Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

201. Chapter 201: Gladiator & Sponsor Race 1

Song took a deep breath as she studied her reflection in her room's mirror. She released the air slowly, anxiously, wondering if it was too much makeup, if it was a suitable enough dress for the occasion, and most of all, if her hair looked any good. She would have asked Sokka for help, but he wasn't home, hadn't been since early in the morning. All she could hope to do was ask Rui Shi for his opinion once he arrived… truthfully, as long as he thought she looked good, Song would be satisfied. It wasn't her big day, after all, and his opinion on her appearance was the only one she prized…

She nearly jumped when she heard Rui Shi's trademark knock on the front door, three rhythmical blows, not so strong they'd seem urgent, not so weak they'd seem shy. The young woman smiled to herself as she walked downstairs, careful not to step over the hem of her dress as she opened the door for the firebender behind it.

Perhaps she shouldn't have been so surprised, for she had seen Rui Shi without his uniform several times now… but her jaw dropped regardless as she took in his formal clothes and the perfect, orderly top-knot he had assembled his hair into. He had grinned instinctively upon seeing her, and his cheeks had flushed as he took in her beauty… but now, under her adoring gaze, the redness of his face slowly intensified for different reasons.

"S-Song?" he said, and she blinked blankly.

"You're… y-you look…!" Song started, her cheeks reddening as well before she covered her mouth with a hand and laughed "Oh, goodness! I'm sorry, I…! I've just never seen you dressed up like this before! I didn't think you could possibly be more handsome, but…"

"O-oh. Then I look handsome?" Rui Shi asked, with a small smile "If so, I'm relieved. That way I won't be out of place beside you"

"What? Why would you be?" Song laughed, her eyes scanning his body all over again. Oh, she shouldn't have such impure thoughts, she knew… but she certainly was looking forward to dragging Rui Shi home again after today's celebration was over.

"Because you look absolutely breathtaking" Rui Shi said, grinning before taking her hands into his own. He pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles, and Song only giggled for it.

"I'm glad you think so… though you're sure I do? I mean, I thought maybe my hair was too simple" she said, biting her lower lip "I would've asked Sokka for help, but he's been at Haru's all day…"

"I suppose best man duties are quite taxing" Rui Shi said, smiling a little "You don't need his help, though. You may say it's simple, but I think your hair looks lovely"

"Oh, Rui Shi…" Song said, smiling shyly before casting a playful glance at him "Sometimes I don't know if you're just biased or if you really mean what you say…"

"Even if I were biased, I would mean it" Rui Shi laughed softly "You are beautiful, Song, whether dressed up or in casual wear, or, well… at any rate! The carriage is waiting for us down the street. We ought to go to the Temple already, or we might be late"

"You don't think they would start without us, would they?" Song said, grimacing as she rushed back inside, to gather her personal effects quickly. Rui Shi remained by the door, patiently waiting until Song had returned to him.

"It's unlikely that they might start without us, truth be told, but it wouldn't be the worst loss if they did…" he said, smiling as Song closed the door behind her, locking it safely – ever since the incident of Hina's break-in, they had taken to locking the doors fully every time the house was left empty.

"But I want to see the whole ceremony" Song sighed, biting her lip as they began their brief walk towards the carriage "I'd rather not miss out on anything…"

"Why?" Rui Shi asked, surprised.

"Well, just… I'd like to know what to expect, you know?" Song said, blushing again as she took his hand in hers "I'm guessing we might do it one day too, after all, so… is it that bad if I want to know what Fire Nation wedding rites are like?"

"It's… it's wonderful, not bad" Rui Shi said, with a disbelieving smile "Though… wouldn't you rather do it with an Earth Kingdom ceremony instead?"

"Maybe, but I'm not picky" Song laughed softly "As long as we can get married when we're ready, I won't mind which kind of ceremony it is"

Rui Shi's smile softened further as he gazed at the woman beside him. It wasn't the first time they had spoken about marriage, but discussing what kind of ceremony they wanted was certainly new for them. A far-off dream, an unattainable horizon, suddenly seemed so much more corporeal and real just because of a brief conversation…

Perhaps it was something in the air, in the atmosphere of such a special day: that two of their friends would be joined in marriage today might just encourage them to take that fateful step together someday, too… but for now, Rui Shi merely smiled and took his seat beside Song in the carriage he had rented. Their hands were linked all the way to the Temple, and they eagerly anticipated the ceremony they'd witness soon.

Elsewhere in the city, things were nowhere near as calm as in the carriage Rui Shi and Song were sharing: Sokka tapped his foot impatiently as he watched Haru and Ran scrambling to ensure everything was ready for the celebration feast they'd throw after the ceremony was finished. As much as he was a staunch supporter of double-checking everything when it came to important things, he had the feeling it was Haru's fifth round of making sure all meal courses were perfectly assembled and ready to be cooked as soon as they came back to the house.

"Okay!" Haru exclaimed, stepping out of the kitchen again, his eyes wide as plates "I think it's good. Yeah, I think we have everything. S-so, uh, Mom? You ready yet?"

"Yes, yes! Just a second, dear!" Ran replied from upstairs. Sokka didn't even care to venture a guess as to what she might be up to.

"Do we have enough towels?" Haru mumbled suddenly, startling Sokka "And napkins? D-did we…?"

"Hey, I took care of those things, and why would we need more towels than you already have?" Sokka asked, smiling weakly before stepping forward and placing his hands on Haru's shoulders "Buddy, seriously…"

"I know I have to calm down, I do, but it's…!" Haru exclaimed, twitching under Sokka's stare.

"I know, it's impossible" Sokka said, nodding "You feel like anything might go wrong, despite nothing will, because weddings are perfectly happy occasions and there's nothing to worry about, but as you're the groom you worry anyways, and you feel nervous because this is the biggest day of your life! So yeah, I get it, I really do…"

"Y-you do…" said Haru, blinking blankly before he raised an eyebrow keenly "Why do you get it, though? I mean…"

"Not important right now, is it?" Sokka asked, with an awkward grin: as much as Song and Toph knew about the secret weddings already, he wasn't about to tell Haru about them right now, not mere hours before the man's own ceremony "The point is, you need to breathe and relax. Ty Lee is waiting in the Temple, and we have to get going soon, but we won't go if you keep checking and double-checking and triple-checking…"

"Right. Right. Y-you don't think we're late, do you? C-could I be late to my own wedding?!" Haru asked, and Sokka laughed by now "Sokka!"

"Oh, you're hopeless. I guess I can't blame you, but there's no stopping your nerves" he smiled sympathetically at his friend "We'll make it on time, Haru. All we need is…"

"Okay! I'm ready!" Ran announced, and just so, Sokka smiled and spread his arm towards the woman, who was climbing down the stairs.

"That's all we needed, yup!" he said, as Ran approached them nervously, dressed in a long, green cheongsam dress that matched the ornaments she wore on her silver hair.

"I-is it okay for me to wear this, for sure?" she asked, as she eyed her son with uncertainty "You're dressed up like you're Fire Nation, so…"

"Well, he's the one getting married so it makes sense that Haru wears the traditional groom outfit" Sokka said, smiling reassuringly at Ran "As for you, you look lovely and everyone will think so too! So, now that all this is out of our way, let's get going!"

Haru would have obeyed immediately if only his mother's reaction to Sokka's words hadn't caught his eye: she seemed startled by Sokka's compliment, and now she was blushing and smiling to herself. Inevitably, Haru smiled too, for the first time in hours.

"Mom…?" he said, and Ran shook her head, stepping towards him.

"Ah, kids these days, you never know if they're just being polite or if they mean their words" she said, taking Haru's arm in her own "Are you ready, dear?"

"I am" Haru said, smiling with more confidence now. Ran grinned at him just the same.

"She really makes you happy, Haru. I'm glad you've found someone to love who loves you just as much, too" said Ran, leaning in for a quick hug "I'm so proud of you, my wonderful young man"

Haru returned the hug, some of his anxiety receding as his mother held him. Today was a day of change, he guessed… and he had no doubts all the changes would be for the better. He would finally marry the love of his life, and they'd be a family legally, at last…

"Not to ruin the moment or anything…" Sokka's voice was small when he chimed in, but he spoke nonetheless "But we really do have to get going"

"Oh. Sorry" said Ran, smiling apologetically before pulling her son towards the door.

Ty Lee had a carriage of her own, but as today was a special occasion, they had decided Haru shouldn't drive himself anywhere, if just for once. As soon as Sokka had boarded the carriage and closed the door behind him, the driver spurred the moose dragons and they began the long trek to their destination. All the while, Haru smiled, nervously, eagerly, his face the reflection of the giddy anticipation Sokka had grown well acquainted with during his week-long trip with Azula. He couldn't help but smile too, hoping Haru and Ty Lee would enjoy their ceremony and celebration just as much as Azula and him had enjoyed their own.

Not everyone was quite so thrilled about the wedding, though: one person in particular seemed to find the entire matter tedious, pointless and boring, and he made his opinions known adamantly:

"I wanna go home!" Yuudai exclaimed, pouting at his father "I don't like these clothes!"

"Oh, Yuudai, please…" said Ruon Jian, grimacing as he knelt before his son: the child had unfastened the buttons at the top of his tunic, and the neck of the garment was now a crumpled mess "You know today is a big day for Aunt Ty Lee, so can you try to be nice, for her sake? You do love Aunt Ty Lee, after all…"

"I'm hungry!" Yuudai exclaimed now, and Ruon Jian hung his head after mending Yuudai's appearance.

"You'll eat at the party later" Ruon Jian said. Yuudai pouted again.

"Later?" he repeated "Later when?"

"You know, when the ceremony ends"

"When does it end?"

"About an hour after it begins, I guess…? Oh, please, just cut me some slack, Yuudai…"

"I'm thirsty!"

Ruon Jian groaned and stood up straight again, glancing for his wife in desperation. Mai was too busy overseeing that everything in the Temple was in order, though, and she had very little time to spare for her four-year-old son right now. Being Ty Lee's most hardworking maid of honor hadn't been an easy task, but Mai had been up for it regardless. Her duties had been varied and even complicated at times, but right now she was at the other end of the Temple's hall, prepared by the sages for the ceremony. Her sharp eyes were ready to find any flaws or problems in the organization of the wedding. And as much as she caught Ruon Jian's desperate gaze with her own, she couldn't offer him more than a small sympathetic smile and a shrug before focusing on her duties once more.

She wasn't handling everything alone anymore, though: the Princess had stepped outside the Temple briefly and now returned to the venue with the air of satisfaction and perfectionism Mai had ever associated with her.

"The band arrived safely?" Mai asked, and Azula nodded as she stopped before her friend. Their outfits matched: as they were both maids of honor they were clad in red dresses that would contrast starkly against Ty Lee's white.

"They did, they're in the Palace right now. I've assigned a few guards to escort them to Ty Lee's house at seven" Azula assured her, and Mai nodded.

"It's strange to bring a band to the Capital all the way from the outer islands just for one wedding celebration" said Mai, raising her eyebrows "But Ty Lee is whimsical to no end, I suppose…"

"It surprised me when she asked for them too. I can only hope they're as good as she believes they are, or else investing so many resources on bringing them here will have been quite a waste" Azula said, shaking her head "At any rate, how is she holding up?"

"She's a bundle of nerves" said Mai, matter-of-factly "As I suppose everyone is at their wedding"

"Were you?" Azula asked, with a crooked smile "I can't quite remember you appearing anything but calm and collected in yours"

"As if you didn't know I've perfected the art of pretense" Mai said, rolling her eyes as Azula laughed "How about you? Nervous at all for yours?"

Azula's smile waned only so she could turn a skeptical glare on her friend. Mai, though, seemed as amused as she ever was whenever she successfully riled up Azula.

"You know, you used to be very familiar with a concept called 'subtlety', you exercised it oh so well, far better than Ty Lee ever could…" Azula said, cocking her head to the side as judgmentally as possible as Mai's smirk widened "Seems like you've fallen out of practice with it in recent times, though"

"You're being awfully tough to crack, I figured subtlety wasn't going to confirm my suspicions anytime soon" Mai shrugged.

"Which is why it's probably the ninth or tenth time you've brought up matters relating to my alleged wedding in the last month?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed. Not to mention, your reactions are much more amusing when I'm blunt and direct. If just for that, I'd rather you keep on stalling and pretending nothing happened in your getaway…" Mai said, simply. Azula sighed and shook her head.

"Then I suppose I'll prolong the torment and change the subject so you can pester me about this again later" she said, letting her gaze travel across the hall "Haru isn't here yet?"

"No, neither is your husband…"

"Mai!"

"I suppose they're running late, for some reason" Mai said, carelessly, as though she hadn't said anything controversial just moments ago. Azula rolled her eyes, despite her heart jolted – and not in a bad way – upon hearing someone else refer to Sokka as her husband "Guests will start arriving soon, too…"

"They should, but… are we expecting all the guests to come after all?" Azula asked, eyeing Mai warily "You did handle the invitations…"

"Well, Ty Lee's last-minute guest is most likely going to be here" Mai said "But I assume that's not who you're asking about…"

"You know it's not" Azula said. Mai breathed deeply and shrugged.

"They might surprise us, I don't know. But if they don't… we'll have to make further efforts to ensure Ty Lee has the best wedding she can, in these circumstances" Mai determined. Azula nodded, lowering her gaze.

"For all you and I complain about our families, at least they've never been quite like hers" Azula muttered. Mai shrugged.

"Ours wouldn't have been any better if we had made the same mistakes Ty Lee did" Mai whispered "If anything…"

"If anything, I should just count myself grateful I shrugged off Iroh when I did. Else my father surely would've locked me up somewhere so I can't shame him further by now" Azula finished, her semblance darkening quickly. Mai's amusement had receded by then: even if her friend's earlier teasing had been annoying, the Princess regretted pushing the conversation to such dark subjects.

"He shouldn't bother you anymore, if you were that successful" Mai said, biting her lower lip "And the rest of us who know about your marriage aren't going to reveal it, as you know by now…"

"I know you… ugh. Still on with it?" Azula said, and Mai laughed: the sound was unusual coming from her, even if she had been much quicker to smile and laugh in recent years.

Azula rolled her eyes, despite she found some enjoyment in Mai's words regardless. Both Mai and Ty Lee had gotten it into their heads – and quite rightfully so – that Azula and Sokka had eloped during their trip together. Azula might have admitted the truth under different circumstances, but for the time being she wanted to keep everyone focused on Ty Lee's wedding instead. She hadn't been all that successful at convincing them to do that, though.

She had hoped to come up with an idea to taunt her friend right back, aware that it would be an exercise in futility, since Mai was usually impervious to teasing, when something caught her eye at the ceremony hall's entrance.

"Huh, I think we have our first guest" Azula said, raising her eyebrows as she regarded the newcomer…

It wasn't easy to recognize her right away, clad in such a fine green dress, with her dark hair done fully up rather than loose in the wild tangle it often was. But it seemed, despite all evidence to the contrary so far, that Toph was perfectly capable of cleaning up and dressing as the lady of noble birth her parents had expected her to be a long time ago. Her attitude, of course, was a whole other matter:

"Ugh! Stupid shoes…" she growled, nearly stumbling over the steps that led her to the large ceremony hall. She had been climbing the stairs while holding up the hem of her dress, trying not to trample over it.

"Over here, Toph" Azula called for her, and the voice was as good as a beacon for Toph, who sighed in relief as she started towards her.

"Hell, Spicy, for a second I thought I'd wind up in the wrong place" she said, finally letting go of her dress's fabric.

"Well, you've arrived safely, and on time" Azula said, smiling and patting Toph's shoulder "And you're dressed appropriately, too… I was half expecting you to show up in your typical casual clothes instead"

"I was tempted, I was tempted…" Toph mumbled before sighing "But Iroh told me that's not a good outfit for a wedding, so he helped me pick a dress and all that stuff. It's not an ugly dress, is it? I never know with these things…"

"You have nothing to worry about, it's a nice dress" Azula reassured her, despite her heart inevitably tightened at the mention of Iroh. Toph seemed to notice it, and no doubt she was apprehensive about bringing up her sponsor in front of Azula: she still didn't quite understand what had happened between them, but she had long given up hopes to ever understand it, let alone amend it.

"Now the real problem is how to cope with these stupid shoes" Toph snarled, and if she could have glared at the elegant sandals she was wearing, Azula had no doubts she would have "I should've just been barefoot, it's not like anyone would even notice it when I'm wearing such a big dress anyhow…"

"By the time we head to Ty Lee's for the celebration you'll be free to get out of them, no one will hold it against you" Azula promised, surprising her friend.

"Really? Thank you!" Toph exclaimed, relieved enough to finally smile "You have no idea how much I hate wearing this kind of stuff, Spicy… I haven't done it in ages and I sure didn't miss it"

"I'm surprised you ever did wear anything like it before, truth be told" Mai chimed in, and Toph raised her eyebrows.

"Ah, Blades!" she said "Here I was wondering who Spicy was with, I could sense someone nearby but… ah, either way, it's been a while!"

"Quite so" said Mai, nodding "Since we trained you for the Slate, I believe"

"I've won it thrice since then, you know?" Toph said, with a proud smirk "Should go for the fourth round soon, too…"

"How smug of you" Azula said, though she smiled fondly at Toph regardless "How many points do you even win in the Slate, considering you probably lose a ton of them because you bend the entire platform as you please?"

"Eh, I do lose a lot of them, but considering it's three thousand in one go, it's not a big problem" Toph said, with a proud smirk "Say, maybe I should fight the Dog there now! You don't have to worry about it being unfair conditions for me anymore, after all…"

"I'm afraid it'll be unfair for him instead, metalbender" Azula said, leering at Toph skeptically as the younger woman snickered proudly "Either way, I have no intentions of revisiting the Slate, so I'd much rather we fight you elsewhere"

"Eh, you'll lose anyways, so it makes no matter where we do it…" Toph said, grinning proudly as she waved a hand in Azula's direction "Say… I'm hearing a kid's voice? Is that your kid, Blades? He finally talks?"

"Oh, if anything the question now is if he ever stops talking" Mai said, with a shrug "He swung from one end of the spectrum to the opposite in a matter of months…"

"Sounds like you're having a ball with that!"

"You have no idea"

Mai coated her words with sarcasm, but it didn't mask the motherly fondness underneath her tone. She glanced at her husband and son, finding Yuudai was well and truly driving Ruon Jian crazy by now with his constant demands, and she couldn't hold back a small grin at the sight. All of it went ignored by Toph, who couldn't have sensed Mai's change of mood even if she'd been in perfect contact with the world around her through her bending. Nevertheless, Azula could read Mai just as well as her friend could read her: she was ever moderate, seldom emotional, but the quiet happiness her family brought her was plain in her face as she smiled gently at them.

The skies outside were darkening slowly, tinged with deep blue and clouds of bright orange, colored that way by the setting sun. Azula kept an eye on the Temple's doorway, ever waiting for Sokka and Haru to reach the Temple while Toph distracted herself by asking Mai a few questions about the ceremony, but the next arrivals weren't the groom and the best man either:

"Ah! We made it!" Song said, her eyes bright and wide as she took in the grandeur of the ceremony hall "It hasn't started yet, has it?"

"No, you're still on time, too" Azula said, smiling reassuringly as the pair approached them "Welcome, both of you"

"Hey there, Song!" Toph said, beaming and waving at her "Good to not see you!"

"Oh, Toph… you look so pretty!" Song said, grinning. Toph froze, inevitably blushing at the compliment.

"Uh… huh. You really think so?" she said, with an awkward grin "Well… thanks! I bet you look great too, Song, but I honestly have no idea, so…"

"Wait a minute, she's just Song?" Mai asked, eyeing Toph questioningly "Where's the demeaning nickname?"

"What? For Song? Hell, no" Toph said, folding her arms over her chest "She cooks good food and I respect her. I'll give her one that isn't insulting when I can come up with one!"

"Oh. I see" Mai said, curtly, her voice completely coated in judgment. Toph only smiled proudly for it while Azula rolled her eyes, amused, before focusing on Rui Shi and Song again.

"To be honest, it's a good thing you came together. I might not have recognized you at all if you weren't with Song, Rui Shi" Azula taunted him with a malicious smirk. Rui Shi scowled, the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"It's not the first time you've seen me wearing something other than my uniform…" he grumbled, as Azula laughed.

"Are we the only ones here so far?" Song asked, glancing about herself in surprise "I thought Sokka would have arrived by now…"

"He hasn't yet, no…" Azula said, trying not to stress the words too much, despite she was starting to grow weary of Sokka's tardiness just the same.

"Shouldn't he be here already?" Rui Shi said, frowning.

"Maybe Haru's having second thoughts" Mai said, with a malicious smirk. Azula scowled at her, though Toph snickered at the possibility regardless.

"Sokka is supposed to be in charge of getting him here, right?" Song asked.

"He is, but truthfully it might have been wiser if we had given that task to someone else…" Azula reasoned now "I can't imagine him being particularly strict if either Ran or Haru were stalling…"

"More like, even if he tried to be strict, they'd never take him seriously" Toph smirked "Why's he in charge of that, though?"

"Because he's supposed to be Haru's best man, just as Azula and I are Ty Lee's maids of honor" Mai explained.

"Though if Haru winds up being late to his own wedding, I suppose Sokka will be the worst man instead…" Azula mused, unable to hold back a small smirk as she glanced out the door again.

Her joke seemed to fall flat for most of her companions: Mai even glared at her in utter incredulity, Toph chortled, Rui Shi facepalmed, and Song's eyes were wide in astonishment.

"What?" Azula said to Mai, who seemed the most affronted by her leisurely pun.

"You know, the only person we know who would've laughed at that joke is the one you're joking about. You should've saved it for when he could hear you" Mai said, rolling her eyes as Azula sighed.

"You're all such sticks-in-the-mud when you want to be…" she said, smiling regardless.

A new arrival caught Azula's eye just then, though: the first thing she noticed was his top-knot, the hair was the right shade of dark brown, and the skin tone was dark too, and…

And then his face came into full view as he climbed the steps. Azula's heart had fluttered quite foolishly over the thought of seeing Sokka again, but the new arrival was none other than Ty Lee's last-minute guest. The one she had told Mai and Azula about barely a few days after Azula had returned from her trip to Crescent Island…

"Princess! It's great to see you!" Shoji exclaimed, his smile the widest Azula had seen so far. The young man nearly stumbled on his way to Azula and the rest of the group, his excitement palpable.

"Likewise, Shoji" Azula said, smiling welcomingly as well, betraying none of her disappointment as she spoke to him.

"Eh? Shoji?" Toph said "The Dome's counter guy? He's invited? Is Ty Lee good friends with you?"

"Oh, I talk with Lady Ty Lee often when she brings her gladiator for fights…" Shoji began explaining, with a nervous smile… a smile that vanished from his face when his eyes widened as he took in the girl who had just spoken "W-wait just a second, the Blind Bandit?!"

"Didn't recognize me?" Toph asked, and she made a gesture to pick her nose: Azula caught her hand just in time, fixing the young woman with a significant glare she knew Toph would be entirely unaware of.

"Well, no! You look so…! Well, actually, you all look very…! I… I'm just going to shut up now" Shoji said, blushing and lowering his gaze as the others laughed.

"Ty Lee invited Shoji because he helped her find a band that can perform for us during the celebration later" Azula explained to Toph as she released her hand.

"I know it's very sudden, and I'm not amongst her closest friends… but I'm really happy to be here. I've never been invited anywhere by a sponsor before" Shoji admitted, blushing.

"Well, it's Ty Lee: I'm surprised half the city isn't here, if anything" Toph said, her hands behind her head as she tried to listen for more voices beyond those of the Sages near the altar and Yuudai's endless ramblings to his exhausted father. It didn't seem there was anyone else around, though.

"We all expected her to do something like that, but she surprised us" Mai admitted "Seems like she preferred an intimate gathering rather than an all-out party…"

"Considering what the last intimate gathering we had was like, it may just turn out to be more fun this way than with lots of people" Song said, smiling "It's probably better for her to celebrate with the people who truly care about her"

"Indeed…" Azula sighed: most the people who genuinely cared about Ty Lee were already here, it was true…

And the last members of such an exclusive group were finally arriving, it seemed. The Princess sighed in relief, stepping away from the wedding guests and towards the entrance as she caught the sounds of the groom's group.

"Ah, so many steps… I'm a very old woman, they need to be more considerate towards us with Fire Nation architecture" Ran groaned, as Haru and Sokka helped her climb the staircase carefully.

"It's okay, Mom, we're almost there…" Haru said, raising his eyes to look at the ceremony hall as soon as it came into view…

The Temple was as new to Haru as it was to Toph or Song: he had never been there before, but it was just as imposing and eerie as he expected it to be. Yet he wasn't scared, even if he was deeply nervous still… for however dark the halls might appear, the sight of his friends awaiting him patiently certainly could light up the whole place without any need for further torches or candles. He smiled brightly, raising a hand in greeting as they finally reached the top of the staircase.

"Sorry for the delay…" Haru said to Azula, with an apologetic smile "Is Ty Lee ready?"

"She should be, she's been here for quite a while as it is" Azula said, nodding as she struggled to keep her attention from deviating towards Sokka. Still, it was inevitable for it to happen when he smiled awkwardly at her.

"I did try to hurry them, but they were double and triple-checking everything in the house…" Sokka explained. Azula smiled gently at him, despite knowing it was ill-advised to do so.

"And, of course, you couldn't possibly stop them… I should've known you wouldn't be much good at keeping everyone on schedule" she teased him. Sokka gasped indignantly.

"Hey! I'm pretty good at keeping my schedules!" he pouted.

"Not so good at enforcing authority on other people though, and that's the real problem" Azula smiled as she gestured at them to enter the building "Come on, we should get started as soon as possible"

"Oh, this is all… so expensive, I'm sure" said Ran, studying the Temple's architecture in sheer wonder "Is it really alright for you to get married in such a fancy place, Haru?"

"It's already arranged, Mom, of course it is…" Haru chuckled, guiding his mother further inside before greeting his guests.

Sokka and Azula lingered behind, to no one's surprise. The gladiator was wearing a red robe of his own, less opulent than Haru's, but still fancy enough to remind Azula of the one he had worn for their own ceremony in Firelight Town… her smile was inevitably gentle, just as his eyes gleamed while gazing at her lovingly.

"You just had to go and do it, didn't you?" he said, surprising her.

"Say what?"

"You know…" he said, smiling and gesturing at Azula's dress "It's supposed to be Ty Lee's big day and you're already outshining her without even trying. She won't be pleased"

"Ah, I suppose I should've been wearing rags instead?" Azula asked, amused "I'm sure that would have befitted a maid of honor just the same…"

"Heh, you could have, but why bother?" Sokka said, smiling and stepping closer to her "Doesn't matter what you wear, you'll always be the most beautiful woman in any room"

"Well… sure. If you say so" Azula replied, heat rising in her cheeks "Though I suspect you'd rather I wear nothing at all…"

"Oh, that's when you're at your most beautiful, yes" Sokka smirked "But I'd rather keep your naked body to myself, if you don't mind. Because, you see, the world is not ready for such beauty, no, for it's too overwhelming, overpowering, over-…!"

"Overdramatic, maybe?" Azula laughed, clasping his wrist and guiding him further inside the Temple "Come on, if we keep wasting time the band will be at Ty Lee's house before we even get started with the wedding…"

"Alright, alright, I'll save my compliments for after the ceremony, if you insist" Sokka smirked. He tugged his hand out of her grip, but only so he could caress hers gently, perhaps more boldly than he should have dared to in those hallowed halls "You truly look beautiful, though"

"As do you, husband" Azula whispered softly: he laughed at her secretive demeanor, and she winked at him before turning to the other maid of honor, who fortunately had been distracted by Haru just when Azula had spoken her most incriminating words yet "Shall we go fetch Ty Lee?"

Mai hesitated before answering, and Azula immediately understood why. Going forward like this would mean assuming that the only guests who had yet to arrive wouldn't show up at all. And as much as it wasn't surprising, it was an unfair stain for anyone to inflict upon a happy couple's wedding day.

Nevertheless, Mai nodded. They had always known this was the likeliest outcome, and there was no fighting it anymore, not at this stage. They had reached out to Ty Lee's family more than enough times as it was, and if gaining favor with Crown Princess Azula couldn't convince them to attend Ty Lee's wedding, it was unlikely than anything would. So the two maids of honor left the guests temporarily, making their way through the corridors of the Temple to seek out the bride, while Sokka greeted everyone and organized them around the altar as best he could for the ceremony. The Head Sage soon joined Sokka, once the ceremonial arrangements of the altar were finished.

Ty Lee was waiting in a private room, a location reserved for meditation, where brides or grooms could wait in reverent preparation until the ceremony was ready. She knelt on soft cushions with her back towards the door, her behavior unusually solemn for someone who generally was as spirited and upbeat as could be… but she took today's commitment seriously, and it showed in the set of her shoulders, the elegance of her appearance, with the immaculate white dress and the suitable hair ornaments in her perfectly tidied hair.

Azula and Mai stopped by the open door, both uncertain about interrupting Ty Lee's meditations at first, but the Princess stepped forward and knocked softly on the doorframe to alert her friend of her presence. Ty Lee wasn't startled by it, at which Azula briefly wondered if perhaps she had dozed off instead of meditating. But Ty Lee glanced at them from over her shoulder before long, her eager happiness apparent, even under the heavy, special make-up she wore for today.

"Is… is everything ready now?" she asked, swallowing hard. Azula nodded.

"Haru's here" she said "So… whenever you're ready, we can get started with the ceremony"

Ty Lee breathed in and out several times, spacing each breath with long pauses, and neither of her friends spoke while she gathered herself. They allowed Ty Lee as much time as she might have needed, and once she stood up and turned towards them, it was clear something weighed heavily in her heart, even on what should be the happiest day of her life.

"They're not here, are they?" she asked softly, without meeting their eyes "Not… not my parents. Or my sisters…"

Mai shook her head as Azula raised a hand, placing it supportively on Ty Lee's shoulder. The bride wasn't surprised in the least by the news, though it seemed having prepared herself for the disappointment hadn't tempered its effect in the slightest. Yet with one more intake of breath, she suddenly rose into her full height and nodded promptly.

"Well, if that's how it is, that's how it is. No reason to back down now" Ty Lee stated, determined.

"It truly isn't, but you don't have to pretend to be alright with this if you aren't" Azula said, eyeing Ty Lee with uncertainty "They truly have no excuse…"

"Oh, surely they could make up thousands if anyone asks, don't challenge them" Ty Lee sighed, shaking her head "Either way… it's good to know for sure that there's no fixing things between me and my family. Not even when I'm finally settling down with a good man, as they always wanted me to. But of course, he's an Honorary Citizen and an earthbender, so of course they'd never like him… well, screw them. It's their loss"

"That it is" Mai said, raising her eyebrows "Not just about Haru, though, but also about you. A family who treats you as yours does…"

"It isn't worth the heartache" Azula finished for her friend.

The three of them had changed much through the years of their friendship, but if there was one thing that would easily bring them together every time it was their complicated, twisted family lives. For years Mai had been desperate to get away from her family, putting as much distance between herself and her demanding parents as she could muster – whereas Ty Lee had struggled to regain the favor of her own relatives after losing it, only ever receiving a few breadcrumbs for her efforts. And Azula's family, the most powerful and richest of the world, had been a chaotic mess since her childhood years, so she was no stranger to the plights that had plagued either of her friends.

Their empathy brought a genuine smile to Ty Lee's face, and she reached for the hand Azula had placed on her shoulder only seconds after taking Mai's, too.

"I don't need them to be here today if they don't want to be" she said "Because, as far as I can tell… I have a better family now than the one I was born to. You two are better sisters than the ones I'm actually related to. All the guests who arrived are here because they care about me and Haru, and I wouldn't have it any other way"

"And Haru will be your new family officially, starting today" Azula said, with an encouraging grin. Ty Lee giggled at that, her cheeks flushing under the layers of makeup "A fresh start with the one you love should definitely be something worth cherishing"

"It is. I… I can barely believe this is going to happen" Ty Lee laughed, as tears filled her eyes "He's such a good man, too, I… how did I get this lucky, really?"

"If someone deserves to be, it's you" Mai said, smiling too, raising a hand to wipe the single tear that rolled down Ty Lee's cheek "Now, now, don't start crying…"

"It's okay, this is pretty thick makeup, it won't run just because I'm crying…" she laughed, prompting the others to join her briefly "Oh, honestly, one of the best decisions I ever made was becoming friends with you two on the first day of school. I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else right now. Of course, the other best decision was…"

"Swooping in to sponsor Haru when you did?" Azula smirked, and Ty Lee laughed, nodding quickly.

"I know I was so impulsive and selfish back then… I didn't know I'd grow to love him this much" she smiled "Oh, truly… I'm so giddy about this I almost feel like I'll be reborn after this ceremony. Does that sound stupid?"

"Not at all" Azula answered, and Mai shot her a meaningful stare "What? Oh, come on, Mai…"

"Sounds like you're very familiar with that sensation, aren't you…?" Mai teased her, and Azula rolled her eyes as Ty Lee laughed, ever amused and happy to join Mai's constant prying into Azula's secretive, presumed elopement.

"You know what?" Azula said, with a dry grin "I tormented Haru and Sokka plenty over how they were nearly late, so it's only right for us to not be late either…"

"Uh-huh, dodging the question, as usual…"

"Shut up"

Before either Azula or Mai could make a move towards the hallway, though, Ty Lee threw her arms around their shoulders and reeled them in for a tight embrace. It was no surprise for her to hug them – she was ever the hugger of their group, after all –, but there was a different quality to it this time, when Ty Lee was about to take a major step forward in her life by committing to her relationship with Haru. So, for once, both Azula and Mai returned the embrace genuinely instead of their usual dismissals of Ty Lee's affectionate gesture.

"I love you girls. For real" Ty Lee said, her voice small. Mai smiled and patted Ty Lee's back gently.

"And we love you back. But I guess Azula is right… there's someone out there who loves you a lot too and is most likely wondering if you're having second thoughts about marrying him"

"Never!" Ty Lee exclaimed, breaking the embrace and prompting her friends to laugh at her enthusiasm "Let's go, then, let's go!"

The ceremony hall was ready by the time the three friends set out towards it. All guests were at their places at a proper distance from the altar, where the candles waited to be lit. The Head Sage waited with his Book of Fire: all that remained was for Ty Lee and Haru to walk together to the altar.

Sokka had been standing with Haru by the corridor, seemingly helping him calm his nerves. But once they heard the footsteps in the hall Haru froze in place, his eyes seeking and finding his bride within instants. His soul soared in bliss as he took in her beauty, as everything became more real right now because his sponsor, his friend, his lover, would also become his wife in a matter of minutes.

Ty Lee's breath caught as well once she spotted Haru in the appropriate ceremonial Fire Nation robes. Before long the pair were smiling at each other as though there was no one else around… a feeling that, much as Mai had teased Azula about, both the Princess and her gladiator were quite familiar with.

"Ty Lee… you look so beautiful, my love" Haru said, his voice choked even though he hadn't registered yet that he was on the verge of joyful tears.

"You look even more wonderful, my darling Haru" Ty Lee smiled, reaching to take his hands in her own.

"And, all that being said…" Sokka chimed in, with a smirk "You guys ready to get going?"

He didn't need to ask twice: Ty Lee and Haru nodded in his direction before beginning a slow but purposeful walk towards the altar. Sokka hadn't known this part of the ceremony was essential as well, having assumed his walk with Azula from the Dragon's Casserole to Firelight's sage shrine had simply been inevitable. But walking together in that manner, hand in hand, to their chosen and shared destiny might be the best possible way to begin a marriage, as far as he could tell.

"We're supposed to follow them, remember? We're the important witnesses…" Mai chimed in, bringing Sokka out of his ruminations.

"Oh, right, right. Let's go" Sokka said, with an awkward grin.

Instead of walking together with Sokka and Azula, Mai stepped forward, blocking them from the view of most the wedding guests in attendance: whether it was intentional or not, she allowed the pair behind her a short moment to themselves, reaching for each other's hands almost playfully as they walked to an altar just as they had once before, even if the altar was meant for two other people this time. By the time they reached their destination they had to release each other's hands, but they shared one last complicit smile before focusing on the ceremony that was only just beginning.

There were no interruptions in this wedding: the Head Sage was far more solemn than Sage Ryu, and everyone held their silence as he recited the proper verses and passages of the Book of Fire. When he called upon the maids of honor and best man to vouch that the couple was ready to be wed, the three answered positively. The vows exchanged by Ty Lee and Haru were heartfelt, properly planned, likely rehearsed, even, most unlike Azula and Sokka's own in their ceremonies. By the time they lit the candle's stem together, the entire hall seemed to be brighter for it, regardless of how small the flame might be.

Despite it was an appropriately long ceremony, most of the people in attendance, especially the groom and bride, found it was over too soon – the only one who disagreed profoundly was Yuudai, for whom this had been the most bleak and boring experience of his near-four years of existence so far. But the entire hall burst into applause and cheers once the Head Sage pronounced the final words of the ceremony, binding the happy couple into marriage officially: Ty Lee, shameless as ever, climbed over Haru excitedly as they kissed as husband and wife for the first time, prompting many of their guests to laugh, others to blush, some to roll their eyes fondly over amusement at those antics.

Once all papers were properly signed by the wife, groom and witnesses alike, the ceremony was officially over and they changed venues: Azula had hired carriages for them after the wedding, and they rode the vehicles to Ty Lee's place. The carriages arrived at different paces, but all guests were at the house before long. A few ornate tables with cushions sat in the now beautiful and neatly arranged backyard, where flowers and perfectly even grass had replaced all the disorderly earth chunks that had used to characterize the location: Azula had been responsible for part of the garden's rearrangement, working around Ran's budding garden to ensure they could have an outdoors party, as Ty Lee had hoped they would. After discovering her newest talent at Shu Jing, she had worked tirelessly with Sokka and her friends through the past week to arrange the garden to her satisfaction, even adding some unexpected touches to it, such as a hammock that hung between a tree and one of the house's poles. It was certainly more ambitious than what she'd done in Shu Jing, and she was just as proud of it this time as she had been back in Piandao's mansion.

"It's a beautiful house!" Shoji said, smiling as he gazed through the spacious living room with admiration. But none of the actual residents of the house had heard his compliment: Ran had already rushed to the kitchen, eager to cook for the guests, while Ty Lee and Haru remained locked in the tightest embrace even after climbing off the carriage together.

"We're married, Haru! We ARE! Can you believe it yet?!"

"I almost can't, but only because it's so amazing! I've never been so happy!"

They were enthusiastic to matching degrees, it was clear, and they kept laughing and hugging, twirling in place as they made their way out to the backyard, where the bulk of the party was supposed to take place. Shoji watched the pair with amusement: he had known from early on that the two were involved in a relationship, but he had never expected to witness their wedding personally. Somehow, the constantly reserved and quiet Haru seemed to have broken free of his self-restraint right now, and for the first time since Shoji had met them, the earthbender appeared every bit as eager to show Ty Lee affection as she was to show it to him.

"Boy, I hope the food's worth all this obnoxious happiness of theirs" Toph said next to Shoji, who smiled sympathetically at her as she tossed away the shoes she'd been waiting to remove for hours.

"Not fond of public displays of affection?" he asked, and Toph cringed.

"Some people need to get a room, simple as that" she said, and as Haru and Ty Lee launched into yet another kissing spree, she added: "And those two ought to go to theirs already or we'll end up witnessing something pretty gross in that backyard"

"Uh… yeah. Let's hope they won't go that far, huh?" Shoji said, averting his gaze from the newlyweds with an awkward smile.

His eyes fell upon the Princess now, finding her chatting with one of the guests Shoji hadn't met before. The young woman, Song, was about Shoji's height: she seemed to be a foreigner, but she spoke to the Princess with ease Shoji wouldn't have expected from anyone but her gladiator.

"I know I'm only supposed to be a guest, but even if you're not a catastrophic cook anymore I can give you guys a hand in the kitchen right now" Song insisted to a skeptical Princess.

"Sounds to me like you absolutely don't trust that I'm not a catastrophic cook anymore…" Azula said, and Song smiled dryly.

"Well, maybe your stomach is just made of stronger stuff than other people's…" she said, and Azula gave a bark of laughter.

"Well, damn, such insolence!" she said, shaking her head "I knew it was contagious, you've lived with Sokka far too long…"

"Maybe I have, but simply put, you don't have the recipe book here, Sokka left it at home, so that's enough cause for concern…"

"It shouldn't be, because I'll just follow Ran's instructions. Seriously, Song, you hardly get days off as it is. Shouldn't you be thriving in the chance of being free from your usual burdens?"

"I've told her as much, but she refuses to listen" chimed in the man who had accompanied Song, Rui Shi, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder "Sometimes I think she's even more of a control freak than you are, Princess"

"And now you call me a control freak, just like that. Goodness, whatever happened with the respect I used to command from my subjects…" Azula said, sighing dramatically as both her companions laughed.

Loud footsteps approached them from another room suddenly: by the time the Princess raised her head towards the sound, Sokka had showed up around a corner, holding a bottle of liquor in his hands with a proud grin on his face. The Princess didn't return the smile right away, though.

"Look, look! I got this just for you!" Sokka exclaimed, as Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you think we should at least settle down before we start drinking?" the Princess asked "We haven't even been here five minutes yet…"

"Oh, I'm not saying you have to drink it right away, but look!" Sokka said, pointing at the bottle insistently.

Only then did the Princess seem to detail the bottle, taking it into her hands as a slow smile spread over her face. The gladiator couldn't have been more pleased with himself if he had tried.

"Well, well. I'm genuinely surprised" Azula laughed softly, smiling gratefully at him now "I suppose we won't be stuck with trashy baijiu this time, after all"

"There's not that much lychee wine, only a couple of bottles" Sokka admitted "But when Haru and I bought the drinks a couple of days ago I made sure to get those so you wouldn't be stuck with the crappy stuff you don't like"

"So very dependable of you. I certainly owe you for this" Azula smiled, and to Shoji's surprise, she reached out and patted her gladiator's chest with a hand. He only seemed more thrilled for it.

"Owe me? At this point in time, Princess? As if…" he smiled, reaching up to take her hand in his own.

"I do have to go check on the kitchen now, though, so keep the bottle safe in the meantime" Azula said, handing the wine back to him as she pulled away – the gladiator appeared disappointed when she drew back her hand "Make sure to keep it hidden somewhere or Ty Lee will drink it before anyone's the wiser"

"I'll try, I'll try… hey, maybe I should go help in the kitchen too!" Sokka suggested, and Song flinched.

"Why, I don't mind…" Azula said, smirking mischievously at Song "Let's make sure this is a wedding feast to remember, shall we?"

"Oh, they're going to give us indigestion. They really are…" Song groaned, dropping her head against Rui Shi's shoulder as the laughing sponsor and gladiator snuck inside the kitchen together.

It was far from the first time Shoji had sensed an intimate vibe between the Princess and her personal fighter… but it was the first time he had seen them outside the Dome's premises. He still remembered how she had rejected Sokka's embrace upon discovering they had reached the top hundred fighters of the ranking, leading the tall man to hug Shoji instead… if she didn't want him to touch her, why had she seemed so affectionate right now for his thoughtfulness? Why had she been the one to initiate contact this time, even…?

"Sooo… what's up?"

Shoji was startled from his daze by Toph's question. He blinked blankly and smiled at her, hoping she wouldn't be able to read minds as well as she could read her surroundings despite being blind.

"W-well… nothing! Just… just wondering when my friends will arrive, that's all" Shoji smiled, shrugging.

"Your friends?" Toph asked, and Shoji nodded.

"I only got invited because Lady Ty Lee was gushing about her impending nuptials the last time she visited the Dome" Shoji smiled "She mentioned one of her friends could play the pipa and she hoped he might be able to do it this time too, but I mentioned maybe her friends should simply enjoy the evening with her and that she could hire musicians instead. I suggested these old classmates of mine who had a band, the Flamey-Os…"

"Flamey-Os?" Toph repeated, skeptical "What's that supposed to be?"

"I think one of them explained to me that it's really old Fire Nation slang" Shoji laughed "He heard it from one of his grandfathers and decided it could sound cool as a band name. It does seem pretty silly, but they're great musicians! So, after I recommended them to Lady Ty Lee, she was thrilled by the idea and even invited me as a thank you. I think the Princess was the one to arrange things so the Flamey-Os could be brought here from my hometown…"

"Well, pal, all you've said only means one thing…" Toph said, ominously, her hands on her hips. Shoji blinked blankly, staring down at Toph with unease "You're one of us now!"

"I'm… what?" Shoji repeated, as Toph grinned and patted his shoulder heavily – he flinched, unused to Toph's rough gestures of affection.

"You know, one of us! I didn't really use to be friends with everyone here either, not for a long time, but after Spicy and the Dog helped me get ready for the Slate I got to meet all of them and they're pretty neat" she explained "Sounds to me like you're just the newest member of this tight group!"

"That… that's such a great honor" Shoji said, eyes overflowing with tears "Then… I'll do my best to prove worthy of being part of this group! Thank you!"

"Woah, now, don't thank me, maybe thank…" Toph laughed, but when she was about to gesture at Ty Lee and Haru she caught such loud kissing noises she decided not to direct him that way "Yeah, okay, probably thank Ty Lee later"

Shoji laughed and asked Toph more questions about her training for the Slate and her friendship with Azula and Sokka. He was floored upon hearing Toph boast about her big throwdown with Azula from several years earlier, which she assured him was one of the best fights she had ever been involved in: Shoji had never seen the Princess in combat with his own eyes, only ever hearing rumors of how powerful she was. Naturally, Toph refused to acknowledge Azula as more prodigious than herself, but Shoji remained thrilled for everything she explained regardless.

The Flamey-Os arrived at the appointed time: by then, the cooking was finished and most guests had taken their seats in the backyard, with the happy newlyweds side by side at a table meant just for them, right before the two long ones shared by the rest of their guests. Ruon Jian continued to reassure Yuudai that they'd soon have a chance to eat, even if the boy seemed utterly desperate to take the first bite. But there was one last thing that Ty Lee and Haru intended to do before the feast could begin.

"And here we are…" Ran said, beaming as she and Mai brought the final tray with dishes for them "All the food's ready!"

"Then it's time for the san-san-ku-do" Haru smiled at his mother before turning to Ty Lee.

Everyone had a cup and a bottle of sake available before them – except for Azula who, thanks to Sokka's smuggling, had lychee wine instead. But Ty Lee and Haru had three cups on their shared table instead of two, as most would have expected.

"What are they doing now?" Shoji asked, perplexed. The answer came from the person sitting across him on the next table.

"That's the old Earth Kingdom rite for weddings" Song explained, smiling blissfully "I didn't think I'd get to see it again any time soon"

"Oh? What's their rite like?" Ruon Jian asked, sitting beside Shoji.

Toph was at Shoji's other side, while Ruon Jian sat with his wife, their son between them. Across them, on the next table, Ran sat nearest to the newlyweds. Azula was on Ran's right, and Sokka sat by the Princess, eager to eat but also curious about what Ty Lee and Haru were up to. Song and Rui Shi sat on their side of the table too, and the six musicians rounded out the guests on both tables, all of them awkward and out of place amongst so many strangers and upstanding people alike.

"The Earth Kingdom rite usually is longer than just this… but the essence of it is that the bride and groom will pour the ceremonial drink for each other and drink from the same cups" Song explained "I suppose that's the only part Haru and Ty Lee will do now, but it's supposed to be the most important one"

"Hmm… sounds interesting" Sokka said, smiling before leaning closer to Azula "Seems like they have the more fun rite in the Earth Kingdom, huh?"

"And here I thought cutting our hands open was much more entertaining" Azula replied playfully, to which he laughed as quietly as possible, his head hovering close to her shoulder.

Everyone but Yuudai was patient with the drink-pouring ceremony, watching intently as Ty Lee poured the first round. They drained each cup together, beaming each time they moved to the next cup, until finally the rite was finished. By then they turned again to their eagerly awaiting crowd, and Haru stood up to speak to their guests.

"Well, what you just witnessed was part of the Earth Kingdom wedding ceremony" he explained, with an eager grin "My bride has always encouraged me to stay in touch with my traditions and heritage, so when I suggested we could do this on our feast she agreed to do so immediately. I… I'm a very fortunate man, and I'm grateful for it every day. Not only did Ty Lee help me find my family again… but she has also wanted to build one of our own by agreeing to marry me. Of all places my life could have led me… I'm glad it would bring me here, to celebrate this wedding with all of you. So… now the best man should speak, according to Fire Nation traditions?"

"W-wait, me?" Sokka said, blinking blankly. Azula laughed beside him, nudging him with her elbow until he jumped to his feet "Uh, you sure? I mean, you didn't tell me I had to do this beforehand…"

"Well… all things considered, I'm pretty sure Ty Lee and I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you" Haru said, smiling kindly at Sokka "So… I'd like to think you'll have something to say, right?"

Sokka was stunned cold for a moment, but he smiled at the newlyweds before long. Haru took his seat by Ty Lee's side again, their hands linking as they waited eagerly for Sokka to speak.

"Heh… geez. I shouldn't brag about that, but that's probably true" Sokka laughed "I pestered Azula about striking a deal with Haru's old sponsor, because I needed proper training in fighting earthbenders… when that old sponsor didn't budge, Ty Lee swung in to the rescue and bought Haru from him. And Haru has been a great friend and sparring partner for me since then… but he's been much more than that for Ty Lee, goes without saying. You two have the chance to live a happy, long life with the one you love, and just as nothing has held you back so far, nothing should going forward either, especially now that you're married. Marriage, if done for love, is more than just rites and papers: it's about the journey two people choose to undertake together for as long as they live. And I don't know what the rest of you think, but to me, the idea of sharing a lifetime with someone who can be your partner on every level sounds like a dream come true. So I say we should toast to the two of you now, to wish you the best of luck in this journey… and to the many years of happiness I'm sure you'll enjoy, starting today"

Sokka leaned down, quickly pouring his bottle on his cup, and everyone else followed suit – Yuudai was the only exception, for his mother poured juice into his cup, and he smiled eagerly for it. Sokka rose up to his full height again, raising his cup in Ty Lee and Haru's direction:

"To Ty Lee and Haru!" he exclaimed, smiling proudly "We love you guys!"

The happy couple laughed as their friends joined with Sokka's cheer. Applause followed, and Ty Lee embraced her husband with delight, her cheeks flushed and not by the alcohol. Haru pressed countless kisses to the top of her head, and it was clearer today than ever before how free and weightless the earthbender was. He had been frightened, even terrorized by his first sponsor when Ty Lee had taken him in: once weak, hurt and helpless, now he was strong, proud and confident in the choices he had made, and who he was making them with.

"That was such a sweet speech, Sokka. Thank you" Ran said, smiling at the gladiator as he took his seat. He grinned at her from over Azula's head, scratching the back of his neck.

"I could've done better with more notice… but I forgot about that part of the celebration" Sokka chuckled "I mean, I shouldn't have, but back in Firelight I couldn't have-…"

Another jab of Azula's elbow into Sokka's ribs brought him out of his absent-minded rambling. She shot him a meaningful glare, but the damage was done, unsurprisingly: more than enough of the guests had heard him, and one of them in particular was determined to figure out what his words had meant.

"Back in Firelight?" Mai repeated, with a slow smirk at Azula "Wasn't that one of the places you went to during your trip?"

"Indeed. Someone got married just while we were there, what are the odds?" Azula said, with a smirk of her own "Everyone was invited to the celebration, even complete strangers like ourselves, so we heard the best man's speech…"

"Huh. So, someone got married" Mai repeated, raising her eyebrows "Can I ask who?"

"What for? Not like you'd know them…"

"I'm pretty sure I do"

"It was Jing and Wentai, that's their names" Sokka declared promptly, and Azula nodded sagely.

"Jing and Wentai" Mai repeated, noticing right away the sharp glare Azula's former Captain of the Royal Guards had shot at them as soon as he heard Sokka's claim "I suppose you just got far too drunk in that celebration to remember the best man's speech, then"

"Yeah, that's probably what-…"

"Maybe enough to get married while you were drunk, too"

"What?! Hey, that's…!"

"Wouldn't be the first time you two do something utterly stupid while drunk, I'd know…"

"And the food's getting cold! Let's get started and cut out the baseless accusations!" Azula announced, with a dry grin, as she passed some of the dishes over to Ty Lee and Haru's shared table.

Mai was certainly playing a dangerous game by asking such questions in front of more than enough people who didn't know about the relationship between Azula and Sokka, but the amusement in her face and the laughs by Haru, Ty Lee, Song and Toph seemed to suggest it was all playful instead. Shoji had smiled at the exchanges, having paid attention to the Princess and her friend rather than to his eager classmates, who seemed thrilled about being part of the wedding feast right now. It seemed the Princess and her gladiator had been on a trip to someplace called Firelight… and they had witnessed a wedding? One of the Princess's closest friends accused them of being the ones getting married, instead? It was a funny notion… though Shoji couldn't help but wonder if there could be some truth to those claims.

Two others at the table seemed to be as perplexed as Shoji was: Ran raised her eyebrows with amusement while she studied Sokka's flustered face, reading his honest emotions most easily. Though even if he had been embarrassed about what Mai had said, he had no compunctions over pouring tons of food on his plate, eyes gleaming eagerly once his awkwardness had receded. Azula rolled her eyes at that, even slapping his hand away when he tried to reach for a dish she had been moving towards too.

"Hey, now, it's not like you're going to eat all that by yourself…" Sokka poked fun at her, and Azula snarled playfully at him.

"Maybe I will. Got to train for our next ramen challenge, after all…" she said, at which Sokka snorted, laughing to himself before deciding to get started with his overflowing plate already.

Ruon Jian raised his eyes towards them as well, once he had served enough food on Yuudai's plate for his son to finally eat to his heart's content. As much as they had been embarrassed by Mai's accusations moments ago, right now the Princess and her gladiator seemed at ease again… too much ease, if anything. Azula wasn't the type to smile so freely, she hadn't been in all the years Ruon Jian had known her…

"Say… why is it you keep asking if they got married?" Ruon Jian asked his wife softly, biting his lip as he glanced at her warily. Mai shrugged "Hey, now…"

"I'm just making fun of them, is all…" she said, with the voice he knew she ever used when playing the obedient, harmless woman. Meaning, when she was bluntly lying.

"Right. Here I thought the day would never come when you'd feel the need to use that tone with me" Ruon Jian snorted, shaking his head "Come on, you have to know more than you're letting on…"

"More than I'm letting on about what? It's just a fun game…"

Ruon Jian huffed, prompting Mai to laugh before focusing on Yuudai, who was struggling with eating large chunks of food. Ruon Jian glanced at Ty Lee and Haru, guessing the two of them would be much more willing to reveal what they knew about Azula's relationship with Sokka… but at the sight of them sharing happy smiles, even feeding each other and constantly holding one another, he decided to do it some other day instead. Whether or not she was concealing a hidden relationship with her gladiator, perhaps the Princess had a point with her insistence about celebrating this wedding properly.

But Shoji was still eyeing the Princess and gladiator curiously, far too intrigued by their closeness to hide it anymore. What he had ever seen between them in the Dome had always filled him with wonder: watching them outside of that context was even more interesting to him. Could something truly be happening between them? Could they have even gotten married, as that friend of theirs claimed they had…?

"Something the matter, Shoji?"

He nearly jumped out of his bones when Sokka addressed him: he had noticed his insistent staring. Oh, no. Oh, crap. He had to cover up for that somehow. He had to come up with something, anything, before the stupid blush on his face was misinterpreted, or interpreted correctly, which could be far worse…

"N-no! I'm fine! I'm just… you know, thinking" Shoji smiled awkwardly, reaching for the nearest dish available, not caring whether the food on it was to his liking or not. His mind finally supplied him with a suitable excuse as he finished pouring some of it on his personal plate "A-about what happened earlier today, before I took half the day off from the Dome to come here…"

"Oh?" Sokka asked, surprised.

"Was it something fun or just some boring sponsor political nonsense?" Toph asked, with a careless smile.

"Well… it was actually something that was bothering the Dome's chairman" said Shoji, shrugging "I suppose that would count as boring political nonsense for you?"

"Damn right…"

"Not for me, though" Azula chimed in, and Shoji flinched "What's going on with the chairman now? New problems, or old ones? I thought the audience numbers were finally back to normal…"

"Well, it's kind of a mix of both?" Shoji said, smiling "It's not about the audience numbers, though. If anything… it's about this event he wanted to throw to commemorate the anniversary of the League. He wanted to do it for the Fifth, and now that we're at the Tenth he was trying to suggest the same idea but no one on the board really cared for it back then, and they don't seem to care for it now either…"

"What kind of idea was it? Seems odd that everyone would reject it…" Azula said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, it's nothing like we've ever had before" Shoji admitted, with a sad smile "He calls it the Gladiator and Sponsor Race. It's a cool concept, but it'd mean spending a lot of resources, so that's why nobody wants to…"

"Wait just a second…" Azula said, her eyes narrowing with curious determination. Sokka raised an eyebrow at her reaction "Gladiator and Sponsor Race? Would this be… an event where both gladiators and sponsors participate, directly?"

"Yeah… that's the novelty of it" Shoji said, with a dry grin. Toph scowled.

"Wait but… is it sponsors against gladiators?" she asked, before snorting "In that case I'm pretty sure the gladiators would win, haha!"

"And I'm pretty sure that'd make no sense, Toph" Sokka said, eyeing her skeptically "Who'd get the points if it's gladiators fighting their own sponsors?"

"Eh, that's the least of it, who cares about that…?" Toph smirked, but Shoji smiled at Sokka and nodded.

"You're right, it's not sponsors against gladiators. It's the only proposed event up to date where sponsors don't simply sit safely in the stands, waiting for their gladiators to get everything done" Shoji continued, before taking a bite out of the grilled vegetables he had poured onto his plate. His eyes widened and he smiled in bliss at the taste "Wow! This is really good!"

"Why, thank you, young man!" Ran said from further up the table, and Shoji bowed his head respectfully in her direction.

"Yeah, the food so far is excellent, without a doubt…" Azula said, politely… before turning to Shoji again, once more with that fierce expression on her face "But what else do you know about this event, Shoji? It's a race, you said?"

"Uh, yeah, the idea is for it to be a race that spans over several days" Shoji explained "I think all the suggestions so far are for it to happen in the Colonies, so it'd be a race by stages from one city with an Arena to another. Such as Garsai to Yu Dao, or so…"

"I see…" Azula said, and by now Sokka couldn't hold back a bark of disbelieving laughter at the way his lover's eyes glistened so brightly.

"Azula, please, your mouth's watering more over that event than the food…"

"But it's the perfect event!" Azula said, with a wild grin "Finally I'd have a chance to be involved in the physical side of the Gladiator Business… we could prove we're the best team of all, not just in our usual roles, but also in outright combat"

"Do you honestly think anyone contests that we would be?" Sokka asked, skeptical.

"Oh, I would!" Toph declared, proudly. Azula snorted.

"Please, I defeated you already…"

"You did NOT!"

"My uncle is far from the bender he once was: Sokka and I would wreck you two in a heartbeat" Azula finished, waving a hand carelessly.

"Well, maybe we should join this event, then, so I can make you eat your words!" Toph roared, prompting most the guests to laugh at her enthusiasm.

"Okay, I have only been listening to some of what you've said…" Ty Lee finally intervened, still happily cuddled against Haru even if her eyes were sharp with interest "But I'd contest it too! Haru and I are married now, we'll be ten times more powerful than we already were and we'll chi-block all of you!"

"Ha! As if we couldn't chi-block you guys first!" Sokka exclaimed, bumping Azula's shoulder with his own "You know what, Princess? You got it! Let's join this thing and teach all these guys who's the real dream team around here!"

"I knew you'd come around in no time" Azula said, beaming, but Shoji's laughter surprised them all.

"What? You don't think they could do it either?" Toph asked, amused, but Shoji shook his head.

"It's not that… I said the event isn't all that likely to happen, didn't I?" Shoji asked, with a sad grin "It's awesome you guys are so enthusiastic, but apparently there's not enough willing participants to make the event worthwhile, and it takes a lot of resources, and…"

"All I'm hearing from what you're saying, Shoji… is that I really need to have a word with the chairman myself" Azula smirked, at which Sokka snickered. Shoji's eyes widened "This event sounds brilliant. I suppose it's possible they won't reconsider their stance, sure… but if there's a chance I might convince them to do so, we could actually have one of the most fun events in the League so far"

"Wait, you really want to do this? For real?!" Shoji asked, his jaw dropping.

"I see no downsides to it. I could probably adjust my own schedules and projects for it…" Azula said, biting her lip with anticipation "I'll have to visit the Colonies sooner than later to ensure the Enforcers are being recruited and trained properly there too, after all… might as well do it while joining an interesting event, too"

"You're too efficient for your own good, Azula" Sokka laughed, shaking his head as Azula smirked proudly at his assessment.

Somehow, what Shoji had hoped would be a silly excuse the others would dismiss as pointless had taken an unexpected turn. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the chairman would be grateful for what he'd done. He had brought up the man's so-far impossible pet project to the one person with both the power, the charisma and the means to make it happen… well, if this bore fruit, no one would say he hadn't made the most of his afternoon off, truly.

The feast carried on through the evening, the colorful lanterns in the backyard providing them with a comfortable ambience everyone was happy to bask in. Once most the food was finished, it was time for the musicians to begin their work: the six young men took up their instruments and smooth tunes soon filled the garden and the house's premises, to the awe of all the guests and hosts.

"They're amazing!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming as she glanced at Haru excitedly. He smiled down at her with raised eyebrows.

"If you like them so much… care for a dance?" he asked, and Ty Lee giggled before kissing him promptly.

"I was about to ask you the same thing!"

Together, the newlyweds walked away from the tables to where the band had set up. Everyone watched in awe and amusement as they began dancing together before the musicians, in the passionate, enthusiastic way they had learned to back during Sokka's celebration from months ago.

"Ah, I hadn't seen any dancing in years…" Ran laughed, shaking her head at the sight of her son behaving with such abandon "I don't think I'd seen my son dancing at all until now, in truth"

"It's not his first attempt" Azula admitted, with a weak smile "But they are pretty good at it, there's no denying that"

Sokka raised his eyebrows at her words, glancing over his shoulder at the Princess. She shrugged, wondering what was so controversial about her words… a slow smirk spread over his face.

"The competitive Princess, acknowledging others are good at something… surely you think you'd do better?" he asked, teasingly. Azula snorted.

"Oh, certainly not. A Princess like myself, dancing in such undignified ways? Perish the thought" she said, sipping on her lychee wine as Sokka rolled his eyes and leaned close towards her.

"You just don't want to dance because everyone's onto us already, right?" he whispered. Her answer was a quick mumble, meant to ensure Ran wouldn't overhear it, even though the loud music might muffle her words already.

"Damn right, that's why"

He chuckled and shook his head at her but Azula raised her eyebrows meaningfully. It really wasn't their day… and as free and unabashed as they could usually be around most of their friends, there were at least ten people here today who weren't supposed to know what was happening between them. Surely Yuudai wouldn't care much about their secret, but he still counted…

"Alright, if that's the case…" he said, biting his lip "How about I dance with someone else first?"

"Ah? Trying to make me jealous, are you?" Azula asked, with a playful smirk. Sokka chuckled.

"Not at all, but if that'd persuade you into dancing with me, I'd take it" he said, with a shameless shrug "Alright, it's just to deviate attention, you see? If I danced with someone else before you, they could think things between us might not be all that personal… right?"

"Or… they as well might think you're trying to make me jealous" Azula said, proudly, and Sokka laughed.

"You're impossible when you want to be. What does a guy have to do to get a dance with his wife?" he said softly, and Azula laughed, shaking her head.

"Fine, fine, you win. For once, I'll let you play the manipulative asshole between us" she said, prompting him to snicker "Go ahead, dance with other people, I'll wait for my turn"

Sokka smiled warmly at her, wishing he could kiss her right then and there. Oh, it was quite irksome that they had to take such roundabout journeys to reach their destination… but he knew it would be worth it. Everything between them had been, thus far, and he highly doubted that would change anytime soon.

"Alright, then…!" he said, standing up abruptly and turning towards his first dance partner, the decoy through which he'd masquerade his obvious relationship with Azula…

Ran's eyes widened when Sokka offered her his hand. He smiled dorkily, shrugging slightly as Azula covered her face with a hand. Curses, Ran was probably the last person Azula had expected him to ask, and yet there was something ridiculously endearing to him choosing to dance with the older woman. Ran, though, found it quite astonishing instead.

"Care to join me for a dance?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ran laughed, flustered "Look at me! I'm so old and rusty, you're a young, vigorous man! There's no way I'll be a good dancing partner for you!"

"It's okay, I'll take it easy" Sokka laughed "Come on, you said you hadn't even seen dancing in years, so surely it's been a long time since you last danced altogether! It's time to put an end to that dry spell, if you ask me!"

The older woman still seemed reluctant, but despite herself, she smiled and took Sokka's hand, letting him lead her to the dancing area. Haru seemed surprised when he saw his mother and Sokka, but he only laughed and encouraged his mother to enjoy herself as Sokka began jumping with the music, with movements nowhere near as graceful as Ty Lee or Haru's.

Azula seemed entranced as she watched Sokka dancing, though, smiling wistfully, surely wondering if that was what they looked like whenever they had danced in the past. Sokka's dancing style was ever ridiculous, but it was so much fun she could hardly temper the urge to join him in it. So enthralled she was, she failed to realize others had noticed the tender smile she kept shining upon her gladiator.

"Seems like she's pretty happy, huh?" Ruon Jian mused to his wife, who was stroking Yuudai's hair as he slept across several cushions beside her, quickly tired after eating his fill.

"She should be, it's her wedding day" Mai said, innocently. Ruon Jian snorted.

"I wasn't talking about Ty Lee" Ruon Jian huffed, at which Mai glanced at Azula immediately. It didn't escape Ruon Jian's notice that his wife would smile and roll her eyes, shaking her head gently as she returned her gaze to her son "C'mon, now… you're not going to keep pretending you don't know anything, are you? You're the most observant person there is…"

"You've got a good set of eyes yourself, dear" Mai said, with a cynical grin. Ruon Jian laughed now, shaking his head as he glanced at the dancers.

"You know what? That dancing looks pretty fun" he said, smirking "I kind of want to join in…"

"Cool, maybe you should cut in and dance with Ran. Maybe she'll shed some more light on what you're so intrigued by…"

"I was thinking more along the lines of an ultimatum for you, dear" Ruon Jian smirked, glancing back at his wife once more "Tell me what you know… or dance with me"

"An ultimatum? Now that's the boldest thing you've ever dared do" Mai said, raising her eyebrows with an indecipherable glare. Ruon Jian wasn't daunted, though.

"I usually don't need to go so far to pry answers from you. I just thought I'd have to take some extra measures this time" he said, shamelessly. To his surprise, Mai smirked.

"Well, then, if that's how it is… I suppose our marriage has certainly reached a point I never wanted it to" she sighed dramatically…

Before taking Ruon Jian's hand in hers and yanking him up to his feet. His eyes widened.

"W-wait, woah, what are you doing? Mai…!" he exclaimed, as she dragged him to the dancing area. She smirked over her shoulder.

"I suppose, if I'm going to humiliate myself by fulfilling your ultimatum's demands, I might as bring you down with me and it'll be more entertaining" she declared, at which Ruon Jian couldn't help but laugh, letting her yank him towards her so their dance could begin.

"Oh, you're so unpredictable, Mai…" he said, swaying in place with her slowly, as opposed to Ty Lee and Haru's passionate dancing, and Sokka and Ran's awkward and goofy one instead "And that just makes me love you even more"

"Love is certainly in the air tonight, it seems" Mai smirked, shifting her weight from hip to hip as she guided her husband with her graceful moves.

Azula watched all different pairs with amusement, though her eyes eventually shifted towards the remaining one that still sat at the table near her: Song insisted to Rui Shi that they had to join in, too, only for Rui Shi to shake his head and laugh, assuring her he would make an even bigger fool of himself than Sokka had so far. Shoji was fascinated by the dancing, clapping alongside the music while Toph seemed utterly bored by the whole thing. It was unsurprising that the earthbender would find little to no enjoyment in dancing, Azula reasoned, as the song came to an end…

"Ah, that was far too much, you younglings have too much energy…!" Ran laughed, shaking her head as Sokka guided her back to her seat, chuckling under his breath "Thank you, truly, but I can't go on, I just can't…"

"Well, damn, that's a true shame: however will I find a better dancer than you in this party?" Sokka asked melodramatically as Ran took her seat, fanning herself with a hand, her cheeks flushed.

"Oh, young man, enough with such compliments or I'll start taking your courtship seriously…" Ran laughed. Sokka bit his lip and smiled guiltily: if so, he'd put a stop to his playful misdirects, though he doubted the old woman meant her words.

"Fair enough, I understand rejection when it's sent my way" he said, dramatically "All too well I know no man of my standing could hold a torch to a woman of your caliber! So, as I have no choice, I suppose I'll have to find another dancing partner…"

Azula shot him a meaningful, yet playful glare, and Sokka snickered as he offered her his hand. She only stared at it dismissively at first, as though unwilling to take it despite that was all she longed to do.

"And what if I reject you, too?" she asked "Will you understand it coming from me as well, or am I not a woman of Ran's caliber…?"

"You, Princess, are a woman of your own caliber and I have far too much fun tormenting you to stop anytime soon" he said, with a proud smirk. Azula rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she tried to stifle a smile "Now, now, your friends are dancing! Are you really going to let them beat you at something, Azula? That'd be a first…"

"If I'll be dancing with you, it's guaranteed they'll beat me" she said, and yet she reached out a hand to take his: Sokka grinned triumphantly "But I suppose I'll just make sure all the alcohol is well and truly spent before the night is over, so everyone forgets how I shamed myself by dancing with you…"

"No shame in having a fair bit of fun, Princess" Sokka snickered, pulling her up to her feet as they walked to the dancing area together.

He was far more spirited when dancing with Azula than with Ran, but Azula met and matched his moves without fail, ever laughing as she did, unwilling to falter as she kept up with his swaying. Sokka was laughing just as loudly as her before long, and as much as their dancing was nowhere near as grandiose as Ty Lee and Haru's, or as elegant as Mai and Ruon Jian's, there was absolutely no doubt the gladiator and his royal sponsor were having the time of their lives just then and there.

Ran smiled at the sight of them: she had suspected Sokka's true intentions from the start, going along with his invitation for a dance to give him a chance to do exactly this right now. Ever since she had first met them in the Earth Kingdom, the closeness between those two had felt much like the one between Ty Lee and Haru… and upon arriving in the Fire Nation, Ran's suspicions had only increased, especially during the month the pair had spent living in this very house. Seeing them right now only seemed to confirm all her suspicions…

Shoji smiled in delight at the sight of his favorite pair of gladiator and sponsor dancing together. The more he watched them, the more they seemed to fit seamlessly together. They were a match in more ways than he had anticipated, suitable for each other as much more than just business partners…

"You like all this dancing, huh?"

Shoji nearly jumped when the Blind Bandit spoke to him again. He swallowed hard and offered her an awkward grin.

"S-sure, it's very pretty. Though, well, I can't say I'd know how to do it… I've never seen anything like this before!"

"I've never seen it either and I don't care to" Toph said, with a proud smirk "But, you know, as you're just sitting here, wanting to do something with your body, since everyone else is…"

Shoji frowned in confusion: was the Blind Bandit going to ask him to dance with her? That… that seemed unreal, not to mention dangerous. She was a fierce earthbender, and Shoji had the feeling she might just use that skill while dancing with a partner, whether to make the experience more interesting or just to make fun of everyone around them…

"W-what are you suggesting?" Shoji asked, nervously. Toph smirked.

"If you truly want to know…" she said, pouring Shoji's liquor bottle on his cup and goading him into drinking it.

Within moments, Shoji was light-headed, confused and profoundly amused as he stood beside Toph, who had taken to teaching him the basics of earthbending, even when Shoji clearly wouldn't be able to bend earth at all.

"So, steady stance! Separate your legs just like this! And then you strike forward! Just like this!"

"Forward! I strike!" Shoji said, following Toph's commands and punching the air. The world was growing wobbly around him… maybe that had been far too much to drink, and yet he didn't dare ask Toph to stop: how many people could boast of having taken up earthbending lessons with the Blind Bandit herself, after all? Sure, he wasn't an earthbender, but it still counted for something…

The night drifted by with music and laughter, though the melodies performed by the enthusiastic musicians grew more disorderly over time: Ty Lee kept offering them drinks whenever they took breaks, and while some of them seemed to perform better while tipsy, others certainly swung to the other end of the spectrum. It was well past midnight when they had to stop altogether, and Rui Shi saw to it that they would be delivered safely to their inn by the carriage they had rented for the night.

By then, most of the guests were tired and ready to turn in. Rui Shi had returned to Song after helping the musicians, climbing on the hammock with her and cuddling against her while they rocked softly, the breeze soothing them as the effects of alcohol fizzled out slowly. Mai and Ruon Jian left after the band did, with Yuudai nestling in his mother's arms, completely unconscious and seemingly unwilling to wake up until next morning. Ran had retired to her room, as had Haru and Ty Lee, who had been most eager to consummate their marriage when most the guests had left. Shoji was unconscious in the living room, where Toph had dropped him before clumsily building her earth tent – she wasn't immune to the drinks' effect, despite her best efforts to pretend she was.

Azula had been inspecting the state of the house after the party – surprisingly, things weren't as chaotic or as disorderly as she had expected. There was much to clean up, especially in the kitchen, but despite all the drinking, no one had thrown up inside the house, fortunately. She was slightly dizzy herself, but compared to her drinking spree with Sokka on their way to the Slate, it hardly amounted to anything.

Thoughts of Sokka ever brought a smile to her face, especially those to do with the early, chaotic flukes in their relationship. But upon pondering such thoughts, she noticed she had accounted for everyone already except for him.

Without making much noise, hoping not to wake the rest of the people drunkenly asleep in the house, Azula made her way upstairs – she did her best to ignore the sex noises that could still be heard in Haru and Ty Lee's room, and the soft snoring drifting from Ran's own. The only available room left in the house was meant for Azula's use: Ty Lee had offered it to her since they had planned the party, both as thanks for all her help and to provide her friend with an opportunity to spend the night outside the Palace without causing a ruckus by it. Ozai wasn't expecting her to return, neither were the servants… so she would be free to sleep with Sokka through the night, so long as they were up before either Ran or Shoji woke too.

And she was more than ready to jump into his arms as soon as possible… but she didn't find Sokka waiting in that room, despite hoping she would. She raised an eyebrow, unsure of where he might have wandered off to. They had danced for what seemed to be hours – never mind all common sense that dictated they shouldn't have done it for so long, not if they truly hoped to keep suspicions at bay – but he had said he'd find some water while Azula saw to the unconscious and conscious guests alike. She hadn't seen him since then.

She took to searching through the rest of the house, deeply hoping she wouldn't find him unconscious somewhere now… at last, she happened upon him sitting by the steps that led to the outdoors bathroom, rather occupied with a scroll, apparently. Azula raised an eyebrow before approaching him, only noticing the inks he had near him once she was next to him.

"And what's this?" she asked, softly: Sokka raised his head to offer her a goofy smile.

Once his head was out of the way, Azula could catch a glimpse of what he was drawing: it was a doodle so far, slightly clumsy as usual, but it wasn't long before Azula identified the scene: human-shaped figures sitting by two long tables, two more sitting together at the far end, behind a smaller table.

"You're drawing the feast?" Azula asked, amused "Where did you even find the inks and scroll…?"

"I actually brought them over a couple of days ago, stashed them away safely" Sokka snickered "I figured, well, unless I blacked out… might as well try to draw the feast and give these guys one last present so they can remember their wedding day forever. Though, uh… I bet you don't think it's all that good, huh?"

"I didn't say that" Azula smiled "I knew what it was, didn't I?"

"Doesn't mean it's any good" Sokka raised his eyebrows, as Azula sat beside him at the steps and reached out to spread the scroll towards her "Honestly, I'm half-drunk as it is, it's probably a disaster and I just can't tell…"

"Might be you're a better artist while drunk than while sober. Some of those musicians were" Azula said, smirking as Sokka chuckled at that assessment "Want some help, though?"

"If you want… though I'm not sure there's much fixing it anymore" Sokka smiled sadly, and Azula huffed in disbelief.

"Come on, where's your confidence?" she smiled, taking the scroll from him altogether "If anything, as you've mostly just outlined shapes, you haven't made any mistakes that can't be fixed…"

"Can't say I know how to fix them, though" Sokka said, shrugging as he shifted on his seat, all be it so he could sit behind the Princess, his legs and arms around her "We probably should just go to bed, I'm hardly any use as an artist as it is"

"Now, now, no need to be down on yourself" Azula said, smiling and picking up the brush he'd been using "Tell you what… as I think this is quite a sweet initiative, I'll finish it for you"

"Wait, what?!" Sokka exclaimed: such was his shock he stopped feeling dizzy upon hearing her words.

"Just sit back and watch. Maybe observing a more experienced artist will help you pick up a technique or two" Azula smirked, before getting started with the first of the silhouettes, the one that was supposed to be Haru.

Despite his initial surprise, Sokka settled easily into the idea of allowing Azula to continue his work. He smiled, placing his head on her shoulder as he watched the expert strokes of her brush, subtle at times, strong and sharp at others.

"Is this a common practice?" he asked "An experienced artist filling in for a less competent one…?"

"No idea if it's common, but maybe it should be" Azula laughed, carrying on with the next figure once she had added enough details to Haru's shape "Besides, don't we always say we go at things evenly, husband? Feels only natural for us to be a team even when it comes to art"

"Hmm, next thing I know you'll be finishing my haiku for me" he smirked, kissing her neck "Might as well ask you to, if anything. I always struggle with the end, always add one too many syllables…"

"And here I thought you were an expert at them by now… I'm surprised to find otherwise" Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled, his embrace tightening gently.

"Speaking of our legendary teamwork, though…" he said, thumb stroking her flat belly "Are you sure about this crazy Gladiator and Sponsor Race? Depending on where it is, well… it could be pretty dangerous. We've been through no end of hardships while running around the Earth Kingdom by ourselves, haven't we?"

"I'd like to think the organizers would guarantee proper security, but it's a fair concern…" Azula admitted, dipping the brush in the ink again to continue with another shape "I'd still have to talk to the chairman, it's far from a done deal. And yet…"

"You want to do it" Sokka finished, as Azula laughed inevitably.

"It's everything I've wanted from this damn Gladiator Business since ages ago" she said, the brush trailing carefully across the scroll "You can't begin to imagine how unnerving it can be for me to be confined to a chair while you're fighting for your life, Sokka. It's driven me crazy ever since Toph first defeated you… and of course, by now you're much stronger but I worry just as much as ever"

"That's unsettling" Sokka smirked "Here I thought I'd done a good job at proving I'm a dependable gladiator…"

"You have. The universe knows you have" Azula smiled, stopping her work briefly only to sneak a kiss from his lips "But you're more than just a gladiator to me. You always have been"

"I know" Sokka whispered, smiling too as he pressed his brow to hers "I am worried about whatever dangerous stuff could happen if we drop our guard… but honestly? Having the chance to fight side by side with you would be thrilling. Not that it's never happened before, sure it has, but never quite like this…"

"It might be less stressful to fight side-by-side when it's not over assassins with rotten fire, or being chased by the Dai Li, or fighting the White Lotus…" Azula mused, smirking as she continued with the artwork. Sokka chuckled.

"It better be" he said, kissing her temples now "You'll go talk to the chairman tomorrow?"

"I suppose so" Azula said "Want to come along?"

"Always"

"Even for boring, bureaucratic nonsense like this?"

"Does the word 'always' have a different meaning in the Fire Nation, by any chance?" Sokka teased her, and Azula chuckled, dropping against his body.

"You're too wonderful" she said, with a blissful smile "Honestly… I barely care if we lose at that event. And for once I really mean it…"

"What? So every time you've said you don't care if we lose you haven't meant it?!" Sokka exclaimed, scandalized as Azula laughed harder now.

"Maybe so" she smirked "But now… ah, just the chance of being by your side in the thick of action is more than enough for me"

Sokka smiled, holding her closely as he watched her carry on with his work. What had been nothing but shapes, blobs, was slowly turning into a remarkably detailed artwork, with perfectly careful strokes of Azula's hand.

They had been sitting outside in the chill of the night for around half an hour when Azula finished outlining every shape in the piece. Yet another half-hour was needed for her to color each figure, ever choosing the right tones even though the inks didn't allow that much variety. All the while, Sokka watched Azula's work intently, awed, often commenting as much, bringing his wife to laugh and thank him for his compliments. By the end of it, Azula doodled a small signature on the bottom right corner of the artwork… before handing the brush to Sokka.

"You have to sign too. It was, after all, your idea" Azula said. Sokka's jaw dropped.

"But I didn't do anything! You're the one who…!"

"You came up with this" Azula smiled "And you got it started before I poached it out of your hands. Come on, now, sign it…"

Sokka groaned, looking at her with apologetic eyes. She leaned closer, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Do it, silly. Or else you'll sleep in the living room" she threatened him playfully. Sokka snorted.

"Well, damn, just like old times in this house?" he asked, smirking.

"Yeah, I'd end up joining you downstairs just the same, predictably…" Azula admitted, and Sokka laughed "Isn't it a waste, though? Might as well take the bed together instead, which we would do if you just signed the damn artwork…"

"Okay, okay, gee, fine…" Sokka sighed, pressing one more kiss to the side of her head before doodling his personal signature next to hers. Despite his previous negatives, he smiled at the sight of both signatures together "Heh. That looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"We'll have to collaborate on art more often, then" Azula said, smiling as she set down the scroll, keeping it open still so the ink would dry "Though you do realize that, if I could paint something like this from your funny blob-like shapes… so can you, with proper practice?"

"Lots of practice, if anything" Sokka said, with wide eyes. Azula laughed.

"We can ensure that you get more of it, then" she said, cupping his chin to angle his face towards hers.

After a long, deep kiss that left them breathless, Sokka finally seemed to decide they'd wasted more nighttime than they should have: he swept Azula up in his arms, carrying her across them as she laughed, reaching down to pick up the scroll of their artwork instants before Sokka took off to their temporary room. He kept kissing her face and neck as he held her firmly in his arms: as much as she wanted to focus on folding the scroll carefully, it was difficult to do so when his lips tempted her to succumb to him even when they were only halfway upstairs.

The bedroom door closed behind them, and they would be far more restrained about their coupling than Haru and Ty Lee – who, after being locked in their quarters for at least an hour now, were still awake and quite busy with each other. But that they'd be as quiet as possible didn't stop a very drunk Shoji from groggily glancing after Princess and the Blue Wolf, even a good five minutes after they had gone upstairs. He had no doubts the pair that walked past him moments ago were those two, of course it was them… and it also had sounded like they were kissing.

Was it just the effect of the drink, then? Or had he been a witness of the Fire Nation's most scandalous love affair…?

He couldn't make up his mind about which it was before his eyes rolled back in his head: within seconds he was unconscious once more, his head landing with a soft thud on the boards of the hard, wooden floor.