She stomped and hissed, groaned and waved her arms powerfully, taking no strict stances. She hoped to flow through the motions, acting as a firebender rather than an earthbender for the first time in her life. She didn't rely on her steady footing, instead jumping around as lightly as she had been taught to for close-quarter combat purposes.
Still, the lava did not yield.
Toph wiped her sweat with the back of her hand and rested, supporting her weight with her hands on her knees. It felt futile, a pointless exercise, and yet she didn't dare stop. Despite she had never consciously dreaded failure, she found herself unwilling to falter in this endeavor. The volcano below her could not conquer her. She had to be stronger than the mountain she stood on.
But tried as though she might, nothing changed. No matter how much thought she gave the matter, how many different approaches she'd tried so far, there were no visible, tangible results: she had yet to bend lava.
She sighed as she sensed the molten rock indirectly, through her shoes with rock soles. She couldn't feel the heat at the side of the volcano, where she stood, but an earlier, mischievous attempt to test how well her shoes resisted fire had proven her soles weren't quite as useful for that purpose as she had thought. Holding her foot above the opening of the volcano had been insanely dangerous, and she had only known it because the heat had overwhelmed her leg, as though she hadn't been wearing anything to protect herself from it.
She hadn't chosen to wear her fire-resistant clothing today, but her shoes should have withstood the heat, and they had failed to do so. The soles, specifically, weren't much good. She sighed and groaned, shaking her head before trying again. She moved her hands in circular motions, in quick fists, or sometimes even jumped, kicking into the air as many firebenders were prone to. And yet she felt nothing. No pull, no motions, no attachment. She couldn't feel anything but a distant, incoherent sensation. There was something down below, and she knew it was lava, but she couldn't do anything to it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bend it.
Eyes watched her near the base of the mountain that composed the volcano – defeated, disappointed eyes. Azula sighed and turned again, shaking her head. Sokka, sitting beside her on a surging ledge in the volcano's side, surrounded her shoulders with an arm.
"She can still win. Even if this doesn't work, she can still…"
"I know," Azula interrupted him, burying her face in his neck. "I know. But I still… I feel like there's more we have to do to make sure of it. I hoped, even now, that lava would make sense, but…"
"Maybe bending lava can't be done by an earthbender alone. Maybe it needs a firebender too, since the rocks are heated to the extreme," Sokka mused. Azula shrugged.
"If that's the case, she's still doomed. Unless I hide behind a wall and help her bend it from where nobody would see me, she can't have any assistance during her fight at the Slate," said Azula. Sokka gritted his teeth but nodded.
"There's bound to be something else she can do," he said. "Some other way Toph can take everyone by storm when they least expect it. We're talking about someone who defies all logic and limitations already, can it be that hard for her to do it again?"
"Under these conditions? Maybe harder than expected," said Azula, with a defeated sigh. "I feel like we're not doing enough for her. Maybe I'm wrong, but…"
"We're doing our best," Sokka whispered, closing his eyes. "It's all we can do."
"Well, I don't feel like we are doing our best just now," Azula retorted, glancing back at the earthbender. Toph continued to take different bending forms, but if she ever moved anything, it was rocks from the mountainside rather than the lava within the volcano. Azula sighed. "This is a waste of time. We shouldn't have brought her here for nothing when she could be training properly instead."
As it was, Toph's training was still only beginning. She had undertaken many drills with Mai and Ty Lee within the last five days, but not nearly enough for there to be drastic progress. As prodigious as Toph could be with her bending, without it she wasn't much more remarkable than any non-bending fighter. It was the main reason why Azula had been so eager to find a better solution for the earthbender, a better way to fight back in the Arena. But her grand idea had failed entirely, it seemed. She couldn't expect Toph to achieve the unthinkable: no earthbender had been recorded to bend lava before. She hadn't been able to bend the makeshift lava Azula had crafted for her, and she couldn't bend real volcanic lava, either.
"I suppose lavabending was too much of a stretch," said Azula, rubbing her temples and shaking her head. "In theory, maybe it could have worked. But in practice…"
"In practice, I can't feel the damn thing."
Toph surprised them by approaching them from behind. Despite she carried the heavy weight of failure on her shoulders, Toph's crossed arms spoke of determination, and there was surprisingly no sign of frustration in her. Both Sokka and Azula raised their eyebrows.
"Seriously, I can't," she said, shaking her head. "I've tried, but it's like I can't connect to it the way I can connect to everything else. I don't know, Spicy, but… I don't think this works for my kind of earthbending."
"I was growing convinced of the same thing, too," Azula admitted. Toph smiled, though.
"Good to know we came to the same conclusion," she declared. Azula looked at her with confusion.
"And how is that a good thing?" she asked. "Why are you smiling, Toph?"
"Because even if you think so, I'm not wasting that much time out here," she said, her head raised proudly. "It's not just that I'm feeling the earth, and the heat of the volcano, which may be good preparation for the Slate, too… but turns out I can fix my shoes' design!"
"You… huh?" Sokka said, even more confused than Azula now. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You talked about heat resistant rocks before, right? Well…" said Toph, smirking.
The earthbender used her powers to break apart the soles of her shoes. Sokka and Azula were startled by that, and surprised when she stepped back and dug her feet in the mountainside. When she pulled them out, she had brand new soles: completely solid ones, with further capacity to withstand heat than the ordinary earth she had used before.
"And now I'm pretty sure I'm more prepared than before," Toph said, beaming proudly.
Despite her previous misgivings, Azula smiled, and exchanged a look with Sokka. He seemed amused too, and he gave Toph an approving nod.
"Creative, random, unexpected… I think you're spending too much time with me, Toph Beifong," said Sokka. She snorted.
"Yeah, and you're very flexible if you can kiss your own ass," she said with a malicious smirk. "You wish you were as clever as I am."
"Oh, goodness, of course I would. Takes a lot of braining to decide that you can switch shoe soles!" Sokka said, with a skeptical smile. Azula laughed and interrupted Toph's promised retort.
"Okay, that's enough nonsense from you both," she said, standing up. "We should go back. We can't afford to waste a whole day of training if this isn't going to pay off."
"Fine, fine," said Toph, scratching the back of her head as Azula pulled Sokka to his feet too.
The earthbender turned back to the volcano nonetheless, as the other two started their hike down to where Xin Long was chasing smaller lizards right now. While she had seemingly resolved one predicament, she still felt uncertain about giving up on lava that easily. She knew why Azula had insisted on this, and she agreed wholeheartedly: bending another form of her element would be preferable than jumping into that Arena without genuine expertise in any of the new fighting disciplines she was learning. But maybe, for all she had flaunted her talents, and for all she had believed otherwise, her skills were more limited than she had initially believed.
Maybe simple, straightforward earthbending was all she was good for. And that, normally, wasn't a bad thing. But in the Slate, it was as good as a death sentence.
"Hey, Toph! Move it!" Sokka called, startling her. "If you don't hurry, I'm going to sit right behind Azula and I'm sure you don't want that…!"
"Ugh! Don't even think about it!" Toph growled, shuddering in disgust as she rushed down the mountainside. "Keep it in your pants, Dog!"
"I wasn't going to go that far, mind you…" Sokka pouted, as Toph pushed past him and sighed, still as averse to flying as she always was.
But she climbed on the dragon despite her reservations, and Xin Long ferried them all to Ty Lee's house once more. And there they trained, for most the day, until Toph was so tired she could barely move an inch. The intense non-bending training, along with the sessions inside of Azula and Haru's heated glass dome, were rather harsh for the young bender.
Azula hadn't yet settled matters with her father regarding Toph's status as a royal guest: Zhao hadn't finished buttering up Iroh, it seemed, and until Azula had confirmation from the man, she wasn't going to ask her father about that topic. Any obvious signs that she was helping and even protecting Toph at this stage would tip off Iroh instantly: he would realize Zhao's interest in Toph's gladiator career was far too fortuitous for the earthbender, and far too convenient for his own interests.
Yet at the same time, Azula was glad Zhao hadn't succeeded at his task yet. Nothing could undo her uncertainties, quell her hesitation when it came to her father anymore. The memory of what she had sensed inside his study still was harrowing for her. Her father always had been hiding countless secrets, but this one was more disquieting than the rest. Her failure to make any sense of it had rendered her unwilling to talk to her father anytime soon.
She dropped off Sokka and Toph at the former's house, and Toph rushed inside while covering her ears and making a lot of noise, just to muffle out the typical soft words and kissing noises her friends would make while they said goodbye. Both Azula and Sokka rolled their eyes at her but were pleased for the moment of privacy she had granted them.
"We'll be fighting in the Dome tomorrow, right?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded.
"Pretty sure the Bandit can go to Ty Lee's on her own by now," said Azula, smirking a little. "It won't do her much harm to give us one day off, or would it?"
"I sure hope not," said Sokka, smirking too. "I'll talk to her about it, in any case."
"I would certainly appreciate that," said Azula, cupping his face. Her fingertips caressed him with small, gentle motions. "We really do need to catch a break. These long draughts are going to drive us mad, at this rate."
"Do you think this is how it is for everyone else, too? Or do these draughts only happen to us, in virtue of our chaotic circumstances?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.
"I suspect it happens to more people than just us," Azula said. "Still, it should stop happening already."
"Agreed," said Sokka, smiling before Azula kissed him slow and deep. He sighed and corresponded the kiss eagerly, eyes closed as he melted into the brush of their lips.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," she smirked down at him. He chuckled.
"I love you," he said, with his gentle, lovestruck smile that always made Azula's heart ache ever so slightly, while her mind weakly berated her for being so easily swayed by him.
"I love you more," she retorted, urging Xin Long to leave. Sokka gasped.
"No, I…!"
"Oh, I can't hear you anymore! I guess I win!" Azula called back from the air, and Sokka chuckled as he watched her go, a proud smile on his face.
"I'll get back at you for that one, you'll see…" he said, still grinning as his Princess continued to soar on the back of her dragon, headed for the Palace.
The dragon glided in the sky, and Azula sighed as she clutched his reins. Toph's situation, the eerie presence in her father's proximity, and everything else that weighed on her weary soul, were ever-present thoughts in her mind. Yet she smiled to herself as she let herself think of Sokka to calm her worried heart again. He was a great anchor, always had been, whenever she lost herself. He had proved as much ever since Ember Island, but perhaps she had known it since a lot earlier than that. It hadn't been chance that she had been so miserable during their worst fight, nor had it been chance that she had found herself in tears when Toph first defeated him in the Royal Dome. He had it in him to make a mess of Azula, no doubt… but he often made her feel whole, accomplished, stronger, instead.
She sighed peacefully as Xin Long landed. Her hand reached into one of her pockets, touching the bone necklace she always carried with her. She climbed off her dragon and patted him gratefully for the ride, before he scurried off to dive into the pile of raw meat that his dinner consisted of. Azula smirked as she watched him, shaking her head at how unceremonious he was, and made her way inside the Palace.
She crossed the corridors somewhat absent-mindedly until she caught sight of Zhao standing at a door. A quick scan of her surroundings told her this was the wing in which Iroh's room was…
She slunk into a shadowy hallway nearby and tried to listen in on the conversation. A terrible habit, she knew, but one she couldn't help but pick up after so long in Toph's company…
"… I can't say I have any idea where she is these days. Good luck tracking her down."
"Oh, I'm sure she will turn up, sooner or later. She's a gladiator by conviction, is she not? She'll need a ride to the Slate, if nothing else."
"And you are quite generous to provide her one, Admiral Zhao."
"If you don't mind me asking, though… do you have other plans? Is there any reason why you're not going to sponsor her anymore?"
Iroh huffed heavily. Azula raised an eyebrow, wondering if Zhao was being too nosey for Iroh's liking.
"I merely have sorted out my priorities," Iroh said. "I have matters to tend to, places to travel, and I can't be distracted by gladiator fights."
"Huh. Well, that's vague, but I can respect it," said Zhao, smiling and nodding. "Do you think once you return home, you'll sign her over to me for good?"
"I don't know," said Iroh, shrugging. "I have much to tend to, Admiral…"
"Oh, yes. I won't keep you any longer. Thank you, truly, General. I'm sure your gladiator will thrive under my guidance."
Iroh only made a humph sound before closing the door quietly. Zhao stood in place for a moment, but he started his way down the corridor shortly afterwards. Azula waited only briefly, hoping to ensure Iroh wouldn't leave his room, before catching up to the Admiral stealthily.
"Ah, fraternizing with my enemy. How bold of you, Admiral Zhao," she called from behind him, a weak smirk on her face.
He almost jumped, turning around to look at her with disbelief. Her smirk widened.
"Truly? You thought giving me a fright was necessary?" he said, shaking his head before sliding his hand inside his pocket. "I assume you would like to see this?"
Azula raised her eyebrows as Zhao presented Iroh's authorization to her. Her smile became a lot more genuine, and she sighed in relief: it was done.
"Wonderful. I did have a few doubts, I thought maybe my uncle would be shrewder, but alas, he seems to have less wits about himself than usual. A job well done, Admiral," she said, bowing her head towards him as he stored the authorization in his pocket again.
"When shall I meet my new charge, then?" he asked. "I do hope you have someplace for her to stay, because I don't think it's wise for any other young ladies to be stuck in my estate with Hahn…"
"Oh, fear not, she's staying with my gladiator," said Azula, waving a hand carelessly. "Though I've considered bringing her back here, as my guest instead of my uncle's, but perhaps that would still be too bold a move…"
"Perhaps," said Zhao, nodding. "We wouldn't want him to de-authorize me all over again if he catches wind of what we're up to."
Azula nodded, and Zhao smiled. He lowered his head towards her.
"Well, I suppose our business is concluded for the time being," he said. "Shall we convene at the Slate? Or will you not be there to watch the battle?"
"I think I'm quite obligated to be, I've taken up the absurd duty of looking after that pesky earthbender," Azula said, with a sigh. Zhao chuckled. "So indeed, I guess we'll meet there… unless, that is, the mighty Admiral chooses to spare himself the travel expenses and takes a ride on my Barge instead?"
Zhao raised his eyebrows in surprise. Azula didn't waver, despite a voice inside her head berated her for making such a reckless offer. He gulped.
"That's… not an invitation I expected," he said.
"Maybe it's more teasing than invitation," Azula said, with a small smile. Zhao chuckled again.
"Maybe it is," he said.
"Yet I thought that, as I've put you in this awkward situation, I might as well pay you back somehow," said Azula, shrugging. "I take no offense if you choose to travel on one of your ships, of course…"
"This is a rather courteous offer," said Zhao, bowing his head towards her. "I'd be honored to join you for this journey."
Azula smiled and nodded. While part of her certainly was still so apprehensive of Zhao that she didn't want to spend more time with him than necessary, the other, still apprehensive side of herself said that it would be best to keep an eye on him all the same. Azula didn't trust him too much just yet, even if she wanted to believe there was something worthwhile in the man, after all this time. So, in doubt, it was best to keep your enemies closer. Close enough that you could make sure they wouldn't hurt your friends by, for instance, not showing up to sponsor them in deadly fights after promising to do so. She guessed that if he wanted to screw her over somehow, Zhao might find an excuse or two to mysteriously fail to arrive on time at the Slate.
"I suppose I'll see you by then, unless anything else of interest brings me to the Palace in the near future," said Zhao, smiling. "I'll check on your father for now, then."
"Do greet him for me, if you'd be so kind," said Azula. Zhao nodded.
"Gladly. Have a good afternoon, Princess."
She watched him walk away, her eyes narrow. She needed to unravel what she felt about Zhao, for once and for all. Her instincts, her mind, and her common sense were all screaming completely different things, and she had no idea which one to trust when it came to the Admiral.
Ozai was spending a leisure day in the spa when Zhao showed up. His friend had a knack for either being the most opportune person of all or the least, never in between. But alas, it was just the right opportunity for Ozai to convince his friend to relax, too.
After a few hours, the two men sat amid fluffed pillows and soft couches. Ozai was rather pleased to enjoy a few snacks while indulging in his blissful day of pampering. Yet he noticed that Zhao was uncharacteristically silent and absent-minded.
"I didn't expect you today," Ozai mentioned. Zhao nodded.
"I didn't expect to be here today, either. But your daughter…" he said. "She had a small diplomatic mission for me."
"My daughter?" Ozai said, trying to conceal his unease. Ever since Azula had almost caught Seethus, Ozai had been particularly wary over anything related to his heir. "Since when does she use you for any missions?"
"Since now, I suppose. Only because she had no one else to resort to," said Zhao. "She wants me to sponsor Iroh's gladiator at the Slate. And I will, actually. I convinced the old man to let me do it. It seems he wants to retire from sponsorship…"
"Is that so?" Ozai asked, amused. "Why would Iroh give up on his little games now, I wonder?"
"Why wouldn't he? I think he finds there's nothing to gain in them," said Zhao. "He no longer finds any value in the practice, so he's forsaking it. No?"
"Oh, you have forgotten what my brother is like, Zhao," said Ozai, with a growing smirk. "Either he has a better idea on how to make my daughter's life a living hell… or this is about Zuko."
"Zuko? Zuko's gone," said Zhao, matter-of-factly. Ozai huffed.
"You don't say."
"I mean…" Zhao grimaced, as Ozai smirked skeptically at him. "What could he possibly do for Zuko at this point, if he's been out of the Fire Nation for almost a year now?"
"What indeed…" said Ozai, smirking with malice.
Iroh was no fool and he wasn't giving up for no reason, Ozai knew as much. If Zuko's departure could discourage him from sponsorship, he would have given up his role around a year ago indeed. No… this was something else. Whatever Iroh was up to, he was going to take action of some kind eventually, and it was bound to be such radical course of action that his gladiator had become a hindrance for his purposes.
Yet all this was conjecture, pure fiction, thus far. Yet something beckoned at Ozai to figure out the truth. To poke and prod at his brother until his stubbornness yielded, and he revealed for once and for all why he was reverting to his old ways of quitting things halfway through, after all this time…
Anyone else would have struggled to adapt to the rigorous training regime Sokka had come up with. It would especially be the case for anyone who had been groomed as a prodigy, who had seldom worked as hard as she was forced to right now.
But not Toph. Instead, she had grown to relish the harsh training.
She enjoyed being pressed to the extreme of her abilities, facing difficult challenges that she had to struggle to overcome. She abided by Sokka's rules, listened to advice, and surprisingly hadn't resorted to earthbending instinctively to protect herself after many weeks of constant training.
Her new shoe soles were much more effective for her, allowing her to sense her surroundings a lot more easily than before. She still described it as feeling things with a sort of echo, as if they weren't entirely there, but she had grown used to the sensation. As the two months of her training sped by, she found herself stronger, better suited for the task at hand, and smoothly trained to figure out her bearings even while wearing shoes, something she would have thought unthinkable barely half a year earlier.
A part of her still ached, though, after being discarded by Iroh so easily. She lay awake at night sometimes, wondering if he missed her at all. Convincing herself that he didn't, too. Why would Iroh spare another thought in her direction, when she had become nothing but a burden for him? The thoughts gave her no peace, but she couldn't control them. It was a major factor in why she was constantly seeking excuses to get back to training: whenever she stopped for the day, her thoughts inevitably turned towards him, and towards wondering if he felt any remorse for shoving her aside as he had.
Those thoughts didn't hinder her performance: she could focus just fine while in battle, as she handled everything her new friends threw at her. The results of her hard work showed themselves before long, and although she wasn't the most remarkable hand-to-hand fighter, and her aim wasn't completely perfect, she was far stronger than she had ever been. Her wild, even erratic fighting style was reined in by her newly developed discipline, and her willingness to improve herself further.
Time passed them by faster than expected, though. Sokka and Azula had other responsibilities to tend to at times, whether regarding their own performance in the Gladiator League, or Sokka's young apprentice, but Toph never stopped working hard, regardless of whether they were with her or not. Her dedication to honing her combat skills was without equal.
In truth, she had never felt more alive than in those weeks of hard training. So, when the last day arrived, she was, inevitably, somewhat disheartened.
"Okay, okay… get ready," Sokka called out, as Toph stretched in Ty Lee's backyard. "We're holding your last practice fights today, got it?"
"I know, I know," said Toph, nodding as she stretched her neck too.
Everyone who had taken part in her training was present, knowing it was an essential day for Toph's preparation. The earthbender huffed and cracked her knuckles, turning towards the Blue Wolf.
"Who am I fighting first?" she asked. Sokka smiled and looked at Ty Lee.
"Care to give it a shot?"
Ty Lee huffed but nodded, jumping to her feet and rushing to stand a few paces away from Toph. The earthbender smirked.
"Alright, let's see what Stretchy's got today… what am I limited to?" she asked Sokka. He raised an eyebrow before turning to Haru.
"See that rock there?" he asked the man, who nodded. "Please."
The rock in question was small, scarcely the size of Toph's torso. The earthbender huffed, naturally disappointed as Haru deposited the rock in front of her.
"Really? One rock?" she asked, skeptical. Sokka chuckled.
"We can't know what you'll be limited to in the Slate," he said, sitting back on the veranda and relaxing next to Azula. "Come on, then. Let's see what you've got, shall we?"
Toph huffed and cracked her knuckles, studying Ty Lee with a deep frown. Ty Lee breathed deeply and readied herself for their upcoming duel.
"And… start!" Sokka called out.
Ty Lee rushed in quickly, but Toph was faster than her. Her rock dissembled into small bits, and to Ty Lee's surprise, instead of using the cracked rock as projectiles, Toph placed every bit of rock carefully over specific points in her own body: Ty Lee flinched as she realized Toph had defended every spot of her body susceptible to chi-blocking.
The fight became a complicated hand-to-hand scuffle, where Ty Lee kept trying to slip out of Toph's reach with her superior agility. But whenever Toph's strong blows connected, Ty Lee would be left as good as helpless. The power Toph had built already was too remarkable, sometimes even frightening.
"C'mon, that's the best you've got?!" Toph taunted, with a snicker, as she rushed towards Ty Lee.
The chi-blocker rushed forward to fight back, but Toph blocked every blow and her defensive rocks kept her chi-points perfectly protected. Ty Lee groaned, knowing she'd have to use more strength to tear through them, but knowing also that if she relied on strength instead of agility, Toph would likely catch her and defeat her quickly.
It wasn't long before Ty Lee made a gamble she couldn't see through completely: Toph caught her arm with a firm grip, and pulled her free hand back. The fragments of rock at the side of her body that Ty Lee couldn't reach formed a small rock once more, and with that rock, she struck her opponent in the stomach. Ty Lee fell back, out of breath after the blow, eyes wide as she tried and failed to push herself up.
Toph smirked and approached, offering her a hand. Ty Lee groaned.
"Fine, you win," she sighed. Toph snickered.
Haru was up next, and Toph was told to only resort to hand-to-hand techniques this time. The earthbenders readied themselves for combat, and Haru was as cautious as ever: Toph had proven how threatening she was before, and he wasn't about to take her for granted.
But it didn't matter how many times he tried to catch her unawares, Toph's synch with the earth below her feet was much stronger than Haru's control over the element. Regardless of her shoes, the blind earthbender could understand everything Haru was going to do before he did it and she could find all the weak spots in his stances and attacks instinctively. As the master earthbender she was, she had learned how to make herself virtually invulnerable by learning where her own weaknesses were. It was an invaluable self-taught lesson, one she always resorted to when fighting earthbenders.
As Haru's best attempts to catch Toph kept going to waste, Azula smirked and nudged Sokka with her elbow.
"Are you taking notes?" she asked. "I think this is how you ought to fight an earthbender"
"Heh? Come on, Azula…" he pouted, as she chuckled. "I've been doing a lot better against them for years now."
"Not that good, you haven't," said Azula. "She's taking advantage of all his weak points and…"
In one quick motion, Toph slid under a barrage of wild rocks, and upon reaching Haru she struck his leg with two fingers. Haru cringed as he lost the strength on that leg, and despite he tried to fight back against Toph, she moved around him and hit the back of his neck. His entire body gave away by then.
"And I win!" Toph exclaimed, throwing her fists into the air. "That's two out of five! Who else dares challenge the reigning champion, huh, huh?"
Azula rolled her eyes at Toph's cockiness, and Sokka chuckled beside her. But it was Mai who sighed and stood up, handing Yuudai to Azula.
"Don't set him on fire while I'm gone," she said. Azula scoffed.
"Really? I can't do that even if he cries?" she asked nonchalantly. Mai actually smiled and shook her head.
Yuudai mumbled for his mom while sitting on Azula's lap, but Sokka soon entertained him by showing him his boomerang. Meanwhile, Ty Lee dragged Haru out of the backyard, so she could help him recover after the harsh chi-blocking.
Mai stood before Toph and regarded her coldly, while the earthbender cracked her knuckles. Mai glanced at Sokka.
"What's she limited to this time?" she asked. Sokka hummed.
"Maybe… she should use her hammer," Sokka mused. Toph grinned wildly.
"Yeah!" she exclaimed, rushing to pick it up.
Mai sighed as the earthbender returned with the weapon in tow. Toph was a dangerous opponent no matter what, but her beloved hammer was one of her strongest assets. Mai sighed and prepared herself, knowing she would have to take Toph by surprise to defeat her.
But as it were, the earthbender's ability to sense everything even through her shoes had been sharpened and developed to near perfection. She predicted Mai's moves, dodged her perfect aim, even evaded Mai's feint-attacks. Her hammer shielded her from the unavoidable projectiles, but her swift, nimble footing allowed her to evade everything else. In a short time, the hammer was already pressing against Mai's chest, as she lay on her back in the grass.
"Well, that's certainly not fun," Mai mused, in her trademark deadpan voice. Toph snickered.
"Looks like bluntness was enough to beat sharpness this time, huh?" she asked, removing the hammer and helping Mai stand up. Once she was on her feet, Mai shook her head and patted her outfit to remove all dirt clinging to it.
"You're a menace. Then again, you're proud of being one," said Mai, and Toph laughed again. "And you should be, seeing what your line of work is. You'll do fine out there."
"I hope so," said Toph, with a small smile now.
Mai retrieved her son right away, and Yuudai was delighted to be safe in her arms once again. Azula rejoiced in being relieved of duty, but just as she was about to relax again, Sokka stood up from beside her.
"Okay, then, okay…" said Sokka, sighing and stretching his arms. "It's my turn now, huh?"
"Oh, yeah! Wiping the floor with you is never not fun!" Toph beamed brightly, turning towards Sokka. He snorted.
"Yeah, sure," he said, smirking. "Let's see what you can do. Pick two fighting methods."
Toph smiled and brought her hand to her chin, as though pondering what to choose. Soon enough she had picked up her hammer again and her set of knives. Sokka sighed as he unsheathed his sword.
"Oh, going against me with just weapons…" he said, before speaking dramatically. "'She was very bold, very brave, and he skewered her on the battlefield without breaking a sweat…'"
"Pfft! Get over yourself!" Toph exclaimed, chuckling and lifting her hammer. "Come on, Dog!"
Sokka snickered and raised his sword. Toph didn't wait long before launching an attack.
She threw a knife at Sokka and he deflected it easily; she tried to take advantage of that opening and slide through the left with her hammer, but Sokka saw the attack coming from the start. He moved swiftly past her, striking her hammer with the flat of his blade. Toph grunted aggressively before attacking Sokka again.
He parried the attacks whenever he couldn't avoid them, but even though Toph was trying her best, Sokka was just as perceptive as she was when it came to predicting the opponent's moves. Still, Toph wouldn't allow a stalemate for long.
More knives flew towards Sokka, none of them even grazing him, even though he had struggled to evade them. But when a rock suddenly struck him on the back of his legs he yelped and fell hard on his back. Toph snickered as she threatened him with her hammer, just as she had threatened Mai.
"What the hell?!" Sokka exclaimed, glaring at her. Toph's amusement only grew.
"What? I ran out of knives, so I figured I could switch my second weapon to something else," she said. Sokka snorted.
"Oh, really? And when did we decide you could do that, huh?"
"We? Nah, I decided it on my own," she said, beaming. Sokka huffed as he pushed Toph's hammer aside and clambered up to his feet.
"Little twat indeed…" Sokka grunted, shaking his head in her direction.
Toph's smile couldn't have been brighter, but Sokka figured he could be avenged by Toph's last sparring opponent for the day. He smirked in Azula's direction, watching as she stood up and walked towards one side of the backyard.
"Well, then… I suppose it's time for me to step in, isn't it?" she asked.
Toph smirked and turned towards Azula. The Princess regarded her with raised eyebrows.
"No holding back?" Toph asked.
"Only hold back the earthbending, to a degree," said Azula. "Your access to earth will be limited, after all."
"So, you're really trying to give me a taste of what I'll have in the Slate, huh?" Toph asked. Azula nodded.
"I'm even going to use lightning, how does that sound?" Azula said. Toph grimaced.
"Uh, not so good. Why would you do that?"
"I finally asked Shoji about your opponent," said Azula, hands on her hips. "He doesn't always resort to lightning in his fights, but he does it often enough that people remember him for it."
"Well, I'm sure my earth supply can handle any lightning he tries to throw at me," said Toph, taking a stance with her legs far apart, hands ready to strike someone.
"Alas, I hope you're right," said Azula, smirking. "Ready?"
"Always am," Toph said, proudly.
They didn't wait for Sokka to give them the signal to start. They went all out against each other immediately, a battle of fire, lightning, weapons and only a couple of rocks, clashing without restraint.
As expected, their fight lasted longer than most. Ty Lee and a recovered Haru had already headed inside to prepare dinner, and Mai was on her way home by the time Azula held her fingers out towards Toph, as the earthbender fell to her knees, defeated. Toph sighed.
"Here I thought I could beat you today. Guess not yet?" she said. Azula smiled, in spite of that comment, and extended her hand to help Toph stand up.
"You shouldn't worry. You survived fighting against me for well over an hour," said Azula, with raised eyebrows as she pulled Toph to her feet. "I'm quite certain I'm a better bender than the one you'll be facing so, if you could endure me, you can endure him, too."
"You sure?" Toph asked, with uncertainty. Azula sighed and patted her friends head gently.
"Self-doubt doesn't suit you," she said, teasingly. Toph snorted.
"Comforting me doesn't suit you either, yet you've been doing it all the same. I'm just giving you an excuse to do it," said Toph, with a proud grin. Azula laughed softly.
"I'm not all that proud of myself for it, if you must know. I used to be so happy, so careless, while doing nothing but watching out for myself and laughing as everyone else around me failed where I succeeded," she said, sighing. "Such easier, happier times…"
"I'd blame the Dog for the changes, if I were you," Toph said. Azula smirked.
"Oh, I do. Yet he feels no remorse for it. Jerk," she said, shaking her head. Toph chuckled. "Well, then… I suppose your training is officially over now."
"I guess," said Toph, smiling and sighing. "I never realized training like this could be so much fun, really. I guess I owe you guys for showing me that."
"Well, honestly, I don't appreciate any gratefulness you may feel towards me," said Azula, and Toph raised an eyebrow. "You were already quite strong without proper training, I don't even want to think of how much stronger we've made you. The next time Sokka faces you in battle will be dreadful, I fear."
"I'm not going to kill him, I promise," Toph said, with a mischievous grin, her hands behind her head. "Though he's toughened up a lot, can't deny that. Might be fun for us to fight again, eh?"
"Well, maybe. But not just yet," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "You've learned just about everything there was to know of Sokka's skills and techniques over the last months, he needs to come up with something new that you can't counter easily for your next fight."
"Then the best of luck to you both with that," said Toph, snickering.
Her pride dwindled quickly, though, as her stance relaxed. Her hands moved down to her waist, her bangs hiding her face away.
"But truly, Spicy… whatever happens in the Slate, I owe you a lot. You didn't have to do all this for my sake, and… I hope I'll be able to return the favor one day."
"Oh? Forever indebted to me, is it?" Azula asked, with a smirk. "Well, I won't lie, that is the good thing about helping others. You find yourself with quite the assortments of debts to collect whenever you may need them."
"Yeah, that sounds like just the thing that drives good people to do good deeds," Toph snorted, sarcasm dripping over her words. Azula's smirk widened.
"In my defense, I never did claim I was a good person," she said, shrugging.
"Well, you're better than some who think they are," Toph mumbled. Azula's smile froze and dimmed.
"Toph…"
"I think I've made my peace with it, you know?" she said, stretching again and shrugging. "Friends come and go. It's just hard to let go of some of them, but… I have you and the Dog. And the rest of these crazy people, too."
She gestured towards the house with a small smile. Azula grinned too.
"When he first said he'd stop sponsoring me I was terrified," Toph admitted. "But now, I… I don't feel so alone anymore. I don't know if all this training will be enough to win in the Slate, but even if it weren't… I'm satisfied."
"Really? You won't demand that I make amends for your loss of a perfect record?" Azula asked, smiling weakly. Toph chuckled.
"I might. But then again, we both know I wouldn't survive the Slate at all if it weren't for you and the rest of you lot," said Toph, throwing a half-hearted fist towards Azula. She caught it and smiled more genuinely.
"Let's hope you manage to do more than just survive it," said Azula, setting down Toph's fist. The earthbender grinned.
"Well, I've got to go to the kitchen now or else I won't be able to sneak any food before dinner, eh?"
Cackling with malice, Toph entered the house, pretending to move furtively if just to amuse Azula. The Princess smiled as she watched her friend go, shaking her head and sighing. It didn't really matter if Toph saw things differently, Azula's responsibility towards her was much larger than she had expected it to be. She wanted to see Toph overcome this ordeal, to ensure her complete success, but it was difficult to say if, regardless of their hard work, the result of the fight would favor them. Had they been out of their depths? Did they expect too much from themselves when it came to this fight?
It wasn't long before Sokka caught her eye. He had been watching Azula and Toph from afar, and he chuckled as Toph passed by him in her quest to steal food from Ty Lee and Haru. Azula returned his stare, undeterred by his insistent gaze, and Sokka smiled before approaching her. Azula sighed and sank into his arms without hesitating once he was near her: his fingers trailed through her hair, lips pressing to the top of her head.
"I kind of wanted her to defeat me," Azula admitted.
"I know," said Sokka. She clutched his shirt tighter.
"I don't even want to think it, but if she…" Azula whispered, but bit her tongue and refused to say anything else. Sokka stroked her cheek gently.
"She's stronger than most people. I keep complaining when you train me too hard, she just asks for more," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "She'll do well. She was born to fight and win. She's not going to fail."
"I hope so," said Azula, sighing one more time before standing straight again and looking at Sokka pointedly. "I do hope you know, though, that if she wins as we want her to, and gets through the Slate without too much trouble…"
"Yeah, we will have made her a thousand times more dangerous for us in the Arena. I figured," said Sokka, with a dry grin. Azula smiled a little. "Oh, well. If she didn't get more dangerous the stakes wouldn't be the same, would they?"
"True," said Azula, caressing his chest.
"What's the plan for tomorrow, then?" Sokka asked. "Will you fetch us at home, or should we head to the bay without you?"
"Uh… yeah, head to the bay," Azula said. Sokka raised his eyebrows.
"You sure? Why's that?" he asked, with a teasing smile. "Don't want to give us a lift on Xin Long this time?"
"Well, I was thinking I'd keep an eye on someone who's supposed to travel with us, too," said Azula, biting her lip. "I may or may not have offered Zhao a ride to the Slate…?"
"Woah. You… huh?!" Sokka asked, his eyes wide. "Okay, are you alright? Do you feel well? Did you eat bad food this morning?"
"I didn't," Azula grunted, as he pressed a hand to her forehead as if to check for fever. "What? Is it that bad that I've dared give your best friend the chance to travel with us? Here I thought you'd be ecstatic about it…"
"Uh, yeah, you once dragged me to the other side of the world to keep me away from Suki," Sokka said. Azula blushed and grimaced, unwilling to revisit such memories. "And then you dragged me across the ocean again, too? All so I would stay away from her…"
"What, are you saying Zhao is a threat for me in the same sense she was?" Azula asked, with a skeptical grin. "I mean, no doubt your taste in men is improving if you've moved up from my uncle to Zhao, but…"
"Oh, come on! That's not what I mean!" he growled, blushing as Azula smirked now. "I mean, you thought Suki was a problem and a threat, and you dragged me as far from her as you could, so it's a little strange for you to allow Zhao to travel with us just because I get along with him. I mean, you hate the guy, I'd dare say even more than you ever hated Suki, so why would you let him travel with us?"
Azula sighed and shrugged in defeat. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"So…?"
"I don't trust Zhao, haven't for a long time," she said. "The first reason why I want him with us is to ensure he will be there for Toph's fight, as promised. The second reason, though…"
"Yeah?" Sokka asked, looking at her intently now that she had started telling the truth.
"He may have… apologized, in some way," said Azula. Sokka's eyes widened.
"For the… the stuff you heard him say back then?" he asked. Azula nodded.
"But the thing is, I can't be sure whether I believe him or not. At least, not yet," Azula sighed. "I'd like to think he was being genuine, my knowledge of human behavior says he was, but I'm too skeptical of him to believe it. For a long time, I've operated under the belief that Zhao's most flattering words are spoken only to conceal his disdain towards whoever he's speaking to…"
"So, you never believe anything he says or does, on principle?" Sokka asked. Azula bit her lip.
"He sounded truthful when he spoke with the men from my father's council. He did too, when he spoke to me later that night," Azula whispered. "Which was the truth, and which wasn't? Is Zhao so good a liar that nothing in his body or voice tone changes when he lies? I… I honestly don't know. But I've made a point to not believe him for a very long time because of this."
"Do you think spending around five days at sea with him will allow you to sort out his lies and truths?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged and nodded.
"If he was telling the truth about feeling guilty for that night, he will be genuinely grateful for the opportunity to travel with us, as it is a gesture he will feel undeserving of. If he wasn't, he'll probably be rather arrogant and obnoxious through the trip. Easy enough, right?" said Azula, smiling and shrugging. Sokka chuckled.
"You never stop trying to plan every little thing, do you?" he asked, surrounding her waist with his arms again.
"Now, I do stop occasionally. Just, not when it comes to people who aren't entirely trustworthy," said Azula, shrugging. "Zhao is a complicated man."
"But maybe he's not as complicated as you think," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "You do realize you're smarter than most people, right? Might be you give him too much credit when it comes to hatching plans and manipulating people…"
Azula smiled at that, rolling her eyes before kissing Sokka. He smiled and allowed his hand to slide lower, cupping her buttock and squeezing it gently. She pulled away and glared, the promised scolding building up within her as Sokka chuckled guiltily.
"C'mon, I won't be able to do that as often as I'll want to, not if Zhao will travel with us," he said, leaning closer to hug her fully.
Azula shook her head and yanked his hair gently, as if to punish him. Sokka only laughed again, and she relaxed against him, eyes closed.
"I'm glad, though," said Sokka, his chin on the top of her head. "I know you might just prove you were right about him all along, and that I'm easy to manipulate, but at least you're trying to confirm it, huh?"
"Only because of you, though," said Azula, smirking. "If you weren't oh so sure that he's a good guy…"
"I'm not sure of anything like that! Woman, seriously…" Sokka huffed, as Azula laughed and pulled away.
"As I said, I disapproved a lot more of your interest in Iroh, there's no need to be ashamed of liking better-looking men…"
"Oh, you won't stop, huh?!" Sokka growled, as Azula's laughter continued.
She had started back to the house, but she was interrupted when Sokka rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her while grunting threateningly. Azula's laughter only grew louder, even as Sokka spun them in circles until he fell on his back, with Azula lying on top of him. She turned in his arms, smiling at him and finding he was smiling right back at her.
"Silly Blue Wolf, can't take a joke," she said, kissing the tip of his nose. Sokka chuckled.
"Silly Princess, giving me excuses to roll around in the dirt with her," he whispered.
"You do seem to enjoy it, lying on the ground with me," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, in my defense, it does bring back marvelous memories of that one time you went crazy and tried to kill me, which resulted in our first tryst ever…" Sokka said, teasingly. Azula blushed.
"I… you brought the worst out of me that day, and you know it," she retorted. Sokka chuckled.
"And I also said that day, and I've said it many other times too, that there's no one for me but you," he said, cupping her cheeks. "I know you're just joking around with this, yes, but… don't ever doubt that I'm in this for the long haul. The longest of all hauls, really."
"I know, Sokka," said Azula, pressing her forehead to his. He smiled. "You've agreed to marry me when we're wrinkled and white-haired, possibly senile too… what shows more devotion than that?"
"Nothing, I'm sure," said Sokka, smirking. Azula laughed and kissed him, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment blissfully.
They didn't separate for a long time, dedicated to one another as the skies darkened around them. Traveling usually meant they'd have chances to sneak around unnoticed, but it was guaranteed that they wouldn't dare do such a thing while Zhao was on the same ship as them. In time they sat up, and even then they had a hard time separating, hands reaching for everything they could caress, and intimate, knowing smiles were exchanged under the growing darkness of dusk. After they finally went inside, they declined to answer any questions from Ty Lee afterwards, when she teased them about all the dirt that clung to their clothes and hair now, and about how most of Azula's lipstick was now smeared all over Sokka's face. Toph only made a face of disgust about it, while Sokka rolled his eyes and yet held Azula close by the waist. The Princess, embarrassed as she might be, couldn't hold back a small smile.
The dinner they shared was grand, with multiple dishes and plenty of variety to satisfy everyone. Toph got away with three servings of everything, and she was perfectly content as she readied herself for her flight back to her temporary home.
"I wish we could go watch you, really," Ty Lee sighed, after hugging Toph. The shorter girl had awkwardly returned the hug, having always preferred using fists to show affection. "But as Haru has a fight tomorrow…"
"Don't sweat it," said Toph, smiling and shrugging. "Thanks for the food, though. I think it gave me enough energy for a week already."
"I do hope so," said Ty Lee, smiling warmly and placing her hands on Toph's shoulders. "Good luck in the Slate."
"Thanks, Stretchy," said Toph, still grinning as she walked towards Xin Long.
Azula was already astride on the saddle, and Sokka was waiting for Toph so he could climb after her. Toph turned as she walked, though, so she would trot backwards, and she shot one last smile at Ty Lee and Haru.
"You'll be throwing another feast to congratulate me when I win, I hope!" she called out. Ty Lee giggled and nodded, and Haru smiled.
"We'll make sure of it!" Ty Lee exclaimed right back. "You just worry about kicking that guy's ass!"
"No problem!" Toph said, chuckling before turning towards Xin Long again.
The young earthbender's anxiety about the fight was easily masked, but not easily ignored. Even in the middle of the night, as she lay on her makeshift earth tent, she found herself wondering if she could stay true to her promise to Ty Lee. Sokka had almost died in the Slate during his first fight: was there a chance that Toph might face a fight as intense and dangerous as he had?
The thought chilled the blood in her veins, the danger of the situation catching up to her. She direly hoped to be wrong about it, truly. But if she wasn't… if this actually turned out to be her final fight, she found she had little to regret. What would it matter if she lost her perfect record, at that point? Her goal had always been about finding freedom, as well as finding every opponent worth fighting, too. As it was, she felt she had succeeded at that.
So, with a deep breath, she tried to soothe herself into her slumber. Her fight in the Slate would be memorable, one way or another. And while she was aware of the dangers that loomed ahead, the courage in her heart hadn't faltered. She would face her first serious challenge without hesitation, without regrets.
"… I do hope you haven't been waiting long"
"Not at all, Admiral. I'm glad your punctuality remains mostly untarnished…"
"Mostly? Well, whatever does that mean?"
"Why, you have such poor memory? It was almost a year ago when I performed a ceremony and was told you might be there to see it, yet…"
"O-oh, well, that happened because of forces outside my control and you know it, Princess. Though I assumed, with the entire city supporting you, you wouldn't need my support all that direly, or did you?"
"Well, I admit I didn't. But we were talking about punctuality, after all…"
"Point taken. I shall do my best to be so punctual in the future that you may never again worry about my tardiness."
"I shall keep you to your word. Very well then, shall we?"
The voices faded as their owners stepped outside the Royal Palace. Their eavesdropper clenched a fist and sighed, having suspected he was being played, but thinking, genuinely, that Azula wouldn't willingly ally herself with Zhao no matter what. But Iroh had underestimated his niece before: that had caused his current predicament in the first place. Azula's clever, manipulative streak had developed to the point where Iroh had been foolishly deluded into trusting her after the Pairs Tournament. And just then, when his guard was down, she and Ozai had delivered the killer blow to Zuko's destiny on the throne.
Because of them Zuko was gone, vanished without a trace. But that would change soon, Iroh believed. If someone could track down Zuko, it was Iroh himself.
His bags were packed. The ship was waiting in the bay, not far from where Azula's Barge would be. He should have known, should have guessed, that she had been the one looking after Toph now. It was yet another insult, yet another taunt from his niece, to show him she would take everything he had ever cherished and bend it to her will. Toph's part in Zuko's abrupt decision to leave could have been engineered by Azula, too, for all he knew…
Before leaving, Iroh would enjoy one more cup of tea while having breakfast by the garden. While he didn't need to live in the Palace, there was certainly an ease to it that he knew he might not enjoy ever again. Not if he found Zuko, anyways: this second banishment and disappearance of the Prince had been voluntary, and Iroh had no illusions of bringing him back home anymore. But he didn't cling to those hopes, not at this point: one way or another, Zuko would replace Ozai as Fire Lord one day. Iroh would have preferred the subtler means of political intrigue over outright warfare, but perhaps civil war was inevitable now that Zuko had taken this stance. And Iroh meant to see this conflict through, even if his fondness for war had disappeared a long time ago.
He ordered his breakfast as usual, and he took his seat by the garden while his mind continued to race. Some part of him was decidedly disappointed in Toph for allowing herself to become Azula's pawn as she had, but at the same time he wasn't entirely surprised. Toph had no dreams of greatness beyond the Arena, thus, her allegiances could shift very easily, as her priority was retaining her freedom to fight. She had already been discharged by one sponsor, and as soon as Iroh had cut her loose, she had gone out of her way to convince Azula to manipulate Zhao into taking up the role next. The Admiral wasn't a brilliant man, as much as he enjoyed pretending otherwise. He would do anything to please Ozai's favorite child.
If only Iroh had put the puzzle together sooner…
He hadn't really thought much of signing that authorization for Zhao. He had been surprised by the man's bold request, especially by how eloquently yet evasively he proposed to use both Toph and Combustion Man to keep certain royal pains at bay. Iroh had noticed Azula's relationship with Zhao was strained since a long time ago, and he had known from the start that Azula's plight to become the best sponsor in the league would make Zhao her main rival, so he had been swayed by both those considerations. He had assumed passing Toph over to Zhao would anger the Princess… instead, she was allied with them both.
Light footsteps behind him made Iroh frown. No one would intrude on his breakfast, usually. His heart lurched, though, when he considered it could be Toph. Had she come to say goodbye? Why would his heart lurch over that, though? The earthbender was no longer his concern, he had no reason to…
"Enjoying the scenery, brother?"
Iroh's frown deepened. He felt foolish. Why had he been expecting Toph at all? And why was he so disappointed that it would be Ozai instead? He was never happy to see his brother, that was for sure, but his foolish imagination had driven him to be angrier about it than he could justify.
"I have heard you may not have a chance to enjoy it again in the immediate future," Ozai commented, stepping towards Iroh. "Is it true, then, that you'll be taking off on a brand-new pointless journey across the seas? Rumors of the ship you're preparing reached the Palace, you understand…"
Iroh wanted to answer, but the words he would have blurted would have done nothing to help his case right now. All he did was clutch his teacup tighter as Ozai took his seat across him at either side of the table that overlooked the gardens.
"Now, now, I am your Fire Lord," Ozai said, smirking. "You do realize you must answer to me, regarding your travels or elsewise. It is unbecoming of you to remain stubbornly silent, like an upset child."
"Just as it is unbecoming of a Fire Lord to concern himself this much with his brother's private affairs," said Iroh, finally, sipping his tea. Ozai chuckled beside him. The sound soured the drink's taste for Iroh.
"How uncharacteristically secretive of you, brother," Ozai said. "All in a plight to find and save someone who doesn't want to be found or saved, isn't it?"
"You don't know that," said Iroh.
"I know that Zuko was more stubborn than ever the last time we spoke," said Ozai. Iroh tensed up. "I know that he was determined to never return to the Palace, and I know that, had he wanted you with him, he would have taken you along from the very start. Why would you bother seeking him out anew?"
"He is family," Iroh said, curtly. Ozai sighed.
"And what a notion that is, family…" he whispered. "The great Dragon of the West, swayed by base, weak emotions such as this attachment to a foolish boy. Father would be revolted."
Iroh gritted his teeth. His father's death had signified freedom for him, even if the loss had hurt, too. The man had taken care of Iroh for as long as he could remember, raising him to be the perfect son. It didn't matter that Iroh's stocky, unathletic build had initially suggested he would be anything but a fighter: Azulon had raised him to be one and aided him in the development of all his talents. Only, at the cost of his humanity, of course.
Abandoning the Siege of Ba Sing Se was an act of love for Lu Ten, and of defiance towards Azulon. While Iroh had searched through the Spirit World he had deeply dreaded the day when he would return home and face his father. But after the spirits spoke to him, and he found his way back home…
He frowned, remembering who had been sitting on the throne by then.
"Did he never scoff at you for your weaker, softer feelings?" Ozai asked, teasingly. "Didn't he tell you that only steel, blood and flames would harden you? Didn't he say a prince wasn't the kind of man who mopes and weeps, but the kind who acts and takes everything he wants, by force if need be?"
Iroh closed his eyes. Ozai chuckled, eyes trained on the horizon.
"Then again, you didn't take back the throne when you came home. I thought, perhaps, it was that you didn't want it. Maybe you were forsaking our father's noble teachings, even then."
There wasn't anything Iroh could say or do, not when it was clear Ozai was reaching his own conclusions and would continue to do so. The older brother focused on his meal, but the younger's sneering grin didn't dwindle in the slightest.
"Though of course, discarding our father's teachings somehow brought you to become the kind of man who leaves everything unfinished, didn't it?" Ozai taunted again. "You abandoned the Siege of Ba Sing Se, first of all, and then begged me to allow you and Zuko to return home even when you hadn't completed your mission. And now…"
Iroh was finishing his cup of tea when Ozai finished his sentence. He couldn't suppress the instinctive reaction, the clenched fists and twitch to his eyebrows, at Ozai's words:
"And now you even abandon your gladiator, when she needed you the most."
Iroh's eyes narrowed as he glared at Ozai. The amused smile on Ozai's lips had disappeared.
"You can forsake the girl, no doubt. It isn't something important, not in the long run. Not more important than schemes and plots to gift a throne to someone who doesn't want it," said Ozai, shrugging. "Zuko kept telling me Azula would be ten times the Fire Lord I am, and I was inclined to agree. Something tells me he wouldn't want to stand between her and the crown, and yet that is exactly where you want to push him."
"I'm pushing no one," Iroh muttered, but Ozai ignored him.
"You only would have offers and promises that he won't want to hear," said Ozai. "And in the end, when all fails, when you hear your earthbender was gruesomely executed in that tasteless volcano Arena, you will wonder if perhaps you were the one misled. If perhaps your obsession with one of your beloved protege's destiny was the downfall of the other."
"Why would such a thing concern you so?" Iroh asked. "Since when does Toph's future matter to you? Or is this because you don't want me to find Zuko, and nothing more?"
"Oh, it's nothing quite as complicated as that, brother," said Ozai, smirking. "In truth? Your petty struggles are thoroughly entertaining. No matter which one you choose, you will never be happy. You will never be satisfied. You couldn't save Lu Ten, and now you will let that girl die just for the sake of chasing someone who doesn't want to be chased. Can't you see the beautiful irony of it all?"
"Beautiful, truly?" Iroh asked, setting down the empty cup he had still been holding. "I knew your sense of humor was twisted, but you certainly are rising to new levels of distastefulness now."
"Accuse me of what you wish," said Ozai, as Iroh stood up. "But your true tragedies have nothing to do with my words. My taunts wouldn't reach you if you didn't feel guilt for it all. You hate yourself for your shortcomings and failures far more than anyone else does."
Iroh breathed deeply as he turned to leave. His legs wouldn't budge yet, though, maybe because of some shred of stubborn pride that wanted to fire back at Ozai. Or maybe because some part of him wanted to hear what his brother had to say, if just to rebuff him… yet those last words were true, far too true, and they stung when they reached him.
"And yet you continue to set yourself up for failure," said Ozai, shaking his head. "It's as if you wanted to be a martyr, maybe. As if you enjoyed the feeling of giving up on many things for what you conceive as the greater good, for some notion of fate and destiny that you cling to just to give your life any meaning."
Ozai pushed himself up to his feet now, standing taller than Iroh, as ever. Just as it had been, ever since Ozai's teenage years. It was one of the first things he ever surpassed his brother in, and he had taken much pride in it at the time. He turned to look at Iroh, who was glaring at him from the corner of his eyes.
"Your search for Zuko will only lead you back to square one, brother," said Ozai. "You can lie to yourself all you want, pretend you are not attached to anything but Pai Sho, tea, Zuko… but when word reaches you of the ill fate that will certainly befall that girl, you will once again fall apart by the weight of your mistakes. Still… perhaps it is for the best. The Gladiator Business is a gruesome endeavor, but it requires dedication that I always doubted you had in you. And if that girl miraculously survives…? Well, she certainly would deserve better than being sponsored only for the childish whim of sabotaging Azula."
Iroh closed his eyes and turned away. His footsteps were silent, although uneven. Ozai watched him go, a pleased smirk on his face.
"Goodbye, brother," he whispered, satisfied malice pooling inside him.
He knew there was a chance that Iroh would find Zuko, and that the next time he crossed paths with his brother they would be enemies, openly. But he also knew there was a chance that Iroh might never return, too. And perhaps a smaller, slimmer chance that he might come back… defeated, broken, with nowhere else to go, presumably.
Ozai couldn't help but smirk at the thought that his brother's future was bleak, lonely and pointless. Defeating Iroh, proving him a failure, had been his goal for a long time. Even if his father could no longer see it, this particular moment, with Iroh shrinking as he walked away with his head bowed, felt like the ultimate success for Ozai. At long last, his brother seemed to understand the futility of his actions. Humiliated and broken, Iroh's threats and latent treachery felt insignificant now, just like the man himself was.
Satisfied, Ozai smiled and took off to enjoy his own breakfast. Fulfilling his most vicious desires was a great way to stir his appetite.
Lieutenant Jee was surprised by how downcast Iroh looked when he arrived at the bay. The ship was waiting only for him by then, ready to take off for hours now.
"I'm sorry I'm late," said Iroh, his eyes low. Jee raised an eyebrow.
"Is everything alright, General?"
"Perhaps not," Iroh admitted, glancing about. "Did my luggage arrive safely?"
"Yes, it has been accommodated in your cabin already," said Jee, nodding. Iroh sighed.
"Very well. We should set sail," he said. Jee nodded again.
Before the lieutenant could enter the ship once more, Iroh reached out and caught his sleeve with a hand, ever so gently. Jee frowned and turned.
"Is there anything else you wanted, sir?" he asked. Iroh swallowed hard.
"Did… did Azula's Barge take off long ago?" he whispered. Jee scratched the back of his head.
"Not that long ago, maybe one or two hours ago?" said Jee, shrugging. "Did you need anything from them?"
Iroh didn't need anything, no. He didn't particularly want anything either. And yet his chest ached with confusion, with the painful feeling that he was going about things the wrong way. Was it because of his brother? Had Ozai's cruel words, spoken to rile him up and gloat in all sorts of imaginary triumphs at Iroh's expenses, cut at him so deeply?
But maybe it was because of the few truths concealed within those cruel words. Said truths had been spread so far between all the nonsense, but they had been there all the same. And they had hurt, just as Ozai had intended them to. He had preyed on Iroh's weaknesses, on his guilt, on everything that could hinder Iroh's progress towards his true goal.
Yet as he looked back at Jee, he wondered if perhaps there was another way. If maybe Ozai's words, spoken with such ill intent, could be turned against him. If he could prove him wrong, and at the same time, prove everyone else wrong too. If maybe he could stand to protect everyone he cared about, rather than picking sides.
Could he do that? Or was it too late by now? Had he driven himself into a crossroads, or was there a chance he could carve a new path, one he hadn't noticed existed until now…?
Determined, Iroh conveyed his new order, and Jee nodded obediently.