The mood was darker than it had been at any other point during the trip. The problems Ty Lee had with Haru and Azula earlier on seemed petty, meaningless compared to the magnitude of what they'd discovered in the prison rig.
Haru and Ty Lee locked themselves away in their cabin after the truth sank in. Ty Lee was terrified of leaving Haru by himself, and as he hadn't rejected her company, she had remained by his side while he struggled to cope with his father's death. Everyone else was left to hope that Ty Lee would manage to ease Haru's sorrows somehow, even if no one expected it to happen anytime soon.
On the Barge's deck, on the day after their heartbreaking discovery, Sokka glanced up at the tall tower, his eyes set on the level where he knew Ty Lee and Haru's cabin was located. The lights were weak, but visible through the windows anyways. Lights could be seen as well in the topmost floor: Sokka swallowed hard, wondering if he should head upstairs to support Azula or if he ought to worry more about keeping up appearances…
"How did you guys find out about…?" Song asked Sokka, startling him out of his momentary daze. She had approached him by herself, something unusual, as she had been beside Rui Shi at nearly every point through the journey. "I mean, it's… oh, it's so horrible, Sokka. I'm so sorry for Haru. What he's going through now… I've never known for sure what happened to my father, but I… I didn't want to know either. B-because I always feared that… that it'd be like this."
"A justified fear," Sokka muttered, shaking his head. "I guess none of us wanted to think it would be this bad, but… too many have died at the hands of the Fire Nation's armies. While there are good people in the Fire Nation, there's still so many others who actually bask in inflicting cruelty on others, who won't care to understand the value of any of the lives they've wasted on their chase for false glory."
"At least the Princess has done something about this horrible warden, though," said Song, sighing. "I just wish…"
"We all wish she could have done it sooner, yeah," said Sokka. "Or that Haru's dad had lived a little longer, enough that she could've saved him, but… at least she can save the rest of them, somehow. Or try to, at any rate."
"Try to?" Song asked, eyeing Sokka with uncertainty. "What do you mean?"
Sokka breathed deeply and stared off across the ocean. The west extended forward, and although they were miles away from the Fire Nation he could almost feel its presence across the sea. It was a land full of beauty, and he had grown to genuinely cherish it… but at times like these, he couldn't hold back his resentment towards the wrongs of their people. If only there had been no war, the Fire Nation would be one of the undisputed greatest nations of all… but all its wonders paled once contrasted to the suffering they had caused.
"I just don't know how much she can do to fix things," said Sokka. "Rather, I don't know if she should jump forward to make demands to her father over the conditions and treatment of slaves everywhere. I've pressured her about it before, and I did it a lot back when she first hired me, but… I think I see things a little more clearly now. And I'm worried that she'd do something she shouldn't do, like outright challenge her father when he won't yield…"
"You think she could lose his favor?" Song asked. Sokka shrugged.
"I hope not, but… I guess, after what happened recently, her father feels more threatening lately than ever before," said Sokka. "I don't know how long it will be before he starts assuming Azula's small bouts of rebellion are just an indicator of something bigger. Rulers are, usually, paranoid about everything…"
"And the Princess is leaning further and further away from her father's beliefs because of you," Song whispered. Sokka gritted his teeth. "If you're so worried you probably should go talk to her. She might need to hear what you're saying now, maybe."
"I don't know if she does, but… it is broad daylight. I don't know if I should dare," Sokka said, grimacing. Song smiled warmly and shrugged.
"Yeah, makes sense," she said. "I guess it'd be suspicious. I just don't know… it's awful feeling so helpless. Haru is miserable, of course, and Ty Lee is too, and the Princess is in the foulest mood I've seen her in since long ago, so… it's scary. Especially because we can't really do anything about it…"
"Well, I can try to do something about Azula," Sokka said, sighing. "Just… ugh, I can't feel comfortable about this. Not with this Renkai guy constantly looming over us everywhere. I keep getting the feeling he's watching me even when he can't be. I don't know, sometimes I wonder if I'll catch him standing guard at Azula's door directly so I can't go see her…"
"Rui Shi mentioned he's surely informing the General on all of you, especially the Princess," said Song, sighing. "It makes things complicated, huh?."
"Unpleasant and complicated. Especially at times like these," said Sokka, glancing up at Azula's cabin again. "But… maybe I could come up with an excuse. Maybe I could ask her to have lunch with me on the lower deck, or… anything, really. Even if we can't do anything but talk, at least I'd be able to keep her from fuming and making rash decisions…"
"Maybe," said Song, smiling a little. "It's a thought, at least. And if you're somewhere not too private, Renkai wouldn't have any reason to, well…"
"Yeah," said Sokka, sighing and nodding promptly. "I'll do that, then. Just… well, keep an eye out if Ty Lee or Haru leave their cabin at some point, okay?"
"I will," said Song, sighing. "I'll watch out for Renkai too, I suppose… I can't stop him, but maybe if I watch him, he'll feel too self-conscious to follow you upstairs, right?"
"That might work," said Sokka, smiling a little at her. "I'll let you know if I find out anything about Haru. In the meantime, well… try not to think too much about it. You were having a pretty great time on this trip, I'm sorry that you can't enjoy yourself fully anymore."
"All things considered, it's not that surprising," said Song, sighing. "That I got lucky with my mother is a rarity as it is. I just hope… I just hope his mother is okay, just like mine was. It'd be so devastating to find out that… well, that both his parents are gone."
"It would be," said Sokka, gritting his teeth. "But I don't know if we'll find out at all, for starters. Haru might not be up for this anymore, for all we know."
"Right… anyways, go on now," Song said, with a weak grin. "If I shouldn't dwell on the bad things, neither should you."
"I suppose…" said Sokka, with a small smile of his own. "I'll see you in a bit, then."
Song nodded as Sokka made his way to the ship's tower. The Barge was stationary, had been for the whole night and through the morning, too. While some people were growing restless about the impending journey home, it was clear that the detours for Haru's sake had to be resolved before the ship could start moving again.
They had anchored back in the bay, away from the accursed rig that had caused them such grief in a remarkably short time. Ever since then, Azula had locked herself in her room, and as Renkai had been on duty, Sokka had avoided visiting her through the night, against his better judgment. He had witnessed many of Azula's most dangerous outbursts, but something about her current state was terrifying for Sokka. While he was glad that she was taking Haru's father's death so seriously, he also wanted to confirm that she was level-headed enough to make the right decisions about how to handle this matter.
But Sokka intended to find out if she was right now, one way or another. He breathed deeply upon reaching her door, and he knocked on it gently. He received no answer, so he resolved to identify himself, hoping she'd respond to that.
"Hey… can I come in?" he asked. Still no answer.
He had no choice but to hope Azula wouldn't be too mad once he entered the room uninvited. He pushed the door open, finding her sitting on her bed, fully clad in her usual outfit and armor, her brow furrowed as she pored through seemingly countless papers.
"If you're not told to come in, you probably shouldn't do it," Azula muttered between gritted teeth, scribbling something down as Sokka closed the door behind him. He smiled weakly.
"I'm a very inappropriate person, as you always say. I was worried, you know? Maybe that bull had caught up with you, or something."
"Bull?" Azula asked, raising her eyes towards him at last with a befuddled expression. Sokka smiled.
"The one that crazy herbalist told us about, remember?" he said. "The one that was going to chase us away from each other…?"
"Huh," said Azula, surprising herself when she smiled a little. "Well, fortunately it hasn't yet. I'll let you know if I ever bump into one, but I guess we shouldn't be in any danger of land-based creatures when we're traveling by ship…"
"True, but it never hurts to be careful, especially when we're docked as we are," he said, stepping towards her. "It looks like you've kept yourself busy… did you even sleep last night?"
"I… couldn't," Azula muttered, almost ashamed to admit the truth. "I just… couldn't stop thinking about that damn rig. The look on Haru's face… I can't erase it from my mind."
"I don't think any of us can," Sokka said, sitting on the bed beside her. "Nobody expected to find solid leads about his parents so quickly, but for those leads to result in… this?"
"What's worse is we should've seen it coming, on some level. That brute of a warden doesn't care about anything but holding his authority over everyone else's heads," Azula growled, shaking her head. "He treats his own underlings with nothing but contempt, what sort of kindness can anyone expect him to spare for a slave?"
"None," Sokka said, shaking his head. "I was enjoying tormenting him with you, though, I won't lie…"
"I should thank you for having my back with that," Azula said, smiling a little again. "I know I should know better than to talk so leisurely about how I could order you to kill someone when you don't want to kill anyone that ever again, but…"
"It's part of being a good liar," said Sokka, smiling at her. "I guess I'm getting the hang of it."
"As you should be," Azula said, nodding.
"What are all these, though?" Sokka asked, gesturing at the papers on the mattress. Azula bit her lip.
"Projects," she said. He raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of…?"
"They're strategies to handle both the homeless people and the restructuring of the slavery system," Azula finished. His eyes widened.
"Woah… what?" he said. "You've been… you've been doing this all night?"
"It needs more work still," Azula admitted, with a shrug. "But this… it really was the last straw. Your stories about Hui Yi were disturbing enough, but seeing this gruesome reality for myself in this way is… it's too much. I can't stand by and do nothing."
"I… I appreciate that sentiment, but that's why I came here to talk to you. Well, that and to get you out of this room," he said, grimacing. "It is broad daylight, as you may have noticed…"
"Of course I noticed, there are windows in this cabin, Sokka," Azula said, rolling her eyes as she reread one of the pages she had written.
"Then you know it's really risky for me to visit you in broad daylight, with a snitch in our midst."
"That just proves you shouldn't have done it," Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka huffed.
"Surely, but if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have been able to see you until tonight, and if I couldn't see you for two days straight without knowing what you're up to, I would have lost my mind."
"Well that's… possessive of you," she said, smirking at him. "Can't give me a moment of privacy at all, gladiator?"
"It's not about possessiveness," Sokka grumbled, blushing. "It's about your tendency to do crazy things when something rubs you the wrong way. The last I saw you, you were about as angry as you were back when I told you Zhao was onto us. Is it that unreasonable for me to worry about your emotional wellbeing?"
"Oh, it's not. You do need to keep up with my moods to know if you're getting any action at night or not," Azula smirked. Sokka snorted and shook his head.
"And then you say I'm the one with the filthy mind," he said, standing up. "Come on, Princess. You can head downstairs with me, have lunch with us commoners for once, and we can keep Renkai off our trail that way."
"Uh… could we?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Even if I did that, I'd still sit with you, and I'd only talk with you. I doubt we'd keep him off our trail at all."
"Well, at least he won't have any right to suspect we're fucking, so I'd think that's a step-up over being holed up in your cabin," he said. Azula smiled and sighed.
"Fine, fine. I suppose that would be true. And I am a little hungry," she admitted, surrendering at last. "Still, I'm coming back here as soon as we're done."
"Okay, that's all good with me," said Sokka, smiling and nodding as Azula climbed off the bed and slipped into her tall boots.
Azula didn't frequent the dining deck often. It was below the topmost deck, and as much as her Barge was one of the most advanced and prestigious ships in her father's fleet, the locations below deck weren't all that pristine. Everything was of the sturdiest metal, and the lights weren't particularly bright, which gave the place a rudimentary appearance. The kitchen stood directly adjacent to the dining area: the crewmembers always picked up their own food in trays before choosing their seats on the available tables, so Azula assumed she was expected to do the same.
Naturally, it was the kitchen staff who didn't expect her to do so.
"P-Princess! We were about to send your food to your room, as always!" said one of the men behind the kitchen bar, bowing clumsily towards her. "We must have been late, please forgive…!"
"None of that, I simply decided to come down here instead, just for today," Azula said, curtly. "I'll spare you the bother of heading upstairs to deliver the meal, just serve it here and be done with it."
"R-right! Immediately, Princess!" said the staff member, rushing away to gather the fine plates they reserved for Azula.
Sokka watched as her meal was served in the most dignified, elegant manner. He smirked upon noticing she was perfectly used to the attention to detail that the workers offered her meals. But his amusement shifted into childish indignation when he received his own food tray, where his common china and carelessly poured food stood out plainly against Azula's neatly arranged food courses.
"This is favoritism, I tell you. Favoritism!" he declared, stubbornly, as they took their seats at a free metallic table in the dining area. A few sailors and guards were eating as well, and while some shot Sokka disbelieving glares for his insolence, others simply laughed off his antics: it wasn't all that surprising for them that the gladiator would act out anymore, not after watching him do as much for well over two years now.
"Did you only just realize that I'm privileged, Sokka? Really?" Azula asked, amused. "Did you think my title was just for appearances' sake or something?"
"I'm just saying, if they can be that careful with your food, why would they sloppily toss mine on the plate like this?" he said, gesturing at a meatball. "Look at it! My meatball's crumbling while yours are perfect!"
"I suppose they believe I deserve the best, and nothing but the best," Azula said, with a proud smirk. "Besides, since when does the display of your food matter to you? Don't you just want to stuff your face?"
"I… do. But it's still not fair," Sokka mumbled, before forsaking all his grumpiness as he finally dug into his meal.
Azula smiled a little, surprised even now by Sokka's talent to make her feel at ease. She had spent the better part of the last twenty-four hours in a foul mood, working relentlessly towards her goals, rage seething inside her chest. But her head felt much clearer now thanks to his intervention. Had they been alone she might have kissed him and thanked him for it, even if he might not understand what she was so grateful for, exactly.
They ate together silently at first, as Sokka devoured his meal ravenously while Azula ate calmly, deep in thought. She was barely halfway through her plate when he got up to ask for second servings. Her golden eyes were judging him as he sat at the table again, his tray refilled.
"What?" he said, nibbling on a crab cake. "I was pretty anxious before, I thought you weren't okay, and now that I know you are, I'm back to my good ole' self again!"
"Meaning, you're back to eating half my ship's supplies when we still have to cross an ocean to get home. Brilliant," she said, smirking in disbelief. "Maybe you should be anxious more often if it means you'll eat less…"
"Hey!"
"At any rate, we're not just doing this because you wanted company for lunch, are we?" she said. Sokka gulped and shook his head. "What do you want to know?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he said, shrugging. "What's in those projects of yours? How are you going to deal with, well, everything you mentioned upstairs?"
"It's not as complicated as it may look, but it will be complicated to convince my father of devoting any resources for it," Azula admitted, tapping her chopsticks against the border of her rice bowl. "First things first, I already knew I had to delegate, but now I've planned my movements with that in mind. The real solution for these predicaments is indeed to delegate, it's what a leader would do, so…"
"So?" Sokka repeated, surprised. "To whom will you delegate, then? And regarding what, exactly…?"
"First of all, the homeless people," said Azula, after swallowing a mouthful of rice. "I'd already told you that they need not only a roof over their heads, but someone to look after them. This person will oversee all seven homeless people, but their job isn't just that of a janitor's or a cook's. I've decided that their job shall be to teach the homeless people how to survive in our world, basically. They'll provide them with the skillset to clean and cook for themselves, to do their house chores and everything they need to become basic functioning citizens."
"I suppose that means I'm not a basic functioning citizen, huh?" said Sokka, smiling a little. Azula raised her eyebrows and glanced away, her sarcastic silence answering his question easily enough. He chuckled, despite himself. "Will you go house-hunting once we return to the Fire Nation, then?"
"I'll have to, yes," said Azula, with a dry grin. "You're welcome to join me. I'll pay for it, again, and once I've chosen the right person for this job, I'll pay for their salary too. But that's not all, of course…"
"Yeah, I figure not. That resolves what you'll do on short-term, but…" said Sokka. Azula nodded.
"I intend to see to it that each of these homeless people are given the proper education, if they lack it. After they reach the mandatory education levels for all Fire Nation citizens, I'll find apprenticeships for them in whatever business they're interested in. Basically, I intend to readapt them to society," said Azula, folding her arms over her chest. "I know, it's easier said than done, but it can be done. I expect to be able to finance this operation myself, the savings I have from your fights and the money I'm always allotted should be enough to handle this, at least for now…"
"For now?" Sokka repeated. "I mean, it does sound like a solid plan, better than what your dad would expect for sure. But what do you mean, for now…?"
"This is merely a start, Sokka," Azula said, looking at him curtly. "I'm not enough of a fool as to believe that these seven are isolated problems: they're not. We both met that homeless man back when we were looking for your house, and now there's more of them. There will be more yet, seeing as my father has no intentions of shutting down his factories and refineries, and as we've seen for ourselves, the worst of those factories and refineries are as good as killing the Fire Nation people. So… while I do expect to begin with these seven, I believe the right way to handle this would be by creating different teams that would work with the homeless people found in the main cities of the Fire Nation at first. We'll expand to the provinces if it's successful here."
"That's… very ambitious," said Sokka, blinking blankly before smiling. "But it sounds like a good plan. Just… I suppose there's one small problem. How do we know the wrong people won't exploit this kind of system?"
"Exploit it?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka swallowed hard.
"I mean, this is just an imaginary situation, but what if the son of a nobleman wastes away all his inheritance and gets thrown out of his own house… and then just shows up at this refuge, expecting them to bail him out of his problems?" he said. Azula smiled.
"Why, we'll reform him, of course," she said. "That kind of fool would definitely benefit from doing housework and chores, and afterwards being forced to work for himself for a change."
"Well, I suppose that's true," said Sokka, stroking his chin, deep in thought. "What about people who can't seem to find jobs? Whether because they suck at them or because they're out of luck…"
"So, you're asking what I'll do if someone pretends to be homeless and takes advantage of the benefits of the system?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Well, I suppose it could be a problem, but the system would be directed towards turning them into productive members of society after all. They will get a roof over their heads, but they'll have to work to maintain it, they wouldn't be mere freeloaders. Still… I suppose you make a good point. I guess it will be necessary to disclose the responsibilities that come with joining this system before people jump in, huh? This first batch will be part of the system regardless of how they feel about the responsibilities at hand, but I guess it would be necessary to clarify how the system works for the second group, if the first one is successful…"
"And, amongst those conditions, they would be expected to obey whomever you'll pick for the role of their caretaker, right?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded. "Well, as long as the caretakers know what they're doing, this should work… if they broke the rules they'd be cast out from the system, then?"
"I suppose so, if they refuse to change their ways," said Azula. "This is meant to be an opportunity for them to make something out of their lives, after all. If they don't want such an opportunity, they don't belong in the system. Simple as that."
"I see," said Sokka, smiling. "Because it's all a choice, right? Nobody would be forced into it…"
"They wouldn't be, no, but this probably will be a complicated task for whoever agrees to be their caretaker," said Azula, grimacing. "While these seven seem to be relatively alright people, well…"
"The one we met ages ago wasn't easy to deal with, no," Sokka agreed. Azula sighed.
"I don't know what other kinds of people we'll find in the future, and that can be a source of problems if they're more chaotic than the ones we'd be working with right now. Still, even if they are, I hope we'll be able to help them," she said. "As for, well, the other thing I mentioned…"
"Ah, yeah, that other thing sounded way more unbelievable than all you've said so far," said Sokka, gulping. "No offense."
"None taken," Azula said, looking uncertain of herself. "I don't think I'll have trouble convincing my father to allow me to implement this first system, but this other idea I have is… complicated."
"You want to rewrite the slavery laws?" Sokka asked.
"I'd be writing them for the first time, rather," Azula said, taking a sip of her juice. "As things stand, if you have no way of proving you're a Fire Nation citizen, whether trueborn or honorary, you may just end up turned into a slave. Hell, people can lose their rights as citizens if they commit serious crimes, or if they displease the Fire Lord or the nobility in any way. That's… basically it. There's not much more to the system than that. People can trade money for slaves with less regulations than food or wares."
"And that's beyond disturbing," said Sokka, grimacing. Azula nodded.
"For a long time I didn't care. I also didn't see the truth of it properly until after I found you again in Hui Yi," she said. "I saw slavery as a form of punishment, that's how it has been understood for all this time. As something people deserve when they stepped out of line."
"And so, you used it that way too," said Sokka. Azula looked down at her empty plate remorsefully.
"I guess it took seeing it for myself with you, and then watching my father doing it to a trueborn Fire Nation man whose plight was justified, to finally understand how gruesome it is," she said. "I know that's hardly an excuse, but…"
"It's not, but I doubt you're trying to make it one," said Sokka, smiling at her. "I guess everyone could have benefited from learning the truths of the world sooner, but… I suppose learning by experience is part of being human, huh?"
"Must be," said Azula, nodding. "That was the day when I realized no one's really indispensable for my father, not after what he said about Zuko…"
"And that's why I'm worried," said Sokka, his eyes growing sterner now. "I'm glad you want to do this, however you plan to do it, but… do you think he'll just accept it? Or that he'll reject you meekly?"
"I plan to be careful when presenting my case, certainly," said Azula, with a shrug. "I can try to manipulate the conversation away from my real purposes."
"How?" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"By telling him the same thing I told the damn warden," she said, her face darkening upon mentioning the man. "Slaves are at their most effective when treated better, and I've demonstrated as much through you, through Song, and I've seen it evidenced in many others, too. Therefore, it stands to reason that our entire slavery system would do best with a complete restructuration, or rather, with some sort of structure for the first time."
"I guess that could help," said Sokka, biting his lip. "Still…"
"I can't get him to set everyone free that easily," Azula cut him immediately. "I'm planning on winning small victories gradually. But I doubt I can manipulate my father into relinquishing the slavery system as a whole. He wouldn't stand for it."
"I know," said Sokka, nodding. "I know. It's just… somewhat awful that you have to frame things so that it looks like you're just as bad as him. Like you're merely focused on effectiveness rather than wanting to do right by people who don't deserve this kind of treatment. I understand why you have to do it, but… I hate that that's the only way to get it done."
"I hate it too, you know," she said, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. "I don't enjoy this kind of plotting remotely as much as you may think I do, not when it comes to these matters. I feel like nothing I ever do will be enough, and… and I'll probably feel that way forever, even after I outlaw slavery all over again. Hell knows what kind of problems I'll have to anticipate to by then."
"Yeah, it's easier said than done," said Sokka, sighing. "I just want to be sure you're not going to do anything crazy, I guess."
"Hmm, I appreciate the sentiment, but this kind of recklessness is part of my nature," Azula said, smiling a little. "I may have pushed my father to his limits as it is, but I won't know for sure until I propose this. He may just reject all attempts to structure the slavery system, but I won't know until I try it, right?"
"Right," said Sokka, smiling a little before sighing. "Then… homeless people and slaves, huh? You're getting way busier than you've been throughout all these years…"
"I suppose I am," said Azula, shrugging. "And it's nothing compared with what will happen when I'm Fire Lord. This is light training for then, I figure."
"Well, you're probably going to ace the training," Sokka said, proudly. "And you'll be a brilliant Fire Lord too, when your time comes."
"Always good to know I have your support," said Azula, smiling as well. "At any rate, are you appeased yet? Satisfied?"
"Hardly," he said, with a teasing grin. "But it's fine if you want to go back to your work now. I'll just sit here, moping a little before I get my next round of food…"
"Sounds like you're very miserable about being left alone, aren't you?" Azula asked, smirking. Sokka chuckled. "Well, I'll check on Ty Lee and Haru on my way upstairs. We do need to know what to do next. He's free to carry on with his search, of course, and I'd gladly come along again, to wherever it is we may go next, but… if he's going to give up there's nowhere to go but home, huh?"
"I figure as much, yeah," said Sokka, shrugging. "He may not have made up his mind yet, though. We can wait a little longer… until he's ready to set out, right?"
"I suppose," said Azula, nodding as she pushed herself to her feet. "Well then, thanks for the talk and for the company."
"We should do this more often," said Sokka, smiling goofily at her. Azula smiled.
"I suppose we could, if the urge strikes us," she decided, before bowing her head curtly in his direction. "Have a nice day, then."
"Good luck with Haru," Sokka said. Azula nodded as she moved through the tables, feeling his eyes on her as she walked away.
It didn't escape her that Renkai happened to be amongst the few people enjoying their lunch right now. She ignored him as best as she could, but she felt her blood boiling regardless as she walked past him. The man had been breathing down their necks ever since they arrived in Ba Sing Se, and it didn't seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. When had he showed up in the dining deck? He hadn't been there all along. Had he overheard anything they'd said? It wasn't likely, as the soft buzz of conversation echoed inside the metal room and disrupted most talk into chatter. Still, it didn't mean he hadn't tried to listen…
Sokka didn't notice Renkai until after Azula was gone. By then Renkai glanced at him warily, and Sokka merely smiled and waved at him. His bold, reckless behavior earned him a scowl, and Renkai returned to his food. It seemed he had very little appetite, for he simply tossed and turned the components of his meal repeatedly, brow furrowed.
It wasn't long before Renkai pushed away the tray and stood up, his frustration apparent. He seemed ready to leave just before Sokka called for him:
"Can I have the rest of that?"
Renkai froze, finding the gladiator smiling in a rather insolent way at him. Irritation stirred within his chest.
"Didn't you already have a second serving?"
"Sure, but I'm fine with finishing all the food others don't want. Can't say I enjoy watching good food going to waste," Sokka declared, hands behind his head as he looked at Renkai defiantly.
Renkai huffed and shook his head, walking away without another word. Sokka's leisurely defiance faded away, and he glared at Renkai as the man walked away. He didn't want to waste what little chances he'd have to be with Azula, but the threat of Renkai loomed ever closer every day, it seemed. Perhaps even this simple lunch encounter had already been too bold of them to do, with that man lurking that way…
In the tower, Azula hesitated before knocking on Ty Lee's door. It was probably wrong to interfere with Haru's grieving process, but she hoped she could talk to Ty Lee, at the very least. While she understood Haru was in no shape to deal with the rest of the world right now, she couldn't quite waste much more time on this voyage than she already had. She had responsibilities to handle and new enterprises to take up, too. She wouldn't stand in Ty Lee and Haru's way, no matter what they decided to do next, but she had to know when the Barge would be able to move on.
So she knocked softly on the door, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake by coming here. The last thing she wanted was to worsen their current circumstances any further. The heavy clouds hanging over their trip were hard to ignore, and adding to her guests' misery wasn't what Azula wanted…
But to her surprise, and relief, the door swung open slowly. Ty Lee stood behind it, her hair unbraided, her eyes as red as they always were when she had cried too much. It was odd, but not altogether terrible, that she would have shed so many tears alongside a man instead of over one, for once.
"Azula…" Ty Lee whispered. The Princess nodded towards her.
"I'm just checking on you both," she said, glancing through the room. Haru was sitting at the edge of the mattress, his shoulders squared, his head dipped low. "I don't even know if you've eaten anything since, well… at any rate, how is he doing?"
"I… suppose he's been a little better after he fell asleep a few hours ago. He's awake again now," Ty Lee said, biting her lip. "I've… I've never seen him like this, but I guess… I guess it's just expected. I feel terrible, I…"
"It's not your fault," Azula told Ty Lee, despite knowing those words seldom helped. Being Fire Nation had many perks, and yet it often meant feeling responsible for war crimes they hadn't committed themselves.
"I… I know that, but… I wish I could help some more," she said, gritting her teeth. "This is just… it's the worst possible outcome, and I hate that… that something so awful would happen to such a sweet man. I'm glad you demoted that bastard of a warden, but… oh, I still feel terrible."
"I guess we all do," said Azula, sighing. "And I'm about to make an ass of myself, too, so…"
"What do you mean?" Ty Lee said, looking at her friend with confusion.
"I mean… I have a lot of things I need to deal with at home, including how I demoted one of my father's wardens without consulting him about it," Azula muttered, her gaze on the floor. "I just want to know if… if you two have decided what you'll do yet. If you'd rather wait a few days before making up your minds, that's fine too. I just need to know if we should go home now or if Haru's still going to try to… well, if he still feels like searching for his mother, despite it all."
"I don't know," said Ty Lee, gritting her teeth, "Considering what happened I'd think that…"
"I will."
Ty Lee jumped. Haru's voice sounded hoarse, rusty. He had stood up, and he looked at them with vacant eyes as he spoke with unusual determination.
"Haru?" Ty Lee said, turning towards him and dashing to his side. He was making his way to the door, still looking out of sorts as he was. "Darling, there's no need for… you don't have to push yourself to do anything you're not ready for. Really, Haru…"
"I'll never be ready," he said, trembling. "I… I'll never be ready to hear those words again. But I need to know the truth. I need to know if my mother… I need to know if I'm too late again. If I waste more time, I… I might just doom her. I have to find her, and I have to do it now. I don't have a choice. And even if I did, I'd still choose to do this."
Ty Lee looked at Haru with concern, but his eyes were set on Azula. The emptiness in his emerald gaze was a low blow for the Princess, no matter if she wasn't particularly close to Haru. There was very little chance that Haru would ever feel complete again in life, Azula realized. He had lost more than many could ever hope to endure, and what little hopes he still clung to were shrouded in darkness. She swallowed hard and lowered her gaze before nodding towards him.
"You'll be off to your hometown, then?" she asked. "How far is it?"
"About half a day from the port," Haru answered. "If you have duties, you should go home instead of waiting for us. Or, well, for me. You don't have to stay for this, Ty Lee…"
"Oh, I'm not leaving your side, Haru. No matter what you say about it," the stubborn girl declared, looking at him with determination. Haru gave her a weak smile, the best he could muster at the moment.
"Thank you. Then, Princess…"
"I can spare a few more days," Azula said, surprising them. "I just wanted to know when we'd be able to go, I didn't come here to force my schedule on you or anything…"
"That's… thank you," said Ty Lee, smiling too. "Then you'll wait for us?"
"I think I'll go with you again," Azula said. Haru's eyes widened. "Granted, my company hasn't been that much help so far, but… I can stick around at least until we reach your hometown."
"We might not find anything there," Haru warned her. "If we only find more leads that take us elsewhere, you probably should just return to the ship and go home…"
"Alright, that's a sensible idea," Azula admitted, nodding. "You'll find passage back to the Fire Nation on your own, then? You could send a messenger hawk by the time your search is finished, I might be able to send you a ship or…"
"You're very kind," said Haru, bowing his head towards her. "I'd be grateful for that."
Ty Lee smiled warmly at Azula, her emotions more heartfelt than Haru's could be right now. Ty Lee knew her friend could have easily dismissed them, determined that Haru's problems weren't her business, that she had enough things to worry about in her life as it was. Instead, she was willing to help no matter if no one was asking her to. Azula had always been full of surprises, but the quality of such surprises certainly had changed a lot over the course of the last years.
"Well, then…" said Azula. "Let me know when you're ready to take off. You don't need to…"
"We'll be down on the deck shortly," Haru said, moving towards the closet. Ty Lee's smile shifted immediately, startled as she had been by Haru's declaration.
"Wha-…? Haru…"
"You don't have to push yourself if you're not up for it yet," Azula told him, looking at him warily. Haru shook his head, as he found a change of green-and-yellow clothes within the closet.
"Like I said, I don't think I ever will be," Haru mumbled. "So… it's for the best to see this to the end as soon as I can. Delaying it won't hurt any less."
Ty Lee looked like she was on the verge of tears again. Azula's heart had sunk too, realizing Haru had as good as given up by now: he only wanted to find out the truth about his mother, and he fully expected said truth to be nefarious, nothing other than that.
"Well, then… I'll see you both downstairs," she said. Ty glanced at her with concern, but Azula didn't know how to help her beyond this point. Encouraging Haru to imagine a brighter outcome for this search would only be worse in the long run, if his suspicion about his mother's fate happened to be spot-on. She only hoped Ty Lee would know as much.
Azula closed the door behind herself, and Ty Lee turned towards Haru. The earthbender was fastening the bandana he always wore, and he stared at himself in the mirror as he tied the knot. His hands were trembling still.
"Haru, love…" Ty Lee said, a hand reaching for his back. He didn't flinch away from her touch, and she took that as a good sign.
"I'll be fine," he said. "One day, at least, I'll… I will be."
"You don't have to do this so rashly, Haru," said Ty Lee. "I know you don't want to inconvenience anyone, but…"
"If I'm going to lose my family, I'd rather lose it in one go," Haru said. "I don't want to go home, grieve for my father, and then come back to find out that my mother was… that she was gone as well all along. It may be more intense this way, but… but it's for the best. I just want to know the truth already, so I can start learning how to live with it. That's… that's all."
"I'm worried about you," Ty Lee said, looking at him earnestly. "I understand why you want to do this, but… Haru, your heart is broken. And…"
"And as it already is… it's better to keep it that way than to amend it just so it can break once more," Haru said, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry things are so bad, Ty Lee… I really wish this would have a happy ending, but as things are, it's… it's not likely. I'm sorry…"
"What are you apologizing for?" Ty Lee said, shaking her head and looking at him in disbelief. "Haru…"
"I just need to do this," he said, looking at her with resignation now. "I know it's not easy for you either, but…"
"Stop worrying about me," said Ty Lee, clasping his face between her hands. "Haru, please… this isn't about me, this is about you. Stop being so selfless when you're in such pain."
"I don't want to think about my pain," said Haru, shaking his head. "I don't want to… I can't bear it. I'm not strong enough to face it as I am. I just need to keep moving forward and… and maybe one day I'll be stronger. But until then, I… I just need to keep going."
"Haru…" Ty Lee said, gritting her teeth before hugging him tightly. His face buried into her neck, and she felt his hot tears against her skin.
He needed support, and she would give it to him. Maybe he didn't feel strong, but Ty Lee had learned more about what it meant to be a sponsor over the course of the last few days than throughout the previous two years: if he felt weak, she would lend him her strength. She would become his rock, his solace, his source of stability in a world that crumbled around him. Whatever it took, Ty Lee would give Haru nothing but her best, and they would find their way through the dark times they were facing right now, together.
"Captain Fei Li? May I speak with you?"
Fei Li had been standing by the Barge's railing casually, tapping his foot against the metal deck while he waited for any orders, for news, for anything. He knew why they were at a standstill right now, but that didn't stop him from feeling anxious. It seemed natural to him, though: he wasn't sure how any guards could ever do their jobs without being anxious and paranoid at every point in time.
Still, he wasn't anxious or paranoid about his comrades. Renkai was smiling at him, and Fei Li smiled right back, happy to have someone to talk to, if just briefly.
"Hey there, Renkai!" he said, beaming. "Of course we can talk! What's up?"
"Well, I just… I went for lunch just a moment ago, and I was surprised to find the Princess and her gladiator were eating there. I was under the impression she always had her meals delivered to her room?" said Renkai, as innocently as possible. To his surprise, Fei Li merely shrugged.
"Guess she felt like eating downstairs for once. Must have surprised the cooking staff," he said, smiling.
"I-I guess, but… don't you think it's odd?" said Renkai. Fei Li raised an eyebrow. "I realize you may just be used to it, but… isn't it wrong for the Princess to be so close with a common gladiator?"
"Wrong?" said Fei Li, grimacing and shrugging. "I guess it could be, but… she'd always been a lonely soul. I'm kind of glad she's been less lonely ever since he came along."
"So, she just wants company, of any sort?" Renkai asked, skeptical. "Why, then, is it always him? She took him with her to look for the other gladiator's parents just yesterday, for no reason, and she also took him with her on the dragon when she flew to Ba Sing Se, and she spends hours on end training with him, and…"
"Woah, okay, maybe it's a bit weird, but there's no need to get so worked up about it…" said Fei Li, eyes wide.
"I… I just don't understand why all of you think this is normal," said Renkai, looking at Fei Li with confusion. "You've gotten used to it, I suspect, but… it's really not normal. It's not right."
"I can't say I think it's wrong, honestly…" said Fei Li, scratching his head. "The only problem I've got with Sokka is that he's a jerk who beat me at Mahjong… though hey, the Princess helped him beat me that one time. Then again, he'd nearly gotten killed for her, as usual, so I guess she felt like being a little generous…"
"Nearly gotten killed?" Renkai asked. Fei Li shrugged.
"As far as anyone knows, he keeps putting his life on the line for her inside and outside gladiator fights," he said. "You can add that to your list of confusing things about them, I guess."
"I… do you seriously think there's nothing wrong with any of that?" said Renkai, his eyebrow twitching. Fei Li sighed and shrugged.
"Well, you want an upfront answer? I think they like each other," he said. Renkai's eyes widened. "But as they can't be together, they just spend as much time as they can with each other and do whatever they can to prove to each other how they feel without outright saying it. Like how Sokka keeps getting himself half-killed for her sake, or how the Princess looks after him after he gets half-killed…"
"Then… you think it's a chaste relationship?" Renkai asked, raising his eyebrows. It might not be, but he didn't think he'd be lucky enough to find the proper evidence to claim the opposite.
"Meh, I think they're just friends because they can't be anything else," said Renkai. "Then again, what do I know? I've never had a girlfriend and as far as I can tell I never will, so… you could ask another guard, really. Ask Rui Shi, maybe, he knows those two much better than I could ever hope to."
"Rui Shi?" Renkai repeated, with an awkward smile. "I doubt that'd work…"
"Why? You can just ask him, he's not going to bite," said Fei Li, smiling before calling out loudly. "HEY! RUI SHI!"
"N-no, there's no need to call him! I said that wouldn't work, just… oh, curse you," said Renkai, covering his face with his hands as he heard the former captain approaching. He had kept Song company after Sokka left her, but he had paused their conversation and rushed towards the two guards.
"Is something the matter?" he asked. Fei Li smiled and gestured at Renkai.
"He's just being nosey and wants to gossip about whether or not the Princess and Sokka are…!"
"I'm not a gossip! I'm not…! T-that's not…!" Renkai exclaimed, blushing violently. Rui Shi frowned before raising an eyebrow.
"You mean, the same damn rumor the whole lot of you keep debating?" he asked. Fei Li snickered and shrugged.
"See, Renkai fits right in with the lot of us!"
"Wait, what?" said Renkai, dropping his hands and looking at his comrades with confusion. "It's a rumor? A debated one? Who debates it, exactly?"
"The entirety of the Royal Guards do," said Rui Shi, closing his eyes and sighing. "Regardless of how often I've told them not to ever pester the Princess or the gladiator about it, they keep gossiping like old wives whenever you're not looking. Fei Li is the worst of them."
"I'm not!"
"Then… all of the guards think they have a secret romance of some sort?" Renkai asked, eyes wide. "And no one has done anything about it?"
"Why would anyone do anything?" said Rui Shi, shrugging. "There's no secret romance to speak of. The Princess is fully devoted to her nation and the gladiator is fully devoted to returning home after he fulfills his mission as her personal fighter."
"That's… it?" Renkai said, raising his eyebrows. "It doesn't look like it when they spend that much time together…"
"Who are we to deny the Princess her whims?" said Rui Shi, with a resigned shrug. "She has always behaved rather strangely with the gladiator, I protested against it a few times when their partnership was barely beginning, but she would never listen to me. I understand your reservations, but as it is, the Princess has displayed more interest in politics and the Fire Nation's success than in relationships of any sort. If he were a hindrance to her plans, she would have gotten rid of him by now."
"And what if he's smarter than we're giving him credit for?" Renkai asked, folding his arms over his chest. "I've heard he's a talented fighter because he's intuitive and intelligent. What if he knew just how to manipulate the Princess into…?"
Fei Li's bark of laughter was so loud Renkai froze and blushed again. Was it that much of a stretch to suspect that?
"Oh, Renkai, you definitely don't know the Princess well enough yet," said Fei Li, patting his shoulder. "Give it a few more months, you'll see. She's the manipulator, pal, not the other way around."
"But…" said Renkai, glancing between the two guards with uncertainty. Was it possible he was overthinking matters?
Still, even if he was… he could relay this to the General all the same. It was the closest he had found to evidence that the Princess had any dangerous associations that might be steering her away from her father's legacy. Perhaps that could be a start, if anything. It wasn't all that difficult to find her relationship with her gladiator, be it romantic or platonic, utterly inappropriate for a woman of her position.
Suddenly, both his companions struck up a rigid position, which gave away that the Princess was nearby. All three guards were quick to put their helmets into place, and they turned towards Azula with perfect stances. She approached them, stopping in front of Fei Li.
"It would seem we have a brand-new hiking exercise in our immediate future," she said. "Feel free to assign whichever guards you deem better suited for the task, we'll set out within a half-hour, at most."
"Setting out where?" Rui Shi blurted out, without thinking. Azula gave him a pointed glare, freezing him on the spot. "I-if I may inquire, Princess…"
"Haru has snapped out of his grieving long enough to decide that he wants to pursue the leads that might take him to his mother," said Azula. "He has no idea what the result will be, but… it means we'll finally get moving, at least. Be quick about it, then, Fei Li."
"Yes, Princess!" said Fei Li, bowing quickly and dashing off to where the rest of the guards stood. The other three watched him go, somewhat amused by his clumsy attempts to uphold his position as Captain.
"He looks awfully awkward in that fancy uniform," said Azula, with a small smirk. "Doesn't suit him at all."
"I don't think it suits me either," Rui Shi said. Azula's smirk widened.
"Not you, not any of the others. It'll take a while for all of us to get used to it," she said, shaking her head.
"You'll keep searching for the earthbender's family?" Renkai asked then, prompting Azula to frown at him.
"I intend to, yes," she answered, curtly. Renkai gritted his teeth.
"If so, then… perhaps you could simply take that gladiator on your dragon to wherever this new lead will take you. Right?" he asked. "You wouldn't need a full retinue again, and since you usually take your own gladiator with you that way, why not…?"
"I don't suppose you're familiar with my very dreadful experiences when traveling on foot through this continent, are you?" Azula asked. Renkai froze. "The first time I had to live off komodo rhino meat scraps for a week, the second time I brought Rui Shi along too, for safety's sake, and we were still chased down by White Lotus brigands across the Western Colonies. So, while I certainly could risk traveling again with only one or two people, I'm hoping bringing a larger brigade will serve as better protection this time around. Understood?"
"I… yes, Princess," said Renkai, lowering his head.
"I suppose I don't mind when my men question my decisions, but usually when Rui Shi does it, he has proper basis to do so. Think twice before making such foolish suggestions next time," Azula finished, harshly. Renkai's submissiveness was tinged with resentment by now, his gaze shifting into a glare as Rui Shi cleared his throat.
"You can, of course, travel however you please… but perhaps you should keep the dragon watching over you from afar," he suggested. "He can serve as another layer of protection in case anything were to happen."
"Now that is a reasonable suggestion. And one that I intended to uphold even before Rui Shi asked me to," Azula said, with a dry grin.
She nodded towards Rui Shi in a dismissive manner before walking away towards the railing of the ship, where she planned to wait until their group was ready to leave again. Rui Shi was left behind with Renkai, wondering if the newest member of their team would ever learn to endure Azula's harshness… going by Renkai's tense stance, it wasn't likely that he would do it anytime soon.
Sokka was scratching the back of his head when he climbed upstairs to find the small group gathering at the deck. He had been on his way back to Song, hoping to let her know things weren't quite as hopeless as he had feared… the last thing he expected was to spot her speaking with Haru. His initial impulse was to rush to talk to them, but he held back. A glance across the deck helped him locate Azula quickly, and he walked towards her as casually as he could.
"Alright, I know you're the most efficient person alive, but didn't you take that too far this time…?" he asked, upon reaching her. Azula shot him an annoyed glare.
"I didn't take anything anywhere. Haru decided to continue his search right now, he seems to think it will be better to know the full truth right away than to stay in the dark while he processes his grief. Ty Lee's attempts to stop him amounted to nothing, he's set on going forward with this."
"That's insane…" said Sokka, grimacing. "What if the worst-case scenario happens? Those two were in shambles barely a month ago, over a mere communication problem. If Haru's mother were, well… if the worst outcome is the truth, he's never going to get over it. Not when he's still not over his father's death."
"Indeed, and how does someone get over losing their father the way he did?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka lowered his gaze.
"I guess… they don't. Truth be told, it'd take inhuman strength to overcome that kind of loss, especially when it happens that way," he said, closing his eyes. He spoke from experience, and Azula knew as much.
"I'm assuming Haru has reached that same conclusion," she said. "He doesn't think he'll ever get over any of it, his father, or his mother… so he's carrying his grief over with him for the time being, and if the worst were to happen, well… I suppose we'll see how to deal with it by then."
"That's not like you," said Sokka, looking at her warily. "You'd usually think of plans to deal with the worst potential outcome beforehand…"
"Sokka, frankly, I feel like we're being stretched in all directions," she told him, her eyes earnest. "I want to help those two, but I don't know how much we can do for them, not when it comes to facing this particular problem. It's just... if it were us, would you want other people poking their noses in? Or would you rather we dealt with our personal problems ourselves?"
"I guess I'd choose the second option," Sokka admitted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But it's hard to keep proper distance if things are like this…"
"We have no choice," Azula said, her eyes straying towards Ty Lee, who was approaching them now. "This isn't our fight, for once. We'll do whatever we can for them, but some things are out of our reach, regardless of how we may feel about that."
Sokka gritted his teeth and lowered his gaze. She was right, he knew as much, but he wanted to help somehow anyways. Haru and Ty Lee were their friends, and Sokka could barely stand seeing them as miserable as they were right now.
"When are we taking off?" Ty Lee asked, upon reaching them. Sokka glanced at her, finding she looked small, uncertain, unhappy. Azula gave her friend an earnest shrug.
"Whenever you're ready, the two of you," she said. "Can Haru lead us to his hometown yet?"
"He thinks he can, at the very least," said Ty Lee, smiling sadly.
"How is he?" Sokka asked, before biting his lip. "And how are you?"
"What, me?" said Ty Lee, looking at him in disbelief. "I'm not the one anyone should be worrying about right now… but thanks either way. I'm… trying to help him, I suppose. It's hard to offer him any comfort, though. He's probably not going to feel like himself again in a very long time, if this carries on as it has…"
"He'll need a lot of support to get by," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Hopefully this new trip will help instead of damaging him further, even if the odds for that aren't very good…"
"Well, however that may be, I assume you're willing to provide whatever support you can to your friend?" Azula asked him, raising her eyebrows. "In other words, you're coming along again, aren't you?"
"I… yeah," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "Unless you decide I'm not allowed to, that is."
"Don't give me reasons to decide that, then," said Azula, raising her eyebrows defiantly at him. Sokka's smile grew more earnest, and Azula offered him a small smile of her own.
With that, they made their way towards Haru. Song was smiling somewhat sympathetically at him, but it was clear that her attempts to encourage him were falling on deaf ears: Haru's eyes still were vacant, his movements stiff, as though he were but a doll, animated to continue moving by forces outside of his control.
"Are you ready, Haru?" Ty Lee asked, moving to take his hand in hers. He squeezed her fingers gently.
"No, but I never will be," he said, looking at her with defeat before raising his eyes towards the Princess.
"You'll either have to lead us there or draw a map, or…" Azula started, but Haru nodded promptly.
"You can follow me," he said, curtly. It was apparent that he didn't want to waste any more time.
"Very well, then," said Azula, nodding too before gesturing at her guards and Sokka to follow Haru down the ramp.
She stepped towards the stern of the ship, where Xin Long was napping. She woke him to let him know what the was meant to do, and while he was rather lazy, the dragon was ready to surveil their journey from above within moments. When Azula climbed down the ramp to join the rest of the group, Xin Long's shadow accompanied her, at a fair distance overhead.
They didn't know how far away Haru's hometown would be, an oversight they would pay dearly for soon enough. While most of them had eaten lunch, it was hard to hold back from feeling hungry after hiking for miles on end, with no provisions or food in sight within the forests of the rocky lands they were coursing through. Haru walked expertly across the obstacles, often using his bending to ease the passage of the rest of the group, but while he seemed relentless, even if discouraged, the others were growing apprehensive as the skies darkened enough that Xin Long's shadow could no longer be seen on the ground, even if he was still flying above them.
"It's going to be sunset soon," Sokka said, grimacing as he gazed up at the sky, the serpentine shape of the dragon gliding through an orange-tinged sky.
He could feel Azula's tension already, her shoulders squared, her eyes shifting quickly between the trees warily by now. He knew what was on her mind, and he also knew he couldn't appease her, not with the company they currently had. While Renkai hadn't been selected for the trip, something Azula was rather grateful for, Taro, Jianghuo, Tai Wei and Fei Li still weren't trustworthy when it came to the secret relationship between the Princess and her gladiator. Even holding her hand to reassure her would be insanity in front of these men.
"It is," Azula muttered as a response, glancing at Haru's back as he led them across the rudimentary roads that had brought them into an earthy ravine. "Will we at least get there before nightfall, Haru?"
"We're close," he answered, jumping down the ridges and into the small valley. "This is… I used to practice my bending here, when I was young. It was safe, no one ever saw me, as far as I know…"
"Did you use your bending to open this chasm?" Ty Lee asked, curious, as Haru helped her down inside the gap by offering her his hand.
"No, it wasn't me. Others built it before me," Haru said, lowering his gaze. "This used to be a mining village, most earthbenders worked here for a living… it's a mineral zone, it's why there's not much food nearby. Our merchants would buy it from other markets…"
"So, there's nothing to eat around here?" Sokka asked, grimacing. "I kind of am hungry already…"
"How many courses did you have at lunch?" Azula asked, looking at him accusingly.
"Uh… three and a half?" he answered, an awkward smile on his face. Her eyebrow twitched.
"How are you not overweight, seriously?" she asked, shaking her head as Sokka shrugged innocently.
"Maybe you can find some nuts…" Haru answered, looking at Sokka earnestly. "If you're that hungry, of course."
"Eh, nuts wouldn't fill me, I guess, but… hey, there's one here!"
He had already slid into the ravine, and he rushed towards a small oval-shaped form on the ground. Azula and her guards had entered the ravine as well by the time Sokka had picked up the apparent nut, studying it with irritation.
"Is it a nut? Or is it a rock-shaped nut?" he asked. Azula hit his head lightly with her knuckles as she passed beside him.
"Control your appetite, gladiator," she said. "Eating rocks isn't a healthy practice, unless you want to look like Earth Bane."
"I… of course I wouldn't eat rocks!" Sokka pouted, his cheeks heating up. He could hear Azula's guards chuckling softly under their helmets as they passed by beside him.
Ty Lee gazed at Haru with uncertainty, yet with some hope, too. While Haru was far from cheerful, for obvious reasons, there was some life in his eyes once more. Returning to his hometown, to the land where he learned the bending art he had inherited from his father, brought him closer to memories he cherished deeply: those memories were all he had left from the man he had admired the most.
"It looks like a rough place to live," Ty Lee said, her hand still firmly in his. "But it's beautiful, in its own way."
"It was," Haru said, nodding. "Though… terrible things happened. N-not only the Fire Nation soldiers, but… an old man died once, caught in a cave-in. Nobody knew why he was in the mines, he was too old to work there anymore… but I guess he was just looking for any scraps of coal he could find. At any rate, he was crushed and found only when he had already died. The mines had been abandoned long before then, but his death just made them… darker, I guess. People didn't want to come here anymore."
"That's awful," said Ty Lee, grimacing. "Even if, I guess, that meant you'd have more chances to practice your bending…"
"I did. But I always wondered what could have happened if I had been there to save him," said Haru, sighing. "I don't think I would have had the guts to bend, though. After everything that had happened, I… I couldn't bring myself to bend in front of others until Tiao forced me to fight in the Superior League."
Ty Lee squeezed his fingers gently, in a gesture of sympathy. Haru glanced at her, grief plain in his eyes again. Whether it was better for him to look miserable than for him to look empty, Ty Lee didn't know. But he was still opening up to her, willingly, and as selfish as it might be, she was happy for that. She couldn't steal his pain and shield him from his anguish, but she could help him by listening anyways.
"Don't beat yourself up for things you had no power over, dear," said Ty Lee, earnestly. "You couldn't have known what was happening to that man, it's no fault of yours…"
"I suppose not…" said Haru, lowering his gaze again. "It's just one more thing that was out of my control, isn't it?"
Ty Lee tightened her jaw, unable to look at him anymore. Their hands remained linked, but she deeply wished she could hold him instead. His broken heart was shattering her own.
It wasn't much longer before they reached a small village clustered behind a worn stone wall. The buildings were a mix of old and new, with roofs of bright red or tarnished green. Only those buildings fashioned after Fire Nation architecture were standing strong within the walls. The older houses had scarcely seen any maintenance or repairs, and Haru had a hard time recognizing them even if he was, indeed, back home.
"This is it?" Azula asked, glancing at the wall with uncertainty. The village was secluded, but there were several Fire Nation soldiers stationed here. If the White Lotus were to strike, at least they should have backup if they had to face them in a fight.
"It's not much," Haru muttered, looking at the buildings with sad eyes. "It… it looks much smaller now than it used to. It's changed."
"Is your house still here, though?" asked Sokka, stepping towards his friend. "Do you see it?"
"Our place was further inside," said Haru, gesturing at them to follow him inside the walls.
Fire Nation soldiers were stationed at the gate, but they froze upon noticing the newcomers weren't ordinary travelers. Azula's hairpiece spoke loudly of her status, after all.
"P-Princess! Welcome!" they exclaimed, bowing towards her. Azula grimaced.
"Stand upright again and keep proper watch," she ordered them, firmly. "If you see any suspicious travelers approaching, you will let me know immediately. Understood?"
"Understood!" exclaimed the men, their voices cracking slightly under their nerves.
Haru led them into the small cluster of houses, gazing about himself melancholically. The main building of the village head had been replaced by a Fire Nation-styled building, as expected. Most the buildings nearby were fashioned similarly, and only further across the street did the houses resemble those in Haru's memories again…
"We're… we shouldn't be looking for a house right now," he said, suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked, gazing up at him in confusion.
"We lived up on that hill, see?" Haru said, pointing at a nearby mound. Several cottages could be spotted there from where they stood. "But… we had a store. My mother did, I mean. It's possible that whoever is there now would have some knowledge about my mother. M-maybe she came back to reclaim her store, once the slaver let her go, and whoever's there now met her…"
"Maybe," said Ty Lee, nodding before smiling enthusiastically at Haru and taking his hand again. "Come on, Haru. Let's go."
"Right…" he said, swallowing hard and following his sponsor.
Sokka glanced about himself with sad eyes. The small town was uneven, its spirit as good as non-existent. He had found beauty in Fire Nation-styled architecture before, but their buildings here were out of place. Their people, the soldiers and civilians alike, looked disgruntled, just as Azula had when she had first visited the Earth Kingdom. They didn't want to be here anymore than the Earth Kingdom people wanted them here, as was plain to see in the eyes of the few of them who were in the streets right now.
What would Azula do about this? She had plans to fix the slavery business, to help the weakest amongst the Fire Nation, but what would happen to the colonies? What would she do about the people who had been stationed in lands they didn't want to live in? And what about the locals who wanted to preserve their cultural identities? Was it possible to remain faithful to the Fire Nation and respect these people as well? His stomach burned with unease as he asked himself that question. As he wondered if Kuei was right to be indignant about the Fire Nation's conquest, for the Earth Kingdom he had been raised to rule was but a shadow of a past well beyond its reach. Would the Earth Kingdom ever regain its dignity, its freedom? Could Azula afford to return it to them?
Politics and war were utterly dreadful, there was no doubt to be had about that. Doing the right thing seemed to be impossible, and Sokka hated to think that it just might be. Azula was a better person than most people believed, herself included, but she would be forced to make unethical decisions when she became Fire Lord, he knew as much. And he would be forced to keep his silence and let her do it or defy her if he couldn't stand for the worst of her decisions. As he was right now, he wasn't sure of what he'd choose to do once that time came.
Haru grew tense as they approached one of the stores. The door was closed, the blinds on the windows were half-lidded, and it looked much like the other Earth Kingdom-styled buildings. Haru's feet had only stopped here, though: it had to be his mother's store.
"I… I don't know what we'll find," Haru said, turning to look at Ty Lee. "I mean, it could be… could be worse than I imagine. Maybe there are no clues, maybe there won't be anything and I'm only fooling myself because…"
"Haru…" she said, looking at him desperately. "It's okay. We'll be here for you, no matter what's behind that door."
"Take your time," Sokka advised him, nodding in his direction. "You can do it whenever you feel up for it, it doesn't have to be right away."
"It's true, but…" said Azula, glancing around herself warily. "It is nightfall. As uncomfortable as it makes me, we'll probably have to stay overnight in this town as it is. The tall building there is probably the residence of whoever's in charge of this town, right?"
"Probably," said Haru, nodding. "It's how it used to be before, at least… they would offer you a place to stay, surely."
"I would hope so," said Azula, before clarifying: "For all of us, I'm not the only one who needs a place to stay."
"Then, if we'll stay overnight, you can do this in the morning," said Ty Lee, smiling at Haru. "If you need more time, if you want to…"
A sudden sound startled them. They turned towards the house, finding the blinds were fully shut now. Haru's eyes widened.
"There's someone inside," Sokka said, frowning a little. "Haru…"
"That's what we were hoping for, isn't it?" Azula said. "Whoever that is should help you find out what happened to your mother, or at least…"
"Or at least get me started on that quest," said Haru, his hands trembling now. Feeble hopes were born inside him now, just because of those blinds… "I… I have to do this. I have to."
"It'll be okay, Haru," said Ty Lee, her hands on his forearm. "Whatever happens now…"
He nodded, and gave her one last, longing glance before pulling away from her and approaching the door. He knocked on it hard twice, feigning the certainty he absolutely lacked right now.
No voices answered his knocks. He swallowed hard, noticing his throat was extremely dry right now.
"Excuse me?" he called out, his heart racing, his voice shaking. "I… I'm only here to ask about the previous tenants of this store. I… I can also buy something, if you need me to, if you have anything in stock, of course, but I just want information. I don't mean anyone any harm, I'm only looking for… I'm only looking for my family."
Still silence. Haru sighed and lowered his head, turning towards the others. Sokka shrugged.
"I'd say you should go inside," he suggested. "Whoever's in there should at least have the decency to refuse you to your face, right?"
"Indeed, just as Haru has the decency to knock on a door and wait for permission before barging inside, you know," Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka tensed up and scowled at her. "You really could learn some manners from…"
The door swung open, and Azula's words were interrupted immediately upon that.
Haru's head whipped around quickly, and all eyes fell upon the figure of an older woman. A woman with long, silver hair, worn green-and-yellow clothes, and a green headband on her head.
A headband exactly like the one Haru always wore.
The entire group fell silent as the woman's green eyes found Haru's. The two of them held each other's gaze for a moment, lips parted, as they took in the sight before them. Time had drifted by, and it had changed them both… but it hadn't changed them enough to turn them into strangers for one another.
"H-Haru…?" the woman said, her voice frail as she reached her hand out towards him. Her movement seemed to snap him out of his state of shock, eliciting a soft sound of disbelief from him.
"Mother…?" he said, tears already surging in the corners of his eyes.
His face, so downcast barely a few moments ago, had come alive once more: his eyes were gleaming, and his mouth was finally forming the smallest, most subtle smile…
Ty Lee had covered her mouth with her hands, her chest tight now with blissful surprise. Sokka's stomach had been in knots until then, he realized now, since said knots finally had seemed to unravel as he watched the reunion between mother and son. Even Azula, detached as she often tried to be, had sighed in relief, smiling weakly.
No more time was wasted between mother and son: Haru's mother seemed to wail in blissful joy as she threw her arms around her son's neck, and Haru embraced her tightly, pressing his face to her shoulder as he lifted her up. She was here, she was alive… she was safe. It was no illusion, even if it felt like it at first. But she was in his arms, he could touch her, and her voice was nearly deafening as she cried against his ear.
His mother had been waiting for him to come back to her one day. It had taken longer than it should have, Haru knew as much… but he was finally here. He was finally home.
A/N:
In case anyone's interested, I'm currently starting an art project based on Gladiator. The bulk of the project will take place on my P / A / T / R / E / O / N page, you guys can check it out once in a while if you'd like to see the finished pieces (or comics, rather, since that's what the project is about). Each comic will be available as a public post, so all of you will be able to see them (the only one available right now is mildly spoilery, so if you'd rather not check it out yet, that's fine too).
My patrons will help me pick what scenes I'll revisit with the comics: they can suggest new ideas for the comics, and I'll set up polls every two months so I can choose the idea that my patrons liked best. If any of you would like to be part of the creative process behind these comics, the smallest pledge will make you eligible for it. If you don't want to, or can't pledge for any reason, that's fine too: the content for this project will always be available for you to view if you want to see it.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.