A deep breath, her eyes closed, her inner fire flaring. She had the endurance needed to sustain constant bending for a long time, despite she had spent around three hours at it by now. It had been taxing the first time she'd done it, but she was as good as growing used to it. Her only qualm was that she didn't enjoy sitting out the action, busy as she was recreating the conditions of the volcano where Sokka would have to fight, in only four days.
Haru had crafted the double glass dome with his earthbending, just as he had back during the first time Sokka had trained for the Slate, and he made sure to keep it strong and steady despite the fighting that was taking place inside it. Azula took care to fire up the dome with her blue flames, bringing it to extreme temperatures. Sokka was inside, busy fighting Mai and Ty Lee simultaneously, for they were the only available fighters while the two benders worked hard to hold the earth and fire dome.
The dome was sealed with a glass door, one that Haru had crafted so that they could see what was happening inside the fighting pit. Whenever any of the fighters needed to catch their breath they would step through the crystal door to take a break. Mai and Ty Lee would often need time to rest, which left Sokka to practice his endurance against heat by himself inside the dome. He would drink as good as a gallon of water afterwards, but he did his best to withstand the heat for as long as he was able.
He hadn't taken a break for hours now, and since he didn't take breaks, neither did his sponsor as she strived to build the heat of the dome evenly. Fighting cries often escaped the dome, and sometimes something crashed against its wall – often weapons, sometimes bodies. As Azula forced herself to endure further, despite she had been bending continuously for hours, the glass door swung open and Ty Lee collapsed outside.
"That's…! That's it, I'm done…!" she cried out, lying flat on the ground. Haru gasped and rushed to her side, hoisting her from the ground quickly.
Azula sighed, guessing it was time for everyone to take a break. Bending continuously certainly took a toll on anyone, even a prodigious bender like herself. Mai left the glass dome next, trying to wipe the sweat off her brow with a hand to no avail, her cheeks flushed. Unlike Ty Lee, she did manage to walk all the way to the veranda, where her husband and son were pleased to see her in one piece, despite her obvious exhaustion.
"You did it! Mommy's back, Yuudai" said Ruon Jian, beaming at his son, who rested on his lap.
He offered Mai a towel, and she wiped her face with it before reaching for a glass of water, amongst the many glasses Ruon Jian had readied for the exhausted fighters. She took her seat beside him, clasping his forearm with a wordless thank you as she closed her eyes and basked in the fresher temperatures outside the dome.
Sokka climbed out last, drenched in sweat and looking somewhat weakened, but in spite of all that he could stand upright without too much trouble, offering Azula a thumbs-up, a smile on his face. Azula nodded approvingly and approached him, while Haru carried the overwhelmed Ty Lee to the veranda. Sokka released a breath, filling his lungs with fresh air and enjoying the light breeze that eased his heated body: even so, he kept smiling at the Princess, his breathing heavy.
"You seem to be holding up well," said Azula, raising her eyebrows.
"You're a lot more efficient than Zuko, building the heat for that thing. It really feels like the Slate all over again," said Sokka, breathing deeply and stretching with difficulty. "Though I'll say I had to go easy on Mai and Ty Lee…"
"Did you really? My, my: we've gotten arrogant," said Azula, smirking as they walked to the veranda. Sokka chuckled.
"You can ask them if you don't believe me," he said, as he reached to take a glass of water too.
Mai was gracelessly slumped on Ruon Jian's shoulder, an unusual sight to behold, while Ty Lee sighed as Haru gave her water. They always served as Sokka's opponents within the earth dome, a training method they'd resorted to at least once a week. They would usually only step in for around ten minutes at a time, but this time they had pushed their boundaries and stayed for twenty instead. The result was what they could see right now.
"I'm so happy his fight's just around the corner…" said Ty Lee, breathing heavily.
"How can you even stand up…?" Mai asked, looking at Sokka in disbelief. Sokka smiled and shrugged, running a hand through his damp hair.
"I'm supposed to, if I'll be able to get through the Slate again," he said. He huffed, noticing his hand was covered in sweat when he brought it back. "Though I could really use a bath."
"Couldn't we all," said Mai. Ruon Jian laughed next to her.
"Well, for what it's worth, you still look beautiful when you're disheveled," he said, kissing her forehead. Mai only groaned.
"Aw, do I look pretty too…?" Ty Lee asked Haru, but before he could say anything she froze and grimaced. "Oh, damn it, black spots in my eyes, black spots…"
"O-oh, we have to get you something to eat right away!" Haru said, lifting her again carefully and rushing to the kitchen.
Ruon Jian had joined them a few times during their training sessions, keeping watch over Yuudai while Mai fought Sokka. He didn't do it every time, but he had managed to take time off work so Mai wouldn't have to leave Yuudai with their servants. Despite Mai's concerns that she might be imposing on her husband, Ruon Jian was actually elated to be part of things for once. Never had Azula seen him more enthusiastic, as he held Yuudai on his lap and surrounded Mai's shoulders with an arm.
Mai glanced at Sokka as he drank his water, and she smirked slightly while he reached for another glass immediately after finishing the first.
"And what about him? Doesn't he look beautiful as well…?" she asked, teasingly. Azula cringed.
"No kidding," she said, with her best sarcastic voice. Sokka smirked too.
"Well, whatever you think is irrelevant, Princess. I feel beautiful, that's all that matters!" he declared proudly. Azula looked at him in disbelief.
"You look like a soaked turtle-duck, but then again, I've never liked those animals. Maybe that's why you look utterly ridiculous to me," she said, with a smirk. Sokka huffed.
"Utterly ridiculous, as if," he said, taking a seat at the veranda. "You just can't stand all the manliness pouring out of me right now!"
"If the stench is what you call manliness, yes, I absolutely can't stand it," said Azula, smirking. Sokka cringed.
"Is it that bad?" he asked.
"You should probably ask Ty Lee to let you borrow her tub… although, given the sort of things she's bound to do with Haru there, I don't recommend that anyone else uses it," said Azula, sighing and shaking her head.
Sokka grimaced but drank his water as the Princess climbed up the stairs to head inside the house. She passed by Sokka as she moved towards the threshold, letting her knuckles graze the side of his head. He bit back a smile, knowing Ruon Jian might notice him beaming out of nowhere, and he couldn't possibly act more suspiciously than that. Nearly everyone in the house knew of his relationship with Azula, but so far Mai had kept Ruon Jian in the dark about it, and they intended to keep it that way: more than enough people knew about them as it was.
"Are you alright?" Azula asked, finding Ty Lee nibbling on some sweets in the kitchen while Haru watched her.
"I'll be fine, I'll be fine…" she said, her eyes somewhat out of orbit. "I'm just exhausted, is all…"
"Well, if it pleases you, I think that will be enough for the day," said Azula. "So thank you, as always, for all the help with this sort of training. With any luck, we won't need to do it ever again."
"Yeah, I hope so," said Ty Lee, grimacing. "This was worse than the last time. Sokka's got some ridiculous heat endurance now, and he's only gotten stronger, you know? It's not a fair fight for me and Mai…"
"He should have grown stronger indeed. It's the whole point of what we're doing," said Azula. "All the same, we shouldn't bother you guys with this sort of training anymore after this. We're giving up the right to challenge, after all…"
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Haru asked. "With all the points the Slate provides…"
"It provides more risks than it does points," said Azula. "Even though we would be fighting on our own terms in the Slate, since we get to choose who we want to challenge, I probably should remind you that Sokka was truly lucky to survive the last fight as he did. I'd rather not have him take such risks again: we'll take all the points we can this time around and surrender the right to challenge to someone else."
"Not to us, please," said Ty Lee, grimacing. "Haru would be hopeless in there…"
"Yeah, choose another firebender, or a non-bender," said Haru, gulping. "Unless you don't get to pick?"
"I think I do. The guy from the counter, Shoji, said we'd have to choose someone to take up the right to challenge," said Azula, shrugging. "No worries, though. I won't force this bother upon you unless you give me a reason to do so."
Ty Lee pouted as Azula smirked slightly. As Haru headed off to prepare a bath for Ty Lee, Azula glanced over her shoulder, finding Sokka was chatting with Ruon Jian and Mai. Yuudai had crawled towards him, eager to play with the new adult who had joined him and his parents, but Sokka ushered him away.
"I'm all filthy, kid, it's better if you don't… woah! Hey, you shouldn't sit on my lap, I'm serious here…"
"He seems as awkward with children as you are, huh?" said Ty Lee, smiling sneakily. Azula huffed.
"I don't think anyone can be, despite he's trying pretty hard to beat me at it," she said. "Then again, he's not being much of a figure of authority for him, is he? If he can't command respect, there's no way a kid will listen to him…"
"So, that means your kids could play with him, and later you can scare them off by being the authority figure! See, that's just perfect," said Ty Lee, giggling and earning herself a glare from Azula. "Okay, okay, no need for that, you know I'm just joking…"
"Hard to say, coming from you," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. Ty Lee sighed.
"It's kind of sad, though… this would be such a fun triple date if only you and Sokka could just be open about it. But you have to cover up… it's just not fair. How has Mai managed to keep it quiet from Ruon Jian anyways?"
"She's simply not the type of person who can't keep a secret for more than ten minutes without blowing up," said Azula, smirking. Ty Lee pouted.
"I kept it for like… an hour. I did!" she said. Azula shook her head.
"Makes no matter in the long run: you still blabbed to Haru."
"Because you told me I could!"
"Because I knew you would even if I told you not to."
"You're just being mean, Azula," said Ty Lee, pouting again. Azula's smirk widened. "Still, it's too bad you two can't be all cutesy and sweet. I bet you'd be so happy if you could just…"
"Yeah, sure. You really think I'd just let loose around all of you if Ruon Jian knew? Do you even know me at all?" Azula asked. Ty Lee chuckled.
"Come on, you'd do it if you thought you'd piss someone off with displays of affection. I mean, you always liked annoying Zuko! Imagine how he'd react if you got all mushy with Sokka in front of him…"
"Heh, well, Zuko isn't here, so there'd be nobody to piss off either way," said Azula. "The only one who'd be happy would be you, since you'd get to see us being… well, closer than you usually see us, and for some twisted reason you're eager to witness that…"
"Hey, it's nothing twisted! I just think you two make a cute couple," said Ty Lee, smiling. Azula looked at her in disbelief.
"Yeah, sure. You know, you have your beloved Haru, you should just invest all your energies for romantic matters in that relationship and stop poking your nose into everyone else's business."
"Aw, and where would the fun be in that?" Ty Lee asked, pouting.
"The fun in what?" Sokka asked, surprising Azula by showing up behind her without any warning.
"Got Yuudai off you?" Azula asked. Sokka smiled awkwardly.
"It was harder than I thought it'd be, but when his mother called him, he as good as forgot I existed. Can't say I mind…" he said. Azula couldn't help but smile.
"Ow, Yuudai is a cute kid, don't be so mean," said Ty Lee, pouting.
"Either way, I really think I'm getting smelly…" said Sokka.
"That you are," said Azula, raising her eyebrows matter-of-factly.
"… And I can't say I enjoy being all sweaty either," said Sokka, looking at her meaningfully. "So, I suppose we should go now, before the stench gets any worse."
"Bummer," said Ty Lee, sighing. "I hoped we'd all get to have dinner together tonight."
"You can have us over when we get back from the Slate," said Azula. "I'm sure we'll be able to drop by: this fight shouldn't be so bad this time around."
"If his opponent is lower than him in the Ranking, even, it really shouldn't be," said Ty Lee, scratching her head. "Well, good luck, then. It'd be great if we could go, but we have a fight the day after yours…"
"And Mai's not going to put herself through that again," said Azula, smiling. "Don't worry about it, Sokka won't need that much moral support to succeed this time. At least, I'd like to think so."
"Well, for all we know, the opposite sponsor might be cheering for me too," said Sokka, with a raised eyebrow. "Quite a weird guy he is, after all."
"If he starts cheering for you when his wife is fighting you, I'll finance their divorce myself," said Azula, shaking her head. "Anyways, Ty Lee, we'll be back eventually. Hopefully in one piece…"
"Hey, what'd you mean, hopefully?" said Sokka, frowning. "She has a wooden sword, there's no way…"
"Nothing's impossible for you in an Arena, including being cut up with a wooden blade, so don't jinx it by saying it's never going to happen, alright?" said Azula. Sokka's eyebrow twitched.
"If anything, I'd just get a splinter, but heck, sure, whatever you say…" he said, rolling his eyes. Azula bumped her shoulder against him as she made for the backyard again.
"Let's get going before you end my patience, Stinky Wolf," she said. Sokka smirked.
"Heh, what does that remind me of…?"
"Nothing you're going to talk about now, if you appreciate your life," Azula said, with a smirk of her own. Nobody around here would understand their reference to Sokka's very first shameless comment towards Azula, and they certainly didn't want to explain it either way.
Sokka chuckled as they walked out to Ty Lee's garden again, or what was left of it after all the massive changes it had to undergo, on a constant basis, for all of Sokka and Haru's training sessions. Little of the garden could be considered a garden in anything but in name by now.
Xin Long fetched them as they bickered in front of the glass dome, and while the back-and-forth continued between them as they returned home, it became a lot less hostile and far more playful once they knew they'd be alone. Song would likely be inside, but they wouldn't head into the house just yet: Sokka definitely needed to clean up first of all, and Azula was more than happy to supervise his cleaning as soon as they arrived.
Their adventures in the bathroom had always been a source of enjoyment for them, and they thoroughly helped each other cleanse off all the dirt and sweat as they caressed intimately. They were both quite tired, though, so it was relaxing to simply rest together in the tub, with Azula sitting on Sokka's lap, her back against his chest, her eyes closed as he held her, beaming amid the bubbles and cleansing salts.
"This is probably the best way to end this insane training spree," Sokka said, with a happy grin. Azula smiled.
"Relaxing tends to be good for you, especially when you have an important fight up ahead," she said. "I'm glad I could see to your training myself this time."
"So am I," said Sokka, smiling. "Sparring with you is better than with Zuko, by miles. And this sort of thing is just what I need to end my day, absolutely."
"This alone?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "Here I expected you might want something more…"
"I figured you'd go home now," he said, confused. "That's not the plan? Because if not, what is?"
"Who knows?" she answered, enigmatically before turning around on his lap, surrounding his neck with her arms. "You do remember that there's a pretty awful chance we might have to let two other people aboard my Barge tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, I'm aware," said Sokka, caressing her back.
"So, planning ahead for the worst-case scenario, which is that you might not be able to run off to my room during the trip because your biggest fan wants to throw a slumber party with you…" Azula said, poking his chest with a finger. "I was thinking about making the most of tonight, so that we get everything off our system before you go to your big fight."
"Wait… what?" said Sokka, blinking blankly. "I mean, great! But… what?"
Azula laughed and shook her head, letting it rest on his shoulder as he remained utterly puzzled, his arms around her waist.
"I mean, you don't usually spend the night or anything because it's risky, right? If you skip dinner it'll be suspicious and…"
"It won't be because they think I'll have dinner at Ty Lee's, since I told them I would," said Azula. "Nobody will be monitoring my activities at all until morning, most likely."
"So, you really can stick around for a while longer, then? Have dinner with us?" Sokka asked, smiling. "Will Xin take you home later?"
"I thought it might be better if I simply take the tunnels, the way you do whenever you're being a reckless fool," she said. "Indeed, it's risky, but I can't imagine us having much time for ourselves with your dear friend Yang on the loose."
"He's not my friend," said Sokka, smiling. "At least not yet. I barely know him…"
"But he surely knows everything about you," said Azula, with a smirk. "At least, all he could know. And what he doesn't know yet he'll try to find out during this trip. I don't suppose I'll have to warn you not to blab about certain things regarding our relationship, but I guess I'll do it either way…"
"I'm not that careless, you know?" said Sokka, smiling. "Not when we really know nothing about them. As much as he might be a fan of mine, he'll probably forget all about that if he expects a big reward in cash for giving our relationship away to your dad…"
"I wonder if my father would actually reward him," Azula said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"Wouldn't he want to?" he asked. "I suppose he's not exactly the picture of generosity, but…"
"No, it's just… I imagine he might be so outraged he might actually kill Yang right then and there for telling him I'm sleeping with my gladiator," she said, with a weak smile. "All things considered, it wouldn't be a wise idea to tattle on us, not even for the tattler's sake."
"Well, either way, we have no idea if we can trust them," said Sokka, nodding sagely. "So we have to keep our mouths shut and our behavior must remain as spotless as can be, right?"
"Exactly," said Azula. "Which means… one late night of recklessness is important for our health, yes."
"I can't believe you're actually suggesting and vouching for this…" said Sokka, chuckling. Azula smirked as she lifted herself up to kiss him.
"You won't have me all night, but we can make the most of it while you do," she said, her forehead against his. Sokka smiled.
"Your inappropriate proposals are the worst, you know?" he said "I should try to talk sense into you, be the responsible one for a change, but I can't even try to be, you know? I'm no good at that! So of course, you'll have your way, because when don't you, to begin with?"
"Ah, so you're admitting I do get my way even in bed now? You always denied it…" she said. Sokka chuckled.
"I honestly don't know who loves the things we do the most, me or you," he said, before kissing her deeply. Azula smirked as she gave in fully to the passionate exchange.
It wasn't that she feared for Sokka's safety this time, at least not on the same measure as she had six months ago, but she didn't want to waste any time, and she knew they wouldn't see nearly as much of each other as they liked during the trip to the Slate. She didn't stay through the whole night, choosing to rush through the tunnels right after Sokka fell asleep in her arms, but the brief time she spent with him was enough to appease her anxieties. She wished she didn't feel this way, but she wasn't sure she could see him off to big fights anymore without taking her time to appreciate being with him beforehand.
She reached her room as quickly as possible, finding no complications in the tunnels or outside them. Her bags were packed in her room: everything was ready. And yet she dropped on the mattress with a displeased groan, despite the bed was as comfortable as ever and her body was as relaxed as could be. No matter what awaited them tomorrow, she really hoped that fanboy and his wife would prove to be more agreeable company than she'd anticipated.
Sokka smiled when Azula descended on the Barge on Xin Long's back. He greeted her with a hand, holding back the urge to run up to kiss her. She nodded in his direction, acknowledging him dryly as she climbed off the dragon. Most unlike his rider, though, Xin Long rushed up to Sokka and knocked him down, climbing atop him to lick his face with his serpentine tongue, to Sokka's surprise and confusion.
"Wha…?! What the heck are you doing?!" he squealed, as Xin Long wagged his tail excitedly. "Get off! Xin! What's the matter with you?!"
Azula snorted and shook her head. The dragon certainly loved to mess with people, but what he was doing to Sokka was meant to annoy her, most of all. Since Xin Long knew that they would likely be forced to hold back through their trip, he was messing with Azula by kissing Sokka while she couldn't. So, she rolled her eyes and smiled before heading inside the ship's tower, hoping to confirm that everything was ready for the Barge's journey.
"Seriously, what the heck is wrong with you?!" Sokka gasped, trying to shove the dragon off. Xin only gurgled with malice and settled against him, his head crushing Sokka's chest. The gladiator's eyebrow twitched. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?"
Xin only answered with another reptilian laugh and Sokka's scowled. So, he was being ridiculed by a dragon, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. This was why it wasn't much good for his lover to have such a tight connection with her dragon, it gave the creature an excuse to do mischievous things like these to annoy them both…
"You've got to get off, Xin, seriously. I need to keep an eye out for those two!" Sokka groaned, wrestling to shove the dragon off, but it didn't seem he was about to shift a single inch. Sokka sighed. "Azulaaa, help me…"
He was sure she could hear him somehow through the dragon, but there was no point in asking for help when she surely had other things to take care of right now. He'd have to stay lying over the deck, crushed by the large creature's weight…
A shadow appeared over him suddenly, blocking the sunlight. Sokka had closed his eyes in despair barely moments ago, but he opened them to recognize a Royal Guard standing over him, scrutinizing him through his mask.
"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Rui Shi commented. Sokka sighed.
"I'd ask you to help but he might bite your foot or something if you try," he said. Rui Shi smiled, even if Sokka couldn't see it.
"There's truly nothing I can do. Speaking from experience, you'll have to figure out how to get him off you, because I… huh."
"You what?" Sokka said, raising an eyebrow. Rui Shi lifted a finger, pointing at the dock that Sokka couldn't quite see from where he was.
"Your opponents are here, I believe," said Rui Shi. Sokka flinched.
"Oh, damn. Xin, seriously now, get off…"
The dragon groaned with disapproval, but to Sokka's surprise he budged, sitting up and scratching the back of his head with his hind leg. Sokka jumped up to his feet again, breathing deeply now he wasn't been squeezed by a dragon, and he glanced at the dock: he recognized Yang and Haiyan easily at the front of the group, but they were leading a crowd that was all too familiar as well by now: the Blue Pack. He swallowed hard, wondering if they'd seen him crushed by Xin Long and realized he wasn't half as dignified and noble as they might have misunderstood him for. Though he wouldn't mind if they had, not entirely…
"Uh… hey?" he said, stepping down the ramp towards them. "Did you guys manage to make enough money?"
"We almost did," Haiyan replied, showing him a bag she was carrying. Yang looked at Sokka uneasily. "We've asked around the port, though, and we still need around a thousand more to hire a ship…"
Sokka sighed and shrugged, giving them a dry grin.
"Well, if that's how it is, I guess there's only one solution, right?" he said. Yang's hand flew to his forehead.
"I… I seriously can't believe this," he said, a wild grin breaking over his face.
"Don't get too excited," said Sokka, chuckling. "The Princess might be annoyed if you're too happy about it."
"O-oh, I'll do my best to hold back!" Yang exclaimed, nodding before bowing his head to Sokka. "Thank you so much for your generosity! We owe you so much!"
"No need for that, not at all," said Sokka, smiling. "I guess you should climb aboard now, then…"
Haiyan smiled gratefully and climbed the ramp indeed. Sokka followed her, but Yang turned to the crowd behind him with a bright smile. They congratulated him on this great honor and showered him in good wishes, some of the club members even hugged him, and others asked for souvenirs from the Slate. Sokka smirked, wondering if they'd be satisfied with bits of volcanic rocks, if Yang could pick up any…
"Thank you, everyone! I'll see you in five days!" Yang said, laughing as he finally climbed the ramp. "Goodbye!"
Sokka smiled as he stared at the waving crowd. But he noticed someone wasn't amongst them: the girl Azula had insulted somewhat boldly, Hina, hadn't come to see Yang and Haiyan off, not even for another chance to be near Sokka. Sokka frowned at the realization, not because he wanted her there, but because something about it gave him a bad feeling, for some reason.
"Oh, it's so big and clean and… Ah! Oh no, oh no! It's him, isn't it?! Oh, Haiyan, it's the dragon!" Yang exclaimed, clinging to his wife's arm as he stared at the curious Xin Long, who smirked as though pondering just how he would mess around with these new acquaintances of his rider. "I can't believe it! I can't…!"
"It's not the first time you see him, though," said Haiyan, amused. "You've told me you've seen him at times at the Dome, haven't you?"
"B-b-but he's right there!" Yang squeaked, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head. "Oh, this is too much for me…"
"If it is, then you might have to consider bailing out of the fight altogether," said a voice that made Yang jump, for he recognized it immediately. "But I don't think you can afford that, can you?"
Azula smirked at the Barge's Tower entrance, as the spiky-haired man turned to look at her. He shook his head first, but then he bowed deeply at her. He shook his head again as he held his body doubled over at almost perfect ninety degrees.
"It's the greatest honor to join you in this journey, Princess!" he said, still bent over. "I'll do my best not to be a nuisance!"
"Heh. I wonder if you can succeed at that," she said, as Haiyan performed a far classier bow than her husband had. "Feel free to rise whenever you please. Captain, we're ready to take off."
"Very well, Princess," said Rui Shi before walking away from them, giving out orders for the ramp to be lifted.
The sailors worked fast as they readied the ship to set out into the Fire Nation's clear waters. The engines began working, smoke pouring from the Barge's chimneys. Xin Long darted off into the sky, as he preferred watching the ship from above instead of lounging on the deck. Yang carried on waving at his friends, rushing to the stern of the ship so he could say goodbye even as the ship took off: Azula and Sokka watched him, the former with a crooked eyebrow, the latter with amusement.
"I warned him not to get too excited, but I guess he didn't listen," said Sokka, smiling at Azula. She sighed.
"You see, you're used to all this, Sokka," she said, shrugging. "The luxuries, being ferried back and forth on the Princess's ship… but this doesn't happen frequently to common people. So, it's not like he can help reacting like this. He probably won't even manage to fall asleep tonight…"
"I do hope he does," said Haiyan, smiling a little. "I'd like to think he'll burn out his energies with his overexcitement and fall asleep easily tonight."
"That's another possibility," Azula admitted, nodding. "And you seem awfully calm through it all, unlike him…"
"Well, don't take it the wrong way, I'm amazed as well that we're here at all," she said, gazing around herself with a bright smile. "But I haven't forgotten we're on our way to what might be the most important fight of my gladiator career, so I'm trying to stay focused on that."
"It's good you're doing your best to focus," said Azula. "But I guess your husband isn't, huh?"
Yang had finally stopped waving, for the others were already so small and lost in the distance that he couldn't quite discern them anymore. He giggled and turned to find everyone was watching him, and he gulped and lowered his head awkwardly while smiling at the three of them.
"They were just happy to see us off," he said, walking towards them, trying his best to appear calm now, although it didn't look like he'd calm down anytime soon. "And… and we're just happy to be here! We're… oh, Princess, we're so grateful…"
"They made some money, but it wasn't enough to pay the trip on another ship," Sokka mentioned to Azula. She sighed and shrugged.
"They didn't have the best chances to save up enough money, but we'd already anticipated this might happen regardless of their efforts. It's of no matter, you two can go freshen up in your cabin if you…"
"Our… cabin?" Yang asked, his eyes wide. "W-what do you mean…?"
"Well, where did you expect you'd sleep tonight?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "There's enough cabins in my Barge to fit you two, even if you won't take one of the best rooms in the Tower…"
"I actually thought…" said Yang, blinking blankly. "W-well, I mean, I was fine sleeping even on the deck! We really didn't want to impose…"
"Please. It's a little late for that, isn't it?" said Azula, raising her eyebrow. "Your cabin is next to Sokka's. He can show you where it is whenever you want to go."
"Why, t-thank you! Thank you, Princess!" said Yang, tears blinking in his eyes now. "The kindness you've extended to us will never go forgotten…"
"Yeah, that's what I feared," said Azula, sighing. She'd certainly rather forget it and put all this behind her once it was over, though. She still wasn't sure why she'd chosen to do this, to begin with…
"It's truly kind of you, Princess," said Haiyan, smiling politely and bowing her head towards her. "This means a lot to the both of us."
"I promise I won't pester your gladiator much," said Yang, smiling at Sokka. "I'll actually try to… to act normally. No weird questions, none of that! I don't want to bother any of you, so…"
"Heh? Well, if you don't want to ask anything maybe I will," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "I've been thinking for a while now, and after you were seen off by your friends at the port, I'm even more confused: why didn't you ask that girl, Hina, to help you pay for transport?"
"Wha-…? Hina?" Yang repeated. Sokka nodded. Azula's eyebrow twitched, knowing immediately who Sokka was referring to…
"She claimed she was the one who funded your club, right?" said Sokka. "She was pretty eager to tell me she was the daughter of a nobleman, back when you guys first introduced yourselves. If she had money to spare like that…"
"Well, Hina's a bit of a complicated fellow," said Yang, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I know I shouldn't be one to judge, and I shouldn't be saying this stuff about her… but she's not exactly the nicest kind of person, you know?"
"Who'd have thought?" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow and smirking at Azula. Azula snorted.
"What makes you say that, though?" she asked Yang. "Is there anything off about her?"
"One thing, many things…" said Yang, grimacing. "Since she funds the Blue Pack, she likes to act like she's entitled to… well, anything. And well, she's a bit obsessed with the Blue Wolf…"
The judgmental and skeptical looks both Azula and Sokka gave Yang made him flinch and blush.
"N-no, I mean, not like I am!" he said, blushing. "She actually always told us we had to go introduce ourselves, and I had to hold her back because I didn't think it'd be proper… what mattered was that we supported you, not to get recognition for our support. We only did it after your last fight because we'd heard you hadn't fared well against the Kinslayer, and with that blow you took, we hoped you'd be encouraged if you knew there were lots of people who thought you're a remarkable fighter…"
"So, she's just in it just because she wants recognition somehow?" said Azula. Yang gulped.
"From the Blue Wolf, yes. Y-you see, she keeps… asking Pirin to paint weird things," he said. "I'd rather not elaborate, it wouldn't be proper…"
The blood drained Sokka's face as countless, horrifying ideas came to his mind. Azula didn't seem to be in better shape next to him, having closed her eyes as she tried to force herself not to picture what Yang didn't want to tell them.
"And well, after what the Princess said to her, she… she seemed to grow offended to the point that we haven't heard from her since," said Yang, scratching the top of his head. "I don't really think we'll miss her much, nobody really liked her…"
"She's always been the least likeable member of the Den… I mean, Pack. That's the name now," said Haiyan. "I know most of them; the others are mostly very nice even if they are crazy in their own ways. Hina was somehow… obnoxious, I guess. She seemed to have the idea that the group wouldn't exist altogether if it weren't for her."
"Really? It wouldn't have?" Sokka asked. Yang shrugged but shook his head.
"Actually, we would have. We would have had less material, maybe, but we would have still held together," said Yang. "A group of us founded the club some time ago, when we all started to run into each other often when we watched your fights. We realized we could start a club, and that's how it all began.
"Hina wasn't really there at first, though. She showed up a little later," said Yang, scratching the back of his head again. "And she did help by giving us money to make props and such, but outside of that…"
"So, you would simply bear with her because you felt obligated to do so, after she paid for all the weird props," Azula concluded. Yang sighed. "And what about now? How will you carry on with your club if she's so affronted by what I said that she's avoiding the Pack altogether?"
"That's… a good question," said Yang, grimacing and shrugging. "But what matters is that we support the Blue Wolf, so even if we have no money, our main purpose is to cheer him on in his fights whenever we can."
"A noble purpose, I suppose," said Azula, raising an eyebrow as Sokka smiled.
"I'm grateful to hear that, really," he said. "I don't know why anyone would support me like that, but…"
"What do you mean you don't know?" Yang asked, his eyes wide. "Are you… are you truly not aware of how extraordinary you are?"
"Well, I mean, I'm not exactly the greatest gladiator out there…" said Sokka, gulping. Yang yelped.
"Oh boy, here we go," said Haiyan, with an amused grin. Azula frowned.
"What do you mean…?"
"You truly don't understand?!" Yang exclaimed, aghast. "B-but after all you've achieved! After having proven you have the most unbelievable gladiator-and-sponsor partnership of all…!"
Azula was instantly on edge upon hearing that. She wasn't unaware of how people often praised her bond with Sokka, but something about the way Yang was wording his particular praise made her wonder just how much he had analyzed about their relationship…
"The very first time I saw you two was when I watched your first combat against the Blind Bandit," said Yang. Sokka flinched just by remembering the occasion. "And it was awful! It was the most cringe-worthy, painful fight I'd ever witnessed! I seriously just wanted it to be over because I could scarcely bear seeing more of that…!"
"Yeah, well, we all wanted it to be over, that was a pretty general feeling that day," Sokka said, swallowing hard.
"But when I was getting ready to leave… there you were," he said, looking at the Princess. Azula froze, fearing a blush might creep over her features as Yang spoke. "You were carrying him, all by yourself, Princess, and it was…! It was mind-boggling for everyone. Everyone froze as they watched you, nobody dared interrupt because what they were seeing was unprecedented! A sponsor carrying her battered gladiator, through thick and thin… what a moving sight it was!"
"Seriously? Moving?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrow. She had reflected on her actions that day, dreading that people would actually be revolted by them, but instead she had discovered her decision to carry Sokka had warmed them up to her instead: it seemed Yang was one of them.
"From that day forth, I decided to attend your fights whenever I had a chance," said Yang, his eyes bright. "The Blue Wolf, so strong and creative in battle, yet hiding it behind his appearances, and the Princess, his sponsor who would even stain her hands with blood to help him… you guys just make such a perfect team. It's not chance that people often say you're the greatest combination of gladiator and sponsor!"
"Well, I didn't think it was chance, but I see now," said Sokka, smiling and shrugging. "So it's really not just about me, then? You think what makes me great is that I have a great sponsor?"
"Why… I think you're a brilliant fighter all on your own, no doubt," said Yang. "And that alone caught my interest even while you were fighting against the Blind Bandit – you were unlucky that your schemes didn't work, but if they had, you would have beaten her, and it would have been amazing! Still… what really blew my mind was that a gladiator and a sponsor could have that sort of honorable bond, truly. And with all the other stories that we've heard, of how you found the beautiful and magnificent dragon! And how you took down the Dai Li conspiracy, and the Rough Rhinos, and that group of terrorists…"
"You've heard of all that, huh?" said Azula, sighing.
"I can only imagine how it must have been, the two of you fighting side by side to defeat your enemies, leaving all sorts of tales of glory, courage and loyalty behind, for centuries to come…" Yang carried on, his smile bright and dreamy. "I've always imagined that you took down the Rough Rhinos together, with the Blue Wolf rushing forth as a magnificent champion, saving all the helpless people from Yu Dao…!"
"Well, you heard that one wrong," said Sokka, with an awkward smile. "We were too late to help in Yu Dao, so we didn't take them down there…"
"And considering what shape we were in, neither of us looked particularly magnificent," Azula commented, grimacing.
"Oh?" said Yang, his eyes widening. "And… what about the dragon? I've always thought that you might have found it in some old, isolated ruins of an ancient firebending civilization, where lingered the last specimens of the dragons of old times!"
Sokka and Azula blinked before looking at each other and at Yang again, utterly puzzled.
"It's safe to say you have a very active imagination, don't you?" said Azula, with a sarcastic smile.
"That's not how it was, then…?" he asked, biting his lip. Sokka laughed.
"You know what?" he said. "We've got two days of journey up ahead, right? So…"
"So, you're going to spend them by setting right all the weird stories he's come up with?" Azula asked, anticipating herself to what Sokka was about to say.
He smiled and shrugged at her before winking quickly. The others wouldn't see his gesture, given that the angle of his head only allowed Azula to see it. She would have warned him not to let certain parts of the story slip, but she guessed Sokka believed he could retell many of their stories while concealing the mutual feelings between himself and the Princess.
"Got any better ideas?" he said. Azula huffed, choosing to trust him on this, despite she couldn't show it openly. Still, she'd make him pay for it if this backfired on them somehow.
"Not really. But I'm not exactly interested in revisiting our past adventures right now, so I'll leave that to you both," she said waving a hand carelessly. "Though promise me you're not going to twist anything out of proportion to make yourself look more heroic…"
"Hey, that hadn't crossed my mind until now, but you know what? I really could do that…" said Sokka, smirking. Azula huffed and fixed him with another glare, and Sokka snickered. "I won't, I won't. It'll be okay, Princess, I've got this."
"Yeah. I'm reassured," said Azula, sarcastically, as Sokka threw an arm around Yang's shoulders.
"Come along then! This will take a while," he said, as Yang held back the urge to squeal over being half-embraced by his hero.
Azula and Haiyan watched them go, the former with a wary frown, the other with a fond smile. Azula breathed deeply, unsure if she ought to ask the question she couldn't help but keep pondering… but when Haiyan glanced at her she knew she'd have no choice but to speak her mind.
"I hope it's alright with you that your gladiator shares your story… Yang is so very invested in everything about you two," said Haiyan, smiling. Azula shrugged.
"I don't really mind, but I'm honestly just wondering one thing, which might just be too rude to ask, but… why exactly are you married to him?"
To her relief, Haiyan only snorted and laughed with genuine amusement. Azula had expected a completely different reaction, so she immediately suspected Haiyan wasn't facing this question for the first time.
"I mean, all things considered, he's obsessed with Sokka, and perhaps with me too, even if not in the disturbing way that other girl is," said Azula, her eyes wide. "Unless you don't think it's an obsession…"
"Oh, it is. I will call things by their actual name," said Haiyan, with an awkward smile. "I'd say this is a problem, but surprisingly, it was also a solution. He hit a terrible writer's block some years back, couldn't write a story to save his life, but when he returned home after watching the Blue Wolf's fight that one time, he suddenly started writing again. Now he mostly writes narrations of the fights in the Arena, but if it gets him to write, I'm happy for it."
"Does he do it with your fights too?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. Haiyan smiled.
"He does. I remember the first time he did it: I'd lost that fight and would have to rest for a few days, so we weren't in the best situation at the time," she said. "As you know, my job is what usually reels money in, whether as a gladiator or as a construction worker… so whenever I have to be bed-ridden we know things will get tough. But he spent the night writing by our bed while I rested, and then I woke to read his version of what happened… it actually made me feel a little better, even if I was sorry I'd disappointed him with a loss. He's actually a very good writer, I believe…"
"Huh. I wonder if he really is," Azula commented, with a smirk. "It feels like you might not be an impartial source about that…"
"Oh, well… I do love my husband," said Haiyan, laughing softly. "But I suppose I haven't answered your first question yet, have I?"
"Not really," said Azula, as the two of them walked towards the Barge's railing. Haiyan rested against it with her back turned to the water, unlike Azula who was supporting her weight on the railing with her forearms.
"Well… there's probably yet another weird story about me and Yang that you probably won't expect," said Haiyan. "Not only am I his wife and gladiator, but… I was never a slave."
"I actually suspected as much," said Azula, frowning. "You don't act or really strike me as an Earth Kingdom person, and your manners are far too good for a slave's. But now I think of it…"
"He does?" Haiyan asked. "With his green eyes and brown hair…"
"True," said Azula, glancing at Yang, over at the Barge's prow, with confusion. To her mild embarrassment, Sokka was literally enacting whatever event he was telling the man about, putting on a ridiculous show that would make him eligible to join the Ember Island Players. "So, then… was he a slave instead of you?"
"Exactly," said Haiyan, with a weak grin. Azula grimaced.
"You two are more confusing than I expected," she said. Haiyan laughed softly.
"Well, the truth is, he was bought by my father back when slavery was just beginning," said Haiyan. "I was a teenager, and he was a little younger than me. He wasn't in the best shape and hadn't really been educated back in the Earth Kingdom. As it turned out, he was somewhat useless with household chores, so my father ended up looking after him as though he were an adoptive son instead of a slave. He taught him how to read and write, history, geography, leant him books… so, within a few years Yang was well-fed, full of knowledge and actually quite happy, even if he also learned how to do his chores by then.
"I started encountering little poems in my room when I was around fifteen. I didn't expect them, I thought my sister had misplaced some suitor's letter, but it was addressed to me. It didn't take me long to realize who was responsible for them, but I didn't say anything. I enjoyed coming home from school to find little gifts for me in my room, so I just awaited his poems eagerly. Eventually, with one of them I reached a point where I… well, I had let myself wonder if maybe these poems meant he was in love with me. And when he said as much in one of them, I just… ran to his room before I knew what I was doing. He was actually writing the next one, and I thought it was adorable that he actually thought he was so clever and mysterious… he was surprised I'd figured him out, but he admitted the truth right then and there, so… so that's where it began."
"Huh," said Azula, smiling a little. "So, he won you over with poetry. No wonder you believe he's a good writer."
"I suppose it's a cliché, but it was wonderful," said Haiyan, laughing softly. Azula bit her lip.
"But, considering what you've said about your economic condition… things didn't go smoothly for the two of you after that, did they?" she asked. Haiyan sighed.
"My father found out about us when I… well, when I confessed it all, after he told me he would try setting me up for an arranged marriage," she said. "He told me I had to break it off immediately. I refused… so we ran off. Yang wasn't exactly happy to disappoint my father after all he'd done for him, but I told him I wasn't having any of that about arranged marriages. We left, and… and I haven't been home since."
"So, you've sacrificed a comfortable life for this?" Azula asked, frowning. "You chose him above everything else, even if the cost was that steep?"
"It must sound completely unreasonable to you, I'm sure," said Haiyan, smiling awkwardly. "It does to most everyone. But we chose happiness, and we haven't regretted it so far, no matter how hard things have gotten at times. We have each other, and that's enough."
"You still managed to get married, though?" Azula asked. Haiyan nodded.
"A Sage did it, with a quick ceremony," she said, laughing softly. "He was pressed for time, did it the fastest he could, gave us the documents we needed for it to be legal, and that was that. That was when Yang knew there was no turning back anymore for us, so we both gave it our best to grow stable in our new lives… I've always been quite strong, so I've sought physical jobs, but Yang can't work most anywhere. Most people in the Capital have slaves for cleaning as it is, so even if he's become good at it, he's never been hired for that. As you also heard, writing is no good either…"
"A pity," Azula said, biting her lip. "And that's why you didn't just reject the Slate's challenge, right? You thought maybe this will bring more attention to you two, and with that you'll have lots of new challenges…"
"Hopefully, lots that pay better," said Haiyan, chuckling. Azula sighed.
"Still… does he keep writing poetry to you or is he just stuck writing or imagining insane scenarios about me and my gladiator?" she asked. Haiyan smiled.
"He does both, really. But by now I know better than to hope to be his only writing muse," she said. "Writers seem to need new things to work on from time to time, so I'm not going to be unreasonable and demand he only writes about or for me. As long as he doesn't write love poems for your gladiator, I won't have anything to complain about."
Azula smiled, and so did Haiyan. The gladiator swallowed hard and shook her head, though, suddenly a little more aware of herself than she'd been before.
"Sorry, though, for rambling like this about a corny love story. You've heard one, you've heard them all, right?" she said. Azula shook her head.
"I did ask, didn't I?" said Azula. "I was genuinely curious, don't worry about it. You've proven to be far more mysterious than expected, for two people as straight-forward as you are…"
"Oh, we're hardly mysterious," said Haiyan, laughing softly. "We're just… an odd match, I suppose. But if it's worked so far, I'd like to think it will keep working in the future."
"I do hope so, for your sake," said Azula, straightening herself. "Well, then, I guess my curiosity is sated by now. I'll be heading inside, to make sure everything's still going well. I suppose you can join those two if you'd like, clearly Sokka would love to have more public."
"Oh, well, I just might do it," said Haiyan, smiling. "Thank you, Princess."
"For the trip? Why… you're welcome," she said, nodding towards her. "I hope this fight brings good changes to your lives, regardless of the result."
"Thank you, truly," said Haiyan, bowing her head now. Azula nodded and turned to the Tower, hoping to conceal her mind was in overdrive after hearing Haiyan's story.
The Princess kept herself busy with supervising matters for a few hours before heading to her cabin and resting briefly there. She didn't want to have much free time as it was, but what else could she expect when she still had a day and a half ahead of their journey? If only she could head down to the deck and firebend until it was dinnertime she would, but she didn't think it would be wise to do any training around Yang. Surely the guy would have a seizure if he ever had the chance to witness her bending, or to watch sparring with Sokka.
She busied herself reading, ate when dinner was brought to her cabin, and was ready for bed earlier than usual, since she had no reason to stay up through the night. She actually wondered when was the last time she had gotten proper rest during a trip anywhere, but she actually hadn't missed it much. If anything, she'd miss Sokka's company far more than a good night's sleep.
But before she could actually get the latter, when she had almost dozed off completely, she heard the door of her cabin creak open and she sat up with a start.
"Are you… are you serious?!" Azula snapped, without bothering to greet him as Sokka closed the door behind him. He brought a finger to his lips.
"Shh! Nobody saw me, relax!" he said. Azula looked at him in disbelief.
"Didn't we agree that this wouldn't be possible because your biggest fan just might realize you went someplace?"
"Not with the way he's snoring he won't," said Sokka, grimacing. "Heck, they both were, to make things worse. I can't really sleep, it reminds me of our last time in Ba Sing Se…"
"Oh, really?" said Azula, raising an eyebrow. Sokka smiled.
"They were pretty tired, Azula. I don't think they'll be looking into where I am anytime soon," he said, sighing and taking his seat on her bed.
"So you say," she said. "But if you stay here all the way into morning…"
"I won't," said Sokka, smiling. "We're as good as trained to take off before dawn, aren't we? Nothing to worry about, Princess. I really just wanted a chance to talk with you, that's all"
"Huh, good to know," she grunted. Sokka chuckled. "Well? Did you tell Yang all about how you fell desperately in love with me to the point of fighting against all sorts of obstacles in your struggle to become my perfect gladiator and lover...?"
"Oh, sure. I also gave him a full briefing of all the positions we've ever tried, just so he doesn't imagine anything too farfetched, like that crazy story he came up with for Xin Long," said Sokka, smirking. "You know me, I just can't shut my mouth."
"If you seriously let anything slip…" Azula said, lifting a finger. Sokka laughed and shook his head.
"I didn't, you don't have to worry," he said. "I just talked about our best action moments, and not even all of them. I didn't talk about the White Lotus mess because I doubted you wanted him to know you were sick…"
"Wise. Surprisingly wise," she admitted, sighing and stretching across the bed. "Though truth be told, even if they found out about us, I doubt they'd ever tell anyone."
"What? Why do you say that?" Sokka asked, following her lead and relaxing on the mattress.
She told him everything Haiyan had explained earlier, along with a few guesses and assumptions of her own. Her gaze was stuck on the ceiling as Sokka stared at her, his brow slightly furrowed.
"So… okay, what I'm gathering from this is that…"
"They were in a similar place to where we are now," Azula whispered. Sokka tightened his lips. "And they gave up everything for each other in the end. Which is noble in its own way, no doubt, but they've been struggling for years. It's not what you'd call a welcoming fate…"
"Ours would be worse, too, wouldn't it?" said Sokka. Azula nodded.
"I think Haiyan's father mustn't have been highborn or anything of the sort. A nobleman could have easily hired someone to track down his daughter and force her back home, if he had wanted to, and he would have certainly had the slave killed for defiling his daughter…"
"So, a lot of it is different from us," said Sokka, dropping his head on the pillow. "They knew each other since they were younger, too."
"Still, he wrote poetry for her. Just like someone wrote embarrassing haiku about me," she said, smirking down at Sokka. He snorted.
"You'll never let that go, will you?" he asked. She laughed.
"Not in this life," she declared. "If anything, I'm even jealous now. Haiyan surely gets at least a poem a week or so, and I haven't gotten anything new from you since the Northern Air Temple. How is that right?"
"Wait, but I thought you found them embarrassing! Laughable!" Sokka said, blushing. Azula laughed again, as though confirming his claims.
"They were, but that didn't make them less endearing," she said. "Why do you think I've kept them despite everything, huh?"
"Because… you have bad taste for poetry?" Sokka asked. Azula glared at him skeptically. "Come on, I'm messing with you, no need to give me that look…"
"You're an idiot," she said, sighing and throwing an arm around his chest. Sokka smiled.
"An idiot who writes bad poetry. But hey… if you really want, I can try again. I mean, you've rejected my singing voice and my offers to paint you, but if you really want more poetry…"
"Oh, what the blazes have I asked for?" Azula sighed, shaking her head as Sokka laughed, surrounding her with his arms and kissing her forehead softly.
"You know… we won't have to go through what they did," he said, rubbing her arm with a hand. Azula only rested against him, her head on his shoulder. "Let alone through something worse. We've covered our tracks well enough so far, from the looks of it. Nothing suggests that your dad has any clue about us. So, if you're thinking what I'm pretty sure you're thinking…"
"It's not that I'm wondering if it'll happen or not," said Azula. "It's just… I'm wondering what we'd be able to do if it did. Can running off be an option for us as it was for them?"
Sokka felt tempted to say yes, but the look on Azula's eyes said otherwise. No, she couldn't simply turn her back on everything she'd worked for. She couldn't abandon her nation and her people just to elope with him. He had sabotaged the bomb development in the Air Temple, knowing it could have caused a rift between them, because his beliefs had compelled him to do so. Because he had thought it was the right thing to do. And just so, abandoning her nation wasn't something Azula could perceive as the right thing to do. They had already spoken about this, and they had decided that their love for one another wasn't going to get in the way of everything else they held dear… but if it did, what sacrifice would they choose to make? Would it be their nations, or their love?
He shook his head, though, and kissed her forehead again. Azula sighed.
"We're not running anywhere. And we're not going to betray ourselves, or our people, over each other," said Sokka. "The true challenge in this relationship is keeping it quiet for as long as it may be possible, isn't it? Well, we'll stay quiet forever if that's how it has to be. We won't have to cross that line, Azula. We can see to it."
"I hope so," Azula replied, clutching at him. "I really hope so."
He kissed her lips softly, and she rewarded him with a gentle smile. His arms tightened around her as she sighed and closed her eyes, her mind still filled with concerns despite Sokka's reassurances.
Sokka returned to his cabin after sleeping with Azula in his arms until dawn. His two neighbors carried on snoring even then, so he was left to stare at the ceiling while hoping to get more rest during the next day. He couldn't help but smile, guessing that Yang and Haiyan were indeed quite suitable for each other: if they could sleep with that much noise, they were definitely meant to be. But if he was going to defeat her on the next day, he'd have to get proper sleep in the course of that last day of traveling to the Slate.
Therefore, Sokka slept during most the afternoon while Azula watched with amusement, from the windows of her cabin in the Barge's tower, as Haiyan practiced her moves with her wooden sword with Yang's help, on the deck. Yang was utterly hopeless with a weapon, it was clear immediately, but his wife's dexterity was something to be reckoned with. As she watched the gladiator swinging her sword powerfully, Azula had no problem understanding how she had gotten as far as she had without using a weapon fit for murder. She couldn't help but think a woman like that could have had a great military career, if she'd ever be interested in one, that was.
They arrived in the Slate on the next day, and Yang was standing in awe of the volcanic island by the time Azula and Sokka were on deck and ready to disembark. Haiyan was all set, wearing her armor and carrying her weapons, and she waved at them as her husband stood in an apparent trance where he was.
"Dear? Are you alright…?" said Haiyan. Yang swallowed hard and nodded.
"Yes, yes, I'm perfectly fine..." he said, before pulling several sheets of crumpled paper from his pockets and scribbling on them hastily. Haiyan smiled awkwardly as the Princess and her gladiator approached them.
"Is something the matter?" Azula asked. Haiyan shook her head.
"He's inspired, is all," she said, smiling at Azula. "Feel free to lead the way, Princess."
Azula glanced at Sokka, who shrugged but smiled as the two of them stepped down the ramp and made for the Slate's metal door. As it had been the first time, staff members stood in place to welcome the arriving sponsors and gladiators.
"Princess! Welcome back to the Slate," said the first of the two men, the same who had welcomed them six months earlier. "We are ecstatic to have you here again."
"Why, thank you," said Azula, with an ironic smile. "I certainly am quite ecstatic too. I take it the fight will begin shortly?"
"Why, once your opponents arrive…" said the man. Azula pointed at Haiyan and Yang, who had lagged behind a little, with the writer gazing around himself in wonder and scribbling on his papers while Haiyan dragged him to the door.
"That would be them. We gave them a ride," she explained. The staff members blinked blankly.
"O-oh, well then! Follow us inside, if that's so!" said the other member, ushering the group to head downstairs with them.
While they weren't half as tense as they had been the first time Sokka fought here, Azula's sense of dread started to make its way through her as she spoke with the staff members within the Arena's vestibule. She hoped Sokka wouldn't make any mistakes today, but there was little she could do to calm her nerves regardless. His last victory here had been rather lucky, everyone knew as much. She hoped fortune would be on his side today, at least enough to prevent him from falling off the platform and into the sizzling lava…
The mere idea gave her shivers of the wrong kind. She swallowed hard and smiled as convincingly as she could while she and Yang – who was still slightly distracted by apparently recording everything that caught his interest – were asked to enroll their gladiators properly. Once all the trivialities were finished, though, it was time for the fight to begin.
As always, Azula followed Sokka to the stand-by room. Azula wasn't too surprised to notice that Yang would do the same with Haiyan at the other stand-by room. She only hoped he'd be able to focus enough to get to the stands once Haiyan wasn't there to drag him around.
"Oh, I did not miss you, Slate," said Sokka, breathing out slowly as he stared out at a metal platform he hadn't wanted to encounter ever again.
Azula approached him, placing her head against the back of his shoulder and surrounding his waist with her arms. Sokka sighed and found her hands with his.
"It's less risky than last time, for sure," said Azula. "But as fun as these two may have been, you can't hesitate. You mustn't. She's a stronger fighter than most…"
"That much is apparent, I get the feeling she could lift me with a finger and not break a sweat," said Sokka, smiling awkwardly. Azula snorted.
"Chances are she could," she said, as Sokka turned in her arms. "But what I mean is that she's very fast, and very strong. No doubt you could chop her sword in two with your own, but that's unlikely to stop her."
"I really would rather not hurt her much, can't lie," said Sokka, swallowing hard. "But if anything, I'll go for a knock-out as soon as I get a chance. It'll be for the best, right?"
"I'm afraid that's the same thing she'll be thinking," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "And while you'll hesitate to deliver real damage with as sharp a sword as yours, she has no such cause for concern with her wooden ones. So…"
"So, what do you think I should do?" Sokka asked, frowning.
Azula bit her lip before conveying her thoughts. Sokka snorted and smiled.
"Oh, this is going to be a bizarre fight for sure," he said, smirking and reaching for his sword. "You sure about that?"
"It's likely to be the best way, at least that I can think of," said Azula, shrugging as Sokka held Space Sword close, a frown on his face as he pondered how to achieve what his sponsor was proposing. "It'll be the best way for you both to fight evenly, if it counts as being even. But truly, she's a formidable swordswoman. I'd say she's probably closer to your level than many we've encountered…"
"Really? You don't think she was trained by Piandao too, or do you?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula shrugged.
"Truth be told… she might have been," she said. Sokka frowned.
"How do you know just how good she is? When did you see her…?"
"While you slept all afternoon yesterday, that's when," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "She was practicing on deck with Yang, and he's useless with a sword, but she's… she's something else. You'll have to be careful."
"Well, I was sure I'd have to be," said Sokka, pulling one of his arm bandages off, wrapping it around the junction between the hilt and blade of Space Sword. "All things considered, this is a two-on-one fight both for me and her. The Arena is another enemy, one you can't defeat to begin with."
"I'm afraid so," said Azula, swallowing and nodding before approaching him. "So… do your best to defeat the one you can defeat, and once that's done you won't have to worry about the other one. Alright?"
"Alright," said Sokka, smiling and sheathing Space Sword fully again, placing it on his back as always. He lifted a hand to cup Azula's face, as she stared at him with slight anxiety. "I'll be okay. I've actually faced worse odds, this time it's true."
"I know," said Azula, smiling back. "Just come back to me in one piece, if you will. Patching you up again is always a bother."
"Heh, you meanie. Do I have to remind you again that I took care of you while you were…?"
"Do I have to remind you, again, that you were hardly a nurse at all?" Azula asked, her smile widening. Sokka pouted. "Come now, really, just focus. Keep your mind clear, and fight to your best. You can win this time, and hopefully without getting your boomerang damaged in the process."
"Heh, yeah, let's hope so," he said, grimacing. Azula laughed and hugged him.
"I love you," she whispered. His grimace shifted into a gentle smile as he held her tight as well.
"I love you, too," he said, kissing the side of her head. "To think you wouldn't let me say it the last time we were here, eh?"
"Well, now you get to say it indeed," she whispered, before reaching up to kiss him softly. "Good luck, Sokka."
"I'll be back with you before you know it," he said, grinning and pressing his forehead to hers while she wiped the lipstick off his lips, as always.
He watched as she left, smiling when she glanced one more time over her shoulder to give him a reassuring grin. He breathed deeply a few times to calm himself as he turned to face the Arena again. His brow furrowed slowly as he cracked his knuckles, knowing that this fight, regardless of the outcome, would be his last in the Slate. He would make sure to give out a good performance.
Azula was passing through the hallway that led to the stands when she came across Yang: she frowned at the lost look on his face, though. Was he still dazzled by the place they were in, or was it he had finally understood the risk his wife was taking?
"Yang?" she called him. His green eyes rose, and he found Azula's. He swallowed hard.
"H-he won't… he won't hurt her, will he?"
She froze where she stood, finding herself and Sokka mirrored once again by Yang and Haiyan. Too often she had feared for Sokka's life in the Arena, but she didn't tend to realize that their opponents might be daunted by her gladiator's strength just as she dreaded theirs.
She swallowed hard and gestured at the stands.
"They'll fight the way they're meant to. If they're lucky they both might make it out unscathed," she whispered. "But there's no point in delaying it anymore. The sooner we start, the sooner it'll be over. Come now, they're waiting for us."
Yang nodded quietly, following Azula upstairs and into the sponsor's seats. The stands weren't quite as crowded as they had been the last time Sokka fought here, for only Azula, Yang and the staff were there.
The retractile bridges allowed Sokka and Haiyan to enter the fighting area. The platform was quite similar to the one Sokka had fought in before, but this time it was suspended by twice as many chains. He supposed they'd had no choice but to strengthen the platform like this after the catastrophic conclusion of the last combat in this Arena.
Haiyan certainly looked nervous, but she didn't seem deterred in the slightest. She nodded at Sokka, withdrawing one wooden sword from a large sheath on her back, and Sokka frowned as he realized there were more swords there. Was it all her weapons were the same? All of them were wooden blades?
Sokka sighed and looked at the stands. The judges glanced amongst themselves before turning the hourglass around. The time began ticking, and the nervousness of both fighters only increased, along with that of the sponsors on the stands.
She clearly had underestimated Yang's love for his wife, Azula realized, for he looked far more anxious than she did. Perhaps being Sokka's fan, and knowing the Blue Wolf's reputation as well as he did, made him far more susceptible to realizing that Sokka often had the wildest, craziest ideas in the direst circumstances, and that quite often they worked, too. Perhaps he had more reason to be afraid than they did, this time around…
"Well?" Haiyan asked, lifting her sword and looking at Sokka with unease. "I'd much rather not attack someone who's not wielding any weapons, if you don't mind…"
"Oh, of course," said Sokka, smiling and clasping Space Sword's hilt.
Haiyan and Yang's eyes widened, and a gasp shook the Arena as Sokka held Space Sword, still sheathed, in an attacking position. Haiyan's eyebrow twitched.
"Y-you do realize… that it's sheathed?" she asked, looking at her opponent with uncertainty. Sokka smiled.
"You do realize you have a wooden sword, right?" he said. She frowned. "This is the best way for me to fight you without holding back, see?"
Haiyan's confusion lingered briefly, but she soon snorted and shook her head. Her husband's idolized gladiator was truly unpredictable, there was no denying that.
"Very well," she said, smiling. "So be it."
Sokka's gaze darted towards Azula one more time, and he flashed her a quick grin of complicity before bracing himself to receive Haiyan's attack. This fight would certainly become a memorable one for both gladiators and sponsors alike…
A/N:
Sorry for the chapter delay, my laptop's cable charger died a couple of weeks ago and my life was thrown into utter chaos. Fortunately, I was able to finish the chapter nonetheless, and I have a new charger by now so I can carry on working as I wished to. Soooo... hope you enjoyed it! Glad to be back!