The Fire Lord's Shadow
6
Genta was a nervous wreck, always had been. That was one of many reasons why he shouldn't have taken Rhone as his partner, but it was too late for either of them to backtrack on that mistake. Rhone wasn't always so disgruntled over him, but his sponsor's behavior had been nothing short of repulsive for him lately. Ditching him certainly looked like an appealing prospect... Rhone briefly abandoned himself to the fantasy of being on his own again, free from the trappings of his current circumstances, but halfway through his daydream, his sponsor charged into their shared room at the inn, eyes wide with terror.
"Saw another squirrel-mouse?" Rhone taunted him, rolling his eyes as he stood up. "You kept me waiting damn long this time, bastard. I'm supposed to kill another firebender today…"
He hadn't killed any firebenders recently, but not for a lack of trying. Still, Genta knew better than to remind Rhone of his failures, and he proved as much: he held his silence as he rushed to his side of the room, picking up his clothes and stuffing them in his small bag. Rhone raised an eyebrow, hands on his hips.
"What are you doing, Genta?" he said, his voice slightly curious. Genta's shivering frame didn't answer his question right away.
"W-we have to go, Rhone, g-get your things, we have to…"
"What? You want us to forfeit?" Rhone said, huffing. "I see no reason to…"
"He's coming!" Genta said, eyes wide as he looked at Rhone. "I-it was real, everything I told you! All the disappearances, there's some accursed spirit doing it! I-it's killing us, I barely got out alive and I…!"
"Killing us… or killing you?" Rhone said, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "From what you said, only your pals were kicking the bucket. If that's the case… I see no reason to scram to safety. You're the one who's going to die, not me."
"B-but Rhone, you're my associate!" Genta exclaimed, jumping to his feet and looking at him in chagrin. "Y-you can't fight without me, you can't…!"
"Might as well try. You need me, Genta: I don't need you," Rhone snapped, glaring at the man. "You and your swamp leeches can rot, as far as I'm concerned. I joined you because I was told I could kill firebenders if I did, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Oh, yeah? Just like you've been killing them lately?" Genta huffed defiantly, looking at Rhone in disbelief. His spirited, emotional defense had been reckless, and he only realized it after he was done uttering the words.
Rhone had been about to walk out of the room, but he froze on the spot. Maybe Genta didn't know better than to remind Rhone of his failures after all, despite Rhone had expected his sponsor to prove wiser than that… His blue eyes gleamed glacially as he turned a glare upon the Earth Kingdom man.
"Maybe I ought to kill you myself, then. Might make the job easier for whoever the Fire Lord sent to hunt you down," Rhone huffed, lifting a hand towards his predilect weapon.
"N-no, Rhone, please! Please, I just…! I just want to survive, I need to survive, someone has to tell the main group about…!"
"Not really," said Rhone, his voice coated with poison, though he lowered his hand without unsheathing his metal boomerang. "No one has to tell them anything. Let them figure things out on their own, cowards that they are, sending morons like you to do their dirty work… just as you would send someone like me to do yours, too. Maybe this is just retribution, at fucking last. Maybe you deserve to die after all."
"I…! Y-you don't mean that, Rhone! I just want to fix what's broken in the world! J-just like you do!"
"I don't give a shit about what's broken anywhere. I haven't for a long time" said Rhone, stepping towards Genta menacingly.
Genta shrunk in his frame, raising his hands in a hopeless attempt to protect himself from Rhone. The gladiator stepped forward menacingly all the same, pushing Genta's hands aside and clasping him by the front of his shirt. He lifted him up to his face's level without any difficulties, his furrowed brow further terrifying the whimpering sponsor.
"I can barely believe you're still so naïve to think this world's not rotten beyond repair," he huffed, his eyes deadly. "And yet it seems you are, Genta. You're disgusting."
"L-let me go…" Genta gasped, and Rhone obeyed… by pushing him into the wall, hard enough to bump Genta's head against the solid wood frame.
"You're going to attend the damn fight with me, or I'll kill you for sabotaging me. Am I clear?" Rhone declared, his voice potent. Genta gritted his teeth, tears of desperation now streaming down his face.
"I… R-Rhone, please…"
"Oh, you're useless. Get your shit together!" Rhone roared, glaring at him. "Gather your junk if that's what you need, we'll leave after the fight! But only after it's done, got it?"
"That… o-okay, okay, I guess…" said Genta, swallowing hard.
Perhaps the killer wouldn't know where to find him anyways. Perhaps the Grand Royal Dome was the place to be: that spirit assassin wouldn't dare attack him in such a public venue…
But he couldn't be sure of anything, not after their safe house had been compromised as it had been. Yao had summoned him, to warn him that it was best for him to return to Fire Fountain City, perhaps even to leave the Fire Nation altogether… they had expected a much larger turnout, but in the end, it had only been him and Yao. The absence of the other agents had been foreboding, though Genta hadn't considered they might all be dead until the accursed assassin had revealed himself, once Genta and Yao were in the tunnels below ground.
How did it sneak inside, Genta didn't know, but Yao had engaged the Fire Lord's agent and given Genta one slim chance to escape by launching him back to the surface with his earthbending. Genta had popped out of the ground in the neighboring house's yard, and he ran all the way to the inn, desperate to get away… he thought he hadn't been followed because Yao had blocked the way out with his earthbending, as he always did. And that spirit assassin, presumably, couldn't earthbend, or faze through solid earth… either way, it meant Yao had likely sacrificed himself to save Genta. Genta didn't want to waste that sacrifice, but…
But Rhone was threatening him, and Rhone could be terrifying whenever he wanted to be. Genta shivered as he picked up his bags, watching as Rhone did the same, angrily. All Genta could hope for was that the assassin wouldn't find them, that it would be impossible to track them down, and that they could reach Yao's boat, with which they could sail away from this wretched city…
"Let's go quickly, then, quickly…" said Genta, as he gathered whatever belongings he hadn't packed yet. Rhone huffed before throwing his pack over his shoulder, amid the weapons he had already slung across his back.
Rhone didn't stop treating Genta forcefully, shoving him out of the room and through the inn's corridors too. The innkeeper and the recurrent customers watched them warily, but a glare from Rhone sufficed to make them lower their heads and avert their gazes. The frightening Water Tribe man had made no friends in the inn during his stay there, but no one there was foolish enough to want to be his enemy either.
Rhone pushed Genta into the street, and the sponsor stumbled and fell on his knees. Rhone showed no remorse for it and he merely started the walk through the lonely dirt road that would lead to the main roads of the Capital's bay. Genta glared at him as he stood up again, wondering if Rhone would even notice if he snuck away and made his way to the port by himself…
"Keep up, Genta, or you'll get worse than just a shove," Rhone growled. Genta gritted his teeth but followed him anyways, if only begrudgingly.
They hadn't made it far into the dirt road when Rhone stopped cold, his head angled upwards. Genta nearly bumped into his back, and he stared at Rhone's larger frame with confusion.
"W-why are we stopping?" he asked "Rhone…?"
"Shut up," Rhone growled, though there was an unexpected cadence to his voice right now…
It took Genta a moment to identify the emotion permeating the gladiator's voice: fear.
He had never heard Rhone sound scared of anything before.
Genta glanced up at the sky, for the source of Rhone's distress was up there, somewhere. He gasped, crying out pitifully in sheer horror upon sighting the armored dragon that flew at full speed towards them, blue fire blazing already in those half-open jaws.
"Of course…" Rhone growled, lifting a hand towards his metal boomerang, despite knowing he couldn't possibly defeat the dragon with his current weapon. No, the accursed beast would kill him, and… and that was Sokka, riding its saddle right behind the Princess.
So that was how it was, then. Despite everything, the bastard had decided to come after Rhone, chasing after him for crimes he hadn't committed instead of the countless ones he had. Oh, that was fine by Rhone. He'd die now, then… but he'd make sure to bring Sokka with him, if nothing else.
He was ready to launch his boomerang, but he held back when the dragon's charged fire blast was released unnecessarily far away from Rhone. Why hadn't it waited to attack until Rhone couldn't avoid it?
For he jumped out of the fire's path quickly: now he could just aim, and strike…
The blue barrage of flames crashed against something else in midair.
Said something turned corporeal, visible, upon impact. Even Rhone couldn't help but stare at it with wide eyes: it appeared to be a man, clad in dark robes that had caught fire under dragon's ruthless attack.
They weren't after them, Rhone realized, still staring at the scene in disbelief. Instead… had the dragon's fire saved him from that morbid, flying, previously invisible man?
The embarrassing whimpers of Genta behind him reminded Rhone of what had happened earlier: Genta had talked his ear off about an assassin, hadn't he? Was this the mysterious killer who daunted his sponsor so much?
The dragon slowed, interrupting his flow of fire as he landed carefully. To Rhone's surprise, Sokka leapt off the saddle and rushed towards him, a fierce snarl on his face.
"Get away! Rhone!" he shouted, barely seconds before the Princess joined her dragon in its next attack.
The presumed assassin leered at Rhone and Genta when the new fire blast reached him. While he tried to pull up a barrier of rotting fire and smoke to defend himself, the multi-colored fire was too powerful, it seemed, to be deterred by his techniques. There was no choice for the assassin other than to dash of the way or risk being vanquished by the torrent of flames.
"What the hell is this?!" Rhone asked, looking at Sokka in confusion.
"He's after you, he's the killer! T-the one I suspected you to be!" Sokka explained, as he reached the gladiator and his quivering sponsor. "We managed to track him down, but…!"
Azula's attempts to defeat the assassin were confusing for all witnesses, especially when the killer would fade to invisibility as he pleased. Still, Azula's resonance told her exactly where to find him every time, rendering the technique completely useless for the murderer, even if it tricked the onlookers just fine. He would summon smoke at times, directing it at her with enough power to distract her briefly, but before he could so much as reach for Rhone and Genta, a new barrage of multi-colored fire would deter him.
"Get them out of here!" Azula roared at Sokka, who nodded promptly before pushing both Rhone and Genta towards the opposite side of the road. To his relief, Rhone didn't resist.
The street would lead them away and towards peripheral neighborhoods with less opulent houses than those Sokka had grown used to. They had a long way to go to reach the bay, but dread over the assassin infused them with all the energies they needed to reach it as quickly as possible. The only one to lag behind was Genta, who was gasping breathlessly by the time Sokka successfully dragged him all the way to one of the docks, constantly glancing over his shoulder warily.
"Are they… still fighting…?" Genta panted. Sokka frowned, his keen eyes finding sparks of fire bursting on occasion from a far-off point near the base of the crater.
"I think so. I can't… I can't stay here, I have to get back there," Sokka said, turning to look at Rhone meaningfully. "We have to find you guys a ship. Get out of the Fire Nation, at once."
"T-that's what I kept saying…!" Genta exclaimed. Sokka nodded promptly.
"Find a ship, maybe find passage on any ship that's ready to take off right now. You have to…"
"N-no need for that," said Genta, biting his lip. "I… I have a ship we can use."
"What?" Rhone said, looking at Genta in confusion. "Since when do you have a…?"
"Since that spirit killer murdered the owner," Genta said, gritting his teeth and shaking his head. Sokka's eyes widened. "C-come on, it's over here…"
They didn't have to walk far before reaching the ship in question: describing it as a boat might have done it more justice, but it seemed sturdy enough to carry them away. Rhone scoffed at the mediocre ship before turning towards Sokka.
"What the hell happened? How did you know that thing was coming towards us?"
"I didn't know for sure, but when Azula said he was headed in your inn's direction it was my only guess," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "Thing is we… we tracked him down. Azula figured out a way to do it, we followed his trail. Turns out he was in this weird house, I guess it was some sort of White Lotus headquarters or… well, whatever it was. Point is, we fought him, he got away, and as he seemed to be flying in your direction, we came after him…"
"Y-you know that I'm…?" Genta said, eyes wide. Sokka stared at him with a mild frown.
"That you're… White Lotus?" Sokka said, glancing between the sponsor and the gladiator. "Well, I figured as much. Suits Rhone to join them, all things considered…"
"I didn't join them," Rhone huffed. Sokka frowned. "I won't swear any allegiances to pointless gangs of the likes of them."
"Heh, I see. I don't know if that's good or bad, honestly," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Well, then, I guess he came after your sponsor instead. You two need to lay low for good, though. The assassin will likely come after you if you don't, and…"
"Why are you helping us?" Rhone asked, frowning. Sokka huffed. "You could've just…"
"Because I don't like it when people die if I can do something to prevent it," Sokka retorted, bluntly. "And enough people have died as it is. Whether you're White Lotus or not, it doesn't even matter to me at this point. Just get out of here while you have the chance…"
"Even after…? Even after everything we've done to you?" Genta asked, eyeing Sokka in disbelief.
"We?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean, you and Rhone? Or you and the White Lotus?"
The guilt in his eyes grew more pronounced when Sokka spoke the name of the organization. Sokka's brow furrowed, but he shook his head and walked away.
"Just… get going," he said, waving a hand towards them. "I'm trying to save you, so stop trying to make me regret it, will you?"
"B-but…!" said Genta, but Rhone got to work, jumping on the ship right away. "Rhone!"
"You heard him. Let's go," Rhone huffed. Genta grimaced, watching Sokka with uncertainty.
"You understand why we do this, don't you?" Genta told him, eyeing him apologetically. "W-we just… we just want to make the world a better place…"
"So do I," Sokka declared, looking at Genta accusingly. "But I don't try to kill whoever goes about it differently than how I envisioned it happening."
"I'm sorry," Genta said. Sokka frowned. "I wish… I wish that hadn't happened at all. You're a better person than they believe…"
"Genta!" Rhone roared, and the sponsor squirmed before climbing on the ship quickly.
"Thank you!" Genta exclaimed at Sokka, grimacing with unease once he was aboard the ship.
"Don't make me regret this," said Sokka, with a weak smile, his eyes on Rhone now.
The taller Water Tribesman frowned at his old friend. It was a strange sight for Sokka, namely because those dead eyes, that had showed no expression whatsoever for so long, were alight again with emotions now, emotions Sokka hadn't seen in them since they were six-years-old.
"I can't promise you won't," Rhone said, earnestly. Sokka sighed. "If we meet again… I don't think I'll be a gladiator anymore."
Sokka gritted his teeth, eyeing Rhone warily. The man actually seemed sad to speak those words, even if his tone was coated with uncertainty.
"You've made your choices," Sokka said. "And I'll live with that. I just hope you can live with mine, too."
"Don't get yourself killed trying to save your girlfriend," Rhone said, jerking his head towards the raging battle. Sokka's stomach sank as he stared at it from afar: it pleased him that the smoke seemed weak compared with the powerful flames, but he was worried about Azula all the same.
"S-say… Sokka?"
The Blue Wolf glanced at Genta now, who had approached the edge of the ship. Rhone eyed him warily too, as Genta stretched a hand towards Sokka.
"I… I don't think it will be much use," he said, depositing a small item on Sokka's hand. "But… I think I can return to them even without it. If you give this to the Princess, m-maybe she can… maybe she can tell her father I'm dead. Right?"
Sokka clasped the small item and nodded. Genta breathed deeply.
"Thank you," said Sokka, nodding before untying the ship from the pile and shoving it into the water. "Off you go now! Don't get yourselves into more trouble, dammit, because I won't be able to save your asses again if you do!"
"You're insane, you know that?" Rhone called back. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Why do you keep saving and helping people who've tried to kill you?"
Sokka blinked blankly before smiling. To his surprise, Rhone was smiling too. A soft laugh left Sokka's lips as he raised his head proudly.
"Because that's who I am!" he declared. "And you ought to stop trying to kill people who want to save you!"
"Heh… can't help it. That's who I am," Rhone retorted, sarcastically. But although Sokka smiled proudly at him for a moment, he turned on his heels within instants and rushed away, headed right back towards the battle unfolding at the edge of the crater.
Rhone frowned as he watched Sokka shrink into the distance. He was running back into the arms of the woman who had stolen him from his tribe, the woman who had taken advantage of Sokka's worst flaw: the flaw Rhone had just called him out on.
Sokka had chosen her, and it was apparent now to Rhone that he would continue to do so. There hadn't even been a second of hesitation for Sokka, a moment to consider that maybe he'd be better off escaping along with them. No, he had simply sent them away and returned to her immediately…
There was no turning back for Sokka, just like there wasn't for Rhone. Had Rhone regretted the murder of his parents, perhaps there would have been hope for him. But he regretted none of the deaths he had dealt through his life, and that made him unforgivable in everyone else's eyes, including Sokka's. Perhaps especially Sokka's, seeing as he wanted to avoid killing others for good from now on.
And just so, Sokka had no regrets about joining forces with his Princess. Rhone briefly allowed himself to wonder what the outcome of their allegedly legendary bond would be, if only the Princess was just as marvelous as Sokka had claimed she was. If she actually cherished him as he deserved, if she loved him as he loved her… and the thought only made Rhone clench his fists tighter.
It didn't matter, he realized, if Princess Azula had a heart of gold beneath her merciless exterior. It didn't matter if Sokka was right to believe in her, just as it didn't matter that Rhone was remorseless over his own actions, after hearing his parents discuss their role in Fire Nation raids. He had witnessed their frustration upon not knowing for certain that Katara had been killed, he had been scarred by their lust for vengeance on Sokka's family, despite Sokka had never meant to hurt him…
Rhone had always known that cave-in had been an accident. He knew Sokka was the only reason why he was still alive right now.
And he had every right to begrudge him for saving him.
He watched Sokka shrink with every step he took, as his own ship slid into the currents that would lead them away from these wretched lands. Whatever mistakes they had made in life, they would have to live with their consequences. Whatever decisions they made would be part of them forever. And today, Sokka had decided to turn his back on Rhone, as Rhone readied himself to do the same towards him. Who was right? Who was wrong? It seemed impossible to tell right now, but it would become clear eventually, wouldn't it? Would it do best to defeat the Fire Nation in acts of war… or to change it from within?
Each of them embodied a different principle, even if what had bonded them once would bond them still. But those differences would see them facing each other again one day, and Rhone knew as much. One day their paths would converge once more… and Rhone also knew they would be enemies by the time they did. Chances were their next encounter would be their last.
He was left to gaze after the back of his old friend until he was gone from sight, knowing Sokka had saved him again, yanking him free from the teetering edge between the living and the dead. Again, delaying the ultimate fate Rhone had welcomed years ago. The emptiness inside him remained, and not even the mild rekindling of their friendship could fill that void. Rhone had stared into the darkness, and in it, he had found truths he couldn't shy away from. Truths that had guided his life through all these years, that had led him to this ship, and that were carrying him away to an unknown destiny.
The only conviction left in his life was that he had to destroy the Fire Nation. And with his newfound freedom, he'd seek a better way to do it than by the ineffective, poorly-concocted plans the White Lotus constantly brewed. And if he died in the process…
Well, it would be about time, wouldn't it?
Azula hadn't expected it to be easy to keep the assassin in check, but somehow, she was succeeding. The joint efforts between herself and Xin Long had forced the weakened man on the defensive, constantly attempting to fade into invisibility to no avail, failing to use his rotting fire or his smoke to get away from Azula and her dragon.
The assassin had sought to fight back, especially upon noticing Sokka was guiding the White Lotus agent and his gladiator away, but Azula had succeeded at summoning enough gold fire to block the killer's path. Xin Long's fire, strong as it was, hadn't damaged the killer as much as Azula's gold flames, but whenever the two kinds of blazes burned together, the assassin could only dodge and evade the fire: any attempts to attack the gold fire with his smoke, with the rotting fire, failed every time.
Eventually, Xin Long's stream of fire slowed and stopped, for he was breathless. Azula leapt off the saddle, though, hands raised, ready to unleash gold flames again if the assassin climbed back up to his feet: he had sunk in his frame while shielding himself from their fire, and he still laid on the ground, apparently shivering. Now that the barrage was over, she could see his scorched black clothes were torn in many places, revealing parts of his body to Azula's eyes. She frowned as she took in the decolored and uneven patches of skin, a likely sign of illness she wasn't sure what to make of.
His mask remained in place, though, so she couldn't gaze upon him to confirm that he was afflicted by some sort of disease. Was it a consequence of his rotting fire? Or were both things completely unrelated?
"It seems you've been outdone. For once, if nothing else," Azula said, her voice shaking despite herself. Her blood boiled as it rushed at full speed through her system, her golden eyes gleaming with rage. "Yield now, or face the consequences."
"Allow me…" he said, his sibilant, eerie voice sending chills down her spine. "… A-allow me to finish my mission, Princess Azula… I… I cannot fail him, or else…"
"Oh, so you admit you've been contracted for this job, do you?" Azula asked, with a sardonic smile. "Will you confess who's your contractor, or will I have to beat it out of you?"
"Why… why question me, when you know the answer as it is?" the assassin said.
Azula bared her gritted teeth and released a plum of blue fire through her hand, rage coursing through her wildly. She knew it was her father, of course she did, but that the assassin wouldn't even bother covering up for it was all the more frustrating. He raised his head towards her, lying on the ground still, gazing at her through the slits of his mask.
"Let me… let me finish my assignment," the assassin pleaded. "I cannot return to him empty-handed. If I do, he'll know that I… that I failed. And he will ask why. It will only be best for us both, Princess, if I…"
"Oh, no doubt it would be inconvenient if you told him the truth, just like everything related to this matter is inconvenient," Azula snapped. "But you must realize, assassin, that I didn't try to stop you blindly. I knew what I was doing, and I knew the consequences would be steep. But I cannot say I fear my father's wrath as much as I did when I was a child. Not when I know that what he's done is unacceptable, by every possible standard."
"Even… even though they were White Lotus?" the assassin asked. "The same White Lotus who… who infiltrated the Palace, who have been stealing Fire Nation money to fuel their rebellion… who nearly killed your gladiator. Even then, you would defend them…?"
"One Pai Sho tile isn't enough evidence of their crimes for me," Azula snapped. "A proper trial, based on facts rather than circumstantial evidence, was the only right way to go about this. I wouldn't have stood in the way of my father's wishes if he hadn't entrusted their fulfillment to someone like you."
"Even if it was the only way to protect the Fire Nation for good…?" the assassin said. Azula frowned.
"If that's what he believes, then I certainly need to give him a piece of my mind," she said, shaking her head. "The White Lotus needs to go down, I have no doubts about it, but they will only grow stronger if we attack them as you did. We would encourage them to take revenge, to rebel against our rule… and that would turn them into a larger problem than the one they already posed. And if you can't see that… hopefully my father will."
The assassin lowered his head, silent and uncertain. Azula huffed, her tension decreasing somewhat after speaking with the killer, despite knowing everything he was responsible for. Still… he was no different from other soldiers, she felt. Now that she had spoken with him, he no longer felt so vague and incorporeal… though it also helped that she had discovered her fire could fight his. He was unsettling still, no doubt… but he was no longer something beyond her control.
And he was no longer the one she held responsible for all those deaths, even if they had come by his hand. It didn't matter if this assassin shared her father's convictions, for he might indeed share them: ultimately, the one who had sent him on this mad quest was Fire Lord Ozai, and that meant he was the one to confront over what had happened. It would not be easy, Azula knew as much… but she refused to bow her head towards her father when she knew his actions and commands were mistakes that would cost him dearly if he was caught by the wrong person.
And perhaps this time she was that wrong person. Perhaps this time he had overstepped his limitations and underestimated his daughter entirely. She wouldn't stand by and pretend to be blind to his crimes anymore. She had been his complacent ally for years, but she wouldn't allow that to be her role anymore, not after this.
A sound behind her startled her, but she was immediately relieved upon seeing it was Sokka. He looked unkempt, and it was apparent that he had run to and from the bay's docks to help Rhone and his sponsor escape. But he seemed oblivious to his own state of exhaustion, his blue eyes only latching onto Azula's own. Knowing each other was safe and sound was, as ever, their main priority.
"If you hope…" the assassin said, surprising Azula when he spoke again. "If you hope to change your father's mind… I advise you not to even try. He will not listen to you, Princess, not if… not if you believe he will be convinced to stop chasing the White Lotus…"
"I am no ally of the White Lotus, nor will I ever be," Azula snapped. "But I cannot accept that he would spread chaos and terror throughout the nation to fight them. Throwing the entire nation into disarray seems to be fine by him, as long as it means delivering a powerful blow to the White Lotus, right? Well, I refuse to believe that this rotten fire of yours was the only way to deal with this problem."
"Rotten… fire," the assassin repeated, pushing himself up to a sitting position with difficulty. Azula raised her fingers menacingly, urging Sokka to stand behind her. "It would seem that way to you, I suppose…"
"How do you do it?" Azula hissed.
"How did you find me?" the assassin retorted. Azula frowned heavily. "If you will not answer my question, allow me to return to my task…"
"You'll return to nothing," Azula determined, frowning heavily.
"You can't return to it even if you try," Sokka said, glaring at the assassin. "They're gone now."
"Gone?" the assassin asked, his voice betraying his nervousness now. "You…?"
"They're gone," Sokka repeated, and the assassin sighed.
"Then you have doomed us all," the assassin declared. "He will not take kindly to… to this failure."
"Considering you killed over thirty of them, that merely two would get away is hardly of any consequence," Azula huffed. "You might as well lie to him, tell him you succeeded and that I simply chased you off because I…"
"I will not lie to the Fire Lord," the assassin declared. Azula huffed.
"What an exemplary vassal you are, then," she said, glaring at him skeptically.
"You would do best not to antagonize him, Princess…" said the assassin. "He has paved the way for you to become his heir for years… it would be unwise to make him regret it."
"And it wasn't unwise to send you to commit a string of assassinations, was it?" Azula asked. The assassin lowered his head.
"It would have worked, if…"
"If I hadn't gotten in the way. Something my father clearly counted on," Azula snapped, rolling her eyes. "Well, then, seeing as it's too late for you to achieve your mission and I happen to have much to discuss with my father, I believe it is only proper for us to speak with him at once. Wouldn't you agree?"
"You understand the grave peril that it would entail to…?"
"I understand well enough," Azula growled, interrupting him again. "You needn't worry, feel free to tell on me. I'll gladly own up to sabotaging your mission."
The assassin still seemed apprehensive, but he climbed to his feet all the same. Azula glared at him, noticing he seemed unstable and uneasy.
"You'll fly there, I assume, just as you flew here. However it is that you do that," Azula huffed. "If you change your course, I will hunt you down again and I can't promise I'll be so merciful this time."
"I understand," said the assassin, nodding. "Then… I shall go ahead. I would not do this, normally, but… your actions leave me with no choice but to inform your father of the truth."
"And like I said, I don't mind. If you didn't tell him, I'd do it myself," Azula huffed. "So go ahead, do it on your own terms. I'll follow you to the Palace."
The assassin nodded again before breathing deeply and fading into nothingness again. Azula frowned, staring at the spot he had been standing at… and noticing the glint of a faded shape just where he had stood last. A glint that moved as he went, that wrapped around his cloaked form in such subtle way that it would have been imperceptible to someone who didn't know what to look for. Just as she hadn't, when she had barged into her father's office that day, after sensing the assassin's presence.
She felt it now, though… faded heat, just as the assassin took off. A small speck of smoke, quickly vanishing in thin air. Her resonance allowed her to sense the assassin flying towards the Palace indeed, and she breathed deeply, determined not to lose track of him until after she had spoken to her father.
"Azula…" Sokka called her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Azula breathed out heavily, as though she had just broken out into the surface after being submerged underwater for hours.
"Are you alright?" she asked him, looking at him with concern. She didn't seem to care right now about any potential onlookers, and fortunately there were none, but her hand moved to Sokka's chest in an intimate gesture that she should never have made while they were in plain sight.
Still, Sokka only nodded and clasped her hand in his, kissing her fingers gently before pressing something to her hand. Azula frowned, and her eyes widened when she saw what it was. She gazed at him with questioning eyes.
"Genta, the sponsor… he gave it to me," Sokka said. "If need be, tell your father I did it. Tell him I avenged myself after… after what happened in the Earth Kingdom."
"Sokka, I don't want to tell him anything of the sort, I want to…"
"You want to confront him. Do it," Sokka said, his hands on her shoulders now. "But don't do it at the cost of your own wellbeing. Your father is not a good man, you know it just as well as I do. If he believes he had his way, there's a chance he'll listen to you. If he believes you've betrayed him, which no doubt he will, he might start to treat you like…"
"Like Zuko?" Azula finished, as Sokka's hands tightened gently on her armored shoulders.
"I-if he ever started to act towards you like he did with him, I…"
"You'd do what you'd wanted to do to him back when you first saw him?" Azula asked, with a weak smile. "I'm glad for your protectiveness, if anything. But… I don't think that will happen, for an array of reasons. Maybe what you've done will come in handy. Still, I… I'll meet you at your place later. After I'm done with this."
She turned her head towards the crater, her eyes steeled now as she thought of what lay ahead. Sokka, on the other hand, was riddled with uncertainty.
"You sure? Wouldn't you rather I go with you?" he asked. Azula shook her head.
"I know you think it's dangerous… it probably is," she admitted, looking back at him now, her gaze softening immediately. "But I'll have better luck confronting my father alone. Go home, I'll be with you again in no time."
"You sure?" he asked, hands seeking hers again. "I… goodness, Azula, I just can't trust those two. Your father, that assassin…"
"I know. If worst comes to worst, I'll just run to Xin Long and get as far from them as possible," Azula said, smiling weakly and cupping his face. "I'll be fine. Just… clasp my necklace, like I did with yours. Hold it against you and believe in me. I'll be back with you before you know it."
Sokka gritted his teeth and embraced her tightly, as Azula buried her face in his shoulder. For all his strength, for all his hard work to become an unparalleled warrior, he felt weak now, powerless. Seeing her take off after such a long day, not knowing what awaited her when she confronted her father, was terrifying.
But he had no choice. The Princess and her dragon took off after the assassin before long, and he was left to find his way back home, his throat tight, his fists clenched. He had certainly hated Ozai all along, and he had no shortage of resentment for him… but never before had he feared for Azula's safety to this degree, and it was all her father's fault. For she was loyal to him, even if she meant to confront him… but was he equally loyal to her? Would he feel the need to listen to his daughter, to respect her beliefs and opinions? Or would he simply cut her down for speaking against him?
Azula knew she was being reckless, and she knew her father would make her face dire consequences if she stepped out of line… yet she couldn't hold back. She continued to use her resonance, sensing that the assassin was already in the Palace once she reached it, in the Throne Room, no less. That was where her father would await. That was where she'd confront him. It seemed fitting, somehow, to handle this matter in such an official location.
Xin Long grunted to remind her that he wouldn't hesitate to wreck the Palace to reach her, in case anything went awry. She nodded as she climbed off his saddle, patting his armored snout gently before turning to the Palace building, her brow furrowed, her inner fire flaring in an unpleasant way. With a deep breath, she strode inside and crossed the corridors steadily, hoping not to tremble, hoping not to betray how affected she was by everything that had happened… for her father would latch onto any weaknesses, any displays of vulnerability, to invalidate everything she said. To demean her, to prove she was no good, just as he did with Zuko…
She crossed the curtain without wavering, knowing the steady stride of her heavy footsteps had been heard even as she was storming down the hall. She raised her eyes, finding the curtain of orange fire was threateningly erected between her father and herself… and the assassin was there, too. He knelt to the left, his head hunched, his damaged cloak a message for her father: she had known who this assassin was, but she hadn't held back even so. And now her father knew it.
He was enraged, no doubt, and the flames in the Throne Room betrayed as much. Despite her bravado, Azula did feel slightly daunted: she meant to go toe to toe with her father, but she had never faced his wrath to this extent before.
Silence spread through the room, with only the sparking of fire to fill it. The Princess's eyes did not stray from her father's shadowed form at his throne, and she remained unwilling to take a single step back.
"Crown Princess Azula," Ozai uttered her title with uncharacteristic contempt. Azula didn't waver, even so. "I have only just received a disturbing report about you. I pray it isn't true, child, or else…"
"Or else, what?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows defiantly. Ozai huffed, standing up promptly and surprising her. No doubt, he wasn't used to this kind of insolence.
"I told you to step aside, to not involve yourself in this matter!" Ozai bellowed. "And yet you disobeyed me, and you even obstructed Seethus's mission deliberately! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"What you considered a mission, I considered a threat that I could scarcely measure against the citizens of our Capital," Azula hissed. "For days I've heard of disappearances, of sponsors going missing, of people who seem to have vanished in thin air…! Or, rather, in ashes and smoke. I asked you, point blank, if they were White Lotus, and you did not answer! You meant to keep me in the dark about your so-called mission, because…!"
"Because it was never meant to affect you, curse it!" Ozai exclaimed. "You were never supposed to even know that this…!"
"Then, by all means, scold him!" Azula yelled, pointing at Seethus, who shuddered upon being mentioned again. "If you were so determined not to have me involved, you should have told your pet assassin not to leave any evidence in his trail!"
"It does not excuse your involvement, especially once I told you to step back," Ozai growled. Azula shook her head.
"You have been doing this for years, no doubt," she said. "This is hardly his first mission, is it? You've done this for decades, probably, and I've never heard a word about it, I've never noticed, I've only sensed him sparsely, recently! But this time, somehow, he was so bold as to murder people on the streets, in the middle of the day, no less?"
"The circumstances were different. We were dealing with a massive White Lotus infiltration, an infiltration through the Honorary Citizenship system, most of all!" Ozai bellowed. Azula scoffed.
"And the best way to handle it is by unofficially executing every single one of them?" she asked. "Do tell, how did you find out who they were? What evidence existed of their White Lotus membership? How do I know that this accursed assassin of yours wasn't merely chasing down any fools who had Pai Sho sets at home?"
"Oh, simple, if that were the case your uncle would have been dead a long time ago," Ozai answered sardonically. Azula would have been amused under any other circumstances.
"Father…"
"Seethus undertook a delicate investigation, one that took months of preparation," Ozai growled. "He was thorough. He found their hideout, tracked down each member, made certain of their allegiances, and…!"
"And you just trust his assessment that blindly," said Azula, with a sarcastic grin. "Well, father, I certainly hope you caught only White Lotus members, because if he made any mistakes, if he overstepped his boundaries and killed anyone who was innocent, it means you've been executing your own people over unfounded accusations. You, the Fire Lord! Since when does the most powerful man in the world need to hide anything he does? All my life you've taught me to own up to who I am, to what I do, you told me to take pride in being a monster! And yet you've been hiding secret executions from me, from the entire Fire Nation, for years now? Is it every disappearance in the Fire Nation is his fault, as commanded by you? Did he kill every lowly commoner who lived in Jang Hui village, so that they couldn't spread word of the pollution that destroyed their hometown, by any chance?! Because there's no sign of them, hasn't been for years, so… maybe that's what you did, why not?!"
Ozai's fists were tightened, and Azula thought briefly that he would attack her. If so, she wouldn't have any qualms fighting back. His excuses were falling on deaf ears, and he could see that plainly.
"Tread carefully with the words you speak, Princess Azula," Ozai growled, raising his hand and pointing at her menacingly. She only scoffed.
"The worst part about all this is… I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't. I know what would happen to your rule if the entire city understood the truth behind these assassinations," Azula said, her eyes reflecting her profound disappointment. "But it doesn't change what you did. It doesn't make it any less absurd. You're only giving the White Lotus every right and reason to rebel against you, and yet you still mean to defend your actions?"
"I am giving them every reason to understand that I am not going to play their game any longer," Ozai growled. "The Honorary Citizenship system was a success on many fronts, and a risk in countless others! They've infiltrated all sorts of layers of society, Azula, to the point where there's a spy in my closest circle and…!"
"And you haven't caught them yet" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Ozai's silence spoke for itself. "Convenient, isn't it? That the first White Lotus suspect has yet to be found, but… but you found all these nobodies without a hitch. I suppose you wanted to root out the threat, and yet the worst spy remains at large. What's to stop this spy from summoning more White Lotus agents over time, to replace the ones who were killed, so they may find ways to infiltrate our systems yet again, this time with such caution that we might never discover them?"
"The spy will be daunted by the deaths and disappearances of all their comrades," Ozai growled. "If they make a single mistake, any mistake, I will close in on them and strike them down. That's the message these executions are meant to send!"
"The same message I prevented you from sending when you…" Azula huffed, closing her eyes upon being reminded of the Festivals. Of the parade, of what the homeless people had explained later… She clenched her fist and looked at Ozai in disbelief. "When you didn't execute the homeless people who are now my responsibility. You were ready to strike them down, but now? The man your assassin was killing underground today, he… he matched the description the homeless people gave me, of the man who encouraged them to interrupt the parade. He sent them to you, or he intended to do so, just so you would respond exactly as you have to the White Lotus menace! Just so you would prove to be the violent tyrant they constantly claim you are! So they would be all the more convinced that you have to be taken down! Truly, Father, how can you not see this?!"
"How can you not see that this was the more efficient way to deal with this threat?!" Ozai retorted. "You said it yourself, I am the most powerful man in the world! Why would I have to hold back, to not call for the executions of those who deserve them! Even if the law is against me, I can bend it to my will! The only reason I send Seethus on such missions is because I do not want to cause the panic and unrest you seem so certain I've caused! And yet you know, just as well as I do, that the people will forget about this matter in a week, or a month! You know, just as well as I do, that the White Lotus will be weakened without as many of their spies to rely on, without as many of their thieves through which to steal our gold!
"A Fire Lord's job is to do what needs to be done!" Ozai continued, waving a hand down at his side, causing the curtain of fire to shift with his movement. "And I see no reason to back down and regret my course of action! Whoever tries to unravel the truth will never track down Seethus, they will never know who was behind these deaths, and that is why it will work! Because the unknown generates fear! Uncertainties can make anyone wilt! And I will use that weapon to my favor as many times as I must, whether you approve of it or not!"
Azula glared back at him, but with uncertainty now, too. She doubted things could go as smoothly as her father expected them to… she knew the White Lotus was led by dangerous people, by strategists like Jeong Jeong, capable of outsmarting her. Even if he had purged the White Lotus from the Capital, the White Lotus had already proven to be much larger than thirty people back in the Earth Kingdom. That her father had killed their members would surely only enrage them. It was what had happened when the soldiers had taken Suki's sponsor and the others captive: their imprisonment had resulted in that attack on the Palace years ago. What on earth would they do to avenge their fallen comrades now?
"Truthfully, I… I believed I had raised you better than this," Ozai huffed. Azula scowled. "It almost sounds like you're trying to defend the vermin who nearly took you prisoner and who tried to take over our city. The same vermin who chased you through the Earth Kingdom and attempted to murder your gladiator! What could possibly stay your hand in the face of such a menace?!"
"What stays my hand is what's best for our nation. And for better or worse, our nation spreads far and wide now, further than it ever had before," Azula growled. "That was Sozin's dream, and the dream of every Fire Lord that followed him, including you! But there are consequences to fulfilling that dream, Father, and the White Lotus is one of them! But you cannot expect them to fall to their knees and beg for mercy upon hearing their allies have been killed: would you hand over the Fire Nation to any invaders who slaughtered the full population of one of our islands? You never would! You'd want to teach them a lesson, and the White Lotus is no different! They tried to kill my gladiator because they saw him as the culprit for the imprisonment of their members! They wanted him dead to avenge them! And what that bastard tried to do with the homeless people was to provide the entire world with an excuse to despise you, to frame you as a merciless, paranoid ruler who would butcher his own people if he misunderstood their intent! And now…!"
"I haven't killed innocents. I haven't!" Ozai bellowed.
"Who would believe you?!" Azula cried out, looking at him in disbelief. "What evidence do you have of this, other than the word of an assassin who, as far as anyone outside this room is concerned, doesn't even exist? An assassin who's more akin to a spirit than a real human being? How would you prove to anyone that you've killed Fire Nation and Honorary Citizens for the so-called right reasons, when there was no trial, when there was no due process, even though you could have easily processed them as you have with so many other criminals before them?! You are the law, Father, no one can stop you from doing whatever you please! You know this just as well as I do!"
"Indeed. No one can," Ozai growled, harshly enough that Azula felt as though someone had punched her in the gut. "No one, not the White Lotus, not homeless people, not Fire Nation citizens, not Honorary ones, not Seethus, not you! I am Fire Lord, Azula, and I will be until I draw my last breath! And you… you are overstepping boundaries you aren't allowed to cross, child. I warned you to tread carefully, but you seem to believe you are invulnerable, don't you? That you can still have everything you want, even after speaking to me as you have?!"
"What I believe… is that you will see reason," Azula said, shaking her head. "If not today, one day. Because I… I was raised by you. I was. You made me who I am, and I know this fully well. You raised me into knowing that the dragons' extinction was wrong, into recognizing the mistakes of all my forefathers, into working hard every day towards becoming a better Princess, so that maybe one day I'd be a better leader for this nation than those who've come before us. That, Father, is the legacy I wanted to uphold! The beliefs I still pledge myself to! Not… this! Not mysterious murders and secret plots that have only spread unrest and fear across the entire city! No one understands what's happening, Father, and they are terrified! They have no idea why anyone's being targeted, and they think they're next! If anyone else was causing this terror, Father, you'd be out there seeking whoever's responsible and taking them down at haste! And that's why I acted as I did!"
"And yet you continued to do so even after I explicitly told you not to involve yourself in this matter any further," Ozai snapped. "Truthfully, Princess Azula… I thought you were much more prepared than you are. I misjudged you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Azula grunted. If he dared banish her now, she would challenge it. She would do it. She wasn't afraid of fighting an Agni Kai, if that was what it took, to defend what she believed in…
"You do not truly understand what it means to lead this nation," Ozai said, his voice deep. Azula's eyes widened. "You've idealized it, you've allowed yourself to sink to your throat in a puddle of delusions. Leadership, Azula, isn't all joy and fun. Leadership means making the hard decisions, for good reasons, even if you know no one else will approve of them. But you will make those decisions, because you know you're right…"
"And you still believe you were right about this?" Azula asked. "Seriously?"
"The White Lotus is short of over thirty members now. So yes, I think I was," Ozai said, matter-of-factly. "Considering the kind of life you've led lately… I truly expected better from you."
"The life I've…?" she asked, confused.
Her heart sank, and then her stomach, and then her entire body seemed to crumble down as she felt dizzy, uneasy, shaken up by her father's words. No, he surely didn't mean… he hadn't found out about Sokka. He couldn't have, or else Sokka would already be…
But her eyes shifted quickly towards Seethus. The assassin… she didn't constantly use her resonance, she couldn't know what the bastard had seen over the past two years. Perhaps… perhaps he knew. Perhaps he had informed her father, and Ozai had merely given her the benefit of the doubt, because she was indeed a good daughter, because she had potential for being Fire Lord…
And after this conversation, he was thoroughly convinced otherwise. So now, at last, he'd act on his information, and…
"After all, you have your own secret executioner," Ozai said. Azula's wide eyes met his, fear rushing through her in a terrifying wave.
"I… what?"
"He hasn't killed many for you, but he has proven himself capable of it," Ozai declared. Azula's face was marred by confusion now. "I witnessed his savagery with my own eyes, after all… that is why you requested for that condition for your hand in marriage, isn't it? So that he would rid you of all those who threatened your power? How are you any better than me, Princess, truly?"
"I-I…" Azula froze, her eyes shifting down.
No, Ozai didn't know, then. But…
Did Ozai have a point?
"It seems you hadn't thought of that, then. Unsurprising," Ozai huffed. "It's hardly a betrayal of my people, let alone have I betrayed everything you believe me to be: those Fire Nation and Honorary Citizens who dare join forces with the White Lotus are no more my brethren than the Air Nomads Sozin destroyed. You said the Honorary Citizens had joined us by choice, which meant they had witnessed our greatness… Fire Nation citizens who turn against their nation are the exact opposite of that. And they deserve to face a steep punishment for such a crime. It is, indeed, that simple."
Azula lowered her head, knowing she disagreed fundamentally with what Ozai said… but no longer could she find a way to counter his words. Not when he was at least partially correct in his assessments of her actions. Not when it was true, absolutely true, that Sokka would do gruesome things for her if she only asked.
Still… it was because he loved her and lacked common sense. It wasn't because she would actually ask him to commit a string of murders all through her nation. It wasn't because she meant to turn him into her secret executioner, so he could rid her of anyone who was too inconvenient to be allowed to live on.
Else… else she would have had him kill her father a long time ago, wouldn't she?
For the biggest threat looming in her future was him, no one but him. It was the man who could never know about their relationship, or he might use his power to put a stop to it, to shut down Azula permanently, to sentence her to an unwanted marriage, while Sokka was left to be killed, perhaps by the hands of that Seethus…
And yet… even with that knowledge, even when she was acutely aware of how dangerous her father was for them, she could never imagine herself giving Sokka a command like the one Ozai had given Seethus. She could ask him to fight for her, to win for her… but never to kill for her. Never to kill her father, of all people, just so their survival would be ensured.
Was she a fool for thinking so, especially now, when her father was proving to have as little conscience as he had always claimed to? Perhaps. But she hadn't lied when she had said she had lived by most of what he had raised her to believe… and the main amongst those lessons was to respect and to be loyal to Ozai. It didn't matter how much she might resent him, how she wished to yell that she was nothing like him, that Sokka wasn't like that rotten murderer… she couldn't do it. She simply couldn't push past the barrier that he had built before her, the final barrier that prevented her from breaking completely out of the molds he had raised her in…
"Now, since you seem to be reflecting on these matters…" Ozai said, his rage apparently mildly doused when Azula hadn't retorted. "I do expect you to be of a much sharper mind the next time we speak. If you begin spouting nonsense worthy of your uncle, about how every life ought to be protected…"
"I wouldn't," Azula whispered.
"Good. Because that would certainly be the last straw," Ozai declared. "I raised you to be strong, to overpower the weak, not to spend your days worrying about how to avoid conflicts with those who are seeking out conflicts themselves. The White Lotus is not innocent, Azula, and no one ought to be more aware of this than you. Whoever owes their allegiance to that group is an enemy, on par with the savages from the North Pole who still resist our rule. I shouldn't need to remind you of that."
"You don't," Azula said, shaking her head and taking a step back before gazing up at her father. "I hope… I hope you're right. That the assassinations deterred them, that their hopes to destroy us are now dashed and destroyed beyond repair. If so, my attempt to stop you indeed will have been misguided. If not…"
"If not, what?" said Ozai, sharply. Azula closed her eyes.
"If not, I will have done what I believed was best, just as you did what you believed was best," she said. "Perhaps you'll think I'm not that weak a leader, if it comes to that."
Ozai's eyes narrowed, and he frowned as Azula withdrew something from her pocket. She glared at it sharply before placing it on the floor.
"The only certainty right now is that, whether things work the way we anticipated or not, none of what you've done can be taken back," Azula said, standing upright again. "I will not speak of what I know, you can be certain of that. Nevertheless… I wasn't the first to find these disappearances alarming. And after all that's happened, I know I won't be the last."
"It will go forgotten," Ozai growled. "These people were inconsequential, Azula…"
"Maybe they would have been, if this hadn't happened all at once," she said. "It's a different story now. But… rest assured. I'm done. I… I've had enough as it is."
"Then take your leave, Princess Azula," Ozai said, irritation in his sharp eyes.
Azula bowed her head as respectfully as expected, despite being anything but respectful so far, and she moved to the curtain again. All the while she kept using her resonance, dreading any sneak attacks from either her father or his rotten assassin. None came.
Her fists started shaking as she sped away, back through the same corridors she had used to get here in the first place. Back to Xin Long, and soon enough, back to Sokka. Her chest hurt, and not in the pleasant way it did when she was with him. No, she knew this feeling… but she hadn't associated it with her father before. She had associated it with her mother, instead.
Xin Long seemed shaken up by the argument Azula had with her father, and he showed his concern immediately by rushing to Azula's side even when she was only just entering the refuge. She reached out and slid a trembling hand through his mane, but she shook her head to convey her sense of failure. She should know better than to allow her father to sway her, to turn her world upside down, but it seemed he was right on one account, at least: had she been a better leader, none of his words would have affected her.
Maybe she still had a long way to go, but the more she thought of it, the clearer it became that whatever growth she had to do would be best done anywhere but here.
Ozai had watched his daughter storm off, the rage inside him burning still, even as he knew she was retreating in defeat. All the same, his eyes slid down across the marble floors, towards the small object Azula had deposited on them.
"What is it?" he asked, and Seethus diligently moved to pick it up with his gloved hand.
The assassin frowned as he looked at it. He knew from experience that no White Lotus member would part from their tiles willingly… but the Princess couldn't have come by that man's tile by accident. Was this just a taunt? Had she found a random tile and offered it to her father? If so, when could she have possibly found one, on such short notice?
"Seethus!"
"I-it's a tile, Lord Ozai," he said, showing it to him. "A… a White Lotus tile."
Ozai frowned, glaring at the White Lotus shape with confusion. How…? Had she killed the man after all, when Seethus wasn't paying attention? Had someone else done it? Seethus did say her gladiator was there, so perhaps…
Were his daughter's loyalties still reliable, even if she disagreed completely with what he'd done?
He gritted his teeth and turned on his heels, storming away from the Throne Room, his mind more clouded than it had been in years. He left his secret assassin behind, still holding the White Lotus tile, with no orders left to follow anymore.
Sokka wasn't sure Azula's suggestion would work, but he held the betrothal necklace between his hands, pressing it to his forehead. His elbows rested on his shoulders as he waited, hopelessly, for the sounds of Xin Long landing in the garden. He focused on the sound of his own breathing, even on the feeling of his heartbeat steadily pulsing inside his chest. He had to focus on anything else, on everything else, as he sat on his bedside waiting for her to come back. Waiting for her to come home.
He had rushed to the house, surprising Song when he had showed up in such a hurry. Upon hearing Azula wasn't there yet he hadn't panicked much, since not much time had passed by then… but the minutes had slipped away slowly, too slowly, and his fears were loud and overwhelming. The less thoughts he wanted to have on his mind, the more they arose and ate away at him, demanding that he gave himself to the darkness that threatened to pull him into its grasp.
But she had to be fine. She was dealing with her father, no doubt it was dangerous… but it was Azula, and Ozai couldn't be so stupid as to try to hurt her. She could conjure her gold fire even if Sokka wasn't there: if the assassin tried to hurt her, she would defend herself. Of course she would…
A swooshing sound, and the rise of wind. He jumped to his feet and glanced out the balcony, catching sight only of the dragon's tail, but it was enough. She was back.
He had never run downstairs quite as fast as he had this time, and he stumbled on the very last steps as he turned towards the backdoor. Song was startled by his noise, having been reading one of many medicine books she had bought, but she had heard Xin Long's arrival just as well. She guessed she wouldn't need to worry about Sokka that much anymore.
"Azula…! Az-…" Sokka called her, relief filling her as she dismounted Xin Long and glanced at him.
The disheartened look on her face gave him pause, but only briefly. Azula sighed, though, and rushed in to embrace him, her face buried in his neck again. Sokka gritted his teeth as his arms wrapped around her as well, breathing heavily still as though he had been running in a marathon of sorts.
"I… I couldn't change his mind. I can't change his ways, he's…" Azula said, shaking her head. Sokka huffed.
"He had no defense, no excuses…" he guessed. She snarled as she clutched at his clothes.
"He's as good as proud of what he's done, and he… he actually said I'm the one who needs to grow and change," she said. "That I'm not the leader he thought I was if I…"
"Only because you're better than what he expected you to be, nothing else!" Sokka declared, hugging her tighter. Azula gritted her teeth. "Don't let his bullshit reach you, Azula, you know he's only acting like this because he can't justify what he's done and he knows it. And hell, as far as I can tell, he's scared of you and everything you can achieve. You're…"
"I'm… I'm his biggest threat," Azula laughed against his chest, though her voice sounded choked. It seemed she was on the verge of tears again, as she had been too frequently these days. "Just as he is mine. How did it…? How could things come to this, when even now I can't…? I can't even think about betraying him, about turning my back on him like Zuko did, because I…"
"I know you won't like hearing this…" Sokka said, caressing her back gently. "But you may have to start thinking about it."
"Sokka…"
"I don't want you to antagonize your father any more than you have," he said, cradling her in his arms carefully. "But eventually, you'll have to choose between doing what you know is right, or letting him get away with everything you know is wrong. And if you allow the second thing to happen… the world will be as good as doomed. You're the only one with any chance to…"
"I can't," she gasped, shaking her head as she felt herself weaken in his arms. "I know it's the right thing to do, Sokka, but I…"
"I don't expect you to do anything about him right away, Azula," he said, caressing her hair now. "You don't have to think about any of this right now, but… he's not the Fire Nation, Azula. He never has been. He's a Fire Lord, he's a ruler… and rulers change. Your grandfather wasn't the Fire Nation either and your father… well, he must have done away with him somehow, probably with that assassin, too…"
"I don't know," Azula huffed, pulling away while clasping his arms and shaking her head. "I don't know anything, I just know that I… I don't want to go back there. I don't. Not while that blasted Seethus is lurking, when I can't even… Sokka, I… I hadn't even thought of how much that bastard could've seen, could've heard, how he could've followed me when I wasn't aware of it. He could've seen us, even, for all we know…. I don't even know how long he's worked for my father, and yet…!"
"And yet?" Sokka said, looking at her with concern as she trembled again.
"And yet my father is worse than he could ever be," she whispered, her eyes wide, tears slowly dropping down her cheeks.
Sokka gritted his teeth and embraced her again. Azula wept silently against his chest, needing him to ground her, to help her find her footing, to give her respite and help her put some distance between herself and her sorrows. She knew he was right, and yet she couldn't accept most of his words. Just as she couldn't accept her father's, even the few of those that might have been more accurate than she wanted to admit…
It took some time for Azula to stabilize, but Sokka held her in the backyard, sitting on the ground and keeping her in his arms as she vented. Xin Long wrapped his long body around them, offering his own form of comfort, and seeking some for himself, too. By the time dusk was falling, Azula finally seemed to have calmed down.
"We… we were going to Ty Lee's, weren't we?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Sokka sighed.
"Isn't it too late to drop by over there by now?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Doubtful," she said. "We… we should be fine. I think, anyways… though we probably should eat our own dinner, I doubt she'll have made enough food for us…"
"Alright, then," said Sokka, kissing her brow softly. "We'll go find some dinner. And maybe some mochi for dessert, too…"
"No need to pamper me with that," Azula huffed. Sokka smiled.
"Maybe I'm the one who wants to be pampered today," he said, hugging her tighter.
His words gave her pause, and within seconds she was looking at him with chagrin.
"Y-your… your birthday. Shit. Goodness, why am I so…?"
"Azula, stop," he said, smiling warmly as he took her hands in his own. She huffed and shook her head, her dark hair falling disorderly around her face.
"I'm a mess. You can try to deny it, but I am," she stated. Sokka chuckled, kissing her fingers.
"You're a beautiful mess. Or a hot mess. Or both," he said, smiling. She raised her eyes to meet his own. "Don't sweat it, Azula. It was a lousy day for a lot of reasons, and hey, this way anything we do on my birthday next year will be miles above this year, right?"
"Not like it could possibly be the other way around. A worse birthday than this one would have to be an insurmountable nightmare," Azula sighed, dropping her head on his shoulder. "I'll make it up to you…"
"You don't owe me anything, so you don't have to make up for anything either," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Azula. All I truly want today is to know you're safe, and to stay by your side, so… by all effects, my wishes have been granted."
"I still believe you should be a little more ambitious than that," she smiled sadly, kissing his neck. "But I guess… I guess I can't fulfill any potential ambitions you might have right now either way. So… we'll have to settle for this, sad as it may be."
"We'll be okay," said Sokka, rubbing her back gently. "This will be behind us eventually, Azula…"
"I hope so," she whispered, closing her eyes tightly. "I truly hope so…"
While it was already late, they still took their time to wash thoroughly. Their day had been too hectic and they both needed it. For once, their bathroom escapade wasn't as enthusiastic and fun as usual, for they merely focused on scrubbing each other clean properly, finding some more comfort in cleanliness.
They only lounged in the tub for a short time, embracing and occasionally kissing softly, never going overboard. Sokka knew there were things Azula wasn't telling him, things that plagued her and drove her to stare into space, a somber look in her eyes. He wanted to think it wasn't anything too serious… but it was hard to know for certain when it came to Azula.
They were on their way to the city on Xin Long's back in no time, and Sokka dragged Azula to a noodle shop he had been in once before. He dreaded that elaborating on that story wouldn't help much, but it slipped out of him all the same…
"It's just not too expensive, and I think I need to eat these noodles properly at least once…" Sokka had said while explaining his choice for restaurant as they crossed the building's threshold. Azula raised an eyebrow.
"Eat them properly? What does that mean? Did you gobble them down so fast you puked them all over again…?" she asked, with a small smile. Sokka scowled. "Or did you drop the bowl, and ate them off the floor…?"
"None of that," he huffed, relieved secretly that her humor was coming back despite everything. "Just… I came here once, after doing something crazy. I was so hung up on that crazy thing I'd done that I didn't even pay attention to my food, or to the company…"
Azula raised a questioning eyebrow as the two of them sat at one of the available tables. The plush seats were comfortable, a small pleasure to be found when she was still reeling from today's discoveries…
"What company? And what crazy thing did you do?" she asked, curious. Sokka coughed, blushing a little.
"J-just… kissed someone I shouldn't have. Then went on a date with the wrong person, who brought me here and, uh, I basically spent the entire time grumpily reliving the best kiss of my life until then, and failing to listen to anything she said or to properly savor the food before me…"
To his relief, Azula smiled. He guessed it was a good thing that the memory of their first kiss, and its consequences, was no longer as dark a thought for her as it had been for a long time. The downside to it, of course, was the realization that they'd been through such hardships by now that Azula had put matters into perspective. Their catastrophic falling out from years ago sure seemed a lot less harrowing nowadays…
"You know… I feel bad for her," she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I mean… I sabotaged her chance to be with a handsome, fun and fascinating man, didn't I? And then… then she ended up with my brother, of all things. Talk about a downgrade…"
Sokka snorted as Azula smiled warmly at him. He shook his head, his foot reaching under the table to gently touch hers. It was the only furtive touch they could allow themselves in the establishment: it wasn't too crowded, but it wasn't private either way.
"You sabotaged nothing," said Sokka. "That so-called handsome, fun and fascinating man was making a terrible mistake, and… and he's glad he took it back before it was too late. Because, really… I couldn't imagine ever experiencing as much happiness as I have over the last year. And I'm pretty sure the only reason I did was… well, you know why."
Azula smiled and nodded, her own foot caressing his now. As ever, even if all else failed, they could find solace together.
The noodles proved to be much better this time, or perhaps their quality was the same but Sokka had been too busy fuming to notice how good they were back when Suki had first brought him here. After the rough day they'd had, having some food in their stomachs certainly helped matters a lot. Azula was much livelier too, and she spaced out less often now, though there were still a few moments when she would frown at nothing, her mind certainly full of thoughts of her father and what had happened between them.
Xin Long had been waiting for them in the dimly lit street once they finished their meal, but to Sokka and Azula's surprise, he wasn't alone. Someone was chatting with him, but the dragon wasn't averse to whoever it was, surprisingly…
"… I've heard dragons are wiser than humans, is it true? Because, if so, I have a story idea I'd like to pitch to you. It's about some school kids who…"
"Goodness, here I was wondering who was crazy enough to talk to my dragon," Azula sighed, as she caught sight of the spikey-haired author. "Yang?"
"Ah! Princess! Blue Wolf!" he jumped, looking at them with wide eyes. "I figured you'd be nearby, but I… I wasn't sure! Hi!"
"Hey," said Sokka, with a weak grin. Yang smiled and lifted a paper, showing them a new leaflet for the Gladiator League Chronicles. "Oh? Got something published?"
"I did. What you advised me to," he said, biting his lip as he handed the paper to Azula. "I hope it will help people feel encouraged to return to the Gladiator League, after everything that's happened. Though, uh… can I ask about what else happened with those disappearances? I wanted to continue unraveling the mystery, myself, but…"
"Don't waste your time. It's a dead end," Azula sighed, offering the paper back to Yang, but he shook his head.
"No… keep it," he said, smiling. "My writing is hardly that good, but… I'd like to thank you for inspiring me again. I guess… I guess the two of you always seem to do that for me, somehow."
"We do?" Sokka asked, with a weak grin. "Well… that's good to know, Yang. Thanks."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you both," he said, grinning proudly. "Anyways, I should head home… I was buying some soy sauce, Haiyan asked me to get some."
"Then you shouldn't keep her waiting," Azula nodded. "I'll probably drop by to visit one of these days to make sure everything's going well. Good night, Yang."
"Good night, Princess!" said Yang, bowing his head in her direction before bowing towards Sokka too. "Good night, Blue Wolf!"
"Good night, though you really don't have to bow towards me…" Sokka said, but Yang only snickered before scrambling down the street.
"Well, I guess he's in a good mood, even if we aren't," Azula sighed, shrugging. "Maybe his stories will help the Gladiator Business after all. Hopefully, anyways."
"Only time will tell," Sokka said, patting her shoulder and gesturing at Xin Long's saddle. "Shall we?"
Yang had a perfect view of the dragon as he flew overhead, and he gazed at Xin Long with wonder, a slow smile spreading across his face. It became impossible to distinguish the creature before long in such a dark night, so it would be best not to waste time trying to catch a better glimpse of the dragon's flight. Not to mention, Yang had something important to do right now…
"Took you long enough," Haiyan chided him as Yang rushed through the front door, shrugging out of his shoes. "What happened?"
"I, uh, ran into someone," he said, smiling shyly. "Or someones, as the case may be?"
"That's not a thing, you know? Pluralizing that word…" Haiyan smirked, but Yang seemed to ignore her as he handed her the soy sauce.
"I know, I know, but, well, you know…!" he said, eyes out of orbit. He had barely spared a glance at Haiyan, who sighed upon recognizing Yang's behavior.
"You're inspired. Wait, you said you ran into some people and then got inspired? Goodness, Yang, please don't tell me it was…"
"It was," he said, eyes wide, finally gazing up at her. "I know you think I'm crazy, and no doubt I must be! B-but… there's a story worth telling there, even if it's completely fabricated!"
"Maybe, Yang, but if your great idea for your masterpiece ever reaches the Princess's ears, we're both going to be dead," said Haiyan, with a dry grin. "Or, at least, you will be. Maybe she'd have mercy on me…"
"Well, I'd hope so, you haven't done anything wrong," Yang said, pouting. "No worries, love, I'll take on the blame entirely if anyone finds out, but no one will! I'm only writing this for myself, after all…"
"If that's how it is, can't you wait until after dinner to get back to it?" Haiyan asked. "The others are desperate to eat and…"
"Start without me. I'll be there in a second, I just have to scribble down this little idea and I'll be right there!" Yang exclaimed, leaning in to kiss his wife's cheek.
Haiyan sighed but allowed him to go. She'd fetch him if he wasn't back by the time their housemates had finished half the courses on the table…
Yang pulled out his manuscript, still an early outline of the story he wished to tell nowadays. He smiled as he scribbled his latest idea right below battle couple, seamless teamwork and a forbidden affair. Now he had to fit secretive dating nights into all this…
Yes, he knew he was bound to be making too much of a fuss over nothing. A close relationship didn't need to be a hidden romance, after all…
… Oh, but how fascinating it would be if it were. The thought of wild passion born between the unlikeliest of lovers made his heart race with hopes to write that kind of story. The story about a love affair that could change the course of history, perhaps…? Or was that too much?
He snorted and shook his head before setting down his manuscript again, smiling as he gazed at his current idea for the title. He had considered others, but 'Her Gladiator' seemed fitting, didn't it?
Ty Lee had been surprised by Azula and Sokka's sudden visit, but she had welcomed them as enthusiastically as expected from her. Haru had helped prepare a room for Azula, the only available one, while Ty Lee provided cushions and blankets for Sokka to sleep in the living room.
Naturally, Ty Lee would have had no qualms with Sokka sharing Azula's room, even if the bed was quite small, but Ran was still in the dark about their clandestine relationship, and they all nonverbally agreed that it would be for the best if she continued not to know of it. Haru's mother also seemed startled when Azula and Sokka dropped by at such short notice, but she seemed happy to see them all the same.
By now, everyone had tucked in, including Sokka. He lay amid the cushions, his eyes glued to the ceiling. It was late, and it had been a tiring day, but his racing mind was nowhere near as exhausted as his body, it seemed. Else he should have been able to fall asleep easily, he guessed…
But it had been a whirlwind of a few weeks after all those assassinations. They had figured out who the killer was, stopped him before he could reach Rhone and his sponsor, and Azula had confronted her father and survived… while it wasn't the best-case scenario, it could have been worse.
So why did he feel so distraught? Why was he burdened by the heavy sensation of failure? They had done all they could, and often that wasn't enough… but this time it was painful to have failed. All those lives had gone to waste, just like the lives Sokka had been forced to steal in the Amateur League. Yes, there was a strong chance that those people had despised him, White Lotus members that they were, and that they would scoff at his remorse for their deaths… but that didn't make him feel any less anguished about what had happened.
Ozai had no respect for anything but himself and his own wishes, Sokka thought, as he rolled over to his side and stared at the walls now. It had always been apparent, but it was clearer today, more than ever: if that assassin of his ever failed him, he wouldn't hesitate to strike him down for it, no matter how loyal and faithful the man had been thus far.
Sokka's blood boiled at the thought, quick to compare Ozai with Azula: never had she made him feel his loyalty would go unrewarded. Their conflicts had often been born out of mistrust between them, whether because of misunderstandings or because he truly wasn't loyal to her just yet. But ever since he'd started pouring his heart and soul into what he did, ever since he started taking her quests as seriously as he took his own, she had treated him as an equal, for good. She had given him every opportunity to prove himself to her, and he had botched up a few of them, but succeeded at so many others…
He had never doubted that she would be a better leader for the Fire Nation than her father, but by now he wondered how on earth Ozai couldn't see it, too. Perhaps he could, though… and perhaps that frightened him.
Soft footsteps surprised him, but he didn't move, guessing someone might have headed downstairs for water, or to relieve themselves. He simply closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, hoping to stop despising his lover's father just for a little while…
He failed to concentrate on his self-imposed mission when he heard the muffled footsteps approaching him. He had recognized their rhythm by then, though. A slow smile spread over his lips. If someone was an antidote to dark thoughts, it was her.
"Can't sleep?" he asked, and her loud sigh answered his question immediately, just before she knelt beside him.
"You can't either, I see," she said, as he rolled onto his back and smiled at her.
"I can't say I've been trying that hard," he whispered. "Though… we do need our rest. It's been a nasty few days…"
"I know, and I… I also know I should stay up there, Ran shouldn't know about us and I'm taunting fate by doing this, but I…" she said, swallowing hard and caressing his hair gently. "I just didn't think it was right to spend the night away from you."
"You didn't?" he asked, with a small smile. "Well, it never is, no doubt, but…"
"You keep forgetting it's your birthday, don't you?" she smiled too, and Sokka froze.
"Uh… yeah. I guess I do," he admitted, with a weak grin as she laid down beside him, an arm draped around his waist.
"I can't say I feel like… doing anything too crazy," she said, letting her head rest on his chest. Sokka nodded.
"It's not the right time," he agreed.
"I can't give myself to you properly when I… when I can't seem to stop resonating, to make sure that wretched Seethus isn't near me," she sighed, shaking her head. Sokka grimaced.
"That's his name?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded.
"At least, it's what my father called him," she whispered. Sokka rubbed her back gently.
"We'll be safe here," he said. "They don't know where you are, and I doubt they could track you down easily even if they tried. So just breathe, and if bad thoughts come your way…"
His hand sought hers, guiding it carefully over his abdomen and to his chest. Her breath caught as she realized what he was doing, for it was something she had hoped she wouldn't have to do anymore. But she could feel his heartbeat beneath his skin again, and she closed her eyes as the rhythm soothed her darkest thoughts.
"It sucks hearing that everything will be alright when it's hard to say if it will be, but… I think this time it will be. Somehow," Sokka said, nodding. Azula smiled a little, her fingertips twitching against his chest.
"It's not reassuring at all for you to say that right after you admitted it sucks hearing it in these conditions…" she whispered. Sokka smiled and looked at her warmly.
"I guess I'm just being swept by the few nice things that have happened," he said, stroking her cheek with his knuckles. "Such as… you've managed to make my dreams come true."
"Charming, but I can't see how I've done that when…" she said, smiling awkwardly, but Sokka shook his head.
"You've been so anguished over my birthday, but as usual I guess you forgot… what I'd told you I wanted?" he said, prodding her nose with his. "I wanted to wake up with you, without having to sneak away as soon as I did, or without you having to do the same. And I wanted to spend the whole night with you, without suffering over anyone who might get in the way. Granted, maybe Ran will be an issue anyways, but… even that is more manageable than the usual risks."
"I guess this is the perk of putting distance between myself and my father," Azula said, with a sad smile. "Well, it's… it's not the way I wanted to make it happen, but if this makes you happy, so be it."
"It does. You make me happy," he said, smiling proudly at her. Azula smiled and leaned closer, her head against his shoulder.
"I still plan on making it up to you," she said. "Next year, for sure… you'll have a birthday to remember. I'll plan everything in advance, I'll be ready…"
"Hey, it's a birthday, not a military operation," he laughed. "You don't have to make huge plans for it…"
"Too late. I have enough ideas as it is," she said, shaking her head. Sokka sighed but smiled. "You're not getting away with a simple celebration next year, whether you like it or not."
"Are you going to host a parade in my honor?" he taunted her. Azula smirked.
"Might as well," she said, kissing his lips softly.
"You should commission a theater play about my life, while you're at it," he teased her next.
"Only if they promise to include our raunchy sex life in it," she declared, proudly. Sokka laughed, pressing his forehead to hers.
"And can I have an all-you-can-eat buffet?" he asked next.
"With special meat courses just for you," she said, smiling and prodding his nose with her own. His amusement seemed never-ending. "Well, now, you shouldn't be so surprised. We've been working together for years, I can make a guess or two about how to please you by now…"
"You can, but… you're such an overachiever," he laughed. "I say all I need is you, but your answer is to satisfy any whim I've ever had? Seriously, girl, you don't have to go out of your way for me…"
"Maybe I want to," she said, smiling sadly. "Maybe you're… maybe you're the best thing in my life. The one good thing worth cherishing when I feel so broken…"
"Azula…"
"So yes, I want to pamper you. I want to please you. I want all your whims to come true," she said, kissing his forehead and breathing deeply. "Because the only stability in my life comes from you, Sokka. And I want to cherish you for as long as I may have a chance to."
Sokka sighed and cupped her cheek, kissing her softly at first, though the exchange deepened before long. She presented no opposition, allowing him to explore her mouth thoroughly. He embraced her tightly afterwards, pulling her atop him so he could embrace her comfortably. Azula's hand lingered on his chest, and she sighed as she closed her eyes.
He meant to relax and, hopefully, fall asleep with the Princess in his arms, but before he could do that, a soft tune left her lips. It wasn't the same melody he had heard her singing with Xin Long all those years ago, but it was a beautiful one all the same. His eyes widened at her gentle singing, the fluctuations of her voice betraying her talent for the musical arts. Sokka smiled soon enough and dropped his head back as he listened intently, basking in the song she had finally decided to sing for him.
Darkness had spread in Azula's life again, and once more, his heartbeat, his life, his very existence proved to be the light she needed to guide her through the shadows. Perhaps the fortuneteller's predictions had been true in roundabout ways… perhaps the last one was so vague that she shouldn't take it seriously. But right here and now, as she relinquished her pride by singing for the man she loved, she felt safer than she knew she ever would in the Palace. Had their venue been any different, the feeling wouldn't fade away. For her home was no longer comprised by walls and a roof: her home had the most beautiful blue eyes and a disarming smile that never failed to make her feel welcome. That never failed to convince her, although no one could know if it would indeed be the case, that one way or another, everything was going to be alright as long as they remained by each other's side.