The brush of skin against skin had never been more intimate, more pleasant. A hazy, orange light drifted through the window, growing fainter as time drifted by slowly, but the two lovers took little notice of it, devoted to each other as they were.
He had kissed her, and she had kissed him back. He had removed her clothes, and she had done the same to him. They had stumbled their way to bed, loosening everything that still reminded them of who they were outside this room. All weapons were left behind, all armor, all that didn't matter when it came to the promised joining of bodies that longed to be together as one.
It wasn't desperate, despite they didn't have all the time in the world. It wasn't rushed, even though they had longed for this for months now. Instead, it was slow, deep, without any goal in mind. They weren't in pursuit of physical pleasure, not anymore. They sought something more permanent, something to fulfill and quench their souls through each other's company.
The flame inside her heart wasn't flaring wildly, but rather, spreading its warmth through her whole body as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His blue eyes gazed into hers, with longing and bliss mingled together into love; they would compel her to kiss him, laying atop him as she was, and his smiles always found a match in hers.
Hips rolled together, hands slid over heated bodies, and lips sought each other until they had reddened after so many kisses. He outlined her body by tracing every curve with his fingertips, by letting his lips slide down to her neck and collarbone. Her own fingers traveled over his scalp, stroking his soft hair, trailing lines with the fingertips and relaxing him in her arms.
He cupped her cheek and kissed her lips again, allowing her to deepen the exchange, eyes tightly shut as she conveyed her passion without using words. Her chest pressed into his, as did her pelvis, with every thrust. His body swayed in time with hers, and his lips now traveled over her face, softly trailing kisses everywhere they might go.
It was a warm day, and still she shivered, while pearls of sweat beaded on her skin. Her breath caught in her throat, and he pressed his forehead to hers, reassuring her with every kiss.
His initiative to sit up led her to nestle on his lap. His shaft stayed lodged inside her as they moved, and his arms wrapped around her tightly as she straddled him. It was her turn to kiss him all over, to touch the muscles of his back, to bask in his deep and slow rhythm while losing herself in his eyes again.
She held back her usual impulses, striving to avoid harming him with her long and sharp nails. She didn't want to hurt him, not at all, not again, not while they were doing this. His own hands, calloused again as they always had been, were strong against her smooth skin, and she felt safe while he held her as he did. Her neck was bare, exposed to the kisses he delivered while still stroking her long hair with one hand. The other traveled over her figure, lingering on her breasts, slowly drifting down to her pelvis, where the touch brought her to shudder and gasp between moans. He always smiled at her erotic reactions.
She was overwhelmed by him, by the unquenchable desire to be fully part of him. The pace of their tryst sped up, and the burst of passion seemed to mean that the one culmination, that moment when they would connect fully, was on its way. They were entwined, bodies blurred together, the arousal strong enough to make them feel as though their senses were being heightened, as though they could feel each other closer than ever.
His gasps met her soft moans, as her fingers caressed his face. She held his gaze as the burst of arousal in her core, so akin yet so different from the fire she knew, was unleashed around him. His eagerness increased, thrusting faster now, with his eyesight hazy and unreliable as non-existent black spots danced before him. But he could still see her, somehow. He saw her, and that was all he needed…
He kissed her again a brief instant before emptying himself inside her. He groaned softly, and she pressed his face to her shoulder as his thrusts brought him to his climax. The high was blissful, although their racing hearts had sought something other than just release. Breathing heavily, still moaning softly, they embraced and held one another in that intimate position, hiding away from the world by finding safety and comfort in each other.
"How are you feeling?" she whispered, caressing his back. Her hands slid over the countless small marks she'd left over it in the past, and found their way to his abdomen. He smiled.
"Like I could rule the world if I wanted to," he said, hugging her tighter. She laughed.
"Well, as long as we get married once I'm Fire Lord, you'll rule some of it beside me," she whispered, kissing his lips. He smiled.
"I love you," he said, his eyes betraying his earnest, pure joy.
She swallowed hard, her throat thick with that unpleasant lump that rose up whenever she wanted to cry. She snorted and shook her head, dropping her forehead on his shoulder, close to his neck.
"I love you too," she whispered, hoping to calm down her overwhelming emotions somehow. Sex wasn't supposed to make her feel happy to the point of tears, but she had lost all control over her feelings in the past few months, or perhaps for far longer than that. Truth was, she couldn't remember when she was last in control of her heart, but something told her it was just before the fateful day when she had met a certain Water Tribesman in a land of ice.
Sokka sighed in bliss and rubbed Azula's back gently, dropping on the mattress again and bringing her with him. He smiled fondly at her, even as she kept her eyes from meeting his. Her emotions were hard to keep in line, so she avoided showing them to him just yet. Still, Sokka seemed hellbent on making her face those feelings. all the same.
His hand reached out from under her body, and he found his nightstand. His fingers curled around velvet, and when his hand came back to the bed's territory, he wrapped the betrothal necklace around Azula's pale neck. She couldn't help but smile once she understood what he was up to.
"Placing it right where it belongs?" she asked. He grinned.
"Of course," he said, smiling before breathing in deeply.
Her naked body was beautiful, as it always had been. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, her golden eyes gleamed, and her lips were as inviting as ever. And with that necklace, the only thing she wore right now, her alluring beauty was enhanced beyond measure. Sokka couldn't keep his breath from hitching as he gazed upon her.
"You're a real pervert, aren't you?" she whispered, smiling. "Wanting me to wear only the necklace…"
"I have no idea what you mean. Truly, me, a pervert? Where do you get such notions?" he said, smirking and sliding his hands over her body. She laughed. "Though you did promise you'd indulge me on this, remember?"
"It's why I'm not genuinely outraged right now," she said, smirking up at him. "If it weren't for that promise…"
"Oh, you'd feel affronted, would you? So easily offended, Princess…" he said, poking her ribs. She squirmed and glared at him as he chuckled. "Anyways, you're not that much better than me. You've been groping me a lot ever since my muscles got back into shape, so you're a pervert too."
"In my defense…" she said, extending a hand to caress his arm. He smirked, tensing the muscles so she would bite her lip with pleasure. "You've got some strong arms there, it's hard to help myself. Now you can pin me to a wall easier than when we first did it…"
"Ah, scheduling our next tryst so soon?" he asked, smiling mischievously. "Who's the pervert now?"
"Luckily for you, we both are," she said, pushing herself up and kissing his lips softly. He chuckled.
"Damn right," he said, cupping her cheek and smiling kindly as his loving eyes gazed upon her face. "Why are you so beautiful?"
"Uh… that's a tricky question," said Azula, frowning. "According to a lot of people I look like my mother, so you can blame her for that…"
"Blame? Really?" he asked, smirking. She laughed.
"Fine, maybe if I do look like her, which I actually disagree with, then I might have one thing to be grateful to her for," she said, sighing and dropping on the bed. "I'm sure you wouldn't have been all that eager to hit the sack with me if I'd looked like the Spawn of the Volcano…"
"Oh, please!" Sokka exclaimed, as Azula laughed, curled up against him. "You wouldn't…! There's no way you would have looked like that!"
"And you prove my point," she said, still laughing. "If I ever do see my mother again, I'll make sure to tell her thanks for lending me her beauty, though I do hope I won't see her, but still…"
"Hmm." Sokka bit his lip, glancing at Azula with uncertainty. "I know we don't talk about this because, well, we both know why. But… do you have any ideas at all about what happened with her? Did you ever stop to think of the possibilities?"
Azula frowned before shrugging. Sokka bit harder, thinking he might have ruined the pleasant mood and conversation entirely by bringing up the sore subject. Yet…
"She's not in the Fire Nation, that's what I've always thought," Azula mused. Sokka barely concealed his surprise at her earnest, good-natured answer. "Whatever she did that night… I'm sure it has some relation with my grandfather's death. Whether she's the one who stabbed him in the back, or simply aided in the process, I don't know. But it's no coincidence that she would have disappeared when my grandfather died."
"I doubt the punishment for killing the Fire Lord is exile, though," said Sokka, raising an eyebrow. Azula snorted.
"Absolutely not. You'd be expected to die for your crime, but no crime was reported. My grandfather was given to the flames, and his ashes couldn't speak to tell the truth of his demise. It was said it happened due to old age, but as I said…"
"Too convenient," said Sokka, slipping a hand into hers and playing with her fingers. "Then, if your mother did it, you don't believe she was executed in secret?"
"I thought it was possible, for a long time," said Azula. "I doubted it, as my father had told me she had left us, but parents have been known to lie to children about such matters. Yet… Zuko said she said goodbye, remember? That night in Ember Island…"
"Oh. Right," said Sokka, frowning.
"If she had been caught killing my grandfather, she wouldn't have had a chance to say goodbye to anyone," said Azula. "She would have been paraded in front of everyone as a murderer, but that would have reflected poorly on my father and us, her children, so…"
"So… do you think your father was in on her plan, too?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.
"For all I know, he could have been the one to design the plan," she said. "And… it would make sense for him to merely exile her instead of executing her."
"Why? Do you think he loved her?" Sokka asked.
Azula snorted and sighed. Sokka looked at her with curiosity.
"I don't know. I have asked myself many times if she's to blame for his current philosophies, though I doubt she's the sole culprit," she said, raising her eyebrows. "He refused to speak of her for the longest time. He occasionally spends time in that accursed turtle duck pond even to this day, the same pond she would splash in with Zuko whenever she felt like it. But not long ago, surprisingly…"
"What?" Sokka whispered, when she stayed in silent reflection for a while. Azula frowned.
"Well, he brought her up while we talked," she said. "I belittled the idea of suitors with expensive presents of jewelry at my birthday, and he suddenly mentioned that my mother didn't care for those things either. It… seemed to come out of nowhere, and he changed the subject immediately, but it seemed as though he was ashamed of speaking of her so fondly. As though he didn't want me to think he was weak for… well, for still holding any feelings for her."
"So, he might have loved her. I mean, if he was fond of her…" said Sokka, shrugging. Azula sighed.
"Yet I doubt she loved him," she whispered. "Their relationship wasn't complicated all along, but… at some point I just couldn't help but feel like she kept trying to spite him, to make him react poorly against her. I don't know what brought on the downfall of their marriage, but I never did have any reason to believe she loved him. Not if the way she treated Zuko was the standard for how she loved someone. She never treated anyone the way she did Zuko."
Sokka sighed and Azula looked at him meaningfully, a small smile playing on the corner of her lips.
"We're unlucky for a lot of reasons, but lucky for many others, too," she said. "If either of us had been unrequited by the other…"
"Well, with all our clashes at the start, we kind of were sometimes," Sokka muttered, raising an eyebrow. Azula snorted.
"Not really," she said, stroking his forearm with her knuckles. "We were madly attracted to each other by forces beyond our understanding, and we hurt each other, no doubt, but… that didn't mean we stopped feeling that attraction. And by fighting it, we ended up feeding it, leading us to fall in love completely, so… we really were lucky."
"Yeah, no arguing there," he said, smiling and cupping her cheek. "I guess your father has never tried to move on, huh? Can a Fire Lord remarry?"
"If he felt like it, a Fire Lord could marry a toadstool," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka snorted. "Really, he could bend the law into whatever he wanted it to be. That's how it works. But, indeed, my father doesn't care to marry again. It's something else that I interpret as a sign that she probably isn't dead. If she were, a Fire Lord as young as my father could have taken another wife if just for the sake of having more heirs, and nothing else. But if she's not dead… the law, as it is, won't allow him to take a new wife unless they were to agree to some settlement for separation. And as she's not here, she can't agree to anything like that. He's stuck as he is, unless he changes the law, which he could, as I said. But if he hasn't done it after almost fifteen years, why would he do it now?"
"So, he won't move on, and can't be with her for whatever she did," said Sokka, grimacing. "Your dad may be an ass to the world in general, but that's a nasty situation he's stuck in. You would think the Fire Lord would have any woman he wants, when he wants her…"
"Not even my father's life is quite as simple as it seems, I guess," said Azula, relaxing with eyes closed on the bed. Sokka sighed and smiled, caressing Azula's cheek. "Even he can't get everything he wants."
"Well, future Fire Lord Azula…" he said. A slow grin spread over her face after hearing those words. "You can have me and my muscles for as long as you wish to, I promise you that."
"I'll be a delighted Fire Lord in that case," she smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck and reeling him in for a kiss. "I just wonder if he really does believe himself weak because of her, and not merely because his father taught him to think so…"
"You mean, his father told him love is weakness?" Sokka whispered. Azula shrugged. "Did he try to teach you the same thing?"
"He's never said it quite like that, but… he doesn't need to," she said, raising her eyebrows. "And he's not entirely wrong."
"Ah? Love has made you weak?" he asked, looking at her with uncertainty. Azula smiled and nodded.
"The weakest I've ever been," she said, pressing her body fully into his. "And then again, the strongest too because I have you by my side. Love is a lot more complicated than what I'd thought."
Sokka smiled and hugged her tightly. She raised her head again to kiss him, and this time they remained locked in their tender exchange. Arms embraced the other's body, and the forces that always brought them together threatened to lead them to a second tryst right away, forgetting all caution regarding how late it was.
"It's weird, talking like this, about all this…" she whispered against him. Sokka cupped her face.
"How so?" he said, his blue eyes bearing into hers. She smiled.
"I never want to, is all. Even now I don't quite enjoy it, but… somehow, talking about it with you just feels right," she said, caressing his chest. "I'm relieved by it, somehow."
"Because you're sharing your load?" he asked, grinning a little too. "I'll always be happy to help you this way, Azula. You can count on it."
"I know," she replied, pressing her forehead to his and closing her eyes. "I think that's the actual source of the relief, truth be told. What a confidante you make, gladiator…"
He chuckled and kissed her again, and again, and again. Each brush of their lips was tender, but Azula found herself wanting more than the light breeze his lips could feel like. She wanted the full storm, the unleashed desires, the undying love, poured into every kiss. So she dove in deeper, and he kept up with her. Every step she took, he took it alongside her. Never had she dreamt of finding such a faithful companion, never had she hoped to have such a loyal friend. Never did she expect to catch herself thinking, leisurely, that this was what a soulmate had to be.
He was engulfing her again, taking over her senses and driving her to forget herself anew, erasing all the lines that meant to separate them, to force them apart…
A hard knock on the front door startled them both.
All blurred limits reappeared, and regardless of all they had discarded, they were back to being themselves once again. Sokka had been about to climb over Azula, but now he glanced at his bedroom door warily, his heart racing for the wrong reasons.
"Y-you weren't expecting anyone at this hour, were you?" Azula asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice. Sokka frowned.
"No, but maybe it's just… it could be something menial, don't fret," he said, swallowing hard and climbing out of bed. Azula followed. "I'll go check, I'm sure it's nothing."
"If you say so," she gritted her teeth, moving to the closet to offer Sokka a clean shirt.
But as she lifted the new shirt towards him, she found he had picked up the one he'd discarded earlier and jumped inside his pants quickly, instead.
"You shouldn't…" Azula started, but Sokka only picked up his sash and dashed out of the room. "… Face whoever that is in a sweat-stained shirt."
She smiled and shook her head. For all he'd learned and grown, Sokka still had next to no sense of décor to speak of… yet the situation was quite tense all the same, so she wouldn't begrudge him for reacting so rashly. Azula made her way to the bedroom door and left it slightly ajar, so she could listen in as Sokka dealt with whoever was knocking at his door.
Sokka breathed deeply. It was a little too late to notice that he'd forgotten to tie his hair, for he couldn't quite remediate that problem downstairs. Cursing inwardly, he tied the sash around his waist and reached for the door just as the knocking struck the door wildly one more time.
"Okay, okay, I'm here now, geez…!" Sokka groaned, trying to sound casual and to mask his legitimate fear…
But all tension deflated when the person at the other side of the door was the very person who wouldn't care if his hair was up or down, or if he wore clean or filthy clothes. And it was someone who had already proven she wasn't going to spill Sokka and Azula's secrets all that easily.
"You took your sweet time, eh, Dog?" Toph said, scrubbing her nose with a finger. Sokka grimaced in disgust.
"What the blazes…?" he said, sighing and stepping back so Toph could come inside. "Do you have to do that, really?"
"Do what, clean my nose or show up uninvited at your house?" she asked, as Sokka closed the door behind them.
"Both, actually," Sokka huffed, sighing in relief. "I thought it was someone… dangerous."
"Well, be glad it was just me, then," said Toph, smirking. "You're so nervous, and you did take forever to… oh, wait. Seriously? You were going at it in the middle of the day? And then people say I'm the one who's inappropriate, ha!"
"I-it's not like we have another choice, and for your information…!"
"And for her information, whatever we do or don't do, at whatever hour of the day we do it, is none of her business."
Azula's voice was louder than Sokka's embarrassed rebuttals, or Toph's laughter. But sensing the Princess's voice was coming from upstairs compelled Toph to snicker mischievously.
"Damn, did I really interrupt at a bad moment? I'm sorry, I didn't expect you two to be that active, but then again I guess I forgot who I was dealing with…"
"And you forget again if you expect to talk at leisure about this matter, Bandit," Azula growled, sighing as she climbed down the stairs.
Sokka blushed and shook his head, annoyed by Toph's chuckling and disappointed over not having been able to handle her by himself. Still, it was great that Azula could keep Toph in check, he thought, as he glanced at the Princess while she climbed down the stairs.
He froze on the spot upon finding she was wearing one of his shirts, one that was long enough to cover her thighs. Yet… there was nothing else underneath it. She wore the shirt, a sash around her waist, and nothing more: Sokka swallowed hard.
"What's up with you, Dog?" said Toph, sensing the way his heart started racing again. He cringed. "Seriously, you two need to get a grip. Maybe see a physician, this much libido can't be normal…"
"Shut up," Azula snapped, glaring at her before glancing at Sokka, who gave her a meaningful stare. She shrugged.
"I mean, your armors are scattered all over the floor, and your boots too…" Toph chuckled, shaking her head. "I really am a master of bad timing."
"And of having a big mouth, sounds like," said Azula. Sokka sighed.
"Why are you even here, Toph? Just to annoy us?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I mean, it's fun and all, but I didn't really come here just for that," she said, sighing and making her way to sit on the small table before the couch. "I, uh… came to collect that promise you guys made to me ages ago."
"Promise?" Sokka repeated, glancing at Azula with uncertainty. She shrugged, and Toph huffed.
"Yeah, you've had a lot of stuff to do, so you forgot you promised anything to me back when I unraveled this secret for the first time," she said. "But you did, and I'm here to ask for it. Will you guys help me prepare for the Slate yet or do I have to wait until the fight's just around the corner, huh?"
"The… Slate," Sokka repeated, his eyes wide. "Yeah, okay, I forgot that happened…"
Azula had been enjoying a nice few weeks of not feeling guilty or responsible for lots of terrible things, of liberating herself from burdens that had refused to set her free… and all that newfound sensation of freedom ended abruptly once Toph spoke those words. She closed her eyes as her heart sank. Yes, she'd pulled such an awful stunt on the earthbender…
"Apparently everyone did," Toph snapped, folding her arms over her chest and shaking her head. "So, I'm trying to remind you guys, first of all. You said you'd help, you sounded worried about me and all, so you're bound to give me a few tips, at the very least…"
"Tips?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "Well, then, the first tip I can offer is that you'll have to wear shoes if you plan on surviving there."
Toph flinched before scoffing at the idea. Sokka and Azula exchanged a look, realizing that getting Toph into shape for this fight would be a lot harder than it seemed.
"Shoes? Me, wear shoes?!" Toph exclaimed, in disbelief. "Why the hell would I want to do that?"
"Because you'll be fighting inside a volcano, on a metallic platform that heats up to insane degrees because there's a pool of molten lava waiting down below," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. Toph grimaced.
"Well… all things considered, it's still inside the volcano," Azula muttered. Sokka frowned and looked at her in confusion.
"Say what?"
"The lava. It's actually magma, as lava is what it's called once it's outside the volcano…" Azula explained, yet while Sokka seemed interested in the topic, Toph huffed.
"Yeah, that sounds fascinating, but I'm not here for a class on the wonders of nature, Spicy," she growled. "I need to use my feet to fight, else I can't bend properly. My feet tell me where I'm standing, where the enemy is, what supply of earth I have…"
"Which leads us to the main problem you'll face, Bandit," said Azula, looking at her sternly. "There won't be any earth, at least not by natural means. The entire Arena is contained within a metal structure inside the volcano. There's no earth within reach."
"Well, there's earth behind the walls, I bet. Maybe I could…" Toph mused, though she seemed uncertain. Sokka glanced at her uneasily.
"I'm not sure you can wreck the metal walls of the building to find access to solid earth," he said. "But even if you succeeded, chances are you might collapse the whole Arena upon itself. I don't think it's a good idea."
"Well then, what am I supposed to do?!" Toph exclaimed, frustrated. Azula sighed and dropped on the crimson couch, shaking her head.
"That's exactly the problem, Toph," she whispered. "And it's exactly why we wanted to help you. What I've brought upon you was undeserved, motivated by my foolishness. I merely wanted to teach Iroh a lesson, but I shouldn't have done it the way I did."
"Well, you haven't taught him anything anyways," said Toph, shrugging. "It's not like he's all that concerned with the Slate…"
"He's not?" Sokka asked, frowning. "The Slate is seriously dangerous, especially for someone in your situation. Earthbenders are supposed to avoid that place, and he should understand why. Why isn't he concerned with…?"
"Because Zuko and his letters are far more important," said Toph, shaking her head. Her bangs swayed with the movement. "I've damn near had to drag him out of the Palace for all my fights. He… he doesn't seem to care about the Gladiator Business anymore."
"Then again, did he ever?" Azula said, raising an eyebrow. "What I did, by rescinding the Slate's right of challenge to you, was an attempt to rid myself of Iroh's pestering. He didn't start to sponsor you because he admired you for your skills, or because he thought you could become the daughter he'd never had: from the start he wanted you because you were the perfect foil for my plans to reach the top of the ranking. I've never really thought he's all that interested in the League as a whole, involving himself in it went against every philosophical thought he's ever spouted in his entire life."
"He always took it easy," Toph whispered. "Nothing like my previous sponsor. I always figured he had his own reasons to sponsor me and I didn't mind, I was fine with that, but… I can't be fine with it when he's hardly doing his job anymore, can I?"
"He's still going to take you to the Slate, though, isn't he?" Sokka asked, frowning. Toph shrugged.
"I hope," she said. "I don't know. I honestly… don't think he even cares anymore. But I guess he's been there for all my fights at the Dome, he shouldn't bail on me now…"
"He'd better not," said Azula, sighing. "Chasing after Zuko to no avail is a fool's errand, so losing his connection to you would leave him with… well, nothing. If he gives up on the Gladiator League, what does he have left?"
Her mind supplied her with an answer immediately: the White Lotus. Her brow twitched, but she tried to hold back from elaborating further on that thought. Toph already knew Sokka and Azula distrusted her sponsor, she didn't need to know their distrust ran as deeply as it did.
"I don't know," Toph said again, slumping with her elbows on her knees. "But you two, with all the crap you've been through, are damn lucky to have the bond you do."
Sokka and Azula exchanged another glance, both because they were worried to hear Toph speaking like this again, and because, despite everything, they agreed with her words. The earthbender sighed.
"Not that I would ever want my relationship with Iroh to be exactly like yours, the idea is so gross it's not even funny," said Toph, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips now. Azula smiled.
"Gross enough to disgust you, that'd been unheard of to this day," she said. Toph scoffed.
"Even I have standards, Spicy," she said. "But honestly, seeing each other's worst sides from the very start like you two did would have been better than this…"
"Does he really show no interest in helping you prepare for the Slate?" Azula asked. "Has he made no promises, given you any ideas…?"
"He says he's busy. That's it," said Toph, with an irritated grimace. "It's like those are the only words he knows at this point."
"And you're pretty mad about it, huh?" said Sokka, gulping. "Well, you could always use your bending to shove him out of his room…"
"Yeah, no," said Toph, shaking her head. "He'd set me on fire if I dared. I don't think he'd be beyond that at this point, with how desperate he's getting over Zuko…"
"That sounds awful, Toph," Sokka said, grimacing. "But still… you can prepare to fight in the Slate without him. We'll help you, same way I was helped when it was my turn."
"Really?" Toph asked, raising her head at last.
"Sure, we'll have you train your temperature endurance, and your hand-to-hand combat abilities, and…"
"And we'll probably try to find some kind of shoes that will protect your feet while allowing you to still feel the battlefield," said Azula, frowning. "If not, you'll be done for as soon as you step in to fight."
"I hate that idea…" Toph grumbled, and Azula huffed.
"You have never had to train for anything that limited your possibilities until now, have you?" she asked. Toph raised an eyebrow.
"Um… no?"
"Clearly," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "I had to prepare for a ceremony almost a year ago, where I couldn't use my natural fire because it wasn't adequate. I spent two months figuring out what I needed to do to make my fire suitable for the occasion, so if you plan on triumphing at the Slate, you will have to be willing to work just as hard, for just as long."
"Ugh, sure, but I just… never had to do anything like this before," Toph said, scratching the back of her head. "Earthbending is second nature to me. Even when I first learned it, I was mostly enjoying myself with it, and that served as training and I didn't even notice it. So, having to do without it, it's like… I don't know, have you had to train without your bending?"
Azula gave Sokka a pointed glare, and he chuckled. Toph raised an eyebrow.
"Someone forced me to, for a long time, while teaching me how to wield swords," Azula answered. Toph frowned.
"Swords…" she said, before she smiled brightly. "That's it! You guys should teach me how to fight with swords! It's perfect! This way I won't need earth, and…"
"Wait, will they allow her to use weapons?" Sokka asked Azula, who shrugged.
"Truth be told, I doubt there's any rules for what earthbenders can or can't do in the Slate, seeing as they usually aren't challenged there," said Azula, sighing. "But it would be absurd if she was left with no means to defend herself, that's for sure. They would have to provide some sort of supply of earth, or allow her to fight with weapons, one way or the other. Else, the fight would be as good as an execution."
"Hey, I'm not going to get myself killed!" Toph growled, scowling.
"Who did Iroh challenge?" Azula asked, disregarding her proud claim. "Do you know who you'll be fighting?"
"Uh, some nitwit from the top of the ranking, I think," said Toph, shrugging. Sokka grimaced.
"That doesn't help much. Earthbender, non-bender, firebender…?"
"Firebender," Toph confirmed. Both Azula and Sokka looked at her in chagrin.
"Is he insane?" Sokka asked. "It's almost as if he…!"
He stopped short on that very dark thought and glanced at Azula warily. She finished his sentence for him, but tweaking the conclusion while knowing exactly what Sokka had been thinking: she had thought the same thing, after all.
"As if he'd simply wanted to outdo us again, yet he makes no effort to train you. What is he playing at?" Azula sighed. "It's not the Millennium Dragon, is it?"
"I don't think so, no," said Toph.
"Not Combustion Man either, right?" Sokka asked tentatively, and he released a breath of relief when the earthbender shook her head.
"I can't remember the name, but I'm pretty sure it's a firebender," said Toph. "I thought he didn't want us to challenge anyone weaker because we could risk looking, well, cowardly. And as I'm the first earthbender to fight there…"
"Indeed, as you are going to be the first earthbender in the Slate, this is madness," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "But it's my uncle's kind of madness indeed. We'll have to work harder yet if you're to survive…"
"Uh, I'm not trying to survive, I'm trying to win," Toph growled. Azula scowled skeptically. "You two may not care that much about winning or losing, but I still have…"
"A perfect victorious streak. You've said it a thousand times," said Sokka, rolling his eyes. "You really think that's what you ought to be worrying about right now?"
"Why not?" Toph asked, pouting a little. "It's a big deal to me. It's what proves I'm going to take the Gladiator Business by storm. If the top gladiator hasn't lost a single fight, why would I?"
"Because you can't blow up everything with your mind?" Sokka answered, sarcastically. "You know, the sparky-sparky-boom sort of blowing up thing he does?"
"I… have no idea what you're talking about," Toph said, inching away from Sokka. Azula sighed.
"I'll go to the Royal Dome tomorrow," she said. "I'll ask them what sort of rules apply to earthbenders fighting in the Slate. Whether they'll let her use weapons, or provide earth for her… we'll figure out how to train her once we know."
"If I can use weapons, though, you guys have to show me how to use swords!" Toph exclaimed, beaming. Azula and Sokka frowned.
"Um… a sword? You?" Sokka said, and now Toph's smile turned upside down.
"What? You think I can't handle it? Is it because I'm blind?!"
"I didn't say that!" Sokka exclaimed, and he was the one inching away from Toph this time. "It's just…! You're not the kind of person I'd expect to see wielding a sword, you know? If you had a weapon, it'd be something like, uh…"
"A hammer," Azula blurted out immediately. Toph jumped.
"A hammer?" she asked, frowning. "Because I'm blunt and not sharp?"
"Now, I'm not the one who said it…" Azula smirked, raising her hands defensively as Toph lifted a hand, but only to give her an obscene gesture and not to bend at her or punch her.
"I'll grab myself a hammer and smash you two with it, for all the crap you keep spouting," Toph grumbled, standing up. "I was feeling a bit guilty for interrupting you before, but I sure don't anymore!"
"Oh, come on, don't be so sour. We're going to help you!" Sokka said, chuckling as Toph moved to the door. "We've said so, haven't we?"
"Yeah, yeah… you have," Toph admitted, her irritation decreasing and being replaced by a small smile. "You'd better be ready for me, then. I'm not going to be easy to train for the likes of you two."
"As if," said Sokka, smirking. Azula stood up from the couch as well.
"I guess she'll be coming over for training whenever Huiwen doesn't," Azula said, looking at Sokka. "And whenever you don't have any fights, too."
"Sounds reasonable," Sokka sighed, knowing their hard-earned alone time would be reduced yet again. Still, they'd figure out a solution this time as well…
"So, is tomorrow too soon to start?" Toph asked, smirking. Sokka shook his head.
"The sooner the better, believe me," he said. "We'll be training you the same way I trained, I figure. Heck, we could ask Mai and Ty Lee to help out too, even Haru for the heat training exercise…"
"I get the feeling this process is going to very different with her, though," Azula said. Toph smiled.
"You'll see, I'll learn everything ten times as fast as he did!" she exclaimed. "And I'll smack you both with my hammer, too!"
"For all your previous irritation about it, you sure seem to like the idea of a hammer now," Azula pointed out, smiling. Toph chuckled.
"Can't help it, you have a point. It does sound like a better weapon for me," she said, opening the front door. "I'll drop by again tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure thing," said Sokka, waving at her no matter if she couldn't see him. Azula nodded.
"Rest well tonight, Bandit. You'll need it," she said. Toph smirked as she closed the door behind her.
The two stared on at the door for a moment, both still taking in the complication that had just arisen. For once, they weren't the ones in deadly danger, yet the guilt Azula still felt over bringing this on Toph had long convinced her to take responsibility for it. It was their problem, no matter if their lives weren't the ones on the line.
She only turned to look at Sokka when she felt his gaze upon her. His eyebrow was raised, but reading him was a little more complicated than usual just now. Azula only returned his stare quizzically.
"What?"
"You have a lot to answer for."
She grimaced. Was he going to make her feel worse than she already did about Toph's situation?
"We're already going to help her, if that's not answer-…"
"Not about Toph," he said, lifting a hand and pointing a finger accusingly at her. "How dare you wear my shirt with nothing else underneath it while we were having such a serious conversation, Princess?"
Her jaw dropped, but he didn't stop staring at her accusingly. She couldn't help but laugh and shake her head once his words sank in.
"It was in my hand when you jumped out of the room, I figured I'd spare myself the bother of putting it back in your closet," she said, with a dry grin. Sokka scoffed.
"Y-you could've worn your own clothes! This is psychological torture!" he exclaimed, gesturing at her, his eyes constantly straying on the region of her cleavage and her exposed legs. It didn't help that her betrothal necklace dangled perfectly on her neck.
"She wasn't going to notice, she's blind," Azula said, shrugging and crossing her arms over her chest. Sokka gulped at the sight of her tightened breasts. "I thought it wouldn't be a problem… only, it was."
"Oh, yes it was," Sokka agreed. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to focus just now…"
"I didn't mean because of that, though," said Azula, grimacing. "I meant it because you seem to be quite turned on, but… it's really late by now."
Sokka looked at her with his silly indignation at first, but the expression froze in his face before being replaced by utter disappointment.
"See? Psychological torture," said Sokka, shaking his head and groaning in defeat. "And I'd love to get back to what she interrupted even if we can't do it today, but we're going to be busy for the next few days…"
"We are, but we can find a way," said Azula. "You'll have a fight again this week. We can tell Toph not to come over that day because we'll be, uh, very busy because of that…"
"Hmm, sounds like a plan…" Sokka said, biting his lip. Azula smiled.
"See? It wasn't so hard," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her gladly, and she responded in kind before sighing. "Still…"
"You have to go," he concluded, sighing and pouting a little. "You'll be back tomorrow, right?"
"Of course," she said. "But I do have to ask about things in the Arena first. And I also… well, you might think it's crazy and it probably is, but I want to have a word with my uncle."
The look on Sokka's face spoke for itself long before he dared say anything. Azula sighed.
"Yes, I know, the last time I spoke with him I caused this entire mess, but…"
"You're hoping to talk sense into him?" Sokka asked. "Or do you think you can manipulate him into actually working for Toph's victory for once? Because I'm not sure you can do that, Azula. Your uncle isn't as easy to manipulate as other people…"
"Yet he challenged a firebender, instead of another earthbender or a non-bender, because of how easily he fell for my manipulation," Azula said, frowning. "If he hadn't fallen for it, he would have chosen anything else. It would have been the sensible thing to do. Instead, he chose a highly ranked firebender for the obvious reason: if you could defeat the Millennium Dragon in the Slate, Toph should be able to defeat firebenders in there, too."
"So, you think he really fell for it?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't want to think otherwise, frankly, " Azula sighed, shaking her head. "If he chose a firebender for the only other reason I can think of… I don't know. I don't know if he would dare go that far."
"I hope not," said Sokka, biting his lip. "Then… what do you plan to do so he takes this seriously?"
"I don't need to do much, I won't make it about pressing him to outdo us anymore," said Azula, shaking her head. "Instead… I think I'll do my best to show him the danger Toph can be in, if things don't go well. I'll gladly help her avoid that outcome, but she stands a better chance if her own sponsor is invested in the fight. She wouldn't have come to us at all if she thought she could rely on him."
"He needs to remember what it really means to be a sponsor," said Sokka, sighing. "That is, if he understood it at all at any point…"
"He might have," said Azula. "He seemed to, in Ba Sing Se. But by now it's almost like he was an entirely different person when we were there. It's weird to think we even got along for some time… it's no real surprise it didn't last, though."
"Good luck if you go see him, then," said Sokka, looking at her worriedly. "If he tries to guilt trip you somehow…"
"It won't work because I already feel guilty enough as it is. About Toph, anyways," said Azula, caressing Sokka's chest. "Don't worry. I can handle myself with that old man. As much as he loves to think otherwise, he's not clever enough to outmaneuver me."
"No one is," said Sokka, smiling softly and kissing her lips.
She clung to the gentle touch between their lips, to the tender smiles he gave her, to the trust he always offered readily, without question. As she paced the halls of the Palace, barely half an hour later, she felt at ease after spending a day with Sokka that hadn't quite gone according to plan, but that had soothed her yearning heart in the best ways she could have asked for.
They were supposed to focus on training that day, as usual. But once they were taking a small break, a single kiss had grown too passionate and wild for their impulses to be contained anymore. As Toph had pointed out, they had left a trail of clothes and armor as they made their way upstairs, but Azula sported her black armor once more by now, on her way to Iroh's room. She had made a quick stop at her bedroom first to cover up for any signs of her tryst with Sokka: she certainly didn't intend to leave any evidence in plain sight for Iroh to notice.
Upon reaching Iroh's room, she found a servant with a tray of food, gazing about herself helplessly. Azula frowned.
"Is something the matter?" she asked, startling the servant. "Does my uncle want no disturbances?"
"N-no, Princess," said the servant, lowering her gaze submissively. "General Iroh isn't in his quarters, even though I was scheduled to bring his meal right now. I… I don't know where he might be."
Azula's frown deepened. Where on earth had he taken off to? Didn't Toph say he only ever stayed in his room, writing letters and sobbing about Zuko? Why had that changed today?
"Take that back to the kitchens, then. He'll likely head there for his food if he's hungry," said Azula. The servant bowed and obeyed promptly.
But as she was left alone in the hallway, an idea struck the Princess. Maybe Iroh was still somewhere in the Palace, perhaps even sending out a messenger hawk right now. And if she focused enough, she just might find him.
She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, concentrating on her inner fire…
It soon resonated with all the sources of fire around her. The heat she felt underground was by far the strongest she could feel, but she also sensed her dragon's fire, outside by his refuge.
There were small fires everywhere: firebending guards had their barracks within the Palace's premises, and Azula could sense them in it. Some firebenders also paced the walls, in their assigned shifts. But there was one noticeable strong burst of fire inside the building, raw and wild… Azula smiled a little, as she recognized it as her father's fire. He was in his large study, sitting by his desk, perhaps readying himself to go to dinner, as it was already late. And near him, another burst of fire…
Azula frowned and the resonance ended abruptly. She opened her eyes and glanced in the direction of her father's study, confused. She had felt that unpleasant sensation before, once… and her father had been near it, too. It had been during the day of her ceremony, almost a year earlier, when her father had approached to speak to her after she had performed the rite… and Iroh had been with him.
She felt sick to her stomach. Was this strange feeling related to her uncle? Did it mean that, perhaps, Iroh was with her father right now? She swallowed hard and made her way towards the study, dread surging inside her, despite she wasn't sure why. That dead feeling that she had sensed through that resonance, it had to be related to fire somehow, or else she wouldn't have felt it. What was it? Corrupt fire, somehow? Was her uncle so upset even his fire was suffering for it? She remembered he had been tense upon watching her ceremony, but back then he hadn't been nearly as angry at her as he was now.
If the corruption of his fire had anything to do with his feelings… why would her father's fire feel natural, alive, fierce? Her father held hatred for many things in his life, probably too many to count. What on earth could have rotten Iroh's fire to this degree…?
She strode with uncertainty, but she resolved to unravel this mystery, one way or another.
"You have yet to find anything, then?" Ozai asked, displeased.
Seethus didn't meet his gaze, ashamed. He had a task to perform but extracting information from the White Lotus men without being sensed or seen by any of the prison guards was more complicated than expected. What little he had acquired had been next to meaningless for the Fire Lord.
"I will do better," Seethus promised. "I need more time. It is a delicate mission, Lord Ozai…"
"It is indeed. It's why I know rushing you will fix nothing, but I do believe I should guide you into being more efficient," said Ozai, frowning.
Seethus, standing before the desk, seemed to frown too, but he remained in obedient silence all the same. The hood that concealed his features prevented Ozai from seeing his expressions, but he had known the man before him for a long time. He understood what the set of his shoulders meant, he could read whenever he was tense and when he wasn't. In this case, it was the former.
"I have spoken with the gladiator," said Ozai. "He didn't have much to offer either, but he gave me an important lead I should have never overlooked. The White Lotus needs funding, therefore, if we follow the money, we can find more traitors. Eventually, once we follow all trails, we'll find every last one of the petty worms that hide under our nose, stealing from me and pretending to be upstanding Fire Nation citizens."
"Then I will ask where they send their money?" Seethus repeated. Ozai shook his head. "What shall I do, Lord Ozai?"
"You will ask about other sponsors in the Gladiator League that they've associated with," said Ozai. "Eventually they should give you the identities of the men you're looking for. The men who are still, to this day, providing money to the damned White Lotus. If those clandestine agents start to fall, one by one, I have no doubts the rest will conspicuously disappear, knowing they've been targeted. Thus, I want you to obtain every name before the executions begin, if you please."
"I will do as you ask, Lord Ozai," said Seethus, bowing his head.
"We must cleanse our land from them, vile scum they are," said Ozai, frowning. "I hope that, now that I've narrowed down what you must search for, you'll be more successful."
"I trust I will be, Lord-…"
A subtle knock on the door silenced Seethus. Ozai's eyes widened. Immediately, the hooded shape vanished in thin air, and Ozai gritted his teeth. Who dared pester him just now? If it was some accursed servant…
"Father?"
His stomach sank. Every boiling point of rage was doused, replaced by doubt and confusion upon hearing his daughter's voice rather than that of a guard or servant. Since when did Azula come to his office without any warning, or any summons? The knot growing in his stomach tightened as he spoke loudly.
"Do come in, Princess Azula."
The confusion in Ozai's gaze was mirrored in Azula's, yet hers was heightened once her gaze traveled across the ample room, the crimson couches, the shelves filled with scrolls and books, even the splayed maps and strategically positioned pins that pointed to every military assignment and regiment Ozai attempted to keep track of. This was the study she remembered, the office she had frequented ever since Ozai had become Fire Lord…
And yet there was something rotting, disgusting inside it, something that apparently had nothing to do with her uncle, who was clearly absent. Had she been wrong during her ceremony? Had that revolting feeling come from a different source, unrelated to Iroh?
"Is something the matter, Azula?" Ozai asked, startling her.
"I just…" she said, breathing deeply. "It's nothing. I made a mistake. I had been looking for my uncle…"
"And you came to my office to find him?" Ozai asked, amused. "Why?"
"As I said, a mistake," she said, with an apologetic grin. "I sought him out in his room, but he wasn't there. I've been checking in places, trying to track him down, but I can't seem to find a trace of cookies and tea to follow…"
"And what a strange occurrence that is," said Ozai, raising an eyebrow. "He would leave that sort of trail indeed. Perhaps search for Pai Sho tiles, instead."
"I might," said Azula, swallowing hard. "Do excuse me for the intrusion…"
"No, no, don't go yet," Ozai said, lifting a hand and gesturing at one of the chairs before his desk. "I have a matter to discuss. As you're already here, it's best to get it over with."
Azula's uncertainty grew stronger yet. She always felt nervous when her father spoke to her like this, even when she wasn't hiding any life-threatening secrets. Naturally, her apprehension over any conversations with her father had only increased ever since her physical relationship with Sokka had reached the heights her father would never forgive her for.
"Of course," she said, regardless of her conflicted feelings, and she took her seat before the desk. Ozai smiled.
"You're a remarkably smart girl," he said. "Always have been. So, I assume you can already guess what that northern fool, Hahn, is after."
Azula's uncertainty seeped out of her slowly, as steam leaking from a boiling teapot. She smiled curtly and shrugged.
"From what I can gather, our new asset may be on some quest to collect royal brides," she said. Ozai nodded. "Has he seriously tried to ask for my hand in marriage?"
"No. But he has implied his intentions by now. He plans on trading the information he holds for you," said Ozai. Azula scoffed.
"I'm hoping you're not about to tell me to go along with it, or are you?" she asked. Ozai smirked.
"Of course not. Do you believe I'd have such disloyal, savage blood mingled with our family's bloodline?" he asked. "I'd sooner die than see him wed you."
"Well, you needn't die, for I'm sure it won't happen," said Azula, smiling in relief.
"Yet he speaks with such certainty that I suspect he knows more than what we believed about the Water Tribe," said Ozai. Azula shrugged.
"Seeing as he's lived there his whole life, it's only natural he'd know it better than we do…"
"Indeed, but you see, the secret we believed he wanted to reveal was something Zhao had already discovered, long before you were born, even. He only told me of it recently, but he had discovered it shortly after our trip through the seas ended. It happened during an assignment he had in the Former Earth Kingdom."
"Truly? In the Earth Kingdom? Just how did he come by any knowledge of the Water Tribe back then?" Azula inquired, confused. Ozai chuckled.
"Well, the story he tells is hardly convincing: he claims he came across a library in the Si Wong Desert."
"The Si Wong Desert? A… library?" Azula asked, skeptical. Ozai's laughter brought visible amusement to her face too.
"I did ask if he was certain of what he had discovered, or if perhaps he had drunk cactus juice to quench his thirst and hallucinated the entire thing," said Ozai. "He was adamant that it was real, and that it was some sort of spirit library, too."
"Ah, of course. And, if we're to believe in spirits, we ought to look for the ones that are well-read, right?" said Azula, smirking. Ozai smiled.
"It doesn't hurt to, I suspect," said Ozai. "Alas, Zhao searched for information on the Fire Nation's enemies, and came across some tales of the Norther Water Tribe's best kept secrets. Within those scrolls he discovered that there's some sort of sacred, secret oasis hidden in the Water Tribe…"
"Oasis?" Azula repeated, frowning. "Is that possible, in that sort of weather?"
"I do not know if it is, normally, but according to Zhao this is a spirit oasis," said Ozai. Azula snorted and he smiled. "Now, now, no need to be this skeptical…"
"I may have had my feet planted too firmly in our physical reality to hold much appreciation for spiritual matters," she said. Ozai chuckled.
"And it pleases me that you are such a pragmatist," he said. "I don't care for spirits either, but if Zhao's story were to prove true, this could indeed win us the war against the North."
"How?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is there in this oasis, Father?"
"Allegedly, the spirits of the Moon and Ocean dwell there," he said. Azula frowned.
"How sure are we of this story…?" she said. "Aren't spirits, if they exist at all, supposed to dwell in the Spirit World?"
"I was quite skeptical of it as well, Azula," said Ozai. "Zhao mentioned it to me, implying that taking out those spirits was how he would conquer the North, but it sounded so unlikely that I brushed it aside as unimportant. Yet when I finally interviewed Hahn a mere few days ago, he showed surprise when I brought up the oasis. Surprise because we knew it existed, that is."
"Then… it is real?" Azula asked. "Has he been there?"
"Apparently," said Ozai. "But it seems there's more to this tale yet. It seems Hahn's special information wasn't at all related to the spirits that swim in the oasis but to something else entirely, something he will conceal for as long as possible. Zhao's plan was to slay the moon spirit, if the oasis was real at all… but now we're starting to wonder if perhaps Hahn holds a secret that might turn out to be an even better resource than killing a spirit."
"Can it even be done, killing one?" Azula asked. "If they're real at all, would it be feasible to slay one?"
"Perhaps," said Ozai, shrugging. "I do not know. Yet I'm certain we need to extract this information from Hahn, one way or another. Naturally, you will not accept any of his advances…"
"Over my dead body," said Azula, and Ozai's lips twitched into a smile.
"But he will seek you out, hoping to sway you. He doesn't know he'll fail yet," said Ozai. "And so, you can take advantage of his naivety to discover whatever it is that he hasn't unveiled."
"I can try, yes," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "But as you must have noticed, I'm skeptical of the matter as a whole…"
"As nonsensical as his secret might be, you will acquire the knowledge or try to, at any rate," said Ozai.
"I suspect Zhao will attempt to do the same, won't he?" said Azula. "Well… I believe the main thing that should be done is to keep Hahn stuck where he is. We have to trap him in the Fire Nation, with no chances to flee, while suggesting that revealing this secret will only end in good things for him. He's an opportunist, after all…"
"He already knows he can't go back to his people," said Ozai. "Why would we need to trap him?"
"Because as we've been painfully reminded, the world isn't only separated in Fire Nation and Water Tribe these days," said Azula. Ozai frowned. "If the White Lotus makes better offers to him than we do…"
"Of course," said Ozai. "This secret could be lost to us."
"I'll think of a way to ensnare him," said Azula, sighing. "And then for a way to find out whatever he's hiding. I doubt he'll be too resilient."
"Perhaps he won't be, but don't underestimate him either way," said Ozai. "You have enough experience with Water Tribe men to know they can bend countless situations to their favor."
"I wonder if it's something all Water Tribe men can do," Azula mused, raising an eyebrow. "So far, I gathered it was a unique skill of my gladiator's…"
"It might be," said Ozai. "But take caution, as it might not be that unique after all."
Azula nodded and as Ozai said nothing else, she stood up again.
"I should go have dinner, then," she said. "You ought to do the same, Father."
"I will, shortly. You needn't keep an eye on my health, Azula," said Ozai, smiling. "I remember my meal schedules well enough."
"You can't fault me for it, it's probably a little too late for you to be in your office, as it is," she said, biting her lip but smiling. "At any rate, I'll take my leave."
"Have a good evening, child."
Azula smiled again and bowed her head.
"Good evening to you as well, Father."
She turned around to leave, but as soon as she did, she recalled what had happened when she had tested her fire resonance earlier. It had slipped her mind during her conversation with her father, but she shouldn't have been so careless. She closed her eyes, testing her skill one more time…
The corner of the room. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced at it, finding there was nothing lurking in there. At least, nothing in plain sight. Yet the nauseous, rotting feeling was undoubtedly coming from there. What on earth was this about? And why did she keep feeling it when she was near her father…?
"Is something wrong?" Ozai asked, noticing she hadn't left yet. Azula gritted her teeth and glanced at him.
"Is it just my imagination, or… is there something strange about that corner of the room?" she asked. Ozai raised an eyebrow.
"Strange? Is it not a perfectly fine wall?" he asked. Azula gritted her teeth.
"I don't know. Maybe," she said. "Somehow, I have a strange feeling, Father. Maybe… see that you go to your rooms soon. There's something ominous that I can't really explain…"
"You're certainly being far more confusing than Zhao's tales about spirit libraries," said Ozai, and with that, Azula flinched and smiled apologetically.
"I… yes, I must be. I'm sorry, I'm being incoherent. Have a good night, Father," she said, bowing deeper and leaving the room quickly. Making a fool of herself in front of her father was the worst idea ever, yet she couldn't help but worry about him: whatever lurked near him seemed dangerous. What if, by leaving, she was allowing whatever it was to attack her father?
Then again, the notion seemed foolish. There had been nothing there. She hadn't seen anything. If her eyes hadn't found anything where the source of the sick fire had been, didn't that mean there was simply nothing there?
The idea of losing her mind came back to her. The fortuneteller's warning that her mind was prodigious, yet fragile… was she hallucinating this? Was she actually going crazy?
She sighed and made her way to her room, hoping otherwise. The last thing she needed was to put an end to these few months of respite by losing her mind to imaginary dangers lurking everywhere.
Once Azula had left, Ozai's eyes shifted towards the corner of his study: a dark figure was growing visible again. He frowned heavily, immediately noticing his subject was shaken up, and it wasn't every day that such words would describe Seethus perfectly.
"Your daughter can sense me," he spoke. "No one… no one ever did before."
"Not even me," Ozai said, with narrow eyes. "How did she do it?"
"I do not know, Lord Ozai," Seethus said. "I…"
"You'll have to be even more careful," Ozai sighed, rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "Even if it's Azula, it's too risky for anyone to know even of your existence, let alone of your skills. Do avoid dropping by unless we're certain my daughter isn't home."
"As you would have it, Lord Ozai."
"Off with you now, then. You know what to do," Ozai said.
"It honors me to serve my lord," Seethus said, bowing his head and vanishing in thin air once more.
Ozai released a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose: he wanted to think it was a coincidence, but he would be a fool to delude himself that way. His daughter was too sharp, and her skills were indeed unparalleled. If someone could develop the means to detect Seethus' presence, his bet would have always been on her.
But what would his daughter say if she knew of the kind of man who had been his ally for decades now? The man who had done nefarious deeds, executed enemies, silently disposed of every threat Ozai hadn't been able to handle otherwise? The silent, imperceptible assassin with the unwavering loyalty, with the disfigured body, with the raspy voice and the myriad of otherworldly firebending skills that had been lost thousands of years before their time?
Would she be appalled, as most people would be? Or would she approve, agreeing that such a man was better off as an ally than an enemy? Would she think he was too dangerous to keep around? Perhaps she would.
But whatever she might have to say of Seethus, she would have to hold her tongue if Ozai ever introduced them. Azula should know better than to cross her father in any way, and no disgust she might hold for Seethus would outdo her instincts of survival. At least, Ozai hoped so.
Ozai breathed deeply and abided by Azula's recommendation to leave his study and have his dinner after all. He was getting hungry, anyways.
The taverns in the Fire Nation could be luxurious sometimes, but not the ones by the bay. The smell of every dock and every port would deter anyone with susceptible noses from staying too long in the area, but if you had been adrift at sea for a long time, the stability of a chair in solid land, and the taste of ale, was far more important than finding fresh air.
The crew of the old ship had been in one of the taverns, drinking their fill of alcoholic beverages and then some. They were disheartened and had the vain hopes of finding some courage or self-assurance through the liquor: so far, it hadn't happened.
But the most miserable of the men amongst them hadn't sailed with them for around two years by now. His mood was dark as he downed cup after cup of sake: instead of becoming his cheerful, boisterous self under the influence of drinks, as it usually happened, Iroh stared coldly at the solid wood of the table he sat at. His eyes unmoving, his fingers trembling, his throat downing the latest sip of liquor he had poured into it…
Only Lieutenant Jee sat beside him – the man who had been in command of Zuko's ship after the Prince's sudden disappearance. If Iroh was the most miserable man in the group, Jee was a close second.
"You searched and searched. No sign in Kyoshi Island…" Iroh repeated, absentmindedly. Jee sighed.
"We did everything we could, General. We were out of our depth. I don't understand how he could give us the slip this way…"
"Maybe his fate wasn't to capture the Avatar, but to disappear like the Avatar…" Iroh mused, drinking again. "In that case, I'll gladly follow…"
"No, General, you can't speak this way…"
"I am joking, Lieutenant Jee. I tried disappearing once before and failed. I won't be caught trying again," Iroh said, sighing. "Not a sign anywhere in Whaletail Island…"
"Nothing," Jee repeated. "Or in Chin Village, or even Gaoling. We searched the Air Nomad islands and mountains too, but… well, we couldn't search thoroughly there, it's true. Still, we went to the Southern Air Temple before, on our first journey, and there was nothing of interest there. I can't see why he would wish to take refuge in such a place…"
"Who knows…" said Iroh, sighing. "Who knows."
"He must have left by choice," said Jee. "There were no signs of struggle. And if Suki went with him, they probably just eloped together…"
"They had already eloped together when they sailed out of the Fire Nation as they did," said Iroh, shaking his head. "If they decided to run away from you and the crew, they were more foolish than I thought. There are far too many dangers in this world to face them alone."
"I guess it's good that they have each other, then," said Jee, sighing. "But if they took the emergency steamboat as they did, don't you think they did this deliberately? Don't you think maybe they just don't want to be found?"
Iroh downed another cup of sake, closing his eyes. But when he placed the small cup on the table once more, there was no inebriation clouding his judgment. His gold eyes were crystal clear, alight with determination.
"Then we will simply have to search harder."
"But, General…"
"I will find Zuko," Iroh said, forcefully. "No matter how long it takes, how far I must travel, how many resources I need to use: I will find Zuko, no matter what."
Too much rode on his nephew's fate, far more than Zuko had ever understood. Iroh hadn't spent ten years with him at sea for no reason: he knew Zuko's destiny and knew his own role in making it happen. His nephew needed him. And no matter how far he ran in his attempt to flee from everyone and everything, Iroh would find him.
He would find him, and he would bring him home.