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...

141. Chapter 141: The Slate, one more time 6

It wasn't every day that a new bending discipline was discovered. It certainly wasn't likely that someone would discover it in the middle of a Gladiator Arena, let alone one buried deep beneath the surface of an inhabited island, during a dreadful fight they seemed to be about to lose. And yet that was exactly what Toph Beifong had just achieved.

She was covered in wounds, the sort of wounds she had never experienced before this day, but as she stood where she was, burnt hands shivering now over excitement after unlocking this new power, all she could feel was euphoria. The pain was far from her mind, and a wild grin spread across her face. It seemed, despite it all, that she still stood a chance in the Slate.

Every set of eyes was upon her, and despite not everyone was pleased by this sudden turn of events – Xinya, for instance, seemed utterly horrified –, the one emotion that reigned in the building right now was awe. Against every expectation, every limitation, Toph had just achieved the unthinkable, and she seemed to be rightfully proud of it.

"Well? Cat-owl got what's left of your tongue?" she asked Storm's Edge, smirking. "Or are you too scared by now to keep up throwing shit at me, huh?"

Storm's Edge certainly was scared now. It became all too apparent that he had joined this fight for the sake of obtaining an easy victory, expecting this fight to be child's play: a blind earthbender in the Slate wouldn't possibly stand a chance against him, no matter how prodigious she was said to be. She had already surprised him with her other skills, and she had certainly delivered painful wounds so far, but this sudden turn of events was not what he had signed up for. How did this metalbending even work? Would she be able to summon metal from the walls, from the stands, from anywhere in the building, and slay him with it?

Toph had been the one reluctant to die moments earlier, but the tables had turned radically. The shift in the fight's atmosphere was practically palpable, as was the thick tension in the air around the Blind Bandit and Storm's Edge.

"Oh, she's unbelievable," said Azula, smiling and shaking her head. "That damn Dirt Worm…"

"So much for bending lava," said Sokka, looking at Azula in glee. "Turns out she had an even better ace under her sleeve."

"And what an ace it is," said Zhao, eyes wide still. If he had already considered Toph was impressive as a fighter, he was utterly blown away by her performance now.

"This isn't… no one ever… how is this even possible?" Xinya whispered to himself, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. He still didn't give his eyes any credit.

Toph walked towards the edge of the ring again and detached another tube with a jerking motion. She snickered before rushing towards the enemy: Storm's Edge had only just released himself from the small metal trap, and he tried to keep Toph at bay with fire. She merely endured his barrage of flames before tossing the new tube at his feet with all her power.

It struck against his knees with a loud, shattering sound. Storm's Edge stumbled and collapsed, and he screamed when the platform's extreme heat scorched his exposed skin. He fired another blast at Toph with his unharmed arm, and continued to fire at her however he could, even briefly attempting to shoot lightning at her, but the sparks died at his hands when hot metal started to envelop his body.

"N-no! No, no!" he screamed, trying to put distance between himself and the metal, but Toph's hands were buried in the platform. Every layer of metal was in her control now. The Arena that had once seemed to be her doom now was her greatest ally.

The metal's enveloping continued until only Storm's Edge's shoulders and head remained in sight. The rest of his body had slipped through the crevice Toph had carved throughout the platform: his legs now swung in midair to no avail as he clutched onto the scalding platform desperately. His squirming and crying out didn't stop, and throughout the strings of incoherent sounds, sometimes it seemed he was crying out for help.

"Caught your breath yet, you tongue-less bastard?" Toph asked, her voice colder than anyone had ever heard it before. "Might be the last time you catch it, you know? I could just keep you there until the gates open again, drop you when they do… that way you can join my hammer, huh? Sound good?"

"No, no, plea-…" he begged, interrupted by a fit of coughs. Toph snorted.

"You should be happy, though," she said. "You said scum like me wouldn't rise to your level, right? Well, as you're going to die, you won't have to endure that. Rest assured, Brainless: I'm not here to rise to your level. I'm here to rise far higher than you ever did! And damn, I'm actually a little sorry you're not going to be there to see it happen!"

The hiss of the opening gates made her smirk. Storm's Edge shook his head frantically, and Toph shrugged.

"I guess it's time?"

"NO! NO, I BEGH YA'…!"

"How scary, huh? The tough guy who'd teach me a lesson is now begging for his life. It's kind of funny, really," she said, chuckling.

"I'LL DO… DO WHA'EVER! PLEASE! Y-YA' WIN! YA' WIN!"

"Oh yes. I do win," said Toph, as the whirring sound stopped. "You clearly can't do anything about it anymore, can you?"

She heard the voices from the stands, the ones that were awed and the ones that were scared. She could hear Storm's Edge's sponsor begging the staff members to do something, to stop her somehow. She scoffed, and dug her hand into the heated metal again, groaning at the pain that the action caused her. But with that, the metal around Storm's Edge receded. It peeled away from him as a lid would, rolling away, and the firebender disappeared from sight… yet Toph felt him clutching at the rolled sheet of metal, holding onto the platform with a single hand, gasping and crying out in desperation.

After a deep breath, she folded her arms over her chest and waited, listening again to Xinya's desperate pleas: finally, the staff members agreed to help him. She heard the command to close the gates, and she sighed upon deciding that her opponent would live, at least for one more day. Perhaps, to face her in one more fight, if he had the guts. She might not feel too merciful during a rematch, though.

It wasn't long before the whirring sound blared anew, after the Arena's staff had rushed to close the gates once more, for the gladiator's safety. And once the doors were properly closed…

"Well, that's my cue!" said Toph, stomping on the metal and bringing Storm's Edge to cry out again. "Goodbye, and fuck you!"

The metal he had been holding onto detached from the rest of the platform when Toph's bending made it split from the main body of metal. Storm's Edge cried out all the way to the closed metal gate, where he fell limply. It didn't take long for staff members to rush to his aid.

Toph huffed and cringed, the pain awakening again once the fight was over. She needed around ten days of rest after this, no question. She felt as though her entire body had been burned, and she had no doubts her messy hair was in worse shape than ever before, with how many times it had caught fire during the fight. Her hands hurt, a lot, and she was absolutely exhausted.

But she had won. She had won.

An exhilarant smile appeared on her face as she turned towards the stands. She could hear the whispers, the indignation of Storm's Edge's sponsor. Zhao's amazed comments to Azula, who responded with words that brimmed with pride after what she had just witnessed, and Sokka's euphoric cheers, as he rejoiced in her complete victory. Toph chuckled, but pressed herself to hear that one, unexpected voice from before…

"… You're safe. You're alright. Oh, Toph…"

She bit her lower lip and smiled. Iroh really was here, after all. And he gave more than a damn, it seemed…

A staff member came to the fighting ring, meaning to bring her back to the stand-by room, and she followed him dutifully through the retractile bridge while the commotion at the stands continued. Xinya's protests grew more potent with every passing moment, and the Slate's chairman had a hard time keeping him at bay.

"Metalbending isn't allowed! I demand a rematch, I…!"

"A rematch?! But good sir, we can't do such a thing! Your gladiator is in no shape to fight again…"

"I mean, in six months! I deserve compensation for this fraud…!"

"Fraud?" Zhao finally spoke, smiling with derision at Xinya. "Do excuse me, but I don't think any rules were broken. Metalbending isn't allowed, you say? Do search for the section of the League's handbook that explicitly states as much."

"If firebenders can bend lightning in fights, as yours did, I would say it's perfectly valid for an earthbender to bend metal," Azula added, smirking. "All things considered, you should be grateful you still have a gladiator at all. He really could have died, if she had decided to kill him."

"Don't…!" Xinya started, but he held his tongue upon remembering he was addressing the Princess. He hissed and shook his head. "This is outrageous! It's…!"

"It's only outrageous to you because you came here for an easy victory," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "An honorable man who wanted a fair fight would have never accepted such a challenge in the first place, coming from a blind earthbender who would be fighting in the most unfavorable conditions. I don't condemn you for wanting victory, of course… but considering that she had everything against her, you should be ashamed of your gladiator for losing, rather than outraged because of the Blind Bandit's hard-earned victory."

Xinya gritted his teeth before storming off, rushing away from the stands. The Slate's chairman sighed in relief and smiled at them.

"You certainly saved me from a bad argument," he said. "Oh, but indeed, metalbending. Who would have even thought it was possible?"

"I certainly did not," Zhao admitted, with a chuckle. "What an extraordinary girl, wouldn't you say?"

"Absolutely!" said the chairman, beaming as one of his assistants approached with the familiar, silver trophy that was handed to the victor of the fight. "And well, as you've been victorious… oh, wait. Should I give it to you, or to General Iroh? Seeing as he showed up, after all…"

"Well, that's…" said Zhao, glancing towards where Iroh had been before. But there was no one there now.

"He ran back inside a while ago," Sokka answered the unasked question, prompting everyone to look at him. "I suppose he's looking for Toph."

"Huh. Well, then you can sort out who keeps the trophy later," said the chairman, chuckling and handing it to Zhao after all. "A marvelous fight it was! Thank you very much for that spectacle!"

Sokka grimaced, thinking the gruesome fight was one of the most violent he had ever witnessed, even when he had been part of so many terrible combats. It was hardly something he'd consider a spectacle, but the Fire Nation culture demanded it be so. He sighed and glanced as the retractile bridge that led to Toph's stand-by room was drawn back again. A small smile appeared on his face upon reflecting on the fight though… on Toph's achievement, rather.

"It's unbelievable, really," he said. Azula smiled at him.

"Looks like we raised her well," she whispered softly, so only he would hear. Sokka chuckled.

Toph was treated quickly by many staff members, who were applying ointments and cooling her off in every way they could. She had been given several glasses of water and she had finished them quickly, desperate for a little respite after spending so much energy in the fight. Her limbs felt unusually heavy, and all she could want was to rest…

But she was alert again instantly upon hearing the rushed footsteps, and the voice crying out her name:

"Toph! Oh, there you are, Toph!"

She gulped, lowering her head as she tried to find the words to say. As she tried to understand why he was here, why he would return to her…

Iroh dropped on his knees in front of her and enveloped her in a hug. She cringed where he accidentally touched her wounds, but she closed her eyes and hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. Soft sobs shook her shoulders soon enough, and she wanted to kick herself for crying, but her body was overwhelmed by the countless emotions she was experiencing. It seemed it only had been able to respond through crying just now.

"Iroh…"

"I'm so sorry, Toph, I… I'm so sorry," he gasped, as he held her still. She shook her head. "I should have never left your side. I should have never…"

"Why did you… why did you come back?" she asked, with a soft, hopeful voice. Iroh swallowed hard and pulled away, only to cup her face in his hands. He smiled, tears blinking in his own eyes.

"Because… I was being a fool, yes I was," he said. "It took hearing it from a bigger fool than me to understand it. But I do now. Toph, I… I wanted to protect my family, and I was a fool to forget that… that you're part of it, too."

"I… I am?" Toph asked, swallowing hard. Iroh chuckled and nodded.

"Yes. Yes, you are. We are family, have been for a long time now," he said. "And just as you had needed me, I was too stubborn to realize that I needed you, too."

Toph blinked as more tears appeared in her eyes. She snorted and laughed a little, as Iroh sighed and leaned close, wrapping her in another embrace.

"I failed you, child," he said, remorsefully. "I have failed you for a long time. And I know it will take more than just my word for me to fix it… but I will do everything in my power to do so."

"You don't… you don't have to do anything…" said Toph. Iroh tensed up. "Not really… you were great just as you were before, you know? S-so… if you can just go back to that, I… I'll be okay."

"Oh?" said Iroh, smiling and sighing in relief.

He had dreaded her words would have meant a blatant rejection of him, because they easily could have been, but it seemed Toph still wanted him around. He hadn't been too late, despite it all.

Azula stood by the threshold of the room, watching the scene that unfolded inside as the staff members picked up their medicine kits. Sokka stood behind her, frowning just as his sponsor did. But Azula caught his eye and shook her head. This wasn't something they were going to interfere in, regardless of their feelings upon the matter. They couldn't demand for Iroh to make amends for everything right here and now. Yet it still stung to see him rush back to Toph's side when the worst was already over…

"No wonder you never liked him," Sokka whispered, once they were back in the vestibule. Zhao was chatting with the chairman even now, so he barely noticed his traveling companions were back. "I know she was fond of him, that he was like her father or grandfather or whatever, but…"

"Taking him back without making him work for it is way too kind after what he pulled, I know," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "As you know from experience, I'd never have taken him back, if I were her."

"Well, you might have, if he had put his life on the line for your sake a few times," Sokka said, with a small smile, but he shook his head and huffed again. "I know it's not my place to say anything against them, or him, but…"

"But if you're thinking what I'm thinking…" said Azula, sighing. "You've come to the conclusion that he simply doesn't deserve her."

"Damn right he doesn't," Sokka growled. Azula actually smiled.

"Well, what do you know. Seems like you were right after all," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"About what?" he asked.

"You said earlier that we were more similar than I would ever admit. I suppose this is proof of it," she said, smiling at him. "Though I can't help but wonder if you're only being this unforgiving towards Iroh because of my terrible influence on you…"

"Heh, don't flatter yourself," Sokka said, giving her a pointed stare. "I won't deny you've influenced me in many ways, but I'm sure I would have been just as disapproving and unforgiving of him if you hadn't influenced me at all. Your uncle is just way too sketchy for his own good."

"He is. Which is why I worry about her," said Azula, shaking her head. "She adores the bastard. There's something to be said about you gladiators getting attached to terrible sponsors…"

"What? Hey! You're the best sponsor there is!" Sokka pouted. Azula snorted.

"I suppose I was indeed, especially when I called you an eyesore and wanted you to get pummeled in a fight just to teach you lessons that backfired on me," said Azula, looking at him pointedly, "Face it, I was a nightmare of a sponsor for a time, and you were absurdly loyal to me, even then. So yes, I stand by my word. You two have terrible criteria when it comes to your attachments."

"You had every right to be mad at me when you were," Sokka pouted. "And really, you've been a better sponsor than any other I've met. Better than him by far, too. So, don't compare yourself to him."

"Right, right…" said Azula, with a small smile. "Still… I can't deny this makes me uneasy. If he ever does anything like this to her again…"

"We'll kick his ass," Sokka declared, proudly. Azula grinned. "That's what surrogate parents should do, right?"

"I suppose," said Azula, chuckling and shaking her head.

Toph and Iroh appeared at the Slate's vestibule after around half an hour. The earthbender still looked more ragged, damaged and tired than she had ever been, but there was a sense of relief and joy in her that was most unusual, too. She was definitely savoring the discovery of a new bending form, along with the recovery of a friendship she had given up on entirely.

"Well, here she is: the wicked metalbender. Why didn't you tell us you could do that? We would've had a much easier time training you if we'd known…" Azula teased her. Toph laughed as she brought a bandaged hand to her forehead, still in disbelief.

"I… I don't even know how it happened! I just realized there was earth inside the metal, scattered in it, and… it worked! I bent it and it worked!"

"And what a relief it is that it worked," said Sokka, but his proud smile turned upside down before long. "Now… don't even think about using that on my armor or sword, okay?"

"Oh? Really, can't I?" Toph asked, with an innocent smile. Sokka huffed, as Azula rolled her eyes but smiled at Toph.

"You did great. As much as you're no gladiator of mine, I'm proud of what you achieved," she said. Toph's smile softened.

"Well… you both know I wouldn't have gotten this far without you. I would've been a goner as soon as I stepped in the ring without shoes, and hey! My feet are perfectly okay, even though he kind of set me on fire everywhere else, but…"

"But you'll be able to see just fine when you take off the shoes," said Sokka, smiling, and Toph nodded.

"Damn, I do miss walking barefooted," Toph chuckled.

Azula glanced at Iroh, and he gulped but averted his gaze. She frowned, guessing she would speak with him later. But before anything else could be said, Zhao approached with the large silver trophy in his hands.

"It would seem you have earned this, Blind Bandit," said Zhao, smiling down at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"What's that, a salad bowl?" Toph asked. Everyone else laughed, and Zhao shook his head.

"Your trophy. Do relish in it, not everyone can boast of having one of these," he said, but he didn't hand it over to her. "I suppose someone else will have to hold onto it, though. Seeing as you can't quite hold it with your hands like that…"

Toph bit her lip and nodded. Her blisters stung badly, even after the treatment and the bandages. Holding anything was a bad idea unless she really had no choice.

"Who will take it, then?" Zhao asked. Iroh gulped.

"It should be up to Toph," he said. She blinked blankly.

"Me? I decide who gets the salad bowl? Heh…" she said, smiling at Sokka. "Should be the Dog, then. He could use more plates to eat from, huh?"

Sokka snorted and shook his head. Azula smiled but placed a hand on Toph's shoulder.

"Touched as we may be, that trophy is yours. You should keep it. Besides, Sokka has two of those already, he doesn't need yours too," said Azula, matter-of-factly. Toph huffed.

"Heh, you have two? Well then, in six months I'll have two as well! And then I'll have three next year! And four!"

"Heh, you're confident: let's see if you're still that eager to fight here when you come begging us for more training in six months," said Sokka, poking her forehead with a finger. Toph laughed.

"Ha, I'm not going to do that anymore!" she said, with determination.

Azula glanced at Iroh, who still kept his eyes either on the floor or on Toph. If Iroh did his job, then sure, Toph might not need their help again. But could he be trusted to work with his gladiator from now on? Would Azula and Sokka need to swoop in to save Toph again when she needed someone by her side? Azula didn't know for sure, but if it happened, she would hardly be surprised. She sighed before turning towards Toph.

"So?" she asked. "What now?"

Toph gulped and lowered her head too. She didn't need to be nervous about anything, she knew as much… but telling Azula she had chosen to accept Iroh as her sponsor again was a scarier prospect than expected. Even if it was obvious enough, by now, that it was what would happen…

"Toph has agreed to travel with me," Iroh spoke up. Azula frowned.

"Travel with you? Back to the Capital, you mean?" she asked.

"No, see, he's…" Toph said, folding her arms over her chest. "He's going on a trip. He was planning on it, already on his way, but then took a detour to the Slate and…"

"Ah. A detour," Azula repeated, looking at Iroh pointedly. He still avoided her gaze.

"He wants to find Zuko," Toph explained. Azula closed her eyes, having expected as much already. "And… I said I'd go with him."

Azula frowned, knowing Toph anticipated Azula's response to be a negative one. But as it was, Toph truly was her friend, nothing more. She had no authority over her life, no reason to tell her what to do: the relationship between Toph and her sponsor was her own business, and Azula knew better than to interfere in it. She didn't want anyone interfering in her own relationship with Sokka, after all.

"Well, as long as you make sure to heal through the trip, you should be fine," said Azula, with a small smile. Toph gulped.

"Y-yeah, I… I'll try to," she said, smiling awkwardly. Azula sighed and squeezed her shoulder.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for?" she asked. "The sooner you set off, the sooner you'll be resting in a cabin and recovering from this mad fight."

"Boy, do I need that," said Toph, smiling a little. "Who knew I'd actually be happy about getting on a ship, eh?"

Azula smiled: once Zhao joined them, the five of them started on their way out of the building. Sokka remained silent, constantly by Azula's side and as far from Iroh as he could be. Zhao walked beside Iroh, asking curt questions about where he intended to search for Zuko, only to short and dry replies from the old General.

The walk to the docks didn't take so long, and by then Zhao was still holding Toph's trophy. In the end, he resolved to head to Iroh's ship and leave it there, somewhere. After Zhao had taken off to do as he intended, Azula turned to Sokka.

"I suppose you ought to fetch Toph's luggage and help her carry it over to Iroh's ship?" she told him. "Seeing as she shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting herself…"

"Sure," said Sokka, smiling and heading up the ramp. Toph chuckled.

"Nice of you to help me out like that, Dog! I always did want a diligent hand-servant like you!" she said, following him into the Royal Barge.

"Call me that again and I'm tossing your pack into the sea."

"Hey!"

There was no mistake as to why Toph had followed Sokka, or why Azula had sent him away as she had in the first place. Her amicable smile faded as she folded her arms over her chest. Both her and Iroh were staring onwards at the ships, avoiding looking at one another even now.

"As much as I never wanted to feel indebted to you in any way…" Iroh said, and Azula's eyes narrowed towards him briefly. "I am grateful for how you helped Toph when I failed her. If it weren't for your assistance, today could have been a tragedy. Thank you."

"I did it for her sake," Azula said. Iroh huffed.

"Did you think I believed otherwise?"

"I didn't, but I'm stating it nonetheless. If it were up to me, she would forsake you and find herself a worthy sponsor instead of you," Azula declared. "Quite a nasty habit you have, abandoning things and coming back when it's too late for you to do anything about them…"

"You needn't rub my failures in my face," Iroh said, sighing. "I know them by heart. My shortcomings are my own. And I am glad that, for once, someone was there to help Toph avoid a dreadful fate I almost forced upon her."

"I only hope you know better than to do this again," said Azula. "Honestly, I don't care what you do with your life, with your time… but I do care about the harm you bring to her. If you ever hurt her again…"

"You'll make me wish I could jump into the Slate's lava so I could suffer less than dying by your hand?" Iroh finished for her. Azula huffed.

"Yeah. Something like that."

"I'm surprised, truly… that you have come to care for her as much as you have."

"Someone had to," Azula retorted. Iroh flinched. "I hope you can do it from now on, even if I don't trust you. She's not like you in many ways and thrives in the violence you think is pointless. If you're going to play at being her sponsor again, maybe think about what that means and take it seriously instead of abandoning her whenever its convenient for you."

"I don't intend to abandon Toph ever again," he said. Azula huffed.

"Well, if that's true, good. If it isn't…"

"Yes, yes. You'll destroy me," said Iroh, sighing. "All this being said, though… don't mistake my gratefulness regarding Toph with forgiveness of any sort."

"Forgiveness?" Azula asked, with a skeptical grin. "Why, I'll be damned. What exactly should I have been apologizing for?"

"You know full well what," Iroh snapped, glaring at her. Azula responded with her own harsh leer. "And you know I'm no fool. Not when it comes to this. While we can see eye to eye regarding what's best for Toph, we won't regarding most anything else."

"Indeed," said Azula, coldly.

"So, our relationship remains the same," Iroh declared.

"It does, I had no delusions for it to be otherwise. Mainly because I don't want it to be," said Azula, taking a few steps toward her ship. "You're not the only one who's utterly disappointed and disgusted with the other, you realize…"

"Then this is farewell," said Iroh, closing his eyes but moving to his own ship's ramp.

Azula frowned just before reaching hers, looking at her uncle from the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth and clenched a fist.

"Uncle," she called him. Iroh stopped and glanced at her. "Just… take good care of her."

"I intend to," he said, with a nod, and made his way to his ship's deck without another word.

Azula sighed and climbed her own ramp, wishing the unease in her chest would settle down. But there was nothing to do anymore: Toph had made her choice, and Iroh would have his way, as usual. Could it be a good thing, for once? Somehow, Azula doubted it.

Azula reached the deck to find Toph was walking across it, too. Sokka was behind Toph, carrying a small pack. Azula smiled at the earthbender, who slowed to a halt in front of her.

"Well… off you go, I take it?" she said. Toph sighed.

"I know what you must be thinking…"

"Then you also know I'm aware that changing your mind is futile," said Azula, looking at her skeptically. Toph chuckled.

"Not because I'm his gladiator does it mean I won't be friends with you guys, though," she said, with a small smile. "Even if he doesn't like it."

"Heh, these petty friendship and enmity squabbles were something I had hoped I'd left behind in school. I suppose not," said Azula, with a resigned grimace. Sokka smiled sympathetically at her.

"Huh, I never did go to school," said Toph, shrugging. "I never experienced this until now, honestly. But if it makes you feel any better, I won't let him walk over me anymore. From now on, we're going to be equals, and I'll get my say upon every matter, too. If he can't handle that, well… I suppose I know where to go, eh?"

"I suppose you do," said Azula, smiling too. She placed a hand on Toph's shoulder. "Take care of yourself. And if you find Zuko, please give him the nicest kick in the rear for me, if you'd be so kind."

"Oh? What will I tell him if he asks why he's getting one?" Toph said, chuckling.

"You'll tell him it's because his flight of fancy turned Iroh into the sorest of thumbs for me. That ought to do," said Azula, smiling. "Now, get going or that old bastard might leave you behind."

"Okay, okay!" said Toph, but just as she made to step down the ramp, she rushed back to Azula again and embraced her. The Princess smiled and sighed, patting Toph's back gently. "Ow. Ow. Ow…"

"You know, it's not very wise to hug someone when you're covered in wounds," Azula pointed out. Toph chuckled as she scrambled away from her.

"You're the best, Spicy," she said, smiling. "I know I don't say it enough, but… I'm glad I have a friend like you."

Azula stared at her in surprise, rendered speechless as Toph laughed again and waved at her, rushing down the ramp. Sokka didn't follow her yet, choosing to check on Azula first of all.

"Hey… you alright?" he whispered. Azula nodded promptly.

"Yeah, just… hurry with that bag. They don't have all day," she said. Sokka smiled.

"Okay, then."

Azula followed Sokka with her gaze as he climbed onto Iroh's smaller ship, leaving his cargo there right next to where Zhao had deposited Toph's trophy. Zhao's farewell to Toph and Iroh was brief, but Sokka talked with Toph for a moment before she lightly punched his shoulder as a goodbye. He got off the ship chuckling, and rejoined Azula on the Barge's deck soon enough, along with Admiral Zhao.

Toph waved from where she was, though her angle was off for around ten degrees. Iroh's ship had been ready to take off, as his stop in the Slate had been a brief detour. They resumed their journey sooner than Azula's Barge, and the Princess was left sighing as she leaned on her ship's railing, watching the smaller vessel shrinking in the distance.

"You're very anxious," Sokka whispered. Azula huffed.

"The more I think of it, the worse I feel about this," she said. "I told him to look after her, but… how do I know he'll do it? I just…"

"You've felt responsible for her for too long," said Sokka, looking at her with uncertainty. "It's hard to get out of that mindset."

"I suppose," said Azula, shaking her head. "She'll take care of herself, at least. It's all I can hope for."

"She certainly proved she's adept at that," Zhao commented.

He had remained at a short distance from them, but now moved to stand by the railing too, a few paces away from Sokka. Azula regarded him with a glance, finding he didn't seem too upset with the situation. Nonetheless…

"I do hope you'll forgive me for wasting as much of your time as I did, Admiral," Azula said, startling him. "I promised you a gladiator and, in the end, you got nothing but a trip and a gruesome spectacle…"

"Ah, but I witnessed history in the making, didn't I?" he said, smiling. "Metalbending… who knew such a thing was possible?"

"Well, if you guys can bend lightning, earthbenders can bend metal. It's weird, but hey, it works," said Sokka, smiling too and shrugging.

"Alas, I don't bend lightning myself…" Zhao pointed out, surprising Sokka. "But I see your meaning, yes."

"You don't?" Sokka asked. "Is it… too complicated or something?"

"What, you thought it was easy?" Azula asked, looking at him skeptically. Sokka blushed and pouted a little.

"It's your fault if I did. You make it look pretty easy…" he whispered. Azula snorted.

"Or maybe you're panicking so much when I use it that you don't pay attention to how much work it takes to produce it," she said. Sokka rolled his eyes in disbelief, to Zhao's amusement.

"Okay, well, at any rate, it's that complicated to learn it, then?" Sokka asked. Zhao nodded. "Did… did your master know how to do it?"

Azula tensed up next to Sokka, and she glanced at him with uncertainty, all teasing intent gone from her countenance. Sokka wasn't comfortable upon bringing up Jeong Jeong, but he didn't waver. Zhao blinked blankly.

"Well… now that you mention it, I can't remember if he ever used lightning," said Zhao, shrugging. "Perhaps he knew how but was too scared of its potential. Perhaps he simply didn't show me how to do it because he thought I lacked the self-control to use it adequately, which… isn't all that wrong, really. I've always been a wild firebender. The years of discipline at the academy didn't do much to fix that, let alone did Jeong Jeong help at all…"

"So, he was a lousy teacher?" Sokka asked, with a growing smirk. "Heh. Loser."

Azula actually snorted at Sokka's remark and found herself laughing as the Barge began to move. Zhao shrugged but smiled, folding his arms over his chest.

"I suppose in some ways, he was one," he agreed. "Couldn't teach a young firebender how to control himself, instead only exacerbated his worst instincts… truly, he was so controlling and demanding that I ended up doing everything he didn't want me to do just to spite him. I'm sure you can guess that's why he ditched me to serve under other instructors, so I'd stop being a bother…"

"He taught you while in the academy, then?" Azula asked. "I wouldn't have thought such important military figures would be that involved with the education of young cadets…"

"They aren't anymore. But back in Azulon's time, it wasn't unheard of," said Zhao, sighing. "Then again, the progress during your father's times has seen to it that military figures aren't often idle and left with no jobs but to teach new recruits. The navy has at least doubled in size since your father became Fire Lord, and we're about to have airships, too, which means more soldiers will be recruited…"

"Are you interested in joining the airship force?" Sokka asked. "Or are you a man of the seas only?"

"Truth be told, I'm more comfortable in water, yes," said Zhao, leaning on the railing now. "I've been sailing since I was fifteen. Odd as it can seem, I feel at home in the cabin of a warship."

"Since you were fifteen, you say?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Is it odd? I was under the impression you, of all people, would think it was quite natural to sail as a teenager," said Zhao. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I just didn't expect that to happen anywhere aside from the Water Tribe," he said.

"I take it you were a teenager when you first sailed, too?" Zhao asked. Sokka bit his lip.

"Yeah, well… older than you were," Sokka admitted. "I was seventeen."

"Really?" said Zhao, raising his eyebrows. "I thought your people started younger…"

"I was three years late, yeah," Sokka said. "The warriors of the south joined the war when I was eleven or twelve… so when the time came for my dad to take me ice-dodging, he wasn't there."

"I see," said Zhao, nodding. "A shame that is. But at least you did it afterwards, yes?"

"Yeah. Took me some time, but I did," Sokka nodded.

"From what I've heard, the Southern Water Tribe's ships are extraordinary," Zhao commented. "They're built in such a way that they're strong and swift, flexible where other vessels can barely hold their own. I used to think we needed to develop something similar… but Ozai's industrial appetite brought us ships such as this one."

Zhao smiled as he gestured at it, and Sokka grinned back, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

"Well, I can say this one's way more spacious," he admitted, to which Zhao laughed.

"That it is," he said.

Azula had been uncharacteristically quiet, her eyes set on Sokka as they spoke, and he glanced at her with raised eyebrows once Zhao fell silent. She only returned his stare quizzically, perhaps wondering why he hadn't spoken of any of this before. Sokka bit his lip and looked at her apologetically, earning himself a skeptical glare…

"Well, then…" said Zhao, sighing. "I suppose I shall retire for the evening, unless either of you need me. Before I do, though, Princess…"

Azula's wordless exchange with Sokka ended abruptly and she turned to Zhao. He gave her a small smile.

"It was my privilege to join you for this unusual event. I hadn't quite been as invested in a gladiator fight since… well, probably never, truth be told. I didn't get the gladiator you promised, but it was an enjoyable experience."

"I'm glad you see it that way," said Azula, with a dry smile. Zhao gulped.

"Well, then…"

"She's not mad at you," Sokka said, surprising both Zhao and Azula.

"She… what?" said Zhao. Sokka sighed.

"See, she's just so worried about Toph that she's in a sour mood, likely to lash out at anyone and everyone, just as she's going to lash out at me for saying what I'm saying. All I'm really trying to tell you is it's not personal, really," said Sokka with a reassuring smile.

Azula was rendered speechless, glaring at Sokka in disbelief. He looked at her most proudly, as if his capacity to understand what was going through her head was a skill he rejoiced in having. The indignant blush on her face said she was not quite as pleased about it as he was, though.

"Huh…" said Zhao, smiling a little. "I guess that's so. Well, as similar as you may be to your mother when it comes to your appearance, you're quite like your father in regards of how you handle your friendships."

"I… what?" Azula asked, snapping out of her anger at Sokka upon hearing those words. "Similar to my father? You're… speaking of experience, I take it?"

"Well, yes," said Zhao, with a small smile. "Ozai may have his faults and he certainly makes a sport of mocking me, but he's been a very loyal friend all along. Quite as you are towards the young Beifong, it seems."

"I don't know if it's loyalty, truly," said Azula, shrugging. "But I do feel responsible for her. Did my father feel responsible for you too?"

"For a time, surely," said Zhao, grinning. "I did set aside my education for the sake of accompanying him on his journey to find the Avatar. I figured, for a long time, that he wanted us to come home victorious so he could justify taking me away from the academy, but…"

"But you failed," said Azula. Zhao's smile faded. "I've never really known much about that trip of yours, Admiral. Was it as long and pointless as Zuko's?"

"Not as long, but yes, just as pointless," said Zhao. "We were only at sea for four years. But I was your father's only friend aboard…"

"What, he antagonized his entire crew?" Sokka asked, amused. "Or was he just not interested in fraternizing with them?"

"The latter, really," said Zhao. "Still, it was a complicated situation. He took to the seas to search for the Avatar at the behest of his father, who had searched for him many years prior. Yet while he allowed Ozai to use a royal ship and crew, he didn't quite agree to lend him any Royal Guards, and Ozai didn't have his own retinue just yet since he was too young for it…"

"He was still sixteen, wasn't he?" Azula asked, and Zhao nodded.

"But Fire Lord Azulon had wanted him to prove himself, to show how skilled a leader he could be by inspiring soldiers to follow him through charisma alone. Ozai, of course, tried his best, visited the Academy seeking potential recruits… and failed to inspire anyone."

"Eh, that's sad," said Sokka, grimacing. Azula frowned.

"That sounds unlikely, though. My father was the second-born son of a Fire Lord: even if he wasn't the heir, countless soldiers should have tried to attach themselves to him in hopes to advance their careers…"

"Well… you may not understand just how bad the relationship between your father and grandfather was," said Zhao, sighing. "Turns out that Fire Lord Azulon wanted to make your father a laughingstock. He had his generals and commanders on a tight leash, ordered them not to allow anyone to join Ozai. I had been in the academy for a few years, I had great disregard for the authority figure above me at the time… so when I heard that we weren't supposed to join him I was quite determined to do the opposite. It was how I had done things while working with Jeong Jeong, too…"

"So, you rebelled?" Sokka asked, amused. "That's interesting."

"I did indeed, and just in time. Ozai was despairing as he tried to deliver the most spirited speeches to rile up the soldiers… and when I stepped forward he nearly fainted of relief. But no one else followed my lead, despite I hoped they might. And then he was disappointed that he only had me, of course…"

"Sounds like a friendship with a rough start," Sokka commented, and Zhao chuckled but nodded.

"Still, not as rough as you might think," he said. "I smoothed things over once I told him the main reason why I'd chosen to join him. It wasn't only that I wanted to rebel, but…"

"You were thanking him for how he saved your life?" Azula asked. Zhao's eyes widened.

"You know of…?"

"Sokka told me," Azula smiled, shrugging. "It's awfully easy to get him to spill other people's secrets…"

"What the…? It's not!" Sokka huffed, as Azula smirked proudly. "It's only because you…! Y-you're unfairly persuasive!"

"Unfairly persuasive? I merely asked what you had spoken about on your carriage trip and you spilled everything, it's not like I had to trick you into talking…" Azula sneered, with a skeptical smile. Sokka blushed and shook his head. Zhao chuckled.

"Well, it spares me from having to share that other story with you," he said. "At any rate, Ozai hadn't realized I was the same boy he had saved. Once I told him, well… he was absolutely delighted. To him, it was a sign of how skilled a leader he could be. His actions from several years earlier had led us to that moment, and he was sure it meant his father was utterly wrong about him. So, well… he started looking after me, in a sense. Once he became Fire Lord…"

"He kept promoting you," said Azula, smiling a little. "I remember you were only a lieutenant when I was a child, and now…"

"True, though I've worked for my promotions too," Zhao declared, and Azula chuckled.

"I didn't say you hadn't, Admiral, really… so unnecessarily defensive," she said, smirking. Zhao huffed.

"Well, whispers have always spread," he muttered. "Not a lot of people were pleased by my ascent through the navy's ranks. Some thought I needed more experience, others said I was only being promoted because Fire Lord Ozai was spending too many of his resources on me… some even said that sending the commander of the Southern Raiders to the north would've made more sense than sending me."

"Would it have?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt he would have done a better job…"

"Southern Raiders?" Sokka asked, his confused eyes flickering between the two firebenders. "You don't mean… what, is that the name of the bastards who kept attacking my tribe?"

Both Zhao and Azula tensed up at those words. Sokka's confusion receded gradually, a sinking feeling growing stronger in his stomach with every passing moment of silence.

"It is them, isn't it?" he said. Azula bit her lip and nodded.

"Though they weren't always alone. At first there were various squads mobilized to attack the south, if the history books are accurate," said Azula.

"They are," said Zhao, nodding. "I was never part of those raids, but for around thirty years, a large force of our navy would be sent to the south on irregular intervals to raid the… wait. But… you're saying they attacked when you were young?"

"Yeah," said Sokka, frowning. "I mean, I think I was… about seven when they last attacked through an actual raid. After that we had several years of quiet until the settlement was built…"

"You were… seven?" Zhao repeated, confused. "That makes no sense."

"Huh?" said Sokka, looking back at him. "I… I'm pretty sure I remember it right, Admiral. They killed my mother."

Azula's stomach sank upon hearing those words. Zhao as well seemed uncomfortable, and even remorseful now. But Sokka only stared at him with a light frown.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm not saying it didn't happen, just…" said Zhao, breathing deeply. "I remember there was quite a celebration over the last raid, the Southern Raiders' success was a fuss all through the navy. And if I remember right, you couldn't possibly have been born when that happened. It was, at the very least, thirty years ago."

"Really? A celebration?" Sokka repeated.

"I know it must sound gruesome to you since the raids must have traumatized you, but… I can recall it happening much longer ago, and my memory can't be failing that badly," said Zhao, frowning. "Fire Lord Azulon was quite pleased, since with that last raid he had confirmed the waterbending threat was under control. Assignments to the south decreased since they were deemed unnecessary and… your mother died, you say?"

"Yeah, she did," said Sokka, and Zhao shook his head before moving to the ship's railing again, clutching at it with uncertainty.

"It really boggles the mind… why send a new raid after celebrating such an achievement?" he asked, before looking at Sokka. "Was there a new waterbender by then? I know they speak of there being two waterbenders now, so…"

"What does that have to do with it, though?" said Sokka, frowning. "My mother wasn't a bender, they couldn't have been targeting her if they were after waterbenders. If anything…"

A ghost of a thought tried to materialize in his head, but Sokka closed his eyes tight and stopped it from happening. He breathed deeply, thinking he was going too far in his interpretations. No, it couldn't have been…

"Even then, if they had mistaken your mother for a bender… killing her wasn't the way they were supposed to operate back then," said Zhao, biting his lip. "Still, maybe it had something to do with the escaped prisoner's incident…"

"Escaped prisoner?" Azula asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, waterbenders were to be taken away, imprisoned, kept isolated from the world… at least, that was Fire Lord Azulon's initial command," said Zhao. Sokka frowned, remembering that Azula had told him about that some time ago. "They were war prisoners, after all. But one day, one of them… well, nobody really knows how, but the last one alive somehow manipulated a guard into setting her free. He claimed he hadn't wanted to do it, that she had made him move against his will. Nobody believed him, though. How could anyone do such a thing, after all? Was she a mindbender? Rumors were that she had, well… offered services the soldier hadn't wanted to refuse. So, since he had no proof of his claims, he was discharged from the army entirely for his failure and apparent immoral acts. So… could it be that Fire Lord Azulon feared that any new waterbending prisoners might escape, too?"

"Or perhaps whoever was in charge of the Southern Raiders at the time would disregard all commands and simply kill for sport," Azula whispered, lowering her gaze. Zhao nodded.

"Also possible. I believe at the time… it must have been Yon Rha," Zhao said. Sokka tensed up. "Yes, he was the Raiders' commander, I'm sure. He retired several years ago, but he might still be alive…"

"He…?" Sokka said, his eyes widening.

"I don't know where he is right now, but… if you ever do want to question him about what he did or why, if maybe one of his men did it without consulting him, I can try to track him down," said Zhao. "Of course, if you'd rather leave this matter alone, it's quite alright as well."

Sokka swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. Some irrational, fierce part of him – maybe that same wild urge that took over him when he had fought to the death in the Amateur Arena, that survival instinct that kicked in during his fight with Jet –, urged him to find out. To ask Zhao everything about the man who had caused his mother's death, indirectly or not. To find out the truth, and then…

But what would he do, if he knew? What good would it serve to know anything about that man? What could he possibly do at this point to fix what had been broken, to amend the mistakes that had been made? His mother wouldn't come back to life. The past would remain in the past for good, no matter what he did. Discovering why his mother had died wouldn't change things, not for real…

"I'll let you know if I change my mind, but…" said Sokka, breathing deeply. "As it is, I don't know if I have anything to gain by discovering these truths. Whatever his reasoning, whatever his motive, the fact remains that my mother was killed almost twenty years ago. I can't bring her back, and nothing will ever justify her death to me, so… I don't think it would make any sense to find out whatever he has to say."

"Fair enough," said Zhao, nodding. "You're a much better man than I, that's for sure. If I'd had the chance, well… I would have stopped at nothing to avenge my own parents."

"Revenge is tempting for some of us, but it is still true that it may not serve much purpose in the end," said Azula, shrugging. "Not in most cases, anyways."

"Not when it's been this long since the crime took place, I suppose," said Zhao, nodding. "Well, I had been taking my leave, hadn't I?"

"I didn't mean to entertain you," said Azula, nodding in his direction. "Have a good evening."

"Likewise, both of you," said Zhao, nodding as well before retiring towards the Barge's tower.

Azula watched him go, keeping an eye on him until he crossed the tower's threshold. Only then did she shift her attention towards Sokka. She knew what to expect, so she wasn't surprised by his current state: he was troubled, deeply, and his eyes seemed lost in the horizon as his fists were clenched. He was likely thinking about too many things at the same time.

"Sokka…" she whispered. He closed his eyes.

"I'm fine. I… will be, at least," he said, sighing. "It's a lot to take, yes, but… it's true anyways that I can't do anything about it. I can't, so I won't. I'm… I'm just going to get something to eat, yeah."

"Fair enough," said Azula, nodding. Sokka looked at her with uncertainty, but she smiled. "It's fine if you want to be alone, we may succeed at keeping up appearances that way. I'll check on you later, alright?"

"Well, I…" Sokka started, wanting to reassure her, to tell her he didn't need to be alone, but that he hardly knew how to be good company after the load of information he had just received. He sighed in defeat, though, figuring he'd tell her as much later. "That's okay, then. I'll see you, well, at night, maybe?"

"If you wish," said Azula, smiling gently still.

Sokka sighed as Azula took off, heading inside the tower too. He stood in the deck for a little longer before following, but instead of heading to the upper quarters, he headed down below, where his own cabin was located, along with those of the crew and guards. He moved almost absentmindedly until he reached his room, and then he sat on the mattress, his head between his hands.

His mother had died long ago, too long ago. Her death had been ever-present for his sister, a weight that dragged her down, that had hurt her in the deepest ways. It had hurt Sokka, too, but he had never felt the need to fill Kya's shoes. He hadn't been the one taking her loss badly: his father had tried to stay strong, but he as well would fall apart over Kya's death often. Katara hadn't been able to speak of Kya without breaking into tears for years.

Sokka hadn't mourned her properly, he knew as much. He had been outraged, mad about his mother's demise, and his drive to fight in the war had increased because of it. He had taken his training as a warrior more seriously, far more seriously than any of the kids he had started teaching a few years later: they hadn't lost their mothers. They had no idea what it meant to be powerless to stop the enemy from taking those you loved. Sokka had decided, at such young age, that he would do everything in his power to prevent that from happening to him again.

And yet, Kya's death now seemed to be a mistake of some sort. If the Raiders had been sent to target waterbenders, and yet Kya had died while Katara had lived… if the Raiders had left abruptly, right after Kya's death…

Sokka gritted his teeth as tears burned in his eyes. He couldn't know for sure, couldn't possibly know unless he took Zhao up on his offer… but the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Kya had died after lying about her identity, all be it to save her daughter.

She could have claimed she was the bender to keep Katara safe. If the soldiers had simply attacked without confirming that she was a bender, they would have assumed their job was finished with her death. They would have never known Kya had lied. And there was the matter of the waterbending prisoners, too… Azula had mentioned them before, but given her reaction, she hadn't known of any who had escaped. Was it true that the escaped prisoner had pushed Azulon to decide that waterbenders had to be exterminated entirely? Was that prisoner somehow, indirectly, to blame for his mother's death?

If she hadn't escaped, perhaps Kya would still be alive. His mother might have been reduced to a slave, or perhaps she would still be imprisoned… but she might have survived. Yet, was it right to resent the escaped prisoner for fighting for her life? Whatever that woman had witnessed, whatever horrors she had been subjected to, Sokka had no right to judge her. She had done what she had to do, with no awareness that her actions would have catastrophic consequences for one family in the South Pole.

And there was, of course, the matter of how they'd known at all. Why would the Southern Raiders know of a new waterbender, of one final bender, when they had been celebrating the defeat of all the benders of the South Pole several years prior? Who had informed them that there was a new waterbender? Katara had barely been a child at the time: her powers couldn't have been witnessed by any outsiders. And yet…

Someone had told them. Somehow, the Fire Nation had found out about Katara. It was no coincidence that they had attacked barely years after she had showed signs of being a bender. The strike was planned, and it happened because a source had tipped them off, no doubt. No military strategist would send such a large armed force merely to confirm a hunch or an unverified rumor.

And what stung most was to think that the source had to be someone from his very own tribe, someone who had watched him and Katara grow up… someone who had pretended to be friends with Kya while stabbing her and her family in the back as they had. It wasn't a foreigner: nobody had visited the Southern Water Tribe other than Fire Nation soldiers, who were trying to crush and conquer them rather than visiting. None of them would have seen or heard of Katara's bending when she had been that young: there was no doubt that someone who was part of the Tribe was responsible for this.

Sokka sighed, wondering if the twisting feeling inside his stomach was what Azula felt when it came to the traitor within her father's inner circle. The traitor who had stood by her father's side, and yet tried to help his worst enemies escape when he had the chance. The one who had allowed the White Lotus inside the Palace and granted them the means to move around freely. Who had enabled them to kidnap Azula when she had been at her weakest, and who had also served as an informant to Jeong Jeong, giving him a chance to attack him and Azula…?

Was the Water Tribe traitor someone like Iroh, then? Was it someone Sokka had trusted all his life, a funny person who behaved as a kind soul, and who always concealed their true motives and intents…?

He sighed and sat against the wall, his back resting on his upright pillow. He felt too sick to eat, and it wasn't the ship's fault. The rocking motions of the vessel had never bothered him, and he knew they didn't right now, either. The terrible realizations were what kept him wide-eyed, horrified, unable to snap out of his daze: his mother had died heroically, it seemed, in the most remarkable way any mother could pass away.

And it had been caused by someone she had trusted. Someone who knew Kya's daughter was a waterbender. Someone who had a cold enough heart to wish for the death of a five-year-old child…

He snarled and punched the wall in frustration, dropping his head against it. The more he thought of it, the worse he felt, but he couldn't stop his train of thoughts anymore. He had never bothered digging into the truth of his mother's death, attributing it merely to the senseless war: what could ever justify the death of Kya, the kindest, warmest soul there was? Nothing could. Even if he discovered the whole truth, nothing would.

And yet part of him felt guilty for not looking into it before. For not finding justice for his mother, if there was any to be had…

He remained where he was for hours, beating himself up over this, not knowing what to do. His heart had been at peace for a long time, longer than usual, but now it was in disarray all over again. His past hid murkier shadows than he ever realized it did: even that which was most sacred and pure to him seemed to be stained with darkness now. His home, the haven in the South Pole, no longer felt as safe as it once did.

A soft knock on his door startled him. He raised his eyes, wondering what time it was: his cabin didn't have windows, so he had no idea if he had wasted away all afternoon in here. When he saw it was Azula opening the door, he knew it had to be late at night already.

"H-hey…" he whispered, noticing she had a bag in her hands.

"I asked in the kitchens a couple of hours ago," she whispered. "They said you didn't head there for food after all. I figured… well, I didn't know if you'd want it, but I brought you some either way."

"Thanks," Sokka said, with a weak grin. "I'm not too hungry, truly…"

"After all the trouble I went through by sneaking food for you at midnight, you'd better eat it," said Azula, closing the cabin door and looking at Sokka meaningfully. He chuckled.

"Fine, fine," he said, as Azula placed the bag on his nightstand.

She took her seat beside him on the bed, eyes set on his. He held her gaze, his deeply broken heart plain in sight for her through his sad eyes. Azula sighed.

"Well… do tell. Why didn't you ever tell me about that ice-dodging thing?"

Sokka's troubled expression shifted into confusion, and Azula looked at him innocently. He actually chuckled.

"It never came up," he said, reaching out to touch her hand. "What, you find me even more attractive now that you know I can sail?"

"I didn't say that…" Azula claimed evasively, bringing Sokka to laugh more until she smiled. "Alright, perhaps a little. I just might be picturing you, shirtless under the sun, your muscles tightening as you pull at the ropes while the sea sprays your sweaty body with pearls of water… it's not a good idea to think about it, not at all."

"No? Don't want to get too aroused, I take it?" he asked, smiling weakly. Azula looked at him in defeat. "Your imagination is quite flattering, I won't deny it, but… it wasn't like that at all."

"I know," said Azula, smiling again. "I guess you would've ended up badly sick if you dared go sailing shirtless in the South Pole."

"Yep."

"Though, I will say, if we find some old models of wooden boats around here somewhere, you could make that fantasy of mine come true… we're in the Fire Nation, after all. You won't freeze over being shirtless," said Azula, trying to sound innocent again. Sokka laughed and shook his head, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Why are you so amazing?" he asked, sighing in bliss. "Here I was, sulking for hours, and yet… you've managed to cheer me up with a single conversation. How can you be so wonderful without even trying, Princess?"

"Oh, I am trying," she said, shifting so she would sit closer to him, and so she could cup his face with a hand. "I just doubt you'll feel like sharing everything you're feeling right now. It's fine, really… I can't say I'd know how to share anything I feel if I heard news about my mother. I'm sorry, though… I never thought Zhao would have any knowledge about this."

"He's been out and about for a while," said Sokka. "Been at service for so long he would hear about most these things, I guess… but the thing is, it's… it's worse than he thinks. Worse than I ever thought, too, I mean…"

"What?" said Azula, stroking his cheek gently. Sokka sighed.

"My sister was the waterbender," Sokka said. "So, well… if my mother died, then…"

"I wondered about that too," said Azula, biting her lip. "If your mother claimed she was the waterbender, the soldiers wouldn't have waited around for any demonstrations. They would've…"

"Killed her immediately. As they did," said Sokka, lowering his eyes. "So, chances are my mother… died to save my sister."

"Sokka…" Azula breathed deeply, her hand sliding to his chest as his eyes flooded with tears again.

"It's just… not fair," he said, shaking his head. "For so long I trained and worked harder so I could keep from losing anyone else, thinking she had died for no reason… turns out she must have died saving her daughter. My mother, she…"

"She's a hero, in her own right," said Azula, lowering her eyes. "If this is truly how it was… she sounds formidable."

"I hate myself for… for not remembering her properly," said Sokka, gritting his teeth.

"You were young," said Azula, shaking her head.

"I still hate that I can't remember much of her," he said. "I wish I did. Then I… I might know if she'd be proud of me, maybe. If she'd approve of my choices…"

"I can't say for sure that she would approve of everything," Azula whispered, looking at Sokka with heartfelt eyes. "But you allowed me to take you as a captive and turn you into a slave to save the rest of your men when we first met. You've saved my life countless times since our partnership began. And you saved your tribe by making my father withdraw the troops from the South. So… if she truly was the kind of mother who would die for her children, I don't think you have to wonder at all. I'm sure she would be more than proud of you, after everything you've done."

Sokka swallowed hard, tears burning in his eyes. Azula leaned closer, pressing her forehead to his.

"I won't lie and claim I understand what you're feeling right now," she whispered. "I truly don't, but… I would like to. You always share my loads, so I would love to help you bear with yours. Whatever you need, if you want to talk about it more, I'm right here to listen."

"I know you are," said Sokka, sighing and allowing his hands to slide over her body, locking her into a tight embrace.

Azula climbed fully onto his bed, kissing the side of his head softly, caressing his arms gently. Sokka remained at ease, breathing slowly as he cherished her every gesture.

"The worst part, though…" he whispered, surprising her. Could there be something worse yet? Worse than the realization that his mother had to forfeit her life to protect her child?

"Yes?" she asked, when he fell silent again. She pulled away only enough to look at him, hoping to encourage him to talk.

"Someone told them," said Sokka, gritting his teeth. "Someone from the Tribe… served as a source. Someone told your grandfather, or that commander, either way… someone told them there was a new waterbender in the South. They knew she was just a five-year-old waterbender, and yet that person told those bastards, knowing they'd kill her. They sent an entire raid to murder a child. And it was done because… someone of the tribe told them."

Azula's eyes widened as she took in his words, the reality of them dawning on her slowly, almost giving her vertigo as she realized his deduction had to be correct: Sokka looked at her in despair.

"I don't know who the hell did it, but… I feel like I could kill them if I found out who it was," he sighed, shaking his head. "I only hope they're already dead… would save me the trouble."

"Was there anyone who had it out for your family?" Azula asked. Sokka shook his head.

"Not openly, anyways. As much as some people disliked my dad when he was younger, they respected and relied on him once he became chief. For all my childhood he was nothing but respected and admired. But I suppose someone despised him, secretly…"

"Still, though… how would anyone from your tribe even contact Fire Nation officials and let them know about this?" said Azula, frowning. "Did people ever travel, did they ever have a chance to bump into any Fire Nation officials…?"

"Maybe on a fishing trip," Sokka shrugged. "Maybe in one of those trips we made each year to find building materials in a nearby island. There were few opportunities, but… I can't find any believable motives. My dad never did anything to harm our people, and my mom… well, she was wonderful. I can't remember everything about her, but I can't recall anyone taking any issue with her. The entire Tribe was in mourning after she died. There's no reason, no justification…"

"Then…"

Azula swallowed hard, and Sokka looked at her hopelessly. She pulled away again, still leaning slightly over him, but supporting her weight on her hands at either side of his body.

"Have you considered it might have been… well, him?" Azula asked, her eyes apprehensive. Sokka frowned.

"Him…?" he repeated, and as though the word carried a single meaning, the thought finally dawned on Sokka. His brow furrowed. "Rhone wouldn't have… he couldn't have told the Fire Nation. You saw how he accused me, how he despised me for what I've become, for working with you. He wouldn't have…"

"Maybe not willingly. Maybe not directly," said Azula, closing her eyes. "The ship taking him north could have been intercepted. Who knows, maybe him or his parents blurted it out. Or maybe… maybe they told someone from the north. Someone like Hahn, who sold the information just to get a chance to live in the Fire Nation."

"That… sounds a lot likelier now," said Sokka, gritting his teeth. "It doesn't make things much better if the Fire Nation only found out by chance, but… but if there was no traitor, good. It… it does make me feel a little better to think there wasn't one."

"Let's hope there really wasn't one at all," said Azula, cupping his face and kissing his brow. "I'm sorry for all of this, Sokka. You're right: nothing could ever justify what happened to your mother. Nothing."

Sokka raised his eyes to find hers, and he smiled. It wasn't one of his trademark, proud grins, but a fragile, soft one instead. Azula's heart almost broke upon looking at him.

"You know… it is true that nothing will ever justify it," he said. "But hearing you say it just… fills me with hope."

"Hope?" Azula asked. He nodded.

"You know, the hope that you will make things better. That you'll make sure this kind of thing never happens again," he whispered. Azula swallowed hard. "I know you won't have enough power to ensure to prevent this for a long time, but… when you do, the world will be a better place. I know it."

"I hope so," Azula said, caressing his cheek and smiling weakly too. "I guess you're also proud of yourself, aren't you? I suppose you remember our first argument…"

"How could I forget?" Sokka asked, with a small laugh. Azula sighed.

"Here I am now, having forsaken practically everything I told you that day, because you were right. What we've done… there's next to no chance the world will forgive the Fire Nation for all of it. And the damage cannot be undone, but… maybe it can be stopped before it gets worse, somehow. Maybe a few things can even be amended, even if not everything. It's all we can hope for."

"It is," said Sokka, stroking her hair now. "And for what it's worth… I never thought I'd change your mind about most things. I really didn't think I would, back then. I kept antagonizing you, mostly to spite you, really… but the day I heard you telling Mai's parents that the Fire Nation was made by its people, not so long after I'd said that to you…"

Azula smiled and lowered her gaze. Sokka grinned as well.

"Back then, I thought I'd ruined all my chances to be part of your life. I really believed you'd ditch me as soon as you had the chance to. But when you said those words to them… I felt hopeful. I didn't care if you would hate me for all my mistakes, I thought I deserved it… but if you had decided there was worth in any of my words, I was glad you decided it was in those. It truly brought me to think that you'd make a great Fire Lord, when your time came."

"I hope I will be one," Azula whispered, kissing his brow again. "You've been teaching me many things and proving me wrong since we first crossed paths."

"You've done the same for me, you know…" said Sokka, smiling. She laughed softly.

"You weren't supposed to be the product of a conquering civilization, though," she said. "It's safe to say I needed to learn a lot of things, far more urgently than you did."

"Still, though… if I hadn't learned what I did, I wouldn't have you in my arms right now," said Sokka. Azula smiled and stroked his cheek.

"And no doubt that would be sad," she said. He grinned.

"Life would be bleak and boring if we weren't what we are," he whispered. "Not that it sucked too much when we weren't properly together, but… goodness, this last year really may have been the best in my life."

"Even with all the dangers?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean…"

"Yeah, I nearly died a bunch of times, no kidding," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "But… I've never been happier than I am with you now. Truly, I… I know it's irresponsible, I know there's a million reasons why we weren't supposed to be together, and I know it's dangerous for many people aside from ourselves. But my life only seemed to have meaning once we met, and the closer we've become, the better everything is. You know I… I've never been one to value my own life that much."

"And I've scolded you plenty for that," said Azula. Sokka smiled apologetically.

"You do, and believe it or not, it kind of has worked," he said. "No doubt I'll always value your life and happiness well above my own, but… I want to live on, truly, and live on with you. I want to see what more we can be, how much further we can go, what sorts of lives we can lead together…"

"And you will see it," said Azula. "You will, we'll both make sure of it."

"What I'm trying to say is… you kind of brought me back to life", he whispered, smiling weakly. "And maybe at first, I only wanted to use the life you gave me so I could go back home, but…"

"But a lot has changed since then," said Azula, gazing into his eyes.

"Everything has," he said, cupping her cheek. "I love you more every day that goes by, so much I think my body is going to fail me one day just because it can't translate such feelings into words or even actions anymore…"

"Oh, I sure hope not," said Azula, and Sokka chuckled. "We'll have to strengthen that body further, then. Make sure it can take all the overwhelming feelings…"

"I wonder if it's possible," said Sokka, smiling and cupping her face. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And you're the best that has happened to me," she whispered right back, smiling weakly. "Never forget that."

He breathed deeply as he smiled, tears blinking in his eyes as he leaned in and kissed her softly. Azula returned the kiss, holding onto it for as long as she could. Her hands caressed his cheeks, fingers trailing his strong cheekbones, and touching his lips as soon as they parted.

"Whoever killed my mother, whoever caused it…" Sokka started, breathing deeply. "I might find out one day, and hopefully by then I'll know how to react to it all. But for now…"

"For now…?" Azula asked. Sokka smiled.

"For now, I'll just… let myself imagine that you're right. And that my mother would be proud of me," he said. She gave him a heartfelt grin. "Somehow, I… I also want to imagine she'd accept you fairly easily."

"You think?" Azula asked, and Sokka chuckled softly. "She sounds like a remarkable woman… I wonder if I'd really impress her at all."

"She was one, which is why I'm sure she'd recognize another remarkable woman upon meeting her," said Sokka, holding Azula's gaze. "She was kind, and she would fight for her own people no matter the cost. When she loved someone, she did it wholeheartedly, selflessly…"

"Sounds like someone I know very well," Azula said, smiling gently at Sokka. Her thumb slid gently over his cheek. He chuckled.

"And here I was thinking she resembles you, too," he said. Azula snorted.

"Well… again, you said we were more similar than I wanted to admit. Might be that's why," she said. Sokka kissed her softly.

"I love you," he whispered, before tightening his embrace around her. Azula succumbed to it, closing her eyes and allowing him to envelop her fully. "Thanks for dropping by, and the food, and…"

"What, are you sending me away already?" she asked, smiling weakly. Sokka huffed.

"I mean… I could," he said. "Zhao is somewhere on this Barge and he's the last person who ought to catch us together, but… I don't want you to leave either way."

He pouted a little and buried his face in her neck. Azula chuckled and hugged him tighter.

"Then I'll make you eat before I go, and…" she said, making an enigmatic pause that brought Sokka to smile. "Well, who knows what else I'd dare do, huh?"

He laughed as she pulled away only to pick up the bag of food and hand it to him. He ate gratefully, his appetite restored, and he shared some of his meal with Azula, despite she wasn't particularly hungry. They lounged together on the bed as he ate, and it wasn't long after he was finished that Azula decided to continue improving his mood in the best way she knew how.

Mending broken hearts wasn't something either of them had much practice with before meeting each other. But by now they were attuned to one the other's very soul, and they were bonded by the deepest understanding: it was safe enough to say that they were at their best whenever they were together. So as they made the most of their night, getting no sleep between kisses, gasps and slow but deep thrusting, their bond served to keep Sokka grounded. To help him find his center once more, and to hold onto it even in his worst moments.

Azula didn't fall asleep even after Sokka did. She stroked his hair and kissed the side of his head before climbing off the bed and dressing up again. She would have loved to stay in his cabin, it went without saying, but Zhao's presence was truly a threat. This was the first, and it would be the only night, likely, that they would spend together during this short trip, all because of the Admiral.

She walked silently through the Barge's corridors, hoping not to be seen by anyone. The sky was growing lighter, and she grimaced as she realized she had spent the entire night with Sokka. It wasn't a bad thing, not for real… but she hadn't expected to stay so long, or to get no rest. She sighed, entering her room and removing her armor quickly and quietly. The sooner she tucked into bed, the sooner her concerns would disappear. There wasn't much chance that anyone would notice her if they hadn't yet, so…

Her body tensed up upon hearing a soft knock on her door.

Her first suspicion was Zhao: he had seen her, and he had come to inquire where she had been, or worse, why she had snuck out of her gladiator's cabin. Well, if that were to happen, there was but one option: kill Zhao right here and now. Her chest tightened at the thought, knowing there'd be consequences for something like that, but she didn't care all that much, truthfully. She wasn't going to let him rat them out.

But maybe it wasn't him. Maybe Sokka had woken up, noticed she wasn't with him and rushed upstairs to find her. If that were the case… oh, she should send him away, but she had no idea if she'd have the heart to. She gritted her teeth, crossing her fingers and hoping it'd be Sokka, rather than the Admiral…

All her preparation amounted to nothing. The man standing outside was a Royal Guard with golden highlights in his uniform. She sighed in relief, but in slight annoyance.

"If you're going to scold me for my recklessness…"

"I've long given up on doing that and you know it," said Rui Shi, removing his helmet. "Can we, uh, talk?"

"Talk? About what? At this hour?" Azula asked, almost looking at him pleadingly. Rui Shi grimaced.

"Well, I would've come at a more reasonable one, but I spotted you coming upstairs as I was about to take my shift, and figured you were well rested… or is it you didn't sleep at all while you went to visit him?"

Azula tried not to blush, but it proved futile. Rui Shi blinked blankly and huffed.

"I am trying not to judge, I am, but you make it so hard…"

Azula rolled her eyes as he stepped inside her cabin. She closed the door behind him as Rui Shi stood nervously in the room.

"You said you gave up on scolding me, so what exactly is it you want to talk about?" she asked. Rui Shi gulped.

"W-well… you do realize the festivals will begin within two days of our return to the Capital, yes?"

Azula nodded. The Slate's fight had been scheduled more carefully this year, so it wouldn't overlap with the festivities. She wasn't particularly affected by it this time around, having wished they could've done something like this the previous year, instead. Preparing for the ceremony would have been a little less stressful if Sokka's fight hadn't been scheduled mere days after her performance.

"What of it?" Azula asked. Rui Shi was the one blushing this time.

"Well… I have not gotten in your way when it comes to your relationship," he said. Azula grimaced. "I haven't been too encouraging either, even though I have no interest in interfering in it anymore…"

"Good to hear," said Azula.

"Which is why, well… I hoped you could do the same for me."

"The same?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "What exactly is that supposed to mean? You want me to stop interfering in your relationship with Song? Was I interfering at all?"

"N-no, not… not quite. I mean, well…" said Rui Shi, swallowing hard. "Song is often quite bored and lonely, you see. The more time I spend with her, the more I wish I could remedy that. She doesn't have much to do every day other than housework, and… I wanted to give her a better day than that, on the first day of the festivals."

"Huh. The first day of the festivals," Azula repeated, looking at him skeptically. Rui Shi grimaced.

"Yes, it's well known as the better day for, well, couples, because of the tradition of the fire lilies," he said, blushing. "Song has never been involved in the festivals, and I wanted to try to take her this year. But…"

"But you have a duty to me, even if a menial one," said Azula, raising an eyebrow. "You're supposed to be part of my procession and to follow me around all day, pretty much. While the commoners and some nobles relish in the festivals, I'm supposed to be paraded through the city in my palanquin in the morning and consorting with my father's close favorites in the afternoon as I always do. I shall waste away, listening to pointless conversations and enduring empty praises, letting the day pass me by… and you, along with the rest of my guards, should be there to suffer along with me."

"Yes. But as you said, it's a menial task," said Rui Shi, frowning. "I know I'm supposed to do this, but… you won't really need me for this. You can keep the rest of the guards, they'll do a fine job protecting you, won't they?"

"Surely they would, but Rui Shi…" said Azula, breathing deeply. "You're their leader. You have a responsibility to them, a responsibility that…"

"That I'm shirking for the sake of the woman I love," he said, bluntly. Azula closed her eyes. "Not to be bold, but…"

"I know, I know. Who am I to judge you for this request?" said Azula, huffing and pacing inside her room.

"I understand if you refuse to let me do this, but… I wanted to try, at least," said Rui Shi, lowering his eyes in defeat.

"Just… Rui Shi, I'm sorry," said Azula, shaking her head. "Maybe if you make a request like this next year I'll be able to handle it better. I can tell my father in advance, we can come up with an excuse for you to be absent that won't compromise your position amongst my guards…"

"I understand," he said, closing his eyes. Azula sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know how you feel, and believe me, I'd love to do the same thing you're planning to do," she said, shrugging. "I've never experienced the bloody festival the way most people do. I don't even know yet why Ty Lee enjoyed it so much when we were kids. She probably still loves it, but…"

"You can't do it, it's clear," said Rui Shi, nodding. "Do excuse me for wasting your time and delaying your rest, Princess. I won't bother you with this again."

"Rui Shi…" Azula muttered, but the Captain bowed his head and left the room without another word.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hands, feeling like a fool. She truly was a massive hypocrite, wasn't she? She sank in her bed without changing out of her clothes, thinking she would have to make it up to Rui Shi somehow. But was that even possible? Could she offer him something, anything, that he would consider a proper compensation for this? She truly doubted it…

Rui Shi huffed as he stood outside the room, trying not to scowl because of what had happened. He had anticipated that she might say no, even if part of him certainly resented her for it. But he had also planned for what to do if the Princess denied him this request. While no doubt Rui Shi had to keep Azula at the top of his priorities, he certainly found it difficult to obey her when she was setting such a contradictory example. He didn't know if his disagreements with the Princess made him a bad guard, but he didn't want to take no for an answer.

He shook his head, began his way downstairs, and heard a door creaking open when he was on the second floor of the tower. He glanced to the side and froze upon finding Admiral Zhao standing in the corridor. The man's eyebrows were raised.

"Captain?" he said. Rui Shi swallowed hard and nodded.

"Admiral."

"What… is going on?" Zhao asked, looking at him quizzically. "Why are you in the tower? Was there a security breach?"

"T-the Princess feared as much, yes. She summoned me, I made sure that there was no threat. I'm leaving now," he said, nodding. Zhao nodded as well as Rui Shi turned to leave, his heart racing.

"Captain…"

Rui Shi stopped and glanced at Zhao, who gestured at Rui Shi's hands.

"You shouldn't break protocol," he said. "The next time the Princess summons you, you ought to keep your helmet in place, yes?"

Rui Shi froze briefly, the words stinging him with enough force to stun him. He nodded, cladding his head with his hood and helmet, hoping his face wasn't as flushed as it felt. Being caught by a superior officer while breaking protocol was quite embarrassing. Not to mention, he highly doubted Zhao had believed the lie he had told him in the first place…

"Good day, then, Captain," said Zhao, dismissively. Rui Shi nodded and resumed his walk downstairs.

Zhao's eyes narrowed once Rui Shi was gone. He let his gaze travel upwards, staring at the ceiling. Just above him was the Princess's room, the place the Captain had come from. While no doubt Azula would often spend long periods of time by herself with only other men, such as during each voyage she undertook, this seemed odd, out of place. Even… intimate. Why would a captain of guards visit his charge when the sun hadn't yet risen? Why would he feel the need to remove his helmet at all…?

Zhao swallowed hard, trying not to jump to conclusions. Azula was a woman of ambitions, not a foolish child who would begin relationships with the wrong people on a whim. She would know better than that, wouldn't she?

And yet the thought nagged at Zhao, as he climbed the stairs to the deck to watch the sunrise. Could it be? Was the Princess concealing some sort of secret, inappropriate love affair…?