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...

163. Chapter 163: The Fire Lord's Shadow 5

The Fire Lord's Shadow

5

Sokka woke long before Azula did, but he hadn't wanted to disturb her: helping her fall asleep proved no easy feat. He expected her to wake up determined to continue rebelling against her father: she would need as much rest as she could get before committing to her dangerous course.

Nevertheless, Sokka's chest churned while holding Azula against him. They rested together on the couch, for the Princess had been too anguished to even climb up the stairs. Sokka settled for staying in the living room, and he laid stretched across the couch, his back against the armrest while Azula nestled between his legs. She tucked away her face near his shoulder, her long hair a curtain that shielded her from the rest of the world while she breathed slowly and steadily against him.

Too much had happened last night. Sokka had barely understood what she'd managed to say between the tears of rage and frustration, but he clung onto what little he had grasped: the assassin had been impossible to defeat, and Ozai was behind it all. That was what mattered.

Hours seemed to drift by, and he knew it was irresponsible of him to let this drag out any further, but he did it anyways. He was determined to let Azula sleep as much as she needed, even if she didn't want to-…

She twitched against him, and Sokka stroked her hair gently as soon as he sensed she was waking up. She sighed heavily, but she hardly moved once she remembered where she was and, presumably, why she was there. Sokka's fingers trailed over her back, and he kissed the top of her head softly.

"Are you numb again…?" Azula asked, her voice raspy. She cringed at its sound, and at the unpleasant dryness of her throat.

"Not really. Maybe my legs are, if anything," he said, rubbing circles over her back now. "Did you sleep okay, or…?"

"As well as I could, considering the circumstances…" Azula mumbled. "I don't feel like getting up today."

"Can't blame you," he sighed, before biting his lip. "I… I understand if you're not ready to share yet, but…"

"You want to know what, exactly, happened last night," Azula finished for him. Sokka grimaced.

"I'd been so sure you'd just fallen asleep when you stopped answering… I never expected that kind of message," he said. Azula sighed and pushed herself up, to Sokka's mild chagrin.

"I didn't expect to send it either," she whispered. "But after the next-to-last message, I tested my resonance again and… I felt the damn thing's presence. It was there, and I… I went after it."

"On your own?" Sokka asked, frowning a little as he sat up with her. Azula swallowed hard.

"I know, I was reckless, but several guards and soldiers joined me before long, so I didn't deal with it by myself…"

"Still," said Sokka, huffing and shaking his head. "Okay, but… what is it, then? This assassin…?"

"It's a man, I believe. It has the body of one, and it's too corporeal not to be an actual human being," Azula answered. Sokka nodded, still frowning. "But his firebending is… it's just as bad as I'd sensed. When one of the non-bending guards jabbed a spear at him, he used his rotting fire and just… disintegrated half the spear within seconds. It was like watching the natural effect of rapid fire, but with no flames. Instead, it just looked like… like black smoke. It enveloped the spear, turned it to ashes, and he used that same fire to defend against us too. Then he even used it to mask his escape, and after that, I could sense him heading into the city. I told some soldiers to chase him, but…"

"You don't know if they succeeded," Sokka finished. Azula shook her head.

"I may have sent them to their graves, for all I know," she said. "Or, well… the soldiers might have been ordered to return afterwards."

"Really?" Sokka asked. "By whom?"

"My father," Azula said, and he froze upon hearing the spite in her voice.

"Going by what little I understood last night, you confirmed that he's involved?" Sokka asked, warily. Azula shrugged.

"Might as well have. He barely batted an eyelash when I told him there was an assassin in our Palace," she huffed. "He kept asking technical questions, rather than the expected ones. He wanted to know how I sensed it, more intrigued by that than by the notion of a firebender with rotting fire. Then he just… dismissed me. He told me my hands are already full, with all the projects I'm involved in, and that he'd deal with this himself. No matter how I protested, he refused to yield. So, before I left, I just… I asked him if the victims were White Lotus."

"You did what?!" Sokka asked, eyes wide now. "Azula…! Goodness, did he kick you out of the Palace for that?"

"No, he didn't. He just told me to go to bed," Azula huffed, rolling her eyes. "As if that'd change or fix anything. As if I could just pretend nothing was happening after what I witnessed last night. It was utterly outrageous."

"So, you just… stormed off and came here?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded.

"Pretty much. I took everything I thought I'd need and I… I'm not going back to the Palace until this is dealt with. Hell, until I can feel safe again there, if anything, and chances are I never will."

She scowled while stating her intentions, and Sokka sighed before taking her hands in his. He seemed distraught as he kissed her fingers, his head bowed slightly as he did. Azula sighed, allowing his affection to smooth away some of her all-consuming outrage…

"Do you think he might try to find you?" Sokka asked. Azula frowned. "I mean, if he doesn't that's all the better for me, but…"

"But if his soldiers find me in my gladiator's house, after sleeping over here, hell may just break loose," Azula finished, sighing and shaking her head. "I guess it's true, I wasn't thinking properly when I came here, but… I didn't know what else to do, Sokka. I didn't know if the bastard with the rotting fire had done anything to you, and… and if he had, I would have destroyed him. I hardly know how, but I would have found a way for sure…"

"That's okay," said Sokka, stroking her cheek gently. "Truthfully, I'm glad you came. I'm glad you feel safe here."

"It's not so much because of the house as it is being near you," Azula confessed. "Even though I doubt you can do anything against that damn assassin either, but… I'd rather face him beside you."

"I'd rather be with you when you're out being reckless, too," he smiled weakly, leaning close to kiss her lips. "Well… even if you don't stay here for good, I'll be right beside you all the time from now on, promised thing. This damn assassin has us all on edge, and I'm not going to let you out of my sight if I can avoid it."

"Then what are we going to do, instead of staying here?" Azula asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… after everything you've done to help her, don't you think you could crash at Ty Lee's?" Sokka said, biting his lip and smiling a little. "I'm thinking I can go too, sleep in the living room, if need be, to keep suspicions at bay, but…"

"And we'd leave Song alone here?" Azula asked. Sokka bit his lip.

"I'm not sure if she's in more danger with or without us," he said. "Not to mention, Rui Shi's been staying over more often… maybe we can ask him to spend more nights here than usual, so he can protect her if need be."

"Well… that's a plausible plan. Though anything is bound to sound awful right now," Azula groaned, leaning forward on the couch. Her head fell on Sokka's lap, and he smiled as he rubbed her back pleasantly while she sighed against his legs. "How did things come to this, really…?"

"Truth be told… it wasn't in our control, at any point in time," Sokka whispered. "If the victims are indeed White Lotus, then it's your dad who decided to push things too far. If it isn't him, despite everything indicating it is, then it would have been someone who hid their crimes well enough that we couldn't have stopped before they delivered all the damage they did… at any rate, though, if the culprit behind these murders is a man, flesh and bone, he can be defeated somehow. No one's unbeatable, I'm sure of it."

"I guess so," Azula whispered, though she remained unconvinced. Sokka frowned.

"I know the situation was tense, so you probably didn't remember to do it, but… did you try to fight with gold fire?"

"I… didn't," Azula admitted, frowning too. "It slipped my mind entirely. I forgot you suggested it…"

"It might be no use either way," Sokka shrugged. "It could be worth a shot though. Also, what about Wolf's Bane? Did you get to use it too, or...?"

"I didn't remember to either, and after I watched that spear turning to ashes, I don't think I want to risk it," Azula shook her head. Sokka nodded.

"I get it," he said, sighing. "Anyways… do we have any plans for today? Other than dropping by at Ty Lee's to ask if we can stay there for a while, of course…"

"Not really," Azula huffed. "We could keep looking through the many crime scenes for clues to confirm indeed that they were White Lotus, but after what I saw the assassin do, I don't think he would have been careless with the evidence. He can literally make objects, even people, vanish into nothingness. Whatever incriminating evidence these victims had in their homes, whether involving the White Lotus or anything else, would be gone by now."

"That is… unless your father wanted to keep the trophies, as we talked about yesterday," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. Azula's eyes met his as she rose back to a sitting position, a mix of confusion, hope and concern blended into her gaze. "He didn't deny his involvement, but he didn't confirm it fully either, so if there's one way to prove he's behind it all…"

"Trophies," Azula repeated, frowning. "That's… that's certainly something I wouldn't put past my father. He'd keep them in his study, likely…"

"Makes enough sense," said Sokka, grimacing. "And I doubt they'll be that easy to find even if we were to look for them."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," she said, and to Sokka's surprise, the glow of determination was shining through her eyes now. "Truth be told… maybe we could find them."

"Woah. You're serious?" Sokka said, eyes widening. "So… we're going to run right back to the Palace, just like that? You ran away because you felt unsafe, didn't you?"

"Well, that hasn't changed, but I can use my resonance all the time while I'm there," Azula declared, shrugging. "It's actually very handy: if my father were nearby, I'd know it, same as I'd know if his favorite killer is around, too. I'd be able to hide long before he could catch me, so… I see few risks in breaking into his office."

"Eh, I see lots of risks," Sokka said, grimacing by now. "I'm so very proud of you for rebelling against your father, but… this is seriously dangerous stuff, Azula."

"No doubt, but it'd hardly be the first time I break into a Fire Lord's study…" Azula said, waving a hand carelessly. Sokka's jaw dropped. "What? You know I've broken into it before. I told you I snuck into my grandfather's rooms back when I was a kid, and I basically know every secret passageway in the Palace… some of which serve as secret escape routes from important offices or rooms. Therefore…"

"You're a hazard," Sokka said, though by now he was smiling a little. Azula shrugged, grinning almost shyly too.

"You say it like you'd never noticed it until now," she said, eyebrows raised. Sokka chuckled.

"It's insane, though," he said. "I mean… I'll go with you, no question, but… it's insane."

"Good. Truthfully, I'd rather have you with me," Azula admitted, sighing and shaking her head. "We'll go through the tunnels, that way no one will know we were there, as long as we're careful. I know just how to sneak into the right places."

"If you say so," said Sokka, smiling with resignation. "It's surreal to hear you talk about breaking into your father's study, I won't lie… but it might even be fun to do it, who knows?"

"How optimistic of you," Azula said, with a small smile. "If we're to avoid my father, though… it'll be for the best to go at mid-morning. He should be busy with his daily firebending training by then. Seldom does he break that routine, and if this assassin is his ally, as everything indicates… then he definitely won't break it, if just so he can pretend everything's normal."

"You'll still check for his inner fire, though, right?" Sokka asked. "I'd never realized how useful that skill is until now… you really could figure out where most everyone is that way."

"I could," Azula admitted, nodding. "Well, most firebenders either way, and those are the ones that concern us right now. Still, we have to keep an eye out for non-benders: servants could definitely be anywhere."

Sokka nodded promptly as Azula stood up. She stretched with some difficulty, her body sore after sleeping in her armor. Distraught and miserable as she had been, she hadn't remembered to remove it before Sokka took her into his arms. He had helped her feel safe while listening to his heartbeat, while taking in his scent and finding comfort in his warmth. He truly was patient and loving, in ways no one else ever had been towards Azula. She gazed at him as he stood up too, his brow slightly furrowed as he went through their latest plan in his head once again.

"Well, then, if just for safety's sake, I'll get my weapons," Sokka said. "You brought Wolf's Bane, right?"

"I did," Azula answered him quickly. Sokka nodded.

"Then I'll be back down here in a…" he said, starting on his way upstairs, but her hand reached for his arm before he could go.

"I… I always say this, I know I do, but it's times like these when I can't help but… but be grateful for your help," she whispered, her voice weak suddenly. Sokka had stopped, but now he had turned towards her, warmth in his blue eyes. "So, well… thanks for putting-…"

"Up with you, huh? As if. I'm not putting up with you, or anything about you," Sokka pouted, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "Seriously, I'm a lazy man by nature, I wouldn't do any of this if I didn't want to, okay?"

Azula smiled more earnestly and laughed under her breath as he smiled warmly at her. She walked into his embrace, tucking her face into the hollow of his shoulder.

"That's even worse, really," she said. Sokka snorted. "What sort of masochist wants to get dragged around by me while I try to settle all the conflicts and problems in the Fire Nation…?"

"Uh, me, that's the sort of masochist in question, yes," he said, and she laughed again. He smiled as he rubbed her back gently. "Come on, Azula. I know you'd do the same for me, if I was dealing with anything like this…"

"I would, no doubt, but… I barely have," she said, smiling weakly. "I guess Rhone is the only similar problem that comes to mind…"

"And what about the Stingray? The Crimson Wonder? Both those times at Shu Jing? The Northern Air Temple?" Sokka smiled, kissing her brow. "You've picked me up when I've fallen apart, Azula, every single time. That you haven't had to fight off conspiracies or crazy assassins in the process doesn't mean you've helped me any less."

"If you say so," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "But I'm sure I've made you do it more often, at least."

"Like that matters…" he groaned, rolling his eyes as Azula chuckled. "Seriously, Azula… I love you more than anything. And if this is what we need to do for you to be at peace and happy once again, we'll do it. It's that simple."

"If you put it that way, it sure sounds simple enough," Azula sighed, pulling away and caressing his face as well. "I love you too, Sokka. I may love you too much as it is, and your unconditional support doesn't help matters much…"

"I guess not," Sokka smiled, kissing her brow. Azula lifted her face, seeking his lips with hers.

They held each other intimately, exchanging soft kisses that comforted them both. Before Azula knew it, the golden flame inside her had been stoked back into a proper fire after being reduced to crumbling embers. Her fingertips trailed Sokka's face delicately, and she smiled warmly once they parted.

"Thank you," she said again, burying her face in his neck as he smiled too, relieved to see her feeling better, if only slightly.

"I'll always be here for you. Even if you don't want me to be," Sokka smirked, kissing her temples softly. "Alright, then… will you help me get ready, or will you just restrain me here all day, Princess? I know you can't possibly get your hands off me, but still…"

"I hardly can, it's true," she conceded, smiling and gazing into his eyes warmly. "I'll help you. You could have asked nicer, I'll say, but still…"

"Oh, would you be so kind and join me in my personal chamber, so you can fit my armor around me, my dearest Princess Azula?" he asked melodramatically, dropping on one knee while reaching for her hand. Azula laughed softly and shook her head.

"Okay, you win, I think I prefer it when you ask rudely," she smirked, to Sokka's amusement.

He surprised her by picking her up, carrying her across his arms as they went upstairs. They would only have a handful of opportunities for intimacy today, it seemed, but as brief as they might be, they needed them. Whatever happiness and peace they could find through each other, the stronger they'd feel once they were figuring out the truth about Ozai's dealings with morbid assassins.

They surprised Song later on, when she was waking up amidst yawns. While Rui Shi often stayed late at their house, he was only spending the night with Song around once a week these days. On the rest of the days, she would wake up thinking about him, hoping he'd be enjoying a good breakfast in the Palace, and today was no different… until her thoughts about him fell to the wayside once she walked into the kitchen: the Princess and her gladiator were sitting on their stools, as they had been on the previous day.

She blinked a few times, as good as expecting the sight to be a mirage from yesterday, but it wasn't. The Princess glanced at her, and by doing so she alerted Sokka as well of the healer's presence.

"Princess?" Song said, still not giving her eyes any credit. "I… I thought you'd gone home for the night."

"I had," Azula said, nodding. "I just… arrived terribly early today."

"You both look like you didn't sleep at… oh. Huh. I'll stop prying," Song said, smiling nervously and moving towards the pantry to start preparing their meal. "I take it you'll have breakfast, then?"

"If you'd be so kind… we'll be out of your hair tonight, I promise," Azula said, biting her lip. It might be for the best if Song assumed they were just being reckless. Azula would rather be spending careless, passionate nights with Sokka when it was ill-advised to, rather than chasing down a mysterious, deadly assassin with abilities as extraordinary as they were terrifying.

"Out of my hair? What do you mean?" Song asked, raising her eyebrows and glancing at them over her shoulder as she started working on the meal, by the counter.

"We'll spend the night outside, both of us," Sokka said, nodding. "So, uh… you could have the house to yourself, actually. You and Rui Shi, finally free from our pestering, eh?"

"T-that's a nice idea, I suppose, but… what are you talking about?" she said, eyes wide. "You'll spend the night out? Isn't that a little…?"

"Not quite as risky as it sounds, we'll be at Ty Lee's," Azula said. Song blinked a few times before nodding.

"Huh… well, that's better than staying at an inn or something," she laughed, relieved now. "How come, though? Is she having a party, or…?"

"She might try to make it into one, actually," Sokka mused, tapping his chin. "Heh, well, let's hope the idea doesn't come to her at all, right?"

"Right. Though I doubt Ty Lee will try to throw a party like the one she did when we were headed to the Slate," Azula smirked. "She has a mother-in-law to impress now, she can't be so blatant about her worst practices…"

"That's true," said Sokka, smirking too. "Though, now that I think of it, with Haru's mom around… do you think there will be any rooms to spare?"

"Maybe not. I can't say I care," Azula shrugged. "She has pillows and cushions, we can just lie there if need be."

"Heh, well, if you say so," said Sokka, smiling a little.

The whole situation seemed suspicious to Song, and she eyed the other pair warily. They hadn't been acting like themselves lately, but not on a personal level. Their love seemed as firm and strong as ever: it was everything else about them that was off, somehow. Their escapades weren't as they used to be, they hinted at something much more troublesome than their normal line of business. The Princess had been so unsettled merely two nights ago, waiting for Sokka eagerly, not caring about how late it was… it seemed she had even spent the night here, this time. And for them to spend the night at Ty Lee's… was something wrong? Or were they simply trying to avoid inconveniencing Song? That seemed foolish, since they weren't bothering her, not for real…

Still, Song knew that, whatever they did, they did it for a reason. The pair had proven they were made of stronger stuff than most people. Song guessed that whoever was their enemy this time would regret having crossed them…

She waved them goodbye with an awkward smile once the pair set out after breakfast, noticing they hadn't taken any bags with them yet. They'd be back to collect their belongings for sure before visiting Ty Lee, Song guessed, but she inevitably wondered where they were headed to. Seeing how serious and determined they both looked, it didn't seem they were going to do anything fun…

"Back to the tunnels it is, then…" Sokka said, biting his lip as Azula led him towards another road, one further away from the center of the city still: one of the most isolated trapdoors stood there.

"That's right," Azula stated. "I learned their layout long ago, and I can navigate them just as easily as the Palace. In fact, now that I think of it, you're about to undergo a rare expedition through the most secret passageways of the Palace today. The majority of the corridors we'll use are unknown to everyone who lives and works there…"

"Really? I mean, you said they were secret, but I didn't think you were the only one who knew about them…" Sokka said, amused as Azula leaned down to open the trapdoor. She smirked at him.

"As far as I'm aware, no one else ever bothered testing the Palace thoroughly to figure out its secrets," she said, shaking her head. Sokka smiled warmly.

"And you deem me worthy of sharing these secrets with?" he asked. Azula snorted and looked at him skeptically.

"Do you still feel the need to ask that question, after such a long time?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka chuckled. "You're worthy of all my trust, you fool. I'd entrust my life to you without thinking twice about it."

"That's… well, I guess it should've been obvious, you have done as much in roundabout ways, but…" he said, biting back a wild smile. "It's amazing to hear you say so."

"Well, like you said, it is obvious," Azula smirked, opening the trapdoor with a quick firebending display. She jumped in, and Sokka followed her quickly into the rocky underground tunnels he had grown so acquainted with over the past years. "Now, then… shall we?"

"Hmm, we shall, but…!" Sokka said, pushing the trapdoor back into place before smiling at Azula with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do you sense anyone nearby?"

"Uh… no. These tunnels are, technically, for emergencies," Azula said, as she lit up the tunnels with her fire. Sokka grinned. "What are you…?"

To her surprise, his hand darted out to clasp her free one. Her eyes widened as he intertwined their fingers, grinning innocently. She blinked a few times, waiting for an explanation that Sokka only provided after a couple of soft chuckles.

"I've always wanted to walk through the city while holding your hand," he said, beaming. "So, here we are, walking through the city while holding hands! Or, uh, under the city, but that's just a technicality, really…"

Azula bit her lower lip softly, but she couldn't hold back a grin of her own. She shook her head before hugging him, allowing the fire to dissipate and leaving them both in complete darkness. Sokka chuckled softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Will you indulge me, then?" he asked.

"You need to stop being adorable," she sighed, shaking her head. Sokka smiled.

"I thought you liked me because I could be both manly and adorable at once?" he asked, teasingly. She huffed.

"And you're taking advantage of that fact most shamelessly, aren't you?" she said. "Such a clever gladiator..."

He snickered before ushering her to start walking alongside with him. Azula smiled warmly as she lit the way again with a blue flame that kept flickering gold. Puzzled as she had been at first, she as well enjoyed the strange, foreign feeling of holding hands while they walked places: she couldn't help but wonder if this was how other couples felt when they strolled through the city, side by side…

There was a lot they were missing out on, no doubt, with their relationship being what it was. They couldn't have normal dates, let alone progress through the stages of love in the usual way – they had been engaged for a while, with no hopes for an eventual wedding anytime soon. Even walking hand in hand was as good as a miracle… and while she was happy to comply today, Azula's chest hurt as well as she pondered how much Sokka was sacrificing for her sake. Because the one doomed to never have a normal relationship was Azula, not Sokka: he could have chosen anyone else, an easier love than theirs… but he hadn't. He had only wanted to be with her.

She glanced at his happy smile, her heart aching at the sight of it. To think they were off to deal with something dark and morbid all over again… she should be using her resonance right away, keeping tabs on all kinds of fire in the city to make sure the assassin wasn't nearby. And yet she could barely bring herself up to it.

She gritted her teeth and pressed her face to his shoulder, surprising Sokka. He smiled, squeezing her fingers lightly.

"What? You think this is silly, don't you?" he taunted her. She shook her head.

"I just wish… I wish we could really have it all, you know?" she whispered. "I know we always talk about it, and you say you don't care about anything other than being with me, but still, I… every single time we've wanted to wake up together without having to separate in a hurry, or hold hands, or just do anything normal couples can do, we're unable to do so…"

"Heh, well, I know it's not ideal," Sokka smiled weakly. "And I know it could be much better, but you did wake up with me today and you didn't have to run off anywhere. And we're holding hands now, too… so I'll take what I can get, Princess."

"I guess, but… I suppose I'm only more convinced every time that we need to fulfill my plans for your birthday," Azula scowled. "Because as it is, I…"

Sokka waited for her to finish talking, albeit he didn't notice she was suddenly struggling at keeping up with him until her hand left his: perplexed, he turned towards her, finding a horrified grimace on her face.

"Sokka… your birthday," she repeated, in chagrin. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Oh… that," he said, frowning as Azula's free hand moved to her mouth.

"I'd meant to do this, to arrange things so we could get away, but I… goodness, after the trip to Ba Sing Se, and now this assassin, I couldn't really…"

"Hey, it's okay," he said, smiling and placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's fine. We can reschedule it for some other date, maybe. On our next anniversary, might be, or… heh, the next sexiversary! Why not?"

"Because… you already know why," Azula said, looking at him reproachfully. Sokka sighed. "Besides… what day is it, really? I've been so out of sorts I don't even know if…"

"If it's today?" Sokka said, raising an eyebrow and stroking his chin. Azula grimaced.

"It is, isn't it? The fifth day of the twelfth month…" she said, her hand going up to her forehead as she groaned and shook her head. "I'm the worst…"

"Oh, hey now! You certainly aren't! I mean, I don't really know what day it is either," Sokka laughed, cupping her face as she grimaced. "But if it was today, then… like I said, we've already done at least two of the ideal things I'd like to do if we ever do go on that trip. And that is waking up with you and holding your hand while we stroll together! See, no need to suffer!"

"Right," Azula mumbled, leering at him eerily. "Well… hopefully once this is over I'll have a chance to make this up to you. Maybe I can actually take you out to eat in the city, or…"

"You don't have to do anything like that," Sokka said, kissing her brow. Azula sighed and wrapped her arms around his body. "Azula…"

"I love you. I'm sorry… I love you," she whispered repeatedly. He smiled and held her as she spoke, his hands rubbing her back gently.

"The day's young. Maybe we can still salvage it," he said in her ear, kissing her temples softly. Azula's fingers clutched at his shirt desperately, pressing her body fully into his.

"I hope so…" she whispered. "I really am sorry…"

"Well… if you want to feel a little better about pleasing me on my birthday, so far it seems I'm going to spend the entire day and night with you, this time for sure," he said, biting his lip. "And that, Azula, is the main wish I'd like to see come true. Anything else is an added bonus."

His grin was as charming as ever as he kissed her lips softly. Azula looked at him hopelessly, though the beautiful, reassuring smile on his features made her feel a little better, at least.

"You really ought to hold me to higher standards," she said. Sokka snorted. "I mean it, your fiancée is a damn Princess who could procure anything for you on your birthday, but instead…"

"And that's exactly why I ask for the impossible, see? What's a higher standard than that?" he teased her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Stop torturing yourself, silly. It doesn't suit you as well as it does me."

"Oh, you think it suits you? That's a bold assumption," Azula snorted. Sokka chuckled.

"I've done it so many times I've perfected it into an art by now, Princess," he declared, reaching for her hand again. "We should get going again, though, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah… as it is, we'll probably get there when my father's already training," she said, biting her lip and sighing. "Ugh, we should just postpone today's search instead…"

"Come on, Azula," he said, smiling tenderly at her. "We don't even know for sure that it's today, alright? We have a lot to do, and we can just celebrate on a different day anyways…"

"We should. No doubt, we should," she huffed as they restarted their journey. "Though it is a little irksome… I wanted to celebrate it on the actual date, seeing how we can barely celebrate my birthday properly. Yours should have been easier, smoother…"

"Now, now, we'll make sure to do it next year, if you're so hellbent on it," he smiled as he kissed the side of her head. "And we can throw in the rest of the stuff I'd wanted to do, too. I have many ideas, I certainly do!"

"Such as?" Azula smiled, eyeing him with uncertainty. "Anything I should worry about?"

"Worry? Well, really, why would singing lessons worry you?" he asked. Azula's eyes widened.

"What, you want me to pay for your singing lessons?" she asked. Sokka shook his head.

"No, I want you to teach me!"

"Oh, no! Not in a million years!" she laughed, looking at him in disbelief.

"But you're way better than me at singing and hey, I taught you sword fighting! You can teach me how to sing!" he declared, smiling broadly.

Azula's heavy mood was easily chased away by Sokka's silly requests. While no doubt he was doing this to lift her spirits, she also was certain he wanted those singing lessons for real. He had spent so long teasing her about her singing and she had never yielded… but alas, perhaps she could consider yielding today. If it truly was his birthday, she might as well give him something he'd been asking from her since ages ago…

All the same, she kept refusing, both to sing and to teach him how to do so, all the way until they reached the Palace. Once they reached its premises, Azula used her resonance to make sure her father was where he'd usually be, and she confirmed it within moments: that wild inner fire only answered to one man. Her father concealed much firebending potential within himself: she would have found it admirable, under any other circumstances…

But for the first time in her life, Azula was thinking of her father as the enemy.

"Alright, I think we're free to start. Make sure you keep up," Azula told Sokka, with a small smirk. Sokka nodded promptly as the Princess approached one of the tunnels' exits.

The trapdoor opened in what seemed to be an old, unused bedroom. Sokka frowned as he followed Azula, gazing about himself as he climbed out of the tunnel. Azula busied herself with locking the trapdoor behind him as the gladiator raised an eyebrow, a realization dawning on him eventually.

"Heh. This was my room," he said. Azula stood up straight and smiled at him. "The one you gave me back when you'd first brought me to the Capital, from Hui Yi…"

"It's seldom used. Like I said back then, it's one of our worst rooms," she smirked. "I suppose after seeing my own room at length, you understand now why that's the case?"

"I do," he smiled. "It's still a good room, though. You know, if you want to remediate this alleged birthday fiasco before we head to Ty Lee's, hmm, well…"

His eyes drifted towards the bed, and Azula smiled before rolling her eyes.

"Here I'd thought you were being too innocent today. It was so unlike you…" she whispered. Sokka snickered as he followed her to the closed door.

"What can I say?" he shrugged. "You inspire me in many ways, you see…"

"No doubt I inspire your most scandalous ideas, yes," she smirked, opening the door. "Alright, now to the right."

Sokka nodded, though he found she hadn't meant they'd walk all the way to the first intersection in the corridors. Instead, Azula punched the wall lightly and Sokka nearly jumped upon seeing blue fire spreading in a door-like shape around a wall. Within moments, the wall had moved away, creating a small opening that Azula pulled Sokka through. The door shut behind them again shortly after they were safely inside the secret passageway.

"Okay… is that what all those corridors are like?" Sokka asked, eyes wide. "Because if that's the case, no wonder people don't know they exist… did you set all the Palace walls on fire to find them?"

"Well, now, I can't give away all my secrets, now, can I?" she smirked, taking his hand in hers and leading him through the narrow corridor. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"I'll take that as a yes," he smirked. It was Azula's turn to laugh, but she soon ushered him to be silent: they didn't want to be caught whispering through the walls, did they?

To his surprise, their first stop wasn't Ozai's office: the secret passageway left them inside Azula's own room. Sokka stood by the closed metal door, keeping his ears peeled for the sounds of footsteps outside while Azula went through her cabinets carefully, in search for… a set of keys. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"I think I mentioned I'd known how to break into my grandfather's rooms and steal his key for the armory?" she smiled with mischief. "I, uh… ended up stealing the rest of his keys over time, too. What can I say? I like being thorough."

"That's… goodness," Sokka laughed, looking at her in disbelief. "And no one noticed?"

"My father did, but only after Azulon was dead," Azula said, standing upright again and approaching him by the door. "He seemed to think Azulon had hidden the keys somewhere to keep them out of his reach, in a bout of paranoia or so. I thought, for a moment, to tell him the truth, but… why bother him with what he didn't need to know?"

She smiled innocently as Sokka chuckled and caressed her cheek.

"I guess that may have been my first rebellion towards him, but I always told myself it was for the best. I deserved to know all the secrets in my home… and so I kept them," she said, with a simple shrug. "I haven't used them in a long time, I admit… but considering what we're suspecting my father of, I can't say I feel too guilty about lying to him anymore. Or about having stolen from Azulon…"

"We were meant to be all along," Sokka sighed happily. Azula raised an eyebrow. "You've been sabotaging your father and grandfather for so long… you were ripe for my corruption long before we met, no doubt."

"Ah, as if," Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled. "I was a much better daughter back in the day, I only lied to my father on very rare occasions. By now I lie to him in just about every conversation we hold…"

"Only because he's not worthy of the truth," Sokka pouted stubbornly. Azula rolled her eyes but smiled, pulling him closer and kissing his lips softly.

"Whatever you say. Let's get going, then," she said. "My father won't be training forever."

They made their way to another secret corridor, this time one that led them downwards and then spiraled up to another level of the Palace. Sokka struggled to make out his bearings, and after some more walking, they turned down agan, seemingly descending through the walls: the secret passageweay led them into the corridor of Ozai's study. The Princess ensured there were no Imperial Guards nearby first, then rushed to the door and worked with the keys quickly, slipping inside the study stealthily and ushering Sokka to follow her immediately.

"There's a chance that guards will check on the study eventually, so we have to be out of here before they do," she said. "Let's be quick about this."

Sokka nodded promptly as he waited to follow Azula's next orders on where to look first. Once she had scanned the room quickly, gauging for the best place to hide a bag of Pai Sho tiles, she instructed Sokka on where to look and he got to work right away.

They were careful to put everything back into place whenever they moved objects around, hoping not to betray that they had broken into the study. But the more Azula looked through the cabinets and drawers, the more she dreaded they'd find nothing here. As Sokka was busy checking through a pile of tall books, Azula stopped searching and frowned, sitting before her father's desk. The gladiator turned towards her with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought we didn't have much time…?" he said. Azula shook her head.

"We're looking in the wrong place," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"This isn't business, Sokka, not truly. Not for him," Azula said, standing up and tapping the desk gently with her fingernails. "He's too invested in this, it's basically a quest of revenge. It's personal for him, so… he'd keep his trophies nearby. In his own room."

"Woah. Okay, that's even more dangerous," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "You don't expect us to break into his…?"

The nonchalant look on Azula's face spoke for itself. Sokka's jaw dropped.

"Come on, I'm only trying to cover all my bases," she said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, it makes sense. It makes a lot of sense, considering what he's like…"

"That's not the part I find debatable," said Sokka, eyeing her warily. "It's… damn, can we just sneak in there like that? Do you know any secret…? Oh, of course you do. Well, why would I even bother asking?"

"Your caution is good, I won't deny it," said Azula, with a dry grin. "But I can't abide by it right now. We can't afford it. If we find nothing either in his room or here, it may mean he's innocent after all and I'm being unreasonable and unfair, but…"

"It may not mean that, though," Sokka said, biting his lip. "Maybe he's just smarter at hiding things than you expect him to be."

"I suppose you have a point," Azula muttered, frowning. "Maybe I'm underestimating him. He's kept plenty of secrets from me for a long time as it is…"

"And maybe there's some loose floorboard here, and that's where the tiles are!" Sokka exclaimed, with an awkward grin. Azula raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the solid marble under her feet.

"If you think he hid them under this kind of flooring, we'll have to ask Haru to help us get to it, don't you think?" she asked, with a sarcastic grin. Sokka grimaced.

"W-well, maybe there's some secret fire trapdoor again, who knows?" Sokka pouted.

"Most secret passageways are behind walls, not floors, but… I guess I can set my father's office on fire searching for that trapdoor, if you want," she said, beaming. Sokka huffed.

"Okay, fine, let's go to his room," he groaned. "But if we get caught there… goodness, we'll never hear the end of it."

"No need to worry, I'll handle anyone who catches us," Azula said, waving a hand dismissively. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"With more of your convincing stories?" he asked, as she led him out of the room, which she locked promptly before they progressed to the earlier passageway.

"Uh… sure, let's say that," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. Sokka grimaced and shook his head.

"Goodness, Azula, you're really reckless when you want to be…" he huffed.

"Oh, I learned from the best, if you must know," Azula declared, with a proud smirk. Sokka sighed in resignation as he followed her closely, silently acknowledging he had no right to judge her on those grounds, after all.

This time the passageways were narrower and much more complicated. By the time they were close to the Fire Lord's private rooms Sokka was starting to feel breathless. They had switched corridors at least thrice, opened several more fire-triggered doors and even unlocked secret barriers that stood within the passageways themselves. That Azula had somehow memorized this hidden maze was mind-blowing for Sokka…

"Okay, it's right here," Azula said, upon reaching an apparent dead end. Sokka breathed slowly, knowing better than to cave in to desperation for fresh air. "Are you alright?"

"A little bothered by these walls and the dead air within them, but… I think I'll be fine," he said, with a weak smile. Azula bit her lip and squeezed his hand gently.

"Thanks for putting up with me," she said, and Sokka rolled his eyes.

"How many times must I tell you…?" he grumbled.

"As many as you care to, since I don't really believe you," she laughed, before pressing her palm to a specific spot on the wall.

After unleashing her fire, a small opening appeared near the bottom of the wall. Sokka was confused as Azula slid another key through it, and the lower part of the wall receded… though he couldn't quite see the welcome glow of daylight through the opening. He frowned before following Azula through the open wall, crouching down to the floor and nearly bumping into tall furniture as he slid inside the room.

The furniture in question, he realized instants later, was the back of the frame of Ozai's massive, royal bed. Sokka grimaced as he inched away from it, moving to follow Azula through the room. Something as ordinary as a bed had been decorated to the extreme, with all sorts of golden sculpted phoenixes and dragons on its frame and jewels incrusted in every figure. The cushions and pillows were gold and red, as was the bedding, and they were patterned as though to make them artworks of their own. Ozai was tasteful, no doubt… but he certainly had no sense of moderation.

"Are you just going to gawk at the bed for the rest of the day or will you help me here?" Azula asked him, already in another wing of the bedroom. Sokka flinched. "If you're getting funny ideas again…"

"I'm not! I swear I'm not!" he exclaimed, smiling guiltily as he rushed towards her. "I admit, it'd be fun to taint your father's bedroom so thoroughly, but…"

"But we don't have a death wish," Azula said, smirking at him. "At least, I don't. So, if you want to have fun on his bed on your own, be my guest, but we're here to find something, aren't we?"

"We are, and I didn't mean to do anything anyways, goodness… can't take a joke," he grumbled. Azula smiled.

"Seems to me like you're the one who can't…" she teased, as she made her way to what looked like Ozai's closet. "I'll search here. You can look through the cabinets, and make sure to leave everything just as you found it. If anything is amiss…"

"He'll know someone was here, yes," Sokka nodded, moving to check the dresser.

Their mission seemed to be at an impasse, Sokka thought, as he worked through the cabinets Azula had assigned to him. Nothing he saw betrayed anything related to the White Lotus, though he guessed he would find many disturbing revelations if he looked more carefully through the files and information Ozai had stored in his room. Sokka held off the temptation to read through them, though: he didn't need more reasons to despise Ozai on top of the many he already had.

"Any luck?" He called out for Azula after closing the last cabinet of the fifth piece of furniture he'd been through. Azula huffed as an answer before stepping out into his field of vision, frowning.

"I'm going about this wrong…" she grunted, returning to the bedroom. Sokka watched her from over his shoulder before following her.

"Again?" he asked, as she scanned the bedroom carefully with her glare. "And why are you so sure of it now?"

"Because he'd want to keep this somewhere safer, in the area of his rooms that most nobody would enter," Azula mused. "You know… around the same place where the previous Fire Lord would have hidden his special keyset."

"Okay? Where would that be?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly as Azula moved towards the bed.

She dropped to the floor beside the bed, touching the solid bedframe with a careful frown. She closed her eyes and slid a hand over it carefully, and she crawled all around the bed, so determined and serious that Sokka couldn't help but find the scene slightly humorous. He merely stood where he was, arms crossed until Azula finally stopped and infused one specific spot of the bedframe with fire. Sokka jumped upon seeing something pop out at the opposite end of the frame.

Sokka's reaction told Azula that her mischievous discovery had paid off. She smirked.

"Different bed, but still the same system," she said. "The trigger isn't in the same place as Azulon's, but my father still wanted to hide his secrets under his bed…"

"That sounds terrifying. Don't you think he might be keeping something creepy in there?" Sokka asked, grimacing, as Azula moved to where the bedframe had loosened up.

"If he's keeping White Lotus tiles, it'll be creepy enough as it is," she said, pulling out the loose section of the bedframe to find a small wooden chest within.

Sokka helped her draw it from its hiding place, and they stared at it warily. Azula opened it with fire again after a moment of hesitation, and they frowned as they gazed into its contents.

The ornamental comb within would have interested Azula, as would have the jewels, and the old, small books and scrolls, under any other circumstances. But none of those relics could catch her eye, not when there was a sizable, brown bag just beside them. A siable bag that seemed to be nearly full of whatever its contents were.

"Azula?" Sokka called her, noticing she didn't dare pull the string that kept the bag shut. He bit his lip. "I'm going to do it, okay? The sooner we're out of here…"

"Y-yes, yes…" she said, gritting her teeth afterwards and closing her eyes. Sokka reached out and touched her thigh carefully.

"Is he still training?" he asked. Azula opened her eyes as she resonated again. He wasn't in the training grounds anymore… but he wasn't nearby yet. It seemed he was on his way to the royal spa, if anything.

"He's going to the spa, he's done now. We don't have much time left…" she said, glancing at Sokka warily. He nodded.

"Here we go, then," he said, and he pulled the string.

Her breath caught, and then she released it. Her eyes had widened, but they narrowed quickly enough, just before she closed them shut tightly once again.

That symbol had been something to despise, something to abhor. But right now, it was something she found herself wanting to defend, even if she hated herself for it.

The only one to blame for that, though, was Ozai. She would never have felt any empathy, let alone sympathy, towards the White Lotus, if he hadn't been hunting them down in such a gruesome way. But there was no other explanation for the collection of White Lotus tiles she had just seen: some were larger than others, some had a different color pattern, some were made of ornate materials, others with cheaper ones. But the same symbol was emblazoned on all of them, and there was nothing to interpret from this other than the obvious truth that had manifested itself before her since last night…

"Azula…" Sokka said, lifting a hand to her face. Azula shook her head, reaching for the fastenings of the bag and closing it shut again. The rest of the trunk's contents were irrelevant: she didn't want anything more to do with it. She didn't want anything else to do with her father and his nefarious schemes.

She pushed the trunk back under the bed, reviewed the chambers one more time to ensure nothing was out of place, before leading Sokka back to the secret corridor. He followed silently, knowing better than to speak as she struggled to accept what she'd confirmed…

She had known all along that this was the likeliest possibility, especially after last night. But knowing for certain that her father was the true culprit behind the murder spree through the Capital was still a harrowing reality for her to face. She had admired the man for years, she had respected him even after he had stopped being her hero. What should she think of him now, when she had discovered one of the darkest secrets he had kept from her?

Was that grotesque assassin the one responsible for Azulon's death? Was he responsible for Ozai's prolonged rule without considerable resistance? Had he systematically killed every political enemy of the rising Fire Lord? Would he come after her, if she ever revealed that she had discovered Ozai's crimes against his own people?

Sokka had no idea where she was leading him now, but after crossing into several new secret corridors he found himself in the only one he'd known before: the corridor that would lead them to the basement. Azula seemed to walk by instinct alone, unwilling to say anything even once they were locked safely within the dusty, forgotten room.

She paced for a moment before dropping on the floor, her hands going to her head. Sokka gritted his teeth before kneeling beside her, keeping a wary distance for her sake. She most likely wanted to be left alone right now, and frankly, he had no idea what he could say to help her: it might just be better if he didn't say anything at all.

She sat cross-legged, elbows on her knees. Her perfect hairdo was ruined by the fingers she ran through it, and yet she couldn't stop doing it. It wasn't until he noticed she was actually pulling at her own hair quite aggressively that Sokka reached out to clasp her hands with his own, hoping to stop her from hurting herself in her frustration. To his relief, it worked.

"How could he…?" she finally spoke, her hands still in his. "W-why couldn't he just…? He's just proving them right! He's just going to convince them to come back, to attack us, to destroy us! All he's doing is…! He's never going to learn, is he? He thinks he can just force his will upon everything, force whatever results he wants, and it will merely happen without consequences! But that's just…!"

"Stupid," Sokka finished. Azula met his gaze and he gritted his teeth, caressing the back of her hands gently. "I'm sorry, Azula. I… I wish your father were a better man than this. I mean… he's never set a great precedent, but this has to be the worst thing he's done since I became your gladiator, and that includes all the manipulative schemes I've witnessed and even been a victim of…"

"It's… it's unforgivable," Azula said, shaking her head. "They're the enemy, no doubt, but what he's doing is…! It's underhanded in the most disgusting of ways! I-it's as though… as though he were ashamed of doing things the right way! Goodness, if he can have his lackey track them down and even collect each of their tiles, how could it possibly be harder to take them into custody and deal with them lawfully?"

"Would that have been much of an improvement?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean… he would've had them executed anyways, whether they were White Lotus or not."

"At least he wouldn't be spreading terror through the whole city by doing as much," Azula growled. "Hell, as it is, we could easily assume that the accursed assassin is simply killing every person with a Pai Sho set in their homes, and stealing their White Lotus tile every time just to tell my father they're actually part of the group. This is so revolting…"

"It is," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "Still… what are we going to do now? I know you probably don't want to think about making your move yet, but…"

"I do," Azula hissed, raising her eyes. Sokka gritted his teeth. "I… I want to find that assassin. I want to defeat him, drag him to my father's feet and tell him I caught the man who has been murdering Fire Nation and honorary citizens alike…"

"Okay, that'd be awesome, but we don't know for sure that you can beat him, and I definitely don't recommend rubbing the guy's limp body in your father's face even if you do," Sokka said, looking at Azula meaningfully. "I don't want to rain on your parade, but…"

"You want me to stay safe and not trigger my father's worst responses," said Azula, with a dry grin. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, he can demand for an Agni Kai if I disrespect him. He already knows I can defeat him, and I would have no qualms with doing as much in front of an audience. I'm done trying to defend him or protect him, or… I just can't. I refuse to. What he's done is just… it's beyond appalling. And the worst part is… I keep wondering how many times he's done it. We would have never found out about this if the Gladiator Business hadn't been involved in it… how many times have we simply not known that he was scheming to kill hundreds just because it struck his fancy to do so?"

"And if they really were White Lotus?" Sokka asked, eyeing Azula warily. "I absolutely don't approve of what he did, but… that they may have been part of their society doesn't change your views on this?"

"Why would it?" Azula huffed. "I hate the White Lotus, no doubt I do, but the only thing he'll achieve with this is justifying their rebellion. Now they'll have every bit of evidence they need to prove that the Fire Lord doesn't care about his people, that he only cares about preserving his power and destroying everyone who might oppose him. And… really, why would anyone think he cares about anything else? When has my father proved otherwise, really?"

"Never," said Sokka, breathing deeply. "This could be a huge scandal if news about it broke out… Fire Lord Ozai, attacking his citizens just because they like some boardgame…? Even if he said they're White Lotus members, if he doesn't have more solid evidence than that, it won't be easy for everyone to believe it."

"His rule has been marked by so many scandals that one more could easily cause him more trouble than he can suffocate anymore," Azula huffed. "And… maybe that's why he settles his problems this way. Maybe that's why he uses this undetectable assassin…"

"Regardless…" said Sokka, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "I don't know how to stop this assassin. If you tried to reason with your father, to convince him to order that guy to stop, he'd just…"

"He'd shut me down the same way he did last night," Azula growled. "And I'd gain nothing from it. If anything, he might just turn on me, have his guards restrain me, who knows…"

"Then the only way to stop the assassin would be by intercepting him directly? By… by protecting whatever White Lotus victim he goes after next?" Sokka asked. "I don't mind if that's what needs to be done, but… I never did think we'd end up defending them."

"What they've done to us is unforgivable," Azula said, closing her eyes. "Especially what Jeong Jeong last tried to do to you. But… we can't simply turn a blind eye on this. Especially when we don't know for sure that they're part of their group."

"Then you'll have to find him," Sokka sighed. "The damn assassin… you have to track him down before he strikes again."

"If these people truly were White Lotus, he discovered their allegiance somehow," Azula huffed, covering her mouth with a hand. "That assassin can be invisible when he wants to be, we know as much. So, he's an ideal spy, no doubt. Still, he found these people somehow. Maybe… maybe he questioned the White Lotus members from the Prison Tower?"

"We've talked about paying them a visit, but I don't think they'd ever want to say a single word to either of us," Sokka whispered. Azula grimaced.

"Still, there's… there's so many victims," she said, shaking her head. "All of them are so different, and there seem to be no real links between them. How could this bastard of an assassin find them all? How would he…? Unless…"

"Unless what?" Sokka said, as Azula straightened her back and looked at him, the spark of an idea in her eyes.

"That house. That shop girl, the one who said she constantly saw strange people entering the suspicious house, the one that felt… ominous, strange," Azula said.

"The one we thought might be a trap?" Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"I told you it felt different from the others," Azula explained. "W-what if…? What if he didn't kill anyone there, but what if it's a White Lotus hideout of some sort? Maybe that's where they'd meet, where they found their orders. There could be information about the members there, and… and if the assassin followed each member after they left that place, he would figure out where they lived, and then he merely waited for the best moment to kill each of them…"

"Okay… okay," said Sokka, grimacing. "That sounds awful, but… it also sounds plausible. We'll have to check out that place thoroughly, then."

"And we're not doing it alone. Not this time," Azula said, frowning and standing up. Sokka pushed himself up to his feet too. "I have already crossed paths with the assassin, the Domestic Forces will know as much by now. If I tell them I have suspicions about that place, they'll follow me there for sure. So…"

"We could also get Rui Shi, Fei Li…"

"No. They're Imperial Guards now," Azula said, sternly. "As much as I trust them, they're no longer under my direct command: they're under General Shaofeng's, and he could be one of my father's allies in this. If word reaches him of what we're up to…"

"He'll put a stop to us before we can make any moves," Sokka finished, breathing deeply and shaking his head. "How did everything get so messed up so quickly? Curse everything, really. Your father is a nightmare."

"I'd usually take offense to that, but I agree wholeheartedly right now," Azula said, leading the way out of the basement.

"What will we do if we discover something important in that place?" Sokka asked. "I don't know, a list of members, anything genuinely incriminating…?"

"Why, I'll gladly rub it in my father's face," Azula huffed, climbing up to the passageway they'd used a long time ago, back when they'd spent their first night together by accident and Rui Shi had saved their necks. "If there's incriminating evidence, he would have wasted the chance to use it and condemn these White Lotus members lawfully by choosing to send that accursed assassin of his. But I assume you mean, will we look for whoever's still alive from this hypothetical list? Why… I suppose we would, if we can still protect them."

"And, say, what if we find the assassin?" Sokka asked. "Will we fight him?"

"We will. But we won't be alone," Azula declared.

"Well, you did mention the Domestic Forces…"

"Not them. We have a much better ally we can count on. One who may just give us the leverage we need, if our theories about how to defeat that rotting fire are correct," Azula said. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Right… right," he said, nodding in understanding.

They walked through the dark corridor with strong strides, moving quickly through the halls and towards the nearby dragon refuge. Azula didn't seem to care about whoever spotted her in the Palace anymore, only determined to reach her dragon's building. Some guards pointed at her, Sokka noticed, but they didn't interfere as the Princess and her gladiator filed inside the refuge.

Xin Long growled at them, as good as berating Azula for not taking him with her to Sokka's house. She apologized silently and quickly: Sokka helped her pick up the large dragon armor that they fastened over the magnificent creature. Xin Long's usual mischievous mood was nowhere to be found, still profoundly disturbed by the rotten fire. He allowed them to set up his armor and saddle, then he leaned down to encourage them to climb up right away. Azula's wordless command quickly saw them shooting up into the sky, all three ready for battle even if they weren't certain that they'd join one at all.

They slowed down upon finding one of the Domestic Forces' squads patrolling through the city, and Azula asked them to send word to the captain she had been working with: she'd meet him and his men at the suspicious building. The soldiers set out to deliver her message while Azula, Sokka and Xin Long sped away towards the agreed location.

Again, they lingered outside the ominous house as they waited for the reinforcements to arrive. Sokka was growing impatient, nervously thumbing his knife as he kept a wary eye on the streets. Azula stood with Xin Long, patting the armor plate that covered his snout.

"I really am sorry I left you behind, but it won't happen again. I promise," Azula said, sighing. "Right now, though… we need to work together, Xin. If that thing shows up, or if we find leads about wherever he's been lurking, then…"

Xin Long huffed proudly, smoke pouring out of his nostrils. For once, he was completely serious about his threats. He was ready to take down their enemy.

"We have to be ready to track him down, to follow him if he tries to escape," Azula said. "He's going to surface again eventually. I know he will. And it doesn't matter how invisible he may be, we won't falter this time. We'll find him, and if the only way to stop him is to kill him, we'll do just that. Any objections?"

Xin Long shook his head proudly. He certainly would have no problems killing the assassin, Xin Long had killed more than enough creatures as it was. And most of them hadn't been a disgrace to firebending as this thing was…

"Good. Then we're set," Azula declared, just as Xin Long swung his head to the side, noticing the Domestic Forces were finally arriving.

"Princess!" the captain exclaimed, rushing towards them with his brigade behind him. Azula regarded him with a curt nod. "We've heard you faced off against the suspect! Is it true?"

"It's true, and he got away. I don't intend for that to happen a second time," Azula determined, her arms crossed as the group stopped before her. "This place is suspicious, and it may shed some light regarding why these attacks are happening in the first place. It's why I summoned you. We must search it for clues, captain."

"We can take care of that, Princess," the captain said, reassuringly. "We'll be quick about it. You can wait outside, if you like."

"Is that so…?" Azula said, uneasy about waiting instead of joining the search. Still, a pointed stare by Sokka convinced her to let the soldiers do their jobs. "Fine, then. Do your best, captain."

"We shall," said the captain, nodding before waving a hand towards his soldiers. "Let's get to work, people!"

The soldiers opened the front door and charged inside without further ado. Azula and Sokka waited by the front door near Xin Long, who, as ever, would be too large to fit inside the building. Azula breathed deeply, her knuckles white as she pressed her hands into fists, gazing at the decaying building with uncertainty. She tried to hold down her unease as she waited for the soldiers to finish their initial search, spreading out tactically to investigate the location as quickly as possible. They'd discover something, definitely, this place was too suspicious to be…

"The house is clear, Princess," the captain said barely moments later. Azula frowned, raising her eyes towards the man as he returned to the front door. "Though… suspiciously so, I must say. There's nothing here."

"Nothing?" Azula repeated, strolling inside with indignant determination.

"My men are scouting all the rooms now, but… so far, it's completely empty," said the man, gesturing at the vestibule.

If the place wasn't as worn-down and old-fashioned as it was, it would seem to be as good as new: no furniture, no marks of anyone having lived here, ever. No stains on the wooden floors, no paintings or scrolls on the walls. Everything was, indeed, too clean.

Azula frowned. This couldn't be right. Most houses they'd visited so far had been less suspicious than this place, and many of them had signs of murder and crime cover-up all over them. If this was a normal house there'd be something, anything, inside it. If that accursed assassin had decided to clean up the place completely then he was a fool: he'd only made the place more suspicious by doing so.

"Use your resonance," Sokka suggested to Azula, standing up behind her. The captain glanced at him in surprise, as Azula gazed at him over her shoulder. "Maybe it really was him, after all."

"Him? The assassin?" the soldier repeated, confused. Azula breathed deeply and closed her eyes.

The unpleasant sensation of the rot was right outside, she realized now. The strange, lingering but more faded feeling that she'd identified the previous day…

… But there was one stronger, vivid sensation below them, several feet underground. Her eyes snapped wide open as she sensed it. That same gruesome, disturbing fire she had pursued last night…

"Sokka, I… I think he's here," Azula said, glancing at Sokka warily. He tensed up right away. "I feel him, underground."

"Under…?" Sokka said, eyes widening, before Azula turned to the captain.

"Do you have any earthbenders in your squad?" she asked. The man swallowed hard but nodded.

"Two of them, yes," said the captain.

"Keep them at the ready. We might need to dig for tunnels," Azula declared, before looking at Sokka again. "Where would they hide a secret door?"

"They? You mean the White Lotus?" Sokka asked, frowning. Azula nodded. The captain's confusion only increased upon hearing the infamous group being brought up right now. "I… I have no idea. You think they had a secret trapdoor like the ones you guys have all over the city?"

"It has to be something different," Azula said, shaking her head. "They wouldn't want to connect their hideout with the tunnels known to everyone who lives in the Capital. They'd need something safer for their purposes, and I think that's where the assassin is hiding right now. I… I don't know why he's there, or how he got there, though. But…"

"Alright. Alright… how about actual loose floorboards this time?" Sokka said, grimacing and looking at the captain. "Tell your available people to look through the house for loose floorboards, alright? Could be that's how they concealed an entrance…"

"What about the backyard?" Azula suggested. Sokka bit his lip and shook his head.

"Too exposed, likely," he said. "If any neighbors glanced outside, they might see people sneaking around in what looks like an abandoned house's yard, and it'd raise suspicions. It's got to be within the house."

"Fair enough," Azula said, breathing deeply as the captain rushed away to convey the new orders to his men.

The Princess and her gladiator joined the search this time, as everyone stepped on the floorboards powerfully in hopes to find any signs of weakness in the structure. Five minutes later, the captain summoned Azula: one of his men had found something.

The loose floorboards by the kitchen area of the house were wide enough for an average person to slip through them, once removed. Still, it seemed the discovery had been in vain: there was nothing but earth beneath the floorboards.

"This is the only possibility so far?" Azula asked. The captain nodded.

"Maybe we should be looking for something else?" the man suggested, but Sokka shook his head as he scanned the exposed ground carefully.

"I think this is the time to call those earthbenders," he said. "I… I can't be sure, but this… this earth looks too even. Too smooth. Almost like…"

"Like it's been bent back into place," Azula finished for him, nodding. "Maybe an earthbender managed to shut the assassin in here. Either way, this could be it. Get your earthbenders to clear this earth, captain: with any luck we might find a tunnel right here."

"Right. I'll gather my best men too, they can scan through that tunnel quickly," said the captain, bowing his head and rushing out of the kitchen. Azula frowned before glancing at Sokka.

"He doesn't actually expect me to stand back while he sends his people to look through that tunnel, does he?" she said. Sokka bit his lip.

"Can't say it'd surprise me if he did. All things considered, Azula…"

"Oh, I'm a princess, so I can't put myself in danger?" she asked, skeptical. "Sokka, if your theories about gold fire are correct, I'm the only one who can defeat this thing. It's not about taking risks, it's about reducing the number of potential casualties. If that bastard is really down there…"

"Then give them the command to retreat if he attacks them," Sokka sighed. "And we'll face him up here after smoking him out. If this is a White Lotus lair, Azula, hell knows how many traps there might be lying about down there. You need to stay safe, and to let these soldiers do their jobs."

"Ever so cautious," Azula huffed, knowing he was right to be wary, but annoyed all the same. "Fine, then. I'll stay here."

"Thank you," said Sokka, with a small grin.

The earthbenders arrived before long, and just as Azula and Sokka had expected, they confirmed that the earth below the loose floorboards had been bent into its current form. Azula breathed deeply: if there was a chance that they could catch the assassin unawares, they'd do best to seize it…

"You'll head down there silently with your squad, captain," Azula commanded. "As subtly as possible. We have to be more cautious than ever if we hope to catch the culprit. Understood?"

"Yes, Princess," the man nodded.

"If he attacks you, flee. Do not engage his fire, no matter what," Azula glared at the soldier dangerously, as though threatening to punish him if he failed to heed her orders. The captain flinched but nodded.

"I understand," he said, biting his lip before nodding at his earthbenders.

The benders proceeded to do as was expected of them: after a few movements, the earth had been cleared away to reveal a dark tunnel. Azula gritted her teeth, dreading whatever would come next.

"Careful now," she said, as the captain led his men down into the darkness.

"We'll do our best, Princess," he said, before slipping into the tunnel and vanishing from sight.

One by one, the seven people the captain had selected entered the tunnel. The earthbenders lingered outside with Azula and Sokka, as did the rest of the members of the group. And so they stood, anxiously, silently waiting for any sign of whatever was happening down below…

"Nothing yet," said the male earthbender.

Although not much time had ticked past, it felt like it'd been too long. Even if Azula wanted to hold back, to be patient, she could barely bring herself to do it. She huffed and closed her eyes, using her resonance to learn more about what was happening below…

No firebending fights had broken out in the tunnels. She could feel the inner fires of the firebending soldiers, but they were tempered, perhaps a little scared. And there it was still: the morbid, dead-like fire that belonged to her father's personal assassin. She gritted her teeth.

"He's there," she said, shaking her head. "He's there somewhere, and they're… they're walking right into him. I don't know if they'll have the chance to run away if he attacks them when they're so close to him."

Sokka eyed Azula with uncertainty, as did every other soldier in the small room. The Princess snarled before long and shook her head.

"I can't. I can't stay here," she said. Sokka clasped her shoulder to stop her, but she shrugged his hand off.

"Azula, I know it's possible that you'll be able to fight that guy, but it's only a possibility," he said, looking at her sternly. "We don't know for sure that you can."

"If I can't fight him, those soldiers sure as hell don't stand a chance," Azula huffed, looking at him sternly. "And I'm not going to carry more soldiers' deaths on my conscience if I can prevent it."

"You… you can't die down there," Sokka said, his eyes wide. He looked serious, somewhat threatening… and yet Azula saw the fear mixed in his blue gaze. Being afraid certainly didn't befit him. She froze for a moment, looking back at him. "Azula…"

"I won't," she said, earnestly. "Even if I can't fight him, he won't… he won't dare hurt me. Not yet, anyways."

Sokka gritted his teeth. It was true: this assassin was working for Ozai. Unless Ozai wanted to get rid of Azula, the assassin wouldn't be likely to hurt her… well, as long as his loyalty to Ozai was stronger than his sense of self-preservation. The assassin was a mystery in just about every sense he could be, after all…

"Still, I'd rather… head down there too, if you'll go," Sokka said, frowning. Azula snorted. "I mean it."

"If you must, but do keep in mind that I'll end up protecting you if you go, and not the other way around," she said, skeptically. Sokka gritted his teeth.

"I guess, but…"

The sound of voices echoed through the tunnels. Their conversation ended abruptly, and the soldiers witnessing it turned back to stare at the opening on the ground. Azula gritted her teeth and waited, uncertain about whether to jump in or hold back…

"HELP!"

Upon hearing that word, she didn't hesitate anymore.

Sokka was right behind her when Azula charged into the darkness, holding up blue flames in her hands. She barely registered that she was halfway through the tunnel, that her legs were as good as moving on their own accord as she raced towards the voices, ready to save the soldiers before the accursed assassin could do anything to them…

But upon reaching them, she found the seven soldiers alive, and unharmed. Panic riddled their eyes, though, as the Captain leaned down before a man… or what was left of the man. Azula's eyes widened as her fire lit up the scene, finding the victim had no limbs left. Only his torso and head remained, and yet… and yet he was still alive, it seemed, if just barely.

"What on earth…?" she said, leaning down before the dying man in confusion. She inspected the stumps. Not only were they fresh: the dark, but charred decay of each stump also suggested the limbs had been consumed by the rot.

"I-I didn't mean…" the moribund man said, with a raspy, weak voice. Azula gazed at him in confusion, taking in his fear and the old scar across his cheek. "I only wanted t-to… I was just trying to fight f-for…"

Azula's eyebrows drew together, though her frown was wary. The man's final words spoke for themselves: he had to have been a White Lotus agent. He had wanted to save the world, in his own way. Whatever his crimes, Azula doubted he deserved to die this way.

"Where is he?" she asked. "What happened? If you help us, we may find him and stop him before he can reach his next victim. Just tell us…"

"T-there's only one left…" said the man, through gritted teeth. "A-and he will find him now… I never wanted t-to, I tried to trap him, but…"

"Azula," Sokka called her, frowning. "Your resonance. If the rotten bastard can be invisible, then maybe he's still right here…"

"I'm sorry…" the White Lotus agent said, but to Azula's surprise, he was looking at Sokka. "I'm so sorry…"

"You're… okay. It's going to be okay," said Sokka, looking at the man with uncertainty. "Maybe the soldiers can get him to a hospital? If we can save him, maybe he could help us find the killer…"

"Maybe," Azula agreed, glancing at the captain. "It may not be too late for him yet if you…"

The man's eyes opened wide, as though he had seen something terrifying right behind the Princess, her gladiator and the soldiers… and within a fraction of a moment, the tunnel fell into complete darkness.

Azula gasped, powering her fire further, but she still couldn't see anything as she was buffeted by a powerful smoke storm, by impenetrable darkness. Sokka cried out, as did the other soldiers. The dying man's voice lost power in the smoke whirlwind within seconds: now he certainly was beyond saving.

Azula gritted her teeth and focused: her breath was fading away, stolen by the smoke that now slipped inside her lungs. She couldn't give in to the fear, to panic, to whatever this was. She still felt her body, still felt all her fingers: she wasn't decomposing, but she couldn't be certain that her companions weren't, either. And curses, if that assassin had done anything to Sokka…

The rage forced her out of her panic in a quick burst. They'd already talked about what she had to do when she met the assassin again, and she'd do it: it wouldn't be easy to defy the darkness, to fight off the feelings of desperation, rage and fear coursing through her. But she shot out a hand towards where Sokka had last stood, and she found his. He was still there, alright: that was all she needed right now.

The tunnels suddenly snapped back into light, painfully, when a golden burst of flames poured right out of Azula's free hand, slamming against the smoke with surprising success.

The soldiers fell back, covering their eyes with their hands now. Sokka flinched, his fingers squeezing Azula's, and he stood his ground even as the smoke receded…

Only Azula caught a glimpse of the masked assassin, who was lying on his back, unflatteringly so, a few feet away from her. The Princess glowered with rage, and her fire flickered back to blue only for instants before she focused again on the hand she was holding. She wasn't as calm as she should be when bending gold fire, but this was the best she could do right now. If it wasn't good enough, they were doomed.

She unleashed a barrage of gold flames at the assassin, and it was all she had to do to get him to scramble away, fleeing for his life, seemingly. The closest thing to a war cry that Azula had ever released tore out of her throat then, as triumph coursed inside her, taking the place of the previous frustrations and anger. She was filled with courage, with fury, and with the determination to take down that blasted assassin.

"Come on!" she called Sokka, yanking his hand and pulling him with her. Still somewhat overwhelmed by the burst of light and the smoke he'd inhaled, Sokka followed clumsily, his hand still tightly locked around hers.

He was breathless, uncharacteristically affected by the smoke, and he could hear Azula coughing too. She didn't let herself falter, though, even as she trembled, her palm sweating coldly against his own. She closed her eyes, resonated: there he was, not so far ahead, just at the tunnel's exit…

"HE'S THERE!" Azula bellowed, hoping her voice would reach the soldiers who had stayed outside. If only she had commanded the earthbenders to close the tunnel's opening again: she could have kept the assassin in check, and finished him off before he could escape from her again…

She heard the soldiers' voices: they sounded surprised, somewhat panicked. The assassin hadn't masked his presence upon breaking through to the surface, surely. The sounds of shouts and fighting reached them barely seconds before they could climb out of the tunnel, but once they reached the entrance, the assassin had already rushed past enough of the soldiers to have a clear way to the front door…

Where Xin Long waited, his gold eyes gleaming with deadly rage instants before he engulfed the weakened, desperate assassin in an inferno of blue flames.

The house, naturally, caught fire. The assassin did not: he was bending the fire away from him somehow, or keeping it at bay with his own, Azula couldn't tell. She gritted her teeth and unwillingly released Sokka's hand to join the fray, summoning whatever positive thoughts of Sokka she could to blast the assassin with gold fire again.

The assassin heard her coming. He jumped out of the way, risking being burned by Xin Long's own flames, but taking his final opportunity to escape through a window in an empty room. Azula chased after him, and she heard footsteps following her, but by the time she reached the window, the assassin had finally seemed to trigger back his camouflaging skills, whatever they might be. He was gone from sight…

… But she could still find him. Azula's eyes blazed dangerously as she resonated, sensing, to her astonishment, that the assassin seemed to be flying. Was he propelling himself with his own fire, through the same technique she had used in the past? It was likely, although she could see no smoke this time. What on earth was this accursed man's skill? What was he doing.. and how could he do it?

"Xin!" Azula called the dragon, jumping out of the window. The dragon joined her on that side of the house, ushering her to climb on his saddle. The Princess only turned back towards the house to extend a hand to her gladiator, who had joined her with the most confused grimace she had ever seen on his face.

"Where is…? What is he doing…?"

"Flying," Azula responded, before coughing again. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Fly…?"

"Muffle out that fire!" Azula ordered the soldiers, who were struggling to prevent the house from collapsing after Xin Long's assault. "I'm going after the killer now!"

"B-but Prin-…!"

No one could ever stop Azula when her mind was set on something. She would catch the rotting bastard, and fortunately, her dragon was just as motivated as she was to take down the man who was desecrating firebending in such a way.

Xin Long didn't wait for her command before shooting out into the sky. Sokka clutched at Azula desperately, unstable and uneasy. A few soft coughs left him again, and Azula's hand reassuringly caressed his forearm.

"W-where is he going…?" Sokka asked. Azula frowned, resonating again for as long as she could, hoping to properly identify the assassin's route…

Her eyes widened.

"He's heading out of the city," she said. Sokka frowned. "He's already past the crater, he's… where's he going? Is he… is he escaping the city?"

"Or he's… finishing the job," Sokka said, eyeing the crater warily, and what lay behind it…

He didn't often travel outside the main body of the city, but he'd been through those roads not long ago. He knew of one location that stood behind this very area of the crater… for he had spent an evening there only a few days before.

"That guy in the tunnels said… he there was only one left," Sokka said, trembling against Azula. She took her eyes off the horizon only for a second, to glance at her horrified lover. "One… one victim left. One White Lotus agent. Azula, t-that way… that's where Rhone's inn was, Azula. I think…"

"Shit," Azula blurted out, eyes wide.

It was both fitting and disturbing to discover that their first suspect would turn out to be the final victim.