Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

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

158. Chapter 158: Haru's Family 7

It had been a whirlwind, but quite possibly the best kind of whirlwind any of them had witnessed. Haru's happiness and relief overflowed, proving contagious for everyone else, and his mother seemed so much younger than she did at first thanks to the bright smile on her face: it was apparent that the outcome of this quest had been as welcome as it was unexpected.

"I can barely believe that you… that you came to find me, oh, Haru!" she cried still, half an hour after their reencounter.

Haru chuckled, holding his mother closely, as though to never let her go. They were inside the shop now, and Azula, Sokka and Ty Lee were checking out the wares while Haru spoke as privately as he could with his mother while in the store's limited space.

"I had to, Mom," he said, smiling warmly. "We're family. I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner…"

"Oh, nonsense!" his mother said, laughing as she clasped his face between her hands. "Don't you apologize for it, I'm too pleased you're here now to worry about the 'might-have-been's, my dear."

"I suppose you are," Haru smiled, pulling her close again and closing his eyes. "I'm just so glad… so glad we found you so fast. I didn't think… I really thought I'd have to run all across the world to find you."

"Where else could I possibly have gone to, child? This was my home," she said, with a sad smile. "Even if… even if it didn't feel much like a home without you and Tyro, but…"

The mention of Tyro made Haru tense up, and his mother noticed it. She gazed at him with confused concern, but Haru offered her a small smile and shook his head.

"We should be grateful we could reunite at all," he whispered. "Most slaves don't get this luxury, s-so… we should focus on that."

"Fine, Haru," said his mother, smiling warmly at him before glancing at the other three people inside the store. "Now… oh, I'm a terrible host, aren't I? You're here with your friends, and… oh, goodness, they're all noble, aren't they?"

"Well, two of them are," said Haru, with a small smile.

Ty Lee, ever the eavesdropper, looked over her shoulder upon realizing Haru and his mother were talking about them. She smiled awkwardly and shrugged as Haru approached her, leading his mother towards his sponsor.

"This is Ty Lee, Mom," he said, grinning too. "She has been my sponsor for a few years now, and she's… she's the entire reason I could find you, really."

"Oh, Haru, that's not…" said Ty Lee, smiling and shaking her head, but he gave her a meaningful grin that silenced her quickly.

"Ty Lee, this is Ran, my mom," he said, allowing the silver-haired woman to smile brightly at her new acquaintance.

"So, you're the one taking care of my son these days?" she asked. Ty Lee swallowed hard. "You look like a good girl. I'm pleased he's with someone who has been kind to him, especially for a Fire… o-oh, I mean, forget what I was saying."

"Especially for a Fire Nation citizen?" Azula finished, behind her. Haru tensed up, glancing at the Princess in concern while Ran as well looked at the regal guest with wary eyes.

Sokka raised his eyebrow at Azula, knowing that she was enjoying holding full control over the atmosphere and conversation. Some habits died hard, and Azula certainly loved being in control of many things, no matter how often Sokka had taken it from her in certain regards…

But just as he had expected, Azula smiled. The tension decreased immediately, albeit Ran wasn't sure what to make of Azula's new expression.

"Well, how could anyone blame you for thinking as much?" she said. "Considering the sorts of things you must have been through by the hand of Fire Nation citizens and soldiers, it's a wonder you even allowed me and Ty Lee inside your shop."

"I… well, times have been unkind in many ways, yes," said Ran, lowering her gaze. "Though it is strange to hear someone who looks like a noblewoman speaking of her fellow citizens like that…"

"You could say I take pride in being odd that way," said Azula, shrugging lightly. "I'm trying to live by what I preach these days, and what I've preached is that, as our conquest has made us responsible for the Earth Kingdom populace, all of you deserve to be treated with far more respect than what you've received for all these years."

"O-oh. That's… thank you," said Ran, smiling a little. "How fortunate, then, that Haru has found such good friends in the Fire Nation. I'm… I'm glad, my dear. It seems you really had a brighter future ahead of yourself than anything I could imagine."

She cupped his face with her hand again, and Haru smiled tenderly, clasping his mother's hand in his own. He looked at Sokka and smiled at him.

"I should introduce you properly, though," he chuckled, gesturing at his friend. "He's Sokka, he's a gladiator like me. Only, he's a non-bender, and he's sponsored by Princess Azula."

"B-by…?!" Ran exclaimed, eyes wide as she looked at Haru. "W-what do you mean, Princess Azula? The Fire Lord's daughter? How did you befriend her gladiator, Haru?"

"Well, that's because…" said Haru, his smile widening as he gestured at the only firebender in the room. "She is Princess Azula, Mom."

Ran's hands flew to her mouth, her wide eyes wider still. Azula couldn't help but smile, but she didn't do it smugly. She simply nodded as Ran seemed to struggle to find words to express herself now.

"I-I-I…! I should've known, I mean, I couldn't have known, b-but still…!"

"It's quite alright, even Fire Nation people fail to recognize me now and again," said Azula, waving a hand dismissively.

"You know the Fire Nation Princess, of all people, Haru?" said Ran, looking at him in disbelief. "T-this is…! How did any of this happen?"

"It's a long story," Haru answered, earnestly. "But I think I have the time to tell you all about it, if you'd like to hear it."

"Of course I would! Of course I…! Oh, you'll stay for tonight, won't you? All of you?"

"Oh, we will stay in town," Azula said. "But my guards are already finding the rest of us a place to stay. Haru, of course, should stay with you, but the rest of us won't burden you…"

"W-well, it would be no burden, but I suppose it's for the best," Ran said, with a small smile. "I couldn't offer much better than the barn we have by our house. But I do have to offer you dinner!"

"There's also no need for…" Azula started, but the woman interrupted her.

"I insist!" said Ran, clasping Haru's hand and looking at the other three pleadingly. "I owe you all so much for taking care of Haru for all this time, and I… I really want to repay this debt."

"It's no debt at all!" said Ty Lee, smiling enthusiastically. "Haru has been the most wonderful partner I could have asked for. If anything, I'd like to stay to thank you for raising him to be such a wonderful man!"

"T-Ty Lee…" said Haru, blushing brightly. Ran's smile was filled with pride.

"Then you absolutely must stay!" she declared. Ty Lee smiled happily and clapped in agreement.

"She's just… absolutely lacking in self-awareness," said Azula, with a twitching eyebrow. Sokka chuckled and smiled warmly at her.

"You want to take off, leave these three to themselves?" he asked. "I mean, that way she wouldn't have to cook that much food and…"

"Oh, please, all of you must stay!" Ran exclaimed, upon overhearing their conversation. Sokka froze, and Azula sighed. "I… I know my home is too humble compared to what you're used to, but…"

"It's not about that," said Azula, sighing. "Your generosity is appreciated, truly, but…"

"I just want to know the people who have helped my Haru for all this time," said Ran, smiling weakly at her. "Please?"

Azula gritted her teeth, before hanging her head in defeat. Sokka's eyes widened.

"I suppose I can be shameless like Ty Lee for once, then. We'll take advantage of your hospitality," she said. Sokka crooked an eyebrow as Ran beamed and rushed towards Haru again.

"Uh, I know you too well to believe you're really just going to sit by and allow a woman on the verge of poverty to feed you like it's no big deal…" Sokka said, from the corner of his mouth now, in case anyone might overhear him.

"Before we leave this town I'll find a market and restock all the ingredients she uses. I'll throw in some extra food while we're at it," Azula said, sighing. Sokka smiled. "Yeah, yeah, you're certainly proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"Always. You're such a nice person these days, without my meddling…" he said, smirking. Azula huffed.

"You shouldn't be all that happy for it. By the time you first started having feelings for me I was a complete asshole to you and to most people…"

"Hey! You were only a partial asshole, you weren't a complete one at the time," Sokka declared. Azula actually smirked.

"Why, that's a very nice thing to clarify. So thoughtful of you, Sokka," she said. He snickered as she shook her head.

"Well, considering you were about to say that if I liked you for the asshole you were, I should be disgusted by the nice person you are now… I think I was entitled to clarify indeed," he said, teasingly. Azula smiled and shook her head.

"It's still true, though…" she said, eyeing him meaningfully. Sokka smiled and brushed her hand with his.

"I liked you for who you were," he said, before turning around and leaning closer, whispering in her ear by now. "But I love you for who you are now. Sorry to disappoint, Princess, but you're only more appealing to me as time goes by…"

"I suppose you'll start claiming otherwise when my hair starts graying and my skin gets wrinkled…" Azula muttered innocently. Sokka smirked.

"Wanna bet?" he asked. She smiled and shot him a meaningful, challenging stare. "You sure love to underestimate me, Princess"

"And you sure need to stop flirting with me even if Haru's mother isn't paying attention. You're making me want to do things to you that I absolutely can't afford doing right now," she said, bumping him lightly with her shoulder and prompting Sokka to laugh softly.

Upon the return of her guards, Azula sent them out again to purchase whatever food they could find in the stores that were still open in the village. While Haru's mother had insisted that she could see to it that everyone was well fed, the Princess decided to take no chances and reimburse her all the same. Regardless of Ran's initial protests, she gave up eventually and simply thanked Azula when her guards returned, their arms loaded with food.

Ty Lee seemed happy, but more than anything, she was relieved. Haru's heart was still heavy with loss, but simultaneously light with the bliss of reunion. His joy upon finding his mother again was genuine and he was as helpful as he could be: he carried much of the food back to his old home, a small hut up on a hill, and he offered to help with the cooking, much to Ran's chagrin.

"Haru, you just came home! I can't let you cook!" she exclaimed, astounded. Haru chuckled and shook his head.

"You'll have to endure my whims, then, Mom," he said, taking his place in the kitchen happily.

"Goodness, Haru, you're more stubborn than you used to be!" Ran exclaimed, laughing softly as she joined him at work.

The others were left to sit at the small dining room, which was also the vestibule and sitting room. The house wasn't spacious at all, so Azula was pleased to hear that her guards had indeed secured places to sleep for everyone else at the Mayor's house.

"We'll just have dinner here and head down there afterwards," Azula told Fei Li. "Well, at least most of us will. I don't know if Ty Lee has any solid plans yet…"

"I… I don't really know what I'll do," she said, smiling weakly. Azula raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just… I guess she hasn't realized that you and Haru have something going on, or has she?" Azula asked. Ty Lee smiled and shrugged.

"Well, we haven't said anything, and I guess maybe Haru doesn't want to yet… I mean, this isn't about me, is it? They're reuniting for the first time in years! They should just be happy and not worry about me at all."

"If that's the case, are you going to the Mayor's place with us?" Azula asked. "I guess you could stay here if you wanted to, and if there's enough room of course. But you should do whatever you're most comfortable with."

"I… I'll think about it," said Ty Lee, nodding weakly. "Though… I should give them privacy, shouldn't I? It's their first meeting in so long, and… I just think it's for the best. Yeah, I'll just head down with you guys. It'll be better for them."

"As long as that Mayor has room for all of us…" said Sokka. The guards nodded.

"We told them to prepare ahead for eight guests," said Tai Wei. "We should be fine if we stay there, even if some of us may have to bunk together."

"I call for the top bunk!" Fei Li declared, his hand shooting up in the air. Azula blinked blankly at his childish declaration while the other guards broke protocol by laughing at their leader. "W-what?"

"Just… you're definitely the liveliest captain the Imperial Guards have ever had," Azula said, with an awkward smile. Fei Li blinked blankly before puffing up with pride.

"Why, thank you, Princess! I do try!"

"Heh, well… lively was the nicest way I could put it, really," she said, eyes wide. Fei Li gasped as Sokka joined the laughter now.

"W-well, whatever do you mean by that, Princess?!"

Ty Lee smiled as she watched her friend and her guards arguing, but she glanced back over her shoulder at Haru and Ran afterwards. Ran had embraced her son again, interrupting their cooking progress. Haru was chuckling, urging his mother to keep working or else they'd never finish their meal. It was a moving scene, no doubt… but Ty Lee knew she wasn't part of it. She couldn't be part of it. She had no right to intrude, and she wouldn't have wanted to do it anyways. The sight of them brought her to ponder if, despite everything, this was the end of the road for her and Haru… if he would choose to stay with his mother, to look after her and help her with her store and chores.

She would accept it if he asked her to let him go. She would, even if it killed her inside. Her chest hurt at the thought, and again the feeling of abandonment swept over her, engulfing her heart and mind in one go. Again, she knew she'd end up alone. But this time it wasn't because Haru had broken her heart or done something unforgivable, as had been the case in many of her broken relationships in the past. No, it was because Haru had different priorities, priorities she couldn't help but agree with. Why continue fighting as a gladiator when he could be with the mother he hadn't seen in ages? Why stay by Ty Lee's side when he surely could find girls like Song in this village, girls who would relate to his plight and understand him much better than Ty Lee could?

But she had to keep her act together and not make Haru notice how hard it would be for her to say goodbye. She couldn't make him feel guilty over parting ways with her, not when it meant he'd have what mattered most to him: when asked what he wanted, he had answered he wanted to find his family. And now that he had, Ty Lee knew he'd never want to let go of it again. She wouldn't make him do that: she refused to be so selfish.

It took over an hour for the cooking to be finished, and by then, Ty Lee, Jianghuo and Taro had involved themselves with helping by setting the table and offering assistance in the kitchen too. The few plates in the house had different patterns, and a few of them were chipped with age. It didn't bother most of them, but it certainly brought a pang of guilt to Azula's chest to witness the state of poverty people like Haru's mother had to endure. And to think there were others worse off than Ran was… but that didn't weaken Ran's spirits at all, as was clear by how thrilled she was to sit beside her son and ask him to regale her with tales of his adventures.

"Please, Haru, you can't expect to come by with this kind of company and not explain anything," she laughed softly, as the group enjoyed their meal. "Come, then, how did you become Ty Lee's gladiator?"

"W-well, that's…" said Haru, biting his lip. "I was bought by that man, Tiao… you remember him, right?"

"Oh, yes. He… he seemed unpleasant, but wealthy. At the time I just wanted to hope you'd have a better life, however you could, so…" said Ran, grimacing. Haru smiled weakly.

"Well, I did have a better life, but… only after I stopped being his gladiator," Haru said. "He wasn't a kind sponsor at all. By the time I first met Ty Lee, Sokka and the Princess, I was in a slump. If I lost a few more fights in the League, I would have been disqualified… I mean, I doubt you know how the Gladiator Business works, but that's one of the rules."

"Oh, and you'd lost many times?" Ran asked, worried. "Were you badly injured?"

"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," said Haru, with a reassuring smile. "But Tiao wasn't happy, and I had the feeling things would only get worse for me if I lost again… and I did. But I lost against Sokka."

"You defeated Haru?" Ran asked, looking at Sokka in surprise. The gladiator's mouth was full, and he struggled to show her his best attempt of an innocent smile.

"He's a little tougher than he looks," Azula said, with a weak grin. Ran blinked blankly.

"And I was a mess back then," Haru chuckled. "Still am, in many ways. But Sokka… he wanted to train against earthbenders, and well, he wanted me to be his sparring partner, right?"

"Yeah," said Sokka, after swallowing his mouthful of food. "I asked Azula, and she went to Tiao with the proposal. He didn't want to go along with it… and that's where Ty Lee came in."

"I've always been friends with Princess Azula," Ty Lee clarified, with a small grin. "I was there to watch Sokka, but I… I really was impressed with Haru. So, upon overhearing their spat with that horrible man, I decided I'd help by offering to buy Haru from him… and I did."

"Not with her own money, I might add…" Azula said, with a sing-song voice. Sokka chuckled as Ty Lee blushed.

"W-well, all that aside, Haru became my gladiator since then, and he's become such a great gladiator that he's one of the top two hundred gladiators in the League!" Ty Lee declared, proudly. "He's come a really long way since then."

"It sounds like it!" said Ran, looking at her son in awe. "Goodness, Haru, are you truly that talented? How many fighters are there in that league?"

"Five hundred, but the top hundred is really tough…" said Haru, with an awkward grin. His mother smiled fondly.

"You're an extraordinary bender, my dear, that's the truth of it. You wouldn't have come so far if that weren't the case," she said, cupping his face in her hand. "Your father would be so proud of you."

The words fell upon all of them like a bucket of ice-cold water. Haru froze, Ty Lee dropped her chopsticks, and the rest of them simply fell silent and stopped moving. Ran blinked at their reactions, surprised and confused.

"H-Haru…?"

He did a double-take, shaking his head before offering his mother a small grin that didn't reach his eyes.

"I… I would hope so," he said. "I really hope… I'd make him proud."

His words sounded like he was about to shatter, yet he pulled through and returned to his meal. Ran watched him with confusion and concern, guessing already that her son was hiding more secrets than she could unravel over dinner. But she would have the rest of the night to do just that:

"Say, I figured you two would really like to catch up and I don't want to get in the way of that," Ty Lee said, hoping to change the subject and prevent Ran from asking Haru about his father, at least for now. "I'll go with the others to the Mayor's house, if that's okay with you."

"Oh, but… you could stay here, too," said Haru, looking at her with uncertainty. Ty Lee smiled but shook her head.

"Thank you, but you two should have some privacy," she said, with a shrug. "It's okay, Haru. We'll come back in the morning."

"Well… alright," said Haru, grinning back at her as he returned to his meal. The sore topic had been averted, for the time being at least. If just for now, Haru could put on a cheerful face once more.

Once dinner was finished, the group said their farewells to Ran before stepping outside the house. Night had fallen, but lanterns lit up the streets and would guide them safely to the tall building where they'd spend the night.

"Are you okay, Haru?" Ty Lee asked, reaching for his hand as they stood at the small cabin's threshold. Everyone was waiting for her, but that barely seemed to faze Ty Lee.

"I… I'm feeling too many things at the same time," he chuckled, shaking his head. "But… I'm feeling better than I did before. Better than I thought I'd feel for a very long time."

"I'm glad for it," said Ty Lee, smiling and squeezing his hand gently. "She's such a lovely woman, and so graceful… I feel so self-aware around her, really."

"She probably feels the same way about you," said Haru, with a crooked smile. Ty Lee laughed. "Ty Lee… this was just a whim, a dream I never thought would come true. I hoped it would, but… but I never expected someone would help me find my family."

"Well, life has its ways to surprise us all," said Ty Lee, with a shrug and an innocent smile. "You deserved this, and much more, Haru."

"I… I don't know if that's true, but it warms my heart that you think so," he said, smiling earnestly. "Thank you, Ty Lee. I… I really was blessed the day you found me."

Her eyes widened, and for once, she was the one blushing deeply while Haru smiled, unwavering, sure of himself and of the words he had just spoken. Her chest tightened, and she couldn't keep from averting her gaze now. She didn't want him to see her cry, after all.

"W-well, that's… that's so sweet," she said, smiling still. "But I shouldn't keep you for much longer, your mother's waiting."

"Right… and you should get your rest," he said, nodding. "You know, you really could stay here…"

"I'll give you guys space, it's for the better," she said, shrugging and closing her eyes, still an attempt to keep Haru from noticing she was on the verge of tears. "I'll see you tomorrow, Haru."

"Yeah… see you tomorrow, Ty Lee," he said, smiling warmly still.

She stepped away quickly, as though to prevent herself from jumping into his arms if she remained near him for another second. Haru only watched her fondly as she rushed up to Azula, who was waiting at a fork down the road. Sokka waved at Haru from the dirt road, and the earthbender nodded gratefully in his direction before closing his house's front door.

He turned around to find his mother was watching him, sitting by the table still. She wouldn't have had the best view of the door from there, but the knowing look on her face spoke for itself. Haru swallowed hard.

"U-uh, Mom…"

"She's not just your sponsor, is she?" Ran asked, and to Haru's relief, a smile spread over his mother's features.

"She's… not," he admitted, a shy smile on his face. Ran laughed softly.

"I think there's much left unsaid still, child," she said, patting one of the cushions on the floor beside her. "So, please… tell me everything, dear."

Haru grinned and nodded, despite himself. Not all the stories would be happy, and he knew his mother would be anguished by many of them… but she wanted to listen. Both their plights would be over now that they had found each other again: everything would be different for him and his mother, from this day forward.

---

He had kept things from getting to him, focusing exclusively on being happy for his friends rather than wallowing in misery over his own family circumstances, but Sokka found it hard to avoid those thoughts that night.

He lay awake in the bed he had been assigned at the Mayor's house. The Princess and Ty Lee had their own rooms, as they were of noble birth: meanwhile, Sokka had to settle for an old futon while the rest of the guards took the bunk beds – as promised, Fei Li was in the top of the left one. Sokka's futon was laid between both bunks – Fei Li tossed and turned in his bed, and Sokka constantly dreaded that the man might fall off it and drop atop him.

Still, that concern wasn't the only thing keeping him awake. Thoughts of Song's reunion with Myeung, and now Haru's with Ran, would come to mind constantly. He was happy for them, of course he was, but the two of them had succeeded at something Sokka would be deprived of forever. He had finally mourned his mother properly, but that hardly meant the pain was gone by now. He knew it never would be.

He would gladly continue to reunite families if he could do so, even if every time it happened, he would be forcibly reminded of his own family, of his own losses. Because the rest of his family, aside from Kya…

They were supposed to be alive, and they wouldn't die as long as Ozai kept true to his promise. But they were out there, and he was here. They were rebelling against the Fire Nation, while Sokka was standing beside their leader's daughter. He would be a fool if he expected a heartfelt reunion like those he had witnessed between Haru, Song and their respective mothers. His family wouldn't be proud of him, even if Sokka wasn't ashamed of the man he had become. His family would likely want nothing to do with him if he ever dared show his face around them again.

Perhaps it wouldn't happen right away: his sister and father probably hadn't heard or found out about Sokka's exploits as Azula's gladiator. But even then, his welcome shouldn't be all that warm, not after he hadn't listened to his father, not after he had damn near gotten his warriors and fellow tribesmen killed in the settlement. He didn't deserve the same joyful greeting Haru and Song had gotten, and once his family knew what he'd made of himself through all these years, they would want nothing more to do with him.

And perhaps there was a selfish side of himself that would be fine with that: the selfish side that demanded to stay by Azula's side no matter what. But his heart churned at the thought of being rejected by his family, even if he knew it was what he deserved…

He rolled over, forcing his eyes shut in an attempt to sleep, when a rustling sound to his left startled him. He jumped when something heavy dropped beside him, a new weight on the futon: indeed, Fei Li had fallen off his bed. If Sokka hadn't turned on his side barely instants earlier, the slumbering guard would have crushed him.

"Woah, you okay?" Sokka asked, trying to be quiet so he wouldn't wake up the others.

But Fei Li simply snored, mouth wide open as he laid on his back. Sokka's eyebrow twitched as he eyed the man with uncertainty.

"Okay, I refuse to sleep with you, Fei Li," he said, with a dry grin, as he stood up and made his way out of the room.

He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking maybe he needed a walk to clear his thoughts, or a snack, or a drink. He picked up a tunic that he had left beside his futon and he draped himself with it: they had been given clean clothes after their long day of hiking, something everyone had appreciated, and they also had cleaned up and bathed before tucking in for the night. Sokka had been amongst the last ones to clean up, but even so, he had tossed and turned for hours before Fei Li had pulled his unconscious stunt.

The Mayor's house looked larger than it was. The passageways were narrow, the rooms downstairs were occupied by the man's family and closest workers. The other rooms on the upper floors were mainly storages and studies, aside from the three rooms that had been available for them to use.

But there was a sitting room in the second floor, and that was where Sokka figured he'd head to. Maybe he would find a jar of water there – limited as his room was, there were no nightstands to be found, let alone sources of water.

The rice paper walls turned all shapes into blurs, but they always betrayed the locations of lanterns with ease. Sokka frowned upon noticing there was a light within the sitting room he was headed towards, and he pushed the door open carefully…

His eyes widened when he spotted Azula, dressed in a red robe and with her hair down, standing at the sitting room's balcony and glancing at him from over her shoulder. No doubt she hadn't expected anyone to show up this late at night either.

"Heh… I thought someone had left a light on," Sokka said, with an awkward smile as he stepped inside with her. "I figured you'd be asleep by now."

"It seems you figured wrong," Azula said, shrugging as Sokka crossed the room.

There was a table, and several cushions around it, right before an open balcony that allowed them to glance out to see the stars. The small lights blinked weakly upon the ground in a moonless night such as this one, giving the town and the nearby mountains a sense of mystery that could be either fascinating or unsettling. The look on Azula's face suggested it was the latter for her.

"What a waste, huh? Both of us, insomniacs… and there's not a damn thing we can do about it," he said, resting with his elbows on the balcony's railing. Azula looked at him helplessly.

"You mean, to distract ourselves from the insomnia, or to defeat it?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Either thing, really. I wouldn't mind getting some sleep, but… it's not working out so well. Not just because of what's on my mind, but it didn't help matters much when Fei Li dropped on my futon out of the blue. He didn't even wake up afterwards."

"Such a responsible captain," Azula said, rolling her eyes but smiling. "Well, at least it gave us a chance to be alone together, for a change. It feels like it's been eons, even if it's only been a couple of days…"

"It's been a heavy couple of days," Sokka added, staring up at the sky in wonder. "What's keeping you awake, then?"

"What's keeping you?" Azula asked, eyeing him defiantly. Sokka smiled.

"Well, now, I asked you first…" he said, looking at her teasingly.

Azula grinned a little, guessing it might be fine to share her innermost thoughts. He was here now, too, so… there wasn't much to fear if she had him in sight.

"It's… not hard to imagine, I suppose," she said. "I can't stop thinking about the last time we were in a village like this, spending the night… I could barely sleep back then, I can barely sleep now by remembering it. And it's a new moon, too… I keep expecting them to show up, and I just… I feel like a fool for wanting to be ready when I know it's unlikely to happen in the first place, but…"

"But you're always operating with the worst-case scenario in mind," Sokka finished for her. "Yeah, I get that… I do. I guess I would be plagued by the same thing if, well…"

"Something else is bothering you?" Azula asked. Sokka squared his jaw. "Here I'd thought it was the same thing…"

"It's not, it's just… it's hard to keep some thoughts at bay in the face of these circumstances," he said, biting his lower lip. "Just… I'm feeling real selfish and stupid, it's nothing new…"

"You, selfish?" Azula asked, eyebrows raised. "I mean, you're not generally stupid even if you can be kind of stupid in some ways, but…"

"Come on…" said Sokka, smiling weakly.

"But I know for a fact that you're not nearly as selfish as you always seem to think you are, so… what's this about?" Azula asked, angling her body towards his. She continued to stare at him inquisitively, until he finally spoke, his chest tight.

"Song and Haru…" he said, smiling a little. "They've both found their mothers again, and I'm glad they did. I'm really glad and… and it's wonderful. But after watching them reunite, I… I think I tried to muffle these feelings, to shut them out, but they're eating away at me no matter how hard I try to ignore them."

"You… wish you could do the same," Azula concluded, lowering her gaze. "You'd like to meet your family again and…"

"My mother is well beyond my reach," Sokka whispered. Azula glanced up at him again, pained to see such melancholic eyes on her lover's face. "I know that, and yet… I wish it could happen somehow. It's futile, it's stupid, but… I guess it's human nature to want things that won't ever happen. And as for the rest of my family, well… I don't know if they'd ever greet me the way Haru and Song were greeted by their mothers. Not only because of what I've done ever since you took me away, but… because of what I've told you already, I guess."

"You still fear you'll be a disappointment for your father and sister," Azula said, staring off into the horizon again. "I… I wish I could tell you it won't be the case. That you'll be happy, that they'll accept you lovingly because I know that's what you deserve, but… but I can't speak for your family."

"I guess not," said Sokka, sighing with resignation.

"After all you've done, after how you've saved their lives, they'd be fools if they didn't want you back with them," Azula grumbled. "I mean… I'd love to think their loss is my gain, but I can't say I'd just turn a blind eye and take you away to never return if they rejected you. Instead, I'd likely…"

"Please don't tell me you'd get into a fight with them," Sokka said, with a weak grin. "Especially my sister. She'd absolutely attack you, I know it, but…"

"Oh, so you hold me to higher standards than your sister?" Azula asked. Sokka chuckled. "Why, that's quite unfair on your part. I'm supposed to be civil, but she can be as hostile as she likes?"

"Nah, she couldn't be even if she tried. I'd likely get so mad if she tries to hurt you that she'd have to fight me instead," said Sokka, shrugging. Azula smiled.

"Defying your sister because of me? That's how you want to go down in history, really?" she asked. He laughed again. "Well, as you're offering to save me from your sister, I'll have to save you from her, too. And then we'll spend the rest of our lives diverting her attention away from the other until she's too tired to keep chasing either of us."

"Heh, that's not such a bad plan, you know?" said Sokka. Azula laughed softly. "Sounds like maybe the herbalist's bull was my sister, after all…"

"She might be. At any rate… you have some time still before meeting your family," she said. "Truthfully, you have as long as you want to have. As far as I'm concerned, we could easily take a trip somewhere south, maybe Gaoling or the Southern Coliseum, in Whaletail Island, and then take a quick detour on our way home, maybe. Whenever you're ready for it, we'll go."

"I suppose," said Sokka, with a sigh, but he smiled all the same. "It's really not fair, though. The more time I spend with you, the less ready I feel to face them."

"Oh, so it's my fault, then?" she asked, with a small grin of her own. "See, I am a terrible influence, they'll be right about that much at least."

"They wouldn't be," Sokka said, smiling and shifting towards her. "No one can be that terrible an influence if they manage to cheer up a miserable guy in just one conversation…"

"Oh, beg your pardon but that's not so hard to do," Azula said, smirking now. "I know quite a few things I could say to…"

The sounds of footsteps alerted them that they were standing too close together, leaning a little too close to one another. They both glanced back at the door Sokka had left open just in time to spot Ty Lee passing by before it.

It was hard to identify her at first, as she wore a large robe, an unusual outfit for Ty Lee's standards. Her hair was down, damp, and she was pressing a towel against it as though to dry it. Azula's eyes widened as they met Ty Lee's.

"What on earth…?" she said, as Ty Lee blinked blankly at the sight of them.

"O-oh, I was sure you guys would be… uh, um, it's okay, I was on my way to my room anyways…" she started rambling, smiling awkwardly and making to leave, but Azula moved towards her, surprising the chi-blocker.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" Azula asked. "Hell, why is your hair wet? Don't tell me you were taking a bath until now…"

"I-I may have just been thinking a lot while I was there, so what?" Ty Lee said, pouting. Sokka grimaced.

"As long as you weren't trying to drown yourself, I suppose it's fine?" he said. Azula gave him a meaningful glare while Ty Lee smiled awkwardly.

"Well, I didn't try that, if that makes either of you feel any better," she said, with a shrug. "I just… needed time for myself. That's all."

"Right," said Azula, looking at Ty Lee with uncertainty as her friend toyed with a wavy strand of her hair. "Well, if that's the case…"

"Were you going to braid it?" Sokka asked Ty Lee. She looked at him in surprise. "What? I'm just curious…"

"Well, I usually do, after washing it, but…" said Ty Lee, biting her lip. "I can do it myself, I just got used to, well…"

"Asking Haru to do it for you?" Azula finished. Ty Lee smiled apologetically before Sokka grinned more encouragingly.

"Well, I have experience braiding hair, if you want my help," he said, before glancing at Azula warily. "Uh, if you don't mind, that is?"

"Oh, suddenly I'm really the boss of you, aren't I?" Azula asked, teasingly. Ty Lee smiled awkwardly.

"You have experience braiding hair?" she asked. "I mean… sorry, it just doesn't sound like something I'd associate with you…"

"He's full of surprises, this one," said Azula, patting Sokka's arm before moving to close the door. "I promise I won't go on a jealous rage if you do it, I'll try to restrain my most feral instincts…"

"Good, because I'm just trying to be nice here," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "There's no need for Ty Lee to braid her own hair if we can help her, right?"

"Yeah… you probably will have it easier to keep it on-center than I will," Ty Lee agreed, smiling and nodding.

And so, they found themselves sitting by the table, Azula still gazing out the balcony warily while Sokka laced Ty Lee's hair carefully, as skillful as ever while handling hair.

"Well, consider me impressed!" Ty Lee said, as he finished tying up the braid. "You really are pretty good at this."

"He ought to make a living off hairdressing," Azula said, smirking. "He'd probably be better at it than at being a gladiator."

"What? Oh, please, as if I'd done a poor job of it," Sokka grumbled, as Azula laughed softly.

"I'm just saying…" said Azula, before noticing Ty Lee looked downcast again. "Ty Lee? Are you alright?"

"I'm… I'm fine," she said, shaking her head.

"Uh, did we do something wrong again?" Sokka asked, but Ty Lee shook her head harder. "Then…?"

He was startled when Ty Lee's shoulders shook before she dropped her head against his chest. His eyes widened as the girl started crying, and while one part of him was worried about whatever had caused such reaction in Ty Lee, another part was worried about whatever Azula would think of this.

But, despite he expected otherwise, Azula seemed more concerned with whatever was bothering Ty Lee than with being possessive about who got to cry on his chest. Sokka was relieved for that, at the very least.

It was well over ten minutes before Ty Lee's tears finally stopped. She pulled away from Sokka, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and covering her face with them afterwards. Sokka looked at her with uncertainty, and even Azula didn't seem to know what to make of this.

"I… I'm sorry, you guys were… you guys were being so nice and I just…" Ty Lee started, shaking her head and wiping her eyes again.

"It's okay," said Azula. "But… I think I speak for both of us when I say we're absolutely confused."

"Yeah, you do," said Sokka, gulping. "What's wrong, Ty Lee? You've done what you wanted to do, and Haru is happy, so… what is it?"

"He is happy, isn't he?" said Ty Lee, with a sad smile. "I don't think I'd ever seen him like that before. He missed her, and she missed him, s-so… isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?" Sokka asked.

"He's going to stay with her," said Ty Lee. Azula's eyes widened. "I know, you'll think I'm jumping to conclusions again, but Haru isn't an idiot. She's his mother, he loves her, and… and she's not getting any younger, and will need help with the chores in the house, and with the store, s-so…"

"So, you think he'll just forget everything else and stay here?" Sokka asked. Ty Lee smiled and shrugged.

"I mean… why would he choose not to?" she asked. "His mother needs him, and… and he'll be happier with her than he ever was with me, as far as I can tell, so… it will be for the best, because he'll be happy. That's all that matters."

"And what about you?" Azula asked, her elbow on the table, her fist supporting her head as she looked at her friend inquisitively. "You look as distant from happiness as can be right now. Are we supposed to think that's fine?"

"I guess not…" said Ty Lee, lowering her gaze. "But… but I'm used to it. I've never been lucky in love, you know it just as well as I do. I guess this was different, though… I thought Haru was safe, and for the longest time he was. He's really never broken my heart, whenever things have gone wrong it was because of my crazy overthinking and… and he's the most wonderful man I've ever known. These weeks… we've been so chaste it's ridiculous, and yet I felt more intimate with him than ever before. I… I just…"

"Ty Lee…" said Azula, looking at her with concern, but her friend shook her head and forced herself to smile.

"I just need to get it out of my system and just… move on," she said. "I know, maybe I'm going too far with what I'm thinking, but… ultimately, what matters is that he's happy and free to have whatever life he wants to have. That's what I want, and what he should want, and I'm sure it's what his mother wants, and…"

"You do need to get it out of your system," Azula agreed. "But… you're not doing it right, you know?"

"I… what?" said Ty Lee, looking at her friend in surprise. Azula breathed deeply and stared at the table.

"I… I know what it's like, trying to get rid of feelings you can't seem to get over," she said. "And considering I failed to do so, my advice is probably meaningless. But… if I had never accepted that I was falling in love with Sokka, that I had genuine feelings for him, I wouldn't have been able to start moving forward. Granted, all the efforts to move forward went to hell barely months later, but it wasn't until I finally admitted it to myself that I could do something about it."

"B-but…" said Ty Lee, looking at Azula in chagrin. "I don't know if I can just… it's so scary to even say it, I…"

"I didn't really say it either," Azula admitted, smiling. "But I accepted it silently either way. You can try to fight a monster you can't see, but chances are it will devour you as soon as you lower your guard. Accepting your reality is the first step towards changing it. I did ask you, back when the trip began, what Haru meant for you… and I guess you still don't know?"

"I… I know," Ty Lee said, closing her eyes and sighing. "I do know by now. I… I guess you're right, or at least, I hope you are. But whether you are or aren't, the truth is that I… I've been falling for Haru. I have, and… and I love him. I love him even if… even if he probably doesn't love me back."

"Well, love isn't really about that, as Sokka already told you," said Azula, smiling weakly at the gladiator. Ty Lee hiccupped softly.

"It's not, I know, but… oh, how wonderful it'd be to finally meet someone worthwhile who feels just the way I do about him," said Ty Lee, shaking her head and drawing her legs up to her chin. "This one, with Haru, was by far the best relationship I've ever had, but… but it was bound to fail, one way or another. Right?"

"Not really," said Azula, sighing. "I hate that you're as good as resigned to never finding love for yourself, Ty Lee. Honestly, if someone as poorly-adjusted as me could find someone…"

"Well, that's because we both are poorly-adjusted," Sokka declared. Azula smiled at him. "Still… Haru is a great guy. I don't know, though, if you should assume he's just going to stay with his mother, even if it's very likely…"

"I can't keep kidding myself as I have," said Ty Lee, shaking her head before surprising them by taking their hands in her own.

She brought both their hands together, their fingers linking smoothly. Azula and Sokka glanced at each other in surprise, as Ty Lee smiled sadly at them.

"Whatever explanation there is for you two… you have a very special bond," she said. "And I was stupid to be jealous of it, I just… I really wished to have something like it, and truth is, it was what I would have had with Haru all along if we'd just opened up to each other sooner. S-so, really… it was my mistake. But you two have done your best with your relationship, and you're still so passionate about each other… I don't think you realize how rare that is."

Azula glanced down at their joined hands, and Sokka smiled tenderly at Azula. Ty Lee's shoulders shook with a soft sob again.

"Y-you two have to promise me… that you'll fight for your relationship until the end," she said. "I've been so unlucky, the boys I liked before were terrible, the one I liked now was too wonderful but I just couldn't keep him by my side… but you two can make it. And if you two can, then… I will be happy to know two of my best friends could have a relationship worth all the struggle you've been through so far. Whatever may happen later… you two have to stick together and stay as completely crazy about each other as you are. You deserve your happiness, maybe more than any other couple I've ever heard of."

"Ty Lee…" said Azula, looking at her friend as Ty Lee released their hands. Sokka and Azula's fingers remained interlaced.

"I don't know if there's any hope for me, but… I want to believe you two can make it. I really do," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands again. Azula sighed and reluctantly let go of Sokka to reach for her friend.

"Ty Lee, you don't have to worry about us," she said, placing a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. The chi-blocker lowered her head, her body tense again. "At a time like this, really, you shouldn't be…"

There wasn't much else Azula could do or say before Ty Lee dropped her head on her lap, tears spilling from her eyes one more time. The Princess watched her with concern, unsure of what to do now. It didn't seem like anything she did or said would be any use anymore.

She shared a conflicted look with Sokka for a moment. He seemed to be just as bothered as she was to see Ty Lee acting like this. Azula could only remember her being this depressed one time before, and it had been after she had lost everything, not just a boyfriend. Then again… Haru had become much more important to Ty Lee than most men would be. He wasn't just her lover, but her partner, her only constant company, her ally in the Gladiator League. She would have to start over without him, and she certainly could do it… but it wouldn't be too surprising to find that she might not want to. Her heart was too broken for her to even think of amending it just yet.

Their night wasn't quite what they expected it to be, not before Ty Lee showed up or afterwards, either. Ty Lee fell asleep after crying on Azula's lap for what felt like hours, and all the Princess could do was pat her head or her shoulders, knowing reassuring words would have no effect. Sokka had taken his seat beside Azula, and he watched her from the corner of his eye as Azula confirmed that Ty Lee had indeed dozed off.

"She really does love him," Azula whispered. Sokka sighed. "She's been hurt before, but… never by a man who hadn't truly done something dreadful to her."

"He probably never would mean her harm, either," said Sokka, relaxing against the table, his back towards it. "In fact, she's doing that thing again and you know it, don't you? The 'jumping to conclusions before even talking to him' thing…"

"It's true, but… how wrong is she, really?" Azula said. "How likely is Haru to just pick her over his mother? Though… who knows? Maybe they'll find their way back to each other somehow. I mean… we did."

"It'll be a little harder to find their way to each other across an ocean, though," said Sokka, gritting his teeth. "It's messed up, all of this. Most of all, that we're powerless to help them. We've dealt with so many problems, solved a lot of crises… but when it comes to our friends, they're out of our reach somehow. Toph just went right back to Iroh, even if he may not have changed as much as he should have, and… Ty Lee and Haru fell apart, even though they'd finally found the right way to be together. It's really not fair."

"Goes to show we can't expect to fix everything ourselves," said Azula, looking at Sokka hopelessly. "Some things really are out of our control, no matter how much we hate that, so…"

"So we just give up, I guess." said Sokka, closing his eyes before glancing at her sideways. "We didn't promise her, though. She broke down before we could really say anything, but still…"

"I guess we didn't, but… it's implied, isn't it?" Azula said, meeting his gaze. "We've already fought plenty to stay by each other's side, haven't we? I'm not about to stop doing that anytime soon. Not even if you ask me to."

Sokka smiled warmly, and Azula grinned too. His hand reached for hers again, his fingertips only lightly grazing hers before sliding between them.

"I suppose it seems easy to fight against common enemies, though," said Azula, staring off into the horizon now. "We're on the same page regarding the White Lotus, for instance. But… it's going to be a little harder to figure out how we'll stay together if my father ever finds out, as he nearly did. If the Fire Nation finds out somehow, too…"

"We're going to avoid that at all costs," Sokka whispered. "But… do you have any plans for what you'd do if something like that were to happen? I mean… have you ever really considered what would be the best way to deal with it?"

Azula bit her lip and nodded, closing her eyes again.

"I have," she confessed. "I guess my answer has changed over time, but… it's been the same answer for over a year now: I'd never let them take you away from me."

"Even if it means…?" said Sokka, eyes wide. Azula shrugged.

"Even if it means losing the dream of the future I've been holding onto for all these years?" she said. "Well, I can find a new future to treasure, if that's what concerns you."

"That'd be fine by me… if we were talking about discarding a future like working in a factory, or painting for a living," Sokka said, lowering his head. "You have the power to change the world, or you will have it, one day. And I don't want to take that away from you, no matter what."

"I'd be giving up my power willingly, you wouldn't be taking anything I wasn't ready to relinquish," she said. "I guess… I guess that's why we have to do our best even now. The more people we reach, the more of them we help, the more likely it may be for the Fire Nation to find its way back towards balance, regardless of whether we're there to make it happen or not."

"But we should still be there," said Sokka, closing his eyes. Azula sighed.

"You've as good as given up on your return to your family, yet somehow I'm not supposed to be ready to do the same thing?" she asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Sokka huffed.

"I didn't give it up completely. I dread it and I plan on going back with you right afterwards, but I didn't give up entirely…" Sokka pouted. Azula smiled.

"Sounds like an unfair double standard, Sokka…" she said, stroking his hand lightly with her thumb. "Didn't we say we both have our obligations and loyalties to our people?"

"We do," said Sokka. "But, uh, no offense intended, but my people didn't start a hundred-year war and killed millions in the process…"

"Ah, so I'm supposed to atone for the crimes of all my forefathers" Azula finished. Sokka smirked but shook his head.

"No, you're supposed to amend them. Now, your father… he really should be the one atoning, if you ask me."

"Even for the crimes he didn't commit?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows.

"All things considered, the ones he did commit were bad enough that he'll probably be unable to genuinely atone for them in however long he has left to live," Sokka concluded, with a shrug. "All that aside, though… my connection with my Tribe isn't going to change the world as we know it. Your dedication to the Fire Nation just might do that."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Azula, looking at him with uncertainty. "But… I do know I want to change the world by your side. And if it won't budge… then the world can just go to hell for all I care. I've already… I've already glimpsed the possibility of a life without you, and it's a nightmare. I refuse to let that become my reality."

"Well… I can't deny the idea of being torn away from you for good destroyed me, even if I only had to endure that for half a day," Sokka admitted, smiling weakly. "So… I do want to promise I'll protect you from anything, fight for your wellbeing with all I've got, and protect our relationship from anyone who tries to harm it. It's not a problem for me to swear that, but…"

"But you think it should be a problem for me?" Azula asked, raised eyebrows. "Think again."

"But Azula…"

"Maybe it means I'm a selfish bitch, yes," she said. "But… I don't plan on leaving you, not now, not ever. You're the first person who has truly loved me, as far as I can tell. The only one who ever made me feel loved, as I am, for who I am. I've never been as happy as I've been with you. So… yes, it's selfish, but I'll never let you go. I'd sooner lose everything else than lose you."

"I'd sooner you don't lose anything at all," Sokka said, angling his body towards her. Azula smiled warmly at him.

"Then that only means we'll have to protect more than just our love, huh?" she said. Sokka sighed. "I'm willing to make that promise, though. Whether you want me to or not."

He looked at her with uncertainty, but her insistent gaze made him surrender soon enough. He smiled too and shrugged.

"Well, how could I possibly expect you to change your mind?" he said. "You always do whatever you want to do."

"Look who's talking," said Azula, smiling as her eyes narrowed. "Then… do you promise?"

Sokka leaned close to her, his lips grazing hers softly. Azula raised her head towards him, trying not to move too much so Ty Lee could continue to sleep peacefully… but also trying to make the most of their kiss, the first they had shared in what felt like a lifetime. Sokka's hand cupped her cheek, his calloused hands pleasant against Azula's skin. He seemed to light a fire inside her, as he ever did, and all she could want was to have him for herself, for as long as possible. She'd have better chances to do that within a few days once they were on their way home, whenever Renkai wasn't on duty…

"I promise I'll fight for you, as I always have," Sokka smiled at her. "And I swear I always will. You're the love of my life, it goes without saying. So I'll protect you, and our relationship, no matter the cost."

"So will I," said Azula, her free hand caressing his cheek and falling on his chest. "I wouldn't be much good as a sponsor if I allowed anything bad to happen to you, now, would I?"

"After you've saved me from as many dangers as you have, clearly you're the greatest sponsor there is," Sokka said, smiling and pressing his forehead to hers. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Admittedly, I've been trying to protect you for ages already," she said. Sokka chuckled. "I guess it takes a bit of practice on being paranoid to reach my level of effectiveness as a sponsor."

"Maybe, but I don't think that's all there is to it," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "I love you, Azula."

"And I love you", she said, leaning close to drop her head on his shoulder. His arm slid around her shoulders, holding her close against him. "Things aren't easy for us, never have been, but… I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Doesn't matter how long it takes for us to find a way to be together properly…"

"Yeah," said Sokka, closing his eyes and kissing the top of her head now. "Whatever we can get, we'll take it, as it always has been."

"And if worst comes to worst… we'll stick together. No matter what," Azula said. Sokka nodded, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

"No one will ever tear us apart," Sokka declared. Azula smiled.

They relaxed together only for a moment. It seemed their conversations and kisses had appeased their hearts enough that it was finally time to sleep.

"We can't fall asleep out here, like this" Sokka muttered, noticing Azula's breathing was growing more regular, as it always did when she was about to doze off. She lifted her head with a start, before nodding.

"We… we'll have to take Ty Lee to her room," she said, shaking her head to wake herself up again. Sokka smiled and moved to lift the chi-blocker himself.

"No worries, I'll take care of that", he said. "Get some rest, Azula."

"You're sure…?" Azula asked, but Sokka had already moved, lifting Ty Lee carefully in his arms. Ty Lee merely flopped where she was, her chest heaving with every breath she took.

"She's one heavy sleeper," said Sokka, smiling a little as he moved to exit the sitting room.

Azula followed him all the way to Ty Lee's appointed room. He placed her on the mattress carefully, covering her up with the sheets before returning to the corridor. He smiled weakly as he found Azula standing there.

"Didn't I tell you to get some rest?" he asked. Azula shrugged.

"You did, but…" she said. "Will you be able to sleep at all, with Fei Li there? You could, well…"

"Go to your room, wake up early, get out of your room and pretend I just couldn't sleep through the night at all after I nearly got crushed by Fei Li?" Sokka asked, with an innocent smile. Azula raised her eyebrows before shrugging.

"Well, yes. That would work," she said. He chuckled.

"Only if we do wake up early, though," he said, stroking her cheek gently. "If anyone caught us…"

"They'd be silenced immediately, of course. As efficiently as possible," Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Now, didn't we only just promise we'll protect each other forevermore?"

"That we did, but I didn't think you'd start doing it so drastically right away." Sokka said, with a crooked smile. Azula laughed softly. "Damn, girl…"

"Well, you won't have to do it yourself, if that makes you feel any better" she assured him, smiling weakly. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"I really do love you," he said, kissing her softly. "No matter how many controversial things you say, I'm still in awe of you."

"I guess you really do," Azula said, caressing his chest. "Coming, then?"

"Risky as it is… I can't possibly bring myself to say no," he said, hands on her waist. "Alright, then. Let's toy with fate, shall we?"

Azula laughed under her breath before leading Sokka to the next room, the largest in the top floor. In silence, as they lay on the bed next to each other, they found comfort and peace, enough to let themselves float into a gentle slumber they would wake from as soon as Azula's inner fire resonated with the rising sun.

Sokka got up and waited in the sitting room again, still drowsy but unwilling to return to his assigned room. His heart felt at ease, having held Azula through the night as he had, but his chest still was tight with discomfort over Ty Lee and Haru's situation. He truly wanted to believe Ty Lee was wrong, but Haru only had one family member left. He loved his mother dearly and would likely choose her over everything else, and Sokka could hardly blame him for that.

Ty Lee woke up to the sounds of activity in the house, and she laid in bed wondering how she had ended up in her room when she had no recollection of walking in there last night. The last she remembered was… oh. Surely Azula and Sokka had taken care of her, as ever. The thought infused her with guilt, on one hand, but it cheered her up, too. They were the most caring friends she could have asked for, no doubt.

Her future wasn't bound to be the brightest, and she was starting to lose hope of ever finding genuine stability in her life… but maybe that was a vain illusion to cling to. Haru and his mother deserved to be free to make their own decisions, and she shouldn't think about whatever that meant for her. If anything, she should encourage them and do everything in her power to help them stay safe and sound. She had more power than it seemed, after all, as she was of noble birth. In fact…

Her eyes snapped wide open over a sudden idea that came to mind. Granted, Haru and his mother might reject her suggestion, but it was the safest way to help them be free. She had finally accepted that she loved him after last night: this was the best parting gift she could think of. Haru had been as kind and gentle to her as he could have been, and even if he didn't love her back, he had been the best man she had ever had feelings for. The first one who hadn't backstabbed her or broken her heart deliberately. The first one she had truly felt safe and comfortable with.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was the best course of action to follow. Even if it would hurt her deeply to lose Haru, it wouldn't be quite as bad if she knew he would have a better life than what he had before they met. After all the happiness he had given her, it was time for Ty Lee to return the favor.

The guards, Azula and Sokka resolved to wander the terrains of Ran's house while Ty Lee spoke with Haru. While no one knew for sure how that conversation would go, it was clear it would be best held in private. Ty Lee would come get them by the time she was ready to leave.

Azula had squeezed her friend's shoulder before walking off towards the small barn with Sokka and the rest of the group: Ty Lee smiled gratefully at them, somewhat shyly, before gathering her strength and turning towards the house's front door. She knocked it gently and was surprised when Haru swung it open mere instants later.

"Ah, I was about to go find you at the Mayor's house," Haru said, smiling at her. She grinned back, her chest tightening. To think she wouldn't see that beautiful smile anymore… "Did you rest well?"

"I… yeah. Well, as well as you can in an unknown place," Ty Lee said, smiling awkwardly. She had never had trouble sleeping in new places, but she'd do better not to reveal why she hadn't rested as much as she should have. "How about you?"

"Well, I was up late talking with my mom," he admitted, shrugging as he stepped aside and ushered her to enter the house. "So yeah, I didn't get much rest, but… it's fine. I'll get more later. It's hard to want to sleep when, well…"

"When you've just reunited with your family, of course," said Ty Lee, smiling gently. "You must have been too excited to sleep anyways, so it's understandable. Did you tell her, well… everything?"

"Yeah," said Haru, his grin dwindling. "She's… she's distraught about my father, of course. I'm not sure if I should have told her at all now. Maybe… it would have been a kindness not to."

"Maybe, but if you didn't tell her she might have spent her life thinking he might come back and… that wouldn't have been good either," said Ty Lee, biting her lip "Is she going to be okay?"

"She will be, yeah," said Haru, nodding. "She was happy over most of what I told her, but of course the news about my father hit her hard. Still… she's looking forward to whatever the future will bring, or so she said. So… hopefully things will be okay."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Ty Lee, her chest tightening at the mention of the future. Surely, a future without her. "T-then… you've made up your mind about what you'll do? I mean, you just found your mother, so… I imagine you don't plan to just come here to visit, do you?"

"I… no," said Haru, looking at Ty Lee with unease. "Truthfully, I… I've had something I wanted to ask you. I already asked my mother, and even if it took me some time to convince her, she seems to have come around, so…"

"Oh? S-so it's settled, then?" said Ty Lee, swallowing hard. Haru bit his lip.

"Not until you approve, of course," he said. "I mean… it is a big decision, and a big change, so…"

"I just want you to do whatever you want, Haru," said Ty Lee, lowering her head. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Now that extends to your mom, too."

"But… it affects you," said Haru, with a weak smile. "I can't just make this decision on my own just because I feel like it…"

"Well, maybe if you accept what I have to offer, you will be able to," said Ty Lee, looking at him earnestly. Haru frowned. "I… I've been thinking a lot about what you went through, about the pain you've endured and how badly people have treated you. You're the most wonderful man I've ever known, and… you deserve better. You deserve real freedom, to be treated as an equal by everyone, because that's what you should be. That's what we all should be: equals. No matter what."

"That's… I mean, I'm glad you think so, but… what are you talking about?" Haru asked, eyes wide.

"I… I'll understand if you don't want to go for it," said Ty Lee, swallowing hard. "But I'm willing to pay for it, and to vouch for you if you accept to become an Honorary Fire Nation Citizen. I-if you do that, no one will ever turn you into their slave anymore. You will be your own man, and no one can tell you what to do, or how to act, or… or anything, really. You'll make your own decisions and be truly free, Haru."

His eyes had widened more than she had ever seen them. But his reaction wasn't that of disgust, or disapproval. If anything, it seemed like he was actually considering it…

"You can take your time to decide, but… well, I suppose by the time you do you'll be able to send me a messenger hawk or something, at least," she said, with a weak grin. That was what snapped Haru out of his shocked silence.

"Messenger hawk?" Haru repeated, confused. Ty Lee swallowed hard, lowering her head.

"W-well… I understand you want to be with your mother, and you are too nice not to want to help her in every way you can. She'll probably need help around the house, and with the store, so…"

"You… you thought I was asking for permission to stay here with her?" Haru asked, his voice nearly a whisper. Ty Lee raised her gaze, meeting his own. Did he look… hurt? "Is that what you want me to do?"

"Wait, what?" Ty Lee said, surprised. "No! I mean… what I want isn't important, Haru, alright? I just… I want you to be free, happy and safe. S-so…"

"The only way I can be all of those things, or any of them, is by… by staying by your side," he said, earnestly. Ty Lee looked at him in disbelief.

"Y-you… what?" she mumbled. Haru bit his lip again.

"Do you really think I'd ever felt any of those things before knowing you?" he said. "I may have been happy, as a child, but… ever since my father was taken away I couldn't find happiness in anything anymore. And that's when I stopped feeling safe, too. Without him, with the Fire Nation here, I thought I never would feel safe again. Yet… you gave me safety, and you made me happy again. I didn't even realize it, but… you also gave me freedom, even though I was a slave. And now… now you're giving me an even greater chance at freedom. What more could I possibly ask for?"

"But… Haru, you can't leave your mother here," said Ty Lee, looking at him in chagrin. "You can't just pick me over her, I know you don't even want to, so…"

"Well, I didn't think of it that way," said Haru, looking at Ty Lee with uncertainty. "I… what I asked her about, what I wanted to ask you was… do you think she can come home with us?"

Ty Lee's expression shifted quickly. She frowned momentarily, as clarity appeared in her eyes. Her lips parted, and words eluded her shortly as the meaning of his question sank in.

"You mean… your mom, and us?" she asked, eyebrows raised now. "You're asking if she could stay with us and…?"

"I know it might be uncomfortable, we're used to being alone or with people our age, and… well, she is my mother," Haru said, smiling weakly. "She, uh, understands what our relationship is like by now, but…"

"She does?!" Ty Lee asked, blushing and covering her mouth with her hands. Haru chuckled softly.

"I did tell her, well, not every detail, but… I guess she filled the blanks," he said, scratching the back of his neck. Ty Lee grimaced.

"Haru, that's… oh, goodness, that must have been so embarrassing to talk about," she said, covering her face with her hands. Haru chuckled.

"It was, but… she was happy to know that you were good to me," he said. Ty Lee peeked at him from between her fingers. "Still… while I know we won't be as free to do whatever we please, well… I thought it'd be for the best. This was our home for a long time, but… my mother has struggled with the store for a while now, and life has been difficult for a long time. She loves the Earth Kingdom, and she holds very little love for the Fire Nation, if any, but… she's willing to try her luck with a new life. She's worked so hard, for so long, and… if I win often in the ring, we'll be able to give her an easier life indeed, won't we? We can all be a… a family."

The word struck a chord deep inside Ty Lee, one she hadn't expected to be stirred ever since she had been shunned by her parents and siblings. Her hands dropped altogether now, and she looked at Haru in disbelief. Her throat felt tight, her eyes flooded with tears quickly.

"Unless you don't want…" he said, but she shook her head promptly, her shoulders shaking with a first sob. "Ty Lee?"

"I… I thought you'd choose to stay here. I… oh, why was I so stupid?" she asked, both laughing and crying. "I'm just… I'm just so used to never… t-to never being lucky in love, and after all this time I thought I… I thought I couldn't be happy that easily, I thought I wasn't going to be a priority for you b-because… I never have been for others, s-so…"

"They were fools if that's the case," Haru said, sternly. Ty Lee looked up at him in amazement, tears already slipping down her cheeks. "I… I want to be with you, Ty Lee. I want to be with my mother too, of course, but… I wanted to give her a chance at a better life, our life, and… and she's agreed to it. And, well, if you really meant to help us get the honorary citizenship…"

"W-would you want it?" Ty Lee asked. "I mean, you could even get a different job if you don't want to be a gladiator anymore, we could find something else for you to do that's not so troublesome, o-or…"

"I… I think I like being a gladiator so far," said Haru, smiling. "Your gladiator, specifically. It allows me to use my bending, and… that's the best way to feel close to my father. So… I'd like to stay as your gladiator if I become an honorary citizen anyways."

"Y-you…" said Ty Lee, smiling brightly as well. "You really would?"

"I would," he said, stepping closer towards her. "Ty Lee, I… if I'm going to be free, if I'll be an honorary citizen, then… does that mean I'll truly be equal to any Fire Nation citizen? I'll have the same rights and… I'll be allowed to do the same things any Fire Nation person can do?"

"Well… yes," said Ty Lee, nodding promptly. "That's the point, really. That you can do whatever you like and… Haru?"

She had never seen such determination glowing in his eyes. There was still something gentle about him even now, but he suddenly seemed more certain of himself than he ever had been before…

"Marry me."

The words hit her like a bolt of lightning, her entire body freezing as if she had been chi-blocked. He would take it back, surely, he would regret it, no doubt… but a moment passed. And then another. And even another, and Haru's intense stare lingered. His breathing was heavy, and he was trembling slightly, but not more than Ty Lee was…

"D-do you mean that?" she asked, her voice weak. "H-Haru, I… please, if you mean it, just…"

"Of course I mean it," he said, smiling a little. "If I'm free to… to do as I want, to be your equal, then I want to know if you would like to be my wife. B-because I… I would love to be your husband."

"Haru, goodness…!" Ty Lee said, tears rolling down her cheeks again. She had tried to control her crying earlier, but she couldn't do it anymore. Haru smiled gently.

"You don't have to cry if you don't want to do it, just…" he said, reaching to touch her shoulder, but she shook her head and jumped forward to embrace him.

The force with which she crashed against him nearly made Haru topple over, but he held his ground as he hugged her too. He smiled as he held her, letting her cry on his chest.

"I want… oh, Haru, I never thought… I never thought you'd want to marry me," she laughed, clinging at him desperately. "I… I love you."

His eyes widened. Ty Lee was hardly reserved about her feelings in many regards, but she had never said she loved him before. Had she been waiting to know for certain that he cared about her? Because if so…

"I love you too," he said, beaming and holding her closer. "And I want to be with you, in whatever terms you want to be with me…"

"I'll… oh, I'll… I'll marry you. Oh, goodness, of course I'd marry you!" she laughed, clutching at him before pulling away to kiss him briskly. Haru chuckled. "Haru, I can't believe…"

"You thought the worst would happen, again," he said, caressing her cheek. "You're so used to being hurt… and I know I've hurt you, even if I didn't mean to. But I'll do my best to never let that happen again, Ty Lee. I want to make you happy, for the rest of my life if I can make it so…"

"You already do," she said, with a heartfelt smile. "You're… you're the best thing that has happened to me, Haru. You really are…"

"I feel the same way about you… dear," he said, smiling warmly as he spoke the last word.

Ty Lee's chest seemed to be about to explode. He hadn't held back at all, not for a second, and she wasn't used to experiencing this much genuine happiness in such a short time. Laughter left her lips as she pressed her forehead to his. Sponsoring him was, without a doubt, the best decision she had ever made. The belonged together, and she was determined to make him happy beyond measure…

"Then… you'll wed?"

Ran's voice startled them. Ty Lee nearly broke away from Haru's hold instinctively, but his arms remained around her waist as he looked at his mother. To his relief, the older woman was smiling.

"Well… as long as it's legal, and as long as Ty Lee wants it," said Haru, grinning. Ty Lee smiled gently at Ran.

"I… I really love your son," she said, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Ran laughed softly. "I do! I… I'm so happy, I don't know if I can stop crying, I… oh, goodness, I really hope you'll be happy in the Fire Nation! I… we have enough bedrooms in our house, and you can absolutely stay with us, you really can! We can really be a…! We can be a family, all three of us. I… I can barely remember what that feels like, but… oh, I really can't wait for it to happen. This is just…!"

"Well, she's certainly as spirited as you said she was," Ran told Haru, who chuckled. "I hope you'll be happy together, both of you. And… well, if you truly don't think I'll be in your way once you're married, I'll be very happy to live with you. My son came back to me, and… I don't want to be away from him ever again."

"I'll see to it that you're treated with all the respect you deserve," said Ty Lee, beaming. "Everything… everything will be wonderful for all of us. I'll do my best to see to it…"

"You always do," said Haru, kissing the top of her head. Ty Lee laughed softly, pressing her head to his chest. "Thank you, Ty Lee. Both me and my mother… we owe you much more than you could ever imagine."

"You don't owe me anything," she said, burying her face in his shirt. "You really don't, Haru…"

"I guess we'll never agree on that, will we?" he laughed.

Ty Lee threw her arms around his neck as she laughed too, kissing his cheek as he tightened his embrace and lifted her from the ground. Ran smiled tenderly, sighing in relief as she basked in her son's joy, for he was happier than she had seen him since his childhood.

As soon as Ty Lee had calmed down slightly, her euphoria boosted her to race outside of the house, with Haru tailing her closely. Azula, Sokka and her guards were gazing at the landscape, it seemed, when they reacted to Ty Lee's footsteps.

"Ty…? Oh, well, I suppose things went a lot better than you thought they would, didn't they?" Azula asked, looking at her friend skeptically.

Ty Lee leapt into Azula's arms carelessly, hugging her as rashly as she ever did. Azula rolled her eyes and looked at Sokka in disbelief. He raised his eyebrows but smiled, hands on his hips.

"After all your insecurities and grief…?" he asked. Ty Lee giggled as she pulled away from them.

"I'm sorry, you guys… I really shouldn't have thought things were that hopeless, because they really weren't! I… oh, goodness, Haru has asked me to marry him!"

"He did what?!" Azula asked, eyes wide. Sokka as well was stunned, but he smiled in amazement at Haru, who grinned at him too as he slowed down upon reaching the group.

"Woah, way to go, Haru!" Sokka said, giving him a thumbs up. Haru laughed, placing a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. The girl was quick to press against him, gazing up at him in wonderment.

"And given your joyous smile, I assume you said yes?" Azula asked, grinning a little as well. Ty Lee nodded promptly and Azula's smile widened. "Well, good for you both. I'm glad… though, have you thought this through? Are you sure you can do this? I mean, a legally binding contract of the sort between a slave and a noblewoman…"

"It's going to work, Azula," said Ty Lee, with an enthusiastic smile. "Haru… I've offered him his freedom. His chance to be an Honorary Fire Nation Citizen, and he… he wants to do it. No one will ever walk over him again, he'll be free to do whatever he wants, and be whoever he wants to be, and…!"

"And be with whoever I want to be with," Haru finished, smiling at Ty Lee. She giggled again and pressed her face to his chest again. "And, well… the main reason why we came here so fast was to ask you something, Princess… We've already taken such advantage of your kindness, I know we have, b-but…"

"Oh, goodness, now what?" Azula asked. Sokka huffed.

"Come on, now, Azula…"

"Haru's convinced his mom to come live with us in the Fire Nation," said Ty Lee. Azula's eyes widened. "I… I know it's probably inconvenient, maybe there's not enough room in the Barge for more people but it's okay! I can sleep in the kitchen, if needed, or in the machine room…!"

"Ty Lee!" Azula said, eyes wide. "T-there's no need for…!"

"Well, I would be willing to do it too, my mom can take our cabin," said Haru, nodding promptly. Ty Lee smiled warmly at him.

"Okay, you two… there's going to be room, somehow," said Azula, eyebrow twitching. "We'll figure something out, one way or another. Still… goodness. That's a lot of change to take in so suddenly. Are you two sure about all of this?"

"Yes!" they both exclaimed. Azula blinked blankly.

"Then… fine," she said, with a dry grin. "We'll find a way to make this work."

"Yes! Thank you, Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed, jumping again to hug Azula. The Princess sighed but smiled, patting her friend on the back. "Oh, I…! I've never been so happy, I could scream, I…! Ah, this is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"No doubt it is," said Azula, smiling as she looked at Haru gratefully. "You've really outdone all expectations, Haru."

"I'm glad I did," he said, with a humble smile. "Though, to be fair, I have no idea how I've been so lucky. I can barely believe that I… I'll actually be her husband."

His smile was so innocent and genuine that it warmed the hearts of all who saw it. Even Fei Li, whose body hurt badly after the fall he'd taken during his sleep, forgot his woes as he watched the happiness of both Haru and Ty Lee.

Azula shook her head as Ty Lee laughed and embraced Haru again. It seemed she was too ecstatic to stop hugging people, and after how miserable she had been throughout their trip, it was a very welcome change. The Princess smiled as she watched her friend and her fiancé's pure joy at being together. It reminded her of the necklace Sokka had given her, which she had left back at home… and she clearly remembered how blissful she had felt upon receiving it and wearing it for the first time. Ty Lee didn't have any such mementos, but unlike Azula and Sokka, Ty Lee would have a plausible chance to marry Haru.

The tables seemed to have turned now, but Azula was happy for it, despite herself. Ty Lee would marry Haru long before Azula and Sokka could do the same, no doubt… but it seemed fitting. Ty Lee had been through enough in her love life as it was: at last, she'd both found love and a family to belong with again. Finally, she was free from the burdens of her past and ready for a brighter future.

"I knew she had to stop jumping to conclusions, I just knew it," Sokka told Azula, smiling at her as Haru and Ty Lee twirled happily again. "It never ever helps."

"Or maybe it does. It's possible she's happier yet because she expected the worst outcome and got the entire opposite of that," Azula smirked. "That's another advantage of preparing for the worst-case scenario."

"You could think of it that way, I guess," said Sokka, shrugging. "But however it is… they deserve it."

"They do," Azula agreed, smiling. "I sure hope Haru's mother finds good earplugs, though… she's definitely going to need them."

Sokka chuckled, leering at her with playful reproach. Azula smirked, watching Haru and Ty Lee celebrating their engagement by laughing, kissing and hugging relentlessly. As chaotic as their trip had been, it had helped Ty Lee and Haru in ways neither of them could have predicted. Tragedy had struck, and the pair had endured more grief than they should have… but they had found happiness again: at last, after everything that had happened, they were ready to go home.