The sounds of nature woke her, and it wasn't long before she realized she hadn't fallen asleep in her own bed. The texture of the sheets was foreign, although they felt nice against her bare skin. She sighed as her body woke, pleasant soreness stirring in her lower belly. Some part of her wanted to stay there, comfortably nestled in the warm mattress for hours on end… but another part of her grew aware of the fact that she was alone despite having climbed into bed with company.

She opened her eyes lazily, but somewhat nervously, as she glanced across the room. Where was…?

Rui Shi stared back at her as he fastened the ties of his shirt. Song blinked drowsily, and smiled when she saw him doing the same.

"I was about to wake you," he said, walking towards her. He was already fully dressed – in yesterday's clothes, unsurprisingly. Song smiled weakly as he sat beside her on the mattress, his fingers brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "Good morning."

"Hi," she said, with a shy grin. "For a moment I thought you'd…"

"Left?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Not without you, I won't. But… I do have to go back to the Palace soon. Sokka must have gone home by now, if all went well, and… I have duties that I can't avoid for two days in a row."

"I know," said Song, smiling and nodding. "Best that you get to them, right?"

"Right. Well, that is, if I'm not walking right into my termination as a Royal Guard," he said, with a defeated smile. Song's smile vanished. "I know, maybe it won't happen, but even if it does… well, I can safely say it was worth it."

"Yes, well… it was," Song agreed, blushing and grinning as Rui Shi kissed her brow.

"Let's have breakfast, then. And for once, you won't have to make it yourself," he said, with a proud grin. Song laughed.

"I'm actually pretty happy about that," she said, smiling brightly. "You pamper me too much, Rui Shi."

"I most certainly do not. It's never too much," he said, beaming and pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, before kissing him willfully.

She was slightly bashful as he helped her get dressed: it was one thing for him to see her while his eyes were clouded by his emotions, by love and desire intertwined, with the cover of darkness to keep him from seeing every single detail across her body. It was another for him to see her in the morning, with light drifting through the windows, giving him an opportunity to determine, far more rationally and consciously, whether she was good enough for him or not.

Yet her uncertainties went forgotten as he helped her get dressed, as respectfully as he could do so. But sometimes his hands brushed intimate parts of her body, and it was hard for either of them to tell who was leaning closer, who was the more daring one… they stole a few kisses and caresses, holding one another and smiling non-stop.

The moment that touched Song the most, however, was Rui Shi's offer to help her with her shoes. She sat on the bed as he knelt before her, but instead of picking up the shoe, his hand moved to her right calf. She was startled at first as he gently lifted her skirt a little higher, but she relaxed and even blushed when he kissed the old burn softly.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked. She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Not really," she admitted. "It did for some time. But by now it's just… well, a reminder of a bad day. An unsightly scar I wish I didn't have."

Rui Shi gritted his teeth but nodded, pressing his head to her knee. Song touched his hair, hoping to reassure him that she was fine.

"It doesn't take away from your beauty," he said. She swallowed hard, color rising in her cheeks again. "I hope you know that. But even so… I wish you had never been hurt this way, too."

"Rui Shi…" she said, smiling kindly as she moved a hand to touch his face.

He looked up at her, eyes remorseful but loving. She sighed and leaned close to kiss his forehead.

"We can't change the past. But I know you won't let anything else hurt me," she said. The words seemed to encourage him, and he smiled and nodded.

"Nothing will, as long as I have a say upon the matter," he said, cupping her cheek. "You truly are the warmest, kindest soul I've known. To think a firebender hurt you this way, and yet you've allowed me into your life like this…"

"Well, the Princess dragged Sokka away from his home and look at them now," she said, smiling at Rui Shi. "If they hurt each other as many times as they did, and yet they've found a way to be together, we certainly shouldn't have nearly as much trouble as them."

"It's true. We certainly won't," he said, lifting her hands to his lips and kissing the knuckles softly. "That doesn't mean you're not as admirable as I think you are, though. You're still wonderful, Song."

"So are you," she said, beaming at him as he finally put on her shoes. He smiled to himself at her words and kissed her leg one more time. He pulled her skirt down over her knee again right afterwards.

They shared breakfast in the dining room of the inn and left the establishment when the sun was barely rising. Rui Shi breathed deeply as he gazed at the Palace: it rose ominously a few avenues away, filling him with unease. He wondered if the Princess's wrath would be just as daunting as the building looked from afar…

"I can go home by myself, don't be late," said Song, bringing him out of his thoughts as she smiled at him. "You've already caused yourself enough trouble."

"Maybe I can handle a little bit more trouble," said Rui Shi, biting his lip. Song laughed and shook her head.

"Go. And, well… whatever happens, you know where to find me," she said, smiling warmly at him. He nodded and embraced her tightly.

"I'll run to you as soon as I can," he whispered by her ear. She relaxed in his arms, basking in the bliss of being loved by him as she was. "I hope we won't be apart for long."

"I hope so too," she said, moving in for a soft kiss. "Now go. You have no time to waste."

"It's no waste if I'm with you," he said, smiling and kissing her again. "I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too," she said, beaming as he pulled away, letting go of her fingers begrudgingly, but with a warm smile.

He turned towards the streets, seeking a tunnel through which he could sneak inside the Palace while avoiding detection… but finding it would be the easy part. It was whatever came afterwards, once he was expected to accompany the Princess to the Temple, what made him uneasy…

Song didn't take long to reach the house, feeling refreshed and tired simultaneously. Rui Shi's gift of lodging and food had given rise to a nice feeling of laziness within her, and she hardly felt like making Sokka's breakfast, despite she knew she was supposed to.

She glanced up at his room, at first wondering what he'd say about her suspicious absence last night. Maybe he'd think she had seduced Rui Shi, which would prove that his theory that women were as perverted as men was correct… the thought made her blush, but she couldn't quite bring herself to refute that possibility. Not when she had enjoyed herself so much last night.

But it caught her eye that Sokka's door would be ajar. She frowned and climbed the stairs slowly, wondering if he had simply left it that way carelessly…

There was no one inside. Sokka wasn't home.

The blood slowed inside her as she thought of every possible reason why Sokka wouldn't be here. Had he decided to keep pretending he was Rui Shi? Had he been caught in his deception? Why wouldn't he be home when it was barely daybreak…?

Climbing the steps of the Temple could be a tiring practice, but it wasn't much of a challenge for a trained gladiator. Sokka ascended across those seemingly endless stairs as quickly as he could, reaching the top to find a very different Temple from the one he'd seen yesterday: instead of noise and bustling crowds, there were mutters and reverent silence. Instead of gathering in groups, the few people within the building seemed to move on their own, walking purposefully towards their destinations.

Sokka had no idea what those destinations were, or whether he should head there with them or not. People would enter the building, but many of them came out moments afterwards, and they would head to a path to the right of the Temple. Sokka watched them go with confusion, wishing Azula were here already. She would help him find his bearings, tell him what to do…

But while she had said she would be here early, it seemed she hadn't arrived yet. Sokka waited by the door for around an hour, watching the horizon in hopes to catch Azula crossing the Palace's gates and heading to the Temple, but it didn't happen.

"You're… the Princess's gladiator?"

The voice was unfamiliar, but Sokka turned towards it anyways. A young man with ornate red robes stood opposite to him, wearing a tall red hat that looked slightly ridiculous to Sokka.

"Um, yeah. That'd be me," said Sokka, nodding. "You're a Sage?"

"Yes, I am. I know I look young… well, I am the youngest of the Sages," said the man, smiling awkwardly. "Which is why they sent me to take care of the door just now… would you like to pay your respects to the departed, too?"

"I… don't know for sure," said Sokka, with an awkward smile. He certainly didn't want to pay any respects to some of the departed that he knew would be revered today. Such as the Fire Lord who had started the war, and most of all his grandson, the one who had ordered the raids that had destroyed the Water Tribes and killed Sokka's own mother…

"Oh, but you should," said the Sage, with a soft laugh. "I bet you're only being shy. Come on! I'll show you around, and I'll tell you what to do so you won't have to worry about doing it wrong."

"There's a way of doing it wrong?" Sokka asked, with genuine curiosity. If he gave it some thought, no doubt there had to be about a thousand ways to desecrate and insult the memory of the Fire Lords of old. Maybe he'd be able to put a few of them into practice before he got kicked out of the Temple…

"Well, not entirely, as long as you do it from the heart, but…" said the Sage, before shrugging. "You're only standing out here doing nothing, no one else in need of guidance has arrived, so I can spare a few minutes and give you a tour. Come along."

Sokka sighed but agreed, nodding towards the Sage and wishing again that Azula were here already. He would much rather hear these explanations from her rather than a stranger…

But Azula was otherwise engaged at the moment. Sokka hadn't known she would be ambushed with a new task by her father when she arrived at yesterday's feast: she had woken up well before dawn and taken a ride to a very unpleasant location, right outside the Capital, accompanied by none other than Admiral Zhao, who had offered to take her there.

Ozai wasn't entirely mad at her, she could tell, even though he certainly wanted her to face unpleasant consequences for her insolence from yesterday. He seemed to be entertained by what she'd done, though. He had enjoyed her stories of how she had stirred the masses to purchase more goods at the festival than ever before, and indeed, every stall's report reflected that they had earned a larger share of money than they had in at least ten years. Ozai had been amused and pleased.

And then he had reminded her she had to deal with the homeless people herself. The homeless people he had locked up in the Prison Tower, right outside the Capital.

"I could check on them myself, if you'd like," Zhao offered, as the two of them walked towards the tall, ominous building. "I doubt Ozai has ever set foot in here. I'm not sure you should do it, either."

"I'm not particularly daunted by walking into prison, Admiral," said Azula, curtly. "I'm not intimidated by whatever prisoners my father keeps here, White Lotus or Rough Rhinos or whatever else they may be. I'm here under my father's orders, after all."

"Still, regardless of your orders… what Ozai doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" said Zhao. Azula's stomach lurched nervously.

"Huh. Indeed," Just how many times had she used those same words to justify her relationship with Sokka? Did Zhao really believe in keeping secrets from Ozai, or was he trying to set her up for treason somehow…?

Ah, she hadn't suspected Zhao of any cruel ploys for several days now. It surely had been a new record, one that she had broken just now.

"I merely don't want you to be uncomfortable," said Zhao, as they crossed the doors he had opened for Azula.

"Then stop telling me I shouldn't be here," said Azula, with a dry grin. "That might make me a tad bit more comfortable, Admiral."

"Do excuse me, then. It won't happen again."

"I hope so."

The guards in the prison were nervous over the Fire Lord's daughter's sudden visit, but they led her to where the homeless people were being kept, on the second floor. Azula and Zhao followed them silently: the atmosphere of the dark tower would have suppressed their urges to hold a conversation if they'd had any such urges to begin with. The corridors they traversed were lined with metal bars, but every cell was empty: the dangerous prisoners surely were held higher in the tower.

"Here we are," said the guard. Azula frowned as they reached a door, and he pushed it open.

To Azula's surprise, she didn't enter another cellblock. It was a dining room, or so it seemed, with several long tables: the group of homeless people, dressed in pitiful rags, sat at one of them, eating ravenously. They didn't look up at the sound of the door, no doubt too famished to care for whoever had entered their room.

"We were told they weren't exactly criminals," said the soldier who had led them, shrugging. "But I don't think we'll need any bars to keep them here: they've eaten every plate we've put in front of them and they still want more. Not sure if they should eat so fast, might upset their stomachs…"

"I suppose they've been starving for so long that they don't care about that," said Azula, nodding towards the soldier. "Stand guard by the door, then."

"Yes, Princess," he said.

Azula stepped forward, and she heard Zhao's footsteps behind her, but not too close. She took that as a sign that she would be able to speak with the homeless people without his interference.

They didn't look up until she was standing right beside them. She resisted the urge to take a step back when their scent reached her: unsurprisingly, they hadn't cleaned up in ages.

Each pair of eyes rose towards her slowly, warily, as if they dreaded she'd come to take away the bowls of rice they were devouring desperately. Few meals looked as unappetizing to Azula as that plain rice.

"Good morning," she started, with a dry grin. "I hear you were the people who attacked my Royal Procession?"

Their fear intensified with that. Azula only watched them, assessing everything she could about them just by studying their reactions.

"N-no! It was no attack…!"

"We thought you were the Fire Lord!"

"We didn't want to hurt anyone, we…!"

"Hush," she said, raising a hand to slow them down. "I'm aware you weren't after me. I noticed that much, at least, amid the confusion. You say you weren't out to hurt anyone… and I'd like to believe that, too. But I would like to know what you were doing, then, if not attacking or disrupting a public event for the sake of it…"

"We… we were told the Fire Lord would help us," said one of the women of the group. "A man told us… he saw us, found us, said the Fire Lord would…"

"Oh? Did he live in a box, by any chance?" Azula asked, skeptical. She had wondered if that first homeless man was still around…

"Well, no. That's another man," said the same woman. Azula frowned.

"So, he's still out there…?" she asked, grimacing. The whole group nodded, not even questioning why Azula would know the man they were talking about. But Zhao wasn't taking anything for granted the way the others were.

"Is who out there?" Zhao asked. Azula sighed.

"Some madman I met when I was searching for a house for my gladiator," she said. "They got along fairly well, I just assumed they were equally insane…"

"Harsh," said Zhao, smiling a little. Azula turned her attention to the homeless people again.

"You were told by someone that the Fire Lord would aid you," she repeated. "And that you should… crash the parade to get his help?"

"He said… he said he would take pity on us," said one of the men this time. "He would see how hurt his people were, and he would want to help us…"

"His people?" Zhao repeated, frowning. "You… you mean, the lot of you are…? Are you trueborn Fire Nation citizens?"

The blood chilled in Azula's blood when the whole group nodded.

Ozai had almost sent an entire group of Fire Nation citizens to their execution, when their only crime had been following poor advice given by some dubious source. Azula's fists tightened at either side of her body.

Either the person who had encouraged them to attack the parade had some sort of grudge on the group… or on the Fire Lord. It could have been a trap to tarnish Ozai's public image. Admittedly, they didn't need to try too hard to do more of that: while still a beloved Fire Lord, in general, Ozai was far from the most popular Fire Lord in history.

Rumors would have spread, and people would have talked. It already would have damaged Ozai's image if the homeless people's presence in the Capital became common knowledge, but if they had been caught by Ozai's Imperial Guards, who would have killed them without a second thought, there was no telling what sorts of revolts could occur. Commoners throughout the Fire Nation, Honorary Citizens who had never fully trusted Ozai, slaves and servants: all of them could have risen up in arms against the Fire Lord, and if they had, the Fire Nation would have faced not only a civil war, but enough of a conflict to…

Azula stopped her thoughts abruptly. She was getting ahead of herself, seeing too deeply into this. Chances were that, if Ozai had executed them, people would have simply assumed he was well within his rights to do so. And nothing would have happened.

But whoever had gotten these people up to this hadn't been betting on that. They had used them as pawns, vulnerable and desperate as they were, in hopes of sabotaging Ozai's day, at least, if their goals weren't more ambitious than that.

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She didn't want to make wild assumptions, but it was hard to help it. Using others as tools for their own ends… it was a move worthy of Jeong Jeong. He had displayed great disregard for who died and who lived when it came to achieving his goals. He had sent his men to attack a fortress they had no opportunity to lay waste to, and who knew how many of them had died in that stunt? If those men had been his allies, and he hadn't cared much for their lives, who was to say he would care at all for common, homeless people?

Then again, it could just be anyone, any other White Lotus member. The spy was still out there… but if she was right to assume it was her uncle, then the spy certainly hadn't been up to this, since Iroh was probably reaching the Earth Kingdom by now. Maybe she was right to think there was more than one spy, more than two, perhaps…

"What did this man look like? The one you spoke with?" Azula asked.

The homeless people glanced at each other, as if waiting for someone to answer the question. The first woman did.

"Nothing special…" she shrugged. "Dark hair, dark skin. He wore a hood, see, we couldn't see much of him."

"He had a scar across his cheek," said another woman, and they glanced at her. "I peeked…"

"Not very polite, peeking into a stranger's hood," said another man, before throwing a load of rice into his mouth.

"Then… someone put you up to this. I suppose you're slightly gullible, but that's not a crime that warrants being in prison," said Azula, glancing at the guard. "I'll have you released and…"

"NO!"

Azula's eyes widened, as did Zhao's. The despair in that shout, spoken at unison by all the seven homeless people, left her floored.

"T-there's food," explained one of them.

"It's shelter, good against… good against the rain," said another one.

"Don't make us go," said the first woman, pleadingly. "I… I beg you, I… we'll do anything… w-we can clean floors, we can. We can work."

The others nodded too, and Azula's chest tightened. She averted her gaze for a moment before glancing at Zhao: he seemed just as confused as she was.

"You don't have anywhere else to go?" she asked the group. "No family to speak of?"

"Zan is my sister…" said one of the men, looking at the woman who had been speaking the most. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"I meant, anyone with a home to their name," said Azula, but her question was met by silence. "I guess not."

"If we had anyplace to be… we'd be there by now," said the youngest man of the group. Azula regarded him with an apologetic stare.

"I'm sorry," she said. They tensed up. "I mean, I'm sorry I asked. I don't know what your stories are, but… I suppose I'll ask about them later. I have several things to do today, so… I guess you'll keep eating the prison's food supply for a few more days. At least, until I figure out what to do with you."

Their eyes lit up gratefully, and they smiled brightly at her. One woman tried to reach for her hand, perhaps to shake it to thank her, but Zhao stopped her. His grip around her wrist wasn't strong, but it kept the others from repeating that mistake.

"Be more respectful," he said. "This is the Crown Princess you're speaking to."

Azula's eyebrow twitched, as all the homeless people stared at her in awe and disbelief. Well, who did they think she was? They had crashed the parade because they had mistaken her palanquin for her father's, did they assume every random Fire Nation citizen in the Capital had a palanquin?

She knew nothing of the lives they had led so far, though, so perhaps they did think so. Azula closed her eyes, wishing she knew the full story already, but knowing she couldn't stay longer. The Temple's ritual would be beginning soon, and Sokka would be waiting. Sokka… how she ached to see him after this. To tell him what she'd just discovered. To bury her face in his chest and find comfort from the harsh truths she was being forced to face.

She hadn't been wrong when she had told Ozai that his system was failing. She just hadn't expected it to fail the Fire Nation citizens as well as the outsiders.

Not that the outsiders had it any better. She knew most people in the Earth Kingdom weren't living it up: she had stayed in a village for a night and heard as those people whispered in corners about how untrustworthy and dangerous she was, right after she had saved their lives. She knew there were people like Aonu, who were born with the rights of any Fire Nation citizen, but whose Earth Kingdom heritage had made him a reject, a joke, his father's worthless, illegitimate son, merely because of his earthbending.

And most of all, she knew about the slaves' struggles. Sokka had told her, recounted his sorrows from Hui Yi in a night long past, and she had been forced to accept not only that the man she loved carried heavy burdens within himself, but that those burdens were her own fault. She had sentenced him to slavery, not suspecting he would become a bright beacon in her life so many years later, never knowing his smile would destroy her fears and reassure her in her worst moments. He had been one more of the pile, and now he was special: how many other slaves weren't special to anyone? How many of them were still enduring the misery Sokka had to put up with? How many of them had lost whatever dignity they had left in towns of decadence, the way Suki had?

It was horrifying. It was painful. It was wrong. The words she had spoken the day before reverberated in her mind: her people deserved better than this. She had no doubt they did. And she had been granted the power to change that.

"I will return. Hopefully, with an answer," she said, nodding towards them. "Carry on, then. Don't inconvenience the prison guards much."

"Thank you so much…"

"You have no idea what this means…!"

"Oh, you've saved us, I knew the Fire Lord would help!"

Azula left the room without another word, amongst the grateful clamors of the people she had hoped to save. They seemed satisfied so far. She wasn't.

Zhao's carriage awaited outside, and they climbed on without dawdling. The soldiers at the prison gates bowed towards them as the wheels began spinning, guiding them back to the Capital.

"Of all the things I could have expected, I never thought they would be trueborn Fire Nation citizens," said Zhao, almost slumping in his seat. His eyes were wide. "I never imagined our own people would be in such a state."

"Neither did I, but then again… is it truly that surprising?" she said, narrowing her eyes. Zhao frowned.

"Come again?"

"I was present during some audiences my father held well over a year ago. A commoner was amongst the petitioners, and he begged my father to help him and his village. The new factories and refineries have damaged the water supply of villages and towns throughout the nation, and our people grow sick and even die because of it. My father didn't heed his words."

"Then… you think these people are refugees?" asked Zhao. Azula shrugged.

"It's not impossible. It's either that, or the ease with which our own people are being demoted into slavery," she said. "The commoner who made that petition lost his temper, attempted to attack my father, but I held him off. My father demoted him into slavery immediately. How many people has he turned into slaves this way? How many of our own? There are quite a lot of firebending gladiators, after all."

"Not all of them are slaves," Zhao muttered, but the look in his eyes showed Azula's words were reaching him, or so she hoped.

"That any of them are slaves is ridiculous enough," said Azula, closing her eyes. "The Millennium Dragon is a slave, isn't he?"

"Born to the Colonies, though."

"And yet we have Honorary Citizens who are treated with more respect than he gets, as a firebender. Such as his sponsor, even if he doesn't get much of it," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. Zhao sighed.

"What is it you want, then?" he asked. "Yesterday you gave a speech about spreading our greatness by welcoming those foreigners, by showing them why they should want to be amongst us, and… now you're upset that they receive better treatment than our own?"

"You misunderstand," Azula said. "I believe we are responsible for our own, just as we are for those we've taken under our wing. My problem isn't about who's treated right or wrong, who has more benefits or who lacks them: it's the fact that people who shouldn't be suffering under my father's rule can be found roaming the borders of our capital city, hoping to find solace by begging the Fire Lord to help them. We are responsible for that, Admiral, just as we are for every tortured slave, every dismissed Honorary Citizen. We have resources from all over the world at our grasp now, but we can't feed our own people? Is it we can't, or do we just not care to?"

"It's true we ought to feed them," Zhao consented, rubbing his forehead. "But gifting things to them on a silver platter…"

"It's not what I would want either, no," said Azula. "If it were up to me, everyone would earn their dues. But how much use would a starving man be at lifting rocks for construction, for example? How does a child perform at average levels in school if he has no roof to live under? It's not our job to gift our people with anything, but it is our job to provide means and opportunities that will enable them to become productive members of society."

"Goodness, you are slightly terrifying," said Zhao, with a crooked smile. "What has taken your forefathers a hundred years, you probably could have achieved in five. You're quite the force to be reckoned with."

"I try to be," Azula admitted, glancing out the window with uncertainty. "But I can't change everything on my own. I can't change anything on my own, actually. It's a complicated issue that I'll only resolve if my father ever decides to listen to me, but as far as I can tell, he has no interest in doing that…"

"He does prize your advice," said Zhao. "Truthfully, Ozai admires you. I never have seen such a thing as admiration from a parent towards their child, it's always the other way around… but he thinks you're remarkable. Inspiring, even. But… he is the Fire Lord."

"And all shall be as he wishes in the end, regardless of what any of us want or think," said Azula, crossing her arms over her chest. "Does he ignore your advice too?"

"Often. If anything, more often ever since he thought it'd lead him astray with your mother that one time," said Zhao, with a sad smile. "He's a stubborn man. Don't take offense if I say you inherited that trait from him."

"I won't," said Azula, with a small grin of her own.

"Then again, your mother was also insanely stubborn. Goodness knows if she was more stubborn than your father," said Zhao, grimacing. "If you've taken after both their stubbornness, then…"

"Then I'll have the potential to drag everyone to hell with me just because I refuse to see sense?" she said, her smile widening. Zhao chuckled.

"But also the potential to save everyone, even if they're determined not to be saved," said Zhao. "As long as your judgment remains sound, you will make a remarkable Fire Lord."

"I can only hope so," said Azula. "Hopefully better than the ones we're about to visit, at any rate."

"Do you mind if I drop you off at the Temple?" said Zhao, biting his lip. Azula raised an eyebrow. "I shall head back to the Temple later myself, but I'd rather visit the lake first."

"You have many people to pay your respects to, I imagine," said Azula, and Zhao nodded.

Soldiers, perhaps. His own parents, seeing as now she knew how he'd lost them. It was reasonable that he would choose them over the Fire Lords, even if it wasn't considered appropriate. Azula wouldn't blame him or behold him to any traditions: she had spent long enough with Sokka to know that respecting the Fire Lords wasn't something you could force on someone else. Zhao had always been much like Ozai, and he had never seemed content during the days of Azulon's reign. Azula couldn't fault him for not wanting to pay any respects to her grandfather, not when she wasn't particularly keen on doing it herself.

She allowed Zhao to take her all the way to the Temple, and she dismounted the carriage before nodding towards him. The driver kept the door open after her.

"Thank you for the drive to the Prison Tower today. You didn't have to do that," Azula said. Zhao smiled a little.

"You could have done it alone, I know. I wanted to see who they were for myself, though. I'm that selfish," he said. Azula laughed softly.

"Of course. Have a good day, Admiral."

He nodded towards her as Azula turned to the Temple's steps…

Where she found three of her guards waiting for her. One of them with golden highlights in his uniform.

Her eyes narrowed as she heard Zhao's carriage speeding away. She took a few steps towards the men, regarding them with curt nods as they made quick reverences for her.

"Good day to you. You were slightly late to accompany me in my visit to the Prison Tower," she said, narrowing her eyes at Rui Shi. He seemed to tense up under her scrutiny. "Not that there was room for any of you in Admiral Zhao's carriage, but nonetheless, I expected otherwise."

"I'll take responsibility for my mistakes, Princess."

His voice made Azula's stomach churn mildly: it was him, alright. Some foolish part of her heart wished he was still Sokka, for having a perfect excuse to keep him around her at all times was rather convenient. Losing that excuse proved more disappointing that she expected it to be.

"I'm glad to hear it, Captain," she said. "Jianghuo, Qiang, have you paid your respects to my forefathers yet?"

"We haven't," Qiang answered.

"We hoped to do it after you did, Princess," said Jianghuo.

"And here I hoped to have a chat with the Captain, myself," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Where are the others?"

"Already by the lake," said Rui Shi. "We were to escort you through your visit until you could meet with them there."

"Then I suggest you reunite with the rest of the guards faster than that, Jianghuo, Qiang," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "I do have a few things to straighten out with the Captain, and I'd much rather have no witnesses, if you don't mind."

Qiang and Jianghuo glanced warily at Rui Shi, almost as if they were giving him wordless condolences, despite they had no idea why the Princess was so hostile towards the Captain today. Rui Shi didn't move an inch, though. Azula stared at the two other guards with skeptical eyes.

"Well? Was I unclear, or are you being rebellious, on top of unpunctual?"

"Excuse us, Princess," said Jianghuo, bowing down to her. Qiang followed suit.

She knew they would be confused by how quickly her mood had changed. She had acted fine the previous day, after all. Suddenly she seemed ready to bite Rui Shi's head off for a minor transgression… but all things considered, her guards had been witness to Azula's harshest demeanor many times in the past. It might be of little surprise to them if the Princess's mood changed easily.

Only when they had walked towards the paved road that led to the lake did Azula dare speak, and only after she had glanced about herself enough times to feel confident that there were no dangerous eavesdroppers nearby.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Captain?" she asked, with a sarcastic grin. "Any confessions about something that you've felt guilty for…?"

Rui Shi was visibly uncomfortable, even while disguised under his armor and helmet. Azula raised her eyebrows at his silence.

"Huh. I suppose I didn't give Sokka enough credit at first. He certainly managed to perform that guilty silence of yours to perfection."

"I didn't think anything dangerous would happen. I was wrong," Rui Shi confessed. "When I heard of what had happened, I… I knew I should have been there to protect you."

"And yet you can't bring yourself to regret it," said Azula, with a smirk. Rui Shi sighed. "How predictable."

"Would you have regretted it, if you could have done the same?" Rui Shi asked. Azula froze. "If you could have had one normal day with him, one day of not hiding who you are, or, well, what you mean to each other… would you regret taking it?"

Azula lowered her gaze. She was tempted to lie, but Rui Shi already knew the truth: he had seen that truth with his own eyes. He had watched her throw caution and responsibility to the wind, kissing Sokka without a care in the world on the roof of Piandao's old mansion. He had heard her desperate pleas in the forest as she begged him to help her save Sokka, comforted her when she broke down, terrified of losing him. Lying to him would be futile. She couldn't pretend to be a perfect, dignified Princess, who would always choose her duty over the man she loved. She had never been like that, not when it came to Sokka.

"I wouldn't. I haven't. I never would," Azula said, bluntly. Rui Shi nodded. "Yet after so long of being scolded by you, berated for the irresponsibility of my actions… it's merely ironic that, when facing the same situation, you have chosen her over me. Just as I'll choose him over everyone else."

"You could say I learned from the best," Rui Shi blurted out. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"That you did. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be an insult or a compliment," she said. To her surprise, Rui Shi's soft chuckle was audible. "But I do wonder where that leaves us. You certainly understand my plight now, and I would lie if I claimed I don't understand yours. But you realize that your shirking of your duties could have easily signified a major threat to my life…"

"I… I know that," said Rui Shi, tensing up again. "I don't know what happened yet, I know that if I were to ask anyone, they would realize I wasn't there, so I… I don't know what happened, but I'm sorry. As much as I don't regret choosing Song, I do regret not being there when you needed me."

"When you say you don't regret it…" she asked, looking at him carefully, "… are you trying to say you'd do it again, Captain?"

"I…" he started, but even he seemed uncertain of the answer to that question. "I… I honestly just wish there was no choice to be made. That I could have both my job, and Song. But I know that may not be the case. I know I failed you. I'm ready to face the consequences."

Azula frowned, but Rui Shi lowered his head as he stood with his hands behind his back. She snorted and looked at him in disbelief.

"You're telling me that you… you are fine with being fired?" she asked. "You don't mind if I give you the boot right now?"

"If anything, I'd encourage you to do it," he said. Her eyes widened now. "I am no longer fit to serve as your guard. I wish I could claim otherwise, I wish I could balance both my personal life and my duties as your guard, but I failed when faced with the very first obstacle. I do not know if I still deserve the honor of serving you."

"Ah. And what shall you do from now on, then?" Azula asked, matter-of-factly. Rui Shi swallowed hard.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I do think I can search for other jobs, but… I can't say I look forward to it."

"Losing the privileged position of serving as a Royal Guard… you do realize that's not a blow most people recover from, right?" she asked. "It's not a very compelling confession to make to a new employer, whoever they may be."

"I'll figure something out. I've caused you enough trouble, so I will take care of my problems on my own," he said, nodding towards her.

"Well, I should hope so," said Azula, nodding. "I certainly don't enjoy saving everyone whenever they get into trouble. I'm glad you're being so considerate."

Rui Shi sighed and nodded again.

"Then… shall I hand in my resignation, or…?"

"You can take your resignation letter and set it on fire, as far as I'm concerned," said Azula, rolling her eyes. Rui Shi jumped. "Do you seriously think I'm going to kick you out?"

"I…"

"Where else am I going to find a Captain as trustworthy as you, I wonder?" she asked, with a dry grin.

"But… well, I could give you recommendations, if you need them," Rui Shi said, nervously. Azula laughed.

"Ah, it's almost like you genuinely want to lose your job. Well, if that's the case, don't worry: you exasperated me plenty yesterday, a few more of those stunts and I'll certainly lose my patience and get rid of you," she said, smirking. "But even if I did want to fire you, I have enough reasons not to."

"Even if you wanted to…?" Rui Shi repeated, swallowing hard. "Isn't it… what I deserve?"

"Certainly" said Azula, nodding. "Just as I deserve to be stoned and shamed throughout the Fire Nation for being a stain upon my family's honor, and as Sokka deserves to… you know, I'm not even going to say it. As you can see, him and I have made a sport out of avoiding our apparently deserved fates, and you shall have an opportunity to do the same thing. Only, of course, if you get on my bad side too many times, you're certainly not going to get just another slap on the wrist for it. I mean it."

"I understand…" said Rui Shi, smiling a little behind his mask before pressing his lips into a tight line. "Though… I suppose you're also doing it for your benefit?"

"Spot on," said Azula, smirking. "Why, yes, I certainly can't have another Captain, not at this point. It isn't about me distrusting you, nothing further from the truth… but a new Captain? One who might prove even more stubborn than you, who might follow me anywhere and everywhere, giving me no chances to, uh…?"

"Do not finish that sentence," said Rui Shi, with a curt grin of his own. Azula laughed.

"Fine. The point is, I can't carry on as I have if the game's players change," she said, shrugging. "But I do have to say, I'm not all that fond of this rebellious streak of yours. Not really. The next time you plot something like this…"

"Sokka is going to rat me out before I can pull it off," said Rui Shi, nodding. Azula smirked.

"He might. Unless you present him with another tempting offer, I guess, but I do plan on keeping a closer eye on you both. If I catch you whispering in corners or hear that you've been spending too much time together, you'll face the consequences you deserve."

"Only me?" Rui Shi asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula beamed.

"He has ways to persuade me not to unleash my rage on him. You, on the other hand…" she said, shrugging as she moved towards the Temple's steps. Rui Shi followed.

"I am not as resourceful, I guess," he said, nodding. "Still, I… I'll try not to do this again. I will get an official leave of absence, pretend I'm sick, request soldiers or Imperial Guards to fill in for me…"

"Are you still worried about the attack?" Azula asked. Rui Shi grimaced. "You really don't know what happened, huh? Not even a little bit?"

"It was impossible to tell from the crowd," he admitted. Azula chuckled.

"Well, the next time a group of homeless people rush my Procession to beg us to feed them, I hope you'll be right there with a bowl of rice ready for them to gobble down," she said. Rui Shi froze for a second before rushing to follow her.

"Homeless…?"

"It wasn't a real threat, Rui Shi," said Azula. Not to them, anyways. Only to her father's stability on the throne, and she had handled the situation in such a way that his image had not been damaged. She hoped her father would be grateful for that, at least.

"Then…" he said, sighing in relief. "No one was hurt?"

"Only a few nervous fools from the squad in front of my Procession," said Azula, with a small smile. "It wasn't as worrisome as it seemed. Not really."

"Well… with the speech you gave, I had feared otherwise. I thought something dangerous had happened," he said, sighing again. "It was a good speech. Better than most I've heard from the Fire Lord, if I may."

"Why, thank you. Make sure not to say that in his presence, though. Not that you say anything in his presence, generally, but still…"

"Good job either way," he said. Azula smiled.

They reached the top of the stairs, to find reverent people heading inside the building to pray. Azula's heart picked up its pace merely by thinking Sokka was likely in there, somewhere, or by the lake, perhaps. Knowing him, he might have decided the Temple's rites were too much of a waste of time for him.

"I think you have enough people to light candles for," said Azula. Rui Shi raised his eyebrows. "Don't you?"

"I do. Do you want me to leave you to yourself?" he asked. "It is meant to be an individual ritual, but…"

"I won't be alone," said Azula, without looking at him. "Or, well, I doubt I will be."

"Huh. He's waiting for you in there?" said Rui Shi, with a small smile. "To think he dreaded that you would be upset at him for ages…"

"It's hard to stay mad after… yeah, you don't want to know," said Azula, with a proud grin. Rui Shi cringed. "Also, you're not getting that uniform back. Just saying."

"… If I do, I'll set it on fire."

"Ah, so extreme of you," said Azula, amused. "I'll tell Sokka to hide it properly then."

"You do that. And… greet him for me," said Rui Shi.

"Ah, should I give him a thank you note too? A kiss, while we're at it? Any invitations to the brand-new club of sneaky schemers who think they're too clever for me? Because, frankly, trying to get him to pretend he was you was such a foolish mistake that…"

"Oh, I knew he'd never manage to act like me, not entirely," said Rui Shi. Azula snorted.

"So, you deliberately set him up for failure?"

"I deliberately set him up to deal with you," said Rui Shi, smiling again. "And seeing as I'm not fired, and he's not dead, I think I guessed correctly when I assumed you were pleased to have him beside you instead of me."

"I suppose, after some point…" Azula mumbled. Rui Shi chuckled.

"Thank you, Princess. I… I don't deserve this second chance."

"I apparently have gotten into the habit of giving out those. I should be ashamed of myself," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "Run along, then. Before I radically change my mind about keeping you around."

"I know you won't."

"It's still fun to threaten you with it."

She could tell he was smiling under his helmet as he took off towards another path, this time a dirt road down a slope, that also led to the crater's lake. She watched him go, unable to suppress a smile of her own. She had been a dreadful influence on her guard, no doubt, but she had never heard him quite so happy. Duty and love didn't mix very well, not in their line of business, but just like Rui Shi, Azula couldn't bring herself to regret her decisions; she definitely couldn't regret serving as an example to Rui Shi when it came to putting those you loved first. If anything, she took pride in that.

She entered the Temple, and she soon spotted Sokka walking through the halls, accompanied by a young Sage. The look on Sokka's face told her he was desperate for rescue, and she was pleased to provide it when she did.

"… They were the best historians in the world, you see."

"How do you know? Did you ever read history written by anyone from other nations as a compar-…?"

"That's not relevant. They were from the Fire Nation, and that means they were the best. So, if you go down the hall, you'll find the shrines for the most important Royal Painters, the men tasked with creating the masterpieces that grace the Palace's Royal Gallery," said the Sage, gesturing in that direction. Sokka grimaced.

"Right. Have you ever seen those masterpieces?" he asked. The Sage blinked blankly.

"Why, no. Have you?"

"I, uh… ah! Azula!" he exclaimed, beaming brightly at her as the Sage beside him gasped.

"Y-you just… you can't address the Princess that way!" he exclaimed, before falling into reverence for the Princess.

Azula watched him bow down for a moment, stopping a few paces away from them, before making the conscious choice to ignore the Sage and turn to Sokka.

"It's been a while," she said, with a sarcastic grin. Sokka held back from laughing, knowing it was best to play along with her while in someone else's presence. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not that long," he said. "Though this guy has been telling me where everything is. He talks quite a bit. Is it true your ancestors' ashes are buried someplace down below?"

"The Dragon Catacombs, yes. But those aren't open to the public, not today or any day," said Azula, breathing deeply. "Well, then, if you already know where everything is, does that mean you've paid proper respect to the most outstanding Fire Nation people, outstanding enough that personal shrines have been erected in their honor?"

"I… certainly have not," said Sokka, grimacing. Azula smirked.

"Well, why's that? These people made the Fire Nation what it is!"

"That's exactly why I haven't."

"Nonsense. Come along, no need to be shy, you may have foreign origins but your blood flows just as red as the Fire Nation banner, meaning…"

"That…! B-blood color has nothing to do with belonging to one nation or another!" Sokka huffed. Azula smirked and gestured at him to follow her.

"Sure, sure. You can keep telling yourself as much, it makes no matter. I didn't ask you to come here for a picnic, now, did I?"

Sokka pouted and sighed as Azula walked away. He looked at the Sage, who still remained in a very uncomfortable position, his torso bent forward.

"I think you can stand upright already," he said, with a weak grin. "I, uh, I'll be going now. See you. Thanks for everything."

Sokka rushed off to follow Azula without checking if the Sage had changed positions or not. Relief flooded him: he wouldn't be able to spend quality time with Azula the way he would like, but it was much better to trade verbal jabs with her than endure the endless rambling of a Fire Nation nationalist like that Sage.

"Damn, can that guy talk," said Sokka, once he'd caught up with the Princess. He watched her smirk proudly: warmth spread in his chest upon seeing her smile.

"I do hope you weren't too bored," she said. "We shouldn't be long. While the ideal way to do this used to be to stop at every shrine to pray for guidance, over the course of the last few centuries it has been encouraged that you only do as much for your family, close acquaintances, or admired figures…"

"I can imagine. There are so many shrines in here that I'd forget who most of them are, myself," said Sokka. Azula laughed softly.

"Most people don't know who they are to begin with, so they wouldn't forget what they don't know," she said. "We're talking about celebrated people who did a few noteworthy things millennia ago. It's not always easy to keep track of the story of each shrine, I think only the Sages know them all."

"Which may be why that guy was hellbent on dumping all his knowledge on me," said Sokka, huffing. "He was quite the Fire Nation fanboy, I'll say."

"A lot of people are. I'm glad you held back the urge to punch him," said Azula, smiling sympathetically. Sokka chuckled.

"I didn't really want to punch him, but I did make snippy remarks once in a while. I did my best to hold back, though. I wouldn't have known what to do if he kicked me out of the Temple before you got here."

"Nice to know you were that eager to be with me," said Azula, in a whisper. Sokka bit his lip and she smiled warmly at him. "But alas, I have to pay my respects."

"Do you?" Sokka sighed, as Azula filed into the Royal Wing.

The Sage had fawned over this Wing for what had felt like hours. Sokka had held back from snapping at him when he started rambling about the wonders of Fire Lord Azulon: the wound of his mother's death, as commanded by that man, felt fresher these days than it had for years. If there was something he refused to do, it was to pay any respects to the man responsible for it.

Azula stopped before Azulon's shrine: it was the largest, and closest one. Sokka remained beside her, eyes narrow.

"His shrine is the largest of them all, as he was the last Fire Lord to perish," Azula commented.

"And I suppose you're expected to pray for him and whatnot?" Sokka muttered, begrudgingly. Azula glanced at him and he shrugged. "It's fine, it's fine, I'll just… look the other way. Pretend it's not happening, you know…"

"I am expected to, yes," she said, biting her lip but glancing at the shrine to Azulon's left.

She allowed her feet to move past Azulon's shrine. She stopped at the next one, read the name and eulogy, and leaned close to light the incense with her fingertips. Then she knelt, head bowed, hand fisted against her palm.

Sokka swallowed as he watched her, unsure of whose shrine she was honoring right now. Azulon's incense had yet to be lit, as did most the shrines in this portion of the hall. He approached Azula and read the name "Lu Ten" on the shrine's identification: her cousin.

Sokka closed his eyes knowingly, remembering what little Azula had spoken about him. From what he had been able to gather, she had admired the man. He had died in battle, one more casualty of the pointless Hundred Year War, another life lost to the ambitions of a Fire Lord… of the Fire Lord right beside his shrine, to be precise.

Sokka didn't know much about Lu Ten, and he didn't know if he should ever ask any questions about him. But if just for now, if just for Azula…

She almost jumped when she felt him kneeling beside her. Her eyes drifted towards him, as he studied her stance and bowed his head towards the shrine.

"What are you…?" she asked. Sokka smiled a little.

"I'm only trying to pay my respects to the dead. The ones who deserve it, anyways," he said, looking at her warmly. Her chest tightened. "You and him got along, right?"

"We… we did," Azula admitted. "He wasn't like his father. Lu Ten… he didn't choose a favorite between me and Zuko. He was a great cousin to us both."

"Then for that he certainly deserves some credit," said Sokka, smiling. Azula found herself smiling back.

"It's funny, but now I think of it… you and him would have gotten along marvelously," she said, with a soft laugh. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Would we, now?" he said, beaming. "Why do you think so?"

"Well, he had a tendency of saying ridiculous things, much like you do," said Azula. Sokka grimaced as she laughed softly. "He was humble, even if he was insanely talented. And he encouraged me to be the best I could be, but not by pushing me. He was… kind."

"Heh. Well, I have no idea how Iroh raised such a sensible son, but I like him," said Sokka, smiling and nodding before bowing towards the shrine. "Thank you for looking after Azula for all this time."

Her fists clenched, as did the knot in her throat. Sokka didn't have to do this: he could have stayed behind, begrudging this entire rite, wanting no part in it… instead he wanted to be involved in it, to know more about her family, to hear what she had to say. To pay his respects to those who had meant something to her…

"You have to stop it," she said, shaking her head. Sokka tensed up.

"Did I do it wrong…?" he asked. She hissed and shook her head harder as she stood up abruptly. "Azula?"

"I can't drag you into the nearest room and kiss you, damn it," she whispered. Sokka blushed. "I can't obey my impulses right now, so… stop making me want to obey them. Don't make me want you any more than I already do."

"I… will try," said Sokka, with a shy smile. Azula huffed and shook her head.

"Truthfully, it doesn't matter how hard you may try. I'll still want to get you to myself for what you've just done," she sighed, as Sokka stood up again. "Honestly, Sokka…"

"We're partners in everything, Azula," he said, smiling gently. "It doesn't matter what you do, where you go, what choices you make, I'll be beside you all along. And to berate you if you make the wrong decisions, of course…"

"Ha, because you're so wise you can talk me out of making huge mistakes?" Azula said, rolling her eyes but smiling. Sokka chuckled.

"My point is… your pain is my pain. Your dead are my dead. Your heart is what keeps mine beating. We belong together, Azula. And I'll be part of your life as long as you'll let me be in it."

She shook her head again, but he knew she was merely overwhelmed again. He smiled warmly, raising a hand as though to wrap her into an embrace, but he held back. It wasn't the time or place for it.

"You'll be in it forever. I don't know how you'll live with that, but that is what you're cursed with," she determined, swallowing hard and breathing deeply. Sokka chuckled. "At any rate…"

She bowed towards Lu Ten's shrine, keeping her head down for a moment before moving to her left now. Sokka followed again as Azula moved past Azulon's shrine once more, kneeling by the one to his right this time.

"And this is…?" Sokka asked, kneeling beside her.

"My grandmother. Ilah," said Azula, closing her eyes and bowing her head respectfully. Sokka gulped. "I never knew her, if that's what you're wondering."

"That's a shame. Grandmothers can be really nice," he said, with a sad smile.

She didn't doubt he was thinking of his own grandmother, but Sokka fell silent before making the proper reverence for the deceased Fire Lady. They remained in place for a few minutes, in silence this time, before Azula stood up.

"When did she die?" Sokka asked, glancing over the shrine in search for the dates of birth and demise.

"I believe my father was still a child," she said, closing her eyes. "He seemed fond of her. It's why I won't light her incense myself. I'll leave that to him."

"The closest relative should light the incense?" Sokka asked, standing up too. Azula nodded.

"Iroh should have lit Lu Ten's," she said. "But by now it's more common that he wouldn't do it, really. He was away for ten years, and through them all…"

"Through them all, you were the one who did it," said Sokka. Azula nodded again.

"And I suppose I could light a few others, too, but…"

Footsteps silenced them both quickly. Azula raised her head to find someone familiar approaching them. The old man in red robes was a stranger to Sokka, though, who grimaced, dreading that it was yet another rambling Sage, here to torment them.

"Princess Azula!" exclaimed the Sage, beaming as he stepped towards them. "It has been so long since we last spoke. I trust you've been well? Any novelties regarding your gold fire?"

The question he posed served as an answer about his identity. Sokka raised his eyebrows: this had to be the Head Sage.

"Ah, well, nothing else, I'll admit," said Azula, with an awkward grin. She glanced at Sokka before smiling more warmly. "May I introduce my gladiator?"

"I figured that was who you were," the Head Sage told Sokka, beaming. "You certainly look strong."

"I feel strong, as of late. Sometimes. I usually do if I haven't been beaten up for a while," he said. Azula laughed softly.

"This is the Head Sage of the Capital's Temple," she told Sokka. He smiled and nodded.

"It's, uh… it's my pleasure to meet you," he said, trying to sound convincing. Pretending to be respectful when meeting one of the potential White Lotus spies was harder for him than it was for Azula…

"Likewise. Do you mind answering a few questions about the healing effects of gold fire?" the Sage started, before catching himself and shaking his head. "Oh, what am I saying. I can ask at another time, for sure. Today will be hectic for us at the Temple."

"It already is, as far as I can see," said Azula. The Head Sage chuckled.

"Well, I hope you've had a chance to pay your respects to all your relatives, Princess," he said. "Fire Lord Azulon's shrine is, well, smaller this year. By your father's command."

He spoke bitterly, and Azula smiled weakly as she glanced at Azulon's shrine. It didn't look particularly small to her, but perhaps she had never paid much attention to its size before.

"He should be here soon to light the incense," said Azula. "In the meantime, I suppose you'll have to deal with us instead."

"And that's quite fine, Princess," said the Head Sage, smiling at her. "Truthfully, I would love to meet with you more often, to explore the extraordinary capacities of your fire, but I suppose you have been quite busy as of late."

"Indeed," said Azula, but she bit her lip. "Still… I suppose there is one thing I would like to ask, if you would indulge me."

"Oh? Anything you need, Princess" said the Head Sage.

"Have you ever heard of, well… indirect bending?" she asked. Sokka tensed up next to her, and the Sage's eyes drifted towards him quickly before returning to Azula's.

"Indirect bending? Do elaborate…"

"Well, you see… I was training with my gladiator recently, and I meant to use my fire on him, but accidentally, my hand came into direct contact with his shoulder," she said, swallowing hard. "The burst of fire came out of his hand, not mine."

The Sage's eyes widened now. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Is that something you have heard of? Or is it an entirely new concept?" she asked. The Sage cleared his throat and coughed softly.

"Well, that is… that is quite rare. Then again, you keep doing inventive things with your bending, it comes as no surprise," he said, with a soft laugh.

"So, you have heard of it?" Azula asked.

"I have, but it's definitely unusual. I've only studied it theoretically: two people who are very close may find their chi attuning to each other," said the Sage. Azula and Sokka stared at each other in astonishment. "It's not unheard of, but I did always wonder what that chi compatibility could mean. Proper chi flow between two people who are, well… intimate friends, has been registered as akin to merging two lifeforces into a single one, so to speak."

"Uh… huh?" said Sokka, trying not to blush, but failing. "We're… no way we're that close."

"Oh, well, I'm not implying anything that complicated," said the Sage, laughing softly. "I take it this could happen with friends, with an employer and their employee, even family members… But as far as I know, it has been, well, mainly registered with those who are, uh, quite intimate. Not that that's your case, of course, but still…"

"How… how do you even know the chi is attuned?" Azula asked, succeeding at keeping the color from her cheeks with a lot of effort. Sokka had taken to pretending he was gazing at the shrines, unable to conceal the redness of his ears. "This chi-attuning… how does anyone know it's happening? If I were attuned to Sokka, or him to me… how would anyone go about testing that?"

"Why, through spiritual firebending, of course," said the Head Sage. "It is done through an old technique learned and developed by Sages, called energy reading, passed on by the ancients to our days."

With that, he waved his hand around, and sparks of fire danced smoothly over his fingertips. Azula watched in astonishment, as Sokka inched away warily.

"With this technique, chi can be studied, analyzed," said the Head Sage. "That's how it's possible to find out if chi is attuned. Granted, attuned chi is quite a rarity, one I've never evidenced myself. Perhaps it only happened in the spur of the moment, as you were both in the middle of combat?"

His explanation made enough sense, and both Azula and Sokka nodded gratefully for the Head Sage's reassurance. Regardless, they suspected their combat instincts weren't the only reason why they might have been attuned the day before: barely half an hour earlier they'd desecrated the purity of her palanquin, with a wild, reckless tryst that had left them rather groggy and pleased with each other. It just might have been the reason they had been able to bend jointly, after all…

"I suppose it must have been exhilarating, or terrifying," said the Sage, smiling at Sokka. Sokka chuckled and nodded.

"Both. I don't know how you benders do it. I thought for a moment my whole arm was on fire," he said. Azula rolled her eyes but smiled while the Sage laughed.

"It is a matter of adjusting. But, granted, some benders have better control than others," said the Sage. "Some benders are even afraid of their own fire. But others, like Princess Azula and her grandfather… they were born to be the most extraordinary benders of their generation."

"I suppose they were, yes," said Sokka, biting his lip and raising an eyebrow. The Sage looked at him with confusion.

"Do you doubt it?"

"Oh, no, it's just… I mean, Azula is amazing and… I mean, Princess Azula! Her bending is…! Y-you know what I mean. But I'm, uh, not exactly fond of the guy who commanded a thousand raids to my home village."

Azula had felt sorely tempted to stomp on Sokka's feet for being such a nervous wreck in front of the Sage – he might as well have blurted out they were fucking, at that rate. But the last words gave her pause, and the Head Sage too. The man lowered his head and nodded, surprising Sokka.

"I understand, you must resent him," he said. "I won't say you shouldn't. Fire Lord Azulon was not a kind or a merciful man…"

"Certainly not," said Sokka. The Head Sage sighed.

"But regardless of the sins he committed, he didn't deserve to…" he whispered, but stopped talking abruptly. Azula frowned.

"He didn't deserve what?" she inquired. The Head Sage smiled awkwardly.

"It's nothing. No cause for concern," he insisted now.

Azula frowned and was ready to launch into an interrogation, but the sounds outside the room distracted her effectively. Heavy footsteps gave room to mutterings and gazes of admiration: the Fire Lord's procession had arrived.

Ozai's royal regalia was pristine, as expected. He strode into the Royal Wing of the Temple, head held high, eyes drifting briefly towards a smaller, less ornate shrine in the corner, before glancing at Azulon's. Azula frowned as she followed his gaze. She didn't notice the lesser shrine before, but seeing it made her stomach churn. For some reason she had forgotten about it this year…

"Greetings, Head Sage," Ozai spoke coldly. The Sage bowed towards him.

"Good day, Fire Lord," he mumbled, but Ozai seemed to ignore him as he turned to his daughter.

"Ah, I didn't know you would be here, Princess Azula," said Ozai, smirking. "I was under the impression you were otherwise engaged?"

"I was, but my visit to the Prison Tower was brief," said Azula, with a curt smile. "I may have a better grasp on the situation by now."

"Do you, now? It pleases me to hear as much," said Ozai, nodding towards her. "Have you paid your respects to the Fire Lords of old?"

"Not quite, as you can see," she said, gesturing at the incense sticks, still unlit. "I believe you should be the one to light the incense of these shrines, or am I mistaken?"

"Someone beat me to your cousin's, from the looks of it," said Ozai, looking at her matter-of-factly. "Curious."

"It is indeed," said Azula, with a sarcastic grin.

"Well, then, let us not dawdle," said Ozai, moving towards Azulon's shrine. "I would like to be finished with this before the morning has run its course."

"Right," said Azula, nodding.

Sokka took a few steps back, unwilling to partake in this ritual now. Ozai spared him a quick glance, but where Sokka had expected to be berated, his silence was met with acknowledgement from Ozai. The Fire Lord would not force him to bow down to the Royal Family's ancestors, it seemed. If anything, Sokka could be grateful for that.

It took almost two hours for Azula and Ozai to properly pray at every shrine, and the Head Sage was long gone by then. Sokka waited impatiently by the door, wishing he could leave already, but reluctant to do so without Azula. He sighed in relief when the Princess and the Fire Lord, followed by the man's large retinue of Imperial Guards, made to return to the entrance arch. But he tensed up when Ozai raised a hand to stop Azula, his eyes drifting towards the shrine in the corner.

"It's hardly adequate this year, too," said Ozai, curtly. Azula bit her lip.

"Should it even be there?" she asked. "It's not like… it's not like she actually died, or did she?"

Ozai huffed, and for a moment Azula felt a pang of fear in her gut. Wrenching, cold fear that would signify having pushed her father a little too far, over something that mattered a little too much…

"Perhaps not. But if she had, that Sage still would have granted her no better honors than these," Ozai finally replied. The tension in Azula's stomach eased slightly. He was upset at the Head Sage, then, not at her comment…

Ozai walked towards the shrine, and Azula sighed silently. She glanced at Sokka, who stared at her in confusion. He didn't understand who the shrine was for. She would have to explain, once they'd left the building. Which they would, as soon as possible.

"I should head to the lake by now, father," said Azula, hands behind her back as she watched him light the incense. "My guards await there, and I think Admiral Zhao must also be there, so…"

"Of course," said Ozai. Azula breathed deeply and readied herself to make a proper reverence… "But you can indulge me for one moment, can't you?"

Her lips parted, and she felt as though her blood had frozen over. Her entire body felt cold, unresponsive, after his request. No, she couldn't. No, she wouldn't. He wanted her to sit at that shrine, to pray for her? To pray that she might have survived throughout all these years or that, if she hadn't, she might have crossed safely into the next life?

She didn't want to do it. She wasn't about to do it. She was happy to pretend that mediocre shrine didn't exist at all… but her father's broad back beckoned her. He had never asked her to join him at this particular shrine before. He had never seemed willing to share a moment of retrospection with Azula, not when it came to Ursa. But for some reason, he had done it today…

She gulped, and against her better judgment, stepped towards Ozai. Sokka watched her go, recognizing the set of her shoulders, the frown, the mix of emotions in her eyes: the shrine had to be for her mother. His heart ached at the sight of Azula, kneeling beside Ozai, following his commands. He knew every second she spent there would amount to torture for the Princess.

Azula breathed deeply as she knelt beside her father. The shrine was truly a work of mediocrity, as she had judged previously: the incense's scent was hardly noticeable, the wood that comprised the shrine was scarcely polished, and, unlike the other shrines, it lacked the gold highlights that was expected in them.

"Ironic that this is meant as an insult," said Ozai. Azula gritted her teeth, wondering just why the Head Sage would want to insult her mother's memory, if that was truly what he was doing. "Yet she would prefer it this way."

"With no jewelry, nothing noteworthy?" Azula whispered. Ozai nodded.

"As I mentioned, that never impressed her. Not many things did."

"I know."

Her words were spoken with bitterness: his, with fondness. Had time and distance made her father forget the strained marriage he had endured for years? Azula spared a glance at him, her heart twisting upon seeing the unusual gentleness in Ozai's eyes. That wasn't an expression she had seen in her father's face before.

"She didn't die," he said, suddenly. Azula's eyes widened. "Your mother, she… she left. She was given no choice."

"By whom?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. If her father answered her, she might just seek out the person responsible and thank them personally.

"By those who had the power to make demands from us," Ozai said, enigmatically. Azula's confusion only increased. "There was no choice. But she… she didn't want to leave."

She was tempted to smile and say good riddance. To say it wasn't important if she wanted or didn't want to leave, because she had done it anyways. To say that if she hadn't wanted to, they should have found another way…

But Azula said nothing. She held onto her tight silence.

"I do not know if she's dead now," Ozai said. Azula trembled, her body reacting involuntarily to Ozai's words. "I do not know where she is. I haven't seen her or had any news of her in almost fifteen years. So, every year I request for this shrine. If she has already passed on… then at least we can mourn her death."

"And if she hasn't?" Azula asked.

"Then we can pray she will return to us one day."

The tension in her shoulders even hurt by now. She gritted her teeth, unwilling to answer. Unwilling to agree. If her mother returned… she'd never approve. She would take one look at Azula and determine that she wasn't good enough, regardless of all she had achieved. Regardless of all she had changed.

And if she saw Sokka… Ursa would never approve of him either. His heart was in the right place, but he was a rebel, always defying authority and notions of social superiority. He dared look Ozai in the eye, and it amused the Fire Lord on any given day, but it wouldn't amuse Ursa. If she ever saw him, and if she ever knew what Sokka truly meant to Azula…

She didn't want Ursa back. She certainly didn't. Her body trembled more violently now, as she could barely keep her head held high as ever. Her bangs framed her face, darkening what was at either side of her head… which was why she didn't see the hand that found hers over her thigh before it did.

The trembling only worsened. Her eyes widened: he had misunderstood. Perhaps he thought she was upset, that she missed her mother…

But Ozai was trying to comfort her, or to find comfort for himself through contact. Azula shivered, her voice faltering and failing her. She couldn't remember the last time her father had touched her. She hardly remembered him comforting her as a child, by telling her to wipe her tears, for they were meaningless and unnecessary. He wasn't the type of father who would hold his daughter's hand spontaneously…

But he was doing that right now. He was doing it because of Ursa. Because the only members of their broken family left in the Capital were the two of them: Ozai only had Azula. She was the last remnant of that dysfunctional family, and the last living reminder of his wife. A wife that, Azula suspected, he had cared about more than he had ever dared admit.

She gritted her teeth and lowered her head before glowering at her mother's portrait. It hung at the center of the shrine, with her collected, perfectly rehearsed noble posture preserved eternally on that canvas. Just staring at it filled her with dread: no, she didn't want her back. She absolutely didn't.

At least, not for her sake. Her life had been better ever since her mother had vanished… but perhaps Ozai's hadn't. Perhaps Ozai needed her. Could Azula endure being away from Sokka for fifteen years? The mere idea made her dizzy. Being torn away from the one you loved, for that long…

She resolved to pray, in spite of it all. Not for herself, not for her mother, but for her father. Hoping that one day he would either make his peace with her departure, or he would find her again, and find peace in a different manner. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to think it, to want it, even if it was the most bittersweet wish she had ever made. But if that was what her father needed… so be it.

She didn't know for how long they remained where they were. She closed her eyes and willed her body to calm down, urged herself to regain control, but it was harder than it usually was. Her mother had always been the one subject that brought her worst emotions to boil over, calming down when it came to her was… well, not impossible, but she wasn't likely to have a chance to sneak off to a bedroom with Sokka anytime soon, the way they had in Ember Island.

But Ozai pulled away his hand eventually and made a reverence, fist against palm, towards the shrine. He held his position for longer than necessary, and Azula briefly wondered if he wanted her to join him. She was reluctant, to the point of unwilling… but then Ozai raised his head again, and the moment was over.

"You were headed to the lake, then?" Ozai asked, making to stand up. Azula bolted to her feet, hoping not to seem too eager to get away from the shrine as quickly as possible.

"I was. I am. I'll… I'll get going," she said, nodding towards him.

"I have other shrines to visit," Ozai said. "Do have a good day, Princess Azula."

"You as well, Father," she said, swallowing hard and making a proper reverence for the Fire Lord now.

She walked away slowly, with steady strides. She raised her head again as she walked past Ozai's guards, moving towards where Sokka stood. The gladiator didn't miss that the General from yesterday seemed to watch Azula, rather than his liege lord. He frowned at the man, hoping to look slightly threatening, at least, as Azula wordlessly ushered him to leave the Temple with her.

Her fists were clenched, her brow furrowed, her eyes lost in the horizon. She seemed to move by sheer instinct, sliding through the halls of the Temple and to its front doors: the road to the lake was to their left.

"Huh, so… what's in this lake, huh?" Sokka asked, biting his lip. He knew Azula needed a change of subject, but he wasn't sure if she would welcome one yet. At the very least, he knew better than to ask her if she was alright when it was apparent that she wasn't. They couldn't discuss what was ailing her until they were somewhere more private.

Despite he hadn't expected her to answer, she did after clearing her throat.

"Another memorial tradition. You could say it's more personal there," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Personal how?" he asked, as Azula led him towards the dirt road down to the lake. "Sounds like there's way more people there than in the Temple, so, if anything, it sounds a little less…"

"You can mourn anyone," said Azula. "It doesn't have to be someone important to the whole nation, just someone who matters to you. You just… get a lantern, write the name of the person you're mourning on the candle, light it, put it in the water and watch it drift away. It's… it's a small gesture, but it's something."

"Huh," said Sokka, swallowing hard. "And you get to choose who you mourn this way? Does it have to be a Fire Nation person…?"

"No one will know if it is or isn't," Azula sighed, slowing down as they took a bend on the road. "No one would unless you outright told them, so…"

"I see," said Sokka, slowing along with her until they'd stopped, in the middle of the dirt road, trees and bushes all around them. "Azula…"

"Why did he…?" she asked finally, breath hitching as she brought her hands to her face. "Why did he make me do that, why would he…? Hell, I…"

Sokka swallowed hard before taking her hand, guiding her out of the road and into the cluster of vegetation around them. She followed, trembling violently still, but Sokka pulled her to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her, hiding from plain sight in the thick vegetation. She buried her face in his chest immediately.

"It's over now," said Sokka, stroking her hair kindly. "Nothing bad came from it, or did it…?"

"H-he… he doesn't talk about her, that's how it's always been. So, what is it with him lately, with all this…?" she said, until she snarled and shook her head. "No, nothing… nothing bad, I guess. But… I didn't need to do that. I didn't want to. I… I don't want anything to do with her…"

"You're the only family he has left," Sokka said. Azula tensed up. "And you did say you thought that maybe he loved her. So, I guess… he doesn't know who else to share his grief with."

"Well, it sure as hell shouldn't be me," said Azula, pulling away from Sokka as she frowned and snarled. "My… everything about my life is better, has been better, ever since she left. If she were still around, I'd…! She would have never allowed me to do anything, she would have held me back, held me down, she wouldn't…! I wouldn't possibly have gone south, I wouldn't have met you, you wouldn't be here now and…!"

"Alright, alright…" said Sokka, his hands on her shoulders as she stopped ranting. Her chest heaved with every breath she took. "That's all true, likely. But she wasn't there: she hasn't been here for ages. She probably won't return anytime soon. Thinking about what might have been… what good is it to dwell on that?"

"No good. None at all, but… it's hard to help it when he… he grabbed my hand," she said, lowering her head and shaking it again. "I can't remember the last time he even…"

"Azula…" said Sokka, breathing deeply. She shook her head faster.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"There's nothing for you to apologize for," said Sokka, cupping her face in his hands. "Not about this. He ambushed you, you had no choice but to endure it."

"It was an ambush," she agreed. "Just… why? Doesn't he remember how much she disliked me, how it was mutual? I… I have nothing to pray for, not for her. Especially not when… when he's not even sure she's dead…"

"He isn't?" Sokka asked. "I mean… I kind of thought that shrines were for the dead, so…"

"Well, the Fire Lord gets away with whatever he wants, clearly," she said, huffing. "As it's unknown whether she's alive or dead, he's convinced the Head Sage to do this every year just to honor her. And every year I've ignored it. I have no reason to do anything else, and yet…"

"It's okay," said Sokka, sighing and pulling her into another hug. She groaned against him. "Don't worry, Azula. It's over now."

"You're the last person who should be comforting me after this," she said, clasping his shirt with her fingers. "Not when… when your mother and you, well…"

"We had a good relationship," Sokka said. "It's nowhere near the same situation, Azula. I never thought it was."

"But surely you… you think I should give her a chance, that I'm being too harsh and…"

"Do I?" Sokka said, enigmatically. "I never said anything like that. I really didn't, Azula. And I sure as heck didn't think so either."

Azula gritted her teeth as she felt his gaze scrutinizing her. He sighed.

"Do you wish I'd said that?"

"No."

"Do you think you should give her a chance?"

"I… I don't know," said Azula, huffing and shaking her head again. "I mean, I… she was a source of frustration for me, I… I don't know what I should want, or think, or… I just don't, alright? I…"

"Well, Azula…" he said, lifting her head to kiss her brow gently. "It's been several years since she left, and as far as we know, it may be more years until you see her again, if you ever do. You have time to decide what to do or how to feel. There's no need to make up your mind right here amidst the bushes, eh?"

He smiled a little awkwardly at her, but his words seemed to dispel the blinding fog that had permeated Azula's mind. She stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding, her shivering already soothed to some degree.

"Right. Right, I… yes. You're right," she said, breathing deeply and shaking her head again. "Goodness, you must be tired of this."

"Tired of what?" he asked, slightly amused. She grimaced.

"Having to put me back together whenever I lose my mind like this," she said, her gaze vulnerable as she fixed it on him. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," said Sokka, cupping her face again and kissing her lips softly. "You keep doing the same for me, and if I apologize for it, you get mad. So… you're not allowed to be sorry!"

"I'm…?" she asked, with a weak grin. Sokka smiled back, and she laughed softly, forehead pressed against his. "Fine. Then I guess… thank you. I don't know how you still have enough patience to put up with this nonsense, but… thank you."

"I should ask the same thing whenever you help me," he said, smirking but kissing her brow again. "It's okay to be grateful, but truly, it's not a problem at all. If I can help you, I'll do it gladly. The spirits know I've always wanted to be there for you, even when you didn't want me to be. So, if you accept my meddling now…"

"Like I have a choice," she said, with a wider smile. Sokka chuckled.

Her golden eyes reflected her deep gratitude, but she leaned closer to him and conveyed it through a fragile kiss instead. Sokka's hand slipped to her neck, holding her in place as he kissed her more enthusiastically than she had. It was an overwhelming kiss, of the kind that left Azula's head swimming in bliss afterwards, her lips aching for another taste, for more of him…

"We know the truth about who you are, and everything you can accomplish," he whispered, his breath brushing against her lips as they parted. "If your mother ever came back… she'd either have to learn to accept you for who you are, or face both our disapproval, I suppose."

"I guess so," she said, smiling a little. "It's… it's really not likely that she'll come back, though. All things considered… maybe the shrine is more genuine than I thought."

"Why do you think that?"

"It's just… I don't always think about it. I don't really let myself think about it, but…" she said, sighing. "Zuko brought it up, when he was leaving. That he didn't know if she was alive because she'd never reached out to either one of us, even while we've been abroad. While I doubt she would have reached out to me… it's true that she would have tried with him."

Sokka frowned, as Azula sighed. His thumb brushed against the nape of her neck, hoping to appease her.

"Do you think she might have died at some point… during these fifteen years?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"Either that, or… she's captured. Maybe," she said, gritting her teeth. "Which, of course, only makes me more of a monster for not wanting her here and…"

"Oh, now, hush," he said, rolling his eyes and looking at her intently afterwards. She grimaced. "You know well enough that's not the case."

"That I'd be a monster? That she was captured? Or that I don't want her here?"

"Well… all of them, in different ways," Sokka huffed. "You're not a monster, never have been, never will be. And if we ever meet her and she says you are one, I'll gladly give your mother a piece of my mind."

"Heh. I wonder how that would sit with her," said Azula, with mild amusement.

"As for the capture theory, you can't know if it's the truth, and precisely because of that it's unfair for you to beat yourself up for it," said Sokka. "Finally… you may not want her here, but that doesn't mean you want her to be in pain. Else you wouldn't feel guilty when you think she might be in trouble."

Azula frowned but sighed in defeat. Sokka's fingers stroked her hair before he pulled her close for another embrace.

"You don't have to mourn her. You don't have to miss her. You don't have to want her here," Sokka whispered. "But… you do need to think about how you truly feel. Maybe you're not at peace with how broken and damaged your relationship with your mother was, even if you were used to it. Still, you need to find peace with it all, I guess, which you'll only achieve if you accept what you truly want. And whatever the answer may be, I'll stand by you."

"Really?" she said, swallowing hard. "Even if the answer is to… to want nothing to do with her?"

"I've loved you all this time, believing that's how you felt, so frankly, do you even need to ask?" he said, smiling down at her.

Azula sighed heavily but nodded. Sokka grinned and kissed her repeatedly until she seemed calm again. By then she smiled and held him briefly, before pushing herself up to her feet and cleaning his lips with her thumb.

"Okay… okay. I'll ponder this, but for now, time to go," she said, nodding. "The lake awaits."

The road didn't continue for much longer before it came to an end at the lakeside: people could be seen throughout the shore, in small clusters, never too many of them in the same place. There were stalls here, just as in the streets, at a certain distance from the water and the people: one glance told Sokka that they provided the lanterns Azula had told him about.

Azula led the way to where her guards stood, and they greeted her as respectfully as expected. Sokka smiled and said his greetings as well, only realizing halfway through that he shouldn't be quite so friendly or familiar with the guards. The feeling of camaraderie that he had fostered with them yesterday wasn't something to take too seriously, for none of them knew Sokka had been playing Rui Shi's role. So, he smiled awkwardly, and the others either waved or simply tilted their heads towards him.

"You've paid your respects?" Azula asked Rui Shi, who nodded.

"All of us. As you commanded, we were waiting for you here," he said. It was her turn to nod.

"Then I shall be quick about it," she said, breathing out and making her way to the nearest lantern stall.

"Do you have to, uh… pay for any of those?" Sokka asked Rui Shi, who shook his head.

"They're courtesy of the Temple," he said. "They prepare them through the year for this occasion."

"Hmm," Sokka bit his lip. Rui Shi raised an eyebrow.

"You're allowed to join in, if you'd like," he said. "This is a personal ritual, and as it involves water… maybe it suits you."

"I guess so," said Sokka, breathing in and watching as Azula returned, three lanterns in her arms.

The lanterns weren't too large, each of them made with different kinds of paper, shaped as lotus flowers. Their shape gave Sokka a mild sense of unease for obvious reasons, but he pushed the thoughts aside as he watched Azula kneeling by the lake's shore.

She pulled out a knife that he had never seen her use until that day: Zuko's gift to her, the old Earth Kingdom knife. She carved the candles carefully, and Sokka didn't dare approach to look at what names she was etching across them.

Instead, Sokka turned around and made his way to the nearest lantern stall, his mind made up.

It wasn't hard to write down Lu Ten's name: Azula did that every year, even if it meant more nowadays than it did long ago. Her childish resentment towards her cousin had caused her to think of this as an annoying responsibility, but after she had come to terms with his death at his grave, she realized how much of a fool she had been about him. She lit the candle with his name using her blue fire before sending it into the lake.

The second name was much harder: Bao, the guard who had died long ago in the scuffle against the Rough Rhinos. She hadn't been able to pay her respects before, and she knew she had to do it now. He was the first man to die while carrying out her orders: it was the least he deserved.

The last lantern was the one she still was on the fence about… the one she didn't know if she wanted to send out at all or not. Doing it could mean she was indeed making her peace with the woman, while not doing it would mean she still didn't believe her mother could be dead. But even if she didn't believe that… even then, her heart would still be heavy, still murky and burdened with weights she was tired of dragging with herself.

So she wrote down Ursa's name after all. And she cast the lit lantern into the water, exhaling and watching it drift into the current. It almost left her dizzy, as though she had lost her balance… but her chest felt lighter somehow. Even if tears of confusion burned in her eyes, she did feel better about herself… if just for now.

Movement at her right brought her to frown. People usually didn't intrude on those who were casting their lanterns… but it was Sokka, barely a few feet away from her. She frowned as she watched him carving a candle with his whalebone knife, and then struggling to light the flame with spark rocks he had been given by the Sage who manned the stall.

She couldn't hold back her curiosity, even if she knew she shouldn't have: Sokka had brought at least five lanterns with him, and what she could make out of the name he wrote on the candle, this one was fated for Nutbrain.

"Sokka…?" she said. He raised his head, after having struck the spark rocks and failed to light his candle again. "What…?"

"Yeah?" he said, raising his eyebrows. Azula breathed deeply before moving towards him.

"I can do that for you," she said, biting her lip and conjuring a few blue flames with her fingers.

Sokka smiled gratefully before casting the lantern into the water. Azula watched it go for a moment, before noticing that Sokka was already hard at work with the next candle. This one was for Booger, apparently.

"Sokka…" she said, swallowing hard and looking at him almost painfully. "Is this what I think it is? Are you really…?"

"Am I not allowed to…?" he asked, nervously. "I mean… I never knew their real names, and it's probably rude for me to do it this way, but… I know as well that no one must have lit any candles for them. We were just slaves, unnecessary, worth nothing, so…"

Azula breathed deeply and closed her eyes. Sokka stared at her worriedly.

"Did I do something…?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," she said, shaking her head. "Just… hand them over so I can light them when you're done."

Sokka smiled gently, and nodded towards her. She couldn't bring herself to grin back.

Sokka made many trips back and forth between the stall and the lake, and Azula's heart sank deeper each time. She counted the lanterns, though, every single one of them: the names were ridiculous, but the truth behind them stung badly. The thought of the men Sokka had known, of every man he had been forced to kill… to this day, she couldn't forgive herself for indirectly putting him through that devastating ordeal. It didn't matter if Sokka had grown to love her now, the pain she had inflicted upon him at first was devastating and unforgivable.

Almost an hour later, the first name she recognized appeared on one candle: the Dart Slayer. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at Sokka. He shrugged.

"He wasn't around long enough to get one of Huang Li's pathetic names. I only know the name he used when he fought me," he said. Azula swallowed and nodded.

Sokka cast the lantern into the water, took a deep breath, and picked up the next one. Azula frowned. Was he casting a lantern for Bao too? Or for Lu Ten? What else was he…?

It wasn't Bao, but it was Bato. Azula's brow drew together as she read the name, lighting the candle as before.

"Who's… Bato?" she asked. Sokka breathed deeply again.

"My dad's best friend," he said. "He… he sacrificed himself during the war, allowed the rest of the Water Tribe warriors to escape a bad situation. He was like an uncle to me."

Azula gritted her teeth and nodded before returning the lantern to him. Sokka placed it in the water and watched it drift before moving to the last of his lanterns.

The last name had to be his mother's, Azula realized, without even asking. She took the lantern in her hands, glancing at Sokka to see the solemn look on his face. Even though he had tried not to let his grief overwhelm him with everyone else, it did now.

"Who are you sending this one for?"

The voice startled them. They hadn't noticed the guards were around them, had been for a while now. Fei Li was the one who had asked this time, and Sokka visibly braced himself before answering him.

"My mother," he said, watching as Azula took the candle into her hands. "She… died in a raid. She saved… well, all of us. She was more heroic and braver than I… than I could ever hope to be."

Azula closed her eyes and lowered her head. Sokka's grief was strong, overpowering. She held the lantern as she allowed the wave of sadness to settle down, and she wondered if this was, again, because of how attuned they were. She was far from the most empathetic person, but when it came to Sokka…

When it came to Sokka, his pain was her pain. His dead were her dead. Just as hers were his, too.

She lifted her fingers, as she always did. But this time, the fire wasn't blue. Sokka's eyes widened as the fire gleamed in a gold hue, startling even the guards as the lantern was lit. Azula handed it back to Sokka then, who looked at her gratefully.

"You didn't have to…"

"I did," she said, giving him no room for rebuttals. Sokka smiled, lowering his head.

"Thank you."

His words stung, as she sat cross-legged on the ground, watching Kya's lantern drifting away. Sokka swallowed hard, his eyes hurting as he held back the tears that threatened to spill.

Movement at his right surprised him. Rui Shi had knelt beside him, but not to offer an embrace of comfort, or to whisper any words of solace. He had knelt the way Azula had in the Temple: the way people knelt for those worthy of the greatest respect.

His hands were in position too, and he bowed his head towards the drifting lantern. Sokka's chest hurt as he watched him, and that pain only worsened when he saw the other guards imitating their leader, from the corner of his eye.

It was almost impossible to hold back the tears now. His breath hitched, and he looked away from them… to find Azula was following the example set by her guards.

His entire body shivered as he looked at her, beautiful and solemn, the expression in her face showing just how heartfelt her gesture was. How grateful she was to the woman who had raised Sokka in his youngest years and taught him what true, selfless love stood for.

His burning throat was but the prelude of the tears he couldn't hold back anymore. The lantern kept drifting away amidst many others, the candle melting slowly but surely, until it was impossible to distinguish it anymore. Yet the group remained where it was, honoring the Water Tribe heroine in the only way they knew how.

Sokka breathed deeply, wishing he could at least take Azula's hand right then and there. Maybe that way he wouldn't feel so vulnerable… but he knew well enough he couldn't do that. Still… he didn't feel alone. Of all the unlikely things, his mourning of Kya, the most difficult, painful thing he'd done in quite some time, hadn't been a challenge he'd faced by himself.

Maybe the camaraderie between all of them was stronger than he taken it for. Maybe Azula understood the loss of a mother in more ways than she wanted to let on. Maybe they just wanted to be there for him, even if he should have been just a common slave in the eyes of the guards. Maybe they saw him as one of them, even if he wasn't supposed to be.

But their display to honor Kya, a woman they hadn't known, touched Sokka deeply. He finally dared raise his eyes again, with a small smile and a silent promise to his mother. A promise that her death would not be in vain. If all these soldiers would honor her, if the Fire Nation Princess would offer condolences in the form of gold fire, then perhaps a new world was already being born. A new world where no more mothers would have to die for their children the way Kya had. A world without a devastating war, where peace reigned instead… a world worth living in. A world far worthier of people like Kya.