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...

303. Chapter 303: Taking Omashu 6

Taking Omashu

6

The six newcomers fearlessly stared down the Fire Nation forces stationed by the slave market. The younger earthbenders weren't as determined to fight as everyone else, but they stood by the rebels regardless. Anorak and the older earthbenders glared at the uncertain Enforcers, especially at the commanding officer, the man standing among them. His helmet didn't conceal his face, and so, the utmost outrage he felt over the Gladiator's words wasn't disguised in the least.

"You dare…" the man snarled, raising his fists. "You dare attempt to sway the Enforcers into rebelling against the Fire Nation?! Who do you even think you are?!"

"I think I'm someone who helped found the Enforcers, actually," Sokka said, eyeing the uniformed women with a raised eyebrow. The commanding officer froze on the spot. "Someone who trained several of them in the Fire Nation Capital, too. Someone who even joined the very first Enforcers' raid and helped slaves come forward and get help from people who could provide it to them. I'm someone who saw Earth Kingdom-based Enforcers joining this branch of the Fire Nation Armed Forces mainly to help their own. Also, someone who saw the way they glared at Fire Nation-born and bred officers they were expected to obey… while answering far more positively when their commanding officer was from the Earth Kingdom, just like them. Therefore… why, exactly, should a whole slew of Earth Kingdom-born Enforcers choose to preserve the Fire Nation's control over their people when they're finally getting the chance to break from it?"

The commanding officer's lips trembled as he stared at Sokka in chagrin. Fear swirled inside him, enough to make him take a step back… just as one of the Enforcers took a step forward, instead:

"Are you…?" she asked, eyeing him with poorly restrained curiosity. "Y-you can't be. B-but… could you be…?"

"The Blue Wolf?" another one finished.

Sokka raised his head, glancing at the second Enforcer for a moment, withholding his answer briefly, as though weighing the potential consequences of answering truthfully… but what consequences were there to be feared now?

His lips curled up slightly upon recalling a conversation from so long ago… one where Azula had stated, with certainty, that projecting the right image could result in victories without needing to fight at all. As ever, she served as a guiding light as he overcame the hurdles and obstacles that kept them apart… she was the beacon he would continue to follow in all the storms he had yet to face.

He breathed deeply and gave them his answer.

"Indeed, I am the Blue Wolf… Princess Azula's Gladiator," he said, firmly.

A general gasp rushed through the Enforcers, similar to the one that shook the two younger earthbenders in Sokka's group. They hadn't understood who their leader was until then, and it seemed they were torn between being utterly terrified and awed by Sokka.

The commanding officer of the Enforcers, though, shuddered as he stepped back further. Sokka, frowning heavily, stepped forward.

"N-no, no, stay away!" the commanding officer shouted, pulling out his sword impulsively. "You… you're betraying her?! Your master…!"

"My master…?" Sokka repeated, a derisive smirk across his face. "My partner, you'll mean… my reason to fight. My reason to live and breathe and to bring this damn world to its knees for every moment of pain she has faced while we've been forced apart."

The coldness in Sokka's eyes strengthened as he raised his hand, drawing out the black sword that could easily put an end to every question regarding who he might be. He raised it slowly, aiming it at the officer who seemed moments away from blacking out in sheer panic. The Enforcers around him couldn't seem to respond in any way either, daunted by the ruthless warrior standing before them right now.

"It's the Fire Lord, and everyone who stands by him, who have betrayed her. Not me," Sokka stated, firmly. "It's all those people who have tried to break her spirit, to destroy everything she spent her whole life building. Stand with me, and fight for the honor of the extraordinary woman to whom you owe the very existence of the Enforcers… or don't do that and be cut down right where you stand."

Both Sokka's allies and enemies appeared utterly perplexed by his words. Anorak watched him with utmost astonishment, as many of Jeong Jeong's words and warnings regarding Sokka returned to mind. To this moment, the Gladiator had seemed bland, even, in terms of how he handled the Fire Nation's forces. He hadn't been too harsh even with the soldiers who were determined to kill them… he had also prioritized taking prisoners, keeping as many people alive as possible as they reconquered Omashu.

Suddenly, though, Anorak grew to understand what he hadn't before, unraveling the answers to questions that had brought him to doubt and question the Gladiator's war upon the Fire Nation.

It wasn't merely a matter of returning to the side of the woman he loved, even if that was part of it, too. It wasn't merely a matter of revenge, either, for if he were blind by such emotions, he would have killed everyone in their way in a mad attempt to find misplaced catharsis. He was focused, clear-headed, strong in his convictions and determined to defeat the Fire Lord at all costs. He was no manipulated fool, no matter if Jeong Jeong had always claimed as much…

The Fire Lord was right to fear him. The Fire Lord was right to chase him down and attempt to kill him as many times as he had.

The Blue Wolf, Sokka, the Gladiator… he was a menace. He was no mere pawn in someone else's game: he was a piece on the board with a mind of its own, capable of making its own choices, of turning any conflict on its head before his enemies could so much as find their bearings, all the way to even inspiring them to change sides, it seemed. He was above and beyond the almost simplistic separations between nations, unwilling to hold the entire Fire Nation responsible for the crimes of a Fire Lord who knew no restraint… and yet he wouldn't hold back his blade against those who intended to support the tyrant in his quest to destroy everything worth fighting for in this world.

There was more worth to the Gladiator, to his cause, to his way of fighting than Anorak had expected there to be. There was more worth to the man who stood in front of him than what Jeong Jeong had ever believed. Perhaps… perhaps he truly was a leader worth following, just as all his friends thought he was.

"P-please… lower your sword. There's no need… no need for you to threaten anyone here," said one of the Enforcers, stepping forward tentatively, a hand raised. The Fire Nation officer hissed at her.

"Stay back. He's dangerous!" the man said. The Enforcer snarled, ignoring his warning.

"Whatever you're trying to accomplish… attacking the slave market is not the way to go about it," she said. "There are many helpless people here, and… and like you said, we don't want to fight you. Not if you're here to… to defend slaves. Is that your goal? To fight for those like… like you?"

"I said my goal was to take this city back from the Fire Nation," Sokka said, coldly. "But if you're concerned for their wellbeing, rest assured that I will defend every slave I can. I mean to set them free by breaking the Fire Nation's hold on Omashu. None of us should have ever been slaves… no one should have died in a meaningless war where neither side would ever be truly victorious. Countless lives have been sacrificed for over a hundred years to no avail: the battles are waged on, the war continues, and it's no less meaningless now than it was in the past… the only way to stop it is to turn the tables on the Fire Lord and force him and his troops out of this continent. I would have gone about it far more peacefully… but this is my only choice anymore."

"Y-you… you've been missing for months," said another Enforcer, starting Sokka. "I know someone who… who was involved in the Gladiator League. It got shut down and… and it all happened after you triumphed against this earthbender, the…"

"The Blind Bandit," Sokka interjected. The Enforcer nodded. "She's here too, if you must know."

"W-wait, what?!" the Enforcer gasped. Sokka nodded.

"She's one of my allies. One of many who are working, as we speak, to overthrow the Governor's control of this city. As it is… she's probably already on her way to the top of the tallest pyramid, to set King Bumi free," Sokka said, with a slight smirk directed at the trembling commanding officer of the Enforcers. "The forces by the walls have been struck down. The Communications Office is under our control. Little by little, the grip of the Fire Nation in this city will recede… and all that remains for you to do is choose whether you'd rather go down with Ukano's government or stand side by side with us, as the Earth Kingdom is reinstated at last."

"Nonsense!" the commanding officer shouted, seemingly breaking past his fear if just temporarily. "The Earth Kingdom is gone… it has been gone for a decade! Even if it were reinstated, all those who ever stood with us in any capacity will be treated as criminals, as traitors to their kind! What sort of deceit are you attempting to weave upon them, pretending that they would ever be allowed to join a so-called Earth Kingdom government? They are Enforcers! They're under Fire Nation jurisdiction and protection! And you? You're just… some sort of warmonger! You're sowing dissent, chaos, trying to push for some civil war within the Fire Nation! Princess Azula would never approve of what you're attempting to do! She would never stand against the Fire Lord!"

"You speak with such conviction about someone you don't know in the least," Sokka said, derisively. "Though, curiously, you're not entirely wrong: Azula doesn't want a civil war. She didn't want to enter a major conflict with her father. She wanted the world to change, but not at the cost of more lives, of more violence. I respected her wishes and I shared her vision of a better world… one where we would never have needed to come this far to correct the Fire Nation's path. But that vision has been shattered by Fire Lord Ozai… who stole all her power, all her ability to create change in this world. Therefore… as it always has been, and as it always will be, I have stepped forward to fight when she cannot do it herself."

"W-what nonsense are you…?" the commanding officer gasped, stepping back again upon hearing Sokka's words… meanwhile, many more Enforcers were stepping forward instead, namely those who had been inside the market, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I am her Gladiator," Sokka stated, proudly. "And where she falters, I stand my ground. When she needs me, I will run to her side, no matter if she doesn't want me to. I refuse to sit by a fire, watching my whole life pass me by while the world crumbles around me. I refuse to wait idly for her to fulfill a promise of returning to me once the opportunity arises… because that will solve nothing. It won't build a better world than the one we're living in right now, let alone a better world than the one we've seen for a hundred years! So, whether she wants me to act or not, I'm acting now. The only thing you need to do is make up your mind as to whether you intend to oppose me, to stand aside or to aid me in saving this city, and soon the whole world. I couldn't care less whether you're Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation… all that matters to me is that you make the right choice. That you fight for balance and justice rather than chaos and vengeance. If you refuse to make that choice, the least you can do is stay out of my way. And if you'd rather waste your life defending a Fire Lord as worthless as Ozai, I won't hesitate to send you to hell. He'll be joining you there eventually, too."

The commanding officer seemed to shiver under the heavy threat Sokka dangled over his head. He certainly was giving him many options… but his final words would always sit ill with anyone whose whole life had been built upon foundations that claimed no individual could ever be more valuable, more important, than the Fire Lord himself.

"I… I will never…!" the officer started to speak with as much passion and loyalty as he could muster, unwilling to bend or break against this unexpected enemy…

A sudden, violent blow to his lower back saw him losing his footing.

Sokka's eyes widened as the commanding officer dropped on his knees. An Enforcer stood behind him, and she removed the helmet of her commanding officer forcibly before striking the back of his head, hard. Her hand clasped the back of his armor, keeping the man upright so he wouldn't fall face-first on the ground, unconscious.

"Huh… well, that's one way to deal with him," Anorak remarked.

Sokka, still holding his sword, lowered his hand slightly as he stared at the Enforcer in question – she appeared to be an Earth Kingdom woman, as expected. The other Enforcers around her gazed at her in confusion and admiration on equal measure.

"He's not a bad man," she said, startling the newcomers. "Just… he hasn't thought things through. He's too loyal to the Fire Nation for his own good."

"It's loyalty to the Fire Lord that's my problem," Sokka said, slightly uneasy. "But I'd rather not cut him down if it's not necessary, so… thank you for dealing with him."

"Lieutenant…" gasped one of the younger-looking Enforcers: the one who had knocked out the Fire Nation man raised a hand in her direction to appease her as he set down the unconscious man carefully.

"What you're hoping to achieve is… it's what most of us hoped would happen one day, ever since the city was taken," the Lieutenant told Sokka, frowning as she crouched on the floor, carefully shackling her Captain's wrists with the man's own set of handcuffs. "I don't know why you're doing this, but if it's true that King Bumi will be free and that the Fire Nation's control over the city will be over, t-then… it should be for the best. And yet…"

"It's not as easy as that for you?" Sokka asked. One of the earthbenders with Sokka scoffed.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he said. "The resistance is already hard at work to make this happen! They've set us free from the prisons and we'll retake this city before those ashmakers know it!"

"The resistance?" the Lieutenant repeated. "Truly?"

"We've struck blows in strategic places," Sokka confirmed, nodding. "If all is going well, Governor Ukano is already in the custody of my allies. We know our numbers are small still… and the more people willing to aid us in retaking Omashu, the better. I thought to find the Enforcers because I knew your ranks were comprised by local women, trained in different fighting techniques… at least, that's how it was back in the Fire Nation, and what the plan was in the colonies. If any of you are unwilling to fight…"

"Maybe we are, but… not for the reasons you think," the Lieutenant said, rising back to her feet and gazing at Sokka almost reproachfully. "We're… we're not Fire Nation loyalists. We never were, we never wanted them here, but… the Enforcers were an opportunity to help our own, as you said. That's why we joined. But in the eyes of our own people…"

"You were a traitor who joined forces with the enemy?" Sokka asked: thoughts of King Kuei flashed through his mind, and he breathed deeply before setting them aside. "Not everyone understands the kinds of sacrifices that you made in order to get by. The Fire Nation excels at pushing people into positions where they must sacrifice their dignity, their soul, or choose to die meaninglessly instead… many of us pick the sacrifice, hoping that, in the future, an opportunity to do better will arrive. That we'll be able to make amends for the wrongs we did in order to survive."

"Y-yes. That's… that's exactly it," the Lieutenant said, grimacing. Sokka breathed deeply.

"Well… this is that chance," he said, lowering his sword at last. "Join us. If you'd rather not partake in this battle, sit on the sidelines. But if you want to prove, not only to your nation but to yourselves, that you became an Enforcer for the right reasons, there's no better moment to do so than now. Fight now to protect them. Once King Bumi is free, I'll make sure he understands that you never betrayed the Earth Kingdom."

"Can you truly promise that?" the Lieutenant asked. "Will there truly be no consequences for…?"

"If you joined us, other Earth Kingdom-born people who joined the Fire Nation army, far earlier than you, might understand that they can turn their backs on the Fire Nation too," Sokka said, firmly. The Lieutenant swallowed hard. "Many others have made sacrifices to survive as well: this is when all of you make those sacrifices count. This is how you prove that your pride as a citizen of Omashu cannot be quelled, cannot be stomped out… how you prove that you're the legacy of the founders of this city. Stand with us now and no one will ever question that you are heroes to your nation, no matter the color of the uniform you may wear today."

The Lieutenant swallowed hard but stepped forward. Sokka bowed his head in her direction, acknowledging her even before the woman did the same.

"I'm Lieutenant Koemi. With our captain out of commission for the time being, I'd be the leader of this squad," she explained. "I cannot guarantee that everyone will be resolved to join your cause, but you can count on me, if nothing else. I'll…"

"I'm in," said another of the Enforcers, her smile strengthening as she stepped forward, nodding in Sokka's direction. "I've heard some wild stories about the crazy shit you pulled in the Arena. Bring half of that against the Fire Nation and they won't know what hit them."

"Well, I'm in the middle of doing exactly that, actually," Sokka said, with a weak smile of his own.

"I… I'm in, too," said another one, less certain, but still willing to take a step forward.

"And me."

"And me!"

One by one, the Enforcers stepped forward, and Sokka breathed out in relief: fighting the Enforcers had been one of his most dreaded outcomes for today's mission. Knowing he wouldn't need to do so eased his heart right away. Azula would be glad to know he had joined forces with troops that should have answered to her, he hoped…

Figuring out the right procedure going forward wasn't easy, however: where slave merchants, in the past, had been sleazy and opportunistic bastards, the new ones adhered to the laws, as written by Azula. The Enforcers reasoned with them as best they could only for their words to fall on deaf ears.

"I'm not going to be put out of business just like that! I've done everything right, haven't I?" asked one of the men, hands on his hips, as Koemi attempted to explain the current situation. "I'm not simply handing over my merchandise just because…!"

The sudden clinking sound of a chain falling on the ground silenced him: a whimper followed that very noise when Sokka drew his sword back, setting it over his shoulder in a menacing gesture. The slave merchant's eyes seemed ready to fall off their sockets, daunted by the black blade and how it had sliced cleanly through the chain that, while not too heavy, still restricted the movements of the five slaves he had kept by his stall.

"You did what you had to do to survive and get by… you provided people with a service, didn't you?" Sokka said, his voice deceptively calm as his glare fell upon the salesman. "I'm really glad you followed the new guidelines for slave trade, if you truly did… but I'm afraid you'll have to try and convince King Bumi that his people can be trafficked like vegetables, bought and sold as a commodity rather than being treated as the human beings with dignity than they are."

"I-I'm not… I-I mean, B-Blue Wolf, sir…"

"Your business, and that of all slave merchants in Omashu, is over now," Sokka stated, bluntly. "Other cities will follow, rest assured: you can walk away quietly, accept your losses and face whatever consequences King Bumi may deem worthy for the likes of you in the future… or you can continue to protest, and get yourself the same treatment as the Fire Nation troops that have refused to cooperate with us. What do you say?"

The man trembled and shrank away from Sokka, eyes on the sharp edge of the blade… and he had no choice but to watch helplessly as Sokka moved, from stall to stall, releasing the restraints of every slave in the market. It didn't take him too long, fortunately, and the rest of the merchants appeared far too daunted by him to protest the way the other one had.

"What now?" Anorak asked Sokka once the very last of the slaves had been freed. "You don't intend for us to join forces with these slaves, do you? Most of them probably have no idea how to fight at all, and we're not about to start recruiting untrained folks, or are we?"

"Well, we don't need to call them slaves anymore, for starters," Sokka said, with a slight grin. "But we should take them someplace safe. Lieutenant Koemi, are there more slaves in the Enforcers' Headquarters?"

"Yes, those who were recently confiscated during raids," Koemi confirmed, and Sokka nodded. "They're in no condition to join the fighting…"

"I'm not about to ask any of them to do so," Sokka said… though he was surprised when one of the slaves chimed in.

"What if we want to?" he asked. Sokka grimaced. "I… I don't think I'm too strong, but I can help. At the very least, strength in numbers, right?"

"If we can find a decent weapon for you, maybe… unless you're a bender?" Sokka asked. The man shook his head. "Then… are there any spare weapons in the Headquarters?"

"There are," Koemi confirmed.

"We have to go there anyway," Sokka said. "Once there, we'll decide who comes along and who stays in the headquarters for now: the Enforcers who are off duty will also have the chance to decide whether they want to join us or not, but anyone who's not ready to fight can stay in the headquarters to look after the freed slaves until everything's settled."

"And after that?" Anorak asked, frowning. "I'm worried about the Communications Office… and everything else, really."

"We'll return to the battlefield once we've settled things with the Enforcers," Sokka said, eyeing him meaningfully. "I think we ought to check on the walls first. It was the flashiest fight, and the one the majority of the Fire Nation soldiers were probably sent to deal with. If we're to serve as reinforcements, that's the best place to strike first. There should be enough hard-hitters defending there there who can help us with other battles after the walls are secured."

"Alright… alright," Anorak said, nodding. "Let's get going, fast."

The group didn't use the carts to move around this time, for the headquarters of the Enforcers stood merely a couple of blocks away. The battles weren't visible from there, so judging the current situation wasn't easy… but to Sokka's surprise, once everything was said and done, only about three Enforcers and seven slaves had decided to stay behind: everyone else wanted to join their cause and fight for their city.

His heart churned with burning pride, with the flames of emotions he hadn't thought a damn war would ever elicit inside him: these people would fight for what they believed in, for the freedom of their city, and he meant to lead them into victory. Some small, foolish part of him couldn't help but wonder what she'd say, if only she could see what he was achieving… and the thought of Azula only strengthened his resolve and determination to see this operation through to the end.

The freed slaves were furnished with weapons and clad in armor, whether full Enforcers suits to spare or training gear that would still help protect them from the worst harm. By the time they were ready to leave, Sokka couldn't hold back a smile: over two hundred fighters, no matter how untrained some of them might be, were certainly a decent number to bolster their ranks.

"To the city gates!" Sokka commanded firmly, and the Enforcers and freed slaves let out a war cry as they followed him through the streets of Omashu, prepared for war.

The six who had accompanied Sokka marched near him, though the younger earthbenders seemed keen on talking with the freed slaves, no doubt feeling a strong kinship with them over their similar circumstances. Anorak walked next to Sokka, his waterskins refilled at the water pump in the Enforcers' Headquarters, and Koemi stood by Sokka's other side, a spark of pure rebellion burning brightly in her dark brown eyes.

People glanced out through windows, catching sight of the unexpected, sizable crowd, not as fully organized as to look like a full-blown army, but weaponized as though it were one. Many hid away from them, confused… but the closer they came to the focal points of conflict, the more voices of support drifted from the buildings nearby:

"Get those firebending bastards!"

"Free Omashu! Free Omashu!"

"The Earth Kingdom is back!"

Sokka realized, however, that those supportive cries weren't meant for them… but for the conflict taking place in the entrance square of the city. His eyes sharpened as they finally reached a vantage point in their march, one from where they could catch a glimpse at what was happening in the area where Aang, Katara and Kino had made their stand…

---

A swirl of air, potent and unrelenting, trapped the arrows and brought them down, at a fair distance from the rebels huddled behind the earthen walls meant to protect them.

Aang breathed out heavily, anxiously, his arm trembling after he released an unequivocal display of airbending. The gasp he heard behind him didn't surprise him in the slightest:

"Aang…!" Katara called for him, but Aang turned quickly, a stricken expression across his face.

"Keep helping Bojun!" he said.

"Aang, you can't just…!" Katara exclaimed, but the Avatar raced off towards the walls: another flurry of arrows flew over the blockade, and he had to ensure to stop it.

Aang aimed another blast of air at the large-scale attack, once all the arrows had crossed the wall. With any luck, with those makeshift earthbending walls in the way, the Fire Nation archers wouldn't have proper view of what was happening with their arrows, and they'd wrongfully assume they had been successful at cutting down their forces.

He would climb the wall and hit them with a storm from there. He could do it, even if Sokka wouldn't be pleased… but wasn't the plan to ensure that no information would leave Omashu? If so, letting loose with airbending wouldn't be the greatest of sins right now. Sooner or later, Aang would have to reveal himself to the world… and what better moment to do so than now, when it finally appeared as though there was some organization, some genuine strength, among the Fire Nation troops they were facing?

Holding back now would mean more people could get hurt. Omashu's people had already suffered for years, in numerous ways… and he had to protect them as best he could, along with Katara and Kino. It might be he needed a moment of clarity to figure out another solution, but he couldn't afford to wait for one: he had to rush in and draw the fight to him, just as Sokka had in the South Pole…

He ignored the voices calling for him and gathered air, sweeping it into a sphere that would soon turn into his trademark scooter…

One chunk of the earthbent wall crumbled suddenly to Aang's left.

All his attempts to ride up the wall shattered before he could compose them: his eyes widened as a sturdy, tall man with fists at the ready, cracked the wall open violently.

"Through here! Get in through here!" another soldier shouted, and Aang winced when a group of Fire Nation soldiers poured through the hole.

The rebel earthbenders attempted to push back, both by attacking the foes and by rebuilding the wall… only for another area of it to collapse. And while Aang couldn't see the man's face, hidden underneath a full-head helmet as it was, he had the nagging feeling that he wasn't tearing down the wall with firebending…

"More! Keep going!" exclaimed another man, and a third hole in the wall confirmed what Aang had been dreading so far:

The man aiding the Fire Nation by tearing down the barrier was an assimilated earthbender.

"Stop!" Aang shouted, drawing water from the nearby sewer gate and slamming it into some of the soldiers that were pouring in through the second gap – those at the third were starting to pour in too, and he'd need to stop them, as well… but how? "You're an earthbender?! Why are you attacking us if you're a…?!"

The questions were answered by a flurry of boulders the earthbender tossed in Aang's direction. The Avatar winced, dodging them as best he could, though he felt one of the rocks grazing his shoulder.

"Stop attacking me! Listen to…!" Aang shouted, but the earthbender had cracked more of the rocks out of the wall, and he readied to fling them at the Avatar once more.

"I am a Fire Nation citizen!" the man responded as he tossed his new boulders at Aang once more.

The Avatar had no choice but to back down, and once he did, the other rebels stepped forward. The wall was falling to pieces and foes rushed into the square, leaving them with no choice but to fight back fiercely to ensure they could hold their position…

There were more earthbenders on the enemy's side than Aang had anticipated. How could they fight side by side with the Fire Nation, helping them oppress their own people this way? It defied reason… and yet he was seeing it, with his own eyes, and…

And a soldier was charging at him while he stood in place, mortified by the situation.

Aang had a chance to dodge, but he hesitated. He didn't know why, but he did: it was as though he hoped that the man underneath the mask, wielding that spear, might suddenly reason with his own cruelty upon meeting the eyes of someone he was trying to kill… a futile hope, and he knew so even before the thought fully formulated inside his mind.

The futile hope that went nowhere when a spinning knife soared past Aang's ear, right over his shoulder, and caught the soldier through the throat, stopping him on his tracks effectively.

Aang gasped as the blood burst from the soldier's neck, pouring down his uniform as he gurgled and choked on it. The man collapsed in a heap just in time for Aang to finally focus on the sound of his name, the ringing voice that echoed in his mind… he gasped upon placing it, upon glancing over his shoulder quickly…

To find Kino rushing towards him, clad in his stolen uniform, with a fierce snarl unlike any other expression Aang had ever seen upon his face.

"Aang!" Kino roared, urgently. "Watch out!"

The men following Kino were the ones to provide Aang with succor this time: the earthbenders who had been working at the walls pulled no stops upon attacking the soldiers as the temporary barrier crashed down: the former slaves were unafraid to kill or die in their greatest opportunity at freedom so far. Their arrival and Kino's, above all else, forced Aang to reason with himself quickly: just as there were earthbenders in the enemy's ranks, there were trueborn Fire Nation people in theirs. Kino's resolve to fight only seemed stronger now as he drew another Water Tribe knife from his belt and prepared himself for the next non-bending soldier coming his way.

Aang breathed deeply, gathering his strength for the next attack, but yet again, a voice calling his name distracted him: this time, he recognized it as Katara's right away.

"Aang!" she roared, and the swooshing of water startled the Avatar before he could glance her way.

She had bent a new, massive stream of sewage in Aang's direction: the Avatar caught it with his own waterbending and directed it harshly at the soldiers standing beyond the wall. The power of the stream pushed back several of their foes: some were slammed into nearby buildings, others dropped flat on the ground to avoid the attack. Aang breathed out slowly once he lowered his hands, shivering after the many close calls they'd had in the last few moments.

But before he could regain his bearings and return to the fight, Katara caught his shoulder and yanked him towards her: it had been a long time since he had seen such fierce expression on her face, but what struck him most deeply was the fear and anxiety he sensed in the blue of her eyes.

"Don't do it again!" Katara said, harshly. Aang gritted his teeth.

"Katara, if I hadn't used airbending…!"

"Don't!" Katara shouted, sternly. "Not now, not like this! We don't know yet if we're going to get through this mess safely, and the less people realize who you are…!"

The ground quaked underneath them, and Katara gasped before turning her attention towards the battle anew: whether covered with sewage or not, some soldiers had stood up once again and they rejoined the fray, some flinging fire in their direction, others tossing spears and shooting arrows. Katara jumped forward before Aang could, pulling up more water to freeze the projectiles in mid-air with a barrier, as good as to prove her point. Aang grimaced but followed her example, using water and ice to block the fire… and subtly firebending to weaken the flames that were leveled towards the rest of his allies, too.

The earthbenders fighting along with Kino were surprisingly effective: Kino lurked behind the stronger earthbenders just to sneak near the soldiers and attack them, whether with crippling or outright deadly stabs, before backing down again. Whenever the enemies attempted to take him down, the earthbenders would defend him fiercely and Kino would, yet again, slip between the least expected gaps to deliver damage skillfully. He was all too familiar with the weaknesses in Fire Nation armor, and he knew how to wait for the opportune moment to strike at whichever foe left any openings for him to slip through.

The rest of the resistance struggled to keep up with the fights: Bojun was no longer in real danger, but he couldn't return to the fight anyway and Wenna only attacked from a distance. At a lack of more fighters on their side, Aang noticed with horror that yet another group of soldiers had made it past the broken walls and slipped into what should have been a secured area of the square.

"Katara, this way!" Aang called for her: she responded readily, leaving Kino and his group to continue battling against the first organized attack so far while rushing in to strike at the second one.

There were only about ten soldiers, but they were still too many: one of them was another assimilated earthbender who tore chunks of the street out and flung them in Katara's direction. She dodged as best she could, but she couldn't keep one large piece of debris from striking her flank. Aang was in no better shape, as flames scorched through his Nomad clothes, grinding his skin as he hoped to reel in more water to attack the earthbender and keep him away from Katara…

But he would be open to the firebenders if he did so, and he knew as much. He gritted his teeth, lounging towards the water Katara had been using anyway, gathering it into an ice spike that he tossed at the earthbender, shattering the rock he had raised…

The firebenders prepared their own attack, and Katara gasped as they raised their fists at Aang.

A burst of fire at their feet broke their stances, throwing off their attack just before they could properly charge it.

The flames turned to sparks as the firebenders were attacked from behind…

Katara's jaw dropped, as did Aang's, when their eyes fell upon a malnourished child, clad in unkempt clothes, his hair a wild, messy tangle. His eyes burned with fire… fire he had leveled, without any question, at the soldiers.

"Who…?!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, locating the boy after a moment of confusion. "A boy…!"

"No!" Aang roared, and Katara as well leapt forward, pain disregarded, as they tried to reach the fearless boy who seemed to be ready to fight against these soldiers.

The earthbender prevented Katara from helping the child, but he couldn't stop Aang from rushing over the soldiers, jumping between the boy and the firebenders. When they aimed another attack at him, Aang didn't hesitate to catch the firebending in his own hands, returning it tenfold with one of many techniques Zuko had taught him.

Busy as she was fighting the earthbender, Katara couldn't see what Aang had done right away: the soldiers' clothes were aflame, and they screamed in sheer horror as Aang used a rush of sewage, gathered with as much strength as he could muster, to slam all the soldiers, including Katara's foe, into the nearest wall. It crumbled atop them, and Aang clasped the boy and Katara's hands, pulling them away from the falling debris as quickly as possible.

They breathed heavily for a moment, catching their breaths in that brief moment of respite, though Aang's gaze couldn't seem to pull away from the child. He couldn't have been older than ten, and he didn't seem to have eaten three meals a day in months, if not years. There was a sense of desolation clinging to him… but the fierceness in his amber glare spelled out that he wouldn't set aside his willingness to fight back.

"Kid… go back to your family," Aang said, kneeling beside him. "This is a battlefield, you shouldn't be…!"

"I don't have family," the boy stated, bluntly, his voice deeper than Aang anticipated it would be. Katara gasped.

"You… y-you were abandoned? Or did your parents die?" she asked, before shaking her head. "That's not… never mind, but… you're trying to help us?"

"Omashu is… it's my home," the boy said, with a slight pout. "The Fire Nation shouldn't be here."

"You were born here, then…" Aang said, gazing at him with compassion. "No matter if you're a firebender, you…"

"This is my home," the boy said, trembling as he tightened his fists. "And everyone says… they don't belong here. So… I wanted to fight. I wanted to help. T-that way… m-maybe…"

"Maybe everyone will understand that you do belong here?" Aang finished. The boy grimaced as the Avatar breathed deeply. "Well… okay, then."

"Okay?" Katara gasped. "Aang…!"

"He can help us… and he'll stay out of danger," Aang said, firmly. The boy's eyes lit up. "We need all the help we can get, after all. We're going to work with you, okay? What's your name?"

"Arakan," the child said. Aang smiled and nodded.

"Then stand behind us, Arakan, tell us what you see, and only attack when I tell you to, alright?"

"But…!"

"We'll keep you safe, and you'll help us win. You'll help us save your city, we'll see to that," Aang assured the child, patting his head before standing up and turning towards Katara. "Your wound…?"

"It's not that serious. Probably just a bruise," Katara said. "We should rejoin the fray, though. Kino and the others must need our help already, so let's…"

Her words froze when a sudden ruckus, loud shouts and screams startled all three of them. Aang, Katara and Arakan rushed quickly towards the cluster of battle, near the shattered barriers the earthbenders had raised earlier… but they couldn't quite make heads or tails out of what was happening right away.

While the Fire Nation soldiers had been fighting tooth and nail to gain any sort of foothold on the central square, now it seemed they had changed their focus to… their rearguard? Aang's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of some movement far behind the crowd of soldiers that hadn't been defeated yet.

Nothing made sense until a loud voice cried out, drowning out all the others with its command:

"ENFORCERS: ATTACK!"

Katara yelped, recognizing her brother's voice right away. The implications in that war cry dawned on her when the Fire Nation soldiers let out their own cries… in surprise, in fear, in horror rather than out of any bravery or willingness to fight.

At first, it seemed they were bracing themselves against a wave of Enforcers, rushing in on them from above… only for a second group to show up, to the left of the soldiers. Another group poured in later, from the right. The Fire Nation's only organized squads had been caught between four different clusters of warriors, rebels, Enforcers, benders and non-benders alike.

Aang and Katara watched in utmost awe – as did Kino, who had stepped back while his friends built a short, but sturdy wall that ensured to cut off any escape from the Fire Nation soldiers who might have hoped to flee from the trap they had been caught in.

The Enforcers, clad in the same colors as the Fire Nation army, brought their full might down upon their foes, and the cheers of a crowd Aang hadn't even noticed so far only reached his ears then: the residents of the nearest buildings were thriving, it seemed on the slow but certain obliteration of the Fire Nation's soldiers.

The first few lines of chaotic defense fell apart so quickly that it became clear, immediately, that the Fire Nation forces wouldn't be able to withstand the assault for a moment longer. Unexpected, sudden cries of surrender were heard once only a handful of foes remained standing, and many of the Enforcers had backed out of the fray by then, prepared to fight and defend their position if any other Fire Nation soldiers showed up next.

"Seize the survivors," Sokka commanded, and the Enforcers obeyed promptly: the handcuffs they ever carried on their belts saw plenty of use as each surrendering Fire Nation officer was restrained promptly. Such was the soldiers' shock that it seemed none of them would question yet that the Enforcers had turned on them… and their stunned silence came in handy as they were taken into custody, one by one, while the surviving rebels finally had an opportunity to catch their breath.

Sokka nodded affirmatively at Lieutenant Koemi, who took to supervising the capture of the survivors among the Fire Nation forces. Sokka stepped around the chaos, ignoring the loud celebratory cheers that seemed to pour down on them from across the city by now… and he rushed to Katara's side, anxiously.

"You okay?!" he called to his sister, eyes drifting quickly towards the damaged fabric over her flank. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm… fuck, I'm fine and you're fine, so… oh, damn you, Sokka," Katara laughed, smiling in disbelief as she threw her arms around her brother, disregarding her wounds. "You're okay. Y-you… you brought the Enforcers! Then…!"

"Things are on the right track, at least," Sokka said, nodding as he pulled back from his sister's embrace. "As long as Yung has held the Communications Office, and Zuko and his group succeeded, too…"

The words brought both Aang and Katara to glance warily in the direction of Ozai's statue, towering high over the city. It still stood there… so it meant Toph hadn't succeeded at toppling it just yet. Sokka snarled.

"Do you think they ran into trouble?" Aang asked, nervously.

"It's possible. I could be naïve enough to think Toph could handle anything, but…" he said, gritting his teeth. "Well, fuck it: I'm going up there."

"Going… to the statue?" Katara asked. Sokka gritted his teeth and nodded.

"If everything else is fine, then…" he started, but he stopped talking when a hand fell heavily on his shoulder.

"We need to confirm the Communications Office is fine," Anorak said, stopping next to Sokka. "I'm thinking of taking a small group of Enforcers there. Once we've secured the area, we can spread out and create a safe zone all across the lower level of this pyramid…"

"Encompassing the walls and the office," Sokka finished, and Anorak nodded. "Better to stay on the safe side, yeah. I'm going up to the statue, though."

"Oh? That's not done yet…?" Anorak frowned. Sokka breathed deeply and glanced at Aang and Katara again.

"You guys want to join me?" he asked. "You probably could stay here and help heal whoever's injured, Katara…"

"Maybe Arakan can help you gather the injured?" Aang suggested. Katara breathed out slowly and shrugged.

"Fire, but… I'm going to need actual pure water for that. I spent a lot of what I had on Bojun," she said. Anorak removed two of his waterskins from his waist and handed them to her.

"There. Heal yourself first, you'll be in better shape to help others if you do," Anorak said, glancing at Sokka again. "I'm off, then. Good luck at the statue."

"Good luck at the Communications Office," Sokka nodded.

As congenial as they'd become over the course of that day, it still surprised Sokka when Anorak clasped his forearm firmly before taking off to fulfill his self-imposed mission. Sokka raised an eyebrow as he watched the Water Tribesman dashing off, and Katara hummed next to him.

"Guess you guys are friends now, huh?" she asked, slightly amused. Sokka shrugged.

"It's news to me too, but I'm not against it," he said. Katara smiled.

"Making friends with people who try to hate you seems to be a very strange talent of yours, huh?" she said. Sokka couldn't hold back a small smile of his own.

His eyes drifted towards the little boy who stood behind Aang now. He wasn't actively hiding from Sokka, but he seemed to want to make himself as small as possible. Sokka met his eyes, and the boy froze in place.

"I take it this is Arakan?" Sokka asked. "Was he caught in the scuffle somehow?"

"More like he wanted to help us fight the soldiers," Aang said, with a weak grin. "He's a firebender, but…"

"Heh, nothing wrong with that," Sokka said, smiling at the boy. "The coolest person I know is a firebender, after all. Do your best to keep him out of danger, though. He's really young to be involved in battles like this one."

"Unfortunately, war doesn't really distinguish between children and grown-ups," Aang said, lowering his gaze.

"And that's just one more reason to protect kids like him and end the war as soon as we can," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "Come. We'll gather a few earthbenders and we'll head up to the statue. It might be over already once we get there, but I want to make sure they're okay anyhow."

Aang nodded, following Sokka towards the Enforcers. Anorak had only taken about ten of them with him, so they would have no trouble finding two willing earthbenders to help them reach the top of Omashu's pyramid – though before they knew it, they wound up recruiting another squad of around ten Enforcers, willing to lend their aid in what they hoped would be the final ordeal left before the city was fully reconquered.

Thus, Sokka found himself riding the carts of Omashu's delivery system once more, though this time their destination seemed much more straightforward: a direct line led from the walls' area, all the way to the tallest peak in Omashu. The earthbending carts sped their way across the city at full haste, and Sokka spared a glance to the side at the Communications' Office: he couldn't see any immediate danger, any soldiers in the vicinity. Either Yung had successfully defeated any foes that had approached recently, or none had… all of which meant that, in all likelihood, the key location was still in their control, and Anorak would soon be there to ensure personally that it remained that way.

Up in the peak, though, it seemed a fierce battle was underway, one where Ozai's statue had yet to pay the ultimate price. The earthbending attacks swapped from side to side resulted in rockslides, collapsing down the pyramid's slopes and into nearby houses. The flashes of firebending were also visible from a distance, and Sokka snarled as he asked his cart's earthbenders to go faster…

Until his eyes fell upon an unexpected obstacle: a small group of people stood on an incoming staging platform of the delivery system.

One of them shouted a command that the wind didn't allow Sokka to hear properly: the others took up earthbending stances, and Sokka gasped a mere instant before a large crack appeared upon the delivery system's sled.

"SLOW DOWN!" Sokka shouted. "Earthbenders, the tracks! The chute is breaking!"

Aang gasped: he stood on the cart right behind Sokka's, and he raised his hands instinctively to help… but his earthbending wasn't that strong just yet. He held back, gritting his teeth as he settled for spreading the message to the two next carts.

"Slow down! There's trouble!" Aang called back to the others, and they acted accordingly.

Sokka gritted his teeth as he drew his boomerang: something felt utterly sickening about this situation. One large, burly man was roaring orders at others who seemed small and nervous… save for one, an even burlier man who, by all logic, shouldn't have been following the orders of someone who looked less powerful than him.

None of them wore uniforms. None of them looked comfortable with what they were doing. All of them, it seemed, were earthbenders…

Save for the one shouting orders.

Sokka tossed his boomerang with as much power as he could put into the weapon, and it spun quickly, cutting the distance between the cart and the platform as the crack on the sled widened: the earthbending Enforcers on Sokka's cart had slowed down their vehicle, and they focused on countering the earthbending efforts of their foes right now. If the sled they were on happened to break at such heights, they would plummet for about fifty meters before hitting solid ground…

Their focus and efforts on ensuring to keep the sled properly strengthened would pay off much more quickly than anticipated, once the forces they were countering stopped working against them abruptly: the boomerang had struck the shouting man right across the face, leaving a bloody gash that cut through his cheek and part of his ear. Now, the commanding voice had turned into an array of howls, and the forces working with the man ceased their actions at once.

The Enforcers retained control of the situation, strengthening the sleds so their carts could course past the no-longer-dangerously cracked chutes… but they had slowed down already, reaching a halt at the platform even though their actual destination stood at a fair distance, still.

Thus, Sokka had the chance to jump off the cart and catch the boomerang when he landed on the platform. He eyed the group before him, their concentration broken, their apparent leader agonizing over the wound he had taken…

"Y-you…!" the man managed to shriek, clasping his ripped cheek while glaring at Sokka from over the heads of the youngest of his allies… his unwilling allies. Several of the earthbenders working against them couldn't have been much older than Arakan was… "K-kill him! Kill the Blue Wolf, now!"

The order didn't go over well, especially with the youngest ones in the group. Most gasped, horrified over the prospect of having to kill anyone… and others seemed to be terrified of so much as trying to fight a man as menacing as Sokka.

Sokka's eyes focused on the second burly man, his face nearly fully hidden behind a shaggy beard, scars plain in sight all across the exposed dark skin of his arms. Their eyes met, if just for a moment… and a sudden understanding seemed to pass between them while the wounded man continued shouting desperately.

"Kill him now, you imbeciles, or I'll have you whipped…! Ack, fuck, KILL HIM!"

The man had known who Sokka was at once. He wanted him dead. The man standing beside him appeared stronger than him…

The signs weren't subtle at all: Sokka understood immediately that he was staring in the face of another gladiator.

"FOLLOW MY ORDERS! NOW!" the man shouted next, blood spilling past the fingers on his face.

A few of the nervous, young earthbenders raised their hands towards Sokka, not threateningly but defensively, instead. Only the burly man acted any differently, by taking a stand and raising a rock in Sokka's direction.

Sokka snarled, drawing his sword immediately…

The tall, burly man stepped forward, ahead of his fellow earthbenders and likely slaves, twirling on one leg as he performed a roundhouse kick… one that saw the rock changing positions quickly as it spun in time with his body. Then, with another powerful kick of his legs, the earthbender launched the dangerous, deadly projectile, at the very man who had been shouting so far.

A fierce smile spread across Sokka's face as the man screamed: the rock slammed into him, knocking him down before he could begin countering it with firebending. But the earthbender was faster, deadlier: where sparks had only started to flitter around the firebender's fingers, a sharp rock rose right underneath the slave master's body, slashing through the man's chest, protruding across it as a bloody, deadly spike.

The sparks faded, as did the light in the man's eyes.

The younger, weaker earthbenders cried out, restless, nervous, turning their gazes away from the gory mess left by the largest member of their group: the earthbender who had just killed his own master breathed slowly, his chest heaving before he turned towards Sokka. The Blue Wolf's smile had receded by then, but he nodded as he stepped forward, stretching a hand towards the stranger.

"Thank you," Sokka said, clasping the man's forearm. "You're a gladiator too, aren't you?"

"I am… best known as the Writhing Rat, I guess," the man said, with a snarl. Sokka scoffed. "I'm the one who ought to thank you. I… I should've done that much sooner. I really should have, but…"

"You've done it now. That's what matters," Sokka said, clapping the man's shoulder. "What's your real name?"

"Shanyuan," the gladiator responded. "And you're… you're the Blue Wolf, then? Truly?"

"That's right," Sokka said, firmly. The earthbender smiled.

"The Blue Wolf… and you're up to something wild in Omashu, aren't you?" Shanyuan said. "That bastard… our master, he heard there was chaos in the city and he meant to make us fight back against you. We've been under his thumb for ten years… some of these kids remember very little of what life was like before the Fire Nation took our city."

"They're about to experience that life again now, even if they don't remember it," Sokka said, glancing at the nervous slaves. "I… I guess he had a strong grip on all of you."

"Strong enough that it wasn't until you cut his damn face that I realized he could bleed," Shanyuan said, gritting his teeth. "Thank you, truly. I… I will assist you now, whatever your purpose may be."

"Alright. We were headed up to the statue right now… but what about the rest of your group?" Sokka asked. "Is it alright for them to stay, well… here?"

"We can take them to the central square," one of the earthbending Enforcers told Sokka. He glanced back at them, finding all four carts had stopped at the platform safely now. "Cheung Li… he eluded us for a long time. He was part of the high class, the elite of Omashu, and we couldn't really… we couldn't help any of his slaves for as long as we've been in service. Are there more of you left?"

"In the mansion," Shanyuan said, glancing at his fellow earthbenders: some even seemed close to tears, not out of any misplaced affection for the man who had just been murdered before their eyes, but over the violence itself. Shanyuan caught the shoulder of one of the older teenagers, one of the few who didn't appear to be in as deep a shock as the others. "Help get the others out. Lead these soldiers to…"

"They're Fire Nation too… aren't they?" the teenager said, eyeing the Enforcers warily. "T-they're…"

"We're earthbenders like you," said the Enforcer, compassionately. "We've been trying to help slaves ever since the Enforcers' division was created… and now we get to free them thanks to the Blue Wolf. We mean you no harm."

"The Blue Wolf is a gladiator," said Shanyuan, nodding in Sokka's direction. "One of the best of them, too. If you're part of those helping free this city…"

"He's the one leading us," Aang chimed in, surprising Shanyuan. "And we've already taken the walls, the entrance square… the Communications Office, too. With any luck, the Governor is in our allies' custody as well."

"You're serious?" Shanyuan said, a wild grin lifting his thick moustache. "I'd heard weird tales about you, Blue Wolf… but you're something else if you've seriously reclaimed this city from the Fire Nation, after all this time."

"We're not done just yet," Sokka said, stepping back towards the carts. "But once we've set King Bumi free, I think it will be safe to say that we've retaken the city."

Shanyuan nodded promptly, marching towards the sled he and his fellow earthbenders had nearly wrecked earlier: he raised his hands and tightened the rock even more than the Enforcers already had, ensuring that the sled wouldn't recede, regardless of their earlier efforts to tear it down. Had they succeeded, had Cheung Li's order been fulfilled… there was no telling if the Blue Wolf and his fellow rebels would have survived. If they hadn't… then Shanyuan's first breaths of freedom would have, potentially, never come to pass.

He was free. The shackles he had often been kept in had been removed from his body earlier, when Cheung Li had decided to bring him, and an assortment of the other earthbenders in Cheung Li's control, to provide aid to the Fire Nation in repealing this rebellion. The darkest, most unsettling period of his life had ended in the blink of an eye… and never again would anyone chain down Shanyuan. He'd sooner die than compromise his freedom and sell his soul, the way Cheung Li had forced him to for a decade.

"Take our cart, if that's alright by you," one of the Enforcers told him, as two of them climbed off the final cart and approached the other slaves. "We'll set the rest of the slaves free and they'll meet with you at the square, alright?"

Shanyuan nodded affirmatively, glancing at the older teenager from before to confirm he understood the plan, too. The boy nodded, eyeing him warily, no doubt afraid of losing the de-facto leader of their group… but his attention shifted towards the two Enforcers who stayed behind to help them. Once Shanyuan was ready, same as everyone who had climbed off the carts, Sokka spoke loudly:

"Alright, everyone headed uphill: let's go!"

On cue, every earthbender raised their hands, propelling the carts forward and upwards: the top of the pyramid loomed ahead…

An all-out battle was being waged between two factions of utterly disparate numbers: Toph's hopes of tearing down all resistance in the statue's area had been too wishful, it seemed, for numerous earthbenders, firebenders and non-bending warriors had greeted them as soon as she and Jet had reached the area. They hadn't pulled their punches, hadn't given her or Jet any time to strategize or figure out how they'd overcome the unexpected resistance they'd found in the statue's vicinity. It was odd at first that the most skilled fighters would be here… but King Bumi was said to be an extraordinary, dangerous bender. Regular soldiers wouldn't have sufficed to stop him if he attempted to escape…

But as much as they weren't of average levels of skills, it still took well over twelve different fighters to overwhelm Toph and keep her on the defensive. Jet had been dodging past Toph's frequent earthen barriers, darting out to attack any foes with their guard down: where he had at least thirty soldiers to choose from, said soldiers could focus their attacks on him just as easily. Toph's defenses kept them safe for the worst part of the fight, but as skillful as she might be, even she knew their position wasn't sustainable. After Toph and Jet had taken out about five fighters, another group arrived to reinforce the one already there: even if she had saved much of her strength, the Blind Bandit was at a disadvantage no matter how many of her cleverest tricks she used against their foes.

"Bet you've never… had dates as intense as this one!" Jet exclaimed, hiding behind a sturdy shield of earth Toph had crafted for the two of them: she could feel the flames bearing down on it, as well as the efforts of the earthbenders on the other side to crack the shield, but she managed to keep it steady regardless.

"Nope! And if you keep talking nonsense, I'm going to stop focusing and then we're gonna bite the dust, so shut up!" she snapped. Jet, worried and tense as he was, still managed to crack a smile at her response.

"Anyone nearby I should cut down to size?" he asked. Toph snarled.

"They're not coming closer. You've been too sneaky as it is," Toph said. "Best I can do is… send us underground, heh. How about it?"

"We can burst out from underneath their feet," Jet theorized. Toph smirked.

"Then…!"

She created a crack on the ground, wide enough for the two of them to fit in it. Jet jumped first and she followed: her control over the earthen shield receded, and it was blasted off with a potent firebending attack, shattering well before it could hit the ground.

"I can't see anything," Jet admitted… and Toph clasped his hand, pulling it to her waist. "Woah, and here I thought you didn't want to be distracted."

"Well, this isn't going to distract me, so don't get your hopes up, Treehouse Boy," she said, smirking. "Grab onto me. I'm gonna find the right place to wreck them now."

"Please, do," Jet breathed out, keeping his hands on Toph's waist as they walked together through the ground Toph was shifting. "What do you want me to do now? Any plans?"

"Kill anyone who tries to kill you. Pretty simple," she said, finally stopping at a spot she singled out as important. "Alright, then… we're surfacing now. I'm gonna try to push them to the edge of a platform, maybe they can roll down the damn city and die that way."

"Sounds fun," Jet said. Toph snickered.

"No matter how this turns out, just run out there and kick the ass of everyone you can catch unawares, alright?" she said. "Got your swords?"

"Yep," Jet said, drawing them anew. Toph let out a breath before reaching up, clasping the nape of his neck with a hand.

He leaned in for her ease, kissing her fast and hard, letting her lay claim to him one more time before they set out to finish this battle. She couldn't have seen the smile on his face once she pulled back, but she felt it against her lips.

"Was that for good luck?" he asked. Toph snorted.

"It was because I felt like it. Why would kisses bring good luck, huh?" she said, pulling back and taking an earthbending stance.

Jet's grin widened over her blunt response as Toph cracked the earth open violently: at least five enemy soldiers were flung off over the explosion of earth she pulled off, and most the others had been unprepared for their new arrival: Jet dashed forth and swept the ankle of two of the still-standing soldiers, his blades cutting into the fabric of their boots as they lost balance over his move. Without a hint of hesitation, Jet slammed the blades of his sword's hilts into the heads of the two soldiers, taking them out of the fray quickly with the sharp ends of his weapon's secondary blades while Toph shot an array of earthbending blocks in the direction of the few soldiers who had been on-guard and prepared to strike when she resurfaced.

She took out two soldiers of her own, three, then four, Jet was fighting two more warriors, one firebender and one non-bender, but soon it was more than that. Toph as well was overwhelmed by firebending attacks, by the earthbending attacks she had to keep at bay, for the enemies flung several rocks right at Jet…

A non-bending warrior jabbed a spear forward, just as Jet was cutting down another firebender.

The spearpoint caught him in the thigh, and Jet gasped as he lost balance, nearly falling face-first into another fistful of flames.

Toph almost shrieked when she changed her focus, raising a wall between Jet and the flames, ensuring to cut them off quickly: she raised her frequent defense mechanism, building a thick cylinder around herself and the now wounded Jet, who groaned as he dropped his swords, a weak smile on his face even now.

"That was stupid… so stupid. Damn it…" he laughed as Toph reached for him.

"Don't move around!" she snarled, reaching out to touch the wound: it wasn't a flesh wound, and her own blood seemed to curdle inside her body as she noticed as much. "Stay put, you're out of order now…!"

"Gotta get myself… better armor," Jet decided, breathing out as he ripped the fabric of his tunic with Toph's help "This shit doesn't cover enough of my… Toph!"

The cylinder quaked, and Toph gritted her teeth as she strengthened it again: of course, they were being attacked and they would continue to be attacked until they escaped again. The handful of soldiers they took out with this maneuver had certainly helped reduce the enemy ranks… but not enough. It wasn't enough, not just yet, and Jet would bleed out through his thigh at this rate… the thought chilled Toph's chest as she shuddered. She couldn't allow it… she couldn't allow it. She had lost enough people as it was: she wasn't about to lose Jet now, too.

She had to think. Turning all the ground to quicksand wouldn't be a good idea, not at this altitude, the bloody statue might collapse atop them all if the grounds were too unstable. Further walls would only be a weak distraction, though she might be able to build one around them and then shrink it into her cylinder… a trap, then?

She breathed out slowly before striking her hands upwards, lifting a new wall around the cluster of the nearest soldiers and pulling them in by tightening the wall violently: some of the soldiers retained their senses, but well over half of them were knocked out by the violent impact. There weren't that many left anymore, she'd taken them by surprise, so she had a few moments to check on Jet while…

A crack underneath her feet stopped her on her tracks: a crack generated by an earthbender on the opposing faction. It drove right between Toph and Jet, nearly causing her to lose her footing… and successfully cracking across the integrity of the pillar Toph had been concealed in.

She reached out and caught a soldier by the helmet, crushing it powerfully, violently, with her tightening fingers: she didn't even register the way the skull shattered underneath her hand before dashing forth to attack again, this time with a spree of earthbending meant to help her clear the area by shoving off her foes.

"Jet!" she shouted: she couldn't sense him as easily now with the damn crack between them, but she heard him groaning softly.

"Still alive…!" he said, as he struggled to tighten the impromptu bandage over his wounded thigh.

Toph let out a slightly relieved breath, but the situation was far from resolved still. She raised her hands, preparing to counter an offensive by five more soldiers, two of whom had spears as well…

One of the soldiers suddenly collapsed, toppling for no reasonable motive as far as Toph could tell.

The rest of the soldiers nearby suddenly gasped, perhaps as confused by their comrade's sudden passing out as Toph was. And yet there was meaning in their confusion… a meaning she didn't take too long to unravel when she heard a strange, whooshing sound, soon accompanied by war cries in multiple voices.

"TOPH!"

Her heart seemed to jolt, and then ease up, when Sokka's voice reached her ears. She had been so damn tense, so worried about Jet, that she hadn't noticed the incoming carts in the delivery system.

A wild grin spread across her face as she remained oblivious to Sokka's actions: the Gladiator had leapt out of his cart, as had the earthbenders he had been accompanied by. He caught his boomerang in midair as the cart flew off, causing the remaining soldiers to scramble away from the collapsing, heavy projectile that was soon followed by three more carts.

Aang meant to jump gracefully off his cart too, but his eyes fell upon a shape, dangling off a long chain, in the statue. He gasped, jumping clumsily and rolling on the floor just as Sokka dashed into battle: soldiers seemed to recognize him here too, much as Cheung Li had, earlier.

"The Blue Wolf…! Attack, now! Attack!" shouted the likely leader of this faction, painting a target on his own back for Sokka.

The firebender wanted all fire, earth and blades focused on the Gladiator, but his wishes went unfulfilled: Shanyuan slammed down on the area with a powerful punch that sent a myriad of spikes and earthen pillars to break the stances of many soldiers while Sokka dashed directly towards the leader.

The firebender attacked ruthlessly, condensing flames that Sokka dodged effectively. It was a dangerous fighter once more, and one who responded to Sokka by constantly jumping out of his reach and countering with arrays of flames that attempted to scorch the Gladiator to the bone.

Sokka dodged underneath a cloud of flames before tossing his boomerang from below: the firebender failed to predict the attack, and the speedy weapon struck him painfully under the chin, leaving a gash of a wound through which blood started spilling right away.

Even then, the firebender tried to keep fighting. Even then, he raised his hands and conjured weak flames, packing the strongest punches he could possibly fling at the Gladiator…

Sokka gritted his teeth: his boomerang's attack had sufficed to give him an opening he had chosen not to make the most of, but this firebender would not relent, not even when he had sustained as severe a wound as the one that currently bled all over his armor.

"Give up already!" Sokka shouted. "You're outmatched, and this battle is over already! Omashu is…!"

"The Fire Lord will never yield…! N-not to slaves like you! Not to savages like you!" the soldier roared, shooting his attack at Sokka.

The Gladiator snarled: trying to reason with Ozai's undying loyalists was a pointless endeavor.

He dodged the next two attacks flawlessly and drove his sword through the man's gut.

It slid cleanly through the metal armor, and even more cleanly through the man's skin and spine. He gasped, choking on his own surging blood even before Sokka drew back the blade, dropping the firebending leader on the ground before him.

A war cry behind him warned him of another soldier rushing his way. Sokka let out a sigh before turning on his heels and feinting an attack, only to turn around again: the spear that stabbed at the spot he had been standing on before was severed quickly by Space Sword, and Sokka kicked at the soldier's ankle, causing him to topple face-first on the ground.

The next to attack in retaliation for the fallen firebender was yet another firebender, and one who was easily taken out of the fray with Sokka's boomerang, spinning powerfully through the flames the soldier leveled at Sokka: in no time, he had taken out three enemy soldiers while the rest of the earthbenders who joined the fray with him took to fighting the rest of their foes.

"Sokka!" Aang's shout brought the Blue Wolf to focus on the Avatar: Aang pointed at the coffin dangling from the statue, and Sokka's eyes narrowed. "That's him, isn't it?! Bumi?! I have to get him out of there…!"

"The coffin has some mechanism to keep him chi-blocked, Aang!" Sokka shouted, as the Avatar took to climbing the statue awkwardly. "Be careful!"

"Will do!"

Sokka let out a breath before rushing towards Toph and Jet: she had fastened the impromptu bandage properly over Jet's wound, but he had lost enough blood to be dizzy already.

"I'll get an Enforcer to take you to Katara," Sokka said, as Toph clenched up, anxiously. "He'll be fine, that's a decent bandage there. He… he should be fine. You did well."

"He did most of it himself," Toph said. "Including the getting-hurt part, of course…"

"Hey, now, we weren't doing half-bad until this shit happened…" Jet said, with a weak grin. "Sorry I miscalculated that spear, though…"

"Heh. Say whatever you want to say: I'll never let you forget you wrapped up our first date by bleeding your leg out," she said. Jet smiled and shook his head as Sokka leaned down, slipping an arm over Jet's back.

"Toph… I'll take him to a cart," he said. She frowned. "Can you help Aang? He's… hellbent on saving Bumi but he can't just drop that coffin, alright? I don't know how the chi-blocking spikes work, but if he falls from that height, they might just drive into his body, and…"

"Uh, yeah, that sounds even prettier than Jet's thigh wound, got it," Toph said, breathing out. "So… what should I do? Open the coffin from up there?"

"I think so, yeah… do it carefully," Sokka said, swallowing hard. Toph nodded. "I'll get Jet to safety."

"Thanks, Sokka," she said, rising to her feet and tilting her head back. "And thanks for showing up right now, too. I had things under control, but…"

"Uh… right. Sure. No doubt you did, definitely…"

"Smug bastard," she smirked. Sokka smiled back at her as she took off towards the statue, following on Aang's footsteps and launching herself up, landing on the statue with the help of her earthbending.

"Come on, then. Can you use your other leg, or do you want me to carry you fully?" Sokka asked. Jet groaned as he struggled to stand on his good leg.

"I really wanted to… fight side by side with her, heh," Jet said, with a hopeless chuckle as he and Sokka progressed towards the sled. Sokka grimaced, letting his eyes drift towards the nearby Enforcers, who continued to fight against the handful of soldiers who had yet to surrender. "Guess keeping up with a woman that powerful is easier said than done, eh…?"

"It is, but you'll get the hang of it. And even if you don't, you still get to be starstruck by witnessing everything she can do up close. Just… try not to get badly hurt, or she'll get distracted trying to look after you," Sokka said, with a weak grin. Jet chuckled and nodded.

"Speaking of experience, of course…" he said, as Sokka helped him take a momentary seat on an overturned cart.

"You know it," Sokka said, breathing out as he surveilled the situation again.

Numerous bodies were spread in the area overseen by the statue: whether dead, wounded or simply unconscious, soldiers out of commission were the norm while only a handful remained on their feet… and soon on their knees, led to surrender upon finding themselves outnumbered by the enemy. Sokka breathed out slowly before finding Shanyuan with his gaze.

"Hey! Shanyuan!" he shouted, and the panting man, who had just finished sealing a few soldiers in a rather sturdy earthen trap, turned his head towards him. "Can you give me a hand here?"

The former gladiator rushed in to aid Sokka, bending the cart upright anew and loading Jet carefully into it. Sokka aided him in the process, instructing him on where to take the wounded man, deeply hoping that Katara would be able to patch up Jet's wound before it took a dangerous turn: blood leaked and stained the improvised bandage, and a much stronger blockage would be necessary to ensure Jet wouldn't lose even more blood than he already had.

By then, the worst of the battle was over: the reinforcements had succeeded at their task, and only the final stragglers were left to be dealt with… that, and the final mission to liberate Omashu:

Worry over Jet's state nagged at Toph as she climbed to where Aang already stood, running down the statue's arms, on his way to the chain. She forced herself to focus on the situation, hoping Aang wouldn't be reckless while cutting down the king…

"Bumi! Bumi!" Aang shouted, slowing down at the Fire Lord's hands: a spike had been erected on them, and the chain was lodged firmly on that spike. "Bumi, can you hear me?! Bumi…!"

"Of course I can hear you, Aang!" a surprisingly spry voice responded, startling Aang and sending a rush of relief and joy through his body. "They couldn't chi-block my ears!"

And then the man cackled. Aang's heart soared: he remembered the sound of that strange laughter all too well. It was his friend… he was much older, he had been through sorrow Aang could barely fathom… but it was Bumi.

"I'm getting you out of there!" Aang exclaimed, just in time for Toph to huff.

"Hold your ostrich-horses, damn it, Twinkle Toes!" Toph said, slowing down next to Aang. "We can't just break him out without thinking, Sokka said so. He's got spikes or some shit in that coffin, and if we're careless we can end up driving them through his body. Bad enough to have Jet wounded to also need to fix up an old king…"

"What should we do, then?" Aang asked, looking at Toph intently. "Should we raise the coffin? Pull it up here? Or should we set it down carefully, maybe?"

"Both ideas could be a mess," Toph admitted, with a grimace. "How about I just… crack the damn thing open while he's suspended, and you snag him out of the coffin right then and there?"

"W-what?! That's dangerous too!" Aang gasped, staring at Toph in disbelief. She huffed.

"Then just head down and catch him when he falls? Make the ground soft and fluffy so he won't get hurt? Seriously, Aang, I have no idea how those bastards have been feeding him so far…!"

"With a pole!" Bumi exclaimed, startling both Toph and Aang. "Twice a day! I had meat once a week, too! It's badly cooked: they left all the good cooks in the Fire Nation!"

"T-that's… unpleasant, but I guess it's no surprise," Aang grimaced. "Though, uh, what about his, uh…?"

"Shitting and pissing?" Toph said. Bumi cackled. "You know what? Better ask him that once we get him out of there, alright?"

"Toph…!"

She breathed out as she started climbing down the slippery surface of the statue, using her bending to make footholds into the sculpted fabric of the statue's clothes. She proceeded to climb down little by little, sensing Aang was doing the same by following her example, feet and hands latching to each foothold of the obsidian statue until they both reached Bumi's level. The king cackled, his head poking out from a square in the coffin: his asymmetrical eyes, wild white hair and liver spots on his balding head shook Aang deeply.

"Bumi…!" he gasped, seeing his friend up close and noticing the passage of time up close, the many years that hadn't affected him in the slightest while one of his best friends from his youth had lived out a full life…

"Oh, Aang…" Bumi said, with a deep, heartfelt voice… before snorting and cackling upon stating: "You're old!"

"I… I mean, well, sure?" Aang grimaced, cheeks reddening as Bumi cackled madly.

Toph raised an eyebrow over their exchange before inching closer, enough to boost herself off the statue with her bending's help: Aang gasped as she landed on the coffin's chain, causing it to swing for a moment before she exerted the strength to stop the pendulum motions of the coffin. Once she succeeded, she pressed her hands upon the metal contraption to find the hinges on the coffin's door.

"Okay, so… I can get rid of the door just fine," Toph said, and Aang breathed deeply. "Can you make a small platform out of this stupid statue or something? Put it out right under his feet, make it sturdy and wide enough for him not to topple to his death once we break him out of there…"

"I… I'll try," Aang said, frowning firmly and digging his hands into the statue's material.

He focused, keeping his weight on the statue with one hand and both feet before using his free hand to do as Toph had asked of him. It took him some time, but within moments, he had crafted an ample enough obsidian surface for Bumi to stand on, a surface supported by an arch of earth that Aang hoped would suffice to keep Bumi safe…

"Stand on that thing, then," Toph said. Aang winced. "Don't be such a coward, just do it: if it can't hold you, it sure as fuck can't hold him, let alone the both of you."

"Right," Aang nodded.

He jumped, aided with his airbending, and dropped carefully on the surface he had crafted: he reeled in some more earth, thickening the surface further while standing face-to-face with his cackling friend.

"Okay… I think it'll work now," Aang said. Toph nodded as she raised her hands to the hinges.

"You ready to get out of there, old man?" Toph asked. Bumi snickered.

"I've been ready for ten years! You're late!" he declared. Toph grimaced.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" she said, rolling her eyes before proceeding to remove the hinges by metalbending them out of place.

The door of the coffin fell slowly, revealing a most gruesome spectacle to Aang's eyes: the coffin was riddled with spikes, some meant to keep Bumi's chi in check… others simply meant to inflict damage on his body if he made any dangerous moves. Blood stained some spikes of the slowly falling door, much as it also poured down Bumi's chest and legs on the areas where he had been punctured the last time he had been hurt by the horrible torture device. Multiple scabs and scars revealed that today's wounds were just some out of many… and even then, the old man smiled as his body almost collapsed immediately on Aang's waiting arms.

The Avatar snarled as he caught Bumi, hugging his friend tightly. Toph breathed slowly before climbing on the surface Aang had bent too, using her own bending to strengthen the structure first, then to lower them to solid ground once more, careless, naturally, of how she'd damage the alleged artistic integrity of the damnable statue in the process.

"You… you'll be okay. You'll be taken care of, we'll heal you, y-you'll have your city back…" Aang gasped, sobbing softly as he held onto Bumi. The old man chuckled, unable to move still.

"I'm already alright, Aang. Doesn't matter how old you are… it's still you, isn't it? Avatar Aang…"

He cackled madly again, and Aang smiled in spite of the tears trailing down his cheeks. He held Bumi upright as best he could, all the way until they reached the ground once more: Sokka had been waiting at the foot of the statue, eyes anxiously set on the surprisingly strong body of an old man who had been subjected to unthinkable torture…

"It's done?" he asked. "Is he…?"

"He's okay… or as okay as can be, anyway," Aang said, glancing at Sokka. "We'll bring him to Katara, to anyone who can heal him."

"Right. Go, then. The Enforcers can help you return to the city's square," Sokka said, nodding. "Get on with…"

"Ehehehe… look at that," Bumi blurted out suddenly, when Aang turned with him in his arms… in a manner that allowed Bumi to lay eyes upon Sokka. "Don't have to ask me how I escaped this time, now, do you?"

Sokka blinked blankly, perplexed by the old man's comment. It seemed nonsensical, and yet it seemed to also hint at something deeper that Sokka couldn't quite comprehend… but perhaps it was only a comment made by a dehydrated, malnourished and tortured man whose mind hadn't known clarity of any kind for the last decade.

"King Bumi?" Sokka said, breathing deeply before bowing his head curtly in his direction. "I know it's been a strange day… but Omashu is free once again, as are you."

"Are we, now?" Bumi snorted, cackling again. "Then… where's Flopsie?"

"Where's… who?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. Aang smiled weakly as he held onto Bumi.

"I'll, uh, figure that out on our way to safety and to healing him. Don't worry about it," Aang said. Sokka blinked blankly as the Avatar carried his still-cackling friend away.

"Think he's senile, or do you think he's always been like this?" Toph asked nonchalantly, once Bumi and Aang were moments away from climbing on the next available cart. Sokka snorted and shrugged.

"Guess we'll have to ask Aang once we're done here. Which, now that the way is clear, and the troops in Omashu have been defeated…"

Sokka breathed deeply as he turned towards the statue. It had already received some damage, but not nearly enough just yet. Not as much as it was fated to. His eyes narrowed as his glare fell upon the black stonework that depicted a man he had once hated at a distance, knowing him as the nebulous monster responsible for a war as deadly as the one they had no choice but to face…

And now he hated him personally, as an enemy who had singled him out as someone to destroy. Today, Sokka and his allies had dealt a blow that would break the wretched Fire Lord's hold on one city… and harsh enough to destroy one of his effigies for good, next.

A cart returned to their position then: Shanyuan stepped off it, revealing Jet was no longer with him.

"All done delivering the wounded man: need anything else now?" Shanyuan asked, stepping up to Sokka, though his eyes quickly fell upon the short woman next to Sokka. He flinched before blurting out. "Ah… the Blind Bandit."

"Eh. I beat you, didn't I?" Toph said, blinking blankly. Shanyuan nodded and she hummed. "Well, you were one of the best ones, I remember that much. Good to meet you outside an Arena, especially if you're giving us a hand with this."

"I do need something," Sokka admitted, arms folded over his chest. "Whether injured, unconscious or dead... please help us get all the soldiers out of here, if you can?"

"Oh?" Shanyuan raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Prison's fine," Toph said, nonchalantly. Sokka smiled and shrugged.

"Anywhere but here. There's one last thing we need to do before the city is truly free," Sokka said, eyes sharp and strong. Shanyuan blinked blankly as Sokka glanced at the statue… and he made an educated guess as to what they intended to do with it once Toph crackled her knuckles.

"Ah… I see," Shanyuan said, nodding.

Sokka helped Shanyuan and the remaining earthbenders evacuate the soldiers in the area: there was no need for them to be caught in the wreckage that would follow, nor was there any need for the dead to have their corpses buried underneath the sure debris that would result from their upcoming actions. Multiple journeys were necessary, but within twenty minutes, the area was clear, with only blood splatters, chunks of broken earth, splintered weapons and scorch marks to evidence what had happened at the tall, central pyramid.

"Alright, then… I think we're ready now," Sokka said, breathing deeply. Toph smirked.

"Can't believe we actually made it this far, can you?" she asked. Sokka huffed.

"If I hadn't thought it was possible, I wouldn't have pushed us into doing it, you know?" he said. "The Governor…?"

"Should be safe and sound drinking tea with Zuko, as planned," Toph said. "We turned some of their staff on them, too."

"Nice," Sokka said, with a small smile.

"He said he'd surrender," Toph declared, stretching her arms. "Guess it'll be possible to parade him before the city and make him give up publicly now, eh? Would've been kind of useless to do it any sooner, but…"

"It's a possibility now, for sure. And with the people we've recruited along the way…" Sokka said, breathing deeply. "The next steps shouldn't go too poorly, but I'll have to ponder them thoroughly over the next few days."

"Stop thinking that far ahead," Toph smirked, hands on her hips. "We're not done here yet, right?"

"No, we're not," Sokka smiled back, gesturing at the statue with his head. "Care to do the honors?"

Toph smirked, stepping forward and raising a fist, her face still angled towards Sokka.

"This one's for Spicy."

Sokka's heart churned with emotion upon hearing those words… and soon, with righteous pride and fury. It was but the first blow against Ozai, yes… and only one of many he would be punished through. For all the suffering he had put the world through, the pain he had inflicted upon millions and thousands… the pain he had subjected his daughter to.

"All of it is," he answered, and Toph let out a small laugh as she nodded in agreement.

Sokka stood in place as Toph marched up, gearing up to strike: hands raised, she stepped forward menacingly, doing a small jump before taking a firm stance…

A loud, threatening cracking sound resounded across the area when the earthbender fell powerfully on her feet, so powerfully she sank into the solid rock with the impact of her jump.

It wasn't obvious right away, but a massive crack spread across the tall statue, branching out in many sections, causing chunks of solid black stone to topple down. Little by little, more and more elements of the statue crumbled: the Fire Lord's visage plummeted to the ground, shattering into nothingness. His vain effigy, intended to preserve him for eternity, was destroyed by the rightful vengeance of those who had reconquered the city of Omashu from the vicious grasp of a Fire Lord, whose chosen worst enemy was still making his first moves…

Sokka glanced over the city as the pieces of the statue continued to shatter loudly and chaotically behind him, gazing at a landscape that was being bathed by the sunset's orange light: voices could be heard across Omashu, voices of celebration, of joy and pride. The voices of the Earth Kingdom citizens, finally reclaiming the land they had been born to from those who had stolen it from them. The sounds of freedom echoed in the city of the two lovers, and Sokka closed his eyes as he evoked thoughts of Azula powerfully… as he evoked the memories of watching over that very city landscape while holding her hand.

"Doesn't matter who tries to break it, doesn't matter who tries to change it… Omashu will ever remain true to its purpose. To its origins."

"Maybe one day, once you're Fire Lord, you'll be able to pay their founders the homage they deserve here."

"Maybe so. And I expect you'll be right there, giving me all kinds of outlandish suggestions on how to do that, huh?"

"Gladly."

A weak smile gained strength as Sokka clasped Azula's necklace firmly, eyes gazing upon the blue stone. His heart pounded just as hard as it had throughout that day: adrenaline, pride and eagerness were combining into what he suspected was a dangerous concoction… it was a mix he couldn't help but thrive in right now.

He had done his part. Azula had saved him where Oma hadn't had the chance to save Shu… if she had, Sokka didn't doubt Shu would have stood as he did now, regaining his strength, his hope, his determination with each new step that brought him closer to the woman he loved. One day in the future, Azula would have a chance to come with him to a free Omashu, whether she was Fire Lord or not… and he wouldn't sit tight and wait for that day to come: he would build that future with his own hands, powering onwards through hell if need be, until the day when his hand clasped hers finally arrived once again.

The loud cluttering rocks crashed behind him: the last of Ozai's statue collapsed loudly, and Sokka only cast the wreckage one more glance before Toph finished obliterating the obsidian effigy beyond all repair.

---

On that evening, the city was alive with celebration and joy. The numerous folks who had lived quietly under the Fire Lord's boot now rejoiced in their regained freedom, dancing around fires well into the night, laughing and cheering on every hero who had seen to the liberation of Omashu.

The Enforcers, still clad in uniforms of clear Fire Nation style, had been regarded as heroes, along with the numerous resistance members who had been broken out of prison. Several earthbenders in the city had volunteered to aid in implementing the new form of imprisonment Sokka's group had come up with: all surviving Fire Nation loyalists had been given a treatment far more humane than that which King Bumi had been enduring for a decade, restrained underground by being buried to their necks.

There weren't as many wounded on the rebels' side as in the Fire Nation's, but several hadn't survived the battle, even so. Each of the fighters who had given their lives to this cause would be regarded and remembered as heroes, immortalized for their sacrifices by all surviving Omashu's citizens. Katara and as many volunteering healers from the city were hard at work ensuring that the remaining rebels who had taken any manner of injuries would survive, Jet among them. While he had certainly lost much blood, it seemed the spear hadn't caught the most lethal area it could have punctured in his thigh – though he would have to rest for at least a few days before his wound was fully healed.

Ukano's family remained locked up in their residence, with Zuko keeping watch over them: Ukano had agreed to sign a document to officialize his surrender.

Sokka held that document, which had been delivered to him at the entrance square by a tired, but euphoric Kino, who had checked on Zuko urgently and rejoiced in confirming his safety and wellbeing. Sokka marched to stand at the heights of the wall, over the city gates, where much of the battle had been waged. The countless people celebrating by the entrance square of Omashu cheered wildly as they noticed his silhouette amid the torches that lit up the brightest of Omashu's nights in the past ten years: he glimpsed Yung, Lieutenant Koemi and Shanyuan, and he smiled at them as they joined the crowd with their own cheers. Anorak as well stood among the people in the square, not quite cheering but smiling approvingly at Sokka, all the same. Fireplaces and lanterns in the city's square lit up Sokka's shape in a clear, pristine night: Aang stood with him, as did Toph, once Sokka showed his crowd the document of Ukano's surrender, speaking with strength and determination, with righteous fury, the words that those who lived in the great city of the two lovers had longed to hear for well over a decade:

"Today, the legions of the Fire Nation have been defeated: Governor Ukano has surrendered! They won't claim your homes, your families, your lives for themselves ever again! Today, the Earth Kingdom is reborn! People of Omashu: your city is free!"