Ozai's unyielding eyes appeared confused once they met his daughter's. She didn't frequent the spa these days, the number of her visits had decreased constantly ever since she had begun to build herself a public image and a proper reputation. Ozai, though, had visited the spa regularly, every day after training. That their paths would converge in the spa would have been fine by the Fire Lord…
If only she hadn't jumped into a defensive kata upon realizing she was not alone.
"F-Father…" she said, finally lowering her hands. Her cheeks were flushed beyond what Ozai remembered seeing them ever before "I, uh… I'm sorry. I meant no harm, I…"
"You clearly haven't received the right treatment if you're tense enough to expect a fight here" Ozai said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips "I'm surprised to find you in the spa, for starters. It's not like you to drop by and forget I generally come here around these hours, too…"
"I… I was careless" Azula said, the words sinking inside her like a heavy anchor, although they offered her no stability. If she had been careless about completely ordinary matters, it would only be worse when it came to her duties, wouldn't it…?
"An unusual word to describe you" Ozai said, raising his eyebrows as he walked past the massage table his daughter had been lying on. Another one waited nearby, and he climbed onto it without a second thought "Odd too, that you would stop by the spa altogether. I thought you were rather busy…"
Azula tensed up further. She was hardly being that irresponsible, her own people had told her to leave them to their own devices! She wasn't just wasting time…!
But to her father it would surely appear that way, wouldn't it? Her work with the Enforcers was her most important yet in Fire Nation society, and here she was, sitting on a massage table, not involved in the happenings…
Her silence brought Ozai to analyze his daughter more carefully. The signs all pointed at Azula being overwhelmed, but he hadn't quite understood that until now. Her usually unreadable emotions were plain on her face: the heavy sensation of failure clung all around her… despite he doubted she had failed at anything at all.
"I have been busy" Azula finally said, her voice unusually small "I just came back from the Enforcers' Headquarters"
"Good, then" Ozai said "Did you spend the whole night there? You look like you barely got any sleep…"
"Well, I… I didn't sleep much, true" Azula acknowledged. For once, it was a relief that she had stayed up for reasons her father could be briefed about, as opposed to her frequent exhaustion throughout the past years because of her very inappropriate night encounters with a certain gladiator… "I was writing a report for you, on how the first Enforcers' raid unfolded, so… I didn't have much time to rest afterwards"
"Hmm. I trust I shall see this report soon?" Ozai asked. Azula nodded promptly.
"I could bring it to you now, if you like. It's in my…"
"Now? When I'm in the spa?" Ozai asked, with a questioning stare. Azula froze "At best leave it in my study, but not here"
"R-right. Right. I apologize" Azula said, lowering her head. Ozai breathed deeply, studying her reactions cautiously.
"You… aren't well, are you, Azula?"
"What do you mean?" she said, panic spreading inside her immediately. Ozai raised an eyebrow "I'm fine! I'm not sick or injured or anything, it's just…!"
"Stress" Ozai finished. Azula was paralyzed by his interruption, which hit her with the power of an incoming train-tank "You, child, are stressed beyond belief. And that… that won't do"
He had read her easily. Her father, reading her easily. That was wrong, by every account she could think of. At this rate he would infer her relationship with Sokka without making any efforts, just because it was plain across her face, too…
"I… I'm sorry" Azula said, before she could think it. Ozai's confusion only increased over that apology.
"And why should you be sorry?" he asked, just as servants filed into the room to attend him.
Ozai raised a hand towards the servants, though, surprising both them and Azula. The Princess watched quietly as her father gestured at the spa's workers to leave him with his daughter. They bowed and obeyed his wishes without uttering a word, closing the door behind them and affording them proper privacy. At that, Azula clenched her jaw, uncertain of what to expect from a casual encounter with her father that had seemingly turned into an impromptu meeting.
"I fear we must talk, Azula" Ozai said, now gesturing at her to take her seat on her massage table again. She hadn't returned to it yet, still too tense to even remember herself as it was.
"I… I can handle this mission, Father" Azula said, urgently "I know I'm making a poor case of myself right now, and I must sound and look utterly mad, but…"
"You don't" Ozai said, and Azula trusted he was being truthful. Her father had never been the type to sugarcoat his criticism, after all "But you may be facing the biggest obstacle you have in your political career"
"I… am?" Azula asked, taking her seat at last, puzzled by Ozai's words.
"Indeed" Ozai said, sitting up properly as well and leveling his daughter with his merciless gaze.
Those eyes had seldom been harsh towards her. His coldness, his ruthlessness, he reserved them for others. Even now, as she found herself wary of the meaning of her father's words, she could sense unusual warmth in him, perhaps even fondness. She knew she was the only person who could ever find those things in her father, but it surprised her nonetheless: after their falling out, and their countless clashes over the past year, she wouldn't have expected her father to hold her in high esteem anymore.
"Ever since you were a child, you've thrived in handling everything on your own terms" Ozai began "You are independent by nature. You surpass all standards, you prove yourself superior to every expectation anyone might impose upon you… it's not effortless, of course, but generally you manage to give the impression that it is. So, why are you all that successful when it comes to matters you can be independent with?"
"Because… because I'm in control" Azula answered. Ozai nodded.
"You'd think you're still in control now, of course" he said "You are, after all, the commanding officer for the Enforcers. You are the chairwoman of the Social Rehabilitation Center. You are the sponsor to your gladiator. The rider of your dragon. You are in control, of course you are… and yet it's certainly easier to control that which is smaller, closer to you, isn't it?"
She nodded. Her father's words rang true: Xin Long and her had a psychic bond that brought them close together, enough to understand each other's thoughts perfectly, since the first moment. Without such a fire pact, she had developed a similar enough bond with Sokka. Yet once it came to larger groups…
"Leading is no easy feat" Ozai said "Not even for extraordinary people. But it seems apparent it would be all the more difficult for an independent overachiever who exceeds every expectation set upon her. Of all lessons you may have left to learn before you're ready to rule, this might be the most important amongst them"
"Is it really?" Azula asked. Ozai nodded promptly.
"Why do you believe I visit the spa on a daily basis? Why do you think I train every morning as rigorously as I do?" he said. Azula's fingers tightened around the edge of her massage table "If I have a routine, the plights and tribulations of ruling won't afflict me at every hour of every day. The way I suspect they're afflicting you already"
"Right… but it seems to me I would be irresponsible if I merely tried to reclaim a sense of normalcy in my life while the Enforcers' most crucial operations are taking place" Azula said "I may be mistaken, but I truly believe I should be part of…"
"You are, indeed, mistaken"
Azula eyed Ozai with uncertainty. He spoke without a shred of a doubt, as though his reasoning was flawless.
"Do you remember your first mission?" Ozai asked. Azula nodded "When you merely traveled south as my diplomatic envoy, in War Minister Qin's stead. You had been asking for opportunities to prove your worth for quite some time, and I finally decided to relent, even if with something that appeared so innocuous. It wasn't, in the end, but nothing was supposed to happen in that brief meeting in the South Pole. I thought, of course, that it would be safe for you to go. I was wrong, despite you proved your worth and defeated the enemy thoroughly.
"Did I fuss over you afterwards, though? Did I lose my mind in senseless grief because you could have been in danger, because you could have been captured? I, naturally, did not. You, and the men in that meeting with you, were supposed to be competent, highly trained individuals, and the Water Tribe was weak. Had you failed to keep the enemy at bay, I would have been hard-pressed to find replacements for every officer who attended that meeting only to falter at the first sign of struggle. You, of course, would have never been granted another mission after the failure of a first"
"You still demoted Chan eventually" Azula said, with a weak grin. Ozai nodded.
"True. He was a good officer in many regards, but once you revealed his deceit and treachery, I knew for sure that he was not to be trusted. And so, he was dismissed, and another officer took his place.
"Likewise, when your next mission began, years later… I could have fussed over you as well" Ozai said "I could have sent you letters on a daily basis, demanding for updates and reports on whatever had happened with the Rough Rhinos. At a lack of an answer, once you were stranded in the forest, I could have set out with my entire army to storm every nook and cranny throughout the Colonies to find you. But I didn't. And in the end, you delivered, even bringing a dragon back with you, to everyone's amazement"
"So… I take it you're saying I need to cut my subjects some slack?" Azula asked. Ozai actually smiled.
"Not quite. You need to let them do their jobs, that is" he said "Cutting them slack would imply being soft, perhaps, and not dealing harsh punishments if needed. But if you fear they will fail to fulfill their duties, and choose to handle everything yourself… you will never get anything done, Azula"
"I guess it's your experience as Fire Lord speaking…" Azula mused. Ozai nodded.
"You have three main matters to concern yourself with" he said "The Enforcers, the Social Rehabilitation Center, and your gladiator. Me? I have an entire nation to concern myself with. Economy, education, military, social and judicial matters… everything comes back to me. I am, indeed, the most powerful man in this nation and the world. Much as you are the most powerful woman, already. But despite what the lower classes believe, watching us from afar as they do, despite what the greedy and the envious may expect, our power is far from synonymous with freedom. We are trapped, Princess Azula, both you and me. Our power limits our actions. The more power we have, the easier it is to find ourselves overwhelmed and overcome by the impact of our every decision"
"How do you cope with it, then?" Azula asked "You said… a routine? Is that all there is to it, or…?"
"No, of course not" Ozai said, shaking his head "The main lesson you ought to learn from your current situation is, perhaps, one that contradicts your entire nature. It hardly bothered me to learn it, but you… like I said, you are independent, and you are ever fiercely in control of most matters in your life. Relinquishing said control to some degree will never sit well with you. And yet that's exactly what you must do"
"By… giving my subjects room to do their jobs, as you did with me every time you let me take up missions" Azula sighed "Commander Rahi did mention I seemed to be waiting for holes to open in our hypothetical ship, ready to clog them up at once…"
"And how will you ever steer your vessel away from incoming rocks or storms if your eyes are trained only on finding one type of problem?" Ozai asked. Azula grimaced but hung her head in known defeat.
"That makes sense" she said. Ozai breathed deeply.
"Leadership, child, is no easy feat. True leadership is not about inspiring your subjects, albeit that is always helpful. True leadership is not about hovering above them like a lion vulture, eager to spot every single mistake even before they make them. True leadership is about decisions"
"Decisions" Azula repeated, eyeing her father with uncertainty once more.
"Commander Rahi is in charge of your administrative affairs, is he not?" Ozai asked "If, eventually, the Enforcers' captain reported to you that there are shortages of resources, despite resources were officially allotted to the group, what would be the right course of action?"
"I would question Commander Rahi at once" Azula said, nodding "I would demand for an explanation. If he can't offer a satisfactory one, I'd endeavor to make him confess whether perhaps he has stolen resources for his own benefit. If he refuses to admit his fault, I would investigate for evidence of the corruption myself and, if I find it, I would destitute him at once"
"Indeed" Ozai said, nodding "But if you acted on the possibility that he might be corrupt when he has only just taken office, not only will your subjects rightfully believe you don't trust them – which you shouldn't, at least not in the classic sense of the word –, but if they are corrupt, they will seek to hide it better, enough that you may not notice it. If they aren't corrupt at all, they will surely be outraged over being objects of your suspicion, and they may even resign out of sheer indignation. Then you would need to hire someone else, and the same story would just repeat itself"
"Then I need to let my people do their jobs… and if they fail at those jobs, I'll replace them. Still, that's not entirely what concerns me…" Azula said, biting her lip "I don't exactly fear the Enforcers are incompetent, not the commanding officers nor the foot soldiers. It's… it's everything else. It's the crime dens we're raiding, the highborn who will surely be most unwilling to cooperate when we visit them…"
"And you don't believe your Enforcers can handle those problems without you?" Ozai asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula gritted her teeth "If so, they've already failed. I needn't be at the head of the Fire Nation army at all times for them to command respect and do their jobs. If your Enforcers are lost if you're not with them constantly, they'll be more akin to schoolchildren than genuine soldiers"
Azula lowered her head again, though this time she seemed thoroughly defeated by her father's logic. It was certainly unexpected for Ozai to be the winning party in any discussions with his daughter these days, but Azula had known already that he had lessons to teach her yet. Maybe he wasn't wrong to say this one might be the most important of them all.
"And of course, if you project distrust and uncertainty, your subjects won't have any confidence to do their jobs" Ozai continued "If their commanding officer, Crown Princess of their nation, doesn't expect they can uphold their duties, they might begin to believe said duties are above them, beyond them, too much to take. And then, Azula, you would truly fight this battle alone. As independent as you have ever been… that's not the way to lead a group of any kind. That's not the way to rule a nation"
Azula breathed in deeply and waited a few moments to release the air. She nodded, conceding her father's victory. She wasn't used to doing that anymore… but for once she couldn't help but think he had a point, or many points. He understood the pressures of ruling and leading far better than anyone she had ever known. He had been at the helm of a nation for nearly twenty years now: if someone had any advice worth prizing when it came to her current problems, it would be her father.
"You're right" Azula said. She wasn't sure when was the last time she had spoken such words to her father "I… I'm a bit of a contradiction, aren't I? I've been so obsessed and hung up on proving myself that only now am I discovering how much I have left to learn before I can be a decent Fire Lord…"
"In your defense, you must be the most prepared Crown Princess of all time" Ozai said, with a small smirk "Your uncle was raised for the role from much earlier than you were, and yet…"
"Well, my uncle is quite a piece of work, for sure" Azula said, eyes wide. Ozai nodded, still amused "Either way, I'm grateful for what you've taught me today. I… I'll try to put it to good use, though I'll have to figure out how, of course. It's still going to be difficult for me to stop pondering all the possible negative outcomes of this mission… it's the biggest one you've ever given me"
"And I am pleased that you take it so seriously" Ozai said "But if you take it too seriously, even the spa can't help you. You'll have a head full of gray hair before you hit your thirties"
Azula grimaced at the prospect, though her foolish mind only pushed her to ponder if Sokka might find her as attractive with graying-white hair as he did with black. A ridiculous thought to be had at this moment, but one that made her smile eventually, nonetheless.
"I suppose you have plenty of advice on how to avoid gray hairs, too?" Azula asked.
"Oh, of course I do. Pluck them out" Ozai said, promptly. Azula's failed to contain a snort of laughter, even when she covered her mouth with a hand "What? You didn't think I didn't actually get them, did you?"
"I… I didn't expect that answer, is all" she laughed softly.
"Admittedly, there will come a time when removing them will risk rendering me bald, and I certainly have no intentions of being a bald Fire Lord" Ozai said, closing his eyes solemnly "But until such a time arrives, I shall proceed as I have. The spa helps me relax, and the training keeps my senses sharp and hones my focus. You'll have to figure out a way to handle your stress as well, be it by creating a new routine, perhaps, or returning to old ones. Visiting your friends, or training your gladiator…"
"He trains plenty with the Enforcers these days. He's their sword master, after all" Azula said. Ozai raised his eyebrows.
"I remember. Quite an efficient way to handle that particular predicament, though it's astonishing for a slave to be sword master for trueborn and honorary citizens alike" Ozai smirked "He is quite a rare man, without a shred of a doubt"
"Indeed" Azula said, nodding and hoping they could talk about another subject. She had no intentions of gushing about how wonderful her secret lover was in front of her father: the less she spoke of him with Ozai, the safer their secret ought to be.
"There's also… your dragon" Ozai suggested now "You used to fly with him for recreational purposes, long ago, didn't you?"
"Sometimes, yes" Azula conceded "I did it briefly today, I suppose…"
"Then perhaps you could do it more often. You've told me he travels once in a while, looking for other dragons… you could take a break from your duties, join him in one such journey. I wouldn't advise it, normally, but I fear your levels of stress, blended with your eagerness to control everything directly, may not allow you to relax and unwind despite I've advised you to do so"
"And pulling away altogether from the Enforcers would help me?" Azula asked. Ozai shrugged "I mean, you're suggesting I take a vacation, pretty much?"
"You needn't take it right away, of course" he said "But it would be good of you to consider it. I, personally, haven't taken one in years… I would certainly enjoy one, but I don't believe I can afford a proper vacation as things stand. At least, not yet"
"Oh" Azula said, with a weak smile, though his words gave her pause "You would like to take a vacation sometime in the future, then?"
"I would" Ozai said, nodding "I haven't traveled in many years, not even to Ember Island. Our estate is bound to be in shambles"
"I suppose it is, but I wouldn't know. I didn't stop by there in my visits" Azula commented. Ozai sighed.
"It was your mother who would usually take care of it, after all. As you can see, even when I do unwind as I often do, there are countless matters I should have attended to that escaped my notice altogether, such as this" he said. Azula nodded "But as we didn't need the estate desperately, loosening up with it as I have isn't harming anyone. One day, perhaps, I will see to it that it's restored to its former glory, but for the time being…"
"You have other priorities. As you should" Azula said, nodding again. Ozai nodded too.
"You have understood, then. As for you… your wellbeing ought to be part of your priorities. If you're wounded, if you're crippled by stress, those under your command will certainly lose control in their own way, either by panicking because of your state, or by slacking off and being lazy at their jobs… but if you project strength, if your mind is at ease, you will be able to handle any complication that arises far more easily. Like I said, your job is to make decisions. To guide your group's direction, to choose your purpose. To select the right people for each role, and to fire them if they prove below the task you've set for them. Ultimately, that is what you must do. Everything else, your top officials ought to know how to handle. Otherwise, they are unworthy of their roles"
Azula smiled and nodded. How odd that her father, the cause of so much strife inside her heart in the past year, would prove to be the right voice to calm the storms waging within her right now. Sokka surely would scoff at her for appreciating Ozai's advice, but she couldn't help but cherish it anyhow.
"Thank you" she said, bowing her head towards her father "I… I really needed to hear everything you said. It's clear I have much to learn yet, you've said it in the past, but… I think I've made progress today, thanks to you"
"Many lessons you'll learn on your own" Ozai said, relaxing across the massage table once more "And many times you'll reach conclusions different from mine. But we have had more than enough disagreements ever since you became Crown Princess, haven't we? What's a few more?"
Azula smiled and nodded, though unlike Ozai, she climbed off her own table. She bowed properly in his direction now, and Ozai offered her a curt nod of his own, awkward as it was as he lay on the table.
"I'll send in the servants again on my way out" she said. Ozai smiled.
"I was about to ask that of you. Do go on, then" he said, and his daughter turned to the door.
Oh, how distressing to realize her father was right, right in ways she should have anticipated to on her own. His expansion on Rahi's metaphor had been far more enlightening than it should have been. Wisdom, of all words, had seldom been appropriate to describe Ozai… but right now she couldn't think of another one. She smiled as she dressed up in clean clothes in her room, after having sent the servants to attend her father as she had promised to. Maybe now she could visit Sokka: there was a chance her mind might still wander, but it wasn't the worst idea anymore. Seeing as Ozai had even advised her to go on a vacation, which she interpreted as permission for one, maybe she could bring Sokka along with her and Xin Long: the three of them could spend a few days away from the bustle and chaos of the Capital…
The thought rang a bell: it wasn't the first time she considered that kind of idea. She frowned, glancing at her calendar in a rush, much as she had back when their strange sexiversary had been taking place…
Her eyes widened. It was the final week of the eleventh month.
Oh, for crying out loud.
Again, Rahi's metaphor rang true in her head as she raced to Xin Long's refuge, where her dragon was gnawing happily on a bone whose meat he had devoured moments ago. She had been too busy, too preoccupied again, dealing with every possible complication in her many missions, as good as putting out a building's fire when it was instants away from collapsing upon her.
But not this time! No, this time she hadn't lost herself entirely. This time she had a chance to do things right… although she would have to rush to make it happen, for sure. But she would not fail Sokka for the second time, not after everything she'd promised him a year ago…
"So, what will you do today?" Song asked, smiling as she took Sokka's empty plate from him. The gladiator had slept in this morning, carelessly relieved after the successful raid of Hui Yi the day before "Will you go back to training the Enforcers?"
"I doubt they'll have time for it, they have way too much to worry about right now" Sokka said, shaking his head "I mean, I'd like to check on the rescued slaves and make sure they're okay but… I think I'd get in the way of their work if I go right now. It might be better if I stay in my lane, right?"
"Huh. Well, then, you'll train with the Princess?" Song said, raising her eyebrows. With that, Sokka's spirits fell, though in a gentle sort of manner. He sighed, shrinking in his frame.
"I wish I could, but I doubt I can…" he mumbled "She will be there, for sure, working with the Enforcers. I shouldn't expect otherwise for a few weeks, heck, for a month, even. She's set on getting things right this time, and it's probably for the best that she is. I'll miss her like hell, but this is way bigger than us, so I shouldn't be so selfish…"
Song frowned, glancing out the kitchen door when she saw a dark shape crossing one of the windows that opened to the backyard. She blinked blankly.
"Um, are you sure?" she asked, and Sokka raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean, am I sure? Of course I'll miss her…!"
"I mean, are you sure she's going to be all about her job with the Enforcers? Because I think she's here now" Song said, pointing outside.
Sokka's eyes widened and he sprang to his feet immediately, confusion rushing through his mind. Was he needed, perhaps? Maybe the slaves were still uneasy and they'd feel better if he was with them? Or the Enforcers did want lessons today, even if they had so much to do?
Whatever the reason, though, he walked out of the kitchen to find, through the open backdoor and the windows, that Xin Long's serpentine form was indeed in the backyard. And his beautiful rider was sitting on his saddle, eyes twitching in that way they often did when she was in a bad mood… or when something really big and important was plaguing her. Sokka grimaced as he made his way through the living room, and Azula jumped off the saddle at haste.
"Azula?" Sokka called her cautiously as he crossed the backdoor. His voice startled her, and to his surprise, the wild determination that had taken hold of her only seemed to strengthen when she saw him.
"Sokka!" she exclaimed. His unease increased, the urgency of her voice worrisome.
"What's… what's going on?" he asked, climbing down the steps that led down to the backyard. Azula's hands reached for his forearms, clasping them hard "Azula…"
"Your birthday is next week!"
His wide eyes widened even more, though now he froze as Azula stared at him intently, fire blazing in her golden gaze. His mouth opened, as though he was going to say something, but all he could utter were short, confused sounds.
"M-my… huh?"
"Your birthday! That's right!" Azula exclaimed, proudly "I hadn't really gotten around planning anything properly, and it could've just slipped my mind again like last year. But oh, this time I'm not botching it up, absolutely not! No crazy conspiracies, no dead fire, no disturbing assassins! This time, you and I are…! We are…!"
"Yes…?" Sokka said, as Azula readied herself to make an announcement that he seemed utterly perplexed by.
But she didn't quite finish her sentence, her pumped-up energy decreasing as she regarded her gladiator with uncertainty. She should step back, look at her surroundings, analyze them properly… or else her vessel would indeed crash into rocks, as her father had foretold.
"We are doing whatever you want, of course" she said, lowering her gaze. Sokka blinked blankly, her change in demeanor even more confusing than her sudden arrival "I mean, you've made requests before, though you claimed we'd fulfilled those last year, in a messed up way but we had. So… how about it? Would you like for us to do everything properly this year, or would you rather do something else?"
"Azula…"
"I mean, you did joke about that parade, and the play, and the feast, and while I doubt I could gather a parade anymore, let alone write a script for a play about your life, it would be possible to give you the feast…"
"Hey, Azula!"
She froze, finding he was smiling warmly at her, fondness clear in his blue eyes. His hands moved up to her bangs, caressing them gently before he leaned in to kiss her lips softly.
"How about we start from the beginning?" he said. She swallowed hard.
"Right. Hi" she said, patting his chest gently.
"Hello, Princess" he said, wrapping his arms around her waist "You're always full of surprises, aren't you?"
"I don't always intend to be, if that makes you feel any better…" Azula said, her voice small now. She sighed and dropped her head on his chest "Goodness, I think the fortuneteller was right"
"Not this again…"
"This time I really am losing my mind" she said, curtly. Sokka snorted, rolling his eyes "I'm not even kidding, I keep racing to conclusions, rushing through every possible idea I can think of, all of it so fast and so suddenly that I forget… I forget not everyone's inside my head"
"And even those who are seem to be pretty confused" Sokka said, pointing at Xin Long.
On cue, the dragon began moving his eyes circularly, playing into Sokka's words seamlessly. That, at least, made Azula laugh into Sokka's chest, and he grinned warmly as he rubbed her back gently.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk everything through, okay?" he said. Azula nodded weakly.
Song was happy to offer them tea, and she greeted Azula enthusiastically. She seemed so unpreoccupied, and Azula couldn't help but envy her for that. All the same, she smiled gratefully when Song brought them their tea, and within moments the young woman took off to the kitchen anew, already getting started on lunch, as it seemed they'd have a guest for it.
"So… my birthday" Sokka said, biting his lip. Azula nodded gently, her heart racing despite she didn't want it to. Oh, she was becoming addicted to planning things, and that was ridiculous. Being talented at it was one thing: being obsessed with it was a whole other matter "How exactly are we going to celebrate anything, though? I mean, maybe you could drop by after you're done with whatever the Enforcers will be up to by then, and we could have a silly party like we did the other day? It was fun…"
"Is that really what you want…?" Azula asked. Sokka grimaced.
"Well, I could say I'd love for us to have our way with each other the whole day, but I'm not exactly expecting that to happen…" he said, with a disappointed sigh "I know we talked about taking off for some time, around a week or so? But you can't afford that in these circumstances, can you?"
"As a matter of fact…" Azula said, with a nervous smile "I… might be able to. To my absolute surprise"
"Oh? Are things going so well with the Enforcers?" Sokka asked, surprised. Azula shook her head.
"That's not it, though I sure hope they are" she admitted "You must have noticed by now that I've been, well, devoting myself in every way I could to making sure the Enforcers will succeed, right?"
"Yeah" Sokka nodded "You have a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with this, after all"
"Indeed" Azula said "So I was determined to make sure I would succeed, because I've been promising you that I'll do something about slavery even before we were together… yeah, I started saying as much before the actual date when we got together, or the first time we had sex, either way…"
"Right" said Sokka, smiling. Their argument back when they'd found out about Suki's fate had been an unexpected turning point for them: most times when they had serious fights it would result in a dreadful fallout that they were both too proud to back down from. But Sokka had backed down quicker than usual, realizing he had been unfair to her… not knowing Azula had already taken action to help Suki, even if she became erratic over it afterwards.
"So, this is, like you said, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I shouldn't waste, by any means" said Azula "But apparently, I… I've overdone it"
"Oh?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows "You mean, because you keep planning fifteen steps ahead, constantly worrying about whatever could go wrong and all that?"
"Exactly" said Azula, closing her eyes "Commander Rahi told me I couldn't keep panicking about problems that had yet to arise, investing time and efforts into avoiding hurdles that we might never run into. It seemed they wanted me to let them work without my meddling, to some degree…"
"Meddling?" Sokka said, pouting a little "But you're a great leader, and you're helping heaps. Yesterday's raid would've been a lot more trouble without you there, right?"
"Likely. But by now it seems it's best if I take a step back, and my father agrees, too…"
"Eh? Your father?" Sokka's tone spelled out rejection immediately, and Azula raised her gaze to find a prominent scowl on his face "Well, excuse me if I don't think his advice is all that reliable, Princess…"
"I know you wouldn't, on principle" Azula smiled, but she breathed deeply "Normally I wouldn't either, but this time his words made sense"
"They did? That's… not very reassuring" Sokka said, crooking an eyebrow.
"It will be, when I explain" Azula said, reaching for his hand "You know how it's become a popular notion that you and I are the greatest gladiator and sponsor team of all time?"
"Oh, yeah. And I'll gladly say so to anyone who asks" he smirked. Azula smiled warmly at him.
"Do you think we'd still appear so grand and extraordinary if I barged in halfway through your fights, to finish them for you when you're in bad shape?" she asked. Sokka froze "Like… your first fight with Toph, for instance. I was panicking, badly, and I was worried about you. I didn't even love you yet, but I wanted to save you. And still, I didn't. That I held back enabled me to help you later: I ran to you in the stand-by room, and carried you to my palanquin, so I could get you proper medical attention as fast as possible"
"Uh… yeah, that's true" said Sokka.
"When Rhone cut your back, I only intervened once you were already disqualified" Azula said "I played by the rules, even when I did step between you and another gladiator. Other than that, you've had to fight in the ring, and I've had to wait to help you until you're done. Such are our roles, and as much as we may be frustrated by them sometimes, we've operated inside of them all along. What makes us extraordinary is how we fulfill such roles, since we do it in a different way than everyone else before us, and we've brought new energy and strength to the Gladiator League for it"
"Yeah… heh. Sometimes it just hits me how cool we are" Sokka said, with a goofy grin. Azula laughed and leaned close, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder.
"The thing is… I need to be like that, too, with the Enforcers" she said. Sokka's easy bliss decreased over those words "I need to let them work, to fulfill their roles. And when they need my help, I'll offer it. If I hover above them at all times, they'll never figure out how to solve their problems without running towards me at the first sign of struggle. If I don't give them room to grow on their own, they'll never earn the respect they deserve to have. So…"
"So… that's what your dad told you?" Sokka asked, eyes wide "That you should take a step back?"
"Indeed, because this way I'll see everything from a clearer standpoint, yeah" Azula said "He believes I need to… well, to relax. And he even offered suggestions, like restarting my routinely training with you, or visiting Mai and Ty Lee, and he even mentioned I could travel with Xin Long to look for more dragons. It surprised me too, yeah, but… I can't help but think he's right"
"Heh. That's hard to believe: Ozai is right" Sokka said the words curtly, and shuddered visibly as he finished them "Yep, I hope I never have to say that again"
Azula laughed and squeezed his hand gently. Still, Sokka smiled at her.
"So… that's how you remembered you had other things to do outside of the Enforcers?" he asked "Namely… your gladiator?"
He wiggled his eyebrows, and Azula laughed again but shook her head.
"Truthfully I thought I might drag you along for a trip with Xin Long, but then I saw the calendar in my room and I… panicked" she said "We're not at the exact date just yet, but it's a really close call and if we're going to do anything important for your birthday… well, we'd better plan it as soon as possible, right?"
"Right" said Sokka, though his eyes narrowed "Planning it, though? You, uh… you're sure about that?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Azula asked, confused.
"Because it sounds to me like you're transferring your compulsive planning from the Enforcers to planning for my birthday celebration?" he smirked, and Azula grimaced "You don't have to go crazy over this, Azula. It can be an easy, simple thing…"
"I honestly would rather it weren't" Azula said, breathing deeply "If I devote myself to planning your birthday, it means I won't be thinking about the Enforcers. And if everything goes well with your birthday I will have given them plenty of time to work without me, not to mention I will likely feel a lot better about life after having fulfilled yet another of the promises I've made to you. So… I think this is the only way to proceed. Birthday planning, right now"
Sokka chuckled and shook his head, but not in a gesture to deny her impulses. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to kiss her cheek.
"You know, maybe I'll let you do this after all" he said. Her eyes brightened at his words "Because heh, if I let myself go wild with ideas on how to spend my birthday… maybe I really will figure out a way or two to help you relax. How does that sound?"
"Huh… quite an interesting proposal" Azula acknowledged, smiling deviously "Alright, then, what sort of ideas do you have in mind?"
"If your dad says you can travel with Xin Long to look for dragons… that would be our cover, right?" Sokka said "Xin has done that before, over the course of several days, too… how long do you think you can afford to be away? A day? A full week?"
"We'd meant to make it a week-long escapade when we first talked about this, didn't we?" Azula smiled "Heh. A whole week celebrating your birthday. Considering you've spent around five years without properly celebrating it since I stole you from the South, I think it's only fair that we make up for it all now, huh?"
"Well, now, I hadn't even looked at it that way" Sokka smirked "Okay, then! If your dad agrees, a week it is!"
"But that's… also going to pose other problems" Azula said, frowning. Sokka raised his eyebrows "What if someone drops by to look for you? Goodness, I can't even pick you up here on the day I take off, because if guards notice Xin Long is stopping by at your house, rumors will arise that you're coming with us, and it'll…"
"Be dangerous, yeah" Sokka admitted, though he eyed Azula skeptically. It seemed her attempts to relax would truly only begin once they were on their week-long trip.
"So that means…" Azula said, eyes narrow "On the day we take off, before dawn breaks, Xin Long will have to pick you up and take you to a rendezvous point. You'll wait there until we join you again in the morning, and that way no one will have reason to suspect you're with me"
"There, easy-peasy" Sokka said, beaming, though Azula frowned again.
"Still, it's possible someone could come looking for you at some point…" she said. Sokka's smile waned again "We need to find you a body double"
"Really? You think we can find someone who looks Water Tribe in the Fire Nation?" said Sokka. Azula shook her head.
"It's fine if they're not really Water Tribe, what matters is that they look enough like you to trick anyone who wouldn't know better. But of course, the double has to be someone who can know about what we're doing. Someone already aware of our relationship…"
"Are you sure about any of this, Azula…?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. She shot him a quick glare.
"If we don't cover all our bases we might as well just ask to get caught" she declared.
"And yet you're doing it again"
"Doing what?"
"Overwhelming yourself with planning? Uh… overplanning?"
Azula froze, though she seemed to concede quickly enough that Sokka had a point. Nonetheless, she breathed out and looked at him pleadingly.
"I think when it comes to hiding our relationship, no amount of planning is ever too much" she said.
"Who could even come here to check on me, though?" Sokka asked, confused. Azula shrugged.
"Someone as nosey and irritating as Renkai might" she said. Sokka froze "He's has snooped around our relationship before: if I vanish for a week and you're nowhere to be found at the same time, he could grow suspicious"
"Ugh. Yeah, you do have a point" Sokka admitted, hanging his head in defeat.
"So it's better if we do this, I think. We just need someone with similar skin tone, hair color and build as you…"
"And hair length too" Sokka said, frowning "Otherwise it'll clearly not be me, right?"
"So, amongst the people who know about our relationship, if there's someone who fits those requirements, it's…" Azula mused, as they both pondered the small list of people amongst their closest friends who could fulfill that role…
They both raised their eyes at the same time, finding the same expression of realization in each other's faces, and they spoke at unison:
"Haru"
The backyard of Ty Lee's house had seen far better days, Ran was certain of it. Chunks of earth stood out of place everywhere in sight, but she was determined to fix that today, one way or another.
Her son didn't share her strong convictions.
"Mom, it's probably better to leave it be" he said "If Sokka ever comes back for training we'll ruin all your work"
"He hasn't been here in several months, Haru" Ran said, kneeling on the ground with the potted flowers she'd bought today at the market, which were ready to be transplanted "And with all the earthbending you've done here, I'm sure the soil will be very rich and fertile. This will be a beautiful backyard garden before you know it!"
"Shouldn't you at least have asked Ty Lee first?" Haru sighed.
"Well, I can ask you, can't I, Honorary Citizen?" she asked, teasingly. Haru's cheeks flushed "As far as I know, you and her are of equal standing now, aren't you? If that's the case, you are every bit as much of an authority here as she is, and unless you outright say 'no', I will go ahead and do it"
Haru gritted his teeth. Oh, his mother knew just how to manipulate him: he seldom could say no to those he loved, one of his very greatest weaknesses. He pouted, defeated, as Ran smiled, picking up her utensils to begin digging holes into the loose soil. By now Haru merely sighed, his silent surrender enabling his mother to do as she pleased. As he waited patiently for his mother ask for his help, though, his eyes drifted upwards… to find the familiar shape of a dragon in the sky, flying in their direction.
"Uh. Uh, Mom, maybe you really shouldn't do it"
"That's still not a 'no'…"
"I mean, the Princess is coming"
"What? You mean, right now?!" Ran exclaimed, startled.
There was no mistaking it, though: no one else could have been riding a dragon, let alone towards their house. In a matter of moments, the creature landed right next to the mother and son, and Haru was smiling with uncertainty as he waved at the Princess and her gladiator.
"Princess, Sokka!" Haru exclaimed, as Azula and Sokka jumped off the saddle "It's been some time since you last visited!"
"It has, I'm sorry it's been that long" Azula said, as Sokka stepped forward to clasp Haru's forearm, beaming. Haru answered the greeting with a smile of his own "I know we're showing up at short notice, and after being absent for so long too, but we need your help…"
"Oh?" Haru said, blinking a few times in bewilderment "Mine, or Ty Lee's?"
"Yours, actually. Though I guess it's kind of a package deal, isn't it?" Sokka said, with uncertainty. The Princess nodded in agreement.
"Good day to you as well, Ran" Azula said, with a weak smile. Ran grinned back.
"It's great to see you both" said the older woman "I hope you've been well. I've heard you were rather busy, what with all those slavery laws you've been working on recently…"
"I was" Azula said, nodding "If Ty Lee ever puts you through too much trouble, let me know and I'll straighten her out for you right away"
"Oh, that's kind of you, but she's a sweetheart" Ran laughed. Sokka and Haru seemed amused as well "She has never treated me wrong, I assure you… though those laws no longer extend to my son, I will say"
"Oh? Wait, you already got the citizenship?" Sokka asked, eyes wide. Haru smiled and nodded.
"Only about a month ago, but it's a done deal now" he said "Ty Lee and I can get married!"
Azula smiled approvingly, and Sokka cheered before throwing an arm around Haru's shoulders to congratulate him. And even though Sokka was quite noisy as he celebrated Haru's achievement, the one member of this household who had yet to show herself didn't seem to notice they had guests: she was pacing inside the house, oblivious to their presence as she searched for something in the living room.
"Haru, love, are you sure you haven't seen my hand mirror?" she called out, searching through the cushions hastily "I'm sure I left it here somewhere… and yeah, I know you said I don't have a wrinkle, but I definitely feel it and I need to know for sure, so…!"
Only then did she glance outside, because the noise died as soon as she uttered the word 'wrinkle'. She abruptly stopped rambling at the sight of the Princess and the Blue Wolf, who eyed her with confused amusement.
"A wrinkle? Really?" Sokka asked. Azula snorted.
"Good to know I'm not the only one who feels older lately…"
"H-hey! T-that's not…! What the hell are you two doing here?!" Ty Lee squeaked, her face flushing as she stomped outside quickly. Everyone seemed to be laughing at her profound embarrassment, including the dragon.
"We were merely dropping by shortly, it's nothing to get so worked up about" Azula said, smiling, though Ty Lee huffed and stormed up to her friends.
"Well, I'll have you know, you are two days late for our weekly meeting! But no surprises there, seeing as you've skipped them for ages now!"
"You know I've been really busy, Ty Lee…"
"Oh sure, too busy to talk to your friends, no doubt!" Ty Lee huffed, though she shot Sokka a pointed glare "But I'm sure you had plenty of time to…!"
"Ty Lee" Azula said, curtly. Ty Lee's eyebrow twitched, but Sokka reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Even our training sessions have been, uh… sparse, nearly unaccountable" Sokka said, simply. Ty Lee eyed him with surprise.
"S-so wait, you've even been…?" she was about to ask, but Azula's deadpan glare reminded Ty Lee that one person in their midst was supposed to be unaware of their relationship. As things stood, though, Azula guessed Ran would have suspicions already, that is, if Ty Lee hadn't outright told her about the illicit relationship between the Princess and Sokka "Oh. Huh"
"It's been a few difficult months, but once things calm down I'm sure I can resume the weekly meetings as always" Azula said, breathing deeply and looking at Haru "But we have something to ask, so if we could perhaps go somewhere private…?"
"Oh, so you didn't even come just to say hi?" Ty Lee pouted. Azula rolled her eyes and made her way inside the house "Hey! I didn't say you could go in!"
"You can, Princess" Haru said, grinning as he placed a soothing hand on Ty Lee's shoulder "You know how difficult things can be for them. It's good they're here now, right?"
Ty Lee huffed, but she relented at his words. Sokka had followed Azula without further ado, so Haru and Ty Lee had to catch up to them indoors… leaving Ran outside, beaming happily as she took advantage of Azula's intervention to plant her flowers before either Haru or Ty Lee could stop her.
"Okay, okay, so what exactly is going on?" Ty Lee asked, once they were inside, hopefully at enough distance that Ran wouldn't overhear them.
Azula breathed deeply, glancing at Sokka uneasily. For all their certainty earlier, now they both seemed a little unsure of how to word their request for Haru.
"Well… this may be confusing to ask" Azula said "But ultimately, what we need is for Haru to, uh… to pretend he's Sokka. For around a week"
Ty Lee was utterly perplexed, and Haru blinked blankly: that request seemed so random and unexpected it would have been impossible for them to react any differently at first. Yet soon enough the expression on the young woman's face shifted into distrust and disapproval.
"Wait a minute… wait just a minute, are you trying to have a threeway with Haru and Sokka?!"
"What the hell?!" Azula exclaimed. Sokka hit his forehead with his palm.
"Should've known that's where Ty Lee's mind would go…" he said.
"For crying out loud, Ty Lee, who do you think you're talking to?! Do you seriously think I'd want something like that?!" Azula exclaimed. Ty Lee pouted.
"Haru is really good in bed and very handsome, it's not that weird to want him…" she said, and now Haru was the one hiding his face in his hands, utterly flustered. Azula huffed.
"I don't have any intentions of the sort, and the fact that you even thought I would is appalling, Ty Lee!"
"Hey, now, you've been away for so long, how am I supposed to know what kind of crazy stuff you're into now?" Ty Lee exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest.
"Not like you've ever known the first thing about what kind of stuff she's into…" Sokka said. Ty Lee finally smirked.
"Oh, I know enough, thanks to you" she said. Azula groaned while Sokka blushed, remorse clear in his eyes as he glanced at his lover.
"Focus, Ty Lee! Stop derailing this conversation to your liking!" Azula commanded. Her friend had already taken to giggling mischievously: as annoying as it might be, there was a higher likelihood that Ty Lee wouldn't have qualms about their request now that she seemed to be in a better mood.
"Okay, fine, fine… but hey, what exactly do you need Haru to be Sokka's double for?" Ty Lee asked, raising her eyebrows "It's a weird thing to ask for, out of the blue…"
"Ugh. I suppose we do have to explain the whole thing…" Azula groaned.
"You see, my birthday's coming up and Azula's kind of received permission to take a week's worth of a vacation" Sokka said, with a nervous smile "Problem is, if she takes me and everyone knows it, it'll arouse suspicions so, for me to go along safely, someone else has to pretend to be me in the Capital"
"Huh?" Ty Lee gasped. Haru seemed just as mystified as his sponsor was.
"So… you want me to dress like you?" Haru asked, raising his eyebrows.
"And presumably shave like you, too?" Ty Lee asked, grimacing "No offense to your stubble, Sokka, but I love Haru's mustache much better than what you've got there!"
With that, she leapt to embrace her future husband, who chuckled and patted her shoulder gently. Ty Lee's begrudging pout was still directed at her friends, though.
"Look, it's only as a precaution, and only for a short time" Azula said, breathing deeply "One week, at most, and afterwards he can grow out his mustache again, and his hair too…"
"His HAIR?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, and now it was as though Azula had declared Haru would be marrying someone else altogether, by the Fire Lord's decree "What are you going to do with Haru's hair?!"
"W-well… it'd have to look like mine, right?" Sokka said. Ty Lee screeched.
"Absolutely not! No weird hair shaving! Haru's hair is beautiful and luscious and perfect!" she exclaimed, now cradling Haru's head in her arms: he had to bend over awkwardly to let her do so. Azula rolled her eyes, and Sokka sighed.
"Don't you think he should be the one to decide if he's willing to do it or not?" he asked.
"Wait a moment, now" Azula said, glancing at Sokka "Yeah, we'll need him to play you, but let's be reasonable for a moment: half the city already knows you have feelings for me, right?"
"Well, the ones who don't know must suspect it, but sure…" Sokka said, blushing a little.
"If that's the case… how would you react, realistically, if I vanished from your life for an entire week?" Azula asked, with a skeptical smile. Sokka's eyes widened.
"I… would be miserable. I've already been through that, so… yeah. I'd be pretty sad. Why?" he asked. Azula glanced between Sokka and Haru.
"We could exaggerate your misery, then… and if we do, Haru can do this with just a haircut, no need to shave his hair altogether"
"How so?"
Azula reached up for Sokka's wolf's tail, undoing it. Sokka's hair reached half the length of his neck right now, and it fell gracefully, framing his face. Ty Lee's frantic protecting of Haru's hair stopped abruptly, as she blinked blankly at Sokka's sudden change of appearance.
"If Haru were to cut his hair just to match your current length…" Azula said, with a proud smile "Then he can stay at your house, moping and sulking, with his hair down because he'd be pretending that you can't even function enough to tie it up when I'm gone"
"I know I should take offense to that, but it's as good as true…" Sokka admitted, with a guilty sigh, but he glanced at Haru with an approving grin "This way you really wouldn't have to go too far, you just need a haircut! And your hair would grow out eventually anyhow! Right?"
"Uh… right" said Haru, though now he was holding Ty Lee with uncertainty "Are you okay, Ty Lee?"
"I…" she said, still staring at Sokka in apparent disbelief "I don't think I am, no. Goodness, how is this possible? It's like he's a thousand times more attractive with his hair down! What's going on?!"
"Uh, right, this is when we tie up your hair before she decides she wants to steal you away" Azula growled, immediately pulling together Sokka's wolf's tail once more. He chuckled as Ty Lee remained shocked by the sight she had been a witness to.
"How can you be so impassive about it, Azula?! He looks amazing, better that way! He should have his hair down all the time!"
"No, he shouldn't, because he might produce massive fainting sprees throughout the city wherever he goes because of how good he looks this way" Azula said, matter-of-factly. Sokka snorted in disbelief "It's his secret weapon. Can't let everyone know about it"
"It's a weapon? And here I thought it was merely that you'd rather keep my hair-down look all to yourself…" Sokka determined, grinning sneakily. Azula smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you were going to give away any secrets of mine today, that's the least harmful one you could have picked, I suppose…"
"Oh, unbelievable! How do you keep your hands off him?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, shaking her head. She froze, though, noticing Haru's apprehensive stare upon her "Wait! That's not to say you're any less handsome, but you're always at your most handsome self, Haru! This was just a surprise, honest! Don't be mad…!"
"When have I ever been mad at you?" he asked, with a weak smile. Ty Lee blinked a few times before smiling clumsily.
"Well… true. Okay, then" she said, as Haru patted her head gently. Haru turned to the other pair, though, choosing to move the conversation to a different subject other than Sokka's enhanced handsomeness.
"So, what you'll need is for me to pretend to be a mopey, miserable Sokka, and stay a whole week in his house? Just in case someone comes asking for him?" he clarified. Both Azula and Sokka nodded. Haru scratched the back of his head "Seems like a lot of work, but I guess it makes sense, considering your circumstances. Can Ty Lee come visit me, at least?"
"Well, I suppose…" said Azula, shrugging.
"I can?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming "Oh, but wouldn't that confuse people? They might think I'm having an affair with Sokka…"
"If you're just dropping by for a visit, to check that your friend's gladiator hasn't committed suicide out of loneliness, there's no reason why anyone should think that" Azula said, with a sarcastic smile. Ty Lee snorted and shrugged.
"As you say" she giggled, hands behind her back. Yet something clicked inside her head just then, and she gasped in amazement "Wait… you guys are going away on a trip together! Oh, you are! I hadn't quite realized it, but…! It's a real romantic trip, not some gladiator fight! Goodness, that's adorable!"
"Yeah, that's the part I was bracing myself for, not the threeway nonsense…" Sokka admitted. Azula sighed, wishing her cheeks weren't reddening.
"Oh, Haru, we must do that too someday" Ty Lee told her fiancé, beaming "Maybe after our wedding!"
"That would be sweet" Haru admitted, grinning too. Ty Lee giggled, but talk of the wedding brought her to another realization.
"Though… all that being said, we haven't agreed to help you guys yet" she said, glancing at them from the corner of her eyes, stroking her chin enigmatically.
"Well, you haven't, but you will do it, won't you?" Azula said, staring at Haru almost pleadingly now. Haru opened his mouth to answer, but Ty Lee leapt between him and Azula, her eyes narrow.
"Oh, we will…" she said "On one condition!"
"There will be no threesomes of any sort, Ty Lee, so if you so much as dare suggest anything like that…" Azula growled. Ty Lee snorted.
"Not that! It's something way more important than that!" she said. Azula raised an eyebrow "Haru and I will work with you if you promise… to be the maid of honor and best man at our wedding!"
Ty Lee's unexpected request rendered both Azula and Sokka speechless for a moment, though their surprise soon shifted into amusement.
"Wait… why exactly are you trying to cajole us into that?" Sokka said, with a disbelieving smile "We would've done it if you'd asked anyhow!"
"Oh, really? Just like that, you decided we'd do it?" Azula said, though she was smiling all the same as he was. Sokka snorted.
"Like we would possibly say no" Sokka said, grinning "Frankly, of all things she could've asked for, that's by far the most inoffensive idea I could have expected"
"Well, I won't argue with that logic. I guess we'll humor her, then…" Azula smiled, and Ty Lee squealed before hugging her friend.
"Yes! It's true, Mai will be my maid of honor too, so the two of you will work together, but that's just going to make things even more fun!" Ty Lee said, beaming and taking Azula's hands in hers "We will organize everything together and make sure the wedding's a complete success!"
"Yeah, we… we will, won't we?" Azula said, though the smile on her face suddenly soured. Sokka tensed up beside her.
"Azula?" he called her, worried…
But his voice failed to reach her on time: the Princess had broken off Ty Lee's hold of her, her eyes darting from side to side as she began rambling:
"Well, I certainly hope you haven't set the date yet, because we'd need to talk to the Head Sage and make sure he has room for a wedding somewhere in his schedule. Though, who am I kidding, if I'm the one to ask him to make room for you he'll most likely do it, right? And of course, the ceremony would take place at the Temple, but I suppose in one of the smaller halls. You shouldn't invite the entire city, only royals should do that, and of course, the reception would have to take place elsewhere. The Palace is too much, isn't it? So, your house, right here? That would solve the problem of the venue easily. Now, though, the menu, the dresses, the decorations, the…"
"Azula!"
The Princess felt as though she had been struck by lightning when Sokka called her back from yet another whirlwind of planning. She glanced at him with uncertainty, though he seemed as amused as ever by her sudden, quick rambling.
"You're back now?" he asked her. Azula gulped and nodded, cheeks flushing.
"I'm sorry. I keep getting carried away" she admitted. Sokka laughed, shaking his head and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her head fell on his chest, though her eyes were still wide as plates, pondering even more details that required careful planning for a successful wedding to take place…
"W-what just happened?" Ty Lee asked, with a nervous smile. Sokka smiled fondly, patting Azula's head gently.
"Our favorite princess has a bad case of overplanning. Yep, that's the name I gave it. It means being overwhelmed by excessive planning" he said, smiling matter-of-factly "She's had to plan very carefully for everything regarding the slavery laws and their enforcement, and she can't seem to stop doing that with everything else anymore"
"Oh, wow. That's definitely the first time I've ever seen her like that… though it suits her to lose herself in her work" Ty Lee said, with a guilty grin "Sometimes in school I'd copy off her homework because I'd forget to finish mine… Azula had always finished the homework and added exercises of her own, as if the ones we were assigned weren't enough for her or something, and like she just loved putting extra work into things"
"Well, it seems I've met my match with the Enforcers" Azula admitted, closing her eyes and releasing a deep breath. She pulled away from Sokka, patting his chest gratefully "I'm so stressed out that's why my father told me to take a small break. Fortunately, it lined up with Sokka's birthday… but we can't improvise our way with this, no matter if I need to stop fussing over things so much. If we get off to a good start, though, I may just calm down through the trip… right?"
"If Sokka comes up with a few ideas to cleanse your aura like he has in the past, then sure thing…" Ty Lee taunted them, with a sneaky laugh. Azula rolled her eyes again, but Sokka smiled and rubbed her shoulder supportively: as much as it wasn't Ty Lee's business in the least, giving Azula a relaxing experience was, without a doubt, his top priority for their upcoming trip.
The Princess and her gladiator returned to Sokka's house after settling the arrangement of their deceit with Haru to their satisfaction. By then, Song was finished preparing lunch, and she welcomed them back with a confused smile regarding why they had taken off in such a hurry. Their explanation surprised her, of course:
"So, you'll take off on a vacation, just the two of you, and Haru will be here filling Sokka's shoes…?" Song recited again, halfway through their meal "Well, it sounds like a clever plan. I'm surprised you came up with it so quickly…"
"Well, we have our moments" Sokka said, proudly. Azula chuckled, though she looked at Song apologetically.
"We ought to have confirmed with you if it was alright, though. You'll have to give us a hand in this trickery of ours just as well…"
"Oh, it's fine" Song said, grinning "I'll be happy to help, and Haru and I get along fine. There's no need to worry about me, whatsoever"
"You'll have to be careful, though" said Sokka, grimacing "You know, set up proper boundaries around the house…? As much as Haru's nice and all, Ty Lee is very reckless and if she drops by she may want to, well…"
"Follow your example?" Song smiled curtly. Sokka's cheeks and ears reddened.
"Outdo it, rather" Azula clarified, grimacing "We stick to Sokka's room if you're in the house. I can't say Ty Lee would be that considerate…"
"Heh. That is, indeed, quite considerate …" Song said, an eyebrow twitching. How she hoped they had never defiled her poor kitchen in her absence… "Oh, anyways, it's best not to focus on that, right? Where are you going on your trip?"
Both Azula and Sokka seemed to be about to answer her question most enthusiastically, but they froze without uttering a single sound. Realization dawned in their eyes at the exact same time, and Song found their slow, synchronized reactions fascinating to witness… and of course, it all came to a head when they stared at each other in chagrin.
"We… didn't decide that yet" Azula said. Sokka made a sound, halfway through a whimper and a groan.
"Huh. Well… you have the rest of the day to decide, I suppose?" Song said, reassuringly, though it seemed the Princess was utterly horrified over having forgotten about settling on a destination, regardless of Song's words.
Half an hour later, Sokka and Azula sat at the living room table, with Sokka's Fire Nation map splayed across it. The only marked location was the hot springs they had visited long ago: Azula raised an eyebrow at the sight of it.
"We could visit the healing hot springs again, if you'd like" she said "It was a nice enough experience…"
"Yeah, you got a necklace out of that" Sokka smiled, the glint of an idea shining in his eyes now "You know, you ought to wear it through the trip! It would be wonderful, and as no one has ever seen Princess Azula wearing that kind of necklace, no one would suspect a thing…"
"Speaking of which, we do need to travel incognito through this trip" Azula said, frowning and eyeing Sokka with uncertainty "We'll need clothes, identities, a backstory…"
"We don't need to go too far with the backstory, though" said Sokka, smiling "We could… heh, okay, maybe you won't like this, but we could expand on our old fake identities. Jing and Wentai?"
The names rang a bittersweet bell in Azula's heart. It would be impossible not to remember their chaotic journey to Yu Dao… so much about being Jing and Wentai had been amusing, even blissful, until Jeong Jeong had caught up with them.
Yet their fake identities had been the least of their problems. If anything, she had quite enjoyed being someone else, especially when she could get away with sleeping by Sokka's side every night. The thought brought a smile to her face, to Sokka's relief, and she shrugged at last.
"I guess we could be Jing and Wentai again, yes" she said "But expanding our stories, you said? You mean… I divorced Rui Shi, and then took off with you?"
"Well, that ought to work" said Sokka, smirking "And we are engaged, of course, for that's why I made you that necklace!"
"Seems reasonable" Azula smiled, biting her lip "But yeah, we still will need traveling clothes. I'd need something casual, and you should probably wear…"
"Red?" Sokka asked, with amusement. Her mischievous grin only brought him to laugh too "Oh, fine, as Princess Jing wishes…"
"So, all that being said… we still haven't decided on where we're going" Azula said. Sokka raised his eyebrows as he studied the map with curiosity.
"Well… gee. I honestly don't know" Sokka scratched his head, leaning forward "How about the beach? Would it be fun to go to Ember Island for a vacation, or would you rather we don't risk it?"
"Risk it?" Azula repeated, perplexed.
"Yeah, well, when we went the first time we were okay with each other when we arrived, hostile when we left" Sokka said, grimacing "Then the second time we were getting along when we arrived, and we nearly got into each other's pants before we left?"
"They do say Ember Island is a place for change…" Azula reasoned. Sokka sighed.
"Well, I'd rather it doesn't change things much. I like our relationship as it is right now and I don't want it to sabotage us" Sokka pouted "So no Ember Island!"
"Wow. Quite superstitious on your part, but fine" Azula said, amused.
"Though it'd be fun if you wore a swimsuit, really…" Sokka sighed "But this is the Fire Nation, so wherever we go, there's bound to be a beach nearby where you can dazzle me with your perfect body, that's for sure!"
"Then we'll have to pack swimsuits too?" Azula said, wondering why on earth she was blushing at the idea. Perhaps because she highly doubted they'd wear swimsuits for very long, even if it meant they'd wind up having sex on a beach. It was a slightly ridiculous notion, and yet a highly erotic one all the same.
"If we can't wear them it'll be a shame, but we definitely should pack some!" Sokka said, grinning proudly "I mean, this is supposed to be a birthday present for me, isn't it…?"
He wiggled his eyebrows after speaking suggestively, though his tone was rather goofy instead. Azula laughed under her breath, conceding his victory silently: Sokka's smile couldn't have been wider.
"Then we'll have to pick places with beaches or rivers or hot springs…" Azula said, scrutinizing the map carefully.
"Should we plan to stay at inns overnight?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows "Or should we bring sleeping bags and tents and the like…?"
"That would be a lot of luggage" Azula said, grimacing "Inns would be far more comfortable. I'd rather not sleep out in the open if it's not necessary, and if Xin Long can carry us close to villages and towns where we can spend the night, there's no need to use sleeping bags"
"True enough" said Sokka. Though, again, Azula frowned.
"That being said… Xin Long can't be seen" she said "Granted, I will remain in touch with him wherever we go, but he will have to drop us off at some distance from our destinations, so that we may pretend to be innocent commoners who merely walk places, rather than reaching them by riding dragons…"
"Right" said Sokka, grimacing "And that means we won't be able to spend that much time with him, if we stay at inns…"
Azula glanced at the dragon that lounged on the grass that grew sparsely on Sokka's backyard. He was napping right now, tail wagging, his paws twitching in dreams. The Princess breathed deeply, guessing he might be moody if he couldn't be part of their journey other than by ferrying them from one place to the next…
"Well, heh. I have an idea"
Sokka's words brought Azula's attention back to him, his eyes set on one specific island on the map: it took Azula a moment to realize which it was.
"Uh… what? Shu Jing?" she said, blinking blankly as she stared at Sokka questioningly "Are you making a jab at my fake name, by any chance, or…?"
"No, I'm being serious" Sokka said, smiling awkwardly and sighing "Look, I'm pretty sure Piandao isn't coming back. The last time we went to Shu Jing there was a family living in his mansion, but we saw the father in the factory, and it sounded like they moved out, right? So… don't you think there's a chance Piandao's mansion could be empty right now?"
"Well… possibly. As long as no other family in need snuck into it" Azula said, eyeing Sokka with curiosity.
"His mansion is at higher altitude than the rest of the town. If we arrive from the west, as we should, Xin Long would be able to hide himself from the villagers easily enough behind the walls" said Sokka, beaming "The house is big, so are the terrains… so he can stay in there with us, no problem"
"Huh. That… that does sound like an appealing possibility" Azula said, tapping her chin "Are you certain you want to go back there, though? There are lots of places we've never seen…"
"Probably not lots of places we can stay at for free, though" Sokka chuckled "If Piandao's mansion is still available, we'll have no reason to worry about staying at inns or any other locations. And there's beds there, and a good kitchen… though we'll have to cook for ourselves, huh? That's a bit worrisome…"
"We'll bring a lot of money" Azula said, promptly "That way, if we fail to cook properly, we can always go to restaurants instead"
"That's a thought" Sokka grinned.
"Then… Shu Jing" Azula said, smiling as well as she stared at the small island on the map "Seems odd to return there now… let alone with such innocent purpose in mind"
"Innocent? Heh, speak for yourself. I will do as many inappropriate things to you as I can get away with" Sokka declared, proudly. Azula chuckled, dropping against him on the couch they were sitting on "But… yeah. I probably should be apprehensive about returning there, seeing as I was so affected by finding out there were other people living there back then… and yet I don't really mind anymore. I have no idea why, but… maybe it's because so much stuff has happened? Piandao's lessons feel like a thousand years away, at this point…"
"Or… maybe you're proud of the man you've become, difficult to believe as it might be" Azula smiled, trailing his face with her fingertips "And you no longer feel you need his guidance as badly as you once did"
"Heh, it might be I don't, yeah" Sokka smiled, kissing her fingers softly "Plus… I've suspected for a while that maybe he was onto us, to a fault. Going back to his mansion to desecrate it with you might just be the worst way to prove him right, sure, but it's a victory for him nonetheless, if he truly was expecting our relationship to flourish so much…"
"I doubt he wanted us to be together in this manner" Azula smiled "But alas, it wasn't up to him anyhow, nor up to anyone other than the two of us, really"
"Nope" said Sokka, leaning close and pressing his lips softly to hers "So… we're doing this, Azula? For real?"
"For real" she said, grinning "I think we ought to give ourselves another day or two of preparation, but it shouldn't take that long to get ready. And once the time comes…"
"Heh. Once the time comes, you and I will be…" he said, but a fit of laughter overtook him as he hugged Azula enthusiastically. Had they been standing, Azula guessed he would've hoisted her off the floor once more, but this time he only managed to pull her atop his lap, still laughing blissfully.
"Sokka…" she said, smiling as she ran her fingers through his hair.
His blue eyes glistened, like an ocean touched by the sun, like the brightest clear skies, when he looked at her. Her breath hitched at the sight, lips curled instinctively at his pure joy.
"I didn't really expect much for my birthday, you know?" he said, chuckling "You'd said you wanted to do this, but I never really thought we would have the chance, let alone for a whole week… shit, I think I'm going to explode of giddy eagerness. I can't believe this is really going to happen, and so suddenly, too! I woke up this morning thinking I'd barely see you for the next weeks, other than if we ran into each other at the Enforcers' Headquarters… and now I'm going to spend an entire week with you? I… I think this is already my best birthday ever and it hasn't even started"
Azula laughed, kissing him deeply, knowing that would help him release his excitement slightly. The overwhelming sensation that had been clouding her better judgment wasn't entirely gone yet… but, unlike what she'd suspected earlier that morning, it was quite likely that she'd be able to forget about her fears and concerns entirely with Sokka's company.
"We'll make sure of that" she said, smiling lovingly "This birthday of yours, to be sure, will be one to remember"
Sokka grinned and pulled her close again. Azula surrendered to his hungry kisses gladly, each one more comforting and relaxing than the one that came before. And that was but a brief glimpse of what was yet to come, in a whole week just for them… she didn't know what sorts of complications they might run into, and she would make sure they'd both bring their weapons, so that they wouldn't be caught unawares in case anything bad happened. But even her most cautious thoughts and plans couldn't dampen either of their blissful moods: the next week promised to be a memorable one for the Princess and her gladiator.
A/N:
I'm not sure it's necessary to say this anymore, since it's probably obvious by now...? But this new arc is going to focus exclusively on Azula and Sokka's relationship. It's been a while since we had any arcs of the sort (regardless of the problem that arose two years ago, truthfully this is how I had planned for the story to proceed all along), so I hope that this change after the last two plot-heavy arcs will be agreeable to a fair share of you, at the very least.
This being said, if some of you are utterly unconcerned with this side of the story, that's too bad, you'll be missing a lot of developments I'm pretty pleased with (amongst them, one of the most humorous scenes/situations I think I've written in this story altogether). You might actually be a little lost if you stop reading and come back once the arc is over... but if you'd rather do that, I'll advise that you read the final scene in chapter 196, at the very least, before moving on to the next arc (starting in 197).
Aaanyways, I really hope you guys will enjoy this fun ride of an arc because I had a serious blast writing it. Thanks for reading!