"Sometimes I can barely believe this is really going to happen" Mai said conversationally, leaning against the wall of the elegant dress boutique "I always assumed Ty Lee would just jump from one guy to the next until the end of time… it's baffling that she's settling down officially in just two months"
"I'm sorry you'll have to handle most the wedding organization by yourself, though" Azula said, her eyes set on the curtain of the changing room where Ty Lee had ducked away moments ago "Convincing the Head Sage to officiate the wedding this morning was hardly even challenging, and so far, it seems it's the only thing I'll manage to do…"
"That's alright, I'll just dump all the pending work on you once you come back from your big meeting abroad"
"How very nice of you"
"I do my best"
Mai smiled slyly, glancing at Azula for the reaction she had been expecting… a frustrated scowl, an eye-roll, anything to manifest her displeasure. Instead… she found nothing. The Princess stood beside her, her eyebrows drawn together but not into a full frown, her golden glares betraying her mind was, most likely, far from their last conversation topic. However fun it was to tease her friend, it didn't seem she was in the right mood to respond to it in the more amusing ways she always did.
"Everything alright?" Mai asked, raising her eyebrows "You were off in some escapade with we-know-who for a week… hardly seems reasonable for you to be in such a sour mood after that"
"I wasn't, not until yesterday" Azula admitted, arms folded over her chest "Truthfully, I needed to have a word with you, I didn't bring it up before since I figured I shouldn't dampen Ty Lee's big dress-fitting day…"
"I don't think she can hear us now, if that's what concerns you" said Mai, convinced of it by the rumor of female voices behind the dressing room's curtain. The store attendants had been hard at work with Ty Lee and her chosen dress, and it wasn't likely that the young woman would hear a single word her friends were speaking as they waited for her.
"Well, alright then" said Azula, swallowing hard "It's… about your tea"
"Oh, please don't tell me it failed you" Mai said, warily "Azula…"
"No, no…. not that I know of, anyways. Could it?" Azula said, staring at Mai in surprise. She shrugged.
"It's been known to happen" she said "Not too often, mind you, but still… what is it, then, if not that?"
"You've… you've been drinking it for a while, right?" Azula asked "Did you use it before you and Ruon Jian decided to have Yuudai?"
"Well, yes. Neither of us were ready for children right away, I only stopped taking it once we were and I started drinking it again after Yuudai was born" said Mai, shrugging "Why?"
"I see" said Azula, slow fury rising inside her stomach "Then I… I take it the tea doesn't hold risks of rendering its drinker barren, does it?"
"What? Where did you hear something like that?" Mai asked. Azula breathed deeply.
"Just… answer the question, please?" she said, gritting her teeth.
"As far as I know, there's no such risk. My aunt offered me the recipe long ago, she's an herbalist, as you might remember" Mai said, frowning "If someone would know about any nefarious consequences of this tea, it would be her. She provided it to my mother, who used it for years, and it definitely didn't make her sterile or I wouldn't have a little brother at all…"
"Of course" said Azula, breathing deeply and walking backwards until she hit the wall: she dropped her head against it with a soft thud "Then I can assume that's nonsense, right?"
"You can" said Mai, nodding "There are other less safe methods for preventing pregnancy that might have those kind of effects, but not this"
"Thanks" Azula said, sighing, though it didn't escape Mai's notice that she seemed irritated by the news rather than relieved.
"So… do you want to be sterile?" Mai asked, and Azula actually jumped at the question "You seem so pissed to hear that it won't have that kind of effect, I can't help but think-…"
"No, I don't want to be" Azula said, far more firmly than she expected to. It was strange to say those words with such conviction, to show herself so willing to bear children when the idea had seemed appalling for most her life… her life had certainly changed a lot over the past years "But someone's certainly trying to play with me, and I must say, I don't appreciate it one bit"
"Someone?" Mai repeated, raising her eyebrows "Who, exactly?"
"Iroh" Azula growled. She found herself answering Mai's skeptical scowl with a harsh glare "You can go ahead and think he's inoffensive all you want, but that bastard… he caught me drinking the tea yesterday: the next thing I knew, he was making up all this nonsense about how I might be sterile if I drink it for a very long time, so if it's bullshit, the intent of his lies is more than clear: yes, my family is fucked up, it's not just my perception, it's a known fact"
"Admittedly, that does sound bad" Mai said, frowning "So… either he's trying to send you into a panic for the fun of it, or… he suspects you're having an affair with someone and tried to throw you off to make you reveal it?"
"The second one, for sure"
"Really? Has he made any other moves to confirm it? Maybe sought out Sokka personally, or…?"
"Yes, he's the entire reason I'm traveling without Sokka in the coming days, as a matter of fact" Azula growled, shaking her head "What's worse is the event I'll be attending might be the more logical way to proceed with the Enforcers regardless… but Iroh very deliberately attached himself to the trip, and if I brought Sokka along to keep me company despite I won't have the chance to schedule a gladiator fight for him, he'd surely take it as confirmation of what's going on between us"
"And you can't afford to schedule a fight?"
"The intended location so far is Crescent Island" Azula said "The Sages there seem to be thrilled about hosting us, they don't tend to be involved in Fire Nation politics as much as they'd like to be. But there's nothing on that island other than the temple, so no, I can't just skip off to the nearest Arena for one afternoon and return on time for the meetings. Sokka has to stay here… else I'll just keep on giving Iroh reasons to believe our relationship isn't what it should be"
"Huh… I'd think you're going overboard with the paranoia, but his lie about the tea is too ominous" Mai said, eyeing Azula warily "Why is your family like this, honestly? Mine's no good either, but my uncle isn't scheming to destroy my life through my secrets, nor is my brother fighting me over who gets to be our father's heir…"
"You're noble, not royal. The difference is thin, but it exists" Azula sighed "There's no reason your uncle would pester you, is there? He's the Boiling Rock's warden, not someone who was trained to become Fire Lord all his life…"
"Still no reason why he should be trying to sabotage you" Mai said, shaking her head "Why should it be any of his business if you're involved with someone, anyhow?"
"If he wants Zuko on the throne instead of me, the first step to get him there is to destroy me…" Azula said, nonchalantly "And he's been quite set on doing exactly that ever since he returned to the Fire Nation after Zuko's exile was lifted. Even now, with Zuko far away and with no intentions of returning, he keeps it up…"
"He didn't find Zuko at all, did he?" Mai asked, and Azula didn't miss the very subtle tone of sadness in her friend's voice.
"No, but Zuko did send him a letter" Azula said "If you're worried about him, though, don't be. He's quite happy"
"Oh? And you know this how?" Mai asked, both surprised and confused.
"Because the one who found him was me"
It was always fun to see Mai's reactions to matters she was genuinely invested in: naturally, she would never react as explosively as someone like Ty Lee might, but the wide eyes and the slightly parted lips were as close to Ty Lee's loud exclamations as it would get. It brought a smile to Azula's face as she nodded, answering Mai's unasked question already.
"It all happened by chance, in Whaletail Island. And I'm only telling you about it because you're you" Azula said, as Mai blinked blankly.
"B-but… he's fine, then? He's happy?" Mai asked.
"Quite so. He's actually going to have you beat soon, children-wise" Azula smiled "He and Suki got married, they already have one daughter and are expecting another child…"
"Huh. See why the tea is necessary?" Mai said, smiling too as Azula laughed in agreement "Goodness… that's such a relief. Granted, I didn't worry that much about Zuko's wellbeing, it's not like it kept me up at night or so… but knowing for sure that he's still happy with Suki is great news. Is Whaletail Island a safe place for him to stay in, though?"
"That's not his actual place of residence, truthfully" Azula said "We both traveled there at the same time… and yeah, he's been somewhere safe, well outside of the Fire Nation's reach, but his life isn't all that easy there. I gave him money, hoping it'd help…"
"Did you, now…?"
"So surprised, are you?" Azula smirked "He actually made off with all the money I was carrying on me for the trip, no less. So if you're going to keep on accusing me of furthering my family's feuds, you'd better save it. Things between me and Zuko aren't half as bad lately as they used to be"
"Alright… but maybe Iroh wouldn't be so unpleasant to you either, if only you told him about Zuko" Mai said, raising her eyebrows "Could be, if you tell him where to find him, he'll leave you alone and pester him again instead…"
"Sounds tempting, to a fault… and yet it's not a good idea" Azula whispered, as thoughts of the Water Tribe came to mind "If I'm reading Iroh correctly, the main thing he wants is for Zuko to be Fire Lord. He'd probably have little compunctions about yanking him away from his family to force him into the role…"
"Isn't that a bit too cruel? He's always looked like such a bland, easy-going man…"
"You, of all people, should know the value of a proper mask" Azula huffed "Iroh has been hiding behind his inoffensive charades for as long as he could get away with it. He's nowhere near as innocent as he pretends to be"
"I'd say you're crazy… but admittedly, it's better if you are, in your circumstances" Mai sighed "You really shouldn't risk letting him know about you and Sokka"
"And I'll do everything in my power to avoid that" Azula said, closing her eyes. However difficult it would be to stay away from her secret husband for around a month, she couldn't prioritize her impulses and feelings over his safety.
Mai seemed to want to talk some more, probably about whatever Azula knew about Zuko, but Ty Lee and the store attendants stepped out of the dressing room at last: it wasn't the first time they had seen Ty Lee in formal wear, but there was no denying the white-and-red dress was far more opulent and dignified than any she had worn before. She seemed keenly aware of it, an unusual nervous smile on her face as she bit her lip and fiddled with her thumbs.
"S-so? What do you girls think?" she said "I have to find the right hair ornaments to match, b-but I think it looks… it looks good, right?"
Despite the heavy burdens plaguing her at the moment, Azula couldn't help but smile and nod in approval. Even Mai showed no signs of distaste, offering Ty Lee a grin of her own.
"Looks perfect to me" said Azula.
"It'll suit you for the ceremony just fine" Mai agreed "And of course, once the party begins I can lend you one of my knives so you can cut it off at the midriff, just the way you like it…"
"What?! No! I wouldn't do that to my wedding dress!" Ty Lee exclaimed, blushing and glaring at Mai disapprovingly as both her friends laughed.
"She's just messing with you" Azula said, stepping towards Ty Lee to study the dress more carefully "Seems to be the right fit, though. Do you feel comfortable in it?"
"Oh, yeah, though it's a lot more fabric than I usually wear" Ty Lee admitted, with an awkward smile.
"It's just for one day" Azula said, smiling "Pretty sure once it's over you'll wish you could wear that dress for longer"
"Uh… well, maybe" said Ty Lee, frowning as she saw a strange hint of nostalgia in Azula's eyes: again, her suspicions about Azula's latest trip began bubbling to the surface, even though she held back from saying anything in front of the store clerks "You okay, Azula?"
"I… yeah. Sorry, I just… spaced out, for a moment" Azula said, smiling reassuringly.
"Princess? Would you like to proceed with your dress fitting as well?" asked the eldest of the store clerks, wife of the shop owner. Azula only seemed to remember she would need a new dress of her own upon hearing those words.
"Oh… right. I suppose I should" she nodded, following the attendants into the dressing room.
Ty Lee followed the attendants with her gaze as they steered Azula away. As much as it was a relief the Princess seemed to approve of her choice of outfit, something was off about her friend's behavior… it had been ever since she had returned from her week-long trip to Shu Jing.
"Say, is it just me, or… is Azula acting weird?" Ty Lee asked Mai, who shrugged.
"What exactly amounts to 'Azula acting normal', if I might ask?"
"Well… huh. I'm not exactly sure" said Ty Lee, with an awkward smile "But I mean… she wasn't in the best of moods when we got here, but just now with the wedding dress she actually looked happy? Like… emotionally happy?"
"I suppose it was a bit more than I'd expect from her, yes" Mai conceded, nodding. Ty Lee grimaced, inching closer to her friend.
"Y-you know, I already thought of it when she first got here, but now I'm suspecting it even more…" she whispered, hoping no one would possibly overhear them "D-don't you think maybe she and Sokka kind of… eloped?"
Mai was silent, inexpressive, for at least five seconds. Ty Lee watched her anxiously as her friend weighed her answer, half-expecting Mai to scoff and shake her head at the ridiculousness of the suggestion…
Instead, Mai shrugged and said:
"Maybe"
"M-maybe? Maybe?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, eyes wide "She couldn't have!"
"I wouldn't put it past them, frankly" Mai said, with a small grin.
"Oh, goodness, oh goodness, I… I have to ask her! We have to! I'll get the truth from her before she leaves on that weird trip! Otherwise, we'll ask him! Oh, he'll crack much easier, of course he would!" Ty Lee exclaimed, nearly jumping in her new dress. Mai grimaced.
"You should calm down, you don't want to mess up your fancy new outfit, do you…?"
"But this is huge! Oh, I can't possibly calm down, it's the craziest thing she could've done…!"
Mai couldn't fully conceal her amusement, though she was nowhere near as vocal about her reaction to the possibility of Azula's secret wedding as Ty Lee was. Something was odd about Azula just now, just as something had been odd about her whenever things had changed between her and Sokka in the past. Of course, Azula's determination to protect their relationship from Iroh surely would be just as strong whether they were married or not… but it was still likely that Ty Lee's wedding wasn't the only one the Princess would have been involved with in recent times. And as much as Mai generally didn't care enough about other people's affairs to poke her nose in them, she definitely was curious now about whatever had happened in Azula's secretive journey to Shu Jing…
It hadn't taken very long to figure out the weak link amongst Azula's people. Someone close enough to the Princess to have a proper assessment of the situation, but enough of an outsider to bear her no genuine loyalty…
He had asked the maids about the tea, of course he had: they had assured him, with very learned and practiced lies, that the Princess had only been drinking the tea for a short time. If only Iroh were a true fool he wouldn't have seen through the deceit, assuming all those parroted answers could have concealed a kernel of truth in them. But it was apparent they were worried, confused, even troubled about answering such a simple, innocuous question… and why would they be, if not because they had been threatened to give those answers by Azula herself?
Naturally, it had to mean the Princess knew Iroh was onto her, of course she did. It only made her actions more suspicious, but that wasn't enough to convince him of the gravity of her crimes yet. He didn't have genuine evidence, he didn't have real testimonies, he couldn't even know for sure whether he was imagining everything or if he was on the right track. His gut told him he was, but his gut wasn't as reliable as tangible, solid facts…
And that was how he had tracked down Renkai: in her many attempts to endear herself to her father, Azula had asked for promotions for all her Royal Guards. The ten who had served her since her late teenage years were no use for his purposes, Iroh knew as much, but his sources had let him know Azula's original guards had been assembled into a new squad by General Shaofeng, comprising a team with only one member who didn't belong to her Royal Guards before: General Shaofeng, perhaps, was onto the Princess as well. He was a meticulous, dangerous man, and assigning one of his trustworthy soldiers to spy on Azula was as good as expected from him.
Renkai was that spy, and Renkai stood at the Palace's western wall right now, in the middle of one of his patrols. Iroh smiled patiently, watching as a new guard arrived to relieve the Imperial one: in less than five minutes, the men had switched places and Renkai was walking across the Palace's yards, on his way to the barracks.
"Oh, it's been quite a hot day, hasn't it?" Iroh called out to Renkai, who slowed down upon being addressed by someone: his stance was tense already, it grew even tenser once he regarded Iroh with caution "Must be a great relief for you to return to the barracks, eh?"
"General Iroh, sir" said Renkai, bowing his head in the shorter man's direction "Can I help you?"
"Well… yes. You could. I believe, if someone can, it's you" Iroh said, smirking "You have been working with the Princess's old Royal Guards for how long now…?"
"A year and three months, sir" Renkai answered directly, taking nearly no time to weigh his answer. Iroh nodded sagely.
"And, in that year… have you kept proper surveillance on the Princess?" he asked.
"My job is to watch over our Royal Family members, not to watch the members themselves" Renkai said, point-blank. Iroh laughed.
"Oh, so do you avoid looking at her at all, when you're assigned to travel with her? Sounds like it must be very complicated to fulfill your job that way!" he laughed more. Renkai scowled under his helmet.
"Is there a point to this, if I may ask?" Renkai said "I'll miss lunch at this rate, General Iroh…"
"Oh, sure, I'll let you go…" said Iroh, smiling "But, uh, you could answer a small question for me before you go, right, Renkai?"
"Yes?"
Iroh breathed deeply before turning his calculating eyes into Renkai's own, across the helmet and mask that concealed his face from the world. He had to understand Iroh meant business, or else he might feel tempted not to answer at all…
"Is there anything unusual, anything suspicious, about the Princess's closeness with her gladiator?"
Renkai pondered the question for moments: his hesitation spoke lengths, of course it did. He knew more than Azula had ever intended for him to know and, if persuaded, Iroh might finally figure out exactly what-…
"I don't believe so"
Renkai's blunt negative startled him. Iroh blinked several times, inching away from Renkai, who now seemed utterly nonchalant.
"You don't?" Iroh said, with a crooked grin "Well… that's surprising. I was quite convinced a man in your role would have to be observant, to discover whatever dangerous secrets royals keep from each other… are you certain you've never seen anything out of place between them? Anything to imply their relationship isn't… well, strictly professional?"
"I can't say I have" Renkai replied again.
"You can't say? Or you haven't?"
"Both. How could I say I've seen something if I haven't seen it at all?"
Iroh didn't want to appear frustrated, or outraged, or confused… but this particular guard was, surprisingly, pushing him towards all three reactions at once. He was lying, he had to be lying, and yet…
"If you'll excuse me, General" said Renkai, bowing his head curtly before making haste to the barracks for his coveted lunch.
Iroh watched him go, a prominent scowl on his face. There was no way Azula could've gotten to this man, too. He wasn't meant to be like the rest of her guards: Renkai was as good as a spy amongst Azula's men, at least he should be. Why would he be loyal to a Princess whom he had served only on occasion, who was breaking all tradition by carrying out a secret affair with her gladiator?
Her reach couldn't possibly go so far. Had she truly intimidated even a seasoned guard, a spy so qualified that General Shaofeng had entrusted this mission to him? Or had she inspired him, instead? Had she won him over through charisma, through leadership? The notion sat ill in Iroh's stomach, even though he knew it shouldn't. Those would be good qualities to be found in the next Fire Lord, surely… and yet he found them foreboding, terrifying. If his niece was undefeatable, if she had it so easy to sway even those who should have been her enemies…
Was she trying to trick him, too? Was this all part of a wider manipulation than he had realized? She was offering him the chance to discover her weakness, her secrets… all of it to soften him, to lull him into thinking she was far more innocent, far more harmless, than she truly was. To sway him into rooting for her, into believing she could be Fire Lord instead of Zuko…
She didn't know about the prophecy. No one outside of Iroh's closest circles could have known at all. Even Zuko had been kept out of it, unaware of his own destiny despite Iroh often hinted at what it was. Azula couldn't know of it, she couldn't be scheming to convince Iroh to change his mind about who the prophecy was about…
But as hard as he tried to trust her, she made it harder still. No doubt, she would want to protect her indiscretions at all costs, to come off as invulnerable, to avoid giving her political enemies the necessary ammunition to destroy her… but Renkai's façade, along with the lies by the servants, were only convincing Iroh that his initial assessments of his niece were not so far off. That, perhaps, his latest hopes were unfounded, instead…
He had to find out through other means. He had to change his viewpoint and analyze Azula further. However smart the young woman was, she couldn't have covered all her tracks. He would unravel one of her weaknesses as soon as the chance arose by tracking down all her previous steps, he knew he could…
Renkai walked past the dining room quickly, rushing upstairs while pretending to be perfectly calm. As much as he was no longer a captain, Fei Li had insisted that Rui Shi kept his quarters, and Renkai entered them without even knocking on the door. He had half expected the room to be empty, but he was greeted by Rui Shi's scowl as soon as he crossed the threshold into the room unannounced.
"Renkai?" Rui Shi said, recognizing him even before Renkai removed his helmet to regain his breath with further ease.
"General Iroh knows" he said, promptly. Rui Shi's eyes shifted: he was glowering before long, demanding a bigger explanation than that.
"He asked you about them" it wasn't a question, but Renkai nodded as a response regardless.
"She probably already knows about it. It's her, after all" said Renkai "Still… warn her. Pretend he asked you instead of me, maybe…"
"Fine. I'll do that" said Rui Shi, nodding as Renkai sighed and turned to leave the room again "Renkai?"
"Yes?"
"You… you did well. Thank you" said Rui Shi, surprised to be uttering the words at all.
Renkai nodded, ducking out of the room without further ado. Rui Shi sighed: the lunch he'd eaten earlier was twisting unpleasantly inside his stomach now. However much he was no longer the Princess's personal guard in name, he felt like he was fighting to protect her harder these days than ever before, first with Renkai and now… now against General Iroh, no less.
Something told him Iroh couldn't be as harmless for the Princess as Renkai had been so far, after their conversation aboard the Barge.
Her feet slid into the boots reluctantly, heaviness weighing in her chest as she sat by the edge of the bed. Merely a week earlier she had shared a bed with Sokka without any hindrances to interfere between them, and she had certainly been her happiest self at the time. She was happy just now, too: they had celebrated Sokka's latest triumph in the Grand Royal Dome today, after his fight against the Paragon of Pain ended with Sokka's victory. He was almost unscathed, barely with a few scratches and bruises, nothing compared with the shape he often had been in after fighting earthbenders in the early stages of their partnership. Azula had still ensured they tended to them, after which she had cuddled with him in his room – the cuddling had, inevitably, taken an intense turn before long, but as much as they wished to give themselves to each other for longer than one afternoon, the sunset was ever a warning sign for the Princess: it was time to go home.
Sokka lay on the mattress, eyeing Azula's naked back wistfully as she fastened her boots properly. His chest was still heaving after their last round, but the knowledge that she would leave was doing away with his previous euphoria quite easily.
Even so, he sat up, holding the chest bandages he'd removed from her body once she felt over the bed to find them. Azula smiled gratefully at him, more so when he crept over the mattress to help her fasten the bandages over her chest.
"You don't think you can sneak here again…?" Sokka whispered by her ear "Not even once before you have to leave?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll figure something out, but… it's not very likely" Azula admitted, clasping his hand in hers once he had finished wrapping her chest properly. She kissed his fingers, and he responded with an intimate embrace, tinged with despair.
"So we'll just… see each other at the Enforcers' place once in a while, and then we won't see each other at all for ages?" Sokka groaned.
"The trip's length is now expected to be less than a month, from what my father told me in our last meeting" Azula said, closing her eyes "It is a three-day voyage to Crescent Island, but I doubt I'll have to spend more than a week explaining the minutiae of the Enforcers' duties to the representatives in attendance. I won't be gone forever…"
"It's still going to feel like it's forever" Sokka pouted, burying his face in her neck. Azula smiled, raising a hand to stroke his cheek "I've never been good at this whole 'living without you' thing, and I don't think getting married helped matters much…"
"I'm getting worse and worse at it, myself" Azula admitted "But… if I play my cards right, if I can put a stop to Iroh, we may not need to spend ages away from each other anymore once this is over"
"I hope so" Sokka sighed, raising his head to meet her eyes with his own "Be careful with the tea, though. You'll keep drinking it while you're abroad, right?"
"I'll make sure to brew it when the old geezer is nowhere nearby" Azula nodded.
"Good" said Sokka, with a weak smile.
"And you… you'd better keep Mei Xun at bay and happy for as long as I'm gone" Azula said, with a playful grin "She's still giving you the stink-eye, isn't she?"
"Can't seem to stop doing it, if anything" Sokka huffed, the corner of his mouth twitching "I don't know how I'll fix that yet, honestly. Even though nowadays I show up at their Headquarters daily she still acts like I spat in the Fire Lord's face… huh. Come to think of it, I probably ought to do that. That way at least I'd feel like I deserve her hatred"
"Please, don't" Azula said, smiling still "I know you have more than your fair share of resentment towards my father, and no doubt you have every right to feel the way you do, but I would very much like to come home to find my husband wasn't thrown in prison for disrespecting his father-in-law…"
Sokka's mood seemed to improve vastly upon hearing those words: his grip around Azula tightened as he pressed his face to her shoulder, laughing at the image she had painted for him with her words. The Princess couldn't help but press kisses to the top of his head until she outright turned around, eager to embrace him once more.
A simple moment of happiness seemed to provide them with the strength they had felt they lacked. Despite wanting nothing but to hold on to Azula for hours on end, for days if he could get away with it, Sokka climbed off the bed to fetch the shirt he had removed from her body earlier, offering to clad her in it once more. Azula smiled in surprised approval, stretching her arms out through the sleeves as Sokka carefully yanked down the fabric around her body.
"Why, thank you" Azula said, once Sokka had helped release her long hair from the trappings of her shirt. He took advantage of their closeness to kiss her lips softly "Though I thought you weren't going to let me go willingly"
"I'm hardly willing as it is" Sokka admitted, with a sad smile "But… we are husband and wife now, aren't we? So I can't help but think that means that I need to… to be more responsible, even if it kills me inside. Sounds stupid, right? And yet…"
"It really does, but I often feel the same way anyhow" Azula conceded, as Sokka fetched her tunic this time.
"I love being with you, spending as much time as I can with you… but now, more than ever, I don't want to burden you" Sokka sighed, helping her with the new clothing item as he had before "It's bad enough that you have to deal with Iroh on your own. I wish I could help somehow… but if I can't, I'd better not bring you down by being mopey and instead encourage you to do your best with your big meeting"
"You don't have to hide how you feel anyhow" Azula smiled "If you didn't mope at all I might start assuming you won't miss me…"
"Well, I was moping until a minute ago, so you're officially barred from jumping to such ridiculous conclusions" Sokka smirked. Azula laughed, nodding as he picked up the hairbrush from his dresser and sat behind the Princess, ready to assemble her hair into the perfect half-knot.
She had been born to privilege, ever taken care of by servants and the staff of the Palace… yet none of their expertise could hold a torch to Sokka's genuine care into everything he did: his fingers slid through her hair gently, never pulling, with evident pleasure upon the feeling of her silk-like strands against his skin. He dressed her just as devotedly, placing her armor over her shoulders carefully, buckling it for her before her fingers could reach for the fastenings. His lips often found hers, or her cheek, or her brow: however difficult it would be to stay away from him for the next weeks, she never felt quite as loved, as needed, as important as she did when he took her in his arms.
"I'm really sorry I can't go with you…" Sokka sighed, stroking Azula's hair "I know I probably wouldn't be much help, and I'd just get in the way, but if Iroh weren't being a bother I'd just love to be there to watch you blow the minds of all those nobles and representatives and whatever they are…"
"I know you would" Azula smiled, resting against him, her head on his shoulder "Though I can't say I'll be all that impressive this time around. It's just a lot of explanations for how Enforcers should operate, after all…"
"And you think that's not impressive? You underestimate yourself" Sokka smiled, prompting Azula to laugh as she nuzzled his neck "You'll do amazing out there. They'll listen to your every word, taking notes because everything you say is very important… and once you're finished, they'll all think you'll lead the Fire Nation into a much brighter future than any of your wretched predecessors could even dream of"
"Sounds to me like you have better expectations with this meeting than I'd dare have myself" Azula said, stroking the back of his hand "But I can't deny it makes me feel quite fuzzy inside that you believe in me so much"
"And I always will" Sokka whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head "Even if I'm not there to see it all happen, you can trust my heart will be with you through it all. I'll be with you, even when I'm not, however corny it may sound… but it's true anyhow. Because…"
He reached for her right hand, and he trailed his thumb carefully over her palm. The skin around the wound had reddened when it had begun healing: by now there was a thin scab over it. By the time they met again it would surely have fallen away, just like Sokka's own, leaving them both with matching scars that would bind them forever, as their kindred souls already did.
"True enough" Azula admitted, closing her eyes as he caressed her hand gently "Both that you'll be with me… and that it's corny as hell, of course"
He laughed, tightening his embrace around her as Azula slid her arms around his neck, her lips trailing over his skin with every new kiss she pressed against him. She only pulled away to reach for the nape of her neck, unfastening the necklace she ever wore when they were alone together. Sokka's easy smile now had a tinge of sadness to it, as Azula pressed the smooth stone to his hand.
"And if the scar isn't enough relief, there's always the necklaces, right?" she said, with a teasing smile "I'd think I shouldn't take yours, but… maybe it's a good idea to do it. Not just for my peace of mind, but… who knows if Iroh has convinced some servants to go through my stuff while I'm gone, huh?"
"You really aren't going to put anything past him, are you?" Sokka smiled, and Azula shook her head "Good. It's better that you're prepared for everything, if you ask me. Can't just cross your fingers and expect the best-case scenario to unfold"
"Absolutely" Azula said, sighing "I just really hope this is the end for whatever he's up to. According to my father, Iroh might just be trying to get close to me to turn me into his puppet…"
"A stupid notion, if I've ever heard one" Sokka huffed "Let him try, you'll teach him he can't mess with you that way…"
"Indeed" Azula smiled, leaning in to kiss Sokka's lips softly "I just wish you could be there to see it"
Sokka smiled, even if his chest ached upon hearing those words. He already longed to be beside her when she faced her biggest challenges, but knowing she yearned for his company only made it all the harder for him to hold back. He kissed her as many times as he could while the sun continued to set, time ever unyielding and unforgiving to the two lovers for whom every shared moment was over too soon.
Watching Azula take off on Xin Long's back was even more painful today than it often was. However supportive he wanted to be, Sokka's heart continued to dread the next days, with the keen awareness that he wouldn't be able to see her, or even contact her through messenger hawk for as long as she was on her trip, in case Iroh might intercept the letters. They would be cut off… and as much as they had been away from each other before, every fiber in Sokka's body seemed to be torn apart by the sheer power of how badly he would miss her.
Still, he had a plan or two on how to keep his mind busy while he waited for Azula to return. He would certainly go back to training the Enforcers as she had asked him to, and he wouldn't come off as an irresponsible fool to Mei Xun anymore… and whenever he wasn't doing that, he would paint: he thought he remembered enough of Azula's painting lesson from Shu Jing to pull off a slightly more decent artwork than the last she'd seen from him. If not, then he'd try again, and again, and again until she could return and see the result of his hard work.
That thought was encouraging, far more than he had thought it would be. He would have something to look forward to, something he'd have a chance to show Azula once she finally came home… something to make progress in, even if just in small ways, as opposed to the massive steps forward Azula was taking with her own enterprises. The magnitude of what she was doing was staggering sometimes, whenever Sokka thought about it from a larger perspective: the lives she would touch, the society she was already shaping for the better, the world she was changing with every new decision she took… it was all so big, so grand, and Sokka was fascinated by it.
So, as selfish as his heart might be, he smiled at the shape of the shrinking dragon in the sky, pride infusing him completely. He would rather be with her as she proved herself to the world, of course he would… but if he could only watch from a distance, he'd gladly do that too. This was only the beginning, he knew, but he couldn't wait to see the magnificent world Azula would build for everyone.
Crescent Island's name was perfectly descriptive: the island was shaped exactly as the crescent moon would be, something apparent even as they approached it over the sea. Nonetheless, there was no description in that name for the flowing lava pouring out of the crevices on the rocks, molten until it came into contact with the water. Azula's Barge docked at a safe distance from the flowing lava, though she admired it briefly before climbing off deck and starting her way to the Temple.
Hers hadn't been the only ship in the harbor: many of the representatives had already arrived, as the local sages explained to her once she entered the building, flanked by her guards. The grand, tall temple had accommodations for everyone, or so the sages had assured her, but she certainly would have no cause for concern about being crammed in a small room with strangers, as the other representatives might be: she was granted an elegant, spacious room that, according to one of the sages – Shyu, as he introduced himself –, had been Avatar Roku's own whenever he visited the temple.
War Minister Qin had arranged transportation for all representatives, ferrying them to the Earth Kingdom's western shores through aircrafts from all the most important cities and towns in the continent. A procession of ships had traveled from there to Crescent Island, just as another group of ships had done the same from the larger towns and cities in the Fire Nation's archipelago. By nightfall, all representatives would be expected to arrive, and a grand feast would be thrown in their honor… a feast Azula hoped to use as a reconnaissance opportunity. Depending on what kinds of representatives had been sent, she should be able to determine which governors and mayors were genuinely interested in working to the new laws' favor, and how many would be unwilling to make even the slightest effort for her cause… the latter, of course, would be in for a rude awakening: she had every intention of keeping a close watch on the Enforcers, whether those abroad or the ones in the mainland, and she would tolerate no mediocrity from any of them.
Reeling in all representatives wouldn't prove all that difficult, Azula hoped… spending weeks in this Temple without seeing Sokka's face or hearing his voice would be much more challenging, especially because she had to pretend not to be affected by it. The worst of all her problems, though, would be how to fully convince Iroh that she wasn't involved with the man to whom she had given her heart. However good a liar she had always been, more than enough people had seen through their relationship in the past, many of them without a fragment of Iroh's observation skills. She couldn't falter, she couldn't stumble, she couldn't let him sense any of her remorse when denying the truth of their love…
The only thing to give her some semblance of strength was the necklace she kept safely in her pocket. She only took it out once she was alone in her newly assigned room, admiring the bone beads for moments before closing her eyes and picturing Sokka in her mind instead. He had encouraged her before she had to leave, and no doubt he would do it too if he were here now. She couldn't possibly disappoint those charming blue eyes or that heartwarming smile, could she?
A knock on the door startled her, but she had enough time to pocket the necklace again before turning to open it. Even before doing so, she knew who would be on the other side:
"Ah, there you are" Iroh said, beaming. Azula's scowl didn't relent "I see you wasted no time settling in, did you?"
"Of course not" Azula replied "Now, please don't tell me you're my assigned roommate…"
"Oh, no, I have a smaller room downstairs" Iroh chuckled "As expected for one of my station. You, as you must be aware, are a descendant of Avatar Roku's, unlike me. You have been honored by being offered the room of one of your most remarkable ancestors, wouldn't you say?"
"Considering my entire lineage is comprised by Fire Lords, I might like to contest that particular claim" Azula said, nonchalantly "I can't say I know much about the history of Avatars, but Avatar Roku seemed one of the least remarkable amongst them"
The words were a taunt, one she nearly smiled at upon finding Iroh's own grin soured after her claim. Yet he covered up quickly, coughing and offering another of his pleased smiles.
"No doubt you could stand to learn more about him, then, if that's what you believe" he said.
"It's my understanding, though, that he tried to put a stop to Sozin's conquest…" Azula recited, probingly again, an eyebrow raised "Someone who slowed the spreading of our nation's greatness couldn't possibly be worthy of admiration and respect…"
"Ah, and here I thought you knew better than to swallow Sozin's propaganda…" sighed Iroh, shaking his head. Azula scowled.
"Propaganda?"
"I had a lot of reading material on my way here, Princess Azula" Iroh announced, with a pleased smile "Most of it pertained to you and your activities. I finished reading the slavery laws and I find them quite agreeable, but beyond that… I asked for a transcript of a speech you offered in the festivals from two years ago. I'm sure you remember it?"
The blood chilled in her veins once more. That… that wasn't something she could cover up for, was it? How had the bastard even heard of it? He wasn't in the Fire Nation, he had only just left when that had happened! It had been so long already she couldn't remember half of what she'd said that day… would that be a good excuse? No, it was unlikely, and Iroh clearly was pleased for her obviously nervous reaction. His smirk spoke for itself.
"How did you come by that transcript?" Azula chose to ask, and Iroh shrugged.
"There's always scribes amongst soldiers, they write down every major speech and record them for posterity" Iroh said, nonchalantly "How did I hear about this speech of yours, though? Why, by asking questions to the right people! War Minister Qin is quite impressed by you, though certainly overwhelmed by how much change you've brought into the world. He mentioned you gave the first indications of wanting to correct the course for the Fire Nation's slavery system since you offered that speech… so I thought I'd look it up. And goodness, I was impressed. You showed a remarkable handle on the subject of greatness, on how it means we have so many more duties to uphold, so many responsibilities we cannot take lightly… is that what truly brought this about, I wonder? These slavery laws… do we owe them to your sense of responsibility?"
"Possibly" Azula answered, her stomach sinking. Could Iroh truly be cornering her? The bastard had sought out a new flank, a new opening through which to attack, one Azula hadn't been quick enough to cover up for…
The accursed old man was, at times, so similar to herself that she could hardly hold back her disgust upon acknowledging it. But he was sly, changing his tactics whenever they failed, cleverly keeping his cards close until the right time to reveal them arrived. He was patient, perhaps more patient than she was, and he was often unpredictable and unreadable. Why had all of this begun, truly? Toph had wanted them to get along, but Toph surely wanted many unreasonable things beyond this, and Azula highly doubted her uncle would work remotely as hard to achieve them as he had this time. He hadn't even mentioned Toph ever since the breakfast they had shared… and if this was just a matter of bonding with his niece to appease his surrogate daughter, would he be so determined to figure out Azula's weaknesses? Would he be so hellbent on catching her red-handed in her affair with Sokka? Would he truly go this far just to please Toph? Why would he expect his unearthing of Azula's biggest secret to please her, in the first place?
Azula couldn't imagine his intentions would be so pure. The glow in Iroh's eyes wasn't that of a selfless man: he had a goal. He had an agenda. And whatever it was, she refused to be part of it.
"I can't see why you're so hung up on this, though" Azula said, raising her eyebrows questioningly "You're hardly a champion for slaves rights, as far as I know. Have you even concerned yourself with any of them over the past years?"
"I… well, not quite directly, I suppose" Iroh conceded, shrugging.
"I thought so. You did seem to scare off Toph's potential suitor, even if that's not how she perceived it…" Azula mused, and Iroh stiffened "I suppose your almost-daughter shouldn't be trampling around with the lowly likes of Jet?"
"That's… that's not what happened" Iroh said. Azula smirked.
"Oh, I'm sure it's not" Azula said sardonically, glaring at her uncle "Now then, as much as you seem to enjoy small talk, I have to get ready for the feast, and so should you… though, in case I don't get to say so later, you can either be more punctual for these weeks than you usually are whenever my father summons you, or you can simply not show your face at all in the meetings and spare me the bother of ensuring you don't derail them before they even begin"
"I… of course" said Iroh, with a small smile. How innocent, how kind he seemed, an old man hurt by the harshness of his niece's rejections… all of it a front, she knew, for her uncle was every bit as given to dishonesty as she was. Yet another similarity between them she wished she didn't have to acknowledge "I hope you have a lot of fun tonight"
"Right" Azula said, with a dry grin, before closing the door again and glaring pointedly at it.
She didn't move an inch until she heard Iroh's footsteps drifting away, and by then she sighed in sheer frustration. Curse it all, the blasted old man would only keep on cornering her if she kept making it easy for him. She had to take the offensive, to cut him down before he could make his final move… because he had to have one in mind by now. And if he was already pushing her buttons at the start of this trip, surely he would continue to do so in the coming days.
Frustrated, she decided to wash up before the feast, hoping she would unravel an answer, a solution, to put a stop to Iroh for good sometime soon…
Meanwhile, the General sighed too as he made his way to the feast's venue, at the second level of the building. The hall was elegant and grand, but of surprisingly small size considering the amount of guests they were likely to receive. The sages had been lukewarm towards him upon his arrival, but that hardly affected Iroh these days, as most of Ozai's people treated him that way. His mind was elsewhere once more, as his eyes drifted upwards, to the ceiling… somewhere above him was his niece, occupying a room she might actually not be worthy of, despite so many signs seemed to indicate she was.
Discovering the speech had been a stroke of sheer luck: he had received no word about it while he was abroad. The only reports sent to him from the Capital had indicated that Azula had sabotaged Jeong Jeong's latest operation somehow, whether deliberately or not, but there had been no clarifying how or why. That speech, though… even with the context War Minister Qin had offered him, for the man had witnessed everything, including Azula's unexpected rebellious outburst against her father, it was hard to say how much of it was true and how much of it was a lie. Did she believe in the greatness of the Fire Nation as she had described it? Or, as Iroh had grown to suspect, she was merely using that as a smokescreen, as a way to play it safe while rebelling further under her father's constant scrutiny? He was no stranger to such dangerous games of dissent himself: he had to wear a mask at all times with his brother, a mask he wasn't entirely certain worked anyways, to pretend he was inoffensive, that Ozai had nothing to fear from him. Azula's own mask would have to be that of absolute loyalty… while hiding a dangerous storm deep inside her soul.
Everything fit perfectly. It would be the ideal conclusion to such a convoluted story spanning over a hundred years, for the Fire Nation's reign of terror to come to an end when its rising star turned against the father who was blind to the dangers she represented for him… but even if his mind insisted that this would work, his heart, his soul, resented him for trusting someone so dishonest, so self-serving, so cold. For maybe she was only holding back the truth because she was convinced she couldn't trust him, in turn… but maybe she was just as bad as he had always believed she was. What good would it be for Iroh to put his faith in someone who might just throw his best efforts back in his face…?
"You're mad if you think that pampered son of a bitch would help us. You are!"
"It isn't my choice. Just as it isn't yours"
"You've barely been part of the Order for five years, you don't get to make any calls just because you claim you're more spiritual than the rest of us are!"
"You will not speak that way to a living god!"
The voices had been arguing for hours, but Iroh hardly cared for them. The meaning of each word fell apart before he could assimilate them. He had been found, he had been fed, he had been clothed… and he had been the source of a conflict between Jeong Jeong and his people ever since his sudden rescue. On one hand, he felt guilty… he felt unworthy of being such a source of chaos for anyone else, whoever they might be. On the other hand, he couldn't care less. Maybe the guilt was just a ghostly feeling, what his conscience told him he had to feel, and not what he genuinely felt… because he wasn't sure he could feel anything but emptiness inside him anymore. Every second that ticked by reminded him that he was alone in the world, that he had lost what was most precious to him, that he had broken the vow he had sworn to his wife on her deathbed…
It might have been an hour, or maybe it was only a few minutes, but the voices dwindled and faded away. Iroh's eyes were set on the wooden wall of the small hut he had been kept in and he heard footsteps, saw the haze of light falling upon the wall when the door was opened, but reacted to none of it. A shadow crossed the lights, and it shrank as the person responsible for it took his seat beside Iroh's limp form.
"You must uphold your destiny"
Jeong Jeong's voice couldn't have been welcome, not even if he had spoken kinder words. Iroh's numbness receded, surprising even himself, for suddenly a surge of passionate rage seemed to take hold of him. He snarled, pushing himself up to a sitting position, his graying hair clouding his vision as it fell chaotically around his face.
"My… my destiny?" he repeated "Destiny is… it's a fool's errand! It's an empty concept for those who fear the meaninglessness of life! You should know it, you of all people! Our destiny, yours and mine, was to be conquerors! To vanquish all who stood against the might of our nation! And yet… here we are. Destiny… there's no such thing as destiny"
"You are mistaken" Jeong Jeong said, and he spoke with such certainty Iroh felt compelled to punch him for his troubles.
"And you know better?" Iroh huffed "Why… why would you? Is it true you're a living god? Do you know the fate of the world? Is it set in stone, Jeong Jeong? If so… enlighten me! Tell me who I'm supposed to be! Or better yet, tell me… tell me who's to blame. Tell me who chooses destiny. For I… I will destroy it. I will put a stop to it. I will do it, because my son's destiny couldn't be to rot in a grave somewhere in the Earth Kingdom while I live out a life that I'd gladly forsake just to bring him back!"
"Vengeance… rage. Poisonous sources of firebending" Jeong Jeong recited the words simply, furthering Iroh's outrage.
"Poison's just as good a murder weapon as a blade might be" Iroh growled.
"You speak from passion. From wrath" Jeong Jeong declared "You don't understand the larger scheme of things, not even by a small margin. You are lost to your own grief, too lost to accept what I could: the Fire Nation is not destined for greatness, not on the path it's been steered towards for the past ninety-five years. But… you already know it, don't you? No war that could steal your son could be a worthy war. No ideologies, no greatness, can justify such a sacrifice. Can they?"
Iroh gritted his teeth, tears spilling from his eyes before he could help himself. Jeong Jeong remained impassive, unmoved and unconcerned with the tears Iroh couldn't contain.
"The destiny your father forced upon you… that is the true folly. For that is not your fate" Jeong Jeong said, with determination.
"How… how can you say so with such confidence?" Iroh asked, too broken to protest, too immersed in sorrow to lose himself to anger anymore "Why would you know any better…?"
"I am enlightened" Jeong Jeong said, closing his eyes "I can access the Spirit World"
The words rang in Iroh's ears, and then in his heart. He raised his head, mouth agape as he stared at Jeong Jeong in sheer disbelief and confusion.
That was what he had wanted… that was exactly what he had been looking for. He had been at a loss, unable to unravel how to access the Spirit World, his mind so foggy after he lost his son that he had made no real efforts towards finding a doorway or any method to truly cross over… by the end, all he had hoped for was death. For if Lu Ten needed him, if Lu Ten's spirit was crying out to him, as it did in Iroh's every dream… then surely by letting his spirit go free from the trappings of his own body Iroh would find him again. Surely…
But Jeong Jeong could access the Spirit World. And somehow, Jeong Jeong had found him, when Iroh had been at his lowest point. That couldn't be a coincidence… could it?
Destiny… no, it was still a foolish notion. It couldn't be right. It wasn't something he should indulge in. But his heart was fickle and foolish: all he wanted was to find his son again, no matter the cost. And if Jeong Jeong would help him do that, Iroh would do whatever it might take…
"Show me how" Iroh pleaded, crawling towards Jeong Jeong. The man opened one eye, furrowing his brow only slightly, with utter disapproval "I have to… I have to find Lu Ten. I have to…"
"I will show you" Jeong Jeong said, and Iroh tried to smile… though it didn't seem his face knew how to do that anymore. Even trying was painful "But not because you've asked. I will do so because of the one who asked it of me long ago. You have yet a role to play in this world… but it will not be in my hands to make you understand it"
"I… I don't care. I'll do whatever you want" Iroh said, gritting his teeth.
"You'll command armies again?" Jeong Jeong asked, and Iroh's face immediately twisted into a horrifying scowl "You'll fight against those who were your allies until your desertion?"
"I… Why would I…?" said Iroh, flinching.
"You'll stand up to your brother? You'll fight him, if you must?" asked Jeong Jeong now. Iroh's dread shifted into puzzlement again.
"Why…? What is the meaning of these questions, why would you…?"
"Would you seek out the next Avatar?" Jeong Jeong continued, and Iroh blinked blankly.
"But the Avatar is…"
"Would you guide your people, your nation, towards the right course? Towards balance, towards peace, towards the end of all meaningless bloodshed?"
Those were questions he couldn't answer, not earnestly. He had ever been an accomplished liar, but he wasn't sure he could lie to Jeong Jeong now. The man was unyielding, and Iroh's soul was much too scarred to bear new blemishes across it. He lowered his gaze, unable to make promises he couldn't keep.
"One day the answers will come to you" Jeong Jeong said, pushing himself up to his feet again "Until then, you will train with me. I will see to it that, once you're ready, you will be able to access the Spirit World and find your guide. I pray that, once that moment arrives, you will have already decided to face your destiny"
Nothing made sense. Jeong Jeong left the hut, and Iroh had more questions than answers after the man's arrival. His eyes now raked the dirt floor of the hut, his mouth still agape as he tried to find his voice again, to call for Jeong Jeong, to give him an answer… an answer he didn't know yet. What was he supposed to do? What was all this talk about destiny, about a guide? Why would Jeong Jeong help, without knowing for sure that Iroh would answer the questions the right way…?
He wouldn't know anytime soon, he guessed. He raised his eyes towards the doorway to spot men older than himself dressed in blue-and-white robes, all of them scowling prominently at him over Jeong Jeong's shoulders. Now they spoke with hushed voices, just when Iroh most wanted to know what they were speaking of. What did they know about him? What did they understand about his destiny…?
It was a question he would ask for months, never obtaining the answer he sought, no matter who he might pose it to. But one day he would know. One day, when Jeong Jeong deemed him worthy of crossing into the Spirit Realm, the countless questions Iroh still longed to ask would be answered…
He had refused to accept any notion of his own destiny at first, chalking everything down to nonsense. His son had deserved to have a larger destiny than just dying in the most gruesome way, in a doomed battlefield… if there was indeed such a thing as destiny, it was sick and rotten, or so he had believed. Upon understanding what was expected of him, though, he had changed his mind… but it had taken forces beyond his own to convince him of that. And he didn't think he could rely on such forces to convince Azula that he would be her proper guide. How could he ever do as much, when the Princess seemed to be the person who disliked him most amongst an entire crowd of people who scoffed derisively in his direction?
The guests had arrived by then, and most of them had filed into the feast's hall. War Minister Qin was amongst them, and he was taken by surprise when Azula gave him the cold shoulder. Witnessing her bitter rejection of the man brought Iroh to smile, even when his heart was so riddled with contradictions. She was awfully spiteful whenever someone threw her perfectly controlled world out of balance… one day, perhaps, she'd learn better. Eventually she would be humbled, and she would learn to respect others properly, rather than merely demand respect from them…
Yet suddenly it seemed he was misjudging his niece again: Iroh frowned as the Princess was greeted excitedly by a young woman close to her age. Azula was smiling too, and if just for now, it would seem she was genuinely interested in this acquaintance of hers…
"… I was amazed by the slavery laws you proposed! My parents were astonished, but I thought it was brilliant! Ah, and of course, Sneers did, too!"
"I figured he'd appreciate them. I take it your partnership is going well?"
"Quite so, thanks to you and Sokka, of course. Without your help we would have never really figured out how to work together, you know that. He's been much nicer since then, especially after we got to meet one of his friends!"
"Ah, the Red-Striped Hornet we told you about?"
"Yeah! Her sponsor wasn't some pretentious guy as I'd feared, he's an honest merchant. Whenever he has business in Yu Dao he brings Smellerbee along now, just so she can stay with us and spend time with Sneers"
"That's wonderful to hear. Bringing people together after the war tore them apart can be quite satisfactory, right?"
"It truly is! And I expect your laws will make it even easier, now that there will be better control over slave trade and everything about it. Honestly, I was thrilled enough when I heard about the laws, but when I knew they were your doing, I decided I'd help however I could, if you needed me. That's why my father sent me as Yu Dao's representative"
"Well, I can say for certain I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to represent Yu Dao. Governor Morishita absolutely made the right decision"
"Oh, it's all thanks to you, truly… you always open new paths for the rest of us. The life of a noblewoman would be so much more boring if you weren't setting such a fine example for us to follow, Princess"
"Now, now, that's quite flattering, Kori, but it might be for the best if you don't follow my example in too many regards…"
The young women laughed together, and their conversation seemed so casual, so innocent, Iroh was nearly convinced right then and there of his latest suspicions. Azula often presented herself harsh, cold… and yet she showed unusual, unexpected humanity, whenever she found company worth her time. No doubt, this was what Toph would see in her, what had brought the earthbender to befriend Azula regardless of Iroh's opinion… surely it was what Sokka saw in her too, whether they were in a relationship or not.
Most representatives were envoys from governors or mayors: Omashu's representative was a young man who introduced himself quite nervously to Azula, interrupting her conversation with Kori Morishita without quite weighing his mistake. The Princess wasn't completely harsh towards him, but the easygoing smile she'd held for Kori faded as she spoke cordially, though with a few barbs, to the man Ukano had sent in his stead.
Unsurprisingly, though, one governor had decided to come in person, and Iroh couldn't help but smile and wave at him as soon as he caught his eye. General Tiang grinned and strode towards him: it seemed he was the only person in the entire temple who was happy to see him.
"I had no idea you'd be here!" Tiang exclaimed, laughing "I hoped to speak with the Princess, but she seems busy right now…"
"Ah, it is her grand hour, and we have to let her bask in it: these laws are her greatest triumph up to date" Iroh smiled "It is quite good to see you, Governor Tiang. Have you been well?"
"Well enough since your last visit, yes" Tiang answered, nodding "Jin and I have been working hard in Ba Sing Se, I've left her in charge while I came to the Crescent Island Summit…"
"Is that what they're calling it?" Iroh asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, yes, that's how War Minister Qin has been referring to it for the past hour, so I suppose that's its name" Tiang laughed "I admit this matter of the Enforcers is all new territory for me, but I find it fascinating all the same. It's remarkable how the Princess is already blowing winds of change in the Fire Nation, with her own brand of leadership, long before it's her time to pick up her father's mantle"
"True, very true" nodded Iroh, solemnly.
"You must be so proud of her hard work" said Tiang, grinning "I… I'd think Lu Ten would be, if he were here"
The words could have sat ill with Iroh… if only they hadn't been absolutely true. A kind-hearted young man like Lu Ten would have likely been the first advocate for slaves' rights if only he had lived to see the day when slavery had begun. Oh, but if he had, surely there would be no slaves at all. Surely there would be no more war: if Lu Ten hadn't died, he would be Crown Prince instead of Azula, and Iroh would be Fire Lord instead of Ozai. The war would be over, there would be no slavery, and…
Though, would that be the case? His stomach sank upon that thought. Perhaps he wouldn't have been as given to carnage as Ozai was, but without Lu Ten's loss he might have never understood fully the wrong of the Fire Nation's ways. He would have never been found by Jeong Jeong… and he wouldn't have traveled into the Spirit World to discover the guiding words that had driven his life ever since they were spoken to him.
But that wasn't what Tiang wanted to hear, was it? Iroh smiled sadly, a fragile grin, and he nodded in Tiang's direction.
"I'm quite certain you're right" he said, before gesturing at Azula "Look, she scared off Omashu's representative by now! Here's your chance to speak with my niece"
"Ah! Thanks!" Tiang said, glancing at Azula quickly to confirm Iroh's words. He waved at him promptly in a gesture of farewell before striding up to Azula now, and once again, the Princess displayed nothing but respect and genuine liking for the governor, as she had with Kori Morishita earlier.
"My, my: seems to me you're the only governor who came in person, and the one from our most important colony, no less" Azula told Tiang, who chuckled and nodded in acknowledgement.
"This was far too important a matter, I wanted to be here in person" he explained "I'm truly looking forward to hearing more about the Enforcers, Princess. It seems to me you have already excelled at this new enterprise of yours and you've only just begun!"
"Oh, no need to be so flattering…" Azula laughed, and Iroh sighed, closing his eyes and mind off the noise in the Temple's hall.
The feast would continue for the next few hours, and on the next day, the actual Summit activities would begin. For now, she would meet those representatives and determine how best to present her case… but from tomorrow onwards she would be hardened, composed, the picture of perfection, as she always was. Iroh was certain of it.
Her motivations were still a mystery. Her actions were right, though… they were. And that only furthered his latest suspicions, and his fears, that maybe the prophecy had been referring to her all along…
It had taken months of work, months that seemed to pass by heavily, draining his energy, his strength, even his will to survive. Every time he wavered, Jeong Jeong would force him to raise his head anew by reminding him that he had a purpose beyond his understanding. Iroh still didn't know what said purpose was, and it didn't matter how many times he asked, he wouldn't be in luck: Jeong Jeong refused to answer, and his faithful followers would hardly even acknowledge him so far. The men in the white and blue robes came and went through those months: Iroh had asked Jeong Jeong about them once, wanting to confirm his suspicions that they might be White Lotus, but once more, the former admiral held his silence.
His supporters were more confusing than the potential White Lotus members, though. Iroh had fought through the Earth Kingdom for most his adult life and never had he come across any groups of natives quite like the ones who accompanied Jeong Jeong. They were clearly Earth Kingdom-born, yet they praised Jeong Jeong and revered him, often referring to him as a "living god", whatever that meant. Iroh wasn't sure whether Jeong Jeong was truly that remarkable or if he had tricked his tribal followers into thinking as much somehow.
Those thoughts had been on his mind often during his first weeks with Jeong Jeong. They would be chased away easily with thoughts of Lu Ten, of course, and after the first few months, Iroh found he cared less and less for Jeong Jeong's business, only for whatever the man might teach him until he considered Iroh worthy of traveling to the Spirit World. The meditations, the deep conversations, the careful bending sessions where Jeong Jeong had taught Iroh more than he expected to understand about the bending arts he had fought against, but never learned from… all of it had been building up to the moment when Jeong Jeong would finally tell Iroh how to cross the boundaries of their world into a new one.
He had despaired at times, even accusing Jeong Jeong of stalling deliberately: Jeong Jeong had assured him that the more impatient, the more hardheaded he presented himself, the more difficult it would be for him to learn how to enter the Spirit World. Begrudgingly, Iroh had relented, knowing it didn't befit him to throw tantrums, no matter how broken his heart might be.
The day had arrived, though, when Jeong Jeong had determined Iroh was ready. His heart was not calm, but his mind was. His soul was still torn to pieces, but it had been patched up into a pale semblance of its former shape. And as much as he wanted to find Lu Ten, Jeong Jeong's persistence about Iroh's destiny had somehow been cemented as a secondary priority: he would try to save his son's soul, and he would seek out answers about his elusive destiny once that was dealt with.
Jeong Jeong had explained much of what to expect: the Spirit World was nothing like their own, for it was so much more alive than theirs. It was mutable, constantly in motion, the wildest facet of nature driven to its most genuine expression. Spirits would be friendly sometimes, but they could be fierce and threatening just as well. And it might take more than one attempt to find what he sought… but he couldn't despair. He couldn't spend too long inside it, or he might sever the connection between soul and his mortal vessel. He had to keep his mind clear, as clear as possible… otherwise, he was doomed to fail.
It took hours for the process to work. He had sat in meditation with Jeong Jeong for as long as possible, too aware of his surroundings at first to successfully faze spiritually into another world. But before long, the expected sounds of nature began to shift and change. He opened his eyes to find himself in a jungle, darker than the world he was accustomed to, bleak and yet no less beautiful in his eyes for it. Upon glancing down at himself, he found his entire body sported a blue glow, much like that of Lu Ten in his dreams…
Only upon crossing over did he truly realize the magnitude of the task laid before him. Six months of preparation… and now he found he was entirely alone, lost in a hostile world that would likely single him out as an outsider within moments.
Jeong Jeong's warnings proved true before long: dangers lurked everywhere he went. The ground under his feet would vanish or turn liquid at times, the spirits in animal form often wanted nothing but to be left alone, and those who spoke only told him as much. Worse yet, when the hostile ones attacked, he had no option but to flee: he couldn't bend in the Spirit World. It was yet another of Jeong Jeong's warnings that had proven unpleasantly accurate.
He returned to the real world when he was too tired: one day of rest, and then he took off again, once more under Jeong Jeong's supervision. By the fifth time, Iroh asked Jeong Jeong for help: what was he supposed to look for? Jeong Jeong offered no aid, though, and suddenly it occurred to Iroh that maybe his mentor knew just as little about his true fate as he did…
On the ninth day, he came across an unusual spirit: it was a small monkey, and it nestled near a dark, twisted tree. The monkey seemed wary of the location, and yet it lingered nearby. Why?
"Can you help me find my son?" Iroh asked, for the umpteenth time, expecting the same answer he had received from all spirits that hadn't fled or attacked on sight.
The monkey turned its head towards him, and Iroh was chilled to the bone in the real world: the creature had no face. Frightened, he returned to his body and begged Jeong Jeong for an explanation.
"No human can dare pretend to be an expert in regards of spirits" Jeong Jeong said, offering Iroh a broth to calm his nerves "But I have walked amongst them enough times to know you came across the work of Koh, the face-stealer, and his lair. He is an ancient, dangerous spirit, more knowledgeable than most…"
"Would he know where to find Lu Ten?" Iroh asked.
"He might. But as I understand, you must remain impassive at all times if you dare seek him out" Jeong Jeong explained "He poaches faces that display emotion: you must remain level-headed and ask your question with indifference. Ignore all his provocations, or else you will be lost to us"
"I understand" said Iroh, nodding. No emotion… with the emptiness he had yet to do away with, that couldn't prove so difficult, could it?
He was wrong. When he faced the centipede spirit on the next day, with those shifting faces, he felt the most powerful temptation to scream, both in fear and outrage: it was, truly, a face-stealer. Why? What purpose could there be in such cruelty…?
"Well, well… I hadn't had one of your kind in my territory for the longest time" the mask spoke, with a deep, mocking voice "To what do I owe this pleasure, mortal?"
"I seek my son's soul. His spirit crossed over to this world, and I wish to meet him" Iroh answered, his face as stoic as possible.
"And you hoped I might have taken his face for myself?" Koh asked, amused "Oh, I would have liked to add a new face to my collection… I would still quite like to, if you're here to offer one in exchange for information on your son"
"Is it in your power to make such an offer?" Iroh asked, and suddenly it was near impossible to remain stern and stoic… was the spirit merely trying to trick him? Was it one of the provocations Jeong Jeong had warned him of?
"Do you doubt me?" Koh asked, his centipede body circling Iroh's own.
"I respect you, Koh, Face-Stealer" Iroh answered, and Koh chuckled in the eeriest of laughs Iroh had ever heard.
"Then yours shall be one of my very favorite faces" Koh determined "Your son, mortal, is beyond our realm's help. His spirit passed through, of course, and he begged for his father to help him… but his crying stopped long ago"
"How long…?"
"I suppose I shall be more specific once I take you for my own" Koh said, hovering right at the same level as Iroh's face "Or is Lu Ten's fate less important than yours?"
That had nearly done it. He had been seconds from breaking, from answering earnestly, from giving himself away to the greedy spirit before him…
But Jeong Jeong's questions returned to mind. Would he lead armies against those he had once counted as friends? Would he fight his own brother? Would he seek out the Avatar…? None of those questions had been poised without intent: Jeong Jeong knew more than he dared tell. There was still some purpose, some role, that Iroh was meant to take upon in his world… and Lu Ten's spirit, as gentle as it might be, as kind and deserving of love as it ever had been, couldn't derail it. For their world was rotten, poisoned by hatred, war and cruelty… and it would continue to be that way unless someone took a stand. Unless someone made the right decision, for a change.
Koh's smile soured upon seeing the tears slip down Iroh's still expressionless face. He watched the tears drop on the ground, knowing they were overflowing with emotion… but it was imperceptible, beyond his grasp. His legs clicked towards where the tear had fallen to find nothingness. Nothing. There was nothing inside Iroh. Nothing…
"I cannot give you what you seek" Iroh said, and even his face seemed empty of all feeling, of all sensation, to the centipede spirit. It was he who displayed emotions now: disgust, disapproval, disappointment.
"Then leave. You have nothing more to ask of me" Koh determined "Leave!"
Iroh bowed his head before turning on his heels. He didn't expect the spirit to talk further, but surprisingly, it did:
"Leaving is all you ever knew how to do, isn't it, General Iroh, Dragon of the West? Conqueror of cities, they've called you, despite you failed to take Ba Sing Se… the last slayer of dragons, yet incapable of slaying any, just so. Of course you would give up on your son, for you have given up all your life! You deceived them all, lied, claimed you would be loyal to your family and nation… when you are loyal to nothing but yourself!"
The depths of his depression had kept him trapped for months, but as he turned his back on Koh and continued walking, Iroh found he was now floundering rather than sinking into nothingness. He was giving up again… giving up on a lost cause, it seemed, if his son was nowhere to be found here. Had he reincarnated? Was he in another Spirit World? Who knew… but if Lu Ten was truly beyond his reach…
All had been for nothing. The dreams he had constantly had, the visions of his son… why? Was it nothing but his mind, playing sick tricks on him? What of all this talk of destiny? Not because Lu Ten was gone could Iroh ever hope to find the strength to do what Jeong Jeong had asked of him. And as he climbed his way out of Koh's lair, the emotions he had kept at bay began rising, rushing, overcoming him as his face was overtaken by sadness.
The sound of quick, clicking footsteps behind him prompted him to turn around, eyes wide in fear.
Koh's mask vanished mere instants before rows of deadly teeth could sink on Iroh's no-longer-inexpressive face…
And just as suddenly, a long, serpentine creature with massive wings crashed into Koh, the two tumbling down into the cavern once more. Terrified, afflicted, Iroh had clambered to his feet, trusting the spirit dragon to keep Koh at bay as he ran. But what was the point of running? Where was he going? He might as well remain in the Spirit World, sever the bond between his soul and body, for, if Lu Ten could not be found…
He stumbled over a stray, shifting root, and he tumbled down a dirt slope, face-first into a pond of water. Iroh pushed himself out of it, coughing, tears spilling from his eyes just as droplets of water ran down his face…
Even through the ripples, he glimpsed blue glow reflected by the water below him. Blue glow that did not belong to his own spirit.
He gasped, raising his head: Lu Ten? Could it be…?
But the face that belonged to this spirit was old, wizened, wrinkled. The robes he wore were hardly different from many sets Iroh had worn in his years as Crown Prince. The tall figure sported long white hair and matching beard, and his top-knot bore a familiar and yet foreign hairpiece, the design close enough to those worn by the Fire Nation's Royal Family, but different enough to stand out as unique amongst them…
He was no royal, though. Iroh had seen few images of him before, but he immediately identified the spirit before him: for reasons beyond his understanding, Avatar Roku's spirit had sought him out, and all Iroh could possibly do was listen.
A/N:
I apologize for the... relatively late update? I nearly broke the schedule because, as it is the holidays, my head was all over the place and I nearly forgot today was update day. Soooo sorry! I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless!
At any rate, I made this author's note since we're about to reach the 200th chapter. Kigozula at Tumblr has organized a small event, similar to the ones held back during the previous similar Gladiator milestones (50th and 100th chapters, specifically). The event will take place over January 15th-17th, and it consists mainly of answering questions regarding your personal favorite elements of the story, as well as talking about what you'd like to see in Gladiator's future. The questions are different now than they were back in the 50th and 100th chapters, so if you'd like to join in, you can find the details in the latest reblogged post on my personal Tumblr and Gladiator's Tumblr, as well as in Kigozula's personal blog. All you need to do to participate is send the questions through the submissions boxes on any of those three blogs :D
If you have any questions, feel free to address them to Kigozula, who's been very much at the center of organizing this big event :D Thanks in advance for participating, if you'd like to do so!