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...

184. Chapter 184: Whaletail Island 4

Zuko and Kino guided the group through Whaletail Island's streets by morning. Aang remained apprehensive over entering such a changed town, compared to the last he'd seen of the place, but he didn't voice his reservations today: his heart was clenched ever since Katara started giving him the cold shoulder, and that particular problem had risen in the list of his priorities until taking over it entirely.

"This is the place, then?" Katara asked, once they stopped at a restaurant that was only opening at the moment. Kino nodded.

"Hope you have fun…?" he said, smiling awkwardly. Katara shot him a cold glare and stepped forward.

"I'll see the rest of you later" she grumbled, crossing the threshold, an archway with only a long curtain that served as a door.

Aang sighed as she vanished from view, and he inevitably drew Zuko and Kino's questioning stares.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Kino asked "She's usually less mad at me, or at Zuko! What on earth brought this on, for crying out loud?"

"I just… messed up" Aang groaned "We were talking, and everything was fine! A-and then I said… I said I was glad she was the one who found me in the ice"

Kino and Zuko were even more perplexed now. Zuko huffed and shook his head.

"And that pissed her off? She's impossible…"

"No, it wasn't that!" Aang sighed "It was, well, after that, we talked about Mari and I said… I-I said it'd be great when we had kids of our own!"

"Oh, crap" Kino said, eyes wide now "Y-you finally made your move?! And you made it like that, too?! Gee, Aang, no wonder it failed!"

"That's still not what went wrong, not entirely" Aang whined "It was when I tried to clarify that I meant, well, our kids in general? B-but it came out wrong, and she thought I meant I didn't want kids with her, but I… of course I'd want kids with her! I'd want everything with her! Who wouldn't?!"

"Me?" Kino and Zuko said at unison, and Kino grinned brightly at their perfect timing, whereas Zuko grimaced and rolled his eyes.

"But I blew it. She'll never talk to me again…" Aang groaned, pulling at his hair.

"Stop doing that, or your headband will fall off" Zuko growled. Aang sighed but obeyed him, his arms flopping at either side of his body.

"I have to figure something out" he mumbled "Even if I messed up, we should still be friends! R-right?"

"Oh, please" Kino huffed, rolling his eyes "You should stop half-assing things and get a move on with her already! Look at Zuko, he got his act together and that's why he has a wife and soon-to-be two kids! So…!"

"Kino" Zuko growled, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.

"What?"

"For one thing, stop calling me that" he hissed, threateningly. Kino flinched "For another, all of us should get a move on, literally. We'll never make it to the port on time if we stay here until we sort out Aang's love life"

"U-uh, sure" Aang sighed, nodding and following the other two down the street.

Behind the curtain at the restaurant's threshold, Katara couldn't quite contain the smile that played at the corners of her lips. It wasn't good form not to report immediately to the cooks for her first job, she guessed… but she'd had the suspicion she might hear something worthwhile if she spied on Aang and the others if just for a bit. She wasn't disappointed: if anything, her previous frustration was as good as gone now.

Perhaps she shouldn't have been so unforgiving, let alone should she have taken offense over Aang's clumsy words… but irrational fear of not being liked by him had overtaken her heart after his blunder. Was it that bad an idea to have children with her? She had gotten along wonderfully with every kid she had ever met, after all, and she hoped she could be a good mother someday…

Hearing him say he'd want kids with her, that he'd want everything with her… oh, she knew she had no right to eavesdrop on him, but her chest was flourishing with bliss right now. Perhaps this had been the reason she had a good feeling about Whaletail Island, rather than anything else…

"Oi, you're the new dish washer?" a voice that drifted out of the restaurant's kitchen brought her out of her daze.

"Y-yeah! I'm on my way!" Katara exclaimed, rushing to meet her temporary workmates and to get started on her duties as soon as possible.

Aang sulked as they progressed through the streets, with his head hunched as he struggled to keep up with Kino and Zuko. The Avatar's anguish over Katara had taken a backseat for his friends, though, for they had other matters to worry about.

"I should have a fake name too. That'd be fun" Kino reasoned, his hands at the back of his head. Zuko snorted.

"Didn't we establish yesterday that your wanted poster doesn't even make sense?" he said "You don't need a fake name, Kino. Nobody's likely to even think you could be, well, you"

"But it's not fair! You think Aang needs one too, and nobody knows Aang the way they knew you!" Kino complained. Zuko huffed.

"Aang is an uncommon name, it stands out! So, Aang…" Zuko called him, snapping his friend out of his daze momentarily "Can you come up with a fake name for yourself? Or should I do it for you?"

"U-uh… Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the Third?" Aang mumbles, shrugging. Both Kino and Zuko stopped cold, stunned by his answer, and Aang froze, flustered "What? T-too much?"

"Do you seriously think that sounds Fire Nation at all?" Kino asked, eyes wide "What's an opsicolop-whatever?"

"It's not a word, none of it is" Zuko sighed "Should I really come up with one for you? Curses…"

"N-no, no, it's… it's fine. I think, if we need a Fire Nation-sounding name, then maybe… I should go by Kuzon" Aang said, with a sad smile "That's what my old Fire Nation friend was called, so… this way I'll honor him, and it sounds believable, right?"

"Well, much better than that weird mouthful of yours" said Kino, smiling proudly "Alright then, it's Lee, Kuzon and Kino, off to work the northern port like the tough guys we are!"

Zuko raised an eyebrow, dubious of Kino's grand proclamation. He didn't think any of them looked tough, not with how underfed they were, but he refrained from stating as much, guessing perhaps it was a good thing that Kino was in such high spirits right now. Yet tension and questions lingered in the air between Zuko and Kino: the prince eventually noticed the unease of his companion, and as Aang had gone right back to sulking about Katara, he thought it might be safe to speak with Kino in hushed voices.

"We're headed to the furthermost end of the port, and we'll stick to working there" Zuko determined. Kino grimaced "That way, even if those two show up, Aang ought to be too far away and too busy to realize it's them"

"Are you still sure about this, Zuko…?" Kino whispered "The Tribe trusts us now, you know, and… keeping this kind of thing from them might be a mess if they ever find out that we, well…"

"Why would they find out in the first place?" Zuko huffed "Besides, you know this is for the Tribe, first of all. We have to focus, and put aside all thoughts of…"

He fell silent upon noticing Aang's daze seemed to have ended, or at least, it had been interrupted. The Avatar was staring at them with curious eyes now, as though waiting to hear exactly whatever it was that Zuko was trying to stop thinking about. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't noticed Zuko had said there were people he wanted to avoid.

"What aren't we supposed to think about?" Aang asked.

"Y-you know, how hungry we are!" Kino covered up quickly, grinning with unease "I mean, sure we ate those sweet buns but I'm hungry again now, haha!"

"Huh. Yeah, I guess that's a problem" Aang nodded, hands on his waist "Come to think of it, the food over here ought to be much better than in the Pole. They can even grow vegetables…"

Aang carried on rambling about fruits and vegetables to whoever might listen, and as he did, Zuko and Kino exchanged an uneasy glance. Keeping the Avatar off Sokka and Azula's trail might be difficult, but as long as Aang carried on being such an airhead, they might succeed at it.

They reached the port to find it bustling with activity already… a bad sign, as far as Zuko could tell. Many men were hard at work, carrying crates from warehouses and back to the port, steadily making their way between the ships and docks as they restocked the many vessels waiting in the water.

Amongst them, of course, stood a massive ship, with a golden prow and stern, and a tall tower at its center. Most people at the port seemed to have acclimated to its presence, yet several of them still stopped to gaze at it in admiration, muttering amongst themselves before returning to their business. Kino was one of them, for he'd never been this close to a Royal Barge: Zuko, on the other hand, grimaced and pushed forward, trying to avert his eyes from it altogether. He knew it was irrational of him to begrudge Azula for being here exactly when he was, too… but some part of him couldn't help but wonder how on earth could she complicate his life to such degree without even meaning to. At some point in his life he had assumed his sister was always out to get him, and this time it was virtually impossible for it to be the case… but it was hard to help himself from thinking it, unfair as it might be. Of all times for her to visit Whaletail Island, truly…

"Move along, Aang" Zuko called, noticing the Avatar had slowed down to admire the largest ship in the bay. Aang swallowed hard.

"That's one heck of a ship, huh? With one like that, we wouldn't have to travel with bending" he said, with a weak grin "They sure didn't make them like this, back in the day"

"Well, they make them like this more often than not these days. That's just how it is" Zuko grumbled, ushering Aang to follow him "Come on. This way"

Kino sighed, guessing Zuko's attempt to shrug off the Royal Barge's grandeur would only work temporarily, seeing as no ship in the bay remotely compared to the Princess's own. And Aang might just discover who it belonged to if they were assigned to work near the ship, despite their best efforts to the opposite…

Well, if he did, there was nothing Aang could possibly do, now, was there? The Blue Wolf's fight would happen today, and by the time they were free to leave the port, it was quite likely that the Princess would already be setting sail again. So, even if Aang had wanted to tell Katara… it'd be too late. And as much as Kino knew that would be for the best, in the long run, heaviness choked his chest all the same. He knew already that Katara wouldn't forgive them for this, but now he wasn't entirely sure he would ever forgive himself either.

The more they walked through the port, the busier it appeared. Zuko's heart sank until they finally found the overseer he'd spoken to yesterday. He hoped the man would be as favorable to hiring them temporarily as he'd claimed to be, even if he seemed to have hired plenty of other people as it was…

"Uh, excuse me?" Zuko called the man, who had been busy reading the contents of a report he had received.

The overseer raised an eyebrow carefully. He was lean, young, perhaps only a few years older than Zuko. But his eyes were cold today where they hadn't been on their previous encounter.

"Heh. You're the one who wanted a job yesterday" he said, simply. Zuko grimaced.

"I still want it today. You said you'd hire us, all three of us, right?"

"You should've arrived sooner. If you want to work here, you can't just sleep in and show up whenever you see fit" the man declared "As you can already see, everyone's hard at work as it is"

Zuko grimaced and sighed, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. Both his companions looked at him with unease, though naturally one of them decided to chime in.

"Well, maybe you can hire us in place of those who are already tired?" Aang asked, with an uneasy smile "I'm sure it's a straining sort-of job, so…"

"If you think it'll strain you, maybe you're not fit for it" the man snapped back "Arrive earlier tomorrow and I'll think about it"

"What do you mean, you'll think about it?" Kino repeated, aghast.

"Please… we need the money" Zuko said, staring at the man meaningfully "Even if you can't pay us much, whatever we can do is…"

"Look, at this point I can't do anything for you, okay?" the guy said, cleanly "You should ask at the ships directly. Could be they need help, I don't know. Princess's Barge is pretty huge, they might need help restocking goods for the trip back to the Capital, I don't know"

"That… heh?" said Kino, his voice thin and soft. Zuko closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

"If not that, I don't know, man, but I have enough to worry about with keeping track of everyone here" the overseer declared, shaking his head "Get here at dawn tomorrow, and stop asking for scraps when we have none to spare"

The man wasted no more of his time with the three newest arrivals and walked away to check on a group that was transporting cargo on a wheelbarrow. Zuko breathed deeply, his jaw set. A mix of hot rage and cold, crippling frustration had taken hold of his body, but his dread outdid both those things. Maybe, if he acted as though he hadn't heard the man's comment about the Princess's Barge, Aang would pay it no mind either…?

"So, we're doomed, huh?" Kino said, with a dry grin. His unwillingness to acknowledge the dangerous subject relieved Zuko slightly: if Kino didn't say anything either, maybe they really could divert Aang's attention.

"We're not doomed yet. He said we should ask around in the ships. So, if that's all we can do, then we should start with…" Zuko replied, but he was interrupted by a trembling voice.

"The Princess's Barge?"

Zuko snarled. So much for diverting his attention. He had always known their chances of keeping Aang in the dark weren't all that good, but he had hoped he'd at least go a few hours without finding out the truth, at the very least. There was no way he would let this slip now.

"What does that mean, exactly?" the Avatar asked, smiling dangerously. Zuko breathed deeply, averting his gaze "You're not trying to tell me that… that ship there, the only huge one in the port, is… it's your sister's, isn't it?"

"U-uh… no?" said Kino, with a nervous grin "There's surely, uh, another Princess?"

"Oh, yeah? One who'd travel on a huge ship of Fire Nation-make?" Aang asked. Zuko huffed and clasped Aang's shoulders, hard.

"Okay. Okay, you got us. Yeah, that's her ship" he said. The expression on Aang's face went from surprise, to disbelief and then to outrage within a single instant, but Zuko didn't let him speak "But we're not going to work for her, or even so much as look in her direction, got it? We are here for a reason and…!"

"What?!" Aang exclaimed, shrugging Zuko's hands off "Are you out of your mind, Zuko?! If your sister's here…!"

"It changes nothing!" Zuko exclaimed "We have a mission to do, and I'm not Zuko, I'm Lee and I have to…!"

"No!" Aang said, frowning "If your sister's here, then doesn't that mean maybe…? Maybe Sokka is, too?"

"Oh, why would it have to mean that?!" Kino exclaimed, grinning uneasily "Surely it's just a, uh… you know, she's sightseeing! She's rich, haha! She can do that!"

"Yeah, and she'd come sightseeing to an island with a Gladiator Arena and not bring Sokka with her?" Aang said, with unusual snark. Kino froze "Back when we were only getting to know each other you had a chance to gather information about him in the Arena in this island, remember? Because I do! If she's here, then she's surely here for a fight, and that means Sokka is here too, and…! Oh. Oh, monkey feathers, Sokka is here?! Sokka!"

His previous disappointment and frustration froze over, overtaken by shock once more. Kino's eyes went between Zuko and Aang warily, dreading this wouldn't end well. Zuko breathed deeply, though, leveling Aang with a stern glare.

"Yeah, Sokka is here" he said, curtly. Aang's jaw dropped "We know he is. We went to the Arena yesterday, asked if there were jobs, and not only did they turn us down, they also told us that we should try our luck in this port since things were hectic ever since the Princess arrived to bring her gladiator for a battle. So, yeah, you're right. He has a fight, and you know what else? We have one of our own too! Sure, Sokka is important, but we can't prioritize bringing him and Katara together over the survival of the entire Tribe!"

"Woah, who said we'll just let them die?" Aang said, looking at Zuko in disbelief "Talking to Sokka, checking on him… it doesn't have to mean anything that extreme! Zuko, this isn't black and white, we can do both things…!"

"Oh, can we? Can we stop Katara from abducting Sokka and making a run for the South Pole, if that's what she has to do to bring him home?" Zuko retorted, looking at Aang skeptically. Aang huffed "Because as far as I know, that's exactly what she'll want to do as soon as she hears of this! So maybe before you run to the restaurant to tell her he's here, you should think twice about it! Because the only one amongst us with a real job right now is her, she's the only one who's making any money, and for the time being…!"

"Alright then, I'll tell her when her shift is up!" Aang said, dryly. Zuko gritted his teeth "Honestly, Zuko, this is a big deal to her! It's a big deal to everyone! He's part of the tribe, just as much as you are!"

"He's living in luxury and glory by my sister's hand, Aang!" Zuko snapped "My wife and child are starving!"

Aang gritted his teeth, apprehensive. Zuko's fury was understandable enough, and Aang certainly sympathized with helping those in need… but he still wanted to make sure Sokka was fine, one way or another. They had never been closer to him than today, and short of traveling to the Fire Nation as they had planned to, they would never be this close again.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Zuko…" Aang said, frowning "Wasting it makes no sense"

"Okay, that's all fine and good, Kuzon, Lee…" said Kino, breathing in and patting their shoulders gently "But, uh… how about we actually start talking about what we really will do now? We don't have jobs, remember?"

"I'm not sure there's any sense in talking about that now without figuring out what we'll do about this first" Aang said, pointing at the Barge "Do you two really expect us to find jobs today when you failed yesterday? As far as I can tell, we should come back earlier to the port tomorrow, and until then…!"

"No" Zuko snapped "We're not giving up this easily"

"Then fine, let's go work at your sister's ship!" Aang said, with a sardonic smile. Zuko clenched his fists "Why not? She ought to pay us properly, she's the Princess! Why wouldn't this work perfectly for you, huh?"

"You know perfectly well why it doesn't!" Zuko huffed, shaking his head and starting his way down the port "Curse it, Aang, why do you have to make this so difficult?"

"Kuzon, and Lee…" Kino repeated, hopelessly, only to go ignored by his friends again.

"Because you make no sense!" Aang exclaimed "What other choice do we have, really? If we can't get hired, we might as well take this chance to… to at least watch his fight, if you're so determined not to even talk to him! That way we'll know for sure whether he's okay or not!"

"What's so important about checking on his health so much, curse it…?" Zuko growled "He's bound to be better off than any of us, damn it. We don't need this"

"But to be fair…" Kino chimed in, and this time both Aang and Zuko stopped arguing and listened, for once "Aang has a point, you know? What else can we do, if we can't find jobs?"

"We surely can if we try the ships, one by one, and…!"

"Might as well find thread somewhere, weave necklaces and sell them in the streets" Aang grumbled. Kino blinked a few times, tapping his chin as he eyed his friend with curiosity.

"Huh. Do you know how to do that?" he asked, a joyous grin on his face.

"Uh, yeah? I could, I mean. I learned ages ago" Aang said, shrugging. Zuko did a double take before shaking his head.

"Are you serious? You want us to be street sellers?" Zuko asked.

"Better that than the brothel…" Kino pouted. Aang cringed and Zuko released a dangerous growl.

"Anything's better than that!" Aang said, before shaking his head rapidly "Okay, but then, hear me out! We can buy thread, some thread, and I can make nice necklaces from them, in old Air Nomad fashion, we can sell them in the streets…! And I could weave them while we watch Sokka's fight!"

"Yeah!"

"No!" Zuko said, eyes wide in horror upon seeing Aang and Kino had joined forces against him, all of sudden "That's not…! No!"

"That's a business. A sound business, too" said Kino, nodding promptly. Aang smirked.

"You can't deny it, can you? We should do this. Two birds with one stone!" Aang declared.

"You guys just want to watch that fight, for stupid reasons, and…!"

"And you, for stupid reasons, want to stop us!" Aang said "Look, I get why you're afraid Katara might overreact and do something crazy, but if it's just the three of us you have nothing to fear, or do you?"

"Only… only if you don't run to Katara with the tale as soon as I drop my guard" Zuko muttered, surprising both Aang and Kino.

"S-so… wait, you'd actually let me do this only if I don't tell Katara about it?" Aang said, eyes wide "But that's…!"

"You can tell her later. After… after they're gone" Zuko said, making a dismissive gesture at the Barge "If she finds out by then, as mad as she might get, she won't be able to derail the mission just for Sokka's sake, or rather, for her own sake. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

"Well… yeah. But it's cruel" Aang said, reproachfully. Zuko huffed.

"What do you want me to do, Aang?! My family depends on this! Everyone we know and care about is counting on us! If we fail, we'll doom the Tribe, and if we fail AND make an enemy out of my sister by getting in her way? We're going to get ourselves killed. Simple as that!"

"You said she's not that bad, though…" Kino mumbled. Zuko glared at him.

"She wasn't that bad because I wasn't detrimental to whatever stuff she was up to" he said, curtly "If I didn't get in her way, she'd just throw jabs at me here or there and go on her merry way. But getting in her way now? With Sokka being the… what was it, the unofficial top non-bender in the League? She'd tear apart the Tribe igloo by igloo if need be to find him again, and if you don't care about that…!"

"Okay, stop. I… I do care" Aang said, breathing deeply. Upon releasing his breath, a potent breeze pushed against Zuko. All the same, the exiled Prince stood his ground, even against a frowning Avatar "I don't want this to be more trouble than we can handle, it's true. But you have to understand, this is important too. I've never even met Sokka, but he's part of the Tribe every bit as much as any of us are. Hell, he's more part of the tribe than the three of us could ever be. He's Hakoda's son, he's Katara's brother… they've lost so much, Zuko. If you'd lost someone you care about as much as they cared about him, you'd be desperate to find your way to them again, just as they are. You can see that too, can't you?"

"I can" Zuko said, closing his eyes "But that's why I have to keep you guys on track. I get it, okay? I know he means the world to everyone, he was their family, their hero, and you all want him back. But there's something bigger at stake anyhow. And if we lose track of what we came here to do…"

"If so, the blame will be on me" Aang said, raising his hands "Either way, we're not going to do anything too terrible. We're just going to… use whatever money you have left to buy thread, and then we'll go to the Arena thing. Okay?"

"There's not much" Zuko said, frowning as he slipped a hand inside his pocket "Just a few coins…"

"Whatever we can buy with that, then…"

"Wait!"

Kino's sudden exclamation startled both Zuko and Aang. They frowned at him, as Kino raised a hand carefully.

"Don't spend it all" he said "I just thought… there's another way to make more money!"

"Oh? And you just came up with it?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! We should bet on Sokka!"

Zuko's jaw dropped, though Aang smiled proudly and nodded in approval.

"You're right! That's what you used to do with Suki, right? You'd bet on her to win the fights, and she'd ace them every time!" Aang told Zuko "If we bet on Sokka, then chances are we'll make more money! You did just say he was the best non-bender or something, right?"

"Unofficially, the best in the League, yes" Kino nodded promptly. Aang smiled, determination glowing in his eyes.

"Then that's what we'll do! Half the money for the thread, the other for the bet!" he said.

"Uh. Great, then" Zuko said, opening his hand and showing them the five coins on his palm.

Kino and Aang grimaced, having expected more than that. Zuko's nonchalant raised eyebrow spoke for itself, but Kino took two coins regardless.

"We'll find a shop, and get to work on our way to the Arena! It's the only way to proceed!"

Zuko sighed, shaking his head as he followed the pair into a nearby store. It took a while, and quite a bit of haggling, but they walked out of it with enough thread for Aang to make a decent necklace for starters, or so he claimed.

"Alright, our business is slow-going, but we'll make it work!" Kino exclaimed beaming as they started their journey across the port, on their way to the Southern Coliseum.

"We have to, else Zuko won't stop fuming" said Aang "I already accepted not telling Katara right away, you can at least smile a little"

"I have no real reason to smile as long as I keep seeing that thing there" Zuko growled, glaring at the Barge "I know it's only a coincidence, but of all the chances she could've had to travel here, why did she have to pick this week?"

"I suppose fate has a sense of humor, huh?" Aang said, shrugging.

"It's okay, Zuko. Nothing's going to happen" said Kino, breathing deeply. There was movement on the Barge's deck, though at this distance it was hard to tell what it was about "We'll go to the Arena, we'll watch the fight, Aang will sell his masterpiece necklace to some really rich girl, we'll make heaps of money from that, and…!"

Zuko stopped cold where he stood, eyes wide. Kino blinked a few times, wondering what about his reassuring words could have been so distressing…

Both Kino and Aang followed the path of Zuko's gaze to find two people were making their way down the pier where the Royal Barge had been stationed.

It was impossible to miss them, for one was clad in the shiniest golden armor they had ever laid eyes upon. People on the dock would scramble into reverences near her, but she walked past them without a care in the world, followed by someone taller, who wore a black-blue armor of his own, along with a set of weapons slung over his shoulders.

Reality hadn't quite sunken in with Zuko until he caught sight of them. It had been years since he last saw his sister and, although she was too far away to detail properly, Zuko had the same distinct feeling he had when he first met her after his banishment ended. She still walked with her head held high, as though nothing in the world was quite as important as whatever business she was up to. Her appearance seemed spotless, and in that golden armor she was even more regal than before.

He wasn't sure of why the sight of her gave him pause this way, but it did. The coincidence he had begrudged her so much for, the frustrations he'd been feeling about this matter, all seemed meaningless suddenly. She was his sister, after all… and as much as he hadn't quite been worried about her, something inside him was inevitably pleased to see that Azula still channeled the same energy as when he'd last seen her.

They had parted on good terms, at least better than on his first exile. They had learned to accept each other, to some degree, as they were. Zuko had set aside his resentment towards her for being successful where he always failed… and Azula had eased up on teasing and tormenting him, even proving helpful a few times when he had dreaded she might be cruel instead.

His sister had grown, changed, become a better person, someone he thought might make a decent enough leader for the Fire Nation, once her time came. And as much as he never thought he would have missed her, of all people, suddenly he couldn't help but want to run forward, call to her and greet her, even if he knew she would be utterly shocked to see him again…

She was his sister, just as much as Sokka was Katara's brother. He had less reason to worry about Azula than Katara did about Sokka, no contest… but suddenly he found that he wouldn't be all that opposed to a reunion with his sister, even if he was so uneasy about bringing Sokka and Katara together. He wasn't likely to throw off this entire operation just because he had encountered his sister, after all…

"I-is that… them?" Aang asked, bringing Zuko out of his own ruminations. The former Prince tensed up.

"Yeah. That's… shit, Aang, stay put. I mean it" Zuko warned him, near trembling now as the three of them followed the pair with their eyes "We don't need to cause them any trouble. They're… they're fine, see? He's got all his limbs, he's wearing his armor and has all his weapons…"

"H-he's huge" said Kino, his voice small again "Hell, he really is taller than Hakoda, isn't he?"

"I… I don't know" Zuko said, frowning but shaking his head "Whether he is or not, though…"

"I can't believe it…" Aang said, with a light huff "Monkey feathers, it's really him, isn't it? And… wait, are they going on foot?"

"We could catch up to them!" Kino said, beaming, receiving a quick chop to the head, courtesy of Zuko "Ow!"

"I said leave them alone, damn it" Zuko growled "He has a fight. We… we shouldn't get in their way. I said it before, didn't I?"

"You did, but still…" Kino pouted.

Aang released a deep breath, watching in amazement as the Princess and her gladiator climbed off the dock. They were too far away to be seen properly, but there was something to be said for how they walked amidst the commoners, with no retinue of guards, no palanquin bearers…

"So… they really are going on foot?" Aang whispered, puzzled "I would've expected, well… she's the Princess. Is it normal for her to walk side by side with him that way?"

"W-well… I didn't think it was, back in the day" Zuko said, frowning, but he smiled soon enough "Still, now that you mention it, I guess… I guess that's just what they did too, when I first met him. He was in crutches, so it's not like he was all dignified through it, but…"

"Crutches? Because of a bad fight?" Kino asked. Zuko nodded.

"Courtesy of my uncle's gladiator, before she became my uncle's gladiator, that is. She gave him a bad beating, from the looks of it" Zuko explained "And yet even then, he… he made fun of me and seemed to dislike me every bit as much as Azula did. They just walked off together, smiling like co-conspirators… and that's how they always seemed to act, I guess. I never understood, not entirely… she wasn't like that with other people, or rather, with anyone else. Somehow, she's climbed off her pedestals for him. She doesn't use palanquins when she's with him, although… well, it's true that they did tend to be above everyone else when they rode her dragon together. Come to think of it, I guess they didn't bring it along for this trip or we would've seen it by now…"

"Ow. That's a shame, I'd like to meet that dragon" Kino pouted. Aang smiled, though.

"Dragons, huh?" he said "Not everyone can tame one, you know"

"She did" Zuko said, sighing "Sometimes I thought… I thought it was my father who made everything easy for her. I thought people would let her have her way just because they didn't want to antagonize him. But that kind of achievement, taming a dragon… it either meant she was extremely lucky, or she was truly as remarkable as she always took pride on being. And I guess neither thing was really my business, was it? I'd been chasing after her for so long that I… I no longer knew who I was. And I didn't know who she was, either. I only knew the sides she showed me, and… well, she's really good at hiding all her weaknesses, from the looks of it. She does have them, she just covers them up like no one else I know"

"Well… she sounds both amazing and terrifying" Kino said, with a weak smile "You sure about not meeting up with them directly, Zuko? I mean… she is your sister, too"

Zuko breathed deeply, and for once he didn't answer immediately with a negative. Both Aang and Kino eyed him expectantly as he remained silent, watching Azula and Sokka vanish amidst the crowd in the port. He guessed they'd see them again shortly, in the Southern Coliseum, but until then…

"I don't know" he answered, truthfully. Aang smirked.

"Well, that's already better than a 'no'" he said "I guess you might actually change your mind in time. But we should get going already: we don't want to miss his fight, do we?"

Zuko shook his head. The three of them made their way to the Coliseum too, though they couldn't catch another glimpse of Azula and Sokka, who were far ahead of them by now. They reached the massive building after a few minutes of walking, with its archways and multiple entrances, many of them far more crowded than they had been on the day before. There were several posters pasted on the walls, some that seemed to support The Mist, and others supported the Blue Wolf. People in odd getups, most of them wearing blue outfits fashioned to honor the Princess's gladiator, could be seen throughout the different entrances, and Zuko grimaced at the sight of them: he hadn't missed the wild fans of gladiator combats, not one bit.

They had trouble figuring out where to go after making their bet, though they eventually followed a group of people who did seem to understand how the Arena's confusing archways, entrances and stands worked. After climbing a long flight of stairs, they found themselves at the topmost rows of the stands, though Kino insisted on taking their seats further down, for a better view of the fights.

"Alright, then, now…! Now we wait. And Aang weaves the necklace while we do, I suppose" said Kino, with an awkward grin. Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"Wait? How long will it be, exactly, until his fight starts?" he asked, frowning slightly. Kino grimaced.

"Uh, I don't know, but… I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" he said, with a guilty grin "Bring on the games? Or, uh, whatever it is they say here?"

"This is going to be a long day" Zuko sighed, dropping his head in his hand as Kino and Aang stared avidly at the Arena: the Arena's megaphone man had started his introductions for a pair of fighters, but neither description matched Sokka. It seemed it'd be quite some time before the Blue Wolf's fight began.

The rest of the crowd was eager to see the Blue Wolf though, just as much as Aang and Kino were. Yet the gladiator in question couldn't seem to decide whether he wanted to fight already or to put off the combat forevermore. He sighed as he sat on the bench in the small waiting room he had been guided to, and he raised his eyes at the ceiling, uncertain.

"This place is weird" he whispered to his companion, who sat beside him, arms folded over her chest.

"I guess the layout of the actual building made it so there couldn't be waiting rooms upstairs" Azula mused "So the only alternative was for them to be underground, huh?"

The Southern Coliseum was shaping up to be one of the most unique Arenas they'd ever visited. While it appeared normal from the outside, they had been guided to a waiting room underground through a maze of tunnels: the waiting area was right below the fighting pit, going by the constant rumor of shouting and cheering that reached them even here, in the humble, cavern-like rooms and tunnels they had been guided to.

"I can't say I feel too comfortable about this whole underground deal" Sokka mumbled "Brings back bad memories. Gladiator Rumble, Ozai Arena…"

"You'll fight above ground either way" Azula said, reaching out to hold his hand in hers "And besides, your opponent won't be an earthbender this time. You won't have to worry about these weird tunnels once the fight begins"

"By then I'll just have to worry about something else entirely, won't I…?" Sokka whimpered "Do you think she's… she's already here? In another waiting room?"

"Do you want to go check out if that's the case?" Azula asked, softly. Sokka grimaced, shrugging.

"W-what do you think is worse? For me to recognize her in public or in private?" he smiled uneasily "Or, uh, not recognize her at all, as the case may be…"

"Why… I don't know" Azula said, frowning "Frankly, either thing would likely mean you'll be too emotional to fight properly, right?"

"Right. That's not a good idea, is it?" Sokka said, with a nervous grin "I did just become the best non-bender, i-isn't it terrible for me to lose my first fight since then? It is, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well… our career isn't as important as your wellbeing" Azula sighed "You've lost before. Not in a while, it's true, but… if you lose today, I'll let it slide"

"I know you would. But… maybe nobody else will" Sokka mumbled. Azula eyed him with uncertainty.

"Do you want to forfeit, Sokka?" she asked. She spoke with no edge, no underlying threats or resentment in her words. And yet Sokka couldn't answer her in earnest. The situation was complicated, unpredictable, and he'd likely make a mess of himself… but he didn't want to let her down.

"No" he said, hoping to put in enough strength in the word to reassure Azula "I… I won't run away now. We've come all this way, so… I have to do it. I should just stop fretting and focus, right? Right"

Azula sighed, leaning against his body, her head settling on his shoulder. The underground room was lit by a few torches, as were all the tunnels underneath the Arena. The furniture wasn't as comfortable as that which furnished the Grand Royal Dome, but it seemed apparent that it was the case because gladiators were supposed to be the only ones in the underground maze: the staff member who guided Sokka had been visibly shocked when the Princess had been adamant about accompanying him downstairs.

"I love you" Azula whispered softly. Sokka's chest tightened, as did his hand around hers "That won't change, regardless of whatever happens today"

"I know" Sokka replied, kissing the top of her head.

"So, please… try not to torture yourself more than strictly necessary" Azula said, raising her head to look at him "I can't say I enjoy watching you suffer outside of, well…"

"Outside of what? Being sent to fight with a huge boner because you left me unfinished?" Sokka teased her, a weak smirk on his face. To his delight, she smiled guiltily and shrugged.

"At least you were vindicated later, right?" she said. Sokka chuckled and pressed his brow to hers.

"I love you too, Azula" he said "Whatever happens today won't change that either, alright?"

"I know that too" she smiled, though her breath threatened to escape her once more. A knot in her throat, tears in her eyes, all of it too quick and sudden, enough that she had to press her face to his armor again, to reel her emotions back into control rather than show them blatantly to him.

They waited a while, constantly on edge by the cheers and sounds they could hear above ground. Their closeness ceased every time a fight seemed to end, but if no staff member came by to fetch them, Azula would return to holding Sokka's hand, or he would wrap an arm around her shoulders, or they would trade gentle kisses, even if Azula found herself constantly wiping her makeup off his lips afterwards.

They had waited for at least two hours when a staff member finally came by. Following fit with their procedure of separating every time the sounds became louder, signaling the end of a fight, they weren't caught in a compromising position, although Azula had been patching up her make-up while Sokka made ridiculous faces in her portable mirror from behind her.

"Playing with a mirror, regularly using the term 'potty breaks'…" Azula said, closing the mirror abruptly just when the door opened "Just how childish can a fully-grown man be, I wonder?"

"Oh, Princess, is that a challenge I hear?" he teased, though his eyes were drawn to the opening door and his good mood vanished quickly.

"U-uh, sorry to interrupt" said the staff member from before, inevitably nervous upon addressing the Princess "Your fight is about to begin"

"I suppose that's all the better. If we wait any longer down here, next thing I know you'll be trying to put on my makeup" Azula huffed, as Sokka chuckled and stood up.

"You'll be taken to the gladiators' entrance by another staff member, Blue Wolf. I'll guide you to the sponsors' box when you're ready, Princess" said the man at the door. Azula nodded.

"I suppose that'll have to be…" she started, but she stopped talking when Sokka interrupted her with a snort and a loud laugh "What now?"

"Oh, this is rich. This is really, really rich" Sokka said, looking at her with gleaming eyes "It's like everything's coming together all of sudden!"

"Everything?" Azula repeated, raising an eyebrow. The staff member grimaced, sensing the Princess's temper was starting to reach dangerous heights "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You remember, back when we were just starting out, when you said that I was an uncivilized savage and that, because of that, I'd be able to live in a box and enjoy it?" Sokka smirked. Azula's eyes narrowed, and the staff member flinched "Who's going to end up in a box now, huh? Huh?! This is amazing!"

"Say, it's not clear to me. Are you, by any chance, implying that I'm the uncivilized savage…?" Azula said, with a skeptical smirk. Sokka's proud grin answered the question for itself.

"U-uh, if you'd like, I'll give you a moment t-to, well, sort this out…" the staff member said, slinking out through the door and closing it behind him silently.

Sokka snorted and doubled over laughing. Azula's eyebrow twitched and she shook her head.

"You're something else, Sokka, that's for sure" she said, smirking and yanking him up again, pulling at his hair gently to do so.

She kissed him once more, and Sokka couldn't seem to control his chuckling as she did. It had been rather convenient that the balcony here seemed to have been named 'box', else she doubted they could have bought themselves any further time together.

"Okay, okay, I'm good now" Sokka said, though a few chuckles still escaped him "Hell, I needed that laugh"

"Seems like you did" Azula smiled, cupping his cheek "You and your fixation of turning my worst teasing against me…"

"It's not my fault the universe is so full of ironies, Princess" he smiled.

"I suppose it's not, but you do take as much advantage of it as you can, huh?" she sighed, shaking her head "Are you ready?"

"Nope" he said, earnestly "But I'll do this. Don't worry"

"I always worry" Azula said, pressing her brow to his "I know you'll be dealing with this by yourself in the sand pit, but I… I'll be watching you through it all. I doubt it's much consolation to say that, but I guess my point is…"

"I'm not alone" Sokka finished. Azula nodded "And neither are you. No matter if one of us is in a box and the other isn't"

"We ought to find a box to crawl into together, seems to me" Azula smiled, shaking her head and pulling him close for another full kiss.

Sokka held her, closing his eyes and enjoying the exchange for as long as they could risk it. Azula prodded his nose with hers when they parted, and he chuckled before pecking her lips one last time.

"I'll do my best" he whispered.

"You always do" Azula said, caressing his face and dropping her hand on his armored chest "Alright, then. Let's go before they come fetch us again to find us like this, huh?"

"Okay but, you know… fix the makeup first" Sokka smiled, cleaning his own lips quickly as Azula expertly drew out her portable set once more.

"I think I'll have to restock on this before we set back to the Fire Nation, at this rate" she said, with a dry grin. Sokka chuckled, only opening the door when she had safely tucked everything back into her pocket, evading the large bags of money that clung to her belt, which she'd had to bring for today's bid: the opposite sponsor, it seemed, was quite the spender.

Two staff members stood in the cavernous corridor, waiting for them. They bowed towards Azula, who approached the one who had addressed them earlier. Sokka joined the other one, taking deep breaths as he did.

"Shall we?" the staff member told Azula, smiling and extending a hand towards the nearest staircase.

Azula nodded, but she glanced at Sokka one more time. Their eyes met, much as they had in another island, so many years ago, when they had first seen each other off to their respective duties as gladiator and sponsor. The tension that day, the uncertainties of what might happen, Azula's fear of entrusting her fate to a man who, at the time, had more than enough reservations about her…

All of it had withered away, vanished over time, replaced by an unbreakable bond like none they'd known before. Today they couldn't quite exchange an uneasy handshake, nor would they surprise themselves by referring to each other with their names in a respectful way for the first time… instead, they held each other's gaze, reiterating everything they'd said to each other moments earlier in the waiting room.

"See you later, Sokka" Azula whispered, with a small grin, echoing their words from that day. His own smile was well and truly earnest, of the sort he had never intended to offer her when their partnership had begun.

"See you, Azula" he replied, with more strength than he knew he had in him. She turned around slowly, her eyes lingering on his until the last moment.

The staff member guided the Princess to the sponsors' box silently, respecting the Princess's withdrawn behavior. He had half-expected to hear screams, shouting, the gladiator begging for mercy as she beat him to a pulp for being so disrespectful… instead, it seemed they had resolved their budding conflict peacefully, unexpected as that might be. And now Princess Azula was immersed in her thoughts… it was impossible for the man to know, let alone understand, that stepping away from her gladiator was pure torture for Azula right now.

The one with Sokka hardly noticed the gladiator's anxiety. Sokka's stomach was twisting, tense, in far worse ways than ever before. Being nervous about going too far with Azula had ever been a bittersweet experience, back in the day… but often there was more than enough sweetness to it to counter the bitterness. Right now, though, he wasn't sure how to handle his racing heart and the unsurmountable fear dwelling inside it. Unless Katara truly was his opponent, and she ran in for a hug, which would still be a problem for Azula and for their reputation in the League, there was very little chance that the sweetness would outdo the bitterness this time around…

"Alright, here we are" said the staff member, startling Sokka when they reached the means through which he would climb up to the arena: it appeared he was expected to step onto a platform of sorts, awfully reminiscent of the Mechanist's hot-air propelled lifts from the Northern Air Temple.

"Woah. What's this, exactly?" Sokka asked, eyeing the system with wide eyes "Is it… is it a lifter? Tell me it's a lifter!"

"U-uh, well, it's called elevator, but…"

"It's a lifter!" he exclaimed, beaming. The staff member blinked blankly.

"W-well, as you wish" he said "The Arena's owner has wanted to make innovations to the Southern Coliseum, such as more interesting ways to introduce the gladiators into the fighting ring. So, you'll wait in your own elevator, and your opponent will wait in hers"

"O-oh. Right" said Sokka, grimacing. The excitement about the elevators had briefly distracted him from the actual reason he was in the Southern Coliseum, to begin with…

"Step inside and, when the time comes, you shall be lifted into the ring" the staff member said, opening the elevator's door and allowing Sokka inside it. The Blue Wolf raised an eyebrow.

"See, you said 'lifted', not 'elevated'. Should be lifter" he said, pointing at the man with his index finger. The staff member sighed.

"You'll have to bring that up to the owner, if you're so set on it"

"Yeah, I ought to" Sokka stated, crossing his arms over his chest and breathing deeply. His eyes went to the ceiling again: he could see lights drifting from above, where the fighting pit waited… "I ought to"

His own absentminded words only instilled further fear and dread inside him. He should have brought Azula's necklace with him, just so he could find some comfort in holding onto it when the world seemed to be about to crash down all around them…

Azula reached the sponsors' box to find it wasn't quite like every balcony she had visited before: instead of hovering at the highest point of the building, it was closer to the sand pit than the general stands were. The box was luxurious enough, but it was heavily crowded: from the looks of it, the judges were here too, but she had never seen so many judges before. One man jumped to his feet as soon as she appeared at the archway, a man whose seat was at the first row in the box. His polished appearance and perfect stance betrayed he had been raised a noble, as did his smug smile.

"Ah, finally she arrives! Princess Azula, I bid you welcome to the Pearl!"

"The… what, now?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows with uncertainty, as the judges and other people nearby chuckled at her confusion.

"The Pearl, that's the name I've been trying to promote to replace the vulgar Southern Coliseum" the man said, smirking and shaking his head.

"I see. Here I thought I'd ended up in the wrong Arena" Azula said, with a dry grin. Now the laughter was louder, though the man she spoke to hardly seemed affected by her taunt.

"Of course not! This is exactly the place to be, the most modern and remarkable of locations in Whaletail Island!" the man exclaimed "Now, then, please join me, our gladiators will be fighting shortly…"

"Our gladiators?" Azula repeated, stepping down the rows of seats and towards where the Mist's sponsor waited "With how you spoke of this place, I would have assumed you were this Arena's chairman…"

"Oh, I am the owner, actually" the man replied, simply. Azula raised her eyebrows "To be precise, I inherited this place from my father, who built it back when the Superior League was in its early stages. He managed to retain full control and ownership of the building, despite being associated with the League… but the Coliseum was never all that popular. Now that he's passed on, and I took over for him, I intend to make this the most extraordinary Arena in all the League!"

"I see" Azula said, studying the layout of the fighting pit as she finally reached her rival.

There wasn't just sand down in the fighting pit: Azula couldn't hide her surprise to see actual plants within the ring, trees and bushes, rather than the less organic furniture that generally decorated other Arenas. The stands were massive, rivaling those of the Grand Royal Dome… yet, as there were less inhabitants in Whaletail Island, Azula couldn't help but wonder if the Southern Coliseum had ever achieved full occupation.

"I've worked hard to build upon my father's legacy, something I'm sure you relate to" said the Mist's sponsor, beaming "I've even expanded beyond this building, to adequate to the newer rules and regulations, such as providing a facility for medical checks after the fight. Once our fight is finished, feel free to make your way to the Sanatorium with your gladiator so he can be tended to. You'll find it most easily by leaving the Arena through the fifty-sixth door"

"Huh. Very well, then" Azula nodded, slightly apprehensive of the opposite sponsor.

The man's excitement about showing off all his Arena's facilities was akin to a child boasting about his best toys. There was no malice to him, at least none that was apparent right away. He simply basked in improving the Southern Coliseum and its affiliated buildings to the utmost, as any businessman would be expected to. His behavior certainly didn't suit her general image of a White Lotus agent, so perhaps this wasn't a trap… just so, she wondered if Katara might have agreed to join forces with someone as pompous as this man. She didn't know much about Sokka's sister, but it seemed an unlikely match-up, if it even was one. Still, most people would say the same about her and Sokka, wouldn't they? Perhaps she shouldn't judge the man, or his bond with his gladiator, without knowing what the full picture was…

"Ah, I've looked forward to this fight for so long, I must say" the man declared, smiling and dropping on his cushioned seat, urging Azula to sit beside him "It ought to be fascinating for our two gladiators to face off against each other"

"Fascinating?" Azula repeated, her stomach lurching. Yes, she definitely shouldn't jump to conclusions about who Katara might partner up with. Still, she had no intentions of revealing her gladiator's possible relation to her opponent's own, not without knowing for sure that it truly was Sokka's sister "Is it because of their Water Tribe origins, perhaps?"

"Oh, naturally…" said the man, beaming "The Water Tribe sure has its fair share of powerful warriors, wouldn't you agree?"

Azula's hand tightened around her seat's armrest. She glanced at the Mist's sponsor: he was smiling casually, as though his words were utterly inconsequential. Before she could prod him for more details about his gladiator, though, one of the judges, sitting behind them, leaned forward.

"Shall we settle on a time limit, then?" he asked. The Mist's sponsor nodded.

"Right, right! What do you say, twenty minutes? To give the crowd just what they want!" the man said. Azula's eyes narrowed.

"I… don't know if that's wise. I'd prefer a shorter limit than that" she whispered, trying not to betray just how deep her unease went.

"Oh, well, then… fifteen?" the Mist's sponsor suggested. Azula sighed and nodded.

"Better, at least" she said. And yet it still seemed too long. Was one minute too little, by any chance…?

"Then let's get started!" the Mist's sponsor exclaimed, and another man climbed to his feet, approaching the available bullhorn at the corner of the box.

The man's voice boomed across the stadium, but as the bullhorn was directed away from them, the loudness didn't particularly bother Azula. As the man began his introduction for the fight, her eyes were drawn by something else that captured her attention immediately, down in the sand.

"What is…?" she said, frowning and pointing at the north and south edges of the Arena.

"Ah, that?" the Mist's sponsor smirked, crossing his arms over his chest "Water, of course"

The stadium seemed to be flooding, turning into little less than an artificial beach when the water overtook the sand at two extremes of the ring. One stream ran between the two growing pools of water, so the fighting area would be parted by waters in three different places. The gates of the elevators, through which the gladiators would enter the ring, stood at the eastern and western extremes of the Arena.

"You see, I heard about places like the Slate, and Ozai Arena…" the Mist's sponsor explained "It seemed unfair that there would be Arenas that favor firebenders and earthbenders when there are none to favor waterbenders. It was only natural that I'd take it upon myself to fix that, right?"

"And yet there's only, what, two waterbending gladiators in the League?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. The Mist's sponsor laughed and nodded.

"Ah, there are two, though there used to be three before I got started with these projects" he said "I believe you were responsible for his most recent exit from the ranking, weren't you? The Remarkable Stingray or whatever it was…?"

"Notorious" Azula corrected. The Mist's sponsor nodded again.

"That's the one! Anyways, I thought waterbenders are capable of even more ruthless fighting than anyone else, and it would be fascinating if they had a bigger incentive to take part in the League…"

"Bigger than staying in the Northern Water Tribe?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "Would they even hear about your experiment Arena if that's where most of them live?"

"Oh, well, there are other waterbenders out there. My gladiator has said as much" he said. Azula frowned.

"Truly? May inquire where they might be found, if that's so…?" Azula asked, knowing she was doing a poor job at hiding her obvious apprehension.

"There's a strange tribe of sorts, somewhere in the Earth Kingdom… she said there were several waterbenders there who could easily be brought on board for the Gladiator League" said the Mist's sponsor, nodding "The other waterbender left in the League, aside from mine, comes from that tribe. Her name is Snapdragon, and she's also here, in Whaletail Island…"

"I see" Azula whispered, frowning "And your gladiator? She isn't from that strange tribe too?"

"No, of course not" said the sponsor, smirking and gesturing at the bullhorn "I wrote his speech for today's fight. He'll reveal just why I was so set on having her fight the Blue Wolf very soon"

Azula's unease increased, but she stopped tuning out the man at the bullhorn: he spoke very candidly about the Mist's skillset, as well as Sokka's… but the part that as good as drove a spike into her heart was the tagline she immediately assumed the Mist's sponsor had crafted to promote this fight as best as he could:

"… For not only will we witness a fight unparalleled between the best non-bender of the League and the rising star waterbender, the Mist: today we witness a fight between the last son and daughter of the South Pole!"

Azula's stomach sank.

It was her, then. It had to be. There was only one female waterbender in the South, Sokka had told her as much…

And while the crowd clapped excitedly at the prospect of such a match, three people sitting at the stands seemed just as perplexed by the megaphone man's words as the Princess was.

"Wait a second… what the heck?" Kino said, eyeing the fighting pit frantically.

He had been stoked about the fight so far: they had already watched four fights and finally it was time for Sokka's. Zuko had been bored, not paying much attention until the Blue Wolf was announced in the upcoming combat, and Aang had been flinching at the violence consistently, trying to focus on weaving his necklace to perfection instead, but now his eyes were wide as plates with confusion, the finished accessory resting on his lap.

"What's that supposed to mean, the last daughter of…?" said Kino, looking at Aang questioningly "He said it's a waterbender?"

"I-it can't be. I mean, Katara is working at that restaurant! That's where we left her, right?" said Aang, glancing between Kino and Zuko anxiously.

"This has to be a mistake" Zuko whispered, frowning at the sponsors' box…

It wasn't far away from where they had taken their seats, and he could see the expression on his sister's face far more clearly here than he would have, back in the Grand Royal Dome. And from what Zuko could garner, his cold-blooded, impassive sister, appeared as shaken by the announcement as they were.

Azula, nervous? Visibly nervous? That was definitely new.

"So, without further ado, introducing… the Blue Wolf!"

The elevator's door opened: Sokka had been lifted through the introductions, it had been hard to understand whatever the man was saying while the wheels of the elevator's mechanism creaked loudly. He was welcomed into the strange fighting ring to find a most unique layout, with vegetation and water around him. He scowled at everything with suspicion and unease, knowing immediately that this setting was meant to favor his opponent. And speaking of his opponent…

"And now, introducing the Southern Coliseum's favorite fighter, the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe… The Mist!"

Another elevator had lifted his opponent at the opposite end of the ring, and after those heart-stopping words, it opened its doors. Had Sokka been holding anything, he would have been sure to drop it right then and there. The last waterbender of the south…?

A young woman, with skin darker than his own, yet lighter blue eyes.

Her outfit was fashioned with white furs, her hair done up in a tall ponytail, with spikey bangs, that ended right above her eyes. There were two waterskins at either side of her body. Her arms were muscular, and she wore short pants, exposing her also muscular legs.

Too tall. Too built.

There was no recognition to be found in her eyes, for there was none to be found in Sokka's either.

"That… that doesn't look like Katara" said Aang, breathing out in relief as he sank in his seat "Hell, that was scary…"

"Unless she got a makeover in the restaurant, and changed outfits, and…" Kino theorized, tapping his chin.

"And has been fighting in this Arena for who knows how long without our awareness, despite she's been in the South with us all this time?" Zuko chimed in, skeptical "There's no way it was Katara. That stupid claim that she was the last waterbender of the South is probably her gladiator tagline, or whatever you want to call it. She must have been using that to promote herself, gain more attention and fans. They've been hearing that crap for ages, it's not like they made it up just for today"

"Well, I guess, but still…" Kino pouted "It could've been her!"

"Katara could have crashed the fight and replaced the actual fighter, I don't know" said Aang, shrugging, though he frowned "But if that's not Katara, then she's not the South Pole's last waterbender, so… who is she?"

Azula did her best to stay calm, trying not to react too visibly to the Mist's sudden appearance. Still, she assessed the woman quickly, as soon as she came within view… and her features weren't all that similar to Sokka's, even from a distance.

A quick glance at Sokka an instant later spoke for itself. Where the Mist was making her way to the center of the ring, Sokka had barely taken a few steps away from his elevator's threshold, and he remained standing where he was, his face undecipherable, even if Azula, at the sponsors' box, was as close to the fighting pit as anyone could be in this particular Arena…

Sokka's fists trembled, his breathing shallow: he had spent his youngest years antagonizing Katara, rivaling her, envying her for her powers… he would have known her face anywhere. And it wasn't the face he was staring at now.

He gritted his teeth and lowered his head, hating to acknowledge the reality of the situation: all their efforts to travel here had been a waste. All that anxiety, so much nervousness… for nothing. The woman was a complete stranger.

Despite knowing he ought to focus on the fight, Sokka glanced at the stands, looking for Azula. The so-called sponsors' box was low and close to the fighting area, as opposed to every other sponsors' balcony he'd seen so far… but what mattered was that he could see her there, her face riddled with the anxiety he knew she'd be feeling right now, for his sake.

He met her eyes and he shook his head.

With that, Azula's fears were instantly replaced by the deepest sense of dread. She had known Sokka would be devastated if it was all a hoax, worse yet when it had been such a prepared, specific hoax, of the sorts that would hurt him deeply… but she had never expected that a woman who wasn't Sokka's sister would build up an identity for herself by pretending to be the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Of all the worst-case scenarios she had prepared for, this one hadn't even crossed her mind.

The woman had a roughness to her, reminiscent of Toph's. There was little delicacy to her walking pattern, let alone her stance upon stopping at the center of the ring. Sokka gritted his teeth and restarted his walk at last, eyes set on the woman even if his heart was burning right now with the most unpleasant mix of frustration, betrayal and self-loathing.

Oh, he had set himself up for it, he knew as much… but what right did this woman have to call herself the last waterbender of the South when Sokka had never seen her face until today? All tribes had converged after Hakoda's return from the war, so if there had been any other waterbenders aside from Katara, they would have known about them… This woman couldn't be the second waterbender they had heard about, or could she? Hadn't Ozai's council claimed it was a man?

All possible explanations were far too confusing. Sokka's only resolution, though, was that he would fight this woman and figure out the truth, one way or another. Even if he didn't win, he had every intention to find out if she had come from the South at all… or if she was just a deceiver, as he suspected she was.

"Why did he…?" said Kino, raising his eyebrows as he watched Sokka make his way to the center of the ring "He shook his head? What for?"

Zuko frowned at Kino's questions: Azula's presence in this island… Sokka's reaction to seeing his opponent might have just explained it:

They were here to discover if the Mist was Katara.

He had never expected to experience any sympathetic feelings towards Azula, let alone towards Sokka, but it was inevitable after this. His refusal to let Katara know about her brother now sat ill with him, even if he knew, rationally, that it was the right thing to do. Even if he knew his family's survival might depend on keeping those two apart…

Sokka had been looking for Katara. And Azula had been willing to help him, enough that she seemed disheartened now that Sokka had shaken his head, a clear signal to his sponsor that it wasn't his sister in the fighting ring with him.

Zuko knew he didn't understand his sister fully, of course he didn't: Mai had told him as much a long time ago, and he didn't need more reminders of it to acknowledge that was the case. But she seemed so disappointed, so visibly worried about her gladiator, instead of remaining as stoic and perfect as ever… how much could his sister have changed in the last few years? Granted, he hadn't been paying much attention to her reactions during Sokka's fight in the Slate… but had she been this affected by it? Had her gladiator's pain been hers to this degree, and he just hadn't realized it?

The frown on Sokka's face was worrisome by the time he reached the Mist. The woman, rough and strong-willed as she had appeared, was taken aback by the harsh steel in the Blue Wolf's face, and she couldn't remain impassive when confronted with it.

"Uh…" she started, her voice deep. Too deep for Katara's. Sokka snarled.

"Who are you?"

His question was poised immediately. No polite greeting, no attempt to bond with the woman, none of his usual, renowned civility. The Mist's eyes widened.

"Woah, dude, you don't have to be so…"

"Who are you?" Sokka asked again, his voice all the more threatening now, eyes gleaming with rage "You're not from the South Pole, I know that for a fact. So spare me the bullshit and tell me, now"

"Okay, okay, geesh!" said The Mist, grimacing "Calm down, okay? I mean, damn, were you expecting to meet someone you…?"

Realization and understanding dawned in her clear eyes when Sokka didn't even flinch upon her guess. The Mist's hands dropped at either side of her body, all remnants of her menacing attitude vanishing unexpectedly quickly.

"Shit. Shit, I told Hong Tao this would backfire, but he didn't listen and… shit. Okay, look, I'm sorry, I'm not from the South but that's how he wanted to promote me. There's always been all that talk and rumors about there being some waterbender in the South Pole, and he thought we'd attract more attention if we pretended I was her, and…"

"Right" said Sokka, the coldness in his glare not quite receding yet… but that the woman had backed down and explained some of her story helped, to some degree.

"My name is Sedna" she continued "I'm actually from the North, they passed me over when I wanted to fight and even command a unit in the war, so I thought maybe I'd travel south because, well, that's what most people did in the early years of the war…"

"And you got distracted on your way there, I take it?" Sokka said. Sedna breathed deeply and shook her head.

"This opportunity presented itself. It's… not ideal. But at least I'm acknowledged" said Sedna "I feel like I'm someone now, more than I ever did before. You can understand that, can't you?"

Sokka's chest tightened, her words resounding with his very core, even if he didn't want them to. He closed his eyes, letting the wave of sadness and disappointment course through him as the man at the bullhorn kept rambling on about the grand battle of the south… he opened his eyes again, and they sported a dangerous glare when he did.

"Stop pretending you're the south's last waterbender" Sokka snapped. Sedna flinched.

"Well, dude, I can't exactly do that, my entire identity as a gladiator is…"

"Fake, and you can discard it and build a new, genuine one" Sokka growled, with determination. Sedna shook her head.

"Hong Tao wouldn't let me" she said. Sokka huffed.

"Then I'll make him" he said "Right after this fight's over"

"Oh, yeah?" said Sedna, scowling "You know, I kind of felt bad for you for a second there, but… this is my life now. You can't just storm in here and make demands as though you own the place. You've been with that Princess of yours too long if you think you can get away with that"

"Maybe I have" Sokka huffed, raising a hand and drawing out his sword.

A gasp ran through the crowd: the man at the bullhorn was still rambling, and yet it seemed the fighters were about to start, for Sedna had taken a fighting stance just as Sokka unleashed his sword.

"W-well, I guess you ought to hurry along, huh?" said Hong Tao, urging the man at the bullhorn to announce the fight's start right away. The man nodded, nervously.

"And, uh, anyways, let's get started!" he said: Sokka was already taking his first steps towards his opponent, and Sedna's water skins were open now "That is, in five, four, uh, two, zero, NOW!"

His final shout came as a water whip rushed at Sokka: he dodged it expertly, more agile than ever now that he was fighting without an under armor again. Sedna drew back her whip, aiming and sweeping it horizontally to keep Sokka at bay: the Blue Wolf dodged below it and pushed himself at his opponent brusquely, his sword in position to stab at her.

A cry ran through the crowd as the Mist found herself with no choice but to back down and make a run towards the stream cutting across the Arena, using its water to toss ice projectiles at Sokka. He shattered them easily, using both his sword and club to destroy the ice, though he couldn't avoid being slowed by the Mist's defensive spikes.

"Woah. He's… pissed" Kino said, eyes wide "Does he always fight like that?"

"No, he… he's much more calm, usually" Zuko said, frowning, his hand balling into a fist over his lap.

"He's freakishly fast, though" said Aang, eyes wide as Sokka climbed over an ice barrier the Mist had erected to block Sokka's progress, so she could reach the larger source of water faster "And strong"

Sokka stopped atop the ice barrier, drew out his boomerang and tossed it at full strength at his opponent. She chanced a glance over her shoulder moments before it hit her in the arm, and by then it was too late to do anything to defend herself. She yelled and fell on the sand, her shoulder bearing a painful cut now. The quick boomerang returned to Sokka's hand just in time for him to jump into nearby bushes: the Mist didn't see him hide, busy as she was cradling her hurt arm.

Within moments the girl had crawled far enough to reach the water supply, which she quickly brought to her wound: the water glowed, startling all those who had yet to see waterbending healing directly. And yet it wasn't a lot of them, for the Mist often resorted to that trick to sustain herself in the middle of fights.

Still, both Sokka, hiding amidst the vegetation, and Azula, sitting in the sponsors' box, were intrigued by the waterbender's move. At first, they were confused by what she was doing, but once Sedna could use her arm freely, the healing process's nature became apparent: they both had heard of waterbending healing in the past, but it was the first time they had seen it for themselves.

The Mist now glanced about herself in unease as she tended to her wound, searching for her opponent frantically. Once she was finished patching up her arm she breathed deeply and began amassing as much water as she could: if necessary, she would flood the entire Arena until she found the Blue Wolf. He could be as mad he wanted to be, that was none of her business: she was here to fight and win, and she had no intentions of giving up her gladiatorial persona just for his benefit.

She yelled as she unleashed a massive water blast upon a set of bushes… but he wasn't there. She aimed a new one to the nearest bushes, then another one…

When her fourth blast was about to fall upon a new set of bushes, the Blue Wolf finally showed himself: he tossed his boomerang at the Mist rapidly before making a run for it.

The Mist knew better this time: she took down the flying weapon with her own ice projectile before rushing after Sokka. He was a non-bender, and a slippery one too. He had to know he was at a disadvantage here, and that once Sedna caught up to him, he would be in trouble.

Her plans to take him down were thwarted when Sedna was running past the very bushes Sokka had been hiding in before: he tossed a small sphere powerfully towards her, his motion so quick she couldn't identify what it was before it detonated.

A blast of the worst-smelling smoke she'd ever faced struck Sedna right in the face. She cried out loud, and that only made things worse: she needed to breathe something other than this gross concoction of smells, so strong and potent she barely remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She needed to get out of the smoke cloud, immediately…

"Woah, that stinks even here!" Aang grimaced, bending some of the air away as imperceptibly as he could, as Zuko and Kino coughed slightly.

"That's so gross. He didn't do that to Suki, did he?" Kino said. Zuko shook his head.

"That stench is new, he's used smoke bombs but… not like that" he explained.

The Mist had finally clawed her way out of the cloud, as good as jumping into the nearest pool of water in a gambit to stay there, in the most defensible area of the ring for her, while she waited out for the terrible gas to vanish. If the Blue Wolf dared attack her here, he would never reach her before Sedna could freeze him completely.

Of course, Sedna didn't expect a new bomb to soar through the air and detonate right above her, in the pool's area.

"No, no, no!" she yelled, creating a quick dome of ice, blocking the smoke out and protecting herself from the attack.

Sokka watched from the tree he had climbed while Sedna struggled against the smoke: it had been a handy vantage point from which he could attack his opponent easily. He released a long, drawn sigh, watching as the thick smoke dropped gradually upon the makeshift igloo. He wouldn't have a long time to compose himself, but hopefully it would prove to be enough time to regain some self-control while Sedna remained inside her dome.

But the outrage and indignation had as good as taken over him, driving him to see red. He could only want to strike down that woman for pretending to be his sister, and for refusing to let go of that wretched gladiator persona. She wasn't hurting anyone else by it, he knew as much… but it wasn't fair. It wasn't right. The last waterbender of the South wasn't a fancy title through which anyone ought to wish to earn further recognition: it was the mark of tragedy. They had lost so much, too much, and it was outrageous that someone would be senseless enough to exploit that so carelessly.

His eyes shifted towards the sponsors' box, inevitably. Azula's eyes met his, once again: clambered up the tree as he was, they were as good as on the same level in a fighting pit, for once. There was concern in her gaze, apparent even if they weren't all that close to each other. She had known this could hurt him, given him countless chances to back out, offered him the opportunity to bring him home for good, so he could see his sister indeed rather than chase false trails… And he had still fallen for this, like the fool that he was. Had this happened years ago, he guessed Azula would have been angry at him for wasting their time… today, she showed him nothing but empathy, nothing but heartfelt sorrow: she wished things had turned out differently, just as much as he did.

He didn't want to fight anymore. The rage coursing inside him, urging him to make Sedna back down on her gladiator persona receded slowly, replaced by the true feelings that nestled in his chest: disappointment and sadness. Suddenly, all he wanted was to get out of this damn Arena, to hug Azula in bed and stay put with her for a whole week, if he could get away with it.

But if he was to leave this place, he had to defeat his opponent. And he intended to do exactly that, so he breathed deeply, nodding in his Princess's direction reassuringly: he wasn't okay, but he would finish this fight. She wouldn't be shamed by his performance today.

He jumped off the tree swiftly and within moments, he had retrieved his boomerang. He was halfway to the pool the Mist was hiding at when finally she broke out of her ice dome.

The ice she'd used turned into yet another smokescreen, but a rather different one: mist spread all across the terrain, hiding Sedna, as well as the trees and everything on the Arena's floor, from plain sight. This was, clearly, the technique that had inspired Sedna's gladiator name. Sokka sighed, shaking his head and closing his eyes: he could barely see a couple inches ahead of himself with how thick the mist was, so it would be better for him to resort to something other than his eyes to locate his opponent.

He could hear her footsteps, stomping slick across the sand as she ran towards him. A trickle: water reeling in, to attack in the form of yet another whip. He leapt out of the way, dropping on the ground and crouching until he was close enough to the source of the sound that he could attack his opponent directly.

He snuck closer to the Mist until her body's silhouette was visible through the fog: she kept the fog at a certain distance from her body, so her own technique wouldn't render her blind as well. Still, it would be useless for her to protect herself with mist if he rounded her and attacked her from behind. There was little honor in doing that, Sokka knew as much, but right now he was well past the point of caring. All he wanted was to put an end to this fight immediately, whatever the cost.

He rounded her carefully, quietly, before rushing at her from behind. Sedna screamed when she noticed her opponent's presence, and she drew all the fog to herself instants before Sokka could reach her: the Blue Wolf was drenched by the small water particles, and unsurprisingly, he felt them freezing over his armor and body. If only he hadn't expected it, he would have been far more affected by it, but frost only seemed a fitting accessory when he felt ice-cold inside…

Sokka continued to move, disregarding the pain of the frost against the exposed parts of his body, and he punched his opponent in the stomach. The woman bent over, breathless, but not powerless: she reached up to the exposed skin on his arm, clawing at Sokka with the sharpest nails Sokka had ever dealt with, and he had certainly dealt with sharp nails before. He flinched before realizing what the Mist's secret was: her nails were coated with sharp ice, and she cut at him as though using five simultaneous razors. Sokka steeled himself against the pain before striking her arm with his club, hard.

A cracking sound, and the weakening grip on his skin, were accompanied by a desperate scream. With a broken arm, the Mist wasn't quite as capable of just healing this one better within moments, and she fell to the ground, cradling the dreadful, painful wound against her chest.

"It didn't have to come to this…" Sokka huffed, as what little remained of the fog slowly dropped on the sand "It wouldn't have, if you hadn't… if you didn't…"

"S-stop it, stop, please…!" the Mist cried out loud, trying to kick Sokka away. To her relief, he relented and backed down, keeping his distance.

The woman writhed on the sand, teeth gritted, holding her arm against her body pitifully. Perhaps five minutes ago he would have felt vindicated by the sight, but right now, Sokka's chest was heavy with disappointment and sadness. He shook his head and knelt beside his opponent again, putting away his sword and club for now, unwilling to hurt the woman with his weapons anymore.

"S-stay away, stay away…" she mumbled, using her right arm to crawl away, putting more distance between herself and Sokka.

"I thought you were my sister"

The Mist seemed to forget about her wounds temporarily, his words slapping her as a powerful water blast might.

"I haven't seen her in five years" he continued "I didn't know for sure that you'd be her, but… everything fit. And then, when that guy said you were her, I… I thought… shit, I really thought you had to be. But when I saw you… I realized I'd been a fool to kid myself like that. I should've never…"

"I'm sorry, okay? I… I said I was…" Sedna pleaded "Don't… don't hurt me anymore. Please. I never meant for it to be like that, I…"

"I know you didn't. You couldn't have known" Sokka said, shaking his head "But you do realize there's a reason that rumor spread? That there's just one waterbender left?"

"I…"

"All the southern waterbenders were killed systematically, by the Fire Nation, for ages. Even if you don't give up that pretense for me, because yeah, I… I'm the asshole who snapped your arm broken, at least do it for benders like yourself. Those who… who died unsung, and who deserve better than being treated as a fancy accessory for you to bulk up your gladiator career"

The Mist remained silent now. Sokka breathed deeply as he switched to sitting with his legs crossed, elbows resting on his knees as the woman beside him eyed him warily.

"W-why aren't you finishing me off?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"I can't say I feel like fighting anymore" he whispered.

"I-I could beat you still. With my legs, or my arm, or…"

"Go ahead, then. That ought to motivate me to end this right away" Sokka said, his voice sad all the same. The Mist gritted her teeth.

"Just do it. Please. Make it stop. It hurts…" she said. Sokka sighed and shook his head.

"Okay, okay… I'll help you" he said, standing up: yet, instead of attacking, he leaned down and picked up the Mist by drawing her right arm over his shoulders.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Want to finish this fight? Let's finish it" he said, walking her to the central water stream.

The entire Arena was shocked and speechless as the Blue Wolf brought the Mist, who had seemingly taken a wound bad enough to render her helpless in battle, to a proper source of water that she could continue using against him. He deposited her beside the water and stepped away, shaking his head.

"Get on with it. I really don't want to drag this out any further" he said. Sedna quickly scooped up enough water with her bending to relieve her broken arm before turning to glare at Sokka apprehensively.

"Why? W-why would you give me a chance to… to fight back?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"Maybe I just didn't like having such a one-sided fight with someone who, despite not being her, still reminds me enough of my sister to make me feel dead inside when I hurt her" he whispered. Sedna huffed.

"S-so, if I didn't remind you of her, you would've just…"

"Yep. Knocked out a guy once in something like five seconds into a fight" Sokka said, shrugging "He definitely didn't remind me of my sister"

The Mist gritted her teeth and turned towards Sokka. If just for now, if just in a last-minute bid to take him down…

She summoned water, as much as she could, and she brought up a large, arm-wide whip this time, through which she attacked him viciously… but Sokka dodged, and dodged again, until he had slipped close enough to her that, even if she drenched him, she wouldn't have enough time to freeze him in place…

And he struck her with two outstretched fingers, at the back of her neck.

The Mist fell in a heap in the water, the whip she'd been holding falling into the stream once more. Sokka stepped into the stream to drag her out of the water, ensuring that she wouldn't drown. Sedna coughed, yet couldn't move… something that, it seemed, she had never experienced before now.

"W-what did you do? What did you…?! I'm… I can't feel my body, I can't feel my…!"

"Chi-blocking" Sokka said, closing his eyes and standing up as he left her lying on the sand "They ought to do the countdown now. And I guess I hit you well enough that you won't be able to get up in ten seconds, so…"

Up in the sponsors' box, Hong Tao was aghast. All his previous pride and confidence were well and truly gone. Azula had only sighed after the Mist had collapsed, relieved Sokka had managed to hold his own despite experiencing such visible emotional turmoil… and the judges around them seemed nervous about starting the countdown, even if it was clear the Mist was incapacitated.

"Well?" Sokka asked, his voice finally reaching the stands for the first time in the fight. It had been a rather loud crowd, divided between being supportive and horrified by Sokka's thorough victory over the Mist.

"T-the rules do establish your opponent must be unconscious…" said the man at the bullhorn. Sokka cursed under his breath and leaned close to the Mist again.

"Bullshit rules, always the same nonsense. Well, sorry. You're a promising fighter, Sedna…" he said, before pressing his hands to her temples. The Mist cringed, but she was powerless to stop him. As it was, there was nothing she could do about such an embarrassing, quick defeat at the hands of a man who should have been too emotionally compromised to be so effective… "But I can't take this anymore"

Those were the last words he said before The Mist lost her consciousness. Sokka sighed and stood up, spreading his arms in the most sarcastic gesture of showmanship anyone in the Southern Coliseum had witnessed until that day.

"Happy now?" he asked. The bullhorn man eyed Hong Tao warily but nodded, and he began his countdown.

"N-no. This can't be… so easily, too?" Hong Tao said, eyes wide "But my gladiator was the best waterbender…!"

"She may yet improve" Azula whispered, next to him, giving Hong Tao pause "Don't give up on her. But… please, do consider rebranding her somehow. I don't expect you to have much respect for the Water Tribes, most people don't, but… claiming that she's the last southern waterbender in vain is quite outrageous"

"What do you mean, in vain?" Hong Tao snorted "My gladiator…"

"Isn't from the South. Else my gladiator wouldn't have been quite as quick to fight her as he was" Azula said, glaring at the man. Hong Tao's eyes widened "I came here ready to lose, just so he could see someone from his tribe once more. His performance made it clear she was a total stranger for him, and yet you tried very hard to convince everyone of the opposite, all for a cash-grab, from the sound of it…"

"I…" said Hong Tao, nervous and apprehensive.

"Pick your battles carefully the next time you decide to play games more dangerous than simple gladiator fights" Azula said, stretching her hand towards him "Countdown's over"

"T-the winner is… the Blue Wolf!" the bullhorn man exclaimed, and a moderate cheer coursed through the stands at his words.

Hong Tao breathed deeply and shook his head. He wasn't used to losing, despite it wasn't the first time it had happened. It irritated him, deeply… but he handed the bag of winnings to the Princess, large as it was. The bid had been considerable, for he had ever been liberal about how he spent his money; even so, letting go of it was rather painful when it came about this way.

"I… I'll consider what you've said" he whispered "Your gladiator is… well, he's every bit as impressive as they say, it seems"

"Yours will be as well, in time, if you ensure to train her further" Azula said, nodding in his direction "Thank you for the fight"

Sokka sighed, staring at the Mist's unconscious, immobile body with far more sadness than he expected to. It wasn't her fault, not entirely… they had assumed she was Katara even before finding out she was even pretending to be her. He was the fool who had fallen for the trick, only because she seemed to suit Katara's profile perfectly. He had no one to blame for jumping to conclusions but himself.

Watching the Blue Wolf stand there, solemn and miserable, only depressed Aang and Kino. They had hoped to catch a better glimpse of Sokka than this, despite having evidenced he was a remarkable fighter and strategist through his thorough triumph over the Mist. Never had they expected a fight against a waterbender to be so one-sided, let alone to a non-bender's favor… Katara would either be delighted or horrified to hear her brother was that efficient.

But Zuko had understood what they hadn't. None of the conversation between Sokka and the Mist had been audible for them at the stands, but he had made the connection, most of all through his sister. And as he saw her stand up to leave the sponsors' box, he realized this was his last chance: if he wanted to talk to her, to check on her and make sure she was alright, perhaps even to tell her Sokka had nothing to worry about, that his sister was fine, he only had one opportunity to do so.

"Guys, can you wait here for a bit? I have to… go to the bathroom" Zuko lied, promptly pushing himself up and rushing out the nearest set of stairs. Their attention on Sokka was only broken by Zuko's hasty departure.

"He must really want to go, huh?" Kino said, following Zuko with his gaze until the banished prince was gone from view. Aang only shrugged.

Azula sighed as she walked across the confusing corridors of the Southern Coliseum: she held the winnings in her hands, irritated by how large the bag was. She'd generally rather tuck the winnings into her pockets, but this bid had been so large that even her own bags of money didn't fit inside her pockets, and they were fastened onto her belt instead. If those didn't fit, neither would Hong Tao's bag. She had naturally brought the allotted money to pay Hong Tao in case Sokka lost against his supposed sister, the scenario she had braced herself for from the very start… oh, hell knew how she'd patch him back together again after this. He would be sulking for weeks, perhaps even months, and she knew that it didn't matter how much she insisted that she could take him to the South Pole to meet his sister for real, he'd refuse to go, and…

"Azula"

The voice that called her name came from one of the countless archways in the outside corridor of the Arena. She had walked near absent-mindedly, only planning on slowing down once she reached the Gladiator's Entrance, which she hoped would be near that Sanatorium Hong Tao had mentioned…

And yet that familiar voice, calling her name for the first time in years, gave her pause immediately.

She didn't place it right away, but the curt pronouncing of her name, the light lisp, the lack of a proper greeting all should've given away his identity immediately…

But it wasn't until she turned fully to face him that her eyes widened completely.

He was paler and thinner, in worse shape than she remembered seeing him up to date. Had it not been for the usual giveaway of his identity, that large scar over his left eye, she might not have recognized her brother at all. Her jaw dropped, taking in the worn clothes, the half-knot he wore his hair in now, and the awkward smile on his face.

This wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening. And yet she blinked once, twice, and the man before her didn't vanish from sight. He still stood there, regarding her with unusual timidity, looking completely out of place within the complicated maze of hallways in the Southern Coliseum.

"Zuko…?" she finally spoke, the name sounding utterly foreign from her lips now. It wasn't as though she hadn't spoken it in ages, she had mentioned him plenty of times ever since he'd left the Fire Nation… but she hadn't ever expected to find him, or rather, for him to find her, when he had allegedly vanished off the face of the earth, the last she'd heard.

It was him, though, and there was no doubt about it. His smile grew more earnest as he stepped out of the shadowy archway, and with light falling upon his features, Azula's doubts were dispelled for good, replaced by utmost incredulity.

"You're…? What in the…? Huh?!" she said, prompting Zuko to chuckle at her reaction. He had hoped to surprise her… but it was definitely the first time he had managed to catch his sister off guard to such degree, for sure.

"Been a while" he whispered, with a casual shrug.

Oh, it certainly had been a while, and he definitely owed her more than a few explanations, Azula thought. She had to run to check on Sokka, of course she did… but Zuko's random, unexpected appearance posed far too many questions that required answers as quickly as possible.

She only hoped her gladiator would forgive her for not meeting up with him immediately when she knew he needed her so badly.

A/N:

Just thought I'd drop a reminder that you can get snippets of the next chapter a week before the update if you support me on P / A / T / R / E / O / N... :'D