I could be his friend if he was so desperate to have me in his life. I didn't expect him to latch onto that, but he did indeed."
"And then he started to visit you here," said Azula. "I remember he dropped by during the festivals once, didn't he?"
"Yeah," said Mai, sighing. "And I didn't really want to admit it, but I enjoyed his company. I really did. When my parents met him, I thought they were going to kill me, especially my father. They were sure I would marry Zuko one day, of course, and gain them royal status… and yet here I was, leading on some noble boy who obviously wouldn't grant me the privileges I would obtain through your brother. I think it was my father, actually, who made Ruon Jian change his approach towards me… because after a conversation with him, he started to court me seriously, almost as though defying my father. He showed me this wasn't some extended summer romance for him anymore. And I was… scared."
"Because of your parents?"
"Mostly because of what this would mean for my relationship with Zuko," said Mai. "As I said, it was barely nothing at the time, but to me it had been important all the same… and how could I turn my back on him? He would return home to find me… to find me in the arms of another man? I didn't know if I could bear that guilt. I actually still felt guilty by the time he returned. I was beyond relieved when I noticed the connection between Zuko and Suki… because it meant he would definitely move on from me. He deserved that."
"Still, you haven't answered my question," said Azula, frowning. "He started wooing you for good this time, showing you he was serious about it, and you were even more confused than you were before. It could have been a passing, flirting friendship at first, but after that…"
"He was offering me a life, a future, a family," said Mai. "He offered moderate wealth, also, but more importantly… more importantly, he was willing to provide. He wasn't after me because of my superior noble status, he meant to work for the sake of offering us a good life. And even if I rejected him, he would continue to work because he no longer wanted to remain the spoiled child of a nobleman, never achieving anything in his life other than being born to important people."
"Quite an impressive resolve, coming from someone of his background," Azula admitted, and Mai nodded.
"He grew tired of being led on by me, though, and for good reason," she said. "Four years spent chasing after a girl with no idea whether she was going to accept or reject him would have been too many years wasted if I turned him down. He asked me one day if I wanted him at all, so he could start getting over me for once and for all, if need be. And he… he also thanked me for making him a better man, even if I decided I didn't want him. I had inspired him to aim higher, it seemed, because he had realized he could never be worthy of a girl like me if he remained the same brat he had been when we first met."
"And I suppose that made you crumble in your determination to wait for Zuko, didn't it?" Azula asked, and Mai smiled and nodded.
"In a way it did… that was when I asked you and Ty Lee for advice. And I understood where both of you were coming from, but I couldn't bring myself to do what either of you asked me to. Ty Lee believed I would be happy with Ruon Jian, and she wasn't wrong… you believed I should have waited for Zuko. My father wanted me to marry your brother as well, but at this point my mother seemed to have given up all hopes that Zuko would return, so she thought Ruon was the safe choice. All in all, how was I supposed to make a choice?"
"The votes were even," said Azula, smiling a little.
"I locked myself up in my room, and after a few hours of brooding I decided to ask myself the questions that needed to be asked," she said. "If it came down to it, which was the one I didn't want to live without? Which one of them was I more afraid of hurting? Which one of them did I love best, which one made me happier?"
"I take it Ruon Jian was the answer to all of them?"
"Not quite," said Mai, smiling. "I was more afraid of hurting Zuko, truth be told. I already knew Ruon Jian was willing to step back if I told him no. He was aware of my relationship with your brother, so he understood that if I rejected him, it was because I'd choose to wait for Zuko. Zuko, on the other hand, had never known there was another man. He'd arrive as he did, to discover the truth and he was going to feel betrayed, likely… and that hurt just to imagine. It hurt a lot when it happened, too."
"If that's so, why did you choose Ruon Jian?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "You thought… you thought the risk was worth it? Zuko might have never returned, but if he did, you meant to deal with the consequences even if it might kill you inside to break his heart?"
"It's as I said… I chose to be selfish. I didn't know if I could deal with the consequences when Zuko returned, if he ever did, but… but you see, through the short relationship I had with Zuko, I was constantly trying to impress him, I believe. I was young, yes, I surely wouldn't have done the same afterwards, but at that point I thought I had to be something more than what I was to appeal to him. That I had to be interesting, unlike all other girls, or so… and at the same time, I think he felt pressured to do the same for me. We were both hoping to impress one another, constantly. But when it came to Ruon Jian, I… I never had to try. He complimented me on my clothing choices, my haircuts, praising me to the point where I had to tell him to shut up because he was annoying me."
"That must have been fun," Azula said, smiling, as Mai grinned as well.
"Whenever we went out, we would play this game, where he put my observation skills to the test. He'd point certain people at me, and ask me for their story, or for what they were talking about. Whether I was right or wrong never really mattered, he was just too amused to hear what I might be able to come up with as a response to his questions. Unlike Zuko, he wasn't trying to match my shadow, nor was I trying to match his. Instead, Ruon… he was a bright light, shining over me. And the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. You can't have one without the other, can you?"
"I suppose not," said Azula.
"So, when it came down to it, I… I chose Ruon because he made me happy with who I was. I loved having him around, whether I realized it right away or not. And maybe the same could have happened with Zuko, I won't deny that," she said. "But I was so comfortable with Ruon Jian, at such ease… I loved the way he loved me. And really? I already was living without Zuko in my life. I was proving I could in fact survive without him, and he had been at sea for seven years without me, too. We could be apart. Yet the idea of… of losing Ruon Jian? It hurt me in a very different way. I dreaded what Zuko's return would be like, but giving up a chance to live with Ruon just couldn't sit right with me. Not after I'd seen everything he had done to explore all his potential, not after he'd worked so hard to become a better man. It wasn't like I felt I was honor-bound to marry him because of how much I made him change or anything, but just… that I was fascinated by him, I think. By everything he had proved capable of. I really liked the man he had become.
"So… I ran to him, and told him I'd be his wife. And every single time my mind led me to think about how miserable Zuko would be when he knew about this, I reminded myself of the joy I felt when I was with Ruon the day I said yes. And also on the day of our wedding… and when Yuudai was born. I could have had all those things with Zuko… but I didn't really want them with him anymore. I had found another man to love… and to this day, I cannot find a reason to regret my choice. Especially not now."
"That's good," said Azula. "It's… it's wonderful, actually. You made the right call, even if you say it was selfish… but you are happy now. You have the family you never knew you wanted, the husband you never expected to love this much…"
"Indeed. Everything fell into place, as you said. But is that why you came, Azula?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow. "To hear about my story with Ruon Jian? Or…"
"Well, it certainly has helped to hear of this, to a degree," Azula muttered. "Though it's not really why I came, but…"
"Then why? You've made me ramble a lot as it is. Your turn," said Mai, smiling a little at her. Azula sighed.
"I guess… I just needed some guidance, in a sense," she said, a hand going over her hair. "You say you love Ruon Jian, but say, how… how exactly does he make you feel?"
"How…? What do you mean by that? If this is a lewd question…"
"No, it's not, don't twist things weirdly like that. You think I'm Ty Lee?" Azula asked, and Mai smirked.
"Well, I started to wonder if she'd rubbed off on you that much, because honestly…"
"Just… focus, Mai," said Azula, through gritted teeth. "I mean… did your heart feel as though it was going to break within your chest if you didn't kiss him? Did he make you laugh until you cried, did you feel so safe in his arms that you forgot every other problem that could have plagued you?"
"Uh, well…" said Mai, frowning a little.
"And beyond that, I guess it's also noticing…" Azula said, her hand on her forehead now as she felt herself failing to find the proper words to describe her thoughts. "That he complements you perfectly, you see. He has changed the way you see the world, even the way you see yourself. He has taught you many things, whether intentionally or not, and somehow… somehow your entire existence has become better just because he's in it now. When you go a day without seeing him it feels like a waste, but when you do see him, the only thing you want to do is run to his arms even though you know you can't do something like that… no matter how much time you spend by his side, it's just never enough.
"And he's… spirits, he's the biggest idiot the world has ever seen, but then he can be so intelligent that he understands you better than you understand yourself. And at times you have to remind yourself that meeting him was practically chance, in order to stop your stupid heart from convincing you that it was destiny that brought you together. You just… need him in ways you've never needed someone before. And it's ridiculous, because you don't want this. You… you never asked for it. Who the hell would ask for something like this? Nobody in their right mind would, surely, but you just can't stop it anyhow.
"The fact is, you're… you're in love, and you wish you weren't because you can't be with him and you know it. If you gave in to your feelings, you'll likely sentence both of you to hell. But how can you resist when he's every temptation you're too weak to fight against? How, when he has that damn mesmerizing gaze that you keep getting lost in…"
"And… does he feel the same way?" Mai asked, almost startling Azula out of her monologue. The Princess gulped and nodded, rubbing her eyebrows with her fingertips now.
"He does, looks like," Azula continued, breathing out deeply and trying to return to what she had been speaking of without being too affected by the interruption. "He has said as much a few times already, voicing feelings you don't dare put into words yet. He has stood up for you when nobody else ever would, he has put your safety and wellbeing over his own a million times now. And he… he knows he can't have you, but it seems he can't control himself either. He says he's at the last of his willpower by now, too. And after… after certain things change, you know there's no going back anymore. You're afraid because you're certain that the next time things heat up, it's… it's going to happen for good. You're going to cross the last boundary and then there will be no turning back. And once that happens, hell might as well break loose for good…"
"So then… you're asking me if I feel that way towards Ruon Jian? Or what would I do if I were in such situation?" Mai asked.
"Both, I guess. I mean…"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with the first question. That's actually… that's a lot," said Mai, smiling a little, and Azula sighed in defeat. "As much as I love Ruon, there wasn't really some sort of force of attraction between us that we were hopelessly trying to resist… of course there was attraction, but not quite in the way you described. That would have been far too much to bear with, honestly."
"And what about Zuko?" Azula asked. "You didn't feel that way towards him either?"
"I was a child with a crush, Azula," said Mai, smiling. "And that crush was, potentially, only a fragment of what you described there. I don't know, honestly. If I were in such a situation I'd probably have run away into the wilderness to get away from it…"
"That's not really an option," Azula mumbled.
"Then what are my options?"
"You can either cave in to your deepest desires or you can resist them. That's it," she said. "What would you do?"
"Wait, but… I assume I have been resisting said desires for a very long time as it is, and I am convinced that the next time I have a chance to be alone with him, I'll lose my rational mind and give in to the throes of passion, right?"
"Uh… yes, actually."
"And I'll be faced with being alone with him eventually, so I'm most likely to succumb, aren't I?"
"I suppose…"
"Well, I guess… the risk is there, right? We both could die because of this…" Mai said, folding her arms over her chest. "Still… if I never do it, I'll never know what all this built-up tension could result in. It'd go to waste. Wouldn't that be a pity?"
"It would be, undeniably, but…" said Azula, falling silent as she reasoned with her friend's words.
To never do it would mean to never give Sokka a chance. It would mean to refuse him, constantly, until she belonged to another man. Then she would grow older, and he would likely be gone from her life eventually… and she would never know indeed. The whirlwind of passion that could unfold if they were together would become but an unattainable illusion, something they could have basked in, but had backed down on, and…
"You'd regret it forever," Mai said, as Azula's hand went to her mouth, her eyes widening.
"S-so… so you're saying I should do it?" she asked, looking at her friend in disbelief. "Mai…"
"I'm not telling you to do anything," the girl said. "But to be blunt… if I were in that situation, I'd do it. Curse everything, really. As I said, I guess I have a knack for being selfish, but I wouldn't possibly let this disappear without a single taste of it. If we'd be sentenced to death for it, well… I'd make the most of it while I could. I'd also do my best to protect it, in order to enjoy it for as long as I can do so. And I'd do my very best to cheat that death sentence somehow. Why not, really?"
"Spirits…" said Azula, shaking her head. "I was so sure you'd… you'd tell me not to do it."
"Again, I'm not telling you what to do or what not to do," said Mai, smiling. "It's not my decision."
"Still…" Azula said, burying her face in her hands. "I'm not sure I can do this."
"Well, you won't have to do it right away, will you?" said Mai, shrugging. "Take your time. Let yourself go with it when you're ready. Or, of course, you can do nothing and spend the rest of your life wondering just what it would've been like. But I wager you don't want to do that, do you?"
"I… blast it, I don't even know what I want anymore," Azula lied.
Yes, she knew what she wanted. She knew it all too well. But she was scared, terrified of finally reaching out for it. She had hoped Mai would be the voice of reason indeed… but the result wasn't at all what she had expected from her friend. It was the entire opposite of that. Mai had always been the safety net she could fall into when she felt unsure about her footing on her life's tight rope… but now even that net was gone. She couldn't rely on it to be there anymore. All she could do was keep going, until she reached the goal, and hope she would reach it safely…
"In any case, if this is how you meant for us to restart our weekly encounters, I'm afraid we're missing one member of the group," said Mai, hoping to change the subject. It wasn't every day that she saw Azula so emotional or vulnerable.
"There's an obvious reason why that's the case," said the Princess. "Just what do you think Ty Lee would have said if she had been here just now?"
"Probably that you need to lock yourself up with Sokka in some room for several hours and make the most of it," Mai said, with a grin, and Azula sighed.
"I came to you alone because I really hoped you'd be the voice of reason. I didn't expect… this."
"Sorry to disappoint," said Mai, with a shrug. "I suppose it's just bound to happen one way or another, isn't it? You've resisted longer than I expected you to, seeing just how close you are to him…"
"I've done what I needed to do," Azula replied. "But I guess… I guess I should be selfish like you now, huh?"
"I did not say that entirely, but it just might make you feel better about yourself" Mai said, shrugging. "Still, speaking of the weekly meetings… should we start them again next week?"
"I suppose, though we can work out the details later," Azula said, standing up. "I'll have a fight in a week's time, so to stay on the safe side it would be better not to have it exactly in one week."
"That's fine. Doing it the day after that would be alright by me," said Mai, nodding and following her example as she stood up as well. "Do you want to do it in the Palace, or would you rather come here? Or at Ty Lee's…"
"It was always at the Palace, let's keep it that way," said Azula. "Enough things have changed as it is."
"Alright," said Mai, as Azula entered the house again.
Mai followed the Princess to the door. Azula's meditative silence would have put off anyone else, but not Mai. Even when Xin Long appeared at the street she kept her composure, though the same couldn't be said for the troubled Princess.
"Don't force yourself to do anything you're not ready for," Mai said, as Azula climbed on her dragon. "Still, despite it's not the greatest piece of advice ever… follow your heart. You just might be making the right decision without knowing it, as I did."
"That's quite hopeful of you," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "But I'll take that into consideration. Thanks, I guess… even though you just might have made everything worse instead of helping me."
"Your sincerity is much appreciated," said Mai, with a smirk. "Good luck, though."
"Thanks," said Azula, nodding towards her before Xin Long shot up into the sky.
Luck wasn't reliable, though… she had been told as much a while ago, and she knew it well enough. She couldn't count on luck. She couldn't expect things to simply go her way. She had to play the pieces of the board carefully, strategically, setting them up so they would effectively fall into place at the right moment… that was what she had done about her new position as Crown Princess. But how to do the same when it came to Sokka? There was no way things would fall into place perfectly in the way they had for Mai. The only consequences Azula could imagine would be terrible… and yet, was it worth it? Should she give in? She wasn't the kind of person who ever stopped fighting. Surrender was never an option for Azula. But could she drop her guard just this one time, and cast caution to the wind…?
Fortunately, she didn't have to answer that question right away. The days between Sokka's fight against Scoundrel, and his upcoming confrontation with Toph, flowed slowly, though for Azula they were nerve-wrecking all the same. The tensions between her and Sokka, and the worries that nestled in her heart over sending her gladiator to a new fight against his biggest rival were mixed until they blended together, leaving her with an anxiety that washed over her consistently all through the week.
She oversaw his training every afternoon, taking part in it once in a while to press him on further, and without a doubt, Sokka was at his best. He could fight her, albeit he had yet to defeat her, when Azula was wielding both her sword and her fire. Haru's earthbending constantly fell short against him, and Sokka kept gaining the upper hand in their fights. If seeing Sokka so strong was a relief, at the same time it was cause for concern. Because if this didn't prove to be enough to beat Toph, nothing would be.
The constant training left little room for private encounters between Azula and Sokka, despite they still had chances to talk once in a while. Haru and Ty Lee were constantly with them, and their presence made both Azula and Sokka extremely aware of the distance they needed to keep with one another: both suffered said distance in silence. Every single time they longed to kiss, to hold one another, to so much as graze the other's hand with their fingertips, they repressed all the urges immediately. But Azula knew they couldn't contain everything forever. It was as though their relationship was an overflowing dam, with leaks on the gates that would eventually shatter once the water finally found its course once more. Their desires would not remain bottled in for much longer…
She didn't don her golden armor on the day of Sokka's fight against Toph, deciding against it both to keep it for special occasions, and also in hopes that people wouldn't pay her as much attention if she wore her old attire. It didn't work, though, to her utter disappointment, and as they crossed the vestibule she was again at the receiving end of all sorts of bows and reverences.
"Are you ready for the fight, Princess, Blue Wolf?" Shoji asked them, after lifting his head upon Azula's command.
"As ready as I can be," said Sokka, nodding. He felt more confident in his abilities than ever before, but even so, he refused to underestimate Toph. He had fought many other gladiators by now, but none had left him as broken as she had. He would make sure not to make the kind of mistakes that would bring about the same nefarious result from their last fight.
"Indeed he is. Sign us in," Azula said, determined.
If Sokka triumphed today, Iroh would be forced to back down. His attempts to thwart her as she rose through the Ranking would likely diminish, if not disappear altogether. She would finally teach the old man the lesson he had needed to learn since such a long time ago… which was, of course, not to get in Azula's way. She'd had enough of him as it was.
"Alright, then the black sword, the white sword, the club, one bomb and the boomerang. Is that right?" Shoji repeated, as Sokka finished listing his weapons to him.
"That's right," said the gladiator, and Shoji smiled.
"Well, that should be enough," he said. "You can go ahead to the stand-by room. Your opponents should be here soon."
"Good. Thank you, Shoji," Azula told him, nodding in his direction as she started towards the stairs.
"See you!" said Sokka, smiling at him before following Azula downstairs.
The Princess looked out at the ring through the golden grid in the stand-by room, knowing it would do nothing to appease her anxiety, but unable to help herself regardless. Sokka stood behind her, his arms crossed, his eyes set on her figure as neither spoke, as they did nothing but contemplate the situation before them.
Sokka gritted his teeth, his hands balled into tight fists. He breathed out and finally spoke, hoping to appease her concerns with his determination.
"Azula, I…"
"You'd best not mess this one up," Azula interrupted him, making him freeze on his spot. "A lot is riding on this fight… and I actually think you might have a chance. I mean, you did beat the Millennium Dragon, so…"
"Yeah, though it was easier with a firebender," said Sokka, frowning. "I'm using Wolf's Bane anyhow, but I doubt it will have some hidden powers against earthbenders now."
"Unlikely," Azula admitted. "But you did insist you wanted to use it this time…"
"It feels like a good advantage. I can handle myself well enough with two swords," he said, smiling. "And I promise not to lose Wolf's Bane like I lost my boomerang the last time I fought Toph."
"You'd better keep true to that. Because I'm not running back here to get whatever you might lose in the sand this time," Azula said, looking at Sokka with a small smile. He grinned back.
"Don't worry. If I lose anything, which I hopefully won't, I'll get it back myself. At least, I hope I will."
"Yeah, try not to get any limbs broken this time, if you would," Azula said. Sokka smiled and nodded.
"I won't."
His words were promises without basis, but Azula wanted to believe in them all the same. She wanted to trust his strength, his growth… he had come a very long way since his last fight against the Blind Bandit, after all. The concerns were still there for the Princess, though. She couldn't help but imagine the worst that could happen, even if she knew Sokka was strong enough to avoid giving such conclusion to this fight…
"Just… do your best," she said, looking at him. "You have it in you. If you could take the Millennium Dragon…"
"I'll be fine," Sokka said, smiling at her. "You can stop worrying. Plus, Toph isn't going to try to kill me this time, I think. Even if she did beat me…"
"Try not to let her beat you, would you?"
"Well, I'm just saying, in the off case that she did…"
"I'd rather such a case didn't happen, honestly," said Azula, and Sokka pouted. "She's been an obstacle in our way long enough. It's time to end that."
"It may be, but as always, I'm not underestimating her. I mean, I might get lucky and she might have had too much tea again…" he said, grinning. "But if that doesn't happen, I'll have to give my everything in this fight. And I will do everything I can to win, but…"
"But it might not happen, yes," said Azula, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. "Still… I guess I just wanted you to know that I…"
"That you…?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows and looking at her eagerly.
She looked at him, realizing that her anxiety was keeping her from saying the words aloud. She felt stupid as he waited for her to finish a sentence she couldn't complete… she felt stupider still for wishing she could just forget all her worries and qualms and throw herself into his arms…
But stupid as that might have been, she found herself doing so. Knowing, as she did, that one more step could send her falling down the cliff before which she stood, she still took it. She cupped his face in her hands, her lips reaching out to meet his.
Sokka nearly fainted when he realized he was getting another kiss, at long last. Another taste, as ever, of the forbidden fruit he so desired… his arms surrounded the Princess, and he returned the kiss eagerly. Whatever she had wanted to say earlier was better said this way, no doubt.
They kissed until they were breathless, knowing there was no way they could go any further. He had a fight, she had to go upstairs. Knowing the circumstances limited them was helpful, allowing them to have only a small but just dosage of what they had craved for desperately.
"Go out there and… and make me proud, damn you," Azula said, her forehead pressed against his as his gloved hand caressed her face. "Or else you're going to get it."
Sokka smiled and nodded, kissing her once more. Azula succumbed briefly, but she pulled away before long, dropping her head on his shoulder and hugging him tightly.
"I'll see you in a bit," he whispered in her ear. "You won't have to carry me home today."
"Hopefully not," she said, before pulling away.
Again, as she'd had to do it on The Slate, she wiped his lips clean with her thumb. Sokka smiled at that, and Azula nodded at him before turning on her heels. Perhaps that kiss would serve to cheer Sokka up before the fight… heading out there in good spirits just might be the trick to beating Toph.
Sokka breathed deeply, trying to calm his heart rate after what had just happened. Would the day come when a kiss from her stopped making him this exhilarant? He wasn't sure it would. He couldn't help himself from wanting her, though… from wishing to belong to her in every possible sense of the word.
He remembered her reaction after he defeated Chan's gladiator, how overjoyed she had been. It was the first time he had ever seen her genuinely happy. What would she react like, were he to beat Toph? The idea made him nervous, anxious… and all the more eager to win. Yes, perhaps he had a death wish. Surely he was a fool for wanting Azula to himself in ways in which she shouldn't belong to him, or to any other man, at all. But he wanted her. And if somehow the outcome of this fight would lead to him obtaining that which he desired, then he'd do every damn thing in his power to make it so. He was powerless to resist her at this point.
One way or another, the outcome of this fight promised to change everything between them for good. It would be up to Sokka to make it sure the change would for the best, or else…