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...

202. Chapter 202: Gladiator & Sponsor Race 2

"Oh, it's beautiful! Oh, you guys, this is so amazing!"

Both Azula and Sokka were ready for the hug as Ty Lee threw her arms around their shoulders. Haru's eyes gleamed as he held the painting in his hands, his lips parted as he grinned in delight. It was the morning after the wedding, and the four of them were in the house's living room: Sokka and Azula had presented their gift to them moments ago. The two had dressed up in spare clothes they had brought to the house preemptively during the wedding preparations, and they had been working with Ran to clean up the leftover mess in the house when Ty Lee and Haru had finally showed up at the foot of stairs. It had surprised Ty Lee greatly to find Azula so diligent with cleaning, but she had been grateful for it nonetheless, just as she was grateful for the latest of her friends' gifts.

"Now, now, it was mostly Azula's doing, I didn't do much myself…" Sokka smiled, patting Ty Lee's shoulder.

"No, not at all, it was only his idea and I outright stole it. Give me all the credit, please…" Azula said, smirking with malice. Sokka laughed and scowled at her playfully.

"This is incredible, though!" Haru said, detailing the artwork "It's the best way to remember our wedding day for good! Really, this is… this is the best gift we could have asked for!"

"Well, I'm glad you're that happy with it" Sokka said, with an awkward smile. Ty Lee relinquished them from her hold only so she could lean close to Haru, eager to take in the artwork again "I just thought that, if I'd had a chance, I… I mean, in the future! If I could, you know, immortalize my own, future wedding in a picture forever…!"

His attempt to save face was met with a skeptical glare from Azula and a sneaky leer from Ty Lee. The sight of it filled Azula with dread: now that Ty Lee's own wedding was over, it seemed she'd join Mai full-time with pestering Azula about what had happened between her and Sokka during their trip to Shu Jing.

"So, you're saying you didn't hire a painter for your own? That's too bad!" Ty Lee said, with a mischievous grin.

"Isn't that right?" Azula replied, sarcastically, as Ty Lee giggled. Beside her Sokka hung his head apologetically "Oh, pay her no mind. Even if you'd had no slips of tongue, they'd keep pestering us about this forever"

"Slip of tongue…?" Ty Lee repeated, biting her lip with amusement "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"Oh, I don't know. Whatever could it mean?" Azula said, with a dry grin before walking off to one of the two guests who had spent the whole night in the house.

Azula had been surprised by Rui Shi and Song's absence, but she guessed they had returned home at some point through the night. Toph and Shoji, however, had stayed over and slept off their stupor… only to wake up with sizable hangovers. Shoji, in particular, was in pretty bad shape: his face was pale and his eyes narrow as he tried to avoid the bright morning sun. Ran had offered him a drink to remediate hangovers, but it didn't seem to have had any effect yet.

Toph seemed to be better off despite her complaints that her senses were wobbly still. Shoji had taken his seat by the veranda, trying to accustom his eyes to light, while the earthbender lounged inside the house, resting on her side, too lazy to clean up properly just yet.

"Do you have any plans for today, Shoji?" Azula asked the young man, who flinched upon being addressed.

"I-I, uh, ah… I don't even know. I should go to the Dome… shouldn't I?" he said, grimacing "But my stomach's all over the place… I think I'm going to throw up soon"

"In my experience, that's a good sign. Usually you'll start feeling better after you release the source of the intoxication… however gross the experience might be" Azula smiled.

"I hope so" Shoji said, glancing at her with difficulty "I don't think I'd ever had that much to drink. I barely even remember… I really don't remember much. I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

"Last I saw you, you were unconscious after learning… well, earthbending forms, with Toph" Azula said, raising her eyebrows as she glanced at the earthbender in question. Toph was very busy sticking one of her fingers in her nose right now, so the Princess decided against talking to her at the moment.

"Right…" said Shoji, blinking rapidly "But… huh. I forgot all the forms by now"

"Must be she's that bad a teacher" Azula smirked, and Toph scoffed loudly behind her.

"Look who's talking! Bet you wouldn't be any better than I am!"

"Of earthbending? Why, naturally, I wouldn't be…"

"Of firebending, you ass!"

Despite the migraine he had been enduring since waking up, Shoji couldn't help but laugh. There was, no doubt, something surreal to the entire experience of being invited to the wedding of a sponsor, especially when it included witnessing the Princess and the Blind Bandit's surprisingly close friendship.

Though as far as close relationships went, there was no doubt the Princess and her gladiator were winning out… though Shoji suddenly wasn't sure of why he thought that, beyond the obvious. Somehow, he had woken up with the certainty that Azula and Sokka had a romantic relationship… but why?

He stared at them, back and forth, for a good five minutes while drinking his hangover cure, and still the memories eluded him. Oh, overdoing the alcohol certainly was a bad idea…

"What's next for you guys now, though?" Sokka asked Haru, as the earthbender held out the outstretched scroll of their brand-new painting. He was walking around the living room, seeking out the right place to pin the painting "Any plans yet, or are you just going to relax now that the big wedding is behind you?"

"Well… we didn't have anything in mind" Haru admitted, shrugging "But I don't know, after last night…"

"After what about last night?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, all that talk about this weird event the Princess was so intrigued by" Haru smiled at Sokka from over his shoulder "Ty Lee brought it up again last night when we were… uh, well, after we… um, you know"

"I can imagine, sure" Sokka said, with a dry grin.

"We were thinking… it could be fun to join that Race, if it does happen" Haru finished.

"Oh, it would be so amazing if we could take off a little earlier and have a romantic getaway…" Ty Lee sighed, before winking at Sokka "You know, taking our cue from this other couple we know…"

"Yeah, yeah, that's all cool, but would you really be up for that?" Sokka asked, changing the subject quickly "You'd be leaving your mom here for quite some time, right? Or would you take her with you?"

"Well… yeah, that's the part I'm not so big on" Haru admitted.

Ran gave out a snort of laughter from the kitchen, surprising them upon revealing she had been eavesdropping on their conversation. She moved to the threshold that led to the living room, fixing Haru with a skeptical leer as he blushed in her direction.

"You do realize I can look after myself, don't you, Haru?" she asked "I love you and your dedication to me, son, but I certainly don't think I should be involved in any of your gladiatorial business, let alone a romantic getaway between you two. So… no. I'll just stay here and watch the house for you both"

"But… what if you needed something?" Haru said, grimacing "I don't think anyone should do you any harm, the laws should protect you these days anyhow, but still…"

"Well, you could ask someone to check on her" Sokka suggested, shrugging "Maybe Mai?"

"Huh… well, if she agrees to it, maybe that could work" Haru nodded, slowly.

"If Song doesn't come along with us, she could do it too" Sokka suggested, grinning before turning to the young man at the steps that led to the backyard "If not, then surely Shoji could! Or do you have someone expecting you at home? To be honest, I don't think I know anything about your life outside of your job…"

"Uh, well, there's not that much to know…" Shoji said, shyly "I was born in an outer island of the Fire Nation, went to school there, wasn't very popular but I was friends with those guys you met last night, the Flamey-O's… and once I graduated, I moved to the Capital, got a job at the Dome and that's been my life for the past… uh, nine years, I guess? I wasn't there all along, but almost from the start…"

"Heh. Explains why you know most gladiators back and forth, even the ones that have dropped out of the League" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows.

"Yep. Anyways, my family's all back home, not here, I've lived alone in a small apartment for the past years" Shoji finished, with a smile and a shrug.

"Then surely having dinner with Ran once in a while would do you both good, you can keep each other company while Haru and Ty Lee are away" Sokka declared, beaming.

"Huh… well, it's not a bad idea" Shoji admitted, with a weak grin, though his smile faded before long "Just… no alcohol, please. But, say… did I mention that race? I don't even remember having talked about it…"

"Well, wow. You definitely drank too much, Shoji" Sokka chuckled softly "You hadn't even started drinking when you first mentioned it"

"I hadn't…?" Shoji said, narrowing his eyes as he recalled the beginning of the feast with difficulty "Huh… I think I remember now. At the start of the feast, huh? And you guys really want to join it…?"

"Why not? I mean, this is probably the first time Azula is interested in an event for something other than points" Sokka smiled at the Princess, who raised her eyebrows judgmentally at him "I figured it would be a good idea to do our best to make it happen, you know?"

"Well… you'll have to talk to the chairman, for sure" Shoji said "Knowing some people like his initiative should make him happy. I don't know if it'll work, but it might help…"

With that, he finished his drink and stood up, cringing and shuddering. Haru grimaced as he approached him, placing a hand on the young man's back.

"You sure you should be moving around yet? You don't look so good…" Haru commented, and Shoji waved a hand carelessly.

"It's okay, I have to go anyways" he sighed "Else they'll get mad at me at the Dome for slacking off"

"I'm pretty sure that the last person in the Gladiator Business who can be accused of that is you" Sokka said, with a weak grin "But if you really need to go… hey, maybe we can give him a lift to the Dome, Azula?"

"Woah! N-no way!" Shoji exclaimed, blushing and nearly jumping out of his bones. The mere notion of riding the Princess's dragon was enough to sober him up and intoxicate him all over again "No, no, no, that's very kind of you, but I couldn't possibly…!"

"What, you're afraid of heights?" Sokka asked, with a playful smirk.

"No! B-but it's not right! I'm not a rider, I'll fall off or do something stupid or…! I-it's just not right!" Shoji insisted, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Let the poor guy go on foot, it's safer and less likely to make him puke. He's already hungover, isn't he?" Toph said, and Sokka grimaced.

"Yeah… that's fair. Can't have you throwing up all over the city" he conceded.

"For the record, I would've considered it" Azula chimed in, but she smiled at Shoji "Maybe on some other occasion, if you're not all that prone to vomiting"

"Eh, right. I'll… have to try and wrap my head around that" Shoji said, eyes wide "T-thanks, though. It means so much, and… Um. Well, yeah, I should just go before I say something stupid"

Haru found an available carriage in the streets for Shoji: it wasn't a certainty that he wouldn't throw up while aboard the vehicle, but it certainly beat taking a long, lonely walk to the Dome. Only when Shoji was gone did Toph sit up, stretching her arms and legs as she tried to regain all proper feel of her senses and limbs.

"You two really need to cut it out" she mumbled to Azula, who raised an eyebrow quizzically "It's my fault Shoji got so drunk, you know? I spent the whole damn night making him drink and teaching him earthbending just to distract him from you and the Dog. He doesn't know, does he?"

"Uh, no, of course not" said Azula, grimacing "He wasn't watching us too closely, was he?"

"No idea, but he always was ridiculously nervous after being quiet for a while. And it always happened right after you and the Dog were being way too close for usual gladiator-and-sponsor standards" Toph sighed "You'll owe me big time for this!"

"I… suppose we do. Sorry, Toph. We get carried away too often these days" Azula admitted, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Toph snorted, though, laughing softly before clapping the Princess's back.

"C'mon, with all the trouble I keep causing you two, you don't owe me crap. I'm just saying… try and be more careful, you know? Maybe next time you decide to get all mushy with him, don't invite people who are out of the loop about you two?"

"Well, to be fair, inviting Shoji was never my plan" Azula sighed "You're right, though. It's good you could get him so drunk he forgot most of last night… however nice he may seem, there's no real guarantee that he'd hold his tongue if he catches wind of what's happening between us"

"I'd like to think he would, but there's no point in risking it, is there?" Toph said, rolling her shoulders back circularly as she cringed "Hell, drinking's not that much fun when you're not doing it anymore. It's going to be a shitty day getting rid of this stupid feeling in my brain…"

"You could have just accepted Ran's offer for the hangover cure" Azula mused, and Toph smirked.

"Nah, I'll just fight it out like I fight out everything. Even if I don't have to" she declared "And speaking of which, all this talk about that big event, sponsor and gladiator stuff… you sure you want to do it? And, if you are… should I shut up about it to Iroh? I mean, I do want to see how we'd measure up against you, as a proper team… but with things between you and Iroh as bad as they are, I'm not sure we should be there too"

"Your concern is quite touching, not to mention well-founded…" Azula said, with a sigh "But ultimately, I'm not going to force you to do or not do anything just for my sake, Toph. I don't think Iroh will try to figure out what I'm hiding anymore because I convinced him I'm so abhorrent that he wants nothing to do with me altogether… so I suppose the only risk is that he'd try to kill me halfway through the event"

"He wouldn't!"

"Ah, we'll never know unless you do join it" Azula said, with a slow smirk "Either way, Toph… feel free to do whatever you like. It would be safer for Iroh to be as far away from me for however long possible… but I can't say that race's result would feel all that truthful if you two aren't involved in it. It's stupid reasoning, I guess… but you two have been our biggest rivals in the League for years now. Only seems fair for us to settle who makes a better team eventually, whether before or after your next direct fight against Sokka"

"Heh, so you know I'll absolutely wipe the floor with the rest of the earthbenders in the League, huh?" Toph smirked proudly "I still have a few more left to go, around ten I think… but once that's done, you guys are in for it!"

"Right, right…" Azula smiled, shaking her head "Either way, you're free to choose, Toph. Maybe bring it up to Iroh once I know for sure that this event can happen, and decide with him whether you'll join or not"

"Great" Toph said, breathing in and grinning at Azula "Thanks for not telling me not to join in. I kind of figured you might, you know, just to protect yourself…"

"I may have lost my sense of self-preservation gradually over the last few years…" Azula conceded, shooting a glance at Sokka, who was talking with Haru right now, making large hand gestures as they spoke "As I hear, certain traits can turn out to be contagious when you spend too long with some people"

"Well, that's probably not the best thing you could've learned from the Dog" Toph laughed, though she frowned moments afterwards "Though, to be honest… not sure there's anything you should've learned from him"

"There have been more things worth learning than you can imagine…"

"Ugh, don't even start talking about whatever gross stuff you get up to in bed, Spicy, ew…"

"Oh, please! I wasn't talking about that!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure you weren't" Toph smirked, shaking her head "Anyhow, I ought to get going too. Iroh's going to want to know if everything's okay, and you and Sokka should go to the Dome, right?"

Azula nodded in agreement, and Toph threw an arm around Azula's shoulders in a quick embrace. The Princess patted her friend's back gently before Toph took off to say her goodbyes to the rest of the people in the house.

Half an hour later, Xin Long had landed in Ty Lee's backyard. There was little sign of the party in it anymore, the tables long removed by now as well as the cushions. But Azula's adornments in the garden, the lanterns and even the hammock, seemed to have appealed enough to Ty Lee that she had decided to keep them for good.

"You really haven't been this psyched about something since… since Shu Jing, I suppose" Sokka smiled, embracing Azula tightly once they were flying across the sky "Ah, this is the real reason why Shoji shouldn't have come with us, yep…"

"Toph apparently took to getting him drunk just so he would stop suspecting us of, well, this" Azula smiled. Sokka rested with his chin on her shoulder, and she pressed their faces together gently "Truthfully, if we keep this up, the entire city will find out sooner than later"

"Eh, true, but it's hard to help it" Sokka pouted, as Azula chuckled "Maybe we'll shake off all the mushiness once we take off for the Race, huh?"

"Now, now, it's far from a done deal…" Azula said, though her shameless smirk brought Sokka to snort.

"Come on, you've had the League's board doing everything you demand of them since day one" he said "Remember when there were no health check-ups after fights? Yeah, you're the one who changed that. And remember when Toph couldn't fight fairly in the Slate without weapons of her own, or earth at her disposal, and you talked them into changing that in a single attempt…?"

"Right, right…" Azula smiled proudly, as good as savoring the recounting of her victories in the League as Sokka's fingers moved dangerously towards her flanks.

"So I'd say it's as good as guaranteed that you'll pull this off, you clever, driven, efficient Princess" Sokka said, and as much as she knew he would do it, Azula didn't shake him off before he started tickling her. She laughed in his arms, slapping his hands away ineffectively as she dropped against him "And I couldn't be prouder of you for it"

"Oh, how I covet those words" Azula sighed, once Sokka stopped his tickle spree "I guess I'm a fool, but hearing someone I treasure saying they're proud of me is probably one of the best feelings in the world"

"Can I ask which other feelings might compete with it…?" Sokka asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully and prompting Azula to laugh at his ridiculousness.

"Why… eating lots of mochi" Azula declared. Sokka pouted "And…"

"Yeeees?"

"And lots of spicy ramen" she finished, and Sokka scowled.

"Oh, so that's all, then? Well…! Great, because you just proved you're even more of a glutton than I am!" he pouted, as he restarted his tickling spree. Azula couldn't stop laughing, though she allowed Sokka to torment her as he wished, hardly fighting back after having had plenty of fun at his expenses.

The Grand Royal Dome received them with the usual reverent welcome it ever did: the chairman was taken by surprise by Azula's visit, even more so when she brought up the subject of his pet project. For once, the man seemed to show genuine passion for the Princess's requests rather than mere interest in appeasing her by caving into her demands.

They spent the entire day in the Dome, in the end, all be it so the chairman and the board would agree to hold the Gladiator and Sponsor Race, by Azula's express request. The Chronicles in all Arenas would run articles to promote the event and the High Tier would be contacted in case any of its members wished to join it. The race would be set to happen between the cities of Gaoling and Omashu, and it would be held over four days. Careful organization would be needed to ensure the race could be held safely, but the board members seemed determined to prove their competence to the Princess. She had merely relaxed back on her chair, enjoying the sight of the men debating all the minutiae of the Race while Sokka sat beside her, smirking at how proud she seemed of her grand deed.

By the time the long meetings were done, the chairman rushed down to the vestibule as Sokka and Azula were ready to leave. Shoji had been finishing his work for the day when the thick man had wrapped his arms around his tiny frame, inducing quite a panic into the young man.

"You…! You're getting a raise after this, young man! I assure you! And paid expenses for a vacation! And…! I don't even know what else, you name it!" the chairman laughed, squeezing Shoji as he hung limply in the man's arms, his cheeks afire "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The chairman couldn't have known Shoji had brought up the race nearly by chance, merely to find an excuse to change the subject during the feast… weird things definitely happened near the Princess and the gladiator, that was all Shoji could conclude as he watched them from over the chairman's shoulder, both waving at him as they made to leave the Dome's premises.

---

A roar of outrage. A torn-up letter: the fragments of the elegant paper were engulfed by the flames of the fireplace…

Kuan's chest heaved as he watched the white turn black, the lines of fire consuming the letter slowly. However vindictive he felt, tossing the letter into the fire wasn't quite enough to sate his fury. He couldn't believe it; it was the last straw…

"Master?"

As ever, his trusted butler had entered his study, to check on him. Oh, Kuan was certain his complicated life would have been far worse still without that man … at least he had someone's shoulder to lean on when he needed one.

"Another rejection. I can't believe this!" Kuan exclaimed, still glaring at the fire "I'm the governor of Gaoling, no less than that! I come from a fine family, I'm acquainted with the Fire Lord himself! How can some lesser noble girl reject my offer of marriage after a single meeting?!"

The butler held his silence, and Kuan groaned while pacing the room, moving towards the largest window. Not even the sunlight could seem to brighten the darkness that marred his days…

"It's all her fault, isn't it? Surely she's sent word to each woman I've tried to pursue so they reject me, all of it to torment me, to torture me in retaliation for having tried to kill her pathetic gladiator…" Kuan grumbled, rubbing his temples with his fingertips "I'm the heir of my family! I must take a wife and have children as soon as possible! It's long past my time to do so, all because I wasted precious amounts of it chasing after her to no avail! Must be why she's timed her wretched visit to coincide with my matchmaking appointments, so she can continue to sabotage my life as she pleases…"

Kuan's chest heaved after his rant as he glared out through the window, his fists clenched. One way or another, he would be victorious eventually. One way or another, that wretched Princess's shadow would stop looming over him…

"Master?"

"What?" he growled again, finally to glance at his butler.

The man stood by the doorway, as he always did whenever he had come to convey a message or to serve as herald to visitors…

Such as the ones who stood behind the butler now, both silent and yet speaking lengths quietly through their judgmental sneers.

Kuan gasped, covering his mouth quickly. No, no, no. He had received a bird about their visit, yes, but he had expressly refused to host the Princess, and of course, her thrice-accursed gladiator, in Gaoling's governor's estate. The bird had said they would be arriving within a couple of weeks, but it hadn't been a couple of weeks yet, or had it? Had Kuan seriously lost track of time to such an extent, chasing after that nobleman's daughter as he had been? It seemed unlikely that he would have…

And yet there they stood, the pair of them, eyeing him as though they couldn't think less of him if they tried. Had they heard everything he'd said? Oh, surely they had, the butler hadn't simply dropped by to check on him, but to bring them to him and… oh, he was doomed.

"It flatters me, to a fault, that you give me so much more credit than I'm due when it comes to making your life miserable, Governor Kuan" Princess Azula spoke, with that sententious voice tone Kuan could hardly stomach "But I must say, I don't have remotely as much leisure time as you seem to believe I do, let alone enough of it to track down whichever woman you're trying to court next to ensure she finds a better husband than you. It sounds like a fine purpose to have in life, to be sure… but I'm afraid it's beyond my possibilities right now. Thanks for the idea, though. Maybe I'll get up to it someday, in the future…"

And the gladiator had the gall to laugh. To snort, and laugh, and… the blood boiled and curdled in Kuan's body, even if he wasn't sure it made sense for it to do both things at once. However much he had grown to despise the Princess, it was nowhere near the utter loathing he felt towards her fighter.

"I… I didn't expect you so soon. Do excuse… my outburst" Kuan said, begrudgingly.

"Oh, I don't think I will excuse it, but I'll set it aside while I deal with the actual reason why I'm here" Azula said, with a shrug, before glancing at the butler "You're dismissed. My gladiator and I will speak with the governor privately"

The butler seemed nervous by the prospect of leaving his master alone with the fierce Princess: Kuan grimaced, raising a hand towards his closest associate, but he didn't dare ask him to stay. The butler's lingering, remorseful glance revealed his reluctance to leave… yet he obeyed Azula, ducking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Kuan stepped back warily, his eyes shifting nervously between Azula and Sokka. It was inevitable that Sokka would snort again, amused by the embarrassing behavior of a man who despised and feared him on equal measure.

"Now, now, there's no need for all that apprehension, Governor Kuan" Azula said, with a dry grin "I'm sure all of us can remain perfectly civil during this conversation, can't we?"

"O-of course…" Kuan said, though now he glared harshly at Sokka. The pleased smile on the gladiator's face, that arrogance… it was enough to make Kuan sick to his stomach "Though I can't see why, if you wished to hold a civil conversation, you'd bring… one as uncivilized as him"

"Why, I beg to differ, he has behaved himself just fine so far. He most likely thinks you're pathetic too, but unlike you, my gladiator has better sense than to say it out loud" Azula said, with a dry grin. The words brought a blush to Kuan's face: yes, of course she'd heard everything…

"I'm just here to enjoy the show, myself" Sokka said, smirking "Watching a Crown Princess tear down someone who threw me to the pigs should be lots of fun"

"Hey, now, don't make me take back my previous claims" Azula said, raising an eyebrow as Sokka chuckled "I certainly find your rudeness more entertaining than his, but all the same, we're here for a reason…"

"I know, I know, but you know…" Sokka said, sighing. Azula smiled and shook her head.

"At any rate, Governor Kuan, I truly have no interest in your marriage arrangements, and I certainly did not time my visit to Gaoling just to sabotage them" Azula said, pacing in the room and stopping by the window. She could feel both Sokka and Kuan following her with their gazes "I have far more important matters to deal with, such as the current state of Gaoling's Enforcers. Surely you have something new to report on that front?"

If Kuan had appeared nervous before, now he seemed close to entering a state of shock. His eyes had widened, his skin had paled, and his mouth hung open even if he clearly had nothing to say. Azula regarded him in silence briefly, waiting for a response, tapping her index finger over one of the arms she had crossed over her chest… and yet nothing came.

"Well?" she said, raising her eyebrows in feigned expectation.

"You… you must understand, the duties of a Governor are complicated" Kuan started, rising up to his full height as he held his head high "There is much I must take care of, and I haven't had the right opportunity to work on your initiative…"

"Funny. The representative you sent to the Summit certainly claimed the same things" Azula said "Yet I spent more than enough hours working directly with him to ensure the Enforcers' initiative could at least begin in Gaoling within a month since the Summit. If the information the representative gave me regarding availability of materials, builders and army officers was accurate, there's no reason why you shouldn't have been able to get started by now, when it's been two months since then. If the information was incorrect, however… it means you supplied your representative with false information?"

"Well, I…!"

"So… either Kuan is lazy and unwilling to do his job even when you laid down the guidelines for him, or he's negligent and careless about vital information?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows.

"Indeed. And I do wonder what's worse, a negligent governor or a lazy one" Azula said, with a dry smile "I'm not sure there's much of a difference between either thing, seems to be merely two slightly different manifestations of the same crime: utter irresponsibility"

"No! That's not what's happening, I'm not being irresponsible! Like I said, there are many things I have to take care of first, and you must understand, your Enforcers are a new project, and they can't be the main priority of every leader in the nation!" Kuan exclaimed, his voice shrill as he raised it to defend himself. Again, he was met by the Princess's derision and Sokka's disbelieving chuckles "And you…! Quit laughing!"

"Quit being so laughable and he might stop" Azula said, dryly "Alright, let's pretend for a moment that I believe you. Do tell, what are these very important duties that are keeping you occupied? Beyond, of course, blaming me for your misfortunes and chasing women who clearly want nothing to do with you, a message you've never been particularly talented at understanding…"

"I have to govern an entire city! It's a difficult job!" Kuan growled.

"Oh, fine. I suppose that means you've been investing a lot of money into infrastructure, education, and cultural pursuits…" Azula recited, and Kuan nodded eagerly.

"It is imperative, essential for the people, that their city is run properly" Kuan declared "And I cannot sideline those duties just to…"

"To build a military base for a new branch of the army. It's too much work, I'm sure" Azula said, nodding sagely.

"It requires resources I cannot divest for such purposes" Kuan declared "Recruitment isn't cheap, neither is keeping an army squad properly fed…!"

"Seems like you do it with the Fire Lord's old troops, though" Sokka said, shrugging as he sank into a seat unceremoniously. Kuan shot him an outraged glare, and Sokka hoped he could make himself properly comfortable on the seat until their visit ended "How's it so impossible for you to do it when Azula asks you to?"

"Oh, that's because my father is running with the expenses of keeping his troops safe and alive in the Colonies, that's all" Azula answered him "Seems to me that, if the Fire Lord decided his governors must be the ones to provide for the army, Gaoling would soon find itself devoid of any soldiers or guards to protect or patrol it"

"That's not true, and it's not what I meant" Kuan said, but Azula shook her head.

"Please, call your butler"

Kuan frowned, her request puzzling. And yet Azula didn't take it back:

"Was I unclear? Summon your butler. I have a question for him" she declared.

Kuan gritted his teeth but moved to a small table near the fire. A small, round bell attached to an elaborate cord sat on it, and he rang it loudly so the man could hear him. Within less than a minute, the butler had returned, apparently surprised, relieved and wary over how everyone in the room was still in one piece.

"The Princess wants something from you" Kuan told his staff member.

"Crown Princess" Sokka corrected him, and Kuan shuddered, his wrath nearly overpowering him by now "You'd better show proper respect to your authorities, Kuan…"

"You little… ugh, just answer the Prin-… Crown Princess's question" Kuan said, pointedly attempting to ignore Sokka to little avail. The gladiator couldn't hold back a smug grin.

"Is there anything you require?" the butler said, turning towards Azula. She nodded.

"Who is in charge of the accounting for Gaoling's current administration?" she asked. The butler frowned.

"Well, we have an accountant, but this is his day off…" he explained.

"And I suppose that means the accounting books are all in this mansion, aren't they?" Azula asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes, the accounting records are stored in his assigned study" the butler nodded.

"Then please do me a favor and bring me this year's accounting books so far" Azula said. She heard Kuan gasp behind her, but she paid him no mind "Sokka? Please go with the butler and ensure there's no tampering with the records…"

"As you wish" Sokka said, pushing himself off the couch almost unwillingly… oh, but Azula's new idea to piss off Kuan was bound to be much more effective than what he'd been doing so far.

On some measure, Sokka didn't feel comfortable leaving Azula alone with Kuan… and yet he knew that trembling, nerve-wracked man couldn't possibly do anything to Azula that she couldn't counter with at least twice the same strength and effectiveness. So he followed the butler out of the room, keeping a close watch on the man as they made their way into a small study: once there, the butler found a book with fancy bindings that, apparently, had the information Azula had asked for.

"You sure that's the one?" Sokka asked, and the butler nodded, showing him the first page that identified the book as belonging to their current year, 110 after Sozin's Comet's first arrival and the beginning of the war "Alright. No funny business now"

He didn't have to threaten the butler with weapons, he was more than menacing enough on his own: a tall, bulky foreigner with sharp eyes and a furrowed brow that evidenced he wouldn't stand for any foul play. The butler nodded, walking out of the room right past Sokka and guiding him back to the sitting room where Azula and Kuan waited.

"… You don't expect us to host you, then?" Kuan asked, and for the first time, his voice sounded hopeful, even.

"We are merely here for a couple of days, nothing more" Azula answered him "Your unwillingness to host us was clear enough, and truthfully I'd rather stay in my Barge than here. My dragon flew me into your estate right after my ship had docked, so I suppose that's why you received no notice that we had already arrived… ah, look, they're back"

The butler offered Azula the book, and again Kuan seemed tense and nervous. Azula opened it carefully, eyes gliding across the first page, then the second, and then the third… and she frowned.

"My, my. That's certainly telling" she declared, prompting Sokka to slip behind her in hopes to sneak a glance at the book.

"What's up? Is he pocketing tax money or something?" Sokka asked, with a mischievous smirk.

"Well, if he's being truthful about being short on resources, I suppose he is" Azula concluded, handing the book over to Sokka as Kuan gritted his teeth.

"I am not, Princess, you can't accuse me of such corruption with no basis…!"

"Why, you're the one who's giving me basis for it" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "The amount of money you're earning through your taxes does not match, by any degree, the amount you're investing into the upkeep of your city. If anything, how is Gaoling not falling to pieces? I'm starting to suspect the people who are actually running this place live in other estates…"

"We might as well stop by and ask around, they could tell us plenty about how great a job Kuan has done so far" Sokka answered, raising his eyebrows "Most these expenses are personal crap, even. And if this is what he spends on salaries for his employees… hell, he's cheap as fuck"

"Princess, please…" Kuan said, and for once, his voice sounded close to defeat. Azula wasn't mired by it "You… you have to understand…"

"Why, no, I absolutely don't have to understand, but I think I do regardless" Azula said, with a shrug "You are, indeed, irresponsible. How proud you were when you flaunted being talented at managing this city, far more talented than any other governors, on my first visit to Gaoling… and yet closer inspection yields a rather telling result. You have neglected your duties, neglected your people, and you are making a deliberate choice to resist against direct orders by your Crown Princess, orders sanctioned by the Fire Lord himself, for no reason but pride and arrogance. Better men have been charged with treason for lesser crimes"

The last of Azula's sentences floored Kuan: he fell to his knees, his entire body shaking.

"N-no, no, I'm no traitor, I'm not… please, Princess, I…!"

"As I'm feeling slightly generous today, you will have one final opportunity, Governor Kuan" Azula said, stepping forward only to glare at him from above, her golden armor gleaming against the sunlight that bounced on it from the window "I have more than enough material, and no shortage of reasons, to bring up your destitution to my father for good. I've longed to do it for years, you certainly tempted me to do so since my first visit to your city… you've only managed to retain your position because my father hasn't found anyone suitable enough to take over your duties. But at this point, I don't think he'll merely brush off the issue of your potential corruption as well as he brushed off my previous concerns about your incompetence: prove yourself, Governor Kuan, or you will be packed up and shipped off right back to Fire Fountain City, if not to outright prison, if the severity of your crimes is as dire as I suspect it is"

"It's not, it's not, I haven't wasted money! I haven't, I haven't used it for my own gain, I swear…!"

"I'd sooner believe in numbers and results than in empty words" Azula said "You will build the Enforcers' headquarters in Gaoling"

"Yes. Yes, I will… right away"

"And you will begin a recruitment effort just as well"

"Of course, Princess… of course"

"By the time I'm finished checking on the major settlements of the Colonies to ensure there has been proper progress and adequate conditions for the Enforcers to operate, I'll most likely have chosen an agent, assigned to keep an eye on the Colonies' Enforcers for me" Azula continued "This person will, of course, watch you and your operations quite closely. If they sense any indications on your part that you're unwilling to do your job properly, whether regarding the Enforcers or anything else, you'll say your goodbyes to your fancy title and your massive estate. Prove yourself, work hard and show that all your self-congratulatory claims about your talent for management are true, and I might show you actual mercy"

Kuan nodded, his head hunched and bent towards Azula in defeat. The Princess seemed satisfied by his demeanor… but someone else wasn't.

"You sure about this?" Sokka asked, glancing at Azula with uncertainty "I can't say someone whose favorite word to refer to slaves is 'scum' should really be involved in building up the Enforcers altogether…"

"I'm aware of your reservations, and you know I share no shortage of them" Azula sighed "But I can't quite dismiss my father's officials with no consequences. He wasn't all that pleased when I did it in the prison rig, so…"

"He ought to keep a tighter leash on them, if he wants to keep them where they are" Sokka growled "If they're this incompetent, they're not worth keeping around"

"Indeed, and that's why I doubt this final opportunity will amount to much in the end" Azula admitted, with a shrug "If anything, we'll be celebrating his demotion within a month or two, to be sure"

"I won't… I can do this! I will! I won't fail!" Kuan claimed, his hands balled into fists on the floor. Azula huffed.

"How overly dramatic. And just so, how difficult it is to swallow such claims…" Azula rolled her eyes "I'll keep an eye on what's happening in Gaoling, Kuan. Make sure you don't forget that. And I guess we'll take our leave before he starts outright sobbing for compassion, that would be most unsightly…"

"Yeah, please" said Sokka, sighing and shaking his head "I think his rioting, ridiculously loud stable animals would whine with more dignity than he does"

His assessment earned him a complicit smirk from the Princess, who nodded as she urged him to follow her to the door. Sokka spared one last glance at Kuan, finding the man still on his knees. The submissive act might be nothing more than that, but it was better than the constant sneering and scorn he had offered them in all their other encounters. If that was the last he'd see of Kuan, Sokka would be pleased.

Azula had organized their latest trip as carefully as expected from her: much like in their first trip through the Earth Kingdom, she intended to visit each of the most prominent cities abroad to ensure their authorities would assemble their Enforcers as expected. The Race would begin in Gaoling, and its final stage would lead them to Omashu: from there, Azula intended to travel to Ba Sing Se, to Yu Dao afterwards and to Garsai last. She had scheduled fights for Sokka in the three cities unrelated to the Race, to ensure they would continue to rise through the ranking, however slowly as they might, while she took care of her own business in each city. It was going to be a rather busy pair of months, but Sokka couldn't be more thrilled over the prospect of traveling with Azula for that long.

The Princess and her gladiator remained the picture of dignity and pride as they returned to the lawn of the estate's front yard. The butler watched them the whole time, apparently impassive, yet there was a hint of disapproval and resentment in his eyes that didn't escape Azula. Her only response to it was a sarcastic grin once she was sitting on her dragon's saddle: within moments, they were speeding away towards Gaoling's bay, and by the time of their nightly encounter in her cabin, the image of invulnerable perfection they had projected earlier was long gone:

"He was on his knees… on his knees!" Azula exclaimed, laughing as she fell into Sokka's arms.

"Oh, the minute he knew he was outmatched he just lost it!" Sokka said, grinning wildly at her "Damn, I knew we could piss him off, but what you did today was so gratifying…"

"To think the day really came when I could tell off that bastard as he deserved it…" Azula said, with a happy sigh "Things do look up for us sometimes, don't they?"

"These days, I think they do more often than not" Sokka smirked knowingly, stroking her hair: she bit her lip as she failed to stifle a smile "If we keep up with all this great teamwork, Princess, we're going to beat everyone at that Race without even breaking a sweat…"

"Why do you think I was so stoked about signing up for it?" Azula laughed "Teamwork like ours is near effortless by now, as far as I can tell… is it really likely that anyone else will be as perfectly synchronized as we are?"

"Heh, I suppose we'll find out tomorrow" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows as a proud smirk spread over his face "At any rate, we do have to celebrate ruining Kuan's life for good, don't we?"

"We really do have a knack for doing that to people" Azula mused, smirking "First Hahn and Hina, now Kuan, Chan back when we started our partnership… and whoever else we've ruined in between that we've forgotten about"

"Eh, those four had it coming, and if we've done it to anyone else I'm sure they did too" Sokka chuckled.

"That's one very simplistic way of looking at it, but I won't deny it just to be contrary" she replied, taking his face into her hands and kissing him softly "You do realize we shouldn't wear ourselves out tonight, though, don't you?"

"Well yeah, but you know…" he said, rolling his eyes and smirking "There's so many possible dangers lurking in that big race, don't you think?"

"Ah? And you'd like to have one final go at it just in case we don't survive, is it?" Azula asked playfully, as he guided her towards her bed. Sokka laughed, shaking his head.

"No, what I'm thinking is we can't take any chances, Princess" he said. He raised a hand to stroke her hair gently, fingers lacing with the strands as he leaned close, pressing his lips to her face softly. She closed her eyes, humming under the warmth of his kisses "So, as we never did practice it again, we don't know if having sex recently is the true trigger to our chi attuning, and what if you have to shoot a fire blast out of my arm again tomorrow…?"

"Ah, how very convenient, you even have an acceptable excuse to get me into bed" Azula laughed, stopping once she had walked back into the side of the mattress "Not that you needed any, I intended to have my way with you regardless, but still…"

"Then why so worried about wearing ourselves out…?" Sokka asked, teasingly, hands traveling over her flanks now as he slid closer to her.

"Well, you know, I'd rather we don't fall asleep halfway through the race because we went at it all night, and it's a perfectly reasonable concern" Azula smiled "Come to think of it, though, maybe sex's not necessary for our chi's attuning. We were in such synch earlier today at Kuan's… I think it's just inherent to us by now"

"Maybe so. But… are we really going to take any chances?" Sokka asked teasingly, his brow against hers.

Azula's response was a smirk, accompanied by raising a hand to fist his wolf's tail. He barely had a second to smile too before their lips collided and she flipped them, so she would be the one to push him on her bed. She climbed on his lap quickly, succumbing to her basest needs unapologetically as she stripped herself naked before his adoring gaze. His hands traveled over her thighs, but he mustered more patience than he knew he had: his lips were parted as he watched her, his cock hardening over the friction of their bodies, and his longing for her only increased as she offered him a cheeky grin that reached her golden, breathtaking eyes.

Perhaps she was right, and there was no need to take these measures in preparation for the race. Yet with every new tryst, every new exchange, the love they pledged for one another, the desire that coursed through their veins, would be renewed and revitalized, strengthened beyond measure. And as she rode his shaft that night, leaning down over his body so she could kiss him as he thrusted upwards into her, they shared no shortage of kisses, laughs and complicit gazes, knowing the bond between them was truly unbreakable.

"Say… I do think it'll be lots of fun joining this crazy race" Azula whispered as she rested on his heaving chest, mere moments after they reached their respective, explosive finishes "But after stuff like what happened at Kuan's… and after sex like this, too, I… I don't think there's much of a doubt, is there?"

"Hmm? About what?" Sokka asked, toying with her hair once more.

"About us being the greatest team there ever was" Azula finished, with a proud grin "Maybe we won't win this event, who knows… but whatever the outcome, I'll always know we're better together"

"Better than everyone else, I'd think" Sokka said, smiling "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I think we're pretty damn unstoppable. I already feel bad for anyone who stands in our way, my dear wife"

"Heh, I suppose that's a perfectly reasonable feeling to have" Azula mused, smirking as she closed her eyes "I can't wait to jump into battle by your side. I can barely believe I really get to do it this time"

"You'd better believe it by tomorrow, at least" Sokka said, kissing the top of her head "For now… let's just take advantage of the fuzzy after-sex bliss and go to sleep, right? You said it yourself…"

"Can't wear ourselves out, yeah" Azula admitted, smiling "You're right, you're right…"

"Good night, then, Azula" he whispered, leaning closer and raising her head delicately with a hand, to steal a soft kiss from her lips.

She took it upon herself to kiss him harder, more fiercely even if still slowly, all of it to further bask in their connection, to unleash those physical sensations of happiness that would spread out from her chest and all the way to her fingertips and toes. He responded evenly, ever keeping up with her rhythm, answering her expertly as a swordsman responds to an enemy's attacks. Never faltering, always rising up to a challenge or offering one of his own…

Azula hadn't had any doubts about having chosen the right partner for years by now. But it was during moments like these when she truly understood why that was the case: they were kindred spirits, soulmates, with a bond strong enough to stand against all tests. Whatever rivals they'd find when the Race began tomorrow, Azula knew there was nothing they wouldn't be able to fight against as long as they stood their ground, as long as they defended and proved the true strength of their extraordinary partnership.

---

Azula always slept lightly on nights when Sokka had snuck into her room. It was no different this time, as she was woken easily by a soft knock on the door. She grimaced, opening her eyes to find dawn would break soon…

"Sokka, it's getting late" she whispered, and he groaned in response, arms tightening around her body.

"Five more minutes…"

"I don't think we can even spare one" she said, kissing his lips before pulling out of his embrace unwillingly "Someone's at the door"

Sokka's eyes flew open now, and he yanked the covers of the bed up to his chin protectively. Azula smiled, having already taken her seat by the edge of the mattress, searching for her nighttime robe in the darkness.

"C-can't be anything serious, can it…?"

"No idea, but you should go back downstairs as soon as possible" Azula said, finally cladding her body with the robe and tying the sash quickly "No need to be mopey about being away from me this time, we'll be together non-stop for about four days, right?"

"Eh, hehe, yeah" Sokka said, with a mischievous smile.

"Then get dressed and get moving, husband" Azula hissed, with a playful smirk. Sokka chuckled and nodded as she leaned close and kissed his lips again "Good morning, by the way"

"Yeah, it's always good if you're in my arms when I wake up…" he sighed happily, pushing himself to a sitting position once she pulled away again.

Azula was uncertain once she reached the door: she highly doubted it would be anyone but Rui Shi, but it was better to be cautious. She only opened the door slightly, keeping Sokka out of sight for the time being, until the Imperial Guard behind the door removed his helmet to reveal who he was.

"You could have announced yourself properly, you know?" Azula sighed, careless about opening the door further upon confirming it was her former guard captain.

"A message arrived for you a couple of minutes ago" Rui Shi said, offering her a message "From the local arena, I believe"

"Huh… this better not be some sort of last-minute event cancellation" Azula growled, taking the small scroll and opening it quickly.

Having heard Rui Shi's voice by now, Sokka dared walk into view and sneak up behind Azula for a glance at the message. That he was shirtless, fastening his trousers, seemed to be utterly irrelevant to him, despite Rui Shi was raising a judgmental eyebrow in his direction.

"You really are taking the whole 'we're married' thing to a whole new level of shamelessness, aren't you?" he asked, at which he distracted Azula from her letter "I liked it better when you cowered and scrambled to cover up as soon as I knocked on the door"

"Eh, you know what's going on, it's no big risk" Sokka said, with an awkward grin.

"You'd better go back to your cabin quickly anyhow, sun's going to be rising soon" Rui Shi suggested.

"And we truly should get going" Azula sighed, handing the scroll to Sokka "The race begins in around two hours, and not at Gladiator Rumble, despite I expected as much. The starting point is at the city's western entrance"

"What? Why's that?" Sokka asked, puzzled.

"I have no idea, but we'll probably find out when we get there" Azula shrugged "It's probably a matter of ensuring each stage of the race will be of roughly equal length, so…"

"Huh. Well, it's not a terrible thing anyhow, but they could've given us a heads up a little earlier than this" Sokka sighed, picking up his shirt and cladding his body in it "See you at the dining deck for breakfast in a bit, I take it?"

"Yeah, but we'll have to be quick about it, okay? Make sure to pack all you think we'll need right now, we'll take off as soon as our meal's finished" Azula said. Sokka tightened his belt before leaning in to take a quick kiss from her.

"As you wish, Azula" he said, smiling warmly at her before leaving the room "Alright, quit giving me that nasty glare, Rui Shi. You'll get four days of freedom from us, what more can you ask for?"

Rui Shi rolled his eyes before putting on his helmet again, yet Azula had the distinct feeling he was amused. She smiled as she closed the door, turning quickly towards the golden armor that awaited on her cabin's dresser. Today was the beginning of a new challenge for them, and she couldn't wait to see how they fared in it.

Her bags had several sets of clothes, for she had no intentions of wearing the same ones for all four days, and she deeply hoped Sokka would have enough sense not to do that either. Along with that, she had a few extra supplies: her tea, which she'd have to drink even if she didn't expect much more action between herself and Sokka in the next days, her sword, which Sokka would be carrying, generally, and some money in case they might need it for any unexpected emergencies.

But once it was finally time to take off, after their hefty breakfast, Azula found her bags were near insignificant compared to the ones Sokka had built for himself: he had no less than five of them, even though he was carrying his weapons on his person instead of in the bags.

"What the hell? You have more luggage than when we went to-…!" she started, but she clasped a hand over her own mouth before finishing the sentence. There were enough guards and sailors who could overhear her words right now.

"Princess, I'm taking zero risks this time" Sokka announced, strapping the bags to Xin Long's saddle "Yeah, sure, this will slow us down, whatever… but you and I have been lost in forests and traveling through this continent with no provisions way too many times so far as it is. I'm not doing that again if I can help it!"

"But… Sokka, how many provisions do you imagine we'll need?" Azula asked, eyes wide.

"Beats me, so I just… brought all the bags I own" he said, grinning after finishing fastening the final bag "C'mon, it's hardly that insane…"

"Xin Long might not even fly with all that weight…" Azula grumbled, and the dragon huffed, as though to reassure her that they would be able to traverse the skies just fine regardless.

"Yeah, I guess he went overboard…" Song said, stepping into the conversation after having overheard their argument just when she was leaving the dining deck, too "I did give him some first-aid equipment too, in case you guys might need some. So… I guess that's part of why?"

"Well, yeah, all your first-aid stuff and there's also lots of food. Tons of food. Enough that we won't have to go hunting at all" Sokka said, beaming. Azula rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Sounds like you don't even have clothes in those bags" she grumbled, and he snickered while shrugging carelessly.

"I hope he won't exasperate you too much. You two already survived one week together without much trouble, so…" Song said softly to Azula, who raised her eyebrows.

"Depends on if he starts behaving himself at some point or not" she said, though she smiled all the same "But rest assured, I'm well used to his most annoying tendencies and I won't lose my mind over them, promised thing. By the time we meet again in Omashu we'll be happily bickering as we ever are"

"Good to know" said Song, smiling "Thanks for bringing me along on this trip, again. I hope neither you nor Sokka will need my help once the race is over, but still…"

"They ought to have physicians of their own in the race, I'd assume, so even if we get hurt, we shouldn't be in our worst shape by then" Azula shrugged.

"Well, I'll still wish you the best of luck" Song said, beaming, and Azula smiled and nodded towards her.

"Thanks. I ought to leave you in charge of the whole ship while I'm gone…" she said, teasingly, at which Song blushed profusely "But I guess that's too much pressure, huh?"

"Way too much pressure" she said, and Azula laughed.

"Take care of yourself, we'll see you again in Omashu" Azula said, patting her shoulder before approaching Xin Long to climb his saddle. Sokka already waited there, shifting awkwardly between his many bags.

Azula settled before Sokka and his luggage when Rui Shi and Fei Li stepped into the Barge's main deck. Fei Li waved dorkily at them, but Rui Shi stepped forward, ever solemn as he bowed in Azula's direction.

"Don't go overboard trying to win this event. It is, after all, just an event" Rui Shi said, and Azula snorted.

"I don't think we'll even have to go overboard to win it" she said, smugly, prompting Sokka to laugh behind her "Even if we're carrying twenty bags by Sokka's doing, I'm sure we'll be ahead of everyone else in that competition"

"Right. What's worse is I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case" Rui Shi said, with a small smirk they couldn't see "Good luck, then. We'll see to it that we reach Omashu by the time you get there too"

"Then we shall see you in four days" Azula said, as Sokka waved and Xin Long flexed his legs, readying himself to take to the sky.

"Good luck! Have lots of fun!" Song exclaimed, as the dragon finally jumped into the air.

Both Azula and Sokka continued to wave goodbye at the three on deck until they were too far away to be seen anymore. By then, Azula turned forward, smiling eagerly as she watched Gaoling's town in the distance.

"Off to the western entrance it is…" she said, steering Xin Long carefully in that direction.

"How many people do you think joined in?" Sokka asked, glancing over Azula's head in hopes to spot indicators of the race somewhere in the far end of the city.

"No idea, frankly. It might not be a lot of them, and I suppose the main competition we'll need to watch out for will be Iroh and Toph… but if anything, I look forward to that" Azula said, with a growing smirk "No, of course I don't look forward to dealing with Iroh at all, I never do, but if things come to a head between us, I'm pretty sure we'll have the fight of our lives with those two"

"If anything, I think Toph and I might end up being the more civilized showdown" Sokka chuckled, hugging Azula gently "Still, if those two are here, let's do our best not to deal with them at all, okay? Toph's generally fine, but if this is meant to be a sort of test of teamwork, we can't expect her to cut us much slack…"

"Yeah, frankly in cases like these, we'd do best to remember everyone is our enemy" Azula said "Ty Lee and Haru are supposed to be here too… and that means we might have to fight them eventually"

"Well, they don't worry me that much" Sokka said, smirking "I think we're pretty good at fighting those two by now, aren't we?"

"We are, but we shouldn't drop our guard regardless" Azula said "Beyond those two pairs, though… I can't say I know who else is joining this thing. But I assume Iroh and Toph will be our most important competition, most the others shouldn't be at their level"

"Maybe, but we probably shouldn't underestimate our enemies, right?" said Sokka, frowning "You always say I shouldn't do that, so… don't you think maybe there could be a few genuine threats there beyond Toph and Iroh?"

"I suppose there's some sense in that…" Azula admitted, as the western entrance of the city came closer and closer "We're about to find out just how guarded we should be about our rivals, huh?"

At a distance, it was difficult to distinguish that something unusual was happening at the edge of Gaoling, but with every mile Xin Long flew, the silhouettes became much clearer… to reveal the Race might be a lot more crowded than they originally expected.

"Woah. That's a lot of people, isn't it?" Sokka said, eyes wide.

"Some are staff members, they're not wearing armor or combat clothes…" Azula said, frowning.

"Yeah, but I can already count… eight, nine, ten who do look like gladiators?" Sokka said, blinking blankly.

"Well… I suppose it's better this way, anyhow" Azula said, smirking as Xin Long finally hovered over the western entrance "The more competition we have, the more fun this challenge ought to be"

People scrambled out of the dragon's way nervously, whether they were gladiators, sponsors or staff members. Xin Long finally landed safely near two large poles that marked the starting point for the race: many eyes regarded them with reverence, but others with caution and some even with disdain. Azula ignored their reactions, climbing off the dragon's saddle and patting his snout gently as Sokka followed suit.

"Princess! You've made it!" the Dome's chairman's voice reached the Princess, and Azula turned to regard the stocky bald man: it was the first time she had met him outside the Dome, but it was no surprise he'd be here to witness his pet project coming to fruition "Welcome, welcome! The race will begin in about half an hour!"

"Thank you" Azula said, nodding towards the chairman "I take it everything's been properly organized?"

"Oh, to the best of my ability, that's right!" said the chairman, beaming as he gestured towards a pair of tables only a few steps away from the poles "Feel free to sign up and confirm your attendance to the Race over there, and you shall be briefed about all the rules once all the contestants have arrived. You'll receive your map, your assigned backpack, your…"

"Woah, assigned backpack?" Sokka asked, eyes widening "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh… it means you can only carry one backpack?" said the chairman, with a smile and a shrug. Sokka gasped in horror "Is something the matter?"

"Well, my gladiator had planned on carrying at least five bags of his own throughout the race" Azula smirked teasingly at Sokka, as he pouted in frustration "I told him that was too much, but he wouldn't listen…"

"Ah, I see!" said the chairman, laughing "Well, I'm sorry, but at least you'll be free to carry all your ten weapons this time around! Does that make up for it, to a fault?"

"W-wait, really?" Sokka said, with a growing smile "Here I thought I'd have to use five per stage or something…"

"No, no, that rule can be disregarded for this event" said chairman "But the backpacks… not so much"

"What a waste…" Sokka grumbled, shaking his head as he began sorting out which goods to prioritize and which ones to discard.

Once the chairman took off to speak with other staff members and participants, Azula took the opportunity to glance about herself and identify their opponents, if possible. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the many strangers amongst them… and yet some soon stood out as familiar, to her surprise.

"Ugh, say, would you rather we bring sweet buns or muffins?" Sokka asked, before noticing Azula's attention was elsewhere "Uh, Azula?"

"Sorry, sorry, it's just… there's some people here we've met before" she said, with a weak smile "Such as, huh, Yang"

"Wait, what? Haiyan can't be here!" Sokka said, eyes widening as he jumped to his feet, quickly spotting the spikey-haired writer scrambling after other staff members of the Race "She couldn't have left the Rehabilitation Center, could she?"

"I'm pretty sure he's just here to write a dramatic report of the Race's outcome" Azula said, smiling at Sokka just as Yang spotted them: he waved enthusiastically at the pair, and it seemed he wanted to rush in and chat with them but one of his co-workers grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him towards a row of hot-air balloons "Huh… and I guess those are the means through which he's going to get a proper view of how the race unfolds, too?"

"Well, that's pretty crafty" said Sokka, stroking his chin with interest.

"There's other people we know, though, and actual participants this time… remember the Ruthless Hero?"

"Wait, that hysterical firebender with the knuckles…?" Sokka asked, grimacing as he spotted the man with the gold headband standing at a fair distance from them. Even though he was talking with another gladiator, he still shot glares at Sokka that the gladiator could only flinch under "Yeah, damn. That's not good"

"Oh, please. He's hardly going to be a threat against me" Azula said, waving a hand carelessly "Other than him, I've spotted Scoundrel – you probably don't remember him, he wasn't highly ranked when you fought him"

"A non-bender, right?" Sokka said, narrowing his eyes as he spotted the young man, who spoke with his female sponsor "I think I remember him"

"And… heh. I'm pretty sure you do remember that one" Azula said, smiling and gesturing at a young woman with long dark hair…

Sokka gasped, and Azula raised her eyebrows questioningly at his reaction.

"Well, well, you're really surprised to see the Priestess of Flames, I'll get jealous at this rate…" she said, teasingly, and Sokka huffed.

"You know I'm not surprised about her being her, I'm surprised because…! Shit, I have to go talk to her right now" he said, gritting his teeth "Those guys… I left them with her, remember? The ones from the Amateur Arena of…"

"I remember, Sokka. However busy I may be, I'm not forgetful" Azula smiled, jerking her head towards the Priestess "Go ask. I'll take care of signing us up, alright?"

"Thanks!" Sokka said, beaming before dashing off towards where the Priestess stood, his rearrangement of his bags left on hold for now.

The Priestess wasn't alone: most everyone had been with their respective sponsor, from what Sokka dared guess. In the Priestess's case, the sponsor seemed to be a young man with the perfectly impeccable appearance of a noble, his hair perfectly styled, his nails filed, his clothes of the finest quality. He twitched constantly, though, swatting away the mosquitoes and flies that hovered in the wilderness and that, for some reason, seemed to enjoy tormenting him more than anyone else.

"Why, San? Why would you make me join this stupid event?!" he exclaimed, swatting away another fly and groaning in frustration.

"Hey, now, you're the one who whined all the time about not spending enough time with me" San was answering, warming up by stretching her arms as she paced around her fidgeting sponsor "Besides, you know I love nature! Seemed like the best way to kill two birds with one stone…"

"Oh, no, don't you dare pretend that's what this is about. You just want to torment me!"

"…Fair enough. Three birds, then"

"Why, you…!"

"Uh, excuse me…?" Sokka chimed in, uncertain about interrupting another pair's bickering. He knew awfully well that could be a surprisingly effective source of bonding, after all…

San had been smirking with mischief at her sponsor when she heard Sokka's voice. She glanced at him, as did the man beside her…

"Hey. Remember me?" Sokka asked, with an awkward smile as the sponsor gasped, recognizing him instantly despite never having seen Sokka before. As for San's response, though…

"And… who were you, again?"

Sokka's innocent smile shifted into an outraged grimace immediately, but to his surprise, San lashed out in laughter before long, leaning on her sponsor's shoulder as the man covered his face with a hand.

"Do excuse San for having no common sense" growled the sponsor "You're… the Blue Wolf? Isn't that right?"

"I am, and I have a very simple question to ask San" Sokka said, with a twitching eyebrow "Hey! Quit laughing at me! Do you remember me or not?!"

"'Course I remember you, but that was too good a chance to pass up" San laughed, standing up straight again and smirking at Sokka "I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is… they're all fine and dandy, still strong, eating better than they have in ages. So… you've got nothing to worry about, Blue Wolf. Your buddies are fine"

"They are, then?" Sokka asked, his previous indignation replaced by genuine relief "Wait, but then they're all still in the Black Cliffs?"

"Yep, I even offered to give them a ride to the continent when I traveled here for the Race…" San said, shrugging nonchalantly "They said they'd stick together, though. I think they're kind of paranoid about all those weird slavery laws that are going around these days…"

"Well, difficult to believe as it may be, those slavery laws are meant to help them" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, well, they don't want to risk getting caught by the law anyhow" San said, waving a hand carelessly "If those Enforcers figure out they're escaped slaves they'll just get thrown in a market or whatever and the last thing they want is…"

"Woah! You're harboring fugitives in the Dragon's Pit?!" the sponsor asked, eyes wide. San returned his stare and shrugged "San! Why would you do something so crazy?! And without even telling me…?!"

"Why would I tell you? Dragon's Pit business is for Dragon's Pit folks and no one else" she said, proudly, and her sponsor leered at her.

"You know… I did always think that place was weird, and I had no idea how this whole sponsorship-at-a-distance thing worked" Sokka said, pointing at the pair "But you even apply that whole 'what happens at the Dragon's Pit stays at the Dragon's Pit' attitude to your sponsors?"

"Especially to them" San said, with a malicious smirk. The sponsor huffed, irritable "Quit being such a sourpuss, Raiden, you've always known I never tell you shit"

"Sponsoring you was a mistake" he huffed, and his claim was only met by further laughter from his gladiator.

While their argument unfolded, Azula had already reached the table where she was meant to sign up for the race, and an excitable female staff member awaited her there. She bowed her head in Azula's direction before handing her a thin brush and the list of signed-up sponsors and gladiators.

"It's such an honor to meet you, Princess Azula" the young woman said, beaming "Uh, here, sign your name and your gladiator's, and I'll give you the map you'll need for the race right afterwards"

"Well, it is convenient to have a map" Azula admitted, nodding as she took the brush and wrote her name into the list "You're not the one who'll tell us the rules, are you?"

"Oh, no, not me, that will happen later" said the young woman, smiling still as Azula returned the brush. Even so, she hadn't returned the list of fighters "Uh… Princess?"

"Just a moment" Azula said, with a curt grin.

So far, there were ten signed up pairs of gladiators and sponsors. Many names were unfamiliar, but the Wall, Slithering Shadow and the Ruthless Hero were all fighters Sokka had dealt with in the last Pairs Tournament they had joined. There was the Priestess of Flames, too… and then she frowned, heavily, upon spotting an irregularity in the list.

"Okay, I don't think this makes much sense" she said, pointing at a certain competitor "How is Koshing allowed to participate with his two gladiators, exactly?"

"O-oh, I suppose you'll have to ask the chairman, but that sponsor said he was authorized to do this…" said the young woman, apprehensive. Azula scowled.

"Two gladiators in the top hundred, one of them the third of the League… and he gets to join with both. Funny" she said, rolling her eyes before returning the list to the staff woman "At any rate, you're supposed to give me a map and a backpack?"

"Ah, yes! Here you go" said the young woman, offering Azula a closed scroll and a large bag "The best of luck with the Race, Princess"

"Thank you" Azula said, nodding in her direction as she slung the empty backpack over one of her shoulders.

Despite she would have wanted to see the map with Sokka, Azula didn't contain her curiosity and she spread it open right away. It was detailed enough, showing the mountains and wilderness they would have to face around Gaoling… and the leagues of desert that they would have to course through over the second and third stages of the race, going by what she was seeing. Her brow furrowed: she had never traveled across the Si Wong Desert before, merely visiting its edge for Gladiator Brawl on a single opportunity a year ago. Traversing across it brought thoughts of Bao to mind, and her heart clenched for it. But they were here for a Race, an event for the Gladiator League, and they wouldn't be chased by renegade Fire Nation soldiers trying to kill them…

"You're in my way"

The harsh male voice that spoke those words didn't startle her visibly, but Azula raised her head towards it regardless. And for the second time in moments, her heart clenched as her eyes fell upon Aonu's pointed glare.

His gladiator stood behind him: despite the wounds he had sustained in Gladiator Brawl, he still appeared strong and sturdy, but his face was no longer in plain view. He wore a mask over his eyes and nose, both meant to protect him from further damage and, Azula assumed, to conceal his facial injuries from sight.

Shaken as she was by the likely severity of the Millennium Dragon's old injuries, for once in her life Azula didn't stop to demand proper respect from someone utterly unwilling to offer it. She stepped back indeed, allowing Aonu to walk up to the young woman at the table, who seemed more daunted by the scowling man than by the Princess.

"Hey there" the Millennium Dragon said, raising a hand in greeting towards Azula. She swallowed hard and nodded in his direction "Figures you'd join this thing, eh?"

"Yeah, I actually pushed it forward, to a fault" Azula admitted "I, uh… I was under the impression you had recovered already?"

"Oh, yeah, but I've gotta wear this thing now, just for safety" Renzhi said, smiling as he pointed at the mask "No need to worry, my breathing's all good, my nose don't hurt that much anymore, and I'm still more handsome than Busty when I'm not wearing this thing, so…"

"Huh. That's good to know" Azula said, with a small grin of her own.

"Is the kid doing alright? The Blue Wolf?" Renzhi asked, and Azula nodded.

"He's off talking with someone else right now, I probably ought to rejoin him-…"

"Come on, Renzhi. It's done" Aonu's voice cut across their conversation sharply, and he walked between Azula and his gladiator, as to further interfere in their exchange.

Despite everything, Renzhi only sighed and rolled his eyes. He gave Azula a sympathetic grimace, shrugging weakly.

"I'd ask you to forgive him, but Aonu's dumb as a pile of hay when he wants to be and he's not even sorry for it" he grumbled "I don't hold any of this shit against you or your gladiator, but he's just…"

"Really good at holding grudges?" Azula finished. Renzhi snorted.

"If this were a grudge race, Aonu'd beat everyone else by a landslide" he said, shaking his head "Anyways, see ya' at the Race. Good luck, eh?"

"You as well" Azula said, with a polite smile, as Renzhi walked away.

Azula watched the gladiator following his angry sponsor, and dread rushed inside her. It hadn't even crossed her mind that Aonu might be interested in joining this event… was he here for revenge? At least it didn't appear he wanted a second shot at demanding for her hand in marriage. But Aonu, Iroh, Koshing with two gladiators… despite her previous certainties that no one could have posed a genuine challenge to her and Sokka in this race, she wasn't so sure the event would go completely smoothly for her and her gladiator anymore.

She hadn't moved from where she stood just yet, overtaken by her musings, when someone else showed up at the sign-up table. The movement caught Azula's eye, bringing her out of her ruminations just in time to recognize yet another pair of gladiator and sponsor, and this time, a much friendlier one:

"Princess!" Kori Morishita exclaimed, her face lit up as she was completely distracted from what she had meant to do. Behind her, Sneers smiled but shook his head at his sponsor's excitement.

"Well, well. Seems like we keep running into each other lately" Azula said, far more pleased by this reencounter than the one with Aonu.

"I had heard you might join the Race, but I didn't know for sure and…! Oh, this is wonderful! Finally we'll be able to measure up against each other!" Kori said, beaming "I know we'll probably lose, but still…!"

"No need to be so pessimistic already, the race hasn't even started yet" Azula laughed "Go on, sign up or…"

"Azula!"

And another familiar voice. Azula was still smiling as she turned to look at the newest arrival, Ty Lee… whose skin was aglow with an even tan unlike any Azula had seen on her friend before.

"Ty Lee…?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows in amusement "I guess you spent your week of fun with Haru constantly under the sun?"

"Something like that!" Ty Lee exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend quickly for a hug. Behind her, Haru grinned and waved, his usual dark complexion darker still "We went to Ember Island first before coming here, so, well…"

"Yeah, that makes enough sense" Azula said, smiling weakly "Going by how happy you are, things must have gone remarkably well, huh?"

"Oh, you know exactly how well these kind of trips tend to go…" Ty Lee said, with a sneaky smirk. Azula's deadpan glare only amused her further.

"Yeah, sure, quit giggling and go sign up after Kori's finished, will you?" Azula grunted, and Ty Lee indeed stopped laughing as she glanced at the young woman who had just set down the brush: her gladiator was receiving the empty bag and map they had been allotted.

"Kori? You know her?" Ty Lee asked, and Azula nodded as the earthbender turned towards them.

"This is Kori Morishita, and her gladiator, Bear-Axe" Azula said, gesturing at the pair "And these two are Ty Lee and Haru, or rather, the Emerald Rockman"

"Ah, Morishita? Are you the daughter of Yu Dao's Mayor?" Ty Lee asked, with a wide grin "That's awesome! I didn't know you were friends with her, Azula!"

"Well, yeah, though I'm sure you two are closer…" Kori answered, with a shy grin.

"Go sign up, though, Ty Lee. I'm sure we don't have all day" Azula said, jerking her head towards the sign-ups table.

"Right, right, right away!" Ty Lee said, beaming as she rushed towards the table.

So there had been more new arrivals, and Azula had been surprised to find she knew a fair share of them. She didn't expect Kori and Sneers to prove to be much of a threat, but she hadn't expected them to be here at all, to begin with. As she made her way towards Sokka again, she counted around fifteen teams of gladiator and sponsors, and it wasn't even everyone yet…

Before long, Iroh and Toph showed up too: Toph waved at Azula, but she followed Iroh to the sign-ups table without much more of a distraction. The Princess smiled fondly at the earthbender, but she decided to focus on her own gladiator, who seemed to be smiling awkwardly as the Priestess of Flames argued about something with her sponsor.

"So… got what you wanted?" Azula asked, startling him. Sokka smiled and nodded, though, and some of the concern she had been nursing so far receded thanks to his enthusiasm.

"Looks like they're okay, San says… uh, she could tell you herself, but I think they no longer remember we're here" Sokka mused, with an awkward grin, as the Priestess continued flipping off her noble sponsor with as much snark as she could muster "I really had thought few people argued as much as you and I did, but…"

"Apparently we're not the winners in that particular contest, then?" Azula said, smiling and jerking his head so he would follow her before she handed him the backpack "Here's the mandatory bag. We ought to distribute our belongings as best as we can in it"

"Ugh, no fair" Sokka pouted before raising his head to find the western entrance of Gaoling had grown much more crowded while he wasn't paying attention "Woah. I think the chairman had very little to worry about, huh? How many people are there here?"

"Around sixteen pairs by now, possibly more" Azula said, shrugging "And… some of them are slightly worrisome, too. There's one sponsor who will fight with two gladiators, a notion I find most unfair…"

"Well, yeah, that sounds wrong on all accounts" Sokka huffed, scowling.

"And the worst part is he's the sponsor of the third-best gladiator of the League… uh, that guy, actually" Azula said, pointing out Koshing in the midst of the crowd.

Sokka frowned at the trio, recognizing the Dark Rook quickly as he stood beside a nobleman with dark hair and sickeningly pale skin. The clothes the man wore were so intricate and fancy even Raiden's had been less ostentatious. The Dark Rook's brother, clad in a white outfit that contrasted with his brother's, stood by Koshing's other side, his head hung.

"The Light Bearer?" Sokka asked, and Azula nodded.

"I think it's the first time we cross paths with him in battle, isn't it?" Azula said "And, well… that's not all. Kori Morishita is here too, as well as some people we've fought before. The Wall, The Slithering Shadow…"

"Well, we did outdo Sneers and Kori ages ago, so they don't worry me too much" Sokka said, with a smile and a shrug "As for the Wall and the Slithering Shadow, they weren't that tough, were they?"

"No. But… the Millennium Dragon was" Azula said, her voice small.

Sokka froze upon hearing those words. His easy enthusiasm now was nowhere around as he glanced frantically, hoping to catch a glimpse of Renzhi somewhere in the crowd…

"He says he's fine, I had a chance to talk with him before Aonu interfered" Azula said, biting her lip "But, uh… he wears a mask now. Apparently for protection. He said he was still better looking that Combustion Man underneath it, but, well…"

"You got a chance to talk with him, though?" Sokka asked, his chest tightening "Do you think they're here to… well, take revenge or something?"

"Aonu might be, his gladiator doesn't seem to care one way or the other" Azula admitted "But I guess we were overconfident after all. I never expected the second and third-best gladiators in the League would be here…"

"At least Combustion Man isn't… right?" Sokka said, glancing at Azula warily as they finally reached Xin Long. Azula smiled and shook her head.

"I doubt Zhao would care for an event such as this one, he has nothing useful to gain from joining it" Azula said, reaching up the saddle to look through her bags as Sokka began doing the same thing with his own, crouching on the ground beside her.

"Well, good. The last thing we need is for that guy to chase after me throughout the whole race because I chopped off his metal hand…" Sokka said, grimacing, and Azula chuckled.

"The situation wasn't at all amusing back then, but… thinking about it now, it's pretty amazing that you pulled off something like that" Azula said. Sokka sighed "You do realize no one else had ever done that, right?"

"Y-yeah, well… it's nothing to be so proud of…" he said, with a small voice, and Azula laughed again.

"Well, you're free not to be. I'm pleased enough with how capable and powerful my gladiator is for the both of us" she said, reaching out to pat his head gently. Despite himself, Sokka smiled at her.

By the time everyone had been summoned to the starting line, the official count of participants was of twenty-one teams. All of them gathered quite noisily by the staff members' command: past the starting line stood a forest, and beyond that forest, a tall mountain. Azula raised her map, analyzing the scenery carefully while Sokka stood beside her, their filled bag now slung over his shoulder.

"Well, my expert navigator?" Sokka asked, smiling down at her "What's the plan?"

"I… don't rightly know just yet" she said, frowning "I'd think we could reach the destination by taking one of three paths: whether around these mountains, at either side of them, or through them. Going through the mountains would be more direct, of course, but probably far more difficult and time-consuming…"

"One of the paths around the mountains would take us through the forests around Gaoling, huh?" Sokka pointed out, biting his lip "And the other…"

"Through the Si Wong Desert" Azula said, biting her lower lip "That's one place we haven't spent the night in before, huh?"

"Yeah… and I can't say I look forward to it. What's there to do in a desert?" Sokka asked, and Azula smiled.

"Knowing us, we'd find something or another… but we're not here for playing around or sightseeing" Azula said, raising her eyebrows "I would've gladly taken this event at leisure, but as things stand… this race might turn into a genuine struggle for survival"

Sokka frowned, his eyes finding Azula's as she finally put down the map. For a moment their gazes spoke what their words could not: despite their high hopes, they might have written themselves into a chaotic ordeal unlike any they had seen so far. But however difficult it might be, they finally had the chance to join forces in every possible regard and fight their countless enemies together.

"Welcome, welcome, to the first Gladiator and Sponsor Race!" sounded the voice of the chairman through a bullhorn, claiming the attention of the many distracted race participants "Gather here, please: I shall announce the rules you must abide by during the next four days!"

Forty-two people stood near the poles that marked the starting line for the race: in most cases, the gladiator of the pair was obvious, clad in gear that had protected them for years, while their sponsors wore pristine armor, if any, that betrayed much less experience in fighting grounds than their gladiators had. But sometimes it seemed impossible to tell apart who was the fighter and who the sponsor, such as was the case with two women standing near Sokka and Azula at the moment, both clad in the same kind of equipment, bearing the same jaded expressions on their faces. All pairs, it seemed, were different, and no less dangerous for it.

"Very well, then, I shall begin!" said the chairman, once he was sure everyone was in place "First of all, I want to thank you all for coming all the way to Gaoling for this race…"

"Some of us didn't have to go very far!" exclaimed a young voice: a quick glance at told Azula that Your Doom, and his young sponsor, were also amongst the participants of the event.

"Uh, yes, some didn't, but most did" the chairman recovered, with an awkward smile "It is my great pleasure to have organized this grand event for you all! Now, then… you have been given one empty backpack to carry your provisions in, and one map! The destinations for each stage have been marked on your maps: there are no set routes you must take to get there, so you are free to make your own choices to reach the end goal of each daily race. Now, us, the staff members, will be traveling towards each destination on hot-air balloons to watch the progress of the race and offer help to anyone who may need assistance!"

"Well, that's a relief" Sokka said, with an awkward smile "We just have to make sure not to get so lost that they can't track us down, huh?"

"We're not getting lost, period" Azula huffed, prompting him to chuckle.

"Now, then! You will be free, of course, to stop for breaks whenever you wish to. You can craft means to travel faster, if you feel the need for it and have the opportunity to do so… but you cannot, of course, climb a carriage in a town and use it to reach the destination before everyone else"

"So, wait… we can't buy a carriage, or beasts of burden or anything of the sort to help us?" asked an unknown sponsor, and the chairman confirmed the rules outlawed such ideas.

"And how about if we tame a wild creature?!" San shouted, grinning brightly as Raiden blushed beside her, covering his face with his hands at his partner's sudden question.

"U-uh… well. That would be… complicated, wouldn't it?" said the chairman, blinking blankly "But I suppose, if you found a genuinely wild animal and tamed it, it would be valid. Certainly, it entails more effort than simply buying a trained one…"

"Does that mean people who already have mounts can't use them, then?" and now it was Aonu who spoke, forcefully and without any shortage of spite in his words. Azula scowled, knowing immediately his intervention was poised to offend her: Xin Long was still nearby, watching the gathering crowd of gladiators and sponsors with curiosity.

"Why… of course not, they can't" said the chairman, smiling awkwardly, his eyes flickering towards Azula quickly, almost imperceptibly.

"As if I was going to have Xin Long helping me in the first place…" Azula huffed, rolling her eyes.

"If you want to kick his ass at some point or another through the race, I'm all in for it" Sokka mumbled softly by her ear, and Azula smirked in agreement with his offer.

"Of course, you're all free to join combat against each other at any point in time" the chairman declared, and Azula glanced at Toph quickly, finding her snickering in bliss at receiving permission to fire at will. The sight brought her to chuckle as well, shaking her head at her friend's eagerness for battle "And you're also free to use your bending and weapons in any ways you choose to, it's all fair this time around! Non-benders are also not restrained to only using five weapons, so if you happened to bring your ten favored weapons with you, you can use all of them throughout the Race!"

"Good for him to repeat that. What a relief" Sokka said, beaming as Azula smirked.

"You're already enough of a nightmare for most your opponents with just five weapons… this should be fun" she said, and Sokka snickered proudly at her.

"Now then, as for points… there are twenty-one teams, and all of you will take points home for the League on each stage, as long as both team members reach the finish line each time! Your position shall be determined once both members have crossed the line. Now then, the number of points obtained by each team will vary: the winner of each stage will obtain five hundred points, while the second place will earn four hundred and fifty, and the third will have four hundred. Between the fourth and tenth positions, each fighter will earn three hundred points! Between eleventh and fifteenth, it will be two hundred and fifty points, and the remaining fighters will only take two hundred points!"

"Weird system" said Sokka, grimacing. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Still, it might just keep things competitive if the point rewards are divided that way" she said, with a shrug "Though I will say… it means if we ever fall behind in the Race, as long as we manage to remain within the first ten spots, our overall score wouldn't suffer too much"

"You're already planning ahead, huh?" Sokka smirked "Really, Princess, here I thought we didn't care about winning…"

"We don't care too much, but we care to a fault, don't we…?" Azula bit her lip, and her gladiator laughed in amazed disbelief.

"Now then, by tomorrow's stage, there will be specific rules for take-off" the chairman declared "But that's for you to worry about tomorrow! For now, you will all gather by the start line and get ready to begin the race! Your first destination, the Misty Palms Oasis, awaits by the edge of Si Wong Desert, and the sooner you get there, the sooner you'll be enjoying refreshing beverages and resting after giving your all to this race! So… get ready, gladiators, sponsors! Take to the start line and take your positions as soon as we give the signal!"

"Well, I guess this is it, huh?" Azula said, biting her lip as the gladiators and sponsors around them readied for the takeoff…

Before she could register what was happening, Sokka grabbed her shoulder and yanked her towards a far end of the starting line. He didn't stop until they reached the pole, and he breathed deeply before standing between Azula and the nearest gladiator, leaving her to stand as far from the rest of their opponents as possible.

"Why did you…?"

"You have to remember what this nonsense is like" Sokka said, looking at her matter-of-factly "The Scavenger Hunt? The huge brawl that formed at the very beginning, that I barely escaped from?"

"Oh… huh. That makes sense" Azula said, grimacing "You think by standing here we'll be any safer, though?"

"No idea, but it's worth a shot" Sokka said, with a weak grin "Either way, if anyone tries to do anything stupid to hurt you, I'll chop off their limbs before they can even try"

"How romantic" Azula said, with a teasing, dreamy sigh, and Sokka snorted and chuckled "And I shall electrocute their brains for good measure if they try to do anything to you"

"See? Who could possibly stand against us when we're so very menacing?" Sokka said, smugly, prompting Azula to laugh this time around.

"Alright, gladiators and sponsors!" the chairman called out: his voice now came from behind the group, revealing he had taken cover well out of the way, so the potentially chaotic takeoff wouldn't affect him "On your marks!"

Azula breathed out, leaning in, her legs in position to begin running. Sokka, close to her, kept eyeing the nearest teams cautiously, calculating the risk of getting caught in the cluster of chaotic battles he was sure would unfold at the very beginning of the race.

"Get ready…"

Impulsively, Sokka's hand shot out to clasp Azula's own: she glanced at him, finding that determined frown that he only bore on his face in dangerous situations. It was inevitable for her to admire his good looks even if the occasion didn't call for it… but she eyed him with certainty regardless, ready to follow his advice and to stand by him, the more experienced between them both when it came to being in the thick of the action with countless rival gladiators around.

So she didn't yank her hand out of his hold, and instead she squeezed his gently, both determined to dash forward as soon as the chairman shouted the final word…

"START!"