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...

170. Chapter 170: Gladiator Brawl 5

The healing session was interrupted halfway through when the airship landed. The healer was startled by the sudden bump against the ground, enough to release a small gasp. But before he could focus again, the Blue Wolf had stood up.

"Oh, we're not finished yet, though…" he said, but Sokka shook his head.

"You can stop now, we've already landed. Thanks for your work so far" he told him, before making his way out of the small room. The healer only grimaced, watching the gladiator leave with uncertainty.

The gladiator opened the door, startled to find his sponsor had lifted her hand to do the same from outside of the room. She dropped hers immediately, though, and gazed at him with concerned eyes.

"You're not fully treated yet, are you?" she asked. He shook his head "Maybe you should…"

"Isn't it better to get Song's help?" he said "Not that this healer isn't good, but we probably shouldn't stay on these airships for too long, should we?"

"I guess not" said Azula, sighing "Either way, I summoned Xin Long. He's already waiting for us"

"Huh… Why didn't you get him to take us to the Agrarian Zone earlier?" Sokka asked, frowning a little "You probably could have, if you…"

"I could have" she admitted, leading him down the corridors "But whatever reasoning I had earlier doesn't apply right now. You may not be in the worst possible shape, but I want Song to have a look at you as soon as possible"

Sokka nodded, agreeing despite his curiosity wasn't sated. She hated the train system, always had… why would she have chosen to take it without much complaint when Xin Long had only been a call away?

He should have asked outright, but he held back. Where it was always easy to talk to Azula, it wasn't right now. He didn't know what to say, how to open up to her, for he wasn't sure he wanted to know what she thought of him now. It wasn't the first time she had seen his darkest side, but it had been dormant, as good as absent, for around two years now. Was she afraid of him? Of what he could become? He wouldn't blame her if that was the case, regardless of Zhao's words…

Sokka stopped on his tracks once they had climbed out of the airship, glancing at the other gladiators and sponsors uneasily: he couldn't see Renzhi anywhere, though. His stomach clenched, feeling sick upon fearing everyone's reassurances might have been misplaced. Renzhi might have been in worse shape than they believed…

"I can ask for an update on the Millennium Dragon's status, Sokka" Azula said, turning to look at him once she noticed he wasn't following her anymore "If not from Aonu, from the League itself. You don't have to go see him right now"

"I shouldn't, should I?" Sokka asked, with a sad smile "I… I really shouldn't, after what I did…"

"Sokka…" Azula sighed, looking at him earnestly "Xin Long is here. Let's go"

He sighed but nodded, stepping towards her. Azula steered him away from the airships, guiding him by the arm, and to where the dragon waited, watching them with confusion.

"Sokka?"

The call surprised them, and it gave the gladiator pause. He turned on his heels, to find the Sentinel Knight, Ruan, with a young woman standing behind him. She seemed apprehensive, but Ruan didn't seem to share her concerns. He nodded in Sokka's direction, acknowledging him weakly.

"I made it too" said Ruan "Because … because of our alliance, truthfully. I figured, well… that I should thank you for that"

"You don't have to" said Sokka, lowering his gaze.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you more" Ruan acknowledged "But… well, if you ever need an ally for anything, you know where to find one"

Sokka swallowed hard and nodded, meeting his eyes at last. Ruan was solemn, his stance firm, evidencing he meant every word he'd just spoken. Even if he'd seen Sokka fight so ruthlessly, he still respected him enough to offer an alliance for longer than just one gladiator battle.

The woman behind him was shy, with clear eyes that betrayed intelligence. She seemed perplexed, but she didn't interfere in their conversation: Sokka guessed Azula seemed equally puzzled behind him.

"Thank you. Good luck with your next fights" said Sokka, nodding again "I'll see you around, maybe"

"Maybe" said Ruan, smiling weakly "Goodbye, Sokka"

"Goodbye, Ruan" Sokka said, before turning towards the Princess. He found her already sitting on her dragon's saddle, watching him intently with unreadable eyes.

Sokka climbed behind her, trying to ignore the gazes of the gladiator and his sponsor, who watched them reverently from the ground. Azula nodded towards them in acknowledgement, surprising the young woman, before Xin Long dashed into the sky.

Azula was silent at first, perhaps curious about the Sentinel Knight, but she didn't bring up the subject: instead she took to chatting with the dragon during the trip, scolding him for having terrorized the wooly pigs flock of one of the farms in the Agrarian Zone while they were in Gladiator Brawl. Sokka merely rested silently behind her, eyes closed as he wondered if they should talk now that they were airborne, far removed from prying eyes and ears. Azula hadn't turned to look at him yet, and his chest ached in an unpleasant way because of it. There was much they had to address, but there was one thing he wanted to ask, before it slipped his mind…

"Why, then?" he said. She stiffened upon hearing his voice "If there was a reason at all, I mean… maybe there wasn't one. But still… you would have been more comfortable traveling with Xin Long, always are. Why didn't you ask him to bring us here instead of using the trains?"

"Well… there were a few reasons, I guess" Azula said, shrugging "He was having fun chasing animals as he pleased, and I figured he wouldn't appreciate being interrupted. But, well… by now I'm used to walking through cities with you, just because we can. Granted, it's not the way you want it to be, as we weren't going to hold hands, but… it's still something. Right?"

"Of course" he said, his chest tightening now. Her words shouldn't have stirred his feelings so much, but he guessed his emotions were all over the place after what had happened earlier.

"Besides… how could I miss out on you recounting for the millionth time how you saved me from landing on my face when I first rode that wretched thing?" Azula smiled, glancing back at him. Sokka couldn't help but grin slightly "You're far too entertained by watching me struggle with life amidst peasants, I know you are…"

"Just as it entertains you to watch me mess up when I'm amidst nobles and the high-class?" he said, raising his eyebrows. Her smile widened.

"See, how could I deprive you from your pleasures when you've always been so much fun to watch, fumbling with how to eat in a decent way?"

He smiled too, eyes closed, his tension receding even before he felt her fingertips grazing his knee, to offer a gentle caress to his leg. His hand shifted towards hers, lacing their fingers gently as he sighed in relief. She had every reason to be apprehensive, every reason to push him away, but she hadn't. Not in the Arena, not now either. Surely, all she wanted was to help him feel better. Knowing she would stand by him regardless of how horrifying his demons could be was already helping more than everything Zhao had said earlier. Because, of all things, the thought that terrified him the most was losing her.

"I'll get Song once we land" Azula said, her thumb stroking his fingers gently "You should stay put until I find her, who knows where she'll be in that huge Palace…"

"I can go with you to look for her…" Sokka said. Azula shook her head.

"As much as your injuries aren't too severe, it's better if you don't overexert yourself more than you already have. It was a difficult day" she said. He sighed and nodded, silently acknowledging that there was merit to the idea.

Xin Long touched down carefully in the Palace's gardens, and Azula climbed off his saddle in a swift leap. She didn't take off right away, though, staying beside the dragon until Sokka was standing on solid ground too. Only by then did she smile reassuringly before taking off to find Song, as promised.

Sokka watched her walk away, his chest aching as he wished not to leave her side, not even for a brief moment. He usually hated being away from her, but right now her presence was deeply comforting. Knowing that his display hadn't scared her away, that it hadn't daunted her into withdrawing her affections, had been a profound relief, one he wasn't sure he deserved… and yet loneliness stung away at him when she left, paining him despite he had wanted nothing but to be alone barely an hour earlier.

A soft, wet feeling by his elbow brought him to frown and stare at Xin Long in confusion: the dragon had pressed his snout to Sokka's shoulder, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Uh… I've been set on fire enough for one day, if that's okay with you" said Sokka, but Xin Long shook his head before pressing it to his chest "Woah… okay. Thanks, bud. It's been a lousy day, yeah, but it's good to know I have friends like you"

Xin Long was very excited to hear such words, it seemed, for his reaction was to lick Sokka's face without a second thought. Sokka staggered back, looking at the dragon in disbelief.

"Hey! T-there's no need to…!"

Had he merely shrugged it off, surely the dragon would have been bored and decided to pick another pastime for now. But as Sokka seemed so flustered, Xin Long was determined to keep it up: he lunged forward and licked Sokka's face again, and again after he dodged, and once more after he gave up and glared at him.

"Are you doing this because she didn't kiss me at all on our way here?" he asked. Xin Long wiggled his eyebrows and nodded gently "I should've known"

Understanding the dragon's apparent motive was enough for Sokka to stop resisting, but not for him to feel any less awkward about what was happening. By the time Song and Azula had finally returned, Xin Long had already licked Sokka's face all over and now rested with his chin atop Sokka's head. The gladiator rolled his eyes but smiled a little at Azula's dumbfounded expression.

"Does dragon drool have healing properties?" she asked Xin Long.

The dragon shrugged, evidently pleased with himself as he rested with his front paws on Sokka's shoulders, his head still set atop of Sokka's. Azula raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Didn't think so either. Now, be so kind and let Sokka go? He needs to be inspected for injuries you can't heal by licking him"

Xin Long snickered as he released Sokka from his hold, eyeing Azula with malice as he let her know that, if wounds could be healed that way, there was no doubt she would have already gotten Sokka into perfect shape. Azula glared at him before messing his mane, something Xin Long naturally found hilarious rather than threatening.

"You are more incorrigible than him, and that's saying something" Azula huffed "Now, run along, don't chase cattle, be a good dragon and all that…"

Xin Long happily told his rider that he had no intentions of behaving nicely before shooting off into the sky. Despite his rebelliousness, Azula smiled and shook her head.

"Wretched dragon…" she said, before turning to Sokka and Song "Well, then… should we head inside now?"

"Sure" said Song, smiling a little as she stared at Sokka's bruised and burned body "Looks like you got yourself into a firebending scuffle again?"

"Yeah, well… I didn't have much choice on the matter" Sokka sighed.

"The Princess said you've already been tended to, though, if only a little" said Song, nodding "That's good news. Though… well, the actual bad news is you'll need another haircut"

"Heh… it got burned again, huh? It did smell like it…" he grimaced "Well, it was getting kind of long anyhow."

Azula had considered leaving Sokka alone with Song, uncertain if he would welcome her presence, but she decided to stay in the simple sitting room Song brought Sokka to. Sokka seemed a little more balanced after their flight, so Azula hoped she wouldn't have to keep her distance the way she had on the airship.

"Well, that's that with your injuries" Song announced after half an hour, sighing as she applied the last bandages over his skin "There's a lot of burned skin, so I'll have to change your bandages often, just so you know…"

"That's okay" said Sokka, nodding. Song breathed deeply and looked at the top of his head.

"And now, I guess…" she said, biting her lower lip as she eyed his hair "Well, maybe you'd like to do it instead, Princess?"

"What, me?" Azula said, eyes wide. Sokka raised an eyebrow "Uh, I'd rather not. I've never cut anyone's hair, and if I mess it up I'll never hear the end of it…"

Sokka couldn't help but smile, glancing at Azula with amusement. She stared at him matter-of-factly.

"With all the care you put into your hair, I'm not going to take responsibility for a bad haircut" she determined. He chuckled softly.

"That's very thoughtful of you" he smiled before nodding towards Song and loosening his hair. The healer smiled as well and picked up the scissors she kept in her medical kit.

Sokka closed his eyes as Song dealt with the haircut. Azula watched the process intently, wondering if she might be able to do it the next time Sokka needed a haircut, if she learned enough from watching Song doing it this time around. Nevertheless, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it, even if she learned how: she rather liked running her hands through his hair, and she found it far more enjoyable the longer it was.

"Well, I think that's it" Song said finally, biting her lip and lifting Sokka's head gently to look at him "Doesn't look uneven, does it?"

"No" Azula said, nodding "You did a good job"

Song smiled and stepped back to gather her medical utensils now. Sokka closed his eyes and remained where he was, the smooth couch as good as inviting him to rest on it for the rest of the day. A hand caressed his hair tenderly moments later, and even before opening his eyes he knew Azula had approached him, with a reassuring smile.

"Yes, you're still looking unfairly handsome. Maybe I should give you a bad haircut after all, make you look less appealing instead…"

"Why on earth would I want to be less appealing?" he chuckled. She grinned too, stroking his cheek now.

"Because that way I won't be tempted to do stupid things I shouldn't do to you at the wrong moments, naturally" she said, her fingertips trailing over his warm skin gently. Her touch was welcome, even though she withdrew it when Song spoke again.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask" said Song, smiling "You'll probably find me in the kitchens with my mother if you look for me"

"Thanks" said Azula, smiling and nodding. Song glanced between them and bowed her head gracefully before stepping out of the room.

She glanced over her shoulder at them, curious over whatever had happened at the Gladiator Brawl, but not curious enough to ask either Sokka or Azula about it. As ever, it seemed she would be intruding in something that wasn't her business: something heavy hung between the gladiator and the Princess, and Song suspected they needed to talk things through rather than sharing them with anyone else. So she merely closed the door, offering them one last grin before offering them the privacy they needed.

Azula moved to sit beside Sokka only after Song had left. The Princess breathed deeply and took her seat in silence, with Sokka slouching against the backrest beside her. He glanced at her over the corner of his eye, hesitating to begin their conversation himself: he was aware that they wouldn't have the argument he had braced himself for, back when she had been angry over his request to be knocked out by Combustion Man. She didn't look angry at all anymore, though. She looked deeply troubled, instead.

"Well, I guess you already expected that we'd need to talk about several things" said Azula, swallowing hard "But I think it will be for the best if I start, if you don't mind"

"You sure?" Sokka asked, his voice small. Azula nodded with determination.

"Something a bit absurd happened after you went for your medical check" Azula said, closing her eyes "I had a chat with Zhao…"

"I did, too" Sokka said. Azula nodded.

"I'm aware" she said, eyeing Sokka matter-of-factly "I wasn't too pleased for it at first, but I guess he may have had better things to say to you than what I could have said myself… but that's beside the point right now anyways"

"It is?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Thing is, Zhao said a few things that… that I was surprised by" Azula admitted "One of them being that he had underestimated you, and that you were a much better fighter than he believed"

"Yeah, he said that to me too" Sokka nodded.

"But on top of admitting he had misjudged you… he outright said you might be the best non-bender in the League" Azula said. Sokka frowned, looking at her in confused surprise "He said Toph might be the best earthbender too, and… I guess that seeing Combustion Man was kept in check by Toph, and then outdone by you, has brought Zhao to consider both you and Toph as worthy rivals for his gladiator"

"Uh… okay" said Sokka, swallowing hard "I guess that's a good surprise, right? I mean… I didn't think he'd ever acknowledge us as competition at all, but if he is… isn't this what you wanted?"

"I guess it is" Azula said, but her tone gave away that she wasn't as convinced of it as she ought to have been "That's not really the problem, though… turns out that Iroh was eavesdropping on our conversation, and once Zhao left, he approached me with, well, a long-term challenge, so to speak…"

"A long-term challenge?" Sokka repeated "How does that work?"

"In short, he wants us both to ascertain that Zhao is right to say our gladiators are the best at their respective disciplines" Azula said, running a hand over her hair "So, he believes we should defeat every non-bender above us, while he and Toph defeat every earthbender above them…"

"That's… huh?" said Sokka, eyes wide now "I mean, I guess that could prove we're really better than the others, but that's not going to give us enough points to outdo whoever's the highest non-bender in the ranking…"

"Iroh doesn't seem to believe points matter that much" said Azula, shrugging "Either way, it's not like this challenge is going to boost us officially or anything. It has more to do with the battles between sponsors outside the ranking, if anything"

"I guess that makes sense" said Sokka "Still, what is his goal? I mean, does he want to see which one of us can beat everyone above them faster? Because, uh… we'd have a huge advantage over them, if that's how it is. I'm pretty sure there are more earthbenders than non-benders at the top of the League…"

"There are, but that's not really his purpose" Azula said "Indeed, I imagine we'll finish our share of the challenge far sooner than he and Toph could, but… what he wants is for you and Toph to fight each other again once you've successfully proven to be the best non-bender and earthbender, respectively"

"Oh. That's… not a comforting thought" Sokka said, eyes wide again. Azula nodded.

"And the reason he's after that is… he wants the winner between the two of you to challenge Combustion Man afterwards. You know, as though to prove who's the ultimate gladiator in the Superior League, or so…"

"Really, now?" said Sokka, blinking blankly "And you… you agreed to it?"

"I may have, but that doesn't mean I'm particularly inclined to oblige him" Azula sighed "Not after what happened today, at any rate. I did want you to know as soon as possible, else I might forget to tell you and then you might think I was hiding it from you, which…"

"It's okay. You don't need to explain that much" said Sokka, with a sad grin.

"Truthfully, I… I guess Iroh's big challenge feels like a turning point" Azula said, swallowing hard "We're so close to the top hundred, and after today we're closer than ever, too. But… after what happened, I'm a little…"

"I'm sorry" Sokka said, but Azula shook her head promptly.

"Don't" she said "You're not the one who should apologize today"

"But I'm the one who nearly killed Renzhi" Sokka said, gritting his teeth "I'm the one who… who went wild, without realizing what I was doing. Why would anyone else have to apologize after what I did?"

"Because you didn't do that unprompted" Azula said, shaking her head again "You didn't simply try to kill Renzhi out of your own free will, and you know that just as well as I do"

"I could have held back" said Sokka, gritting his teeth "I guess I might have lost if I had, but… I could have still held back"

"And that's exactly why you didn't" said Azula, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips "You could have, but… you thought there was no other choice, didn't you? Unless you won, unless you defeated him, Aonu would never give up. And if that had been the case, we would have spent the rest of our lives running away from him and Renzhi. The other alternative, of course, was to lose and… and if he had defeated you, you would have had to stand back and let him marry me"

Sokka tensed up all over again upon hearing those words, his hand balled into a fist. Azula eyed him with doubt, as though she were terrified of uttering the question she wanted to ask him…

"Tell me…" Azula whispered softly "Would you… w-would you rather die than see me marrying someone else?"

"No" Sokka answered, promptly. She breathed in, relieved, but his next words put an end to that feeling immediately "If I died, you might still be forced to marry someone you didn't want, so… my death would be in vain. What would even be the point?"

"Sokka…"

"I know, Azula. I understand, even if you haven't said it yet" he sighed "This is not what you wanted. You never… you never asked me to kill someone for you. You've never expected anything like that from me, and you certainly didn't expect it to happen today. You don't want me to kill others, not any more than I do. But… I can't just sit by and watch someone else ruin your life, derail it for their ends, just because they can. Even if it takes all my strength, I… you hired me as your gladiator so I could help you achieve your dreams, didn't you? You want to be acknowledged, you want to change the world, and you've achieved both things on great measure so far. How would I be fulfilling my job if… if I allowed someone like Aonu or Kuan or anyone to just ruin everything you've worked for?"

"I can understand that's how you feel, Sokka" Azula said, shifting on the couch to face him. He remained with his body angled forward, unwilling to meet her gaze just now "But I never wanted to push you to these extremes. I… I know how averse you are to murder, I watched you kill someone ages ago and… and what you said to me, when we met again in Hui Yi? To this day, it… it rings true to me. You said you'd spilled enough blood that day, well, as far as I can tell you've spilled enough blood for a lifetime. Haven't you?"

"I… I guess" Sokka said, eyeing her with uncertainty.

"I can't have you die on me" Azula said, lowering her gaze "But… Piandao warned me not to push you into becoming something you weren't. And while that wasn't my intent today, or ever, I… I have pushed you there all the same. Because, once you became capable of killing for my sake…"

"Azula, no" said Sokka, finally turning towards her. His blue eyes gleamed with honesty "I started killing before you knew me, if that's what you're so worried about. The first person I killed, it was a soldier from the southern settlement. I have no idea if I ever told you that, but I… I did that, yeah. And that was before I knew you, s-so I've been a killer for a long time now. That's just the way it is"

"It's not the same" she said, shaking her head again "You did that to protect your people from war…"

"Just as I'd do it now, to protect you" Sokka said, frowning a little.

"From marriage? It's… it's hardly equivalent" said Azula, looking at him hopelessly "I didn't want to marry Aonu, but… I don't want you to be destroyed in the process of ridding me of people like him. If that's the price to pay for my freedom, I… I don't think I want it as much as I thought I did. Because, on top of it all, I just feel like… like he was right"

"Who?" Sokka asked, as Azula averted her gaze from him, ashamed of her thoughts and words, yet speaking them all the same.

"My father"

"Woah, your… your father?" Sokka asked, eyes wide "What do you mean, he was right? Azula…"

"I… I didn't tell you all he'd told me that day, when I confronted him" she said "At one point, he as good as said I was a hypocrite, because I… I had my own executioner. I had someone who dirtied his hands for me when my own were tied. Obviously, he meant you. And obviously, he meant… this. I mean, clearly killing people freely, in an attempt to purge the city of White Lotus agents, is far worse, objectively, than having you fight gladiators to help me avoid marriage, but… but that difference can vanish if I push you, whether intentionally or not, towards killing gladiators or sponsors or what have you, just to get rid of my suitors. At least my father can use the excuse of doing what's best for the Fire Nation, while I…"

"You're doing it too, and in your case it's no excuse" Sokka growled, frowning "The wrong husband could outright destroy all your work to bring the Fire Nation into a better path, everyone knows that"

"Even so…" said Azula, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Sokka breathed deeply and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you don't like Zhao much, and honestly I can't blame you for it" he said "Just today, when he approached me, I was tempted to storm away from him, but… I'm glad I didn't. Because he said a few things that I… that maybe I needed to hear, and that maybe I'm only starting to understand now"

"What are you talking about?" Azula said. Sokka closed his eyes.

"This side of myself, the madman who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, be it protecting others or himself… it's not something I can will away if I wish it" Sokka said "It's not something I can do without. In the end, it's not really a madman, it's not some other side of myself hidden inside me: it is me. And yes, it's a horrible side of me, but it's… it's part of me all the same. Yes, I'm a murderer. Did I want to be one? No, but that doesn't mean I can avert the truth just because of that. I've killed men, so many men who didn't deserve to die, and I'll never forgive myself for it… but that's part of me, too"

"Sokka…" Azula said, her chest paining her as she gazed at Sokka in disbelief. He swallowed hard.

"I hate myself for all those deaths and I always will" he said "There's nothing anyone can do to change that. If I ever killed anyone else, I'd hate myself for that too. But… I don't think either thing will destroy me anymore. Not… not more than it already has"

"What happened today said otherwise" Azula frowned "I mean… I'm not saying you shouldn't have been shaken up, I would have been all the more horrified if you hadn't been, but… you don't have to pretend you're okay if you're not, Sokka. Not with me"

"I have to learn how to be" he concluded, shaking his head "Because this isn't new. This isn't… it's not your fault. I just… I've been so happy to pretend this side of myself is gone, for so damn long, and yet it always surfaced in small ways, small enough that I wouldn't notice it was the same damn thing that led me to kill all those gladiators. The same thing that nearly led me to kill Jet was the same thing that surfaced whenever Rhone threatened you…"

"But you didn't" Azula said, swallowing hard "As much as that's little relief… you didn't kill them. And you didn't kill Renzhi today either…"

"One day I might have to do it again, though" said Sokka, closing his eyes "I mean… I can't know for sure. But if I ever run into a bigger obstacle, if things ever do reach a point where I can only kill to save you, I… I won't hesitate, Azula. And I know, that may make me a monster, but if it does…"

"If it does…" said Azula, a hand reaching for the one he'd placed on her shoulder. Sokka thought she was going to push him away, but she merely squeezed his hand with her own "Then I guess we'll be monsters together"

"You're not…"

"I've wanted to help you, Sokka. To give you a chance to have a better life than you did before" she said, clenching her jaw "But I… I guess I've failed in many ways, and it should've been obvious since ages ago. I haven't saved you from having to kill people, not when I threw you into another Gladiator League upon finding you…"

"You saved me from having no choice but to kill them. And that's just one thing you've saved me from" said Sokka "Azula, you're not a monster. You've never been one, you're…"

"If that's how it is, neither are you" she said, her chest tight "Because… your heart is much better than mine. You're… you're a good man, the best I know, and… if you're a monster, everyone else is. Especially me"

"Curses…" he said, shaking his head and sighing "Then maybe none of us are monsters and this is just how messed up human beings can be. How about that?"

"I suppose that's… more acceptable" Azula said, though she didn't seem particularly pleased either way.

"I know you blame yourself for most the strife I've been through, and I know you'll do it regardless of what I think of that" Sokka said "But… you've made me the happiest I've ever been. You've saved me in ways you probably don't understand, you've saved me from myself when I was at my lowest points, and… and you're trying to do it again now, too. The only reason this side of myself has been kept at bay, the reason why it hasn't resurfaced and brought me to do worse to my enemies than I did today… is because of you. I had nothing good to live for back in the Amateur League, but I do now. You've been motivating me for years now, Azula, giving me hope when I had lost it all. And I can understand if this side of myself is terrifying, if it's unsightly, if you want it gone… because it terrifies me too. But if I could do away with it… I don't think I would. I guess that's… that's the worst part of it all, huh? Are you… are you still sure I'm that good a man?"

"You only want to keep this side of yourself because this way you can protect others better, right?" Azula asked, sighing. Sokka grimaced "Or so you think. Well… maybe that's the case, I don't know anymore. But… is this what Zhao wanted you to do? To accept this is part of you?"

"Yeah… just as he accepted it about himself" Sokka said, sighing "I'm capable of terrible things, Azula. That's the truth of it. But… I don't want to do them, not unless I have no choice. And I know you feel it's your fault, that you shouldn't have pushed me so hard that I'd kill or die for you, but… it's not you who pushed me into that. Had you ever ordered me to kill others, back in the day, I probably wouldn't have ever grown to love you as I do…"

"And I guess that's the problem, isn't it?" Azula said, with a sad smile. Sokka frowned.

"What…?"

"Love" she said. Sokka sighed.

"Okay, I guess we really do need to return to the subject of your father. I don't know how many times I'll have to tell you that he's wrong to believe love is a waste, but…"

"No, Sokka" Azula said, shaking her head "This time, it's… it's not my father's skewed, shallow interpretation of love what I'm talking about. This time I'm talking about… about actual love. The real risks that come with it, rather than the nonsense people always talk about so vaguely…"

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you heard the wretched phrase that 'love is pain'?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "For a long time I thought that was nonsense. Then I thought it made sense for people like Ty Lee, who were always heartbroken by whichever fool had hurt them. Later, when I fell in love with you, I guessed it was true because we couldn't be together and… and not being with you was devastating, even if in a subtle way. But when we were together properly, when our relationship truly began, I… I thought my first impression was right, all over again. Because… it felt so right, it felt amazing. Loving you was… it was better than anything I'd ever experienced. I felt fulfilled, and… and I still do, in countless ways. So how could love be pain? I didn't understand… until the pain finally arrived, and the illusion broke, somewhat"

"You mean… our fights?" Sokka asked, uncertain "Or…?"

"Our fights by then were over small problems, petty things" Azula said, shaking her head "They were utterly meaningless, compared with… with the fear of losing you"

Sokka gritted his teeth. Azula's hands clasped brought his to rest on her lap as he started to understand the direction their conversation had taken now.

"I thought you might die in the Slate, and it was terrifying" Azula said "Then, when I found you in the Northern Air Temple, I was so mad until I… until I saw how pale, how cold you were. Whatever reason I had to be angry, it vanished in the face of seeing you in such terrible shape. And then, in the forest, when Jeong Jeong tried to…"

"Azula…" Sokka said, reaching up to cup her cheek in one hand. She gritted her teeth and turned her face into his touch, relishing in it despite the bandages that were wrapped across his hand and fingers.

"In short, I… I have been the happiest I've ever been, but also the most vulnerable, the most fragile. And every single time it looks like I might lose you…" she said, gritting her teeth "Every time it happens I feel like dropping everything, like forsaking all that I thought was important, because nothing matters more than keeping you safe. Which… makes things awful, considering your job requires you to be on the line of fire all the damn time. And I know why we're doing this, but the more these things happen, the more my convictions waver. Because… how is any of this worth it, if it will put you in such danger? How, if… if your death would render everything else meaningless? The true pain in a love like ours is… is in losing each other. And that's what has brought both of us here, Sokka. You know it just as well as I do"

He closed his eyes, leaning closer to her and pressing his forehead to hers. She was right, there was no point in denying it: his fear of losing her had driven him to his violent reaction earlier today, just as Azula's fear of losing him tempted her to discard everything else about her life just to protect him.

"But we can't…" said Sokka, gritting his teeth "I can't let you do that. I mean… you have a dream, Azula. Maybe it's changed over time, but… you're supposed to be the greatest leader the Fire Nation has seen. And…"

"And I can't discard that, can I?" Azula asked, with a sad grin "I'm sorry, but… we're both ready to give up everything else for each other. You've already proven you'd die just to remain loyal to me , and… and today you might have killed for me, if you had seen no other way out of that mess. I'm not saying loving each other is a mistake because of this, of course it's not, but… I guess this is what we haven't been able to balance properly yet. We even each other out in every regard except for this. Because the more our love grows, the more willing we are to hold each other as our top priority, and… and I honestly have no idea how to fix that problem. Because, really… I can't imagine myself choosing anything else over you. I…"

"You'll have to" Sokka said, gritting his teeth and shaking his head "Azula, you matter more in the grand scale of things than I could ever…"

"Don't say that" Azula shook her head.

"It's true, though. You're the Fire Nation Princess…"

"And you're as good as the Southern Water Tribe's Prince, or aren't you?" she said. Sokka scoffed.

"Oh, so now you'll acknowledge me as such? Really?" he asked, with some amusement. Azula smiled a little and shrugged.

"It seemed convenient to do so" she admitted. Sokka laughed softly "You have no notion of how different things would be without you, huh? You really think, to this day, that you're expendable? Even after I told you otherwise, well over a year ago? I can't have another gladiator, just as I can't imagine myself loving anyone but you. You're anything but expendable, Sokka"

"For you, I guess… and admittedly, I couldn't ask for more" he sighed "But it feels like… like you're so willing to throw everything away because I'm always getting myself in danger. Right?"

"Well… yes. You're not wrong" Azula said, shrugging "Maybe if I thought you're not likely to take freezing showers in cold weather…"

"I haven't done that again" said Sokka, with a small smile "And… I guess the only thing we can agree to do is… is to be less ready to discard everything for each other, maybe?"

"Including your peace of mind, if you'd be so kind" Azula sighed "I understand if you think you just have to accept that you're capable of murder, but… I don't want that acceptance to break you and turn you into something as stoic and dead inside as… well, as Combustion Man"

"That's understandable" said Sokka, sighing "I mean… I get it, I think. If it were the other way around… if I had the power to change the world just the way it needs to be changed, would you let me discard that opportunity just to scoop you away and protect you?"

"I'd never forgive you if you did" Azula admitted, with a cynical smile. Sokka chuckled softly.

"See?"

"And you would never forgive me if I were willing to destroy myself, inside and out, just to make sure you can stay on that path towards changing the world" she said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka breathed deeply as he shuddered before shaking his head.

"I'm not even going to bother imagining how I'd feel if you were… heh, if you were like me" he said, smiling sadly too "Curses, I'd probably have tossed everything else away by now if…"

"See?" Azula said, smirking skeptically "You're worse than I am"

"Maybe" he said, grinning a little "But… I guess there's a lot I'm still uneasy about. Like what you said, about using me as your executioner? Just as your father uses his creepy assassin? That's…"

"That's not so far from the truth" Azula said, closing her eyes and sighing "If you're determined to accept your worst side, to admit to yourself that you've been a murderer and all you said earlier… then I need to own up to my own crimes. It'd be stupid of me not to"

Sokka sighed but said nothing. If this was part of balancing each other out, he would have to let Azula handle her own demons, just as he had to deal with his own.

"Then… what does this mean for you?" Sokka said, looking at her with uncertainty "If you'll, I don't know, embrace that you're not that different from your father, something I absolutely disagree with, for the record… will you reconcile with him?"

"I… I hadn't thought that far ahead" Azula admitted, as he caressed her fingers gently with his own "But… maybe I should. Not only because… because he could have been right about me, but because, well… I talked about several things with the Head Sage that day, when we visited the Temple"

"Oh?" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow "And you didn't tell me, huh?"

"Sorry" said Azula, with a sad grin "Truthfully, I… I haven't given it much thought. I should have, but with all this… it slipped my mind. But he outright admitted that he dislikes my father strongly, and wants me on the throne instead…"

"Huh? Just like that?" Sokka said, eyes wide.

"Yeah, well… my father apparently asked him if he'd seen me lately" Azula sighed "That led him to finding out that there's a rift between us, and he… he encouraged me to mend it. Not because he wants my father to regain his peace of mind, but because he doesn't want me to endanger my position as Crown Princess. He's… he's convinced that the firebending skills I possess are some sort of divine gift or whatever, and… he thinks I'll be a much better Fire Lord than even Azulon, whom he admires as much as he does, so…"

"Heh, goes without saying that you'd be better than that bastard" said Sokka, grimacing "But, then… will you abide by his advice? You'll… you'll go home?"

"I'm home now" she said, lifting a hand to touch Sokka's heart. He swallowed, closing his eyes as her words touched him deeply. It wasn't as though he hadn't known she felt that way… but hearing her say it outright was still overwhelming "And I always will be, as long as you're by my side. But… will I go back to the Palace, once we're in the Fire Nation? I guess so. I'm not going to forget what my father has done, and… and I'll still look for Seethus all the damn time, no doubt…"

"But you'll go back anyways" Sokka sighed, before nodding "It's bound to be for the best, I guess, but… it's not going to feel that way. It's not right for you to live someplace where you'll always feel unsafe…"

"It's a small price to pay so I can rule the Fire Nation one day, I suppose" said Azula, sighing and shaking her head "If I don't fix things with my father, I might just throw away all our hard work, and… I think that's what you said you couldn't allow me to do, right?"

"Right" said Sokka, though he didn't seem too convinced "Well… you should still come to my place as early as you can every day. Right after breakfast, maybe?"

"Gladly" said Azula, sighing and cupping his face carefully between her hands "How are you feeling now?"

"Uh… physically, not much better. Emotionally… relieved, at the very least" he said, pressing his forehead to hers "This trick of talking things through can be surprisingly useful, huh?"

"Yeah, we'd figured as much by now" said Azula, smiling gently "Still, what we talked about… it wasn't easy, not for either of us. And we've agreed that we need to find another kind of balance, but…"

"It doesn't have to mean our relationship will change much, right?" Sokka asked, looking at her hopefully "Because… I don't want it to. I mean, it always has felt like we're getting better and better every day, so…"

"I know" said Azula, before leaning close to press her lips softly to his. Sokka sighed, answering the kiss gently "I don't want any distance between us either, but if you feel it's necessary at times, you can step away. As hard as I may try, I can't understand everything you've been through, not as well as other people might, so…"

"You do your best to understand, no matter if you haven't lived the same experiences directly" said Sokka, closing his eyes "That means more than you may realize…"

"You're sure about that?" said Azula, doubtful. Sokka smiled.

"We've always been different in many ways, Azula. The key to our partnership is… we allowed our differences to bring us together. We bridged our distance, until we found common ground. That's why our bond is like no other, I believe…"

"One of the reasons for it, if anything" said Azula, caressing his chest still "I just want you to know I won't hold it against you if you ever need to confide in anyone else. In the end, I just… I just want you to be as safe and happy as you could possibly be. That's all I need"

"I want the same for you, funny coincidence" said Sokka, kissing her forehead.

Azula dropped her head on his shoulder, gently at first, cautious of his wounds. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and their fragile embrace would soothe her as much as it could. Sokka's arms slipped around her body as well, pressing his face to her hair, taking in its scent. It had been a complicated conversation, but a necessary one that they probably should have had earlier than this: Azula felt she understood herself, and him, better than ever.

"I love you" she whispered softly. Sokka sighed, his grip tightening around her.

"I love you too" he said, and he paid no mind to how his voice cracked slightly as he spoke "I'm sorry I worried you today, but… thank you for this. And… I'm still feeling awful about what I did to Renzhi, it's true, but…"

"But in a way, you're relieved…?" Azula finished. Sokka nodded gently.

"Yeah, because you still want me by your side even after what I've done" he said, swallowing hard "I'll do my best to rein in my wildest impulses, I promise… but, for now, at least…"

"For now, we just stay together" Azula said, nodding and sliding her fingers through his smooth locks of hair "There's no need to worry about anything else right now. Just… relax. It's behind us now"

"Yeah" he agreed, despite his conscience was scolding him for acquiescing as he had "At least this should be over…"

She pushed herself up delicately, looking at him with a warm smile. Sokka returned the gesture before leaning in for a chaste, subtle kiss.

"And from now on… will we do what Iroh challenged us to?" he said "I'll do it if you tell me to, you know how it works…"

"I'll have to ponder it some more" she said "But don't worry. We'll do it on our own terms, if we decide to. We have time, like I said, so… let's leave that aside for now too, okay?"

"Okay" he said, smiling a little. Azula clasped one of his hands with hers, bringing his fingers up to her lips for soft kisses.

"For now… you need to rest and heal after all those burns" she determined, and Sokka nodded "Really, now? Complacency, rather than rebelliousness? You're low on energies, huh?"

Sokka chuckled again and embraced her, his lips pressed softly to her shoulder. Azula closed her eyes, holding him intimately. Coming to terms with their own demons, their subtle and unresolved conflicts, was bound to be a harrowing journey, but they wouldn't face those hardships alone. The road ahead had no end of perils and complications, but both their paths ran parallel to each other: they would support one another, as they ever had.

Their relationship could have suffered dreadfully over what had happened in Gladiator Brawl, but Sokka didn't think it had. Even though Azula seemed more careful than usual whenever she approached him over the next days, even though Sokka wasn't as light-hearted as ever, the two of them behaved as though sharing a secret of their own, and no one else was allowed to partake in it. So they would sit together to watch sunsets in Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring, and only a week later they would do the same on Azula's Barge. The sneaking around decreased, but even when they dared steal visits to each other, they weren't guided by carnal desire in the least. Despite all their complaints about their droughts, right now they were taking their time until they recovered their missing stability. Or, perhaps, until they had crafted new stability in their current circumstances.

Sokka would take more time to himself than usual, just to lie down reflecting on his darker side. In due time he would learn how to understand it fully, and until then he would continue to ponder his own nature, his self-control and morality: was it right for him to embrace this side of himself as much as he had embraced jokes, sarcasm and his great taste for meat? It was nowhere near as harmless as those things, and yet he knew he had to learn to accept his truth if he hoped to ever feel comfortable in his own skin…

Azula would use Sokka's absences, in turn, to ponder her own situation. Returning to the Palace filled her with dread, but she was set on making it happen now. Whether her father was right about her or not was irrelevant. For, if what had happened in Gladiator Brawl meant he was right… what of it? He had claimed she wasn't ready to lead her nation yet, but if she had idealized her role as Princess and leader, then this experience had certainly grounded her all over again and brought her to face the harsher truths she had forgotten about lately. Maybe she would be more ready now than she ever had been.

She was anxious by the time the Barge docked in the Capital's bay. Uncertainty gnawed away at her, for her heart yearned to stay with Sokka, to continue living as they had over the last month, instead of going back to her father. But the taste of living a life of their own was one she wouldn't forget anytime soon: her chest hurt just to think she would no longer have as many chances to sneak downstairs in Ty Lee's house to meet him at night, safe from the many dangers that plagued their love.

But there was nowhere to go but forward, that much was clear. Xin Long seemed to believe so too, for he looked eager to take off once she approached him on her Barge's deck.

"We're ready to go, then?" Azula confirmed. Xin Long nodded promptly "Alright, then… I'll be right back"

Xin Long groaned in annoyance, scowling at his rider. Azula only smiled and shrugged before turning on her heels to find Sokka. He had already gathered his bags on deck, and he seemed to be in a world of his own, oblivious to Song and the guards around him.

"Hey…" she called him. He turned promptly upon hearing her voice "Are you ready to go home yet?"

"I think so" Sokka said, nodding "What about you? Are you going to the Palace now? If you are, you probably shouldn't give me a lift…"

"Yeah, well, I generally don't when we come back to the Capital, for the reasons we're aware of" Azula sighed "I just figured I'd let you know I'll be sure to come see you tomorrow. As much as I'm set on doing this, I can't guarantee I'll be okay after going back to the Palace…"

"Yeah, no kidding" said Sokka, with a sigh "If it's too awful you can always go to my place. You don't need to wait until tomorrow, even…"

"I'd love to, and you know that" Azula said, smiling sadly "But you also know…"

"We can't afford it" Sokka acknowledged "Not unless there's something serious going on, at any rate"

"I'll still spend much more time with you than in the Palace, if I can get away with it. For now, though… I figure you can go home with Rui Shi and Song, right?"

"Yeah, knowing him he'll want to go with her" Sokka smiled "I'll try to be in good spirits and not dampen their mood, huh?"

"You should, it's rude to ruin other people's day by being down on yourself" Azula smiled "It's the kind of thing Zuko would do…"

"And no one here wants to be like him, guaranteed" Sokka said, eyes wide. Azula laughed.

"Good to hear" she said, before nodding towards him "I'll see you tomorrow, then"

"Yeah. Good luck today" Sokka said, smiling weakly "Take care of yourself, for real…"

"You'd better do that too" Azula said, raising her eyebrows menacingly "Else you'll get what's coming for you…"

"Oh, now, now I'll want to know what that means…" Sokka smirked. Azula rolled her eyes but smiled as she turned to Xin Long once again "Really, then? You'll just leave me hanging here, in the dark about your sketchy threats?"

"Absolutely. It'll give you something to ponder, if nothing else!" Azula laughed, as she climbed on the saddle quickly. Xin Long grunted in acknowledgement towards Sokka before dashing over the deck and into the sky.

Sokka watched her go, a sigh leaving his lips as her shape shrunk in the distance. Despite he was feeling better, sometimes he felt a lot worse. Talking with Azula was reassuring, even healing… but it hurt much more to watch her leave than ever before, even if he understood perfectly well why she had to do it.

He breathed deeply and made his way to Rui Shi and Song, who were all packed and ready to go. Rui Shi had been talking with some of the guards, but he glanced at Sokka upon noticing he'd approached his healer.

"Ready?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka forced himself to smile and nodded.

"Then I guess we should get going" said Song, smiling before bowing her head towards the guards near them "I'll see you all soon, I hope"

"Be well, Song" said Tai Wei, bowing his head towards her. Taro waved at Sokka, who grinned and waved back.

The guards didn't know what had happened, Azula wasn't the kind of person who would share their plights with others, regardless of how trustworthy they proved to be. Even Song and Rui Shi were uncertain of whatever was plaguing Sokka right now, but they hadn't dared breach the subject. It seemed they knew it wasn't the right time to pry into Sokka and Azula's business, so they mostly spoke to each other through the long hike that would lead them back home.

"I have to say, it's nice traveling with you all" Song said once they were already in the city's streets "I could get used to it, even if we weren't going to Ba Sing Se…"

"We could ask the Princess if you can be allowed to come with us more often" Rui Shi suggested. Song gazed at him in surprise "All things considered, Sokka could have been better off on many occasions if you had been there to patch him together, so it's only convenient…"

"Ah, it's convenient" Song said, smiling slyly "It's just because I'll take care of Sokka, not because you want me there, right…?"

"Well, that would be utterly unprofessional" Rui Shi declared, proudly. Song laughed.

"And if someone can't be accused of being unprofessional, it's Rui Shi…" she said, smiling still.

As though to completely disprove his previous claim, Rui Shi stretched out a hand and clasped Song's. She giggled softly, gazing at him with amusement as he smiled at her, even if his helmet wouldn't let her see his face.

"At any rate… bringing up the suggestion to the Princess wouldn't be so terrible" said Rui Shi "That is, in case you would like to come more often, of course…"

"You should" Sokka chimed in suddenly, surprising them "Uh, yeah, I heard the whole thing, I'm only a couple steps behind you"

Song glanced over her shoulder and smiled apologetically. Sokka grinned too, speeding up just enough to catch up with the pair. Rui Shi gazed at him over Song' head, hoping to assess whether Sokka was alright yet or not. If anything, at least he was making efforts to join conversations, and that counted as an improvement.

"You think she'll be fine with it, though?" Song asked "I'm just a slave, I mean…"

"Oh, come on" said Sokka, with a weak smile "After all these years, you really think that's how she sees us?"

"I guess not, but I still am one" said Song, swallowing hard "And you guys already are doing too much for me by letting me reunite with my mom, so I wouldn't possibly ask for more"

"Heh, well then, maybe I'll be the one to ask" Sokka said, shrugging. Rui Shi chuckled while Song looked at Sokka apprehensively "Heck, it's not that weird for a gladiator to want his preferential healer accompanying him on trips. If anything, Rui Shi isn't wrong, we should've been doing that since ages ago!"

"Considering the kind of chaos that tends to unfold around you and the Princess, maybe it wouldn't have been the safest thing to have Song there for every trip" Rui Shi said, smiling weakly "I can't begin to imagine how things would have turned out if she had been with us when you two vanished in Ba Sing Se the first time, or the second time… or the last time we went to Yu Dao"

"Oh, now, she would've been safe, I don't think we would have taken her with us for the chaotic parts" Sokka said, smiling and waving a hand carelessly. Rui Shi grimaced and gazed at his girlfriend.

"Perhaps you really ought to think again about this arrangement after all…"

"Hey!" Sokka retorted. Rui Shi's chuckle was expected, though it still compelled Sokka to pout in response to it "I'm not going to put you in unnecessary danger, Song. But really, think about it… aren't you always bored out of your mind whenever we go traveling? You have no one to talk to, no Rui Shi to hold hands with…"

"Well, yeah, but I'm used to it" said Song, with a weak smile "I won't make a fuss about having to stay at home while you're abroad…"

"Clearly you wouldn't, since you haven't for all these years" said Sokka "I'm just saying, Azula considers you a friend, Song, not just a slave. She'll probably agree to this if we ask, so the question is merely whether you want us to ask her to let you come along or not…"

"It's probably safer if you're the one to ask, actually" Rui Shi commented "You've managed to persuade her of the most unexpected things over the last years, surely you have a better chance of convincing her of this than I do"

"Heh. That's a fair point" said Sokka, smirking as the three of them turned the corner into the street that led to their house "Alright, then, I'll tell her when she comes by tomorrow"

"I figure she'll be busy for the rest of the day, huh?" Song said "It looks like she's gone back home…"

"Y-yeah. She had every intention to go back to the Palace, at least" Sokka said, nodding "We'll have to go to Ty Lee's place sometime soon, make sure we didn't leave anything important behind after the weeks we spent there…"

"But it seems your time of living together is over, huh?" said Song, with a sad smile "I'm sorry, but I'm sure you guys will find another loophole so you can do it again…"

"Yeah, hopefully, though there's no need to talk about that out in the streets" Sokka said, waving hand carelessly as his house finally came into view "I mean, yeah, I'd love it if I could make it happen, but I'll try not to get my hopes too high. That way I won't be disappointed if it proves to be imposs-…"

"Stop"

Sokka froze upon hearing Rui Shi's serious voice tone. Song as well was startled, wondering what about the conversation could have prompted Rui Shi to react so aggressively…

But he wasn't staring at her, or Sokka: he was staring ahead at the house, and what he was seeing in it was bringing about this sudden burst of caution from the Imperial Guard.

It took a moment for Sokka to notice it, and by then Rui Shi had already set down Song's bags, which he had been carrying for her. He placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"Run back, stand by that house" Rui Shi told her. Song's eyes widened "If anything bad happens, run inside the nearest shop and hide inside it…"

"Wait, what's going on?" Song said, but it was Sokka who answered:

"The front door is ajar" he said, his body feeling cold all of sudden as he glared at his house: this could not be good "We left everything closed when we took off, didn't we?"

"I… I think so" said Song. Sokka swallowed hard.

"Listen to Rui Shi. Go hide for now, we'll get you once we deal with whatever this is" Sokka told her. Song grimaced.

"Be careful, both of you" she said. Rui Shi squeezed her hand and nodded before urging Sokka to follow him to the house.

The two men moved stealthily, not unlike how they'd snuck through Azula's barge on the day before arriving in Ba Sing Se. Rui Shi stared at the door intently, watching for any signs of intruders within the house: Sokka surprised him by clasping his shoulder suddenly.

"I'll take the backdoor" he said. Rui Shi nodded "Let's do this"

Sokka jumped over the fence that enclosed the house, while Rui Shi moved in to the front door. He pulled it open carefully, his ears peeled, his breathing controlled as he hoped not to give himself away to any intruder who might still be here.

Fortunately, the door didn't creak when he pushed it. He wouldn't have alerted anyone to his presence, if the house wasn't empty.

The first place to look in was the living room, adjacent to the small vestibule as it was. But there was nothing out of place there, as far as Rui Shi could see. He moved to the door next to the stairs, which would lead him to the kitchen… empty, too. He frowned.

Sokka had made his way to the outdoors bathroom first: one glance inside told him it was empty, the bottles on the shelves seemingly untouched. At least, whoever had come in here wasn't trying to steal hair product… but considering this was a gladiator's house, it seemed the most unlikely thing someone would try to steal. His stomach twisted as he made his way to the main building, his eyes raking everything frantically. No heavy footsteps on the backyard, no sign of forced entry on the backdoor… He entered the living room to find Rui Shi looking through the storage rooms, opening the two doors brusquely to find no one within.

"We can't know when this happened. Whoever did this would have had a whole month to come in and get away…" Sokka growled. Rui Shi gritted his teeth.

"Might have been nothing, too" said Rui Shi "Just… someone opening the door as a joke and leaving it like that. Who knows?"

"Yeah" said Sokka, biting his lip "Have you checked the bedrooms yet?"

"No" said Rui Shi, glancing at him warily "We should both do that, though. If someone was there, we'd have a better chance at catching them if we try together"

"Yeah" said Sokka, nodding as he moved to the stairs. Rui Shi followed him.

Sokka stopped at Song's room first while Rui Shi remained by the stairs, hoping to block the path of anyone who might be hiding there. The gladiator opened the door, and it swung inwards… to reveal there was no one inside. Sokka swallowed hard, glancing at Song's belongings with uncertainty. He couldn't say for sure that nothing of hers had been taken by whoever had broken in.

"I'll check my room, if there's no one there you ought to go get Song and have her check if anything's missing" said Sokka. Rui Shi nodded as the gladiator moved to his own room.

He breathed in, and pushed the door open as well. His heart was drumming in his chest wildly, as he dreaded something could have been taken from his room… especially, the one treasure he wasn't supposed to let any harm come to.

Upon confirming the room was empty too, he didn't even think twice before rushing to his nightstand. He pulled the cabinet open forcefully, anxiety rushing through him as though coursing through his bloodstream…

The necklace with the blue pendant was untouched, still as polished and bright as when he had first gifted it to Azula.

He breathed out in relief and picked it up, closing his eyes now and pressing it to his chest. He absolutely needed to bring this with him everywhere from now on, that was all he could conclude after today. He couldn't let it sit here, in danger of any unknown bastards who might try to break into his home.

But if they had broken in, they were gone now. Sokka glanced about his room, finding his armor stand empty, as it would have to be, since his armor had been with him during this trip. He stepped towards the dresser next to it, making sure his clothes were in place… albeit a bit messy. He frowned upon noticing that: Song always was as tidy as could be, wasn't she? She took care to fold each garment properly and put them away in Sokka's cabinets… so what was this supposed to be? Had Song simply been in a rush when she had done the last of their laundry?

Another glance through the room increased his confused suspicion: his bed wasn't made. He couldn't be sure, for he often took those things for granted… but he thought Song had made his bed before they left. She always did.

"Well?" said Rui Shi, following Sokka into the room. Sokka swallowed hard.

"Something's not right" he said "But… whoever did it is long gone, yeah"

"But you do think someone broke in?" Rui Shi asked, raising his eyebrows "You two didn't just forget to lock up the house…?"

"Well, we might have, but I'm starting to think someone took advantage of our forgetfulness, if that's the case" Sokka said, swallowing hard "You can go get Song, though. I'll check some more to see if anything's missing"

"Right" said Rui Shi, nodding before taking off quickly.

He knelt at his dresser first, looking through the clothing items he kept there before moving to his closet. He counted them, never having bothered doing that before: he didn't have a lot of clothes, so if anything was missing, he was sure he'd notice. Still… nothing. If some sort of depraved lunatic had broken in, it wasn't with the intent to steal from him. Which begged the question: why break in at all?

His breath caught as he took in the magnitude of this breach of privacy. He understood Azula's feelings about her home better than before after this: she couldn't feel safe in the Palace with her father's assassin lurking invisibly, just as Sokka suddenly felt unsafe and violated in his own room. The feeling was sickening, and he wondered if he really wanted to discover the truth behind what had happened or not. Whoever had done this was bound to be a genuinely unhinged person, rummaging through his bed and clothes as they had… and while he generally wouldn't want anything to do with someone like that, common sense dictated that he should figure out that person's identity either way: knowing your enemy was the first step towards defeating them.

Sokka heard Rui Shi and Song's voices before long: they would come upstairs soon enough. He had been putting away his clothes again by the time they reached his room.

"Found anything yet?" Rui Shi asked him. Sokka shook his head.

"No, but…" he started, but Song stepped towards Sokka's bed with a frown.

"Woah, was there anything suspicious in your bed?" she asked. Sokka grimaced and glanced at her.

"It wasn't me who messed up the sheets like that" he said "You did make the bed before we left, right?"

"Of course I did" said Song, looking at him uneasily "I always do… then this wasn't your doing?"

"No, it wasn't me" he said, standing up. But Rui Shi and Song looked at him with wide eyes "That… that's my biggest clue so far. Well, that and that my underwear drawers were inexplicably messy too. I didn't do that either"

"U-uh… seriously now?" said Song. Rui Shi grimaced.

"Sounds like…" he started, looking at Sokka warily. The gladiator sighed and nodded.

"Like we've got an actual pervert on our hands" he grumbled "Still, I think they didn't really take anything. W-whatever they did to my clothes is disturbing, surely, but… at least they're all there. So it wasn't theft"

"How nice. They're not bad enough to be thieves, they're only the sort who break into private property to ruffle through clothes and beds!" Song said, unexpectedly sarcastic. It seemed she was outraged to see her home's privacy and safety in jeopardy. Sokka swallowed hard: Song had already had enough of watching others invading her safe spaces back in the Earth Kingdom.

"To break in just to play around with Sokka's sheets, apparently" said Rui Shi, grimacing as he gazed around the room "Is there really nothing else out of place? Any messages, maybe?"

"I don't know" said Sokka, biting his lip and glancing at the bed and nightstand again.

He had left a book on the nightstand, a collection of maps Song had procured for him. But beneath it… Sokka frowned as he made his way there again. He had been too determined to ensure the necklace would be safe to remember checking the nightstand thoroughly.

Sure enough, upon removing the book he found a flat paper, one he hadn't left there before. His stomach sank, and Song gasped behind him.

"Brilliant" said Sokka, setting the book down again as he stared at the paper. There was ink on the underside: a message waited for him there. He grimaced and inched away from the nightstand, looking at Song and Rui Shi with a desperate expression on his face "Do you guys think this sort of stuff happens to other people too? Or is it the universe just wants to torture me beyond measure?"

"Uh… considering you're carrying out a secret relationship with a Princess, I suppose the universe does want to torture you" Rui Shi convened. Song looked at him reproachfully "I mean, maybe it thinks it's only fair…?"

"Then the universe sucks. A lot" Sokka grunted, shaking his head "Shit, I don't want to read that. I really don't. Whoever did this, I don't care why, I just… want them to not do it again. That's all"

"Well, the best way to figure out how to stop them would be by reading that letter, or whatever they left for you" Rui Shi said. Sokka huffed and shook his head.

"I'll do it after I fix this" he said, pulling out the sheets from the bed "I can't be level-headed when I think someone, anyone, was… doing whatever the hell they were doing on my bed. Hell, I ought to get a new mattress all over again, with how disgusting this is bound to-…"

A piece of cloth fell out of the crumpled sheets Sokka was pulling from his mattress. All sets of eyes stared at it as it fell, and horror dawned upon them when they recognized what it was.

"W-what the…?" Rui Shi said. Song covered her mouth with a hand and looked at Sokka in panic.

"P-please tell me the Princess decided to leave her underwear in your mattress as a joke for you …" she said, nearly pleadingly.

But Sokka's horror-struck expression spoke for itself. Rui Shi and Song looked at him in chagrin.

Sokka shook his head slowly, feeling sick: someone, a woman, going by that cloth, had broken into his house, rummaged through his clothes, potentially slipped inside his bed and removed her underwear there. The bed he had shared with Azula so many times… suddenly it felt tarnished, stained even if its defilement wasn't apparent on sight. For no one else was allowed to be there, no one but himself and his Princess…

"You need to read that letter" Rui Shi said, shaking his head. Sokka gritted his teeth "Now"

Despite his disgust was only certain to increase once he followed Rui Shi's indication, Sokka dropped the sheets on the floor, so they'd hide the unwanted clothing item from sight. He breathed deeply and returned to the nightstand, picking up the letter carefully.

Upon turning it around, he found all he needed to know.

"I… I have to go" Sokka said, shaking his head and pocketing the letter. Rui Shi and Song stared at him in surprise.

"Go?" Rui Shi repeated "Go where? Don't we have to do something about this… this mess?"

"I… I guess we should" Sokka said, with gritted teeth. Hesitation gleamed in his clear eyes: he would have loved to set it all on fire, it was clear, but common sense was holding him back "But not yet. Leave everything as it is. I have to see Azula, now"

"Woah, but… do you think it's a good idea?" Song said, grimacing "Isn't she just going home today…?"

"She is, but I know her: she'll lose it if I don't tell her about stuff like this immediately" Sokka huffed "About the sheets and that… thing. So please, don't do anything yet. I don't know, maybe Azula will have a smart plan on how to deal with this mess effectively. We shouldn't act on this impulsively…"

"You'll consult her first then" said Rui Shi, biting his lip "Very well, then. Song and I will stay here, keeping an eye on the place. If this intruder returns…"

"I doubt she will" said Sokka, swallowing hard "But thanks, Rui Shi"

"This is horrible" said Song, eyes wide "D-do you think this would have happened if I had still been here? M-maybe that person did it because I wasn't…"

"If anything, I'm glad you weren't here" said Sokka, grimacing "This girl… she's proven she has no boundaries now. If you'd stayed, maybe she would've tried to do something to you to get you out of the way just so she could finish her shitty stunt, so…"

"Oh, goodness…" said Song. Rui Shi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest.

"You'll be safe" Rui Shi whispered "No one will be able to harm you while I'm protecting you"

"Yeah… yeah" said Song, nodding as Sokka breathed deeply.

"Check if there's anything else she did, or took, or… or whatever" said Sokka, shaking his head "I have to go"

"Good luck" said Song, and Rui Shi nodded towards Sokka as the gladiator made his way to the door again.

It was outrageous, distressing… and it was absolutely infuriating. It was especially infuriating to read that letter, the smug tone, the pretentious calligraphy… she was proud of what she'd done. She had done every bit of it to send a message, to let him know she would stop at nothing before getting him. But Sokka wasn't about to be daunted by the disturbing whims of a pampered noble girl. She'd breached his boundaries for the very last time, and he wasn't about to let her get away with it this time: he knew for sure that Azula would feel the same way.

---

The Palace seemed both daunting and welcoming again, and Azula sighed as she gazed at it from Xin Long's refuge. The dragon prodded her shoulder with his snout, and she turned her gaze on him, if just to caress his hair gently.

"I've already resonated… I've done it since we were airborne" said Azula, smiling a little "Doesn't look like the sick fire is anywhere nearby. Still, I trust you'll keep resonating to make sure of it, right?"

Xin Long nodded promptly, and Azula patted his head gently.

"Very well, then. I'm off now" she said. Xin Long sat down promptly, letting her know he'd stay nearby in case she needed any help. She smiled at him "That's a loyal partner indeed. Thanks, Xin"

The dragon seemed proud of himself after hearing her words, and Azula laughed before walking out of the refuge.

The feeling of loneliness rushed through her with every step she took away from her dragon and into the main Palace building. She had spent months with people she trusted, treasured… and now it was strange to so much as try to return to the life she'd had before discovering Seethus. She wasn't sure she'd adapt to it well this time around.

She was pacing through the large corridors of the Palace, mentally preparing herself to face her father and tell him why she was here again, when she heard his voice drifting from one of the main halls. She frowned and followed it, noticing he seemed to be in a bad mood… though whoever he was talking to sounded far more exasperated than the Fire Lord did.

"This is outrageous, Ozai! How is it even possible that I'd come home to this mess?! And he's just acting like it's not his fault, like he didn't do hell knows what to Rei and…!"

"Please, Zhao… calm yourself. I understand the situation is unpleasant, but…"

"There are no more buts to be had, Ozai! Not a one! I'm absolutely sick of that bastard by now! I should've drowned him properly as soon as I realized I'd failed the first time!"

"Zhao…" said Ozai, with a heavy sigh. Azula finally turned around the corner to find the two men, and she raised an eyebrow as she assessed their heated argument carefully.

Zhao had taken off to the Capital a few days ahead of Azula, so it was no surprise that he had arrived first. Whatever he'd found at his estate upon his return seemed to have triggered his temper badly, and it was well known that Zhao's bad temper was not something to be trifled with. The man might have lost some of his edge as a firebender, but none of his raw power: it wasn't a good idea for anyone to cross him.

And yet it was clear that it wasn't Ozai who had angered the Admiral. No, Ozai was merely receiving Zhao's complaints… which was strange indeed. A man like Zhao, when angered to this extent, wouldn't be likely to stand by lawfulness and ask his Fire Lord to deal with his problems for him.

His words had already hinted at what the problem was, though. Azula frowned, hoping to listen to their conversation for a little longer, if she could. Just long enough to ascertain that the source of Zhao's complaints was the arrogant northerner who had failed to earn the Admiral's respect entirely…

"Do you still give any credit to his claims that he knows secrets we absolutely need about the North?" Zhao asked, looking at Ozai in disbelief "Because the longer this goes on, the clearer it becomes that this disgusting freeloader is only trying to buy himself a place in nobility, a place he scarcely deserved in his Tribe and that he certainly does not deserve here!"

"I understand your reservations, but I believed you had brought him here because you made something of his claims, Zhao" Ozai said, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips "Are you saying now that you take it back? You no longer believe he can offer us anything of value?"

"I may have been foolish enough to give him credit once, but not anymore! He is but a fool, an opportunist and…!"

Ozai sighed again, but upon letting his eyes wander slightly to his right, he noticed someone was standing down the corridor. He raised his gaze in astonishment, but he held back the gasp of surprise that he might have let out if he had been alone. He couldn't allow Azula to notice how much it affected him to see her home once more, even if she was only likely in the Palace to report the result of her trip.

"Azula" he finally said. Zhao frowned before glancing to his side, finding the Princess not too far from where they stood.

"Oh, you're back now. Good" said Zhao, looking at her with unexpected hope "You surely have enough sense to agree with me, don't you?"

"I don't know that I do, considering I'm utterly confused about whatever's happening" Azula said, with an awkward smile "I'm assuming this has something to do with Hahn, but I don't know what he's done to upset you so much…"

"I came home to find Rei was… Rei, my serving girl" Zhao clarified. Azula nodded in acknowledgement "She's nowhere to be found. She fled! She must have done it weeks ago, once we were abroad! I had always left her to look after the estate and never had she failed me, but suddenly she's missing! And Hahn, that vile scum, dared pretend he had nothing to do with it. Nothing! As though I was ignorant of how he's been leering at her ever since I first brought him here… merely a month of being alone with him and she fled! He did something to her, I know it! And the rotten bastard refuses to admit it, lying through his teeth and pretending he's innocent! I swear…!"

"Well, that's certainly sickening" Azula admitted, stopping next to the two men, though still at a safe distance from them both "But, well… do you have reason to suspect he could have committed serious crimes against your serving girl, perhaps?"

"I have no idea if he'd stop anywhere short of that!" Zhao growled "I certainly don't trust him to! That disgusting fool… who's to say he wasn't raised like this? That his putrid culture didn't encourage him to take advantage of women just because he could?!"

"There, there, Zhao" said Ozai, breathing deeply "We understand your plight. But you must be aware, we never intended to keep Hahn around for good. As soon as we knew what he was hiding…"

"At this point, what does it even matter?! The bastard can easily be lying when he claims that he has knowledge of any secrets from his Tribe!" Zhao roared. Azula swallowed hard.

"No offense, but… it didn't sound like a lie" she said "Not everyone's as good a liar as you can be, Admiral"

Her words gave him pause, but they didn't change his mind. Zhao looked at Ozai sternly all the same, his chest heaving.

"If you want the truth from him, if you want to unravel whatever he's hiding, be my guest. But I'm done hosting him. He's created nothing but trouble and he deserves to pay the price for it"

"You mean… you're going to send him here?" Ozai asked, eyes widening "Curses, Zhao…"

"You're the one who wants to figure out his nonsense, I'm done bothering with him altogether" growled Zhao, shaking his head "If you don't want him at all, then I suggest we send him back to where we came from. His tribe is bound to be more civilized when executing him for treason than I'd be, at this point…"

Zhao didn't even bother saying his farewells before turning on his heels and storming down the halls. Ozai watched his friend leave, surprise and confusion plain on his visage. He turned towards Azula before long, though, finding she was still watching Zhao shrink away in the corridor.

"The Admiral arrived yesterday" Ozai told her. Azula raised her eyebrows before nodding "He said you were successful in your event. That your gladiator chopped off his fighter's hand, too"

"That… was a bit of an accident" said Azula, with a grimace "I offered to pay for a replacement, but Zhao laughed about it. He seemed so unaffected by that, and yet now… I didn't peg him for the type who'd defend a serving girl to that extent"

"Perhaps she's more than a serving girl to him" said Ozai. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean…?"

"Oh, I don't know. Not truly, anyhow" Ozai said, with a weak grin "At any rate, I'm glad your trip was fruitful. It would appear you're more successful at the Gladiator League every day"

"Well, I certainly try to be" Azula said, nodding "What are you going to do with Hahn's situation, though? You had asked me to get information from him, but…"

"You've been otherwise engaged" said Ozai. Azula grimaced, growing tense at his words. The friction between them was far from amended, even if she had decided to put it behind her for the time being "And you scarcely had opportunities to see him, too, so… I can't quite blame you. Still… if this is the situation, Zhao will drop him off here tomorrow, surely. By then, I either have to obtain his information or get rid of him. As much as I'd like to discover whatever the fool is hiding, if he's hiding anything at all, I'm not sure all this trouble is worth it"

"Right" said Azula, nodding slowly.

"I suppose I'll inform you of whatever will happen with Hahn when you return to the Palace for good, if you care for the outcome of this matter" Ozai said, nodding in her direction. Azula flinched.

"Well… I am back now, Father" she said. He frowned.

"You… you are?"

"I suppose… there was some truth to your words after all. More of it than I… that I wanted to acknowledge" she said. The words tasted like ashes, even if she knew they weren't complete lies. How she wished they were "I guess I do have a lot left to learn still"

She felt her innards freeze with unease upon finding her father was staring at her with astonishment. Clearly this was not the outcome he had expected for their first serious conflict, and he seemed to dread Azula had ulterior motives, wicked intentions… or that she was, perhaps, expecting an apology on his part as well for how he'd handled the matter of the White Lotus.

Well, she'd wait for it forever. One of his favorite advantages of being Fire Lord was never having to apologize to anyone.

"Well, that is… good, then. It pleases me that you're here to stay" he said, promptly "If this is how it is, feel free to help me handle the problem Hahn poses, if you so wish. For now, I guess you ought to rest after your trip. Perhaps a visit to the spa, you haven't been there since…"

"Since a long time ago" Azula finished when Ozai paused "It's a sound idea, no doubt. It might even give me some inspiration as to how to obtain all the information we need from Hahn, if I'm lucky…"

"Hopefully you will be" said Ozai, smirking "Well, then… welcome home"

"Thank you, Father" said Azula, offering him a small smile before a curt bow of her head.

She was keeping her distance still, and he was aware of it. Strangely, he accepted it. He didn't scold her for not showing him reverent respect, nor did he criticize her scathingly for anything: he simply nodded and took off in the same direction Zhao had vanished through. Azula swallowed hard upon watching her father leave, wondering if he genuinely had nothing else to say to her, or if he was holding it back for another occasion. No doubt she hadn't expected him to acknowledge his faults, for in his eyes they weren't faults at all, but it was strange that he wouldn't try to rub his apparent victory in her face upon having the opportunity to do so…

In any case, she would do best not to worry about that right now. As it was, she should put aside their underlying conflicts while she figured out whatever Hahn was hiding so zealously from her father and Admiral Zhao.

She felt inclined to agree with Zhao at this point: nothing Hahn was hiding could be remotely as useful as he wanted to believe it was. So far it was apparent he was arrogant, exaggerated in his claims and never two steps ahead of everyone else, despite he constantly seemed to believe he was. She could see the merits to just shrugging him off altogether and allowing Bujing and Zhao to keep up whatever failing strategies they were using in the battle at the North Pole.

Her father seemed to want her to figure this out, though, so she'd have no choice but to try, at the very least. Once she had enough evidence that Hahn was lying about this matter, she'd be free to forget about him and the problem he'd posed for the Admiral.

She mulled over her thoughts as she relaxed in the royal spa, allowing the servants to pamper her thoroughly. She had learned to live without such luxuries, it was true, and it wasn't remotely as awful as she had thought it would be… but she still enjoyed the royal treatment, unsurprisingly. Whether because her father hadn't been particularly upset, or because Hahn was bound to be easy to unravel, she felt much lighter than she had in weeks, and that might be why she was sitting back and relaxing as her hair was combed to perfection.

She couldn't relax too much, though, or for too long. She needed a plan, a course of action now that Hahn was bound to end up in the Palace once Zhao kicked him out. What was the best way to make the fool talk? As far as she could tell, he'd remain clamped down unless he was tricked into believing Azula would genuinely marry him. But perhaps she could trick him, make him think he'd have a chance at it…

The thought made her cringe as she walked back to her room, draped in her usual gown. She shook her head promptly, deeply appalled by the idea. While she saw the value in misleading Hahn, she knew he wasn't innocent, regardless of how foolish he appeared to be. He had already married one princess before: promises of future affection and glory would mean nothing to him. He wouldn't be appeased and comfortable sharing his secret unless she genuinely married him, or she gave him substantial, believable proof that she was committed to marrying him in the future…

And that wasn't something she'd ever do: the mere thought brought bile to her mouth. Betraying Sokka was absolutely inconceivable, regardless of her political goals or her father's interest in whatever Hahn's secrets might be. Nothing in the world could ever be important enough to warrant breaking Sokka's heart and trust. Curses, even if he said he'd understand, even if he agreed to it, Azula couldn't do it. She only wanted to be with one man, she only wanted to be held, touched, kissed by him, and him alone. Whatever Hahn was hiding felt worthless if the price for discovering it included betraying Sokka.

Those thoughts gave her pause, though. She frowned, wondering if that was the same thought process Zhao had… was he, perhaps, involved with his maid? She smiled a little, never having expected Zhao to be the sort to create any lasting romantic relationships, especially when his partner seemed to be a complete commoner, especially one that, if Azula remembered right, was even younger than herself. Truthfully, if she pondered it more, it seemed more and more unlikely that Zhao would be interested in the girl that way… but perhaps it wasn't romance. Perhaps…

She froze upon turning around the corner that led to her room.

All thoughts of Zhao vanished when she saw Sokka standing by the door, fear plain on his face. He was resting with a hand by the frame, breathing heavily as though he'd ran with all his might, all the way to her room… but what truly worried her was his facial expression. What could have sent him into such a panic that he would come to her so desperately?

"Sokka?" she asked, her voice uncertain as she strode quickly towards him.

He raised his head, and his eyes seemed to spark with hope upon seeing Azula. Yet the unsettled air to him didn't recede, at least not just yet.

"Azula…" he said, swallowing hard as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small scroll.

Azula frowned as he offered it to her. She unrolled it immediately, and she frowned upon reading it, confused. She raised her eyes at him, raising an eyebrow carefully.

"What… what is the meaning of this?" she said. Sokka gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry" he said "I know we want to be… I know we want to be better people and all, we did talk about it, but… I really need your help with getting rid of her. For good now"

His words surely weren't poised to request a final solution for the problem at hand, Azula knew as much. But after reading that letter, without even knowing the full circumstances of how it had reached Sokka, Azula wasn't sure she wouldn't hold back from killing that girl if she came face-to-face with her once again.

She breathed deeply, fisting the paper and ripping some of it with her nails. Sokka gulped, watching her with uncertainty before Azula closed her eyes, attempting to calm herself. Only when it seemed clear that she would fail, that all her attempts to relax in the spa had been fruitless, she opened her eyes again, determination glowing in them.

"Well… you certainly needn't ask twice" Azula said, breathing deeply again "Let's put a definitive stop to your stalker, shall we?"

Sokka didn't think he'd smile anytime soon after the shock he'd had upon returning home. But he knew the meaning of the expression on his lover's face: Azula would stop at nothing to annul the threat to his safety and to their relationship, and that was exactly what he needed to hear right now. For there was no one who could outdo Azula if she was going all-out with anything: Hina had picked a fight she was fated to lose.