Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

137. Chapter 137: The Slate, one more time 2

"… All things considered, it's vital that the Blind Bandit can fight in some capacity in the Slate, as you've said, Princess."

Azula nodded, her unyielding eyes trained on the Gladiator Business's chairman. His mustache shook with every word he said, and he fiddled with his thumbs often. The Princess remained silent, though, waiting to hear his decision. She wasn't leaving this room without an answer, and the man knew as much, as was evident by his poorly disguised nervousness.

"Very well: I've determined that the Slate cannot be that unfair to its participants," he said, breathing out and nodding. "I will make sure to alert the Slate's staff of my decision. The Blind Bandit will have some earth at her disposition, and she will be allowed to bring weapons into the fight as well, as a non-bender would. It's only fair, isn't it?"

"I believe so, yes," said Azula, smiling at last, losing the steel in her eyes. "She will be ecstatic to hear the news."

"I hope she will be," said the chairman, chuckling. "Though I am surprised that it would be you instead of her sponsor asking these questions. Is General Iroh undisposed, perhaps?"

"Perhaps, I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him for some time," said Azula, shrugging. "At any rate, thank you for your assistance. My uncle's gladiator should put on a good fight in the Slate under these circumstances."

"I would hope so, though I can't promise there will be a lot of earth for her to bend. It will be difficult to set this up," said the chairman, twirling the tips of his long mustache. "But I'll find a way, I will!"

"I certainly hope so," said Azula, smiling and standing up. "Thank you again. I suppose I'll come by to see you if I have any other matters to discuss."

"I will be here for anything you may need, Princess, you can count on it," said the chairman. "Working with you is always a pleasure."

Azula nodded graciously and the chairman bowed his head as she took her leave from his office. A staff member opened the door for her, making a curt reverence of his own as she crossed the threshold.

She left the Royal Dome without paying much mind to the countless gazes that fell upon her, or the other reverences that were performed as she passed people by. As much as her mission had been successful, her mind was still plagued by thoughts unrelated to Toph's plight.

She had searched for that rotting fire when morning came, using her resonance skills again, but she had found nothing this time. Not in any of her father's rooms, not in Iroh's. It was gone, and it had left no traces of itself: it was as though it had never been there, to begin with.

She released her pent-up sigh as she rode Xin Long back to Sokka's house, her eyes clouded with irritation. Finally, her heart felt healed, even if she knew the shadows always lurked nearby. Finally, she could sleep without nightmares, the events from the Earth Kingdom had been chased away… and yet she found brand-new reasons to think she was having a leave of her senses. What she had felt the day before had been so surreal that she could only conclude that she truly had lost her mind somehow: no dark fires could possibly stalk her father, especially not invisible dark fires. The more she thought of it, the more she convinced herself that it couldn't have been real.

Azula raised an eyebrow once they were flying close to the house, noticing that someone was rather busy wreaking havoc across the backyard with earthbending. She grimaced as Xin Long touched down amid torn up chunks of earth, and she jumped off his back while glaring pointedly at Toph. The younger woman remained focused on her bending, but she still noticed the Princess had arrived.

"Yo, Spicy! Check out how I've rearranged your boyfriend's garden!"

"It was never a garden to begin with, but now I'm not sure if there's a name for the junkyard you've turned it into," Azula observed, as Toph cackled and returned to her work, commanding the earth with her steady and quick movements.

"It's fun, being in a place I can tear up at ease, for a change!" she said, as Azula walked to the house uneasily, avoiding the protruding spikes and uneven ground as best as she could.

Sokka was as unamused by the wreckage as Azula, if not more so. He scowled prominently, standing by the doorway that led to the backyard. He gave Azula a meaningful glance, his countenance, stance and eyes dripping with skepticism.

"She said she was bored. Bored," he repeated, shaking his head. Azula sighed and walked up to him, a small smile on her face.

"You weren't all that hellbent on maintaining the backyard anyways," she said. "You can tell her to fix it later, if you're so worried…"

"But she killed all the grass already…" Sokka pouted. Azula smiled fondly and kissed his lips softly.

"It'll grow back once the Slate is behind us, I suppose. Although, we could take her elsewhere for training," Azula mused, turning to look at Toph.

"Oh, you mean Ty Lee and Haru's place?" Sokka asked. "It's true that their backyard is an even nastier mess than mine…"

"Well, they helped you, so they might agree to it again. It shouldn't be so bad to introduce her to our friends," Azula said, sighing. "Though of course, we'll have to ask if they want to…"

"Who are those friends you're talking about? Is it the same ones you mentioned yesterday?" Toph asked, as she stopped bending a particularly large rock, dropping it in the middle of the yard nonchalantly. Sokka cringed, his eyebrow twitching. "So you guys do have other friends aside from me?"

"As surprising as it may seem to you, we do," said Azula, with a dry grin. "And you'd do well to meet them, well, as long as they agree to work with you…"

"Well, I don't mind getting to know them, but… what did the big fish from the Dome say?" Toph asked, nervously.

Azula frowned, as both Sokka and Toph eyed her expectantly. The Princess held her silence for a long, pregnant pause…

"You'll be supplied with some earth, despite it all," she said, and Toph's face broke into a gleeful smile. "And what's more, they've also allowed you to bring weapons in case the earth isn't enough, so…"

"Yes! Oh, yes, I can get my hammer!" Toph exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air in celebration. Sokka looked at Azula in chagrin.

"We're going to teach her how to use weapons, then? Really?" he asked. "I mean, no offense, but she's quite awful without them…"

"Oh, please, you've trained Spicy just fine!" Toph exclaimed pointing a finger at him. "If she could be taught to use a sword when she's that strong a firebender, I can learn to use any weapons I want!"

"Ugh, I guess…" Sokka said, grimacing. Azula smiled.

"She's not going to use weapons in any fights other than this one, if that appeases you at all," said Azula. Sokka shrugged.

"I guess I'm just feeling bad for the poor bastard who'll fight her," he said, shaking his head. "Anyways, if this is settled then we should start working with Toph, huh?"

"Indeed, we should," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest and eyeing Toph carefully. The earthbender seemed quite excited about the prospect of whatever kind of training the Princess might be planning for her.

"Where do we start, then? I've already loosened up all the earth, so if you guys want to duel, I'm all set," she said, smiling proudly. Azula shook her head.

"That's not the first step for your training for the Slate," she said. Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You think I'm going to beat you guys that easily?" she asked, smirking.

"No, what I think is that it's pointless for you to prove your earthbending power over and over when we've established you can't fight as freely in the Slate as you always do," said Azula, sternly. "We can duel as much as you like… but only after we've found you some shoes."

"What?! No!" Toph exclaimed, her joyful mood gone in mere instants. "I'm not going to wear any shoes!"

"Then all the training you do will amount to nothing, as you're going to be out of the fight in the Slate even before it begins," Azula said, matter-of-factly. "I highly doubt you'll be an effective fighter while your feet get cooked against heated metal, but by all means…"

"But… shoes?" Toph groaned. "Whose shoes am I going to wear, his? I bet they're smelly…"

"Hey!" Sokka scowled, but he looked at Azula with uncertainty. "It's a good question, though. You're not planning on taking Song's shoes or something like that, are you?"

"Of course not. We're going to do the, uh, third thing you love the most in the world," Azula said, smiling and crossing her arms over her chest. "Shopping."

Sokka's eyes lit up indeed, while Toph grimaced and prodded her nose with a finger again.

"You love shopping, really?" Toph grunted. "That's news to me."

"It's a lot of fun," Sokka said, with a happy smile.

"Not when you can't see," Toph said, dryly. "Turns out it's not particularly entertaining to go shopping when every clothing item feels the same but, oh, they're different colors, and then the store clerk starts rambling about combinations that you can't see…!"

"Yeah, well, you can leave that part to us," Azula said, sighing. "But you have to come along so we can make sure everything we buy will fit you. You need fireproof clothes too, after all…"

"As long as they don't get in the way of my bending…" Toph sighed, resigned. "Say, what is it you love better than shopping, Dog? Now I'm curious."

"Well, there's food and… you know what? You don't need to know the first one," Sokka said, gulping and blushing before giving Azula a sneaky smile. She smirked at him and shook her head.

"Saying that isn't nearly as mysterious as you think it is. Look at her face, she already figured it out."

"You are gross, both of you. Seriously," Toph said, shaking her head.

"Oh, of course we are, yet someone was awfully interested in a crazy guy with hook swords last year, as far as I can remember…" Azula mentioned casually, smirking as they walked to the house's front door. Toph stiffened.

"It wasn't like that!" she rebuffed, blushing. "B-besides, he's the one who was weirder towards me! I just thought he was… crazy! Yeah!"

"Sure, that's why you asked if he was handsome, of course…" said Azula, smirking proudly. Toph scoffed.

"Shut up," she growled. "And anyways, it's not like I'm as gross as you two. I don't even know that guy! Asking if he's good-looking doesn't mean I want to bang him!"

"No doubt, you're the epitome of purity and innocence, of course," said Azula, still unabashedly amused as they crossed the house and left for the street.

They found an available carriage they could rent in the busier streets nearby. Despite Toph's complaints about riding any kind of vehicle, the three of them climbed it and sped their way to the market area, just outside the crater. There were more luxurious markets in the center of the city, but as Toph had no interest in fine clothes or shoes, Azula decided they could purchase cheaper and sturdier clothing items in the less dignified marketplace near the harbor.

Once there, the process of shopping proved more complicated than shopping with Sokka had ever been. Where the Water Tribesman would spend hours making up his mind to choose the right item of clothing, Toph seemed determined to reject every single offer of shoes that she had been shown. By the time Azula caught up with them, after purchasing a set of fireproof clothing of Toph's size, Sokka had his head between his hands after Toph had lost her patience and torn through the soles of the last pair of shoes she had been shown. The store clerk seemed to be in too much of a shock to react just yet.

"So, now we have to pay for the ones you broke, along with the ones you'll be taking home. Brilliant," Azula grunted, shaking her head. Toph shrugged.

"Well, you're not really struggling for money…"

"It doesn't mean I'm about to spend it willy-nilly on your every whim!" Azula exclaimed.

"But it just doesn't work, Azula" Toph complained, in defeat. Azula frowned at hearing the young woman using her actual name. "The shoes… when I wear them, it's like I'm muzzled, or tied up. I can't sense anything, I… it's pointless. If I have to fight with shoes, I might as well just jump into the lava and it'll be easier on me. For all we know, I'll get knocked into it anyways because I won't see what's going on…"

Azula huffed and shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose. There had to be a solution, of some sort…

"Do you have any shoes with thinner soles?" she asked the clerk.

"Those were the ones with the thinnest," he said, picking up the pieces sadly. "And they… they were a masterpiece…"

Azula grimaced and looked at Toph hopelessly. An inevitable idea came to her mind now, one that she knew the earthbender wouldn't want to hear. But would she rather lose her track record by forfeiting the fight, or her life by attending it without the proper gear? There was no other way, not that Azula could think of…

"Toph," she said, breathing deeply. "Maybe you'll have to consider that…"

Toph closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't want to hear the Princess's next words, but knowing she had no rebuttal for them, too. Maybe her first real challenge in the League was simply out of her reach…

"Hey…"

Sokka's voice surprised them, and Azula fell silent immediately. She knew that tone: when he raised his eyes again there was a brightness in his eyes, betraying, as always, that he had come up with a potential solution for their predicament.

"You have something in mind?" Azula asked, and she was pleasantly surprised when he smiled and nodded.

"Get some earth, Toph. Quick," he said. The earthbender cocked an eyebrow but obeyed, making her way to the door and returning with a chunk of it, hovering before her.

"What are you thinking?" Azula asked her gladiator, as he picked up the torn-up shoes.

"I'm thinking… what Toph says is that she can feel the world through her earthbending, right?"

"That's right," the Blind Bandit confirmed, crossing her arms over her chest as the chunk of earth fell on the floor in front of her.

"So, what we have to do…" said Sokka. "Is keep her connected to earth."

"There's no earth in the Slate," Azula said, frowning. "How are we supposed to connect her to anything if…?"

"Yes, you'd think so," said Sokka, nodding. "But from what I can tell, she finds her bearings mostly well in my wooden house, doesn't she?"

"I suppose," Azula acknowledged.

"She fights in the sands of the Arena, even though they're not solid rock," said Sokka.

"I've only managed to do it because I've been barefooted, though," said Toph.

"So… I'm thinking, how about wearing shoes that will keep you connected to your surroundings anyways?" Sokka told Toph, raising his eyebrows. "Shoes… with soles made of solid rock?"

Toph raised her eyebrows, and Azula looked at Sokka with uncertainty. He smiled.

"That… sounds brilliant, yes, but extremely uncomfortable," she pointed out. Sokka chuckled as Toph snorted.

"I don't care for comfort!" she exclaimed. "This sounds like a good idea! Let's try it!"

The earthbender worked to fit the earth in place of the shoe's sole: once there was a solid, thick layer of it, she finally put it on. Indeed, it was hard and not too comfortable, but for someone like Toph, that was irrelevant – she always walked with her feet on the ground, after all.

"Alright… can you sense us?" Sokka asked, with uncertainty. Toph smiled and nodded.

"Just got to… wait a moment," she said, breathing in before stomping hard on the ground.

Her foot created a small imprint inside the sole, making it perfect for her foot only. But the true purpose of her strong stomp was to use her seismic sense through it: she was astounded when she found that it had worked, and a wild grin broke on her face.

"Okay, Dog, it's not every day I have something nice to say about you, but you're darn clever when you want to be!" she exclaimed, laughing. "It's perfect! It's going to work just fine!"

"Really?" Sokka asked, glancing at Azula happily. "Then one problem solved!"

"The worst one, I'd say," said Azula, smiling proudly at him. "That was a great idea."

"Oh, it was just a sudden stroke of inspiration," he said, averting his gaze from hers shyly. "I'm sure we would've come to that conclusion sooner than later."

"You're remarkably skilled at thinking your way out of the tightest corners, though," said Azula. "I do prefer it when you plan things out properly in fights, but your ability to improvise solutions isn't like anything I've ever seen."

"Now, now, you're going to make me blush…" Sokka said, smiling as his cheeks heated up. Azula laughed.

"I suppose I'll have to start insulting you again so your head will come down from the clouds, huh?"

"Or you could get distracted by buying the shoes I broke instead," Toph suggested. "Might give him enough time to get the blood flowing other places aside from his face, maybe?"

"It might," said Azula, smiling and nodding. "Alright, let's get it over with."

The purchase of the clothes was out of the way, but it was time for something a lot more dangerous: Sokka and Azula were quite wary, not taking their eyes off Toph for a second, as she tried out the weapons in the nearest arms store. She had wasted no time in fetching the largest ones she could find, no matter if she could barely handle them. Eventually they had to intervene when she was about to make up her mind to choose a hammer that weighed at least twice as much as she did.

The earthbender settled for a smaller hammer that she would be able to handle deftly, and a set of daggers that she could use to stab or toss, whichever suited her fancy. They agreed that they would purchase any other weapons later, if Toph decided she wanted a wider variety than this for her big fight.

Toph returned to the carriage beaming brightly, with a large bag of weapons and clothes with her. As the day was still young, the earthbender wanted to begin testing her prowess with the weapons and, more importantly, her brand-new shoes, as soon as possible.

"It feels like, uh… I don't know. Like my vision range isn't as wide as it used to be," Toph said, once she was standing in Sokka's backyard, her feet furnished with her rock shoes. "I can feel everything I bent earlier, but I can't feel much of what's going on beyond the house. I can barely sense the street…"

"Maybe there are different kinds of rocks that could be uses for the soles, there might be some that will allow her to feel her surroundings better," Sokka suggested, looking at Azula. She nodded.

"Also, I'm sure geologists have studied rocks with heat resistance," she said. "There's bound to be information about them somewhere. Rocks of the sort could serve as soles too, and they could help keep her feet safe from the discomfort of the heat…"

"And if things get really bad, I could always bend my shoes at the enemy, or something…" Toph mused. Azula snorted.

"Sure, and that would defeat the purpose of having the shoes in the first place," she said. Toph laughed.

"Fine, fine, I won't get my feet scorched, then. Alright, so! Dog, teach me how to use a hammer!"

"Uh? I've never fought with a hammer," Sokka said, folding his arms over his chest. Toph snorted.

"You use that brutish club thing, though!" she said. "I think you even threw it at me once, you nutcase. I doubt it's much different from handling a hammer."

"Mind you, my club isn't brutish, it's a brilliant work of art that only my cultural heritage could have perfected into such a weapon!" Sokka declared, proudly.

"Whatever, you break crap with it, that's all that matters to me," said Toph, shrugging. "Teach me the basics and we'll translate that into my hammer."

"If you insist…" Sokka said, eyeing Toph with uncertainty before turning to Azula. "I get the feeling I probably should suit up for this, huh?"

Azula blinked blankly, and Sokka frowned. She had been in a daze? She looked at him, and the confusion in her eyes told him she had spaced out during the last part of the conversation. He smiled a little.

"Yeah, never mind, I'll just do that," he said, patting her shoulder. Azula grimaced, guilt gnawing away at her as he went inside the house, to gather his weapons and armor.

"Something troubling you?" Toph asked. Azula frowned.

"Nothing reasonable," she said. "I'm fine."

"Hmm. Well, you'll have to convince him, not me," Toph replied, chuckling. Azula shrugged.

"I shouldn't have a hard time doing that," she said. Toph snorted.

"Please refrain from gushing about the gross stuff you do to convince him of things, please…" she said. Azula smirked.

"You're sure you don't want to hear it? You probably need to have a few references, you know, just in case you ever bump into the Savage Hook again…" she said. Toph blushed and shook her head.

"I'll… wing it," she said. Azula laughed. "Well, it's better than taking your advice, I'm sure!"

"As you'd have it," she said. "I wasn't going to give you any, either way."

"Really? Cheapskate," said Toph, smiling.

Sokka returned in due time, clad in his armor as he had said he would be. Azula smiled and extended her hand towards him, grazing him over his armor. She thought he might not notice her gesture, but he shot her a reassuring smile before jumping into the backyard, his club firmly held in his hand.

"Alright, alright. Let's see how this goes, Toph," he said, breathing deeply.

The day drifted by as Sokka taught Toph the basics on how to handle a heavy weapon. The earthbender was as instinctive a fighter as they could come, so her body reacted appropriately with every single one of Sokka's teachings. She lacked discipline, but in her case, talent certainly seemed to make up for a lot of it. Her weapon suited her painfully well, and she was already a threat with it once they were finished, despite only wielding it for one afternoon.

"Yeah, I think I'll be keeping this hammer around for a bit longer than I thought," she declared, brimming with delight as they finally stopped sparring. "I like it!"

"See, this is exactly what I feared," said Sokka, sighing and shaking his head as he took off his armor, the orange sunlight reflected on the metal plates. "I've made a terrible mistake."

"It's only a mistake from where you're standing. It's brilliant, in my opinion!" Toph exclaimed.

"Well, consider this the beginning of your training, Bandit," said Azula, standing up from the steps that led into the house. She had been sitting there, watching the pair of gladiators absent-mindedly, for the most part. "If anything, we're off to a good start."

"I agree," said Toph, still smiling. "I actually feel safer now, even though I know I won't be fighting in the best conditions. But things are working out, huh?"

"Somehow, yes," said Sokka, patting her shoulder as all three of them entered the house. "Anyways, keep those shoes on for as long as you can, so you can get used to fighting and bending while wearing them."

"I'll try," said Toph. "Should I drop by tomorrow? I don't like risking walking in on you two doing the nasty…"

"Shut up," Sokka grunted, a faint blush on his cheeks. "And you won't walk in on anything of the sort tomorrow, but you shouldn't come either way. There's a kid I'm training, he'll be here in the morning. It's better if you wait until the day after…"

"Uh-huh, well, that's fine but if the kid's something you made up just now and you two just want to go at it, I'm not judging…"

"Damn it, I'm not lying about that! Don't you always say you can tell when people are lying?" Sokka exclaimed, as Toph laughed. "Besides, you say you're not judging? How is this not judging, huh?"

"You're too much fun to tease, Dog," she said, lightly shoving his shoulder with a fist. "Alright, alright, it's late enough as it is. We should go home, Spicy."

"Oh, are you going to give her a lift on Xin Long?" Sokka asked. Azula raised an eyebrow as Toph cringed.

"N-no, she's not," she said, lifting her shopping bags. "Now I think of it, I'm going on foot. So, I'll meet you there, or not, whatever. Bye, Spicy."

"Seriously?" Azula asked, smiling as Toph filed towards the front door.

"Not flying unless I've got no choice! Goodbye!" she exclaimed, kicking it open and slipping out to the street without another word.

Sokka rolled his eyes and moved to close the door behind Toph. Azula stood where she was, her gaze following Sokka. When he turned to face her again, he searched her golden eyes with his own.

"What's going on?" he asked. She sighed.

"I don't know," she answered. He frowned as he approached her. "I'm not trying to be enigmatic, I seriously don't know."

"Well, even if you're not trying, you're succeeding," he said, stopping mere inches away from her, arms folded over his chest. "Did things not go well with Iroh yesterday?"

"They didn't because I couldn't find him. I haven't talked to him at all," said Azula, her gaze lost in Sokka's chest. "The thing is, when I was looking for him, I… felt something."

"Felt something?" Sokka repeated. The grimace in Azula's face spoke lengths of how uncomfortable she was about what sharing her current thoughts.

"Xin Long taught me a technique, a way to feel fire through resonance," she said. "I'd done it unconsciously before, but with his help I learned how to do it properly. And back during my ceremony, last year… well, I used it a little more consciously, and felt something awful with it."

"But… you said you feel fire with it," said Sokka, frowning. "How can you feel something awful if the technique is for fire only…?"

"Because what I felt was some kind of fire," said Azula, closing her eyes. "That's the only thing I can conclude, but it's… dead-like. It's the absence of fire? It's… I don't know what it is. But the point is, I felt it the day of my ceremony just as Iroh approached to say something passive-aggressive to me. I thought he was annoyed by my discovery of gold fire, and I didn't give much importance to that strange feeling that day. It could have easily been his inner fire, I thought… I figured that whatever dark emotions he was experiencing had made his inner fire darken, too."

"So… what does this have to do with your attempt to find him yesterday?"

"Well, I don't think what I felt that day was Iroh anymore," said Azula, grimacing. "I was looking for Iroh yesterday, yes, and I resorted to the resonance to find him, but I couldn't track him down. And yet… I felt that again. The dead fire. Whatever it was… it was in my father's study."

Sokka's eyes widened. Apprehensive, Azula nearly hesitated to share the rest of her tale now, but it was Sokka. She could share anything with him, as insane as it might be…

"I was confused, wondering if Iroh was in my father's study after all," said Azula. "But once I got there and my father allowed me inside, he was alone."

"Then… the fire was coming from your dad?" Sokka asked, but he was startled when the Princess shook her head.

"No. I… I could tell it wasn't really coming from him," she said. "It wasn't my father. Yet it was near him, and… I thought it might be threatening him, maybe. But… there was nothing there, Sokka. I kept feeling it, but…"

She fell into a silence that spoke loudly of her despair. It wasn't hard for Sokka to anticipate what Azula would say next, so even before she spoke, he had placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm going mad," she finally said, shaking her head.

"It sounds insane, I won't lie, but… maybe that ability is more complex than you think," said Sokka. "Maybe you can sense other things too, and not just fire…"

"Did you not hear that there was nothing there?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "My father and I spoke for some time, he was warning me about Hahn, telling me to coax information out of him if I can, and when he dismissed me I felt it again, in the corner of the study. I stared at it, hard, and saw nothing. I told my father I had a bad feeling and… well, he dismissed it as any rational person would. I'm the one who's going mental, clearly…"

"Stop saying that," Sokka said, huffing. "What if there's some creepy secret room back there, huh? Someone might have been lurking in some secret passageway…"

"There's no such thing there," Azula affirmed, shaking her head. Sokka pouted.

"Well, why are you so sure?" he asked.

"I know the Palace's every wall and room. I know every passageway, every secret lurking in every corner except for this one," said Azula, shaking her head. "It's something twisted, something sick, some sort of wretched form of fire… and yet it's invisible? It's… what, empty? It makes no sense, and heh, I'm not about to start crediting this nonsense to spirits…"

"Well, I wouldn't either, normally, but I'd rather think a rotting spirit is stalking your dad than think you're crazy," Sokka said, pouting. Azula shook her head.

"Fire resonance can't… it can't be sensing spirits. That's utterly absurd," she said. Sokka sighed and dropped his arms at either side of his body.

"It sounds insane, I won't deny it," he said. "But I'm just as reluctant to believe you're crazy as I am to believe in spirits."

"Aunt Wu would likely remind you that my mind is apparently quite fragile, in case you forgot…" said Azula, with a sarcastic smile. Sokka scoffed.

"You need to stop putting so much stock in that crazy woman's words," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close into a warm embrace. Azula sighed. "She says you're crazy and as far as I understand, it's because spirits told her as much? How isn't that crazy, huh? I don't buy her nonsense, not today, not ever."

"I wouldn't either, but… we did say we wanted some of her predictions to come true, didn't we?" Azula whispered. Sokka smiled.

"And we'll try to make them come true, but I would try to make those things real even if she hadn't told you about them," he said. "Well, if you ever changed your mind about kids, that is. Definitely not going to force you to have any…"

"So, even after she's been right about many things, you don't put any value in her word?" Azula asked. Sokka snorted.

"Why would I?"

"Well… you think what she says is nonsense because she's relying on some sort of spiritual knowledge to make her predictions," said Azula. "Yet the most rational explanation I can find for what happened yesterday was that it was caused by some sort of spirit. So, if spirits are nonsense, as a whole… then I really am going crazy."

"As if. Is it you're just trying to convince me of that, Princess?" Sokka asked, looming over her threateningly, but the pout on his face made him look anything but menacing. Azula smiled a little.

"I am just as horrified by the idea, you know," she said. "Either thing is… beyond my control. If my father is being stalked by a spirit, if I'm imagining things… whatever it is, I can't seem to do anything about it."

"Well, you can stop suffering about it, if anything," said Sokka, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know it's worrisome, but until you can figure out what's going on you should take it easy and stop jumping to wild conclusions, alright?"

"I suppose," said Azula, grimacing.

"Also, you could ask Xin Long to use his own resonance skills if you ever feel that creepy thing again," he said. "If he senses it as well, won't it prove it's not in your head?"

"A valid idea," said Azula, nodding and sighing.

She dropped against him, resting with her head on his shoulder as he held her close. A small smile appeared on her face.

"I somehow can always count on you to set my head straight, can't I?" she whispered, caressing his chest gently. Sokka smiled too.

"You can, though you should probably stop thinking every little thing means you're going crazy, girl," he said, cupping her cheek and looking into her eyes. "I was so sure you had a higher opinion of yourself than that…"

"It's not about opinions, really," she said, smiling weakly. Sokka chuckled and kissed her lightly. "Still, say that I was losing my mind…"

"There we go again…" Sokka sighed.

"You wouldn't dump me for it, would you?" she asked, with a teasing grin. "You've claimed unconditional love many times now, so I'm only making sure…"

"I've claimed it before and I'll claim it forever," said Sokka. "It's true that you can't make me stop loving you, but if you keep saying you're crazy I'll be forced to stop you from talking in the best way I know how…"

"Oh?" Azula said, and Sokka grinned before diving in for a deep kiss now. She sighed in bliss and held him close through the contact of their lips.

She realized she was getting used to it, despite everything: that someone would listen to her woes, however ridiculous they might be, and support her no matter what, was a completely foreign experience for her until two years ago. It was something that happened to other people, not to her. She had pushed away all those who had been close to her before, and none of them had tried to return to her. None, except Sokka.

The thrills of being loved never disappeared for the Princess, not when she had never been cherished by someone the way she was by Sokka. Yet that rush of happiness, that used to be overwhelming had grown smooth, fulfilling, by now. She hardly felt afraid of sharing her innermost thoughts with him these days, of baring her soul for him to see her as she truly was. He had said he loved her unconditionally, and after everything that had happened between them, Azula believed, wholeheartedly, that he did.

---

He was returning to his room when he spotted her, carrying the large bags into her own quarters. Iroh's brow furrowed, curiosity stirring within him, inevitably. Toph had scarcely dropped by to see him over the last few days. Usually, she would sit beside him for at least half an hour, even though Iroh would barely speak a word to her. He thought her absence meant her repenting process was reaching its peak: he didn't think, until now, that she would have found some sort of distraction, instead.

He shook his head and made for his room, but as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he let his arm fall beside his body again. What on earth could Toph be up to? What was she carrying, and why? As much as Iroh did have other business to worry about, there wasn't much he could do to find Zuko right now, as things stood. Spending some time trying to unravel his gladiator's latest endeavors wouldn't harm his overall mission much…

Toph pulled her hammer out of the bag and smiled as she held it. Even though it was brand-new, it fit perfectly in her hands. She found she rather liked using it, even though her arms were tired after all the efforts she had made today, but she was pleased with herself, that was for sure. She smiled, deciding to leave the hammer on her dresser when she sensed the familiar footsteps inside her room. She flinched and turned, still holding the weapon.

"Will you be pinning any portraits to your wall?" Iroh inquired, glancing at her even though the half-drawn drapes of her four-poster bed hung between them. "You wouldn't need such a big hammer for that."

"I'm… not," said Toph, gulping. "That's not it. But, uh, hey. I hadn't noticed you weren't in your room…"

"Odd that you wouldn't," Iroh pointed out. "You can sense an ant moving twenty feet away, and somehow you didn't notice me until just now?"

"My mind was wandering, I wasn't focused," said Toph, shrugging and setting down her hammer as intended. Iroh nodded.

"What else is there in your bag?"

Toph didn't know why she felt guilty, but perhaps it was because of Iroh's voice tone. She had heard a similar tone before, the calm before the storm that had accompanied her father's usually gentle voice whenever he wanted to scold her. It wasn't quite the same, but it was eerily alike, eliciting that very same sensation of discomfort in her gut. She had always wanted to rebel against her father, but she never thought she'd need to go behind Iroh's back with anything until now. They had been partners for a long time. There was trust between them. And yet…

"It's just… stuff," she said, swallowing hard. She was a fool: there was nothing to be nervous about. Iroh wasn't going to scold her, why would he? "Things that will come in handy at the Slate."

"Ah?" said Iroh, raising his eyebrows. "And where did you come by all these things?"

"Shopping," she answered truthfully.

"You went shopping on your own, then?"

"I'm not helpless, Iroh. I can buy a thing or two without anyone's assistance," she said, as Iroh moved inside the room and looked at her fully.

His small eyes found what he never thought he'd see: they widened and narrowed within an instant, as he took in that the earthbender was wearing shoes. Shoes that, as he knew, would cripple her ability to see through her bending skills. No wonder she hadn't sensed him earlier.

"I doubt you bought those shoes willingly," he said. Toph froze. "I know you better than to think so."

"Well… sure, I didn't want them at first, but so what?" said Toph, shrugging. "If it's true that the Slate will be absurdly hot, I might just need them…"

"And who told you as much, if I dare ask?"

Toph frowned. If she had any eyesight, Iroh knew she would be glaring at him.

"Everyone?" she said. "The Slate is in the middle of a volcanic island, Iroh. It's hot. If I don't wear shoes, I'm going to get burned."

"Indeed," said Iroh, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I assume you were warned about this by the only acquaintances you have who have fought in that Arena, weren't you?"

Toph gritted her teeth, and her fists clenched. The guilt had certain morphed into something else by now, and she had no trouble turning her brewing anger towards the man who had triggered it.

"So what?" she asked. "It's not like I did anything wrong by asking them. They've prepared twice for the Slate, they can help me…"

"They caused this in the first place," Iroh said, frowning heavily. "You wouldn't have to fight there at all if it weren't for her. Azula thought she would teach me a lesson by making us take up the right to challenge in the Slate, and the one who didn't learn anything by it was you."

"What… me?" Toph asked, his words as good as a slap in the face. "Okay, and why did you challenge a highly ranked firebender, then? Why didn't you get me to fight another earthbender, or a non-bender? Oh, right, it's because you give just as much of a damn about my safety as she does, isn't that right?"

"Toph…"

"No, you know what? She actually cares more about it!" Toph exclaimed, losing her hold on her temper more easily with each passing moment. "Because as it turns out, she's been there for me when I've gone to her, every single time! She's wanted to help me in the Slate because she feels bad for having used me as a pawn in her pointless games with you! She is willing to train me, whereas you're just happy to sit there, writing letters and pretending I don't exist even when I'm sitting right beside you! So, I'm not really sorry for thinking maybe I'd get her help instead of yours, since it looks like she's actually willing to go on a limb for me, unlike you!"

Her chest heaved as she finished her impulsive rant, as though she'd raced for miles. Now that she was finished, a sinking feeling bloomed inside her, like a hand twisting her innards: she had said too much. She had hurt Iroh, just as she had hurt Zuko before. Again, her big mouth had done nothing but cause further trouble…

"Is that how you feel, then?" Iroh asked, frowning. Toph gritted her teeth.

"Am I not supposed to feel like this?" she asked, lowering her head. "What am I supposed to think, when you've left me to fend for myself when I need your help the most? This is the biggest challenge I've ever faced, and you're… you're too busy for me. You make excuses. You barely talk to me, you just focus on whatever it is you're doing and you barely spare ten words for me every day. I… I can't do this on my own, Iroh. I thought you understood that."

Iroh lowered his gaze, her words giving rise to doubt and conflict in his mind. Toph couldn't tell as much, though. She only snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head.

"I guess… maybe everyone was right," she whispered, as she sat on the edge of the bed. "It makes sense now that they were so surprised to hear you were involved with the Gladiator Business. You… never wanted to be part of it. Not for what it was. You just wanted… you just wanted to sabotage Azula."

"Stop talking like that, Toph," Iroh said, frowning. "You know that's not…"

"You're lying," said Toph, shaking her head again. "And even if I'm wearing shoes, I can tell you are. I didn't care, you know? I didn't use to. Your problems with her were your own, and I wasn't going to get involved. But now…"

"Now you're her friend?" Iroh asked, his eyes glowing coldly. "Now you'll choose that friendship over our partnership?"

"Partnership?" Toph asked, in disbelief. "This… this is a partnership? Are you kidding me?"

"Toph…"

"From the moment we started working together we were doing it because we were convenient for one another, Iroh," she snapped. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it and neither should you: we needed each other for our own ends. You were the best way for me to fight freely in the Gladiator League, with no strings attached. And for all this time, things have been damn near perfect for us. The worst we ever dealt with was Ba Sing Se! But now? Now, when I'm facing the first real hurdle in my career, you bail on me. You don't give a damn. Is that what a partner would do?"

"I'm not bailing on you," said Iroh, huffing. "But you don't understand that there are many things more important than a gladiator fight."

"Oh…?" Toph whistled, biting her lower lip. "Wow. So, you… huh. That's something…"

"Toph, losing your victory streak is hardly a reason to…"

"I could die out there!"

Iroh froze, as Toph's face contorted with displeasure and grief.

"I could…" she said, shaking her head. "I could die out there, damn it. It's… it's a metal Arena. Everything down below is lava. I… I'll have limited earth to bend, and I'll have to learn to use weapons in two months to fight against one of the best firebenders in the League. And you think… that all I'm thinking about is my victory streak? Are you for real?!"

Iroh was startled by her outburst, as she stood up again just as she finished talking. Tears of rage seemed to blink in the corner of her eyes.

"I used to think… I used to think we were better than they are," she said, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "When we first met them, you and I were walking down a hallway side by side, in perfect state, while she was dragging him on her shoulders, trying to help him walk after I damn near killed him. I thought they were pitiful. I seriously found it… amusing. And yet now? If I were the one who needed help to walk… you'd be too busy writing letters to be the one to offer any help. Instead, the ones I can turn to are them. It's not you, because… you don't want to be. Because… for all I can see? You did that on purpose. You challenged that firebender… because maybe you do want me punished for what I did. Because I'm the one who pushed Zuko into fighting with his father and leaving. So… you're getting back at me for it, just as you've been using me to block Azula for all this time…"

Iroh no longer spoke to defend himself. He hung his head, avoiding looking at his gladiator as she forcefully wiped the tears slipping down her cheeks with fisted hands.

"I wanted us to be better than them," she said. "I always wanted to prove we were. But truth is? They figured out what it means to be partners, and they did it a long time ago. You and I? We never had to. Everything was so easy until it just wasn't anymore. And… it doesn't matter how sorry I am for what I did, for how I caused Zuko to leave, you'll never let it go. So maybe…"

She clenched her fists as she failed to find the strength needed to convey her last thought. But Iroh beat her to it:

"Maybe it's time we let each other go."

That he would be the one to say it hit Toph harder than she expected it to. She gritted her teeth, trying to force the burning tears to stay where they were. But Iroh took a deep, stilling breath, and shook his head.

"My time as a sponsor should have come to an end long ago. This is not my destiny," he said. Toph scoffed.

"Destiny? What the blazes are you talking about?" she snapped. "Did you think destiny brought us together?"

"No, I thought… it was helpful. It was convenient. You were the proper bait to dangle in front of my niece," Iroh said, sighing. "But I cannot give you the partnership you seek."

"No. You could," said Toph, sniffing and shaking her head. "But you don't want to."

Iroh closed his eyes and released his breath again. Toph's shoulders shook gently now.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," Iroh whispered.

She could barely feel him walk away, but she heard the rustle of his clothes, and the door closing behind him as he let himself out. She faltered and fell on the bed again, tears running freely down her face now as she clutched her messy hair in sheer horror.

Iroh had left her behind. He had used her until he had grown bored, and he had discarded her when she had needed him most. The man she had once come to see as a grandfather, or an uncle of her own, now had turned his back on her and seemed unrepentant about it. Surely he had wanted this for a long time now, and he had seen the perfect opportunity to leave when Toph had been as disappointed with him as she was.

Had he done it all on purpose? Had he acted this way knowing she'd eventually lose her patience with him, and he had only bided his time until she did? The thoughts cut at her like knives, but she couldn't seem to stop them from coursing through her mind. He had been her best friend, the only friend she'd had when there had been nobody else to turn to. Why on earth had everything gotten so twisted, why did he simply allow their friendship to fall apart? Why didn't he try to preserve their bond, somehow?

The questions gnawed at her as she curled up in bed, feeling lonelier than she had in years. The feeling of abandonment dug deep inside her, no matter how many times she repeated to herself that she didn't need him, just as he didn't need her. That she would do without him, just as he would without her. That she would find a better partner, a real partner, and Iroh would simply leave to find Zuko again, as he had wanted to. Everyone would have what they wanted. This way, everything would be better than before.

The lies she spoke to herself were poor lullabies, but she repeated them all the same. One way or another, her life would continue, and she would keep fighting as an earthbender in whatever capacity she could, even if she would no longer have Iroh by her side, as she once did.

---

Huiwen's training was paying off: as his father hadn't relocated just yet, the child would stop by at Sokka's house once a week for training, as they had agreed initially. He would follow Sokka's recommendations faithfully, and through that, he had built up a lot of stamina: tiring out the child these days would take Sokka much longer than it used to.

"Okay, so if I attack you this way…?" Sokka had asked, swinging his sword to Huiwen's left flank. The boy parried it with the perfect stance. "Great! And if I do this…?"

Sokka made to attack to the right, but it was a feint. Despite his preparation, Huiwen didn't see it coming and ended up touched lightly on the shoulder by Sokka's sword. The boy pouted as Sokka snickered.

"You have to focus!" Sokka reminded him.

"I was focusing! You… cheated!" Huiwen exclaimed.

"That's not true, feints are part of every swordsman's repertoire, you know," Sokka said, proudly.

The disapproving scoff that came from the steps that led to his house made Sokka grimace. He shot Azula a dirty glare as she smirked at him.

"He's only resorting to those because he can't beat you otherwise, Huiwen," she said. The boy's spirits rose immediately at that, and he smirked at Sokka.

"Really?"

"As if!" Sokka huffed. "No kid who's only been training for a month will be able to beat me!"

"Not on his own, he won't," Azula conceded, biting her lip.

Sokka only had a moment's notice to jump out of the way when his sponsor shot a blast of blue fire towards him. Huiwen beamed in surprise as Sokka scowled at Azula with utmost indignation.

"What the…?! Hey! This is Huiwen and I's training, you're not supposed to…!"

"Let's team up to beat him, Princess!" Huiwen exclaimed, and Sokka's irritation only grew.

"Oh, sure, how fair's that? What is this, you're both so wimpy you have to team up to take me down?!" Sokka said, lifting his wooden sword as in a threatening stance. "You'll never take me alive!"

"Ah, that's fine, I needed an excuse to hire Huiwen as my gladiator anyways. Accidental death in training is as good as any," Azula said, shrugging innocently. Sokka scoffed again and raised his blade.

"Accidental, yeah, sure," he said. "Well, fine by me! Bring it on!"

Secretly, Sokka had been surprised to hear Azula joke about death as easily as she had, but seeing how Huiwen was laughing freely about it, chances were she had only done it to amuse the boy. The softness in her eyes was perhaps unnoticeable for anyone but Sokka, but that golden warmth in her gaze was incompatible with all her threatening words. He knew better than to fall for her taunts, but this might be the best way to inspire Huiwen to keep trying to defeat Sokka.

The training continued, but it felt more like a game rather than actual work. Sokka struggled when keeping up with Azula, but Huiwen still didn't have the agility or insight needed to take advantage of Sokka's weaknesses. In due time he was disarmed by Sokka, but before his master could put his own wooden blade at his neck, a burst of blue fire caught Sokka's sword, to the gladiator's chagrin.

"Azula?! What the hell?!" he exclaimed, dropping the sword as she snickered.

"You have to focus, Sokka…" she teased, and she smirked at Huiwen. "Get him now, Huiwen."

The boy smirked too and lunged for his own sword, which was lying right in front of him. Sokka gritted his teeth, wondering if his burning sword could be salvaged…

But just as Huiwen moved, a surge of earth pushed the sword towards his hand without any warning.

Both Azula and Sokka stared at the weapon in confusion and Huiwen froze, taking the wooden sword in his hand. Shivers ran down his spine, and his jaw had dropped. Within a few seconds, he seemed to snap out of his shock only to enter complete denial.

"What…? I…! I didn't do that! I couldn't have, I'm not a bender!" he exclaimed. "I-if I were, I'd be a firebender! I don't have any earthbending family, I…!"

Sokka and Azula remained silent, knowing the boy's panic had to be unfounded. They knew enough of earthbending to understand that Huiwen would have had to make a lot more efforts to move the weapon than simply raising his hand. They glanced at each other quickly for confirmation of their suspicions only moments before they heard a soft chuckle behind them.

"Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to startle you," said Toph, smiling as she leaned against the house's wall. "I just thought you'd want to give Sokka a proper beating. I know it can be a lot of fun to wipe the floor with him…"

"Oh, pfft, as if you'd done that as of late," Sokka scoffed, but unlike him, Azula didn't rise to Toph's taunts.

"What are you doing here today? I thought we'd told you we'd be busy," said Azula, raising an eyebrow. A sound behind her, that of quick intakes of breath, fell on deaf ears.

The words compelled Toph to lower her head, and Azula's sharp stare only grew more insidious for it. She couldn't remember seeing the girl so disheartened ever before.

"Uh, yeah, I know. I'm not here to burden you guys with training me, just… something happened, and I thought…"

She stopped talking, though, and her troubled face shifted into a confused scowl.

"You okay back there, kid?" Toph called suddenly. "I may still be getting used to these shoes, but I can sense you're breathing pretty heavily…"

Both Sokka and Azula turned to find Huiwen was hyperventilating. His eyes were glued to Toph's figure, and his hands seemed to tremble, just as his knees did.

"Huiwen?" Sokka called him, as Huiwen fell on his knees, with a nervous smile on his face.

"I-it's… it's the Blind Bandit," he said. "Oh, I never thought I'd meet… the Blind Bandit!"

"Huh. Well, yeah, it's me," said Toph, stepping into the backyard proper, with a growing smirk. "Good to meet you, whoever you are."

"He's my student," said Sokka, his eyebrow twitching. While Huiwen had certainly been star-struck when meeting him, it was nothing compared to how he was reacting now. "Huiwen?"

"I can't believe she's here, I… I want your autograph!" he exclaimed. Toph snorted.

"Really? Well, sure!" she said, beaming with malice. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Toph…"

"Come on, lighten up, Spicy," she said, throwing a playful punch at her. Azula caught it, as usual.

"You're incorrigible," sighed Azula, shaking her head.

The autograph was, as expected, a completely incoherent ink doodle drawn on a paper Sokka offered Toph. Huiwen was overjoyed, though, shaking hands with Toph after receiving his autograph.

"I loved how you beat the Twilight-Drilled Bamboo Bear the other day, it was awesome!" Huiwen exclaimed. "He was terrified and trembling, it was so much fun!"

"Was that the moron who kept whining about how doomed he was?" Toph asked, scratching her ear. "Man, I keep mixing up people these days, they're all so similar to me."

"Except for the Blue Wolf, right?" Huiwen exclaimed. Toph smiled.

"Yeah, can't lie. He's a special kind of loser," she said, smirking at Sokka. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Always so sweet," he said, shaking his head before turning to Azula.

While Toph was enjoying herself with Huiwen's attention, the Princess had been eyeing her friend warily. The earthbender seemed to thrive in Huiwen's attention as the boy recounted her fights to her, but the downcast look on her face earlier hadn't tricked Azula for a second. Something was wrong with Toph, and they'd find out what it was sooner or later.

Eventually Sokka caught Azula's eye, and he raised his eyebrows at her, meaningfully. They communicated wordlessly in that brief instant, both sharing the same concerns and thoughts. So Azula sighed and shrugged, putting an end to their wordless conversation.

"Go back out there with Huiwen if you can get him to focus on training again," she said. "I'll deal with our Dirt Worm."

Sokka smiled and nodded. Her tone hadn't been quite affectionate, but her wording had: it did feel like they were taking care of Toph these days, whether the proud earthbender realized it or not.

"Alright, Huiwen, you can fawn over her later," said Sokka, moving to put a hand on Huiwen's shoulder. He pouted.

"C-can't I talk with her for a little longer?"

"Yeah, Dog, let him praise me just a bit more!" said Toph, snickering. Sokka huffed.

"Your ego has been boosted enough, seems to me," he said, pulling Huiwen to the garden again. The boy smiled at Toph one more time and waved as Sokka dragged him away.

Toph chuckled and took her seat on the living room's small table: she seemed to prefer sitting there instead of the couch. Azula moved to stand in front of her, with arms crossed.

"So, what's going on, Dirt Worm?" she asked, with a casual tone that failed to conceal she was worried about Toph. The earthbender sighed, her improved mood growing sour once again.

"Well… I think I ruined everything," she said. Azula frowned.

"Ruined everything?" she repeated. "How could you ruin anything, let alone everything, in the span of eighteen hours, or so?"

"I had a fight with Iroh," Toph said. Azula froze, as her mind raced with the implications of those words.

"What kind of fight…?" she asked. Toph shook her head.

"He's not onto you guys, if that's what you're thinking," she said. "It was because of… us. Him and me. I mean, yeah, he was annoyed that I've been spending so much time with you two lately, but he didn't figure anything out, I'm sure of it…"

"That's good to know," Azula said, though she wasn't completely relieved yet. "But what happened, then? Is it because of this? Because you asked us for help?"

"Yes, and no," said Toph, sighing. "It started because of that, yes, but… it got worse because I told him you were helping me more than he was. He didn't take it well. I… I even asked if he had done all this to punish me. If maybe he just wanted me to… to die out there."

"You…? Well, damn," said Azula, shaking her head and pacing in the room. Toph gulped.

"I told him you and Sokka are a team, that you guys figured out what it really meant to be partners. But as he's abandoning me when things got tough… then maybe we weren't partners at all. So that just… led him to say what I guess I knew would happen eventually."

"What do you…?"

"We're over," Toph said, holding her head between her hands, fingers running through her hair as she shrunk in her frame. "He's… he's not going to sponsor me anymore. It's over."

Azula's eyes widened, a burst of rage rushing inside her. She hadn't expected that hearing those words would produce such a volatile reaction within her, but it did. She clenched her fists, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Seriously?" she asked. "So he just… he abandoned you? He's going to leave you to…?!"

"It's fine," said Toph, sighing. "It's better, if anything. He never wanted to have anything to do with this business in the first place. There's no purpose in it if he doesn't like it. He's not like you, Azula. I kind of wish he were, but… it's for the best."

Azula gritted her teeth and shook her head.

"It's not for the best, Toph," she snapped. "It's… he's a fool. He's a quitter, a loser, a fool and a lot more spineless than I ever thought him possible…"

"Spicy, really…"

"I'm serious," said Azula, stomping as she shook her head again. "This isn't the first time he leaves something unfinished, that he abandons an enterprise just when it needs him most! And once more, this could easily cost you everything you've worked for over the last years, and he doesn't care? Did he at least say he'd sponsor you until the fight at the Slate is finished?"

"I… I don't know. I doubt it," said Toph, shrugging. "Seriously, just leave it be, I'll just handle things on my own…"

"You may want to do that, but you can't take care of this on your own. You can't sponsor yourself, Toph," Azula said, sternly. "And unless Iroh resigns openly, relinquishing his right to sponsor you, nobody else can pick up the job where he left it."

"Well…" said Toph, frowning. "He's likely to resign, isn't he? I mean, Xin Fu did it…"

"Do you seriously think he's going to bother, Toph?" Azula asked, looking at her friend skeptically. "He's been an arrogant, selfish bastard for ages, and he's proving himself all those things all over again. You won't get to go to the Slate at all without him, or without a substitute sponsor, at the very least…"

"Then you should be my substitute sponsor!" Toph said. "You could do it, you're already helping me and…!"

"I would need Iroh's permission for that, you realize," Azula said, sighing in defeat. "He'll never give it, especially to me. The entire reason he started to sponsor you was so he could screw me over, he's not about to hand you to me so you can be my second gladiator. He's always done everything he could to keep me from conquering the Gladiator League and letting me sponsor you is about the last thing he would ever want to do. As little as he cares about the League, he despises me enough not to let me sponsor you."

"I… I don't know if he despises you, but… fine, you're right about the rest of it," said Toph, gripping the table and gritting her teeth. "H-he's going to relinquish the right to sponsor me. He has to. He's… I'll talk to him…"

"You really think you can convince him of doing that?" Azula asked. Toph gritted her teeth.

"But I have to do something, don't I?" she said, her voice tinged with desperation. "Unless I…"

The possibility of dropping out of the ranking dawned on her now. It felt like swallowing a mouthful of ice, sinking deep in her stomach until she felt sick. She brought a hand to her mouth and shook her head. Losing her sponsor was a bad enough blow… but somehow, she had assumed she'd be free to continue fighting as a gladiator, even then. It was bad enough to sacrifice her friendship with Iroh – not that she had much choice on the matter, seeing as Iroh had immolated it gladly all by himself –, but giving up what had become her calling in life…? She couldn't fathom it.

"We'll find a way to keep you in the ranking," Azula declared, stubbornly. "I mean… dropping out now and forfeiting the Slate is the safest thing you could do, but you don't want to spend a year out of the ranking, do you?"

"No," said Toph, clutching her hair and shaking her head. "Of course I… no…"

"And… you definitely want to fight in the Slate?" Azula asked, tentatively. "I know you wanted to before, but now that you're aware of the limitations and understand how complicated it will be…"

"I can't back down," said Toph, gritting her teeth and shaking her head. "You guys… you didn't back down even when I wrecked the Dog all those years ago. You could have quit because it was hard, because you'd never beat me, but you didn't. You've kept fighting to get better, to defeat me, to take the top spot of the ranking one day. What sort of coward would I be if I…? If I didn't do the same?"

Azula sighed and lowered her gaze. Despite being such a skilled earthbender, Toph was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and she couldn't possibly bend either thing off her. Not wanting to give up was understandable: if she were in Toph's shoes, she would feel the same way. But how was she going to continue fighting in the League?

Azula surprised herself when she realized she didn't want Toph to drop out either. If she did, Sokka's climb to the top would be easier, but it would feel wrong. After all this time, the rivalry they held with Toph was a fundamental part of their run in the Gladiator League. Leading the ranking without having defeated her would never feel like a victory for them.

"I'll… figure something out," said Azula. Toph flinched.

"You probably shouldn't, you keep helping me out…"

"Because you need me to," said Azula. "For all we know, you might be right and Iroh will give you up without throwing a tantrum, but in case he doesn't, we need a back-up plan. Maybe my influence in the League will be enough, but if it's not… I'll find another way."

"I still feel bad. You shouldn't be bailing me out of every hole I jump into," said Toph, dropping her head in defeat. "But I've really done it now, haven't I…? I mean, now that I'm not Iroh's gladiator, will I even… will I be allowed to stay in the Palace?"

"You can stay as my guest instead of his," said Azula, stepping closer to place a hand on her friend's shoulder. "As long as there are solutions, we'll find them."

"Heh. Well, even if you're right…" said Toph, gulping. "I still don't know what to do. It's… everything's a mess. I don't think I'd ever been as lost as I am now."

"For now, you'll continue preparing for the Slate," Azula declared. "And we'll do our best to ensure you're ready to fight there when the time comes. I'll deal with the rest of it."

"How am I ever going to repay you for all this?" Toph asked, with a weak smile. "Do you really think I'm worth all this trouble?"

Azula glanced down at Toph in surprise. Truth be told, she hadn't thought she would ever be reassuring the young earthbender who had once brought Sokka to the brink of death. She never had expected to befriend a girl who had done nothing but taunt and tease, sneer and mock both her and Sokka, at first… and yet that was what had happened. Just as she had once vouched for Ty Lee and spared her from the full brunt of society's rejection, just as she had stood by Mai once she chose the man she had wanted to spend her life with, Azula found herself wanting to help Toph.

The realization was strange, to say the least. Not that long ago she had refused to help Suki, on Sokka's request, for her own personal reasons. She had helped her eventually, but indirectly, and only to please him. Just so, she hadn't wanted to help Toph in Ba Sing Se, not in the slightest, for she had thought the earthbender's problems were her own business. She had only fought beside her because she had no other choice, at the time.

Nothing was forcing her this time. The promise to help Toph prepare for the Slate hadn't included any of this. Nevertheless, Azula found herself making further promises, and going to lengths she usually wouldn't go to. There was no doubt that she considered Toph a friend, but she didn't always help her friends nearly as much as she was helping Toph now.

She smiled upon reflecting on those thoughts and shook her head. Toph gulped.

"I guess I've had a leave of my senses with you," she whispered. "You'd better make the most of it while it lasts, Dirt Worm."

Toph blinked a few times, before raising her head and smiling a little, too. Azula squeezed her shoulder gently.

"Besides, in my experience… this is the kind of stuff friends find themselves doing for each other," Azula continued, before raising an eyebrow. "Or maybe that's just what I find myself doing for my friends? Who knows. Either way, I'm used to bailing people out of trouble by now."

"Lucky me that you are," said Toph, with a soft chuckle. "Thanks for everything, Azula. Really."

"Thank me when you've won in the Slate," said Azula, with a confident smile. Toph laughed again.

Huiwen's training didn't carry on for much longer, as dusk was nearing, and Zhen came to fetch his son by then. Sokka took off to clean up after all his hard work, slightly disappointed that Toph had dropped by as she had. If only she weren't around, he could have shared a peaceful moment of intimacy with his mischievous lover, but as they weren't free to do as they pleased, he was resigned to soak in his tub by himself.

He had brought a change of clothes to the bathroom this time, knowing better than to parade around the house wearing only a towel if there was a guest around. But as he left the bathroom, tying up his wet strands of hair in his usual wolf's tail, he spotted Azula sitting on the steps from where she always watched Sokka and Huiwen sparring. Sokka met her gaze before taking his seat beside her.

"Did Toph leave?" he asked. Azula shook her head and gestured at the inside of the house.

Sokka glanced through the open backdoor, spotting the girl lying on the couch. She was curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, eyes closed behind her disorderly bangs.

"She's sleeping? Just like that?" he asked.

"It seems she had a bad night. Didn't get a lot of rest," Azula explained. Sokka hummed.

"If you say so. So… what happened?" he asked. Azula grimaced.

"Well, the worst that could have happened to her right now, really," he said. "Iroh's given up on his sponsoring career, it seems. She's on her own."

"What?" Sokka gasped. "How can he…? Is he insane? Why would he leave her now?"

"I don't know for sure, but it may have something to do with her friendship with us," said Azula, gritting her teeth as she glanced at her lover. "It's either that or he's still punishing her for her role in Zuko's departure. Either thing, though…"

"Either thing makes him an asshole," said Sokka, shaking his head. "Was Toph only ever a tool for him? Seriously?"

"I doubt she was only that, but nowadays… well, it seems she's not even that," said Azula, sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingertips.

"What are we going to do, then?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula with uncertainty. "Will you sponsor her?"

"I can't do it legally unless Iroh openly resigns as her sponsor," said Azula. "And while Toph thinks otherwise, I suspect Iroh's not going to do it. If he's punishing her, as we suspect, he'll likely set back her gladiator career to teach her a lesson. Force her to take a year off, just as he's spent a year without Zuko as it is…"

"That's too cruel," said Sokka, his fists clenching. "I mean… she's worked hard enough so far, even if she always has been insanely strong. She loves fighting, why would he be such an ass and take that from her?"

"Because he thinks she's on our side, I suppose," said Azula, shrugging. "And maybe she is. It's a good thing for us that she is, as she knows our secret… but it may not be a good thing for her. Truth is, if I could sponsor her, I'd only do it temporarily. I… I wouldn't become her legal sponsor."

"Really? Why?" Sokka asked. Azula looked at him matter-of-factly, as though he ought to know the answer to the question all by himself. "What, is there a rule about not having multiple gladiators?"

"Of course not," said Azula, shaking her head. "I wouldn't do it because… it's not right. You and I, we've… we've fought together for too long to come as far as we have. It's always been the two of us, and she was one of our main enemies, for a very long time. Even though we're friends now, I feel like we would be cheating the system if she became my gladiator and stopped being an eligible rival for you."

"Huh," said Sokka, blinking blankly. "Then… who would sponsor her?"

"I… have thought of a few ideas," said Azula, grimacing. "I can't say I'm fond of all of them, but…"

"But?"

"But if they work, it will be for the best," she said. "I could ask Ty Lee to sponsor Toph, maybe. That's one sure-proof source of income for her, if anything, so she'd be compelled to accept. I thought maybe Mai, too, but I doubt she'd care enough to do it… if there were no other alternatives, I could always order Rui Shi to do it."

"Oh, he's going to become a sponsor by command?" Sokka asked, amused. Azula laughed.

"Granted, he's about my last option," she said. "Still… I haven't told you about my first one. Though I think you'll approve of it, actually, as you're such good friends with him and all…"

Her sarcastic tone was one she used whenever referring to that one person Sokka knew Azula disliked quite a lot. He grimaced and looked at her with uncertainty.

"No…"

"Oh, yes."

"What? You're kidding me. Why would you ask Zhao to sponsor Toph?"

"Because, of all the eligible candidates… I think he's the only one who might stand a realistic chance of becoming Iroh's substitute sponsor," said Azula, looking at Sokka hopelessly. "Think about it: why did Iroh begin all this? To sabotage me. Who's the main foe we need to defeat? Combustion Man. Who sponsors him? Zhao. If Zhao holds the monopoly of all fighters we seemingly cannot beat…"

"If he does, we'll be stuck fighting Zhao forever," said Sokka, grimacing. "One way or another, Iroh would think Zhao will always humiliate you."

"And what would Iroh love more than humiliating me?" Azula asked, sighing. "Playing Zhao's benefactor this way would only serve to make me resent the two of them more, as far as Iroh would see…"

"And yet you're willing to do this?" Sokka asked. "I mean… I don't think you'll be humiliated at all, but still…"

"I won't be humiliated, but I'd have to pretend I am, at least," said Azula, lowering her gaze. "Even so, I can't say I know what the results will be. Hopefully this idea will appeal to him enough to hand Toph over to Zhao. He's not going to be the greatest of sponsors for her, he's not going to work particularly hard to help Toph grow stronger, but he won't let personal matters get in the way of business."

"Which is the best she can hope for, for the time being," said Sokka, sighing. Azula crossed her arms as her gaze trailed off, once more lost in the horizon. "Things really got complicated at a record speed this time, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," whispered Azula. "It's not worse than getting chased by the Dai Li, is it?"

"I suppose we've had it worse, yes," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "But it's still awful. All she wants is to fight in the Slate…"

"We'll get her there, somehow," Azula declared. "It won't be easy, no doubt, but… I'm sure we can help her win."

"I hope we can," he said, biting his lip before smiling at Azula. "Though I never figured you'd end up quite as invested in this matter as you are."

"Say what?" Azula looked at him with raised eyebrows. Sokka chuckled.

"Just, you know, most times when someone needs help, I have to badger you into doing it. I know Toph could reveal us if she felt like it, but something tells me that's got nothing to do with why you're doing this…"

Azula grimaced and groaned, burying her face in her arms after drawing her knees up to her chin. Sokka laughed again and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I've thought about it too, you know? And I've concluded this is all your fault, you evil manipulator…" she grunted. Sokka kissed the top of her head.

"I manipulated you into helping people?" he asked, amused.

"It sounds about right, doesn't it?" Azula huffed, raising her gaze and scowling at him. "Before we met, you wouldn't have caught me dead helping people unless there was something in it for me. If I did anyone any favors, it was because they would be forced to return them one way or another. I allowed Admiral Chan to take credit for beating you back in the South Pole, knowing that would be quite a helpful thing to dangle over his head when the time came… and alas, doing that led me to destroy his military career and ruin his entire family in one fell sweep."

"You are so heartless," Sokka said, with a teasing, husky voice. Azula smirked and laughed, pressing her forehead to his.

"I am. I should be. I'll make Toph return this favor," she said, confidently. Sokka smirked.

"How?"

"I'm… working on that," she said, biting her lip. "I mean, I'm going to be Fire Lord one day, aren't I? It won't do if I just help my vassals without demanding their services in return…"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Sokka said, smirking and making an awkward reverence by waving an arm and bending his torso forward. Azula chuckled. "We worthless vassals would never dream of abusing your generosity!"

Azula laughed and shook her head at his pompousness. He smirked and took his chance to sneak a kiss from her. She responded gently, cupping his face and relaxing with their brows pressed together.

"Still… I do think it says something that you're doing this one without my meddling," Sokka whispered. Azula snorted.

"Says something? What do you mean?" she asked. Sokka smiled and kissed her forehead.

"It means… Toph's like family for you," he whispered. Azula's eyes widened. "She's been like your uncle's surrogate daughter or so, so… it's like she's your cousin!"

"That's… odd," Azula said, blinking blankly. Sokka chuckled.

"Well, I think that's why you're willing to go out of your way to help her," he said, smiling and stroking a strand of her hair. "I could be wrong, but… you're really doing your best with her. You usually only do that sort of thing when you're working for the Fire Nation, or your father…"

"I guess…" Azula said, before raising an eyebrow and looking at Sokka skeptically. "Though I think you forgot about someone I've made far too many efforts for, who may just be the death of me if we carry on as we have… and yet I'm such a fool I can't bring myself to regret it."

"Oh? Why, I have no idea who you're talking about," he said, smiling and looking at her with exaggerated interest. "Is this someone I know?"

"If you weren't a gladiator you could make a living off being a jester, you know. Pays well in some circles," said Azula, bumping him with her shoulder. Sokka chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her temples now. "Though, in your defense… you've made far too many efforts for me, too. I suppose we're not unequal in those regards."

"Well, if you want a few other favors from me, I could, uh, think about it…" he said, with his sultriest voice. Azula snorted. "My room is available, you know…"

"And it's almost dusk, you know," she replied, teasingly. "I can't stay all night with you, sad as though that might be."

"It really is sad," said Sokka, sighing. Azula bit her lip.

"I might have to ask you to keep her here, though," said Azula, gesturing back at Toph. Sokka frowned.

"Say what? Why?"

"I'm sure I can have Toph stay in the Palace as my guest, instead of Iroh's," Azula whispered. "But I have to settle that with my father, first of all. And even if my father gave his approval… she probably shouldn't be seen around there until after Iroh agrees to let Zhao sponsor her."

"He might smell that you're plotting something, if he sees you and Toph have become closer than ever," Sokka mused. Azula nodded.

"I hope convincing Zhao won't take too long, but all the same…"

"Oh, please. You're as convincing as it can get," said Sokka, smiling fondly at her. "Remember that one time you kicked my ass in the South Pole, and I ended up resenting you for years? And yet look at me now, completely wrapped around your finger. If you could change the mind of a stubborn bastard like me, you can get Zhao to work with you."

"Well, that certainly is encouraging," Azula said, smirking at him. Sokka chuckled and kissed her softly. "You'll be fine looking after her for a while, then?"

"I'll try to be. She's a handful," Sokka said, smiling and shrugging. "I just hope she won't eat everything in the kitchen, that's supposed to be my job."

"And you're quite good at it, admittedly," said Azula, as Sokka's hand found hers. He caressed her knuckles gently.

"I guess I ought to be a gentleman and let her sleep on my bed, eh?" Sokka said, apprehensively. "I… guess I'll change the sheets."

Azula snorted, remembering clearly what they had been up to only two days earlier. She wished they'd had a chance to soil the purity of his sheets some more, truth be told.

"A wise decision," she said. "Though for that matter, uh… you probably should have cleaned the couch, too."

Sokka grimaced in realization and Azula laughed. He chuckled and shook his head soon enough, sighing and kissing her brow.

"I'd worry about the bathroom as well, but knowing her, she won't even set foot inside it," he whispered. Azula nodded. "At any rate, we'll be fine, I think. I'm sure Song will adjust easily, too."

"I hope so," said Azula, biting her lip. "I'll go speak with Zhao in the morning. But as we have no time to waste, you should take Toph to Ty Lee's tomorrow morning, too."

"Just like that?" Sokka asked, with a small smile. "Don't you want to be there to explain the circumstances, too?"

"I'm sure you can handle all introductions and explanations" said Azula, with a dry grin. Sokka huffed. "Really, though, you're too used to having me around. Sometimes it's up to you to deal with the social pleasantries, Sokka…"

"I'd rather forego pleasantries with other people, and merely focus on enjoying pleasant things with you," he said, lifting her hand and kissing it softly. Azula's breath hitched, and he smiled. "But if you want me to do that, I'll do it. It's just sad to start my day without you, is all."

"You won't miss me for very long," said Azula, smiling and bringing his hand to her lips too. "And you'll have your hands full with our favorite Dirt Worm anyhow."

"No doubt," said Sokka, chuckling and looking into her eyes. "Still will miss you, though. I always do."

"Always? Even when I'm here?" she asked, teasingly. He laughed.

"Sometimes, when you say you have to go already," he whispered, kissing her once more.

Her hand now caressed his chest as they kissed long and deep. They would have taken advantage of the afternoon once Huiwen left, but with Toph around, their chances to be intimate would decrease by a large margin once again. Whatever moments they could steal, they would steal them gladly.

"Alright…" she said, breathing in once Xin Long landed in the courtyard. "I'd better go, then."

"Fine," he whispered, with resignation. "I hope you can deal with your dad and Zhao without any trouble."

"I hope I can, too," Azula admitted, biting her lip as she stood up. Sokka followed and walked with her to where the dragon waited.

He smiled and stroked Xin Long's mane as the dragon greeted him with a low growl. Azula climbed on the saddle and sighed, glancing down at Sokka to find him smiling as sweetly as ever at her. Her hand cupped his cheek, and she leaned to kiss him as she always did.

"Take care," she said. "And watch out with that crazy Dirt Worm on the loose in your house."

"I'll try to," said Sokka, with a chuckle. "I love you, Azula."

Her smile softened as it always did when he spoke those words. She kissed him one more time, her fingers sliding to the back of his head.

"I love you too, Sokka," she smiled, before sitting upright again on her dragon's saddle.

She ushered Xin Long to take off, and Sokka watched them speeding into the air, a small smile on his face, even now. As much as he hated it whenever she had to leave, the promise that they would meet again on the next day always gave him something to look forward to.

He returned to the house and worked to change the sheets wrapped around his mattress. He still wasn't much good at making the bed, but he doubted the rough, crude Toph Beifong would care about proper bed-making etiquette.

Still, when he was on his way downstairs, he found Toph wasn't lying on the couch anymore. He studied the living room first, then glanced inside the kitchen, instinctively. She wasn't there either.

"Goodness, couldn't you wait to give me the slip for another hour or two…?" he growled, but he stopped grumbling when he saw a triangular earth formation in the backyard.

Upon closer inspection, Sokka realized it was an earth tent. He smiled, remembering Toph had made another one like it during the night they spent in Ba Sing Se's Agrarian Zone. He had only seen it when they had left the house to return to the city, but he recalled it looked quite like this.

He knocked on the rock and heard the unequivocal Toph grunt from within. He sighed.

"You know, I just made my bed so you could sleep in it…"

"If you make your bed, you're the one who should lie in it," Toph retorted. Sokka scoffed.

"Really?" he said. "Come on, Toph…"

"I overheard your talk with Spicy," she said. Sokka grimaced and scowled. He knew she wasn't that far away, but he had thought she wouldn't eavesdrop on every conversation near her…

"Huh, funny. Weren't you supposed to be sleeping?" he asked, bitterly. He heard a small chuckle from within the tent.

"Maybe. Still… I'm not going to impose. I can sleep just fine out here anyways, Dog," she said. Sokka bit his lip and nodded, sitting with his legs crossed now.

"Well, if you overheard, then you know what's coming, huh? You might end up sponsored by the top sponsor in the Superior League, if Azula's plan works out" said Sokka "And tomorrow you'll meet the rest of our friends…"

"Sounds like we're all going to be busy," she said. Sokka smiled.

"We'll get you into shape, you know. You've never been trained this way before, I assure you," he said. "But I think you're going to have a blast with it. You love challenges, after all."

Toph chuckled again, and Sokka placed a hand on the earth tent.

"Sleep tight, then. See you in the morning."

"Sure. Thanks, though… for putting up with me."

Sokka smiled and nodded, knowing she'd sense his movements even though they were separated by a thick wall.

"If Azula is subconsciously thinking of you as family, I guess it means you're my family, too," he whispered. Toph chuckled. "And families put up with each other. Well, the good ones do."

"You two are weird," she said. "But I guess if I'm going to have adoptive parents, they'd better be you two."

"Adoptive…? Okay, now that's ridiculous, seriously," he said, as she laughed louder than before from inside the tent. "You're crazy, Toph. Good night."

"See you, Dog," she said, between chuckles.

He smiled and made his way back inside the house, shaking his head still. Their friendship with Toph was growing in unexpected ways, and he couldn't deny he was pleased by that. Becoming friends with people he had rough starts with seemed to be a habit of his by now, and he was glad for it.

Toph would need every bit of help she could get, from every possible source available. Sokka had only felt the fear of being abandoned by Azula during scarce, brief moments, especially when their partnership had begun. It had never been as cut-and-dry as what Iroh had done to Toph, though. The Princess had given him more opportunities than he had ever felt worthy of, but he had done his best to make each opportunity worth it for her. So far, it seemed he had succeeded.

Why would Iroh be so radically different, though? The question badgered at Sokka even as he ate dinner with Song and Rui Shi, who had spent the day out in the city again, a habit they were happy to exercise whenever they could. Why would Iroh ditch Toph without a second thought, without pondering if he was making the right choice? Their friendship had always seemed solid to Sokka, and Iroh's efforts for Toph in Ba Sing Se had compelled Sokka to further respect them as rivals and friends.

But once Iroh had returned to square one regarding Azula, he had grown colder towards everyone else, too. His treatment of Toph was utterly deplorable by now: he had to know just how badly he had hurt the earthbender by acting in this way, but that didn't stop him anyways…

As Sokka tucked in, in his messily-made bed, he sighed and concluded that comparing Toph and Iroh to himself and Azula was pointless: in their case, there was no doubt to be had that it was Iroh who did not deserve the honor of sponsoring someone like Toph.