A new era
5
"Uh, as awkward as it may be to say it in these circumstances… thanks, Katara."
Sokka's guilty grin spoke for itself as his sister regarded him with a crooked eyebrow, arms folded over her chest, in one of the Barge's internal corridors near the dining deck.
"I'm really glad you trusted Aang so much that you left your child around four hours in his care instead of two," Katara said, with a slowly growing grin. "Goes to show you're a lot less terrified of him being reckless than you pretended to be, huh?"
Sokka blushed despite himself, averting his gaze from hers: Katara didn't hide how profoundly amused she was by his behavior.
"It's almost sundown already, too… I do hope you cleaned up properly before coming downstairs for your lunch. Or dinner. Whatever it was, at this hour," Katara smiled proudly.
"I don't really know what meal it was either, but I'll fetch us more food if we get hungry later," Sokka said, biting his lip.
"It's odd to see you so bashful and attempting to contain yourself, though," Katara smiled, leaning to the side as though to find another angle to study her brother's reactions. "You're not doing a good job of that last thing, either."
"Do you really want me to talk about how fucking great it feels to make love to the woman of my dreams?" Sokka said, with eyes closed and a sardonic grin. Katara burst out laughing. "Didn't think so."
"Fine, I didn't, but it's still amusing that you thanked me for it," she chuckled. "I never did think I'd become your enabler this way, but eh, weirder things have happened in life, haven't they?"
"Definitely," Sokka smiled, hands on his hips. "And we still have about two more weeks left to reach the Northern Water Tribe, at this speed…"
"Oh, well. I'd best brace myself. I have the feeling you will get annoying in due time," Katara said, with a smug smirk. "Now, though, if I ever make any noise comparable to hers, you are not allowed to make fun of me…"
"Aren't you making fun of us just now yourself?" Sokka pouted.
"And I'll be free to do whatever I want with Aang all through the night," she said, smiling proudly. "You guys can get the days, I guess."
"Uh… right. Okay. Fine by me," Sokka said, with a growing smirk. Katara blinked blankly.
"Why are you taking it like that? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
"I mean… you kind of just authorized us to have the full day to ourselves once we approach the North Pole, where it's going to be daytime all day long…"
"H-hey! All bets are off once we get there!" Katara exclaimed. "Besides, you two will have lots of work to do eventually. Not just in the Water Tribe, but while you're on the ship… aren't you expecting a lot of correspondence and whatnot?"
"Well… true. But, you know, while it's not here…" Sokka said, with a careless smile. Katara snorted.
"Really, though… once what's left of your bashfulness fades away, you will be terrifying," she said, shaking her head. "No wonder Rui Shi had so little patience with you back then. And no wonder he didn't insist on joining you this time."
"Hey, Rui Shi's no better than us, don't let him fool you," Sokka huffed. "Bet he and Song are tormenting Rei just as much as Azula and I are tormenting you!"
"Well, you're not tormenting me. Yet. But I hope you're wrong regardless," Katara smiled. "Your daughter's way too cute, though. According to Aang, she takes after me…"
"Pfft. Really, now?" Sokka smirked. Katara smiled proudly.
"It's hard to believe she could take after either of her parents, so…"
"Azula is cute. Cuter than you know. You just have weird taste," Sokka smirked. Katara rolled her eyes.
"Same thing could be said about you, dork," she said. "Well, I hope you enjoyed your lunch-dinner, and everything that preceded it. I'll be perfectly content to enjoy my actual dinner now, if you'd be so kind…"
"Right," Sokka smiled awkwardly: Katara walked off to the dining deck, waving at him carelessly without looking back at him. "Thanks for helping me get laid!"
"Ugh! Don't say it that way, Sokka!"
He chuckled, watching her go with a genuine smile: his sister didn't often show this manner of generosity to him, much less did he expect her to display it when it came to Azula, but he appreciated that she'd do it now. He had no idea how hard it would be to implement his and Azula's wild ideas to establish a fixed period of time within any day where they would be free to do as they wished, together… it sounded idyllic now, but with the amount of work ahead, any chances to find comfort and intimacy still felt like miracles to seize without fail, rather than common, frequent practices they could get used to.
Sokka stepped out onto the main deck, a satisfied smile on his face. Truthfully, he hadn't felt so refreshed and at such ease for a long time… long sessions of relentless sex with Azula certainly offered him a blissful, new perspective in life every time they happened. If anyone still wondered why his mood had been so abysmal over the past year, and why it had swung over to the opposite end of the spectrum so suddenly, the answer would be as straightforward and simple as saying Azula's name.
She had gone on to the main deck of the ship with Hotaru while Sokka spoke with Katara. He looked forward to finding them again, wrapping them in his arms… but instead of finding his beautiful lover holding their baby with no concerns, he found her gripping Hotaru quite tensely… as she spoke to the twin gladiators who had joined them on this journey.
Sokka flinched: Kei and Sei appeared to be in a placating, easygoing mood… as opposed to Azula's horrified one.
"… It was no bother whatsoever! We're on the lower floor, so we didn't hear that much…"
"Our father has been soundly asleep for hours. He wasn't disturbed in the least…!"
"We can get ear plugs if you want, too. That could help?"
"But frankly, there's no need to worry!"
Azula buried her face in one hand: Hotaru, in her other arm, cooed with confusion at her mother's utterly flustered behavior.
"Uh… everything okay?" Sokka asked, upon stepping up to the small group.
"Oh! Yes, everything's fine," the Dark Rook said, with a gentle smile. "The Fire Lord was just worried that she could've, well… disturbed us while we were resting in our cabin earlier."
"We've thought we could just come out here to spar during the day, if you'd like! That way we'll be too occupied to, uh, hear anything we shouldn't," the Light Bearer offered. Sokka let out a guilty laugh.
"Well, that's… that's not a bad idea. And hey, I could even join you at sparring sometimes if you…"
"N-no, no, no need!"
"Please! Don't worry about it! Do continue to make good use of every moment of happiness instead!"
The utter panic across their faces startled Sokka: the twins bid them farewell awkwardly after that, though by then, even Azula watched them with surprise… and no shortage of amusement.
"Okay, so… you think they're that scared of me, or is it that they're perverts who want to hear us going at it?" Sokka asked: Azula snorted and laughed, shoulders shaking with each chuckle. "For real, though…!"
"I do believe the former option sounds far more believable, Sokka," she smiled, looking at him in skeptically. "They didn't give me a hard time for it, they actually were just getting fresh air. I… kind of forgot they were aboard the ship too."
"Heh. We could always ask them to be moved to one of the other ships, you know, if you don't want them hearing you…" Sokka asked: Azula winced.
"I would not wish upon anyone to travel with either Hahn or Hina. That'd be a cruel thing to inflict upon them. They don't deserve that," she said: Sokka snickered. "We'll just have to try and be more… uh, restrained?"
"Nah," Sokka grinned: Azula sighed. "Not happening. We didn't spend all this time fighting to get back to each other just to play nice with the rest of the world. You're Fire Lord, I'm the Gladiator, people are terrified of us, and they better stay afraid while we fuck like there's no tomorrow!"
"Your shamelessness somehow only seems to get worse and worse as time goes by. Fascinating," Azula said, with a tight grin. "I guess you'll just have to make out with me when I'm moaning too loudly, then. Make me keep all my noise between us."
"That's… never a bad idea," Sokka smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. Azula chuckled.
"Pervert," she said, leaning into his side. Sokka smiled, kissing the top of her head.
"You love that I am one. I've noticed," he said, squeezing her flank gently with a hand.
"How did it go with, uh, your sister?" Azula asked. "Too awkward?"
"Just a bit," Sokka smiled. "She's an ass. Couldn't be more smug about what happened if she tried."
"She's your sister. It's her job to take advantage of such things," Azula said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for handling her yourself, though. I… wouldn't have been much help, really."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka smiled. Azula seemed to shrink against him.
"You really think I feel emboldened to rub in her face that I've spent the better part of this day being impaled by you?" Azula asked. Sokka laughed.
"That's an exaggeration. If we were to run down a percentage of how much time I've spent fucking you, as in, the act itself…!"
"Okay, fine, not the better part of the day, but a considerable one," Azula said, huffing. "Must I be perfectly technical with everything I say?"
"Uh, yes. Otherwise, you get banter. It's just the natural law of things between us, love," Sokka smiled, kissing the top of her head. She smiled, shaking her head.
"I missed you," she blurted out: the words were a simple statement, but both their hearts churned when they slipped past her lips. "Your weird comebacks never lose their sheen."
"Heh. Glad to hear it," Sokka smiled, pressing his brow to hers. "But… pardon me if I'm overstepping boundaries and jumping to conclusions…"
"Sokka?"
"Are you by any chance… scared of my sister?"
The fact that she didn't respond immediately made Sokka balk at once. Azula groaned after a moment, burying her face in his chest.
"Hey! That's… that's not right!" Sokka squeaked: Azula pressed Hotaru into his arms too, and the baby cheered as her father held her, immediately reaching for his stubble. "Oh, yeah, dear, feel free to pull my beard… whereas Azula, don't pull my hair!"
"I'm not pulling anything," Azula groaned, as good as collapsing against him. "It sounds stupid when you say it like that, but…"
"But?" Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. "She's been nice, hasn't she?"
"Too nice."
"Even allowed us to do what we were up to just now and isn't giving us a hard time for it. If it were Zuko he would've made some huge fuss already and pretended we're the most disgusting people on the planet…"
"Surely."
"So… shouldn't she worry you less than your brother does?"
"Why, no, because he's my brother, I'm stuck with him, like it or not, I know him quite well and I can mess with him to no consequences," Azula said, matter-of-factly, raising her head again. "Your sister? I… can't pretend I feel remotely as comfortable doing any of those things to her. You've known Zuko for years, you two clashed immediately, had no respect for each other…"
"All true," Sokka nodded sagely.
"Things got better between you over time, but that doesn't change that you didn't exactly befriend my brother at once and he still thinks whatever he cares to think about our relationship. It's just different because, well… you don't feel like you need his approval. Maybe… I kind of want your family's far more than you'd want mine."
"Heh. That's probably true. I never particularly cared for your family to approve of me, though… I admit, having your mother's approval didn't sit badly with me at all," Sokka said: as ever, Azula stiffened, eyebrow twitching upon her mother's mention. "But we're better off not thinking about that, yes…?"
"W-we are. We… we shouldn't. We're going to the Northern Water Tribe first… and then you'll spend the whole trip to Ba Sing Se preparing me mentally for her. If you can. If anyone can," Azula said, eyes wide. "No thinking about it now, though. Nope."
"Back to worrying about my sister!" Sokka grinned. Azula huffed.
"Only slightly better, but better nonetheless," she said.
"What worries you so much, though?" Sokka asked, fully taking Hotaru into his arms. Azula relinquished her, running a hand over her hair. "I mean, back in the day, I'd understand just fine. She was mean to you in Whaletail Island, she wasn't exactly friendly… but she's been a lot nicer this time, right? You two talked about Hotaru and her gums like it was no issue, didn't you?"
"Doesn't mean we're anywhere close to being friends," Azula remarked, breathing deeply. "And I'm not saying I need to befriend her, mind you, but… I do care about what your family thinks of me."
"She doesn't think you're out to kill me, torture me or put me through endless pain for your amusement anymore. I'd hope that counts for something?" Sokka said, with an awkward grimace. Azula huffed.
"I mean, sure, but… that's not enough for me to be comfortable," she said. "I wouldn't say I'm scared of her, outright, that's not really the case, but… I do hope not to be a cause for trouble between you and your family. You believe the Tribe's ready to welcome me… guess we'll know when we get there. But so far… she's the best way for me to gauge that. And while she's been nice, I just… I don't know if she's merely keeping her true thoughts about me bottled up so that you won't be troubled by it all."
"Hmm. Well, if that worries you… guess you ought to talk things over with her and find out," Sokka smiled. Azula's eyes widened.
"Wait, what?"
"You remember how our worst problems in our relationship, you know, barring the stuff that wasn't in our control, such as your father deciding to kill me and tearing us away from each other, were all caused by failures to communicate?" he asked. Azula winced.
"You're saying I… need to communicate better with your sister," Azula concluded. Sokka grinned and nodded promptly. "You want us to talk things over and just bond by doing so? Uh… that sounds awkward. Complicated. Tricky."
"Since when has that been a deterrent for my clever wife?" Sokka smiled. Azula breathed deeply.
"I don't know. Probably since it involved your sister," she said, a hand on her face. "I know you don't think I have anything to worry about… you probably have already done the heavier work, telling her all the things you did about me, but it's no less awkward for it."
"It will be less awkward once you two decide to set aside your differences for a common goal… and that's to torment me like there's no tomorrow, I suspect," Sokka sighed. Azula smiled.
"Then you'd be down for that if it means we'll get along? You'd protested against that notion merely a few hours ago… didn't you say we're not allowed to join forces against you?"
"Which is exactly why you two should do it. To mess with me," Sokka grinned proudly. Azula laughed, shaking her head.
"You have no sense. I love that about you, but you don't," she said, stepping closer to kiss his cheek.
"I know," Sokka said, taking a proper kiss from her lips. "And I love you. And I want the woman I love to feel at ease with my family, so… I'll set this up! You'll see!"
"How about, uh, giving it a little more time?" Azula asked, with an awkward smile, as Sokka started on his way to the ship's tower. "Wasn't she off to have dinner?"
"Ah, right. Once she gets out, I'll grab Aang, drag him away and leave you two to yourselves," Sokka said, with a proud smirk. Azula raised her eyebrows. "That'll give you the perfect chance to bond over how annoying I am!"
"No kidding," Azula smiled, eyeing him in disbelief. "I can only imagine she'd be annoyed if she expects to, well, indulge in quality alone time with the Avatar now that she's not babysitting Hotaru…"
"She can do it after," Sokka said, with a small voice. Azula laughed.
"She'll definitely think you're the worst. She enables us, and you get in her way? That's very rude," she said. Sokka chuckled.
"See? Older brothers suck. You can definitely bond over that, can't you?" Sokka smiled. Azula laughed, shaking her head as she rested against his flank. "C'mon. It won't be that bad, you'll see."
"I don't know about that, but… I hope you're right," she sighed, looking up at him. "I'll do this for your sake if you insist. And I'll try my best not to fuck it up."
"You'll be fine," Sokka smiled, kissing her brow. "If things aren't looking promising, I don't know, break out in song and I'll come rescue you…"
"You want me to sing a song to ask you to help me?" Azula scowled. Sokka bit his lip, failing to stifle a smile. "Is this some sort of wild assumption that my singing voice alone can patch up whatever trouble I have with your sister… or are you just doing it for your benefit, love?"
"I… would like to request a couple more minutes to come up with a properly evasive answer to this question?" Sokka smiled guiltily. Azula laughed, elbowing his ribs, making him squirm in reaction. "C'mon, it's the best thing you could do without alarming her…!"
"A person randomly singing for no reason would alarm anyone with sense," Azula stated, looking at him in disbelief. "Besides… what, did that idea come to you because we danced here ages ago? We had no music back then, I'm sure we need none now."
"But… if you do sing, we could very well give Hotaru her first dance ever. Right now. Just saying," Sokka smirked. Azula scoffed.
"Not happening."
"But…!"
A booming sound, compelled them both to fall silent: it was rhythmic, deep… gurgling. Utterly lacking in melody or musical sense, too.
It came out of Xin Long's throat.
The dragon had taken to napping for most the day on the ship's prow, well out of anyone's way, but he had woken up now… and he appeared perfectly content to provide the melody for Hotaru's first dance indeed, no matter if it was nonsensical entirely.
"N-no! You can't just… Xin!" Azula protested: Sokka laughed, throwing his head back and tossing a fist into the air.
"That's my favorite horned dragon! You go, Xin! You know what's up!" Sokka laughed, grinning deviously at Azula. "If Xin's singing, we have to dance along! Easy as that!"
"Absolutely not!" Azula groaned: Sokka wrapped an arm around her waist, prompting her to sway nonsensically with him. "Oh, you utter goof…"
"Sing yourself, then, and fix what he's doing wrong," Sokka cackled.
"You're both manipulative to no end, you know?" Azula groaned, eyeing Xin Long begrudging and remorsefully: the guilt she felt over her dragon's agony still could compel her to do things she normally wouldn't for his sake. No doubt he'd take advantage of that as best he could.
She sighed, surrendering against her will: she held Hotaru snugly while Sokka wrapped his arms around her waist, and Azula started by humming a melody with an undisguised tone of annoyance – the melody in question, of course, sounded like a rather simple children's tune, rather than any kind of profound song that would properly display her artistry.
"Hey, now, you're supposed to sing, not hum!" Sokka laughed, nudging her with his hands on her flanks. Azula flinched as he tickled her.
"I don't remember the lyrics!"
"Then make something up!"
The Princess huffed but complied, prompting Sokka to gasp once she set out to improvise lyrics based on an annoying husband nudging his wife and the consequences it would entail. Before long, Xin Long joined in… and to her horror, Sokka did, too.
"No, no, no! That was just a joke, Sokka, don't you dare scar our child with your singing…!" Azula gasped: it was too late, however, for, in a wicked display of his prodigious mind, Sokka as good as sang the whole song right back to her, only altering the teasing lyrics to make them more ridiculous, fully embracing the playful threats she had injected into every verse.
It was an entirely ridiculous scenario, a situation so vastly different from the last time they had danced under the stars on the same deck. By the end of it, Azula laughed herself to tears, face pressed against Sokka's shoulder as her lover continued to worsen the lyrics and the melody, still swaying to the rhythm that Xin Long's guttural sounds built up for them.
"What… is going on there?" Katara blinked blankly, once she and Aang stepped outside after their meal was finished: the sight of Sokka holding Azula and Hotaru hardly came as a surprise, but that he would sing was a whole other matter…
"Um. He's, uh, tormenting her?" Aang said, with an awkward smile.
"Pretty sure he thinks he's singing, but both things can be true," Katara's eyes widened. "Is this what their relationship is actually like? Because… that explains just why he loves her so much. Doesn't explain why she feels the same way, though…"
Aang chuckled, hands on his hips as he watched Sokka swaying in place some more: Azula groaned, bumping her head against his shoulder until he finally stopped singing – though Xin Long continued, his gurgling noises still a perfect backdrop to their strange dance.
"Enough!" Azula pleaded. "You had your fill, you've tormented me and our daughter plenty, you…!"
Hotaru, in her arms, giggled.
Sokka gasped, blissfully smiling as Azula froze in place, stepping out of her lover's embrace: Hotaru, however, reached over towards her father, giggling still.
"W-what have you…?! No! Hotaru, you are an intellectual, clever child!" Azula exclaimed, turning her in her arms so the baby would face her: Hotaru gawked at her, perplexed. "You don't enjoy his singing voice. You don't! Nobody with sense could…!"
"Oh, boy. Oh, boy, it looks like she finally takes after me in one regard…" Sokka snickered: Azula shot him a killer glare before focusing on Hotaru again.
"You need to hear more proper music. This cannot stand!"
"Then sing to her yourself, and use your marvelous voice to prove what a real singer sounds like?" Sokka suggested, wiggling his eyebrows: Azula's scowl would have been menacing enough to daunt anyone but him.
"You have some nerve," she said, her voice ringing with danger: Sokka grinned with unrepentant delight for it. "I would think this was all part of some elaborate plan… oh, but I know you. You came up with this golden excuse to make me sing on the spot… and I'm not falling for it!"
"If you don't, your daughter shall spend the rest of her formative years thinking music is what comes out of my throat!" Sokka grinned, before attempting to hit a couple of melodious notes… failing, utterly, in the process. Azula groaned, pressed her face to her daughter's hair: the baby, however, glanced at Sokka and giggled as he sang again.
"Come on, Hotaru…!" Azula pressed the baby to her chest, a hand over one ear, ensuring the other would be muffled by her body.
Sokka was wiping tears off the corners of his eyes when he realized they were being watched. He smiled brightly at the realization, waving at Katara and Aang, who waved back.
"You two always keep things lively, one way or another," Aang chuckled.
"I have the feeling we've just witnessed them in their natural state… both times we found them on this deck today," Katara smiled at him. "Either they're completely enraptured with each other or bickering like an old married couple."
"Or both," Sokka declared, proudly. Azula eyed him skeptically, and he winked at her. "You know you love it when I mess with you."
"It's a whole other thing to mess with our child, mind you. Unforgivable. You must be punished," Azula huffed.
"Oh? Got a fun idea in mind?" Sokka asked.
"Probably sending you over to Hahn's ship for the rest of the trip, yes…"
"W-wait, hell no! Not that! A fun punishment, Azula, not actual torture!"
At last, Azula smiled with wickedness to match Sokka's, just as he winced and eyed her with utter horror.
"You wouldn't dare!" Sokka squeaked. Azula laughed, and he stepped up to her with a pout to retrieve Hotaru from her arms. "Tell your mother not to send me away! Or, if not… you'll come with me and I'll make sure we serenade her with a duet the next time we meet."
"Good luck breastfeeding her if you take her with you, then," Azula smirked: Sokka winced. "Ah, I had to get the better of you. You're getting away with too much lately. Feels just right this way."
"As if," Sokka pouted: his eyes flickered towards Katara and Aang briefly before returning to Azula. "Everything had been going too well between us, it was about time we had our first serious fight…"
"Serious? This… is serious. Right," Azula smiled. Sokka huffed.
"I bet you've been singing lots to Hotaru while I wasn't around and you're only doing this to pick on me now," he said: Azula froze, and he gasped. "You have!"
"I… well, not as often as you think, but…! But she still seems to like your singing better! She's never laughed like that when I do it," Azula said, eyeing her daughter with uncertainty. "I really do hope she didn't take after you in this one regard, Sokka, it's just the one…"
"Well, I'm proud of her if she did. We'll make mommy sing for us plenty to make us shut up, right, Hotaru?" Sokka grinned, bouncing Hotaru gently in his arms. "I mean, short of actually learning how to sing from someone else… you never did succeed at teaching me."
"Because you're unteachable. There's no hope for you," Azula stated, bluntly. Sokka yelped.
"I refuse to believe that. I've always been a man of many talents…!" Sokka said, pompously. "Maybe you're just not that good a teacher, huh?"
"In that case we're both failures at it, but I refuse to fathom that this is squarely on me," Azula laughed, shaking her head.
"How about we test that theory, then?" Sokka smirked. "Aang!"
"Y-yes?"
"You'll teach me how to sing!"
"I… huh? Me?" Aang's eyes widened as Sokka stepped up to him, clapping his shoulder. "Why me?"
"Because Katara wouldn't help me so you're kind of my only choice to prove Azula wrong?" Sokka said, with a slight grin. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"
"U-uh… I guess?" Aang grimaced, glancing at Katara. The waterbender snorted.
"I… don't think this is going to work. I'm not sure anything could. Sokka's kind of hopeless when it comes to music, I agree entirely…" Katara said. Sokka squeaked.
"Oh, you do, do you?! Well, just fantastic! You and Azula can go on and talk about how bad a singer I am… while I train and hone my skills and dazzle you when I get back! My new teacher will see to that!" Sokka exclaimed, before glancing at Xin Long. "You can join us too, buddy! Let's go!"
Xin Long growled happily: Aang's eyes widened as both the dragon and the Gladiator eyed him expectantly.
"W-what if I'm not much of a singer either…?" he asked.
"Can't be worse than us, can you?" Sokka said, gesturing at Xin. "Let's go, let's go…!"
"Oh, monkey feathers. Okay, okay…"
Aang shrugged at Katara as he marched off to the ship's stern with Sokka. Katara and Azula watched them go, skeptical, and slightly sympathetic to Aang. Whatever came from that strange music lesson wasn't bound to be good for anyone's eardrums.
"Is… is the Avatar really not a good singer?" Azula asked.
"Frankly? I have no idea. I've never made Aang sing anything," Katara reasoned, with a small smile. "Kino's got a decent voice. Better music grasp than Sokka, too, ever since he joined the music squads back in Omashu, but… anyway, I'm sure Hotaru just likes his weird, goofy faces. Right?"
"I hope so," Azula said, with a dry grin. "But I suppose she had to have at least one flaw. Her music taste might just be it."
"She really doesn't seem to have any," Katara chuckled, still watching the cheerful Hotaru as Sokka held her tightly against his chest, while whispering something to an amused Aang. "I've cared for many kids before, but she's so sweet-mannered…"
"I'm going to assume she learned that from her older sister. Certainly didn't inherit it from me or her father," Azula smiled, shaking her head.
"I guess not," Katara agreed, with a soft chuckle. "Anyway… I'm sure you're relieved he's back to being annoying, huh? I know I am."
"I am, though he certainly could pick his battles more wisely. Then again, wouldn't be him if he did," Azula said, with a dry grin. Katara laughed. "Not to mention, well… he's too smart to be an idiot for no reason."
"What does that mean?" Katara raised an eyebrow. Azula offered her a guilty smile.
"It means… he left the two of us alone deliberately," she said. Katara balked.
"He did? Why?" she glanced back at Sokka: he was attempting some strange vocalizations now that certainly weren't hitting the mark. Aang laughed at it very sincerely: if Sokka truly was goofing around with a deeper intent in mind, Katara certainly hadn't picked up on his intent.
"Well… he thinks we have some air to clear. And he couldn't think of a more reasonable way to make us do it," Azula said. Katara met her gaze again.
"Do we? I… huh. I guess it's on me, isn't it?" she said.
"What? No, I…" Azula winced. "It's not your fault. It's not because you've acted in any given way, it's…"
"I know I gave you a hard time in Whaletail Island," Katara said, biting her lip. "And, uh, I've cursed you about a million times since you took Sokka from the south, but I promise I don't feel like I used to anymore! I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable, or if you think I'm forcing myself to be nice, or…"
"I don't think you're forcing anything," Azula said, raising a hand to slow Katara down. "And frankly… I respect your past hatred of me far more than you'd likely think I should. I'd never forgive anyone who took Sokka away from me against his will… as proven by the fact that I still resent my uncle and doubt I'll ever stop doing it, and it's by his actions that he was torn away from me. So…"
"Right," Katara bit her lip. "You did say that, in Whaletail Island. That you understood if I couldn't forgive you, since you'd feel the same way if you were in my shoes…"
"I wasn't lying," Azula said, with a tight smile. "Not about that, nor about most other things I said. Which doesn't mean you're wrong to resent me for my past mistakes."
"Okay, I did before, but I don't anymore," Katara said, with a reassuring smile. "I think… well, I think we need to know each other better, I suppose, but as things stand I have far more respect for you than I ever imagined I would."
"Which is quite generous of you," Azula said, biting her lip. "But it's just… I want you to know I'm not going to begrudge you for the past. Be it Whaletail Island or everything else… hell, as far as he told me, you wanted to kill me when you found Sokka again in the south, and I can't blame you one bit for it."
"Well… you didn't actually beat him up and left him for dead in the shore, right?" Katara said. Azula shook her head. "That's… that's what it looked like. It's why I was so furious back then. It felt like you'd done something awful to him and he'd just made excuses for it, blinded by his boundless love for you… I didn't realize how much more messed up it was. Hell, how messed up he was for just dropping on that pier and basically letting himself freeze to death."
"Ugh," Azula huffed: the anger in her golden eyes startled Katara. "I… I never imagined his side of the story would begin quite like that. When he told me, I… I nearly lost my temper with that alone. He was a mere walk from home! Granted, yes, I succumbed to my own depression as soon as we were apart, but still…!"
"We absolutely see things the same way when it comes to that. If that makes you feel any better," Katara smiled a little. "I was actually… more horrified by his version of things than by imagining this was your fault somehow. The idea that he'd just stay there to freeze when we weren't that far away… I couldn't bear with it. You… you should've just walked him all the way to the village."
"I knew I was never going to get back on the Barge if I did that," Azula said: Katara's eyes widened. "Well, as long as your people didn't chase me away with spears and icicles, I suppose…"
"We wouldn't have. Not at that point," Katara said. "You'd already helped us get through a really bad blizzard, remember?"
"Right," Azula nodded. "Still… wouldn't have been all that ridiculous if people weren't too fond of me yet. Sokka insists that his stories about Princess Jing changed that, but… I guess I'll have to wait and find out for myself soon."
"You don't need to be so apprehensive about it," Katara laughed: Azula's grimace spoke for itself. "You think he's making it up? Or embellishing it?"
"I almost hope so. It's weirder yet to imagine that he might be right about it all," Azula laughed, shaking her head. "I guess I… I just don't feel worthy of all that appreciation. Be it his, be it anyone else's, I just… I've wronged you and your people enough that it would feel far more reasonable for people to resent me instead."
Azula sighed as she made her way to the ship's railing. Katara followed her there, biting her lip.
"Then… that's what Sokka wants us to talk through?" she said. "It's not my fault… it's yours."
"Heh. You could say that," Azula smiled sadly, hands upon the railing. "I'm making things unnecessarily complicated with my guilt, I suppose."
"To be fair… you'd be a lot less agreeable if you felt no remorse for everything you've done," Katara said, standing with her back towards the railing, resting her elbows upon it. "It's no surprise that Sokka is as determined to defend you as he is… but I suppose you just have to prove yourself worthy of his defense, and I'd say you have so far. Be it now, be it in Whaletail Island… I, uh, I don't know if you expected me to apologize for a few things, but that's definitely something I regret."
"Whaletail Island?" Azula repeated, puzzled.
"The way I… confronted you, at the end," Katara said. "I actually thought I'd pushed you two into each other's arms by the time you were leaving… good thing Sokka confirmed you were in them well before I did anything."
"We… we were, yes," Azula laughed, shaking her head. "I suppose you might have felt like you had no right to ask me that, but… I can't really say you didn't. You were worried about your brother, and what's more, you must have felt all those concerns vindicated when Zuko carried him back home and he was half-frozen to death. I hadn't proven myself worthy of your trust… and I'm not sure I have yet either. Considering everything I've done across the past year…"
"Well… for what it's worth, I did rescind most of my spite towards you a while ago," Katara said. "After Sokka explained… after I saw the marriage scar on his hand. You have one too, right? He didn't trick me into thinking you'd married in secret just to…"
Azula smiled at Katara's confrontational tone. She raised her right hand, showing the palm that bore a line much like Sokka's own: Katara's rant cooled down immediately, and she swallowed hard.
"We know it's… not exactly legal, not as binding as we would've liked it to be, but we did do this," Azula sighed. "By the Water Tribe rite, and we married as Jing and Wentai, under the Fire Nation one, in Firelight Town."
"Right," Katara said, with a slow smile. "Well, I'm glad he wasn't bullshitting us, then."
Azula laughed, and Katara smiled fondly at her. The Fire Lord sighed, gazing into the horizon: its hues of orange slowly shifted into purples that would give way to full black soon.
"I think a lot of things made me feel differently about you, but… that day, when he found the necklace? That may have been the gamechanger for me," Katara explained. Azula tensed up. "You didn't leave it behind as a message to say everything between you was over, right?"
"No, but… I couldn't reason with him when he offered it to me on the ship," Azula said. "Maybe I could have tried, really, and I was just too weak to do it. Saying no to him, after having forced him to agree to go back home without me, it… it didn't seem fair. And yet, I knew that bringing the necklace with me would be a death sentence. At least, well, for the necklace? Of course, it's not alive, but you get what I mean…"
"I think I do," Katara chuckled: Azula raised a hand to her neck, gently touching the polished stone. "That you're wearing it now must be thrilling for him."
"I plan to keep it for good. If he's crazy enough to want to marry me still, I'm not going to be the selfless one here and make him see sense," Azula smiled. Katara laughed. "I… I don't feel worthy of him. I'm not sure I ever was. And I think it's easy to say that to someone who once hated me… at least, easier than to say it to anyone else. Particularly him."
"Yeah, he wouldn't hear of it," Katara said, shaking her head. "He's a stubborn guy, goes without saying, but… I don't think he's ever believed in anything quite as strongly, as faithfully, as he believes in you. And hey, I'm just going to say… I'm not one to judge whether you're worthy of him or not. But, if in feeling unworthy, it means you'll overcompensate and do right by my brother even in the instances when he doesn't deserve that? I guess I'll take it."
"Doesn't deserve it?" Azula raised her eyebrows. Katara snorted.
"Let's be real here: he's annoying as all hell when he wants to be. As he demonstrated just now," Katara said, gesturing at where Sokka, Aang, Hotaru and Xin Long had made off to: even now, the gurgling dragon and Sokka's dreadful singing voice could reach them.
"I… suppose there's no denying that," Azula laughed, shaking her head. "Unfortunately for us all, I'm weak to his nonsense even when it drives me mad. The worst possible weakness to have, I know, but still…"
"Eh, no wonder he loves you," Katara chuckled. "I mean, if you subject yourself to his nonsense willingly, he'd be bound to love you forever. Simple as that."
"I suppose," Azula smiled. "But even then… all his good qualities make it a lot harder for me to measure up to him than the other way around. And don't let him convince you of the opposite."
"Eh, I wouldn't, even if he is my annoying big brother," Katara smiled. "But I suppose that's where we have common ground, huh? You and me. Even if he's the biggest pain in the ass… we love that big dork no matter what."
"We certainly do," Azula smiled, glancing at him warmly. "I really regret having hurt him… all the wrong I did during the end of the war can't be understated or set aside blindly, and yet he does that constantly. He… he just wanted me to be free."
"He did," Katara confirmed. "He was ready to butt heads with anyone who thought otherwise. Granted, most people didn't even bother saying it, if they thought so… they were better off keeping quiet out of fear of what might happen if they pissed him off. I'm not sure you realize just how damn terrifying he can be when he's not with you…"
"Oh, I have some idea, at least," Azula said. "I've seen him reach extremes he never wanted to go to, all be it to protect me. We've butted heads over serious and non-serious matters alike… I can very well imagine that his demeanor over the former is exactly what he subjected you to while he panicked over whether I'd survive my father or not. Must have been a nightmare to endure, though. I'm… sorry, to a fault, for subjecting you all to that. I've told him to love me less, but…"
"Pfft. You really have?" Katara asked, amused.
"Believe it or not, yes," Azula smiled dryly. "Right after Jeong Jeong tried to kill him, in fact."
"O-oh…" Katara grimaced. "You know, he explained some of it, but not that thoroughly. A lot of things he had to be quick about, or lighthearted with, or else he would've traumatized Mari…"
"No doubt," Azula scoffed.
"I have some understanding of what Jeong Jeong did, but… maybe your point of view would be interesting too," Katara reasoned.
"Well… I can say I resented that old bastard for good reason," Azula scowled. "We were abroad briefly, in Yu Dao, when he made an appearance and my father's men tried to capture him. I joined the fray, or tried to, but was told to leave. Rui Shi and Sokka came with me, and… well, he hunted us down. It was a lot easier to bear with his pursuit by wrongfully assuming he was after me. But… by the time I realized Sokka was his target I couldn't really do much about it. I forced myself to move, shook off the shirshu's paralysis at all costs, but when I got to him, he… he was, yet again, at death's doors. Gold fire saved him… Rui Shi helped me carry him to the nearest village, and thank goodness that there was one nearby at all. That they had a town physician, too… that's one more person I ought to extend my gratitude personally to, someday. He and his wife had no clue of who we were, so…"
"Oh. There's quite a few people you hid your true identities from, huh?" Katara asked.
"Not that many, but… yeah," Azula nodded. "Either way, Sokka was in bad shape. I didn't… didn't know if he'd even make it or not, regardless of what I had done. He was out cold for a while… I spent that time panicking over his wellbeing, neglecting my own for his sake, so, you know, no better than he is whenever I'm the one in danger. But… he really was in mortal danger. And the reason why I said what I did to him is… well, when he woke up, he explained what they wanted. Jeong Jeong thought he was worthless, a traitor, that he had somehow been corrupted by me, by luxuries, by the Fire Nation's lavish lifestyle… he confronted Sokka, and they seem to have argued harshly. Instead of saying he was actually not loyal to me at all, though, and convincing the old bastard that he wasn't a traitor to his nation or anything of the sort… Sokka just doubled down and continued to stand by me. He refused to disavow me, to reject me, and he chose me over them every step of the way. Which is… why he ended up like that."
"Really?" Katara asked, eyes wide. Azula shrugged.
"Thus… I told him that the next time someone was threatening his life because of his bond with me, he should lie. That I'd understand, I'd be able to take it, I… I lied about what he meant to me to protect him multiple times, but he was just so stubborn and set in his ways…"
"He's never going to be any different," Katara said, with a sad smile. "He never hid what you meant to him throughout our journey, either. If someone didn't want his help because he loved you, then he'd walk away… and of course, nobody dared say a word against you because of that. Not in front of him, anyway."
"I figured," Azula smiled. "Anorak said something similar."
"Ah… right. Well, Anorak and Sokka started out really poorly," Katara laughed. "Though it seemed Anorak disliked Sokka far more than he disliked you. You were just another element of the Fire Nation in his eyes, whereas he really resented Sokka… right until he realized in Omashu that Sokka could achieve things nobody else could try to pull off. Honestly… at times it baffles me that he's my brother. Don't tell him that, though…"
"I won't, but… I'm sure I'll boost his ego sufficiently by praising him myself," Azula chuckled. "He's extraordinary. People are quite so foolish as to think that bending makes someone far more impressive or powerful than others… utter nonsense. Not a single bender in this world can hold a torch to him. He's overcome every single one of them… even the Avatar, for crying out loud. He told me about the Avatar State, how Aang lost control…"
"Oh, no doubt he's proud of that," Katara snorted, shaking her head. "To be fair, he did save us, but… the way he did it caught us all off guard. Made worse by the fact that his explanation as to why he punched Aang as he did was… 'I was pissed off.'"
Azula snorted and burst out laughing at Katara's poor imitation of her brother. Katara rolled her eyes, burying her face in her hands.
"You know what it's like to be saddled with a brother that makes no sense, but Sokka really takes it to a weirder level," Katara groaned.
"I knew from the start that he was special. That he had the potential to achieve unthinkable feats, but… I never once imagined that one of them would be punching the Avatar in the Avatar State and knocking him unconscious," Azula chuckled, shaking her head. "I hope Aang's recovered from it without much trouble…"
"He did. He's just scared of Sokka perpetually, I suppose," Katara smiled. "I mean, of course they're friends and they get along, Sokka's been really helpful, and I have no doubts Aang looks up to him a lot. But if Sokka makes even the slightest menacing comment at him over me…"
"He's an ass," Azula smiled.
"I know!" Katara huffed, and Azula laughed again. "I swear sometimes I think he does it just to mess with me too. He… didn't handle it that great, you know, when he found out about me and Aang? Also because we didn't really tell him directly…"
"He said something about it. I think… Mari outed you?" Azula tested the waters: Katara snorted and nodded.
"Goodness, did she. She's very innocent and that makes her incredibly dangerous," she said, eyes wide. Azula laughed. "Just outright claiming that Aang and I went on dates… I mean, we kind of did! But it wasn't exactly official and… well, you know what I mean, I'm sure."
"I expect I do," Azula smiled.
"Either way, Sokka has never been quite as bad about Aang and me as Zuko was over you two, but… he's still an annoying older brother," Katara rolled her eyes. "And Aang doesn't help, since he's scared of him…"
"Doesn't want to get punched again. Reasonably so," Azula concluded. Katara shook her head.
"Fortunately, Sokka has never threatened to punch him over our relationship. But, then again, he seems to be much more likely to say or do dumb things now just to amuse you, so…"
"Oh? It's on me?" Azula asked, surprised.
"No, no, it's on him, but you're his excuse to be a clown," Katara clarified. Azula laughed. "Honestly… as much as I may bicker with him, and I do because he deserves it, he's finally himself again. Bringing him back to you has made all the difference. I'm sure you'll say you felt much like he did, while you were apart… but as the resentful sister who once hated you and wanted you to face hell for taking my brother away? I have to say… I can't really bring myself to hate you at all anymore, not only because of what you've been through, but because of the effect you have on my brother."
"That so?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "I… I do understand if you can't feel fully comfortable with me yet. If you don't want to let bygones be bygones just like that…"
"I do, though," Katara smiled, startling Azula. "You have no idea… how burdensome it is to hate someone who doesn't deserve it."
Azula snorted: the two laughed together for a moment, and Katara shook her head as she gazed at the changing sky above them.
"I'm glad we're on this journey together. Feels like I'll get to know you better this way… confirm you're everything my brother always believed of you," Katara said. "I mean, I feel like I already can tell that you are, but… it's worth testing to make sure of it, I'd say."
"For whatever it's worth… I love Sokka with everything I have," Azula whispered. "While I have duties now, lots of responsibilities to field… I love him. At this point… I refuse to allow anything to tear us apart. If the Fire Nation dares try to get between us again… I won't make the wrong choice next time."
"There might not be a next time," Katara said. "But, if there were… that's good to know. He'll be relieved for it."
"It's hard, loving someone like him and being a loyal citizen of your nation at the same time," Azula said, with a weak smile. "Especially when you're of the high ranking I was. Would be easier if only my nation weren't the one that's spent over a hundred years terrorizing everyone, of course, but… being with him has given me the perspective I needed to truly enact change now that I'm in power."
"That's what we're on the road for, too," Katara smiled. "I'm sure we'll have to see this through to the end… but for the time being? I like the way this future is shaping up. And, honestly… I hate being wrong, usually. But I'm so damn glad I've been proven wrong about you."
Azula smiled warmly upon hearing those words. Katara's smile reassured her, too: as much as she was nervous, as much as she feared that there might always be tension between them, it seemed that Sokka truly had smoothed all those hardened edges long before things came to this.
"You know… back in the day, well before we met at all, you were quite likely one of the people I was most intimidated by," Azula said: Katara raised her eyebrows, and Azula laughed. "You were his sister… a waterbender, with a solid reason to resent me. The more I learned about you, the more I thought… there was never going to be any way you and I could get along in the future, much less become friends. I always… always felt I was a burden to Sokka in ways he never accepted I was. Particularly because I'd cause him trouble any other woman wouldn't…"
"Eh. He likes that you do," Katara said. Azula smiled.
"Hence why I often call him a masochist. Makes no sense, but that's him alright," she said: Katara laughed. "In Whaletail Island, I… I figured I'd give you as much time as I could offer you with Sokka. I gave you space, too, as best I could…"
"I noticed. Wasn't too grateful for it, back then, but I am now," Katara smiled. "More so while knowing that you and him were already a thing… any other woman, as you just brought that up, might have thought she was well within her rights to interfere in his relationship with everyone else. You… you respected our bond and stepped back. You left us to handle our conversation on our terms… while dealing with your brother in yours, of course."
"Ah, well… Zuzu hasn't been a cause for concern for a while," Azula smiled. Katara snorted. "Still find his nickname funny?"
"I love it. Best damn nickname you could've given him," she cackled. Azula laughed too. "It's funny how you and Sokka are so entirely crazy about each other, but Zuko and I… well, much like you two, we started out as poorly as possible. It took forever for me to warm up to him, and then when I finally did, he went and screwed up in Whaletail Island and I hated him something fierce for a while. Took me some time, yet again, to get over it. It helped when we met Guru Pathik, too… I think that's when we became better friends than ever before."
"Good," Azula smiled.
"Doesn't mean we're not bound to butt heads though," Katara smiled. "Where you and Sokka clearly found a perfectly happy outlet in your mutual attraction, uh… Zuko and I just clash. Yep."
"Eh, well. Family is complicated and he's your in-law now because I made it so, I suppose," Azula smiled. "Hopefully you can live with that."
"I can. It's always felt like he's family, even back when I wasn't sold on your relationship with Sokka. Now that I am… I'll just make sure to be Hotaru's favorite aunt and beat him out in that contest."
She smirked wickedly. Azula laughed, nodding approvingly at Katara's determination.
"All in all, though… what you were saying before?" Katara whispered. "Any other woman would've been easier, sure. I could've coped with it without throwing a fit, but… as weird as it may be for me to say it? I think… I think it's great that you found each other. Wish it had been under different circumstances, sure, but… you two really make each other better. And that's wild, considering how damn terrifying you are on your own. But… weirdly? You're actually more approachable and less scary when you're together. So… yeah, I approve, if that's what you've worried about. I could give you my blessing and all, but I'm sure that'd sound needlessly pretentious…"
"Knowing you don't hate our relationship is enough for me," Azula said, with a gentle smile. "I know I didn't make anything easy… well, ever. He had the roughest journey across the past year… but you were there for him. I don't know if he has thanked you for standing by him as you did… but I can certainly offer you my personal gratitude for it. I don't know how many times you saved his life…"
"He saved mine a bunch of times too," Katara smiled.
"Then no doubt you'll be grateful to him too, but… for now, I thank you," Azula said, earnestly. "I'll… I'll spend the rest of my life making sure I can become a woman worthy of your brother."
"Heh. I'm sure he'll say you already are. Or that he's the one who has to be worthy of you…"
"He'd be wrong, of course, but sure," Azula rolled her eyes. Katara chuckled.
"I appreciate the sentiment though. Thank you, Azula," Katara said, pushing herself off the railing. "Frankly, nothing in the world ever prepared me for being friendly with the Fire Lord… much less for the Fire Lord to be my sister-in-law. But… here we are."
"Here we are," Azula smiled, pulling away from the railing too.
Katara smiled as she stretched her hand towards Azula. The Fire Lord eyed it with uncertainty: she had seen Sokka do this countless times… she wasn't sure she ever had done it herself, though.
Nonetheless, the offer spoke for itself. The waterbender's gesture didn't go over Azula's head as she raised her own hand, moving it past Katara's: the two smiled as they clasped each other's forearm firmly, in the greeting of respect of the Southern Water Tribe.
"Not sure it's my place to say it… but welcome to the family," Katara grinned.
Azula let out a soft laugh as tears sprang in her eyes: of course, it wasn't complete acceptance yet… she still needed to meet Sokka's father, but Katara's words touched a fiber of her heart immediately. She nodded appreciatively, squeezing her new sister's forearm gently.
"Thank you," she said, choked up and earnest. Katara giggled before pulling her close.
She hugged her firmly, and Azula laughed as she returned the gesture. A glance over the waterbender's shoulder, towards the Barge's stern, gave away that Sokka's group had fallen quiet now: Aang gaped at them with his mouth wide open in a bright grin. Xin Long's tail swayed happily while Hotaru continued to reach for her father's beard… Sokka, of course, smiled proudly, that sparkle in his eyes giving away that this was exactly what he had hoped for… exactly what he had acted out to achieve.
The second day aboard the Barge, on their journey north, continued to be a grand success: the night featured a surprising event that Azula had never authorized on her Barge before, but that seemed entirely suitable this time around. The small, controlled fire on the metal deck would serve as a helpful source of heat as the ship continued to progress further north, reminding the Princess not only of her two trips to the South Pole, but also of her last venture into the Northern Air Temple, long ago. The cold night breeze was but a herald of what was to come – she had never been in frigid temperatures for long, and everything indicated this journey to the Northern Water Tribe would be quite the challenge for her body.
New comfort drifted between the passengers aboard the ship: even Kei and Sei's father had come downstairs briefly for the fire, enjoying its warmth while the others talked, danced, ate and laughed without a care in the world. After feeding Hotaru in perfect privacy within her room, Azula sat near the fire with the child upon her lap, smiling at the oddly casual environment on the ship's deck. Xin Long, nestled behind her, kept tickling Hotaru's feet with his tongue, making the child squirm and giggle away from his teasing. Sokka, for now, had taken to talking with his sister and Aang, standing by the other side of the fire: his singing lessons had been yet another fiasco, but it seemed they were perfectly amused by it, more so as he explained Azula's past attempts to train him so he could at least sing at a reasonable level of quality.
It was as she smiled fondly at him that someone else took his seat by her side: she immediately relaxed at the sight of the golden highlights of the soldier's uniform.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Fire Lord."
"You seem rather relaxed yourself, Captain Renkai."
He smiled underneath his helmet, and as though to prove her words correct, he removed it and sighed: the night breeze brushed against his face, messing with his bangs gently.
"I might be happier about matters than I should be, all things considered. I'm still on the job, shouldn't be sitting here now, but…" he reasoned. Azula snorted.
"You can still watch for dangers by sitting here for a while. Nothing wrong with that," she said. Renkai smiled: Hotaru cooed as she looked at him.
"Hello," Renkai said, nodding. "Feels like I looked away for five minutes and you grew ten inches since I did…"
"She didn't grow that much," Azula laughed, turning the child in her arms so she'd face Renkai. "Want to hold her?"
"Me?" Renkai raised his eyebrows. "I… don't know how. I don't think I ever have held a child before."
"It's not that hard. Just…"
Azula instructed him carefully: as Hotaru was growing steadily, head support was no longer as urgent as it used to be, for she could hold her head upright without assistance now. The baby hummed, but she didn't reach for his face, as she often did with her father.
"Ah. You have no beard. That's too bad," Azula reasoned, with a small smile.
"Hmm. Too young to have a type, aren't you?" Renkai smiled too, stroking the child's hair gently. "She might not realize it's me. Not that I expect her to recognize me easily, anyway. We hardly ever spent time together directly… and she was always in someone else's arms. I doubt I was important."
"Well, you were one of her first guardians, so I'm sure you were," Azula said, smiling and leaning over towards them. "This is Renkai, Hotaru. You might remember him more with his helmet, but still…"
"Maybe she assumed that was my actual head," Renkai suggested. Azula chuckled.
"Well, she has a long way to go in learning how the world works. Masks, helmets, and faces alike," Azula said, raising a hand to caress the baby's cheek.
"It's… quite surprising, that we've come this far," Renkai said, smiling wistfully. "That she's safe… almost feels like I did my job right, in spite of all my failures."
"You didn't fail nearly as often as you thought you had," Azula said. "And… it's late, of course, to thank you for anything now, but… thank you, still. For protecting me, Hotaru… all of us. You'll be sticking around for a long time, I hope?"
"Where else would I go?" Renkai smiled. "I've finally… finally found my place at your side. This is where I'd like to stay, provided you will let me."
"Hmm. No friendships with Chan will change your mind on that front?" Azula asked, amused. Renkai scoffed. "Or Aonu? Maybe you two get along better now…"
"I get along with the both of them, sure, but… they don't matter as much as you do," Renkai said, bluntly. Azula laughed.
"I'm sure Chan will be very disappointed to hear that. You're bound to be his new best friend… heh. I wonder if he's gone to see Ruon Jian yet, come to think of it," Azula frowned.
"You know his best friend?" Renkai asked.
"It's Mai's husband. My friend, Mai?" Azula asked: Renkai's eyes widened. "We all met as idiot teenagers in Ember Island, forever ago. I don't intend to share too many details, though…"
"I am under no delusions of how well-behaved idiot teenagers are in Ember Island," Renkai said. Azula laughed.
"You're wise to say so. To think the day will come, soon, when I'll have to worry about this one going on outings of that nature…" Azula said, grimacing as she cupped Hotaru's face. The baby smiled at her, and Azula stroked her cheek with her thumb. "If anyone dares hurt your feelings I'll throw them in the Boiling Rock, dear. I promise."
"Into the prison or the lake?" Renkai asked.
"Depends on the gravity of the crime," Azula said. Renkai actually laughed. "What? It's my right. I'm Fire Lord…"
"I fear for the life and integrity of any fool who dares court her in secret. Behind the Fire Lord's back…"
Azula smiled slowly. Renkai raised his eyebrows, and she sighed.
"Well… with any luck, Rui Shi won't set up a sneaky spy to find out what Hotaru's getting up to in her private life," Azula said. Renkai hummed. "Else, you know, she might one day find herself becoming Fire Lord, sitting by fireplaces, talking with that spy like they're good old friends… perish the thought, huh?"
"Perish it indeed," Renkai smiled. "We… we've come a long way, haven't we?"
"No doubt," Azula smiled too. "I'm not entirely sorry I was an ass to you at first…"
"You shouldn't be," Renkai said.
"But I have to admit… nothing prepared me to appreciate you as much as I do now, Renkai. Thank you… for everything, truly."
He smiled and nodded, bowing his head respectfully towards her.
"Anything for you, Fire Lord Azula," he said.
She laughed softly upon hearing such words from the man who had once been such a thorn on her side… a man she had thought she'd never feel comfortable with. A man who now stood as one of many people she would gladly trust with her life… with her child's life, too. That, perhaps, was a greater sign of trust than any… one that Sokka meant to respect, as he returned to her side, watching Hotaru keenly.
"She's having a fun time?" he asked, taking his seat by Azula.
"She's learning Renkai had a human face all along. It's quite the revelation," Azula explained. Sokka chuckled.
"Well, good. But, uh, just saying… don't tell Renkai who the father is," Sokka said, teasingly. Azula snorted, eyeing him skeptically. Renkai hummed, glancing over Sokka's head.
"Do you happen to know any information I ought to convey to my superiors?" he asked. Sokka raised his hands in a playful attempt to pledge innocence.
"I know absolutely nothing, I swear…" he said. Renkai hummed, narrowing his eyes. "But… say, if I did, would you report your findings to the Fire Lord, by any chance?"
"I'm obligated to. It's my job," he said, haughtily. Sokka snickered. "Nothing has changed since I was hounding you both back in the day, clearly. And now that I can inspect this child carefully… I think I've finally confirmed it. I can finally fulfill my mission."
"Oh?" Azula raised her eyebrows. "Off to report to the General of the Guards, are you?"
"To the Fire Lord herself, actually: I believe… you've been in a secret relationship with your Gladiator for years."
"That cannot be!" Azula gasped. Renkai smirked. "And the child… it's his?!"
"Imagine the outrage," Renkai shook his head. "No one would have seen it coming."
"Well, as sitting Fire Lord, I rather commend you for reporting your findings to me, Captain Renkai. I'll make sure to give you a raise once we go home," she said. Renkai chuckled.
"And what of you, Fire Lord? Whatever shall your next choice be, now that your grand secret has been revealed?"
"Ah… that?" Azula smiled. "Why… the only thing that can be done over such a slight against everything our nation stands for: I'll marry the goofball and make sure it's no secret anymore."
"Oh, yeah!" Sokka exclaimed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders: Azula laughed, resting her head against his neck as he threw a proud fist in the air.
Renkai smiled fondly at them, and the child in his arms wiggled, begging to be returned to her parents. He obliged quickly, watching over them with a fond smile: he had no doubts he had made the right choice in loyalty upon casting his lot with Azula… but the depth of his own devotion to the woman, to her small family, caught him off-guard even now. The need to prove himself, to rise above his station, to seize all opportunities to push himself ahead, was long gone: Renkai was content, here and now, with his lot in life, protecting his Fire Lord and everything she loved with all his might.
Their journey north continued smoothly, in the most relaxed environment anyone could have imagined for a Fire Lord's vessel. The uptight strictness that Azula herself had once demanded from her sailors and guards was nowhere to be found, and all the ships that traveled together basked in the sunlight and warmth as they gradually progressed towards colder environments.
It was inevitable that, once the temperatures dropped too much, Xin Long would decide to take his leave. Azula's heart churned for it, but she ensured to be on deck to bid him farewell when he was ready to depart: the dragon tickled Hotaru's feet again, as good as chuckling with his gurgling laugh before regarding Azula and Sokka, too.
"You're off to find them?" Sokka asked, running a hand over Xin Long's blue-silver mane. "Your family…"
Xin Long huffed and nodded: they were close enough to the northern Earth Kingdom now. He knew how to get to the caverns… and he needed to make sure the dragons, young and old, were still alive and thriving in his absence.
"We'll meet you there, once we go to Ba Sing Se," Azula assured him. Xin Long eyed her with curiosity. "I'll bring someone, probably the Avatar, to open the way for your friends to fly free. Though… make sure to keep an eye on them as they explore their new world, okay? I can certainly make laws, force the Earth Kingdom into drawing up their own, but… people do love to break laws. So…"
Xin Long nodded: he'd be careful. He didn't look forward to being trapped in that mountain with his brethren, as he remained unwilling to be underground or in any manner of caverns, natural or not, but he needed to see them now. He'd ensure to reach out to Azula if anything went wrong… but he'd see her again, too, when the time was right. Azula nodded, welcoming his promises and hoisting Hotaru carefully so she'd stroke his hair, too.
"I think she's going to miss you," Azula said. "Your beard is her favorite, you know?"
Xin Long snickered anew before rising to lick Hotaru's cheek. Then, he moved in to do the same for Sokka… lastly, with Azula. The dragon pressed his brow to hers, and the Fire Lord breathed deeply, as their connection appeared to grow tender and delicate, just as it was stronger and more intimate.
"I love you, Xin. Thank you… for everything," she said, with a thread of a voice. "Now… go. Be with them. They deserve their freedom… just as much as you do."
Xin Long licked her tears away, and Azula smiled kindly at him as he geared up to take flight. With one last glance at his human family, Xin Long jumped into the air: Azula remained on deck, with Sokka's strong arms wound around her, watching until that wonderful serpentine shape was gone in the sky.
"He'll be okay," Sokka reassured her. Azula nodded. "And we'll see him again soon. Once we get to Ba Sing Se."
"Be it before or after our negotiations," Azula said, breathing deeply. "Hopefully before. The sooner they're free, the sooner Xin can… well, come back if he wishes to. But… I suspect he'll be scarce, going forward."
"He does have a community of dragons to bring back to society," Sokka smiled, kissing her cheek. "But I know he'll come to see you often, and he'll always be there for you when you need him. And, while he's not around, well… I can be your dragon. You just have to do what you did that time, remember? Send your fire through my chi paths…"
"We haven't tested our attunement as much lately," Azula laughed. "I'd rather not risk it, but… thank you. I don't mind the idea of you being my wolf-dragon, but… you're perfectly fine as a wolf only, too."
"Well… good. But I'll be anything you want me to be," Sokka teased her. Azula smiled warmly, turning in his arms and kissing his lips.
"Thank you," she whispered. He kissed her again, holding her face in place delicately.
"Always here for you, love. Always."
As more days went by, and the weather indeed grew colder, and boredom resulted in entertainment choices that surprised only a few of those who rode the ship for the first time. Sparring bouts on the Barge's deck were but a common occurrence, and the Dark Rook and the Light Bearer took to practicing it as well, training together, and finally taking on Sokka, two-on-one, when they were sailing past Garsai.
"It's… too much," the Dark Rook groaned, looking at the Gladiator begrudgingly: both him and his brother were exhausted, whereas Sokka beamed brightly and proudly after besting them for the fifth time.
"You guys okay? I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?" he asked.
"Why, if this is two-on-one, does it feel like we're the ones outmatched?" Sei complained. Sokka eyed the firebender with a clever smirk.
"I could, you know, recruit someone to join me if you insist…"
"No!" both twins exclaimed, wincing away from the Gladiator.
"No need, not at all…!" Kei said, shaking his head as he raised his shield again. "It's perfectly fine just like this!"
"I'll ask her to join me anyway, once she's back on deck," Sokka grinned: both the twins paled at that claim. "It'll be fun! You guys might even end up joining forces with her to beat me, you never know…"
"That… that might be the only way to make this fair," Sei remarked. Kei snorted.
"I'll hope he annoys her enough that she'll choose to join us, then," he smiled, before lashing forth with a new attack.
Azula arrived indeed, merely a short while later, after successfully sending a letter to Rei, reporting their progress thus far: Hotaru was bundled in furs and blankets when she arrived, and Sokka smiled brightly at the two of them while the other gladiators regained their breaths.
"Think she'll be okay like that?" Sokka asked. Azula breathed deeply and nodded. "We can find some cloths to make a baby wrapper, too…"
"A what?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows.
"It's kind of a sling, you just put the baby against your chest, wrap her there…" Sokka explained, stepping up to them and rubbing Azula's back gently. "Helps keep her warm."
"Good. Anything that does that is welcome right now," Azula said, stroking the child's hair gently. "It's only going to get colder…"
"Yep," Sokka said. "And you may act tough, but you need to cover up, too. I have a couple parkas… you ought to use one when you start getting too cold."
"Really? Won't it be too big for me?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka huffed. "Something tells me you just want me dressed in your clothes. Publicly."
"I do! And I'm sure it'd help you too," he said, with a gentle smile. "Tell you what, once we get to the Northern Water Tribe I'll ask Yue to find something your size. I'm sure there'll be something. But, until then…"
"Right. Until then…" Azula rolled her eyes, though she smiled: Sokka dove in, kissing her quickly.
"These two want you to join them in beating me up, by the way," Sokka said. Azula laughed, shaking her head.
"I don't take losing wagers if I can help it. I'm not taking up arms against you now," she said. Sokka pouted.
"You really ought to give it a go… well, when you're ready. I wanna shake off our last fight as soon as possible!" he declared. "It'll be fun!"
"It usually is, but… maybe not now," Azula said, with a sad smile. Sokka sighed and shrugged.
"Well, if you're sure…"
She was far more certain than he realized, though she still sat down by the deck to watch his sparring sessions, cradling Hotaru carefully against her chest. Within it, her lungs hitched with every breath… and while it didn't affect her every time, the worming sensations of corruption nonetheless made themselves known often enough, more so when her body was strained in any way. She would avoid combat as much as she could, even in its lightest forms, until that was well out of the way.
She didn't explain as much to Sokka until they were almost at their destination: well into the second week of their travels, when Azula felt a violent flare of that sensation bursting from her throat in the middle of the night.
Sokka sat up when she did: Azula's coughing saw her reaching for a cloth right away, and he leapt to her side at once.
Azula breathed out slowly, clearing her system before casting a blaze into the lamp. It revealed a stain of corruption indeed upon the cloth, slightly larger than the last one…
"It… it hadn't happened in a long time. I guess it just built up a lot," she said. Sokka scowled, and Azula eyed him warily. "It's… it's not a big problem. I don't think so, anyway…"
"I'm not so sure," he frowned, turning towards her and cupping her face. "Have some water."
He reached for the cup they kept by the bedside table, and Azula downed it quickly. She breathed in and out, again confirming the way was clear. She shook her head afterwards.
"It's like… a pointless cold," she said. "Maybe it's as harmless as one, too."
"It could be… but I wouldn't want us to take any chances," Sokka frowned. "Had you felt it lately?"
"Not often. Not as much as you might think," Azula said. "I just figured… it builds up over time, I cough it out, and so on and so forth until all of it is gone, I guess. Right?"
"Hopefully," Sokka said, hand rising to caress her throat now. Azula sighed.
"I'm sorry for waking you that way," she said. Sokka shook his head, leaning close to kiss her softly.
"Don't apologize for something like that," he said, pressing his brow to hers. "Is this… affecting you in more ways than you're telling me? Like, when I thought we could spar…"
"It might just be one of the reasons why I didn't want to… yes," Azula admitted. Sokka sighed. "I don't know if I'll want to even after it's gone, so don't get too upset about it? I… I do love sparring with you but I'm just not sure I can go for it yet…"
"I'm only upset that… that you're not okay. Your reasons to say no are your own, but I want you to be healthy. To not suffer over… over that bastard's corruption," Sokka snarled, gazing into Azula's eyes.
"I'll be fine. I… I'll be okay. It's not much, it's not that bad, it… it's faded over time. If you want, I can ask Aang and Katara to give me another check-up by morning…"
"Please, do," Sokka said, prodding her nose with his. Azula smiled weakly.
"Worrywart husband," she whispered, kissing him softly. Sokka returned the gesture far more passionately. "I'll be fine. I'll be fine…"
The dread that built inside Sokka could not easily be dismissed, though. He held her through the night, scarcely finding solace enough to sleep himself… but he renewed his determination to do something about her condition.
Chief Arnook might just be grateful for everything he had achieved. The Tribe might welcome him as a hero… at least, he hoped they might. Otherwise, he'd need to be the most convincing man on the whole world to ensure that they'd devote their healing powers to Azula.
But he would ask a favor of him at some point through their stay. He would see to it. Azula wouldn't bear the burden of that chi corruption for another day if he had his way.
Azula stirred in his arms come morning: his brow was furrowed with concern, perhaps with fear, even as he lay asleep. She smiled sadly, remembering the unpleasant moment from that night all too clearly. She pressed against him, huddled for warmth under the heavy covers of their bed, waiting for the usual cries from Hotaru's cradle that revealed the child was ready for her breakfast…
But a wild, heavy knock on the door forced Sokka and Hotaru awake well before they were ready to open their eyes.
"Fire Lord!" Renkai's voice reached Azula, who grimaced as she glanced in the door's direction. "Pardon my interruption, truly, but I was asked to wake you. Our destination is but two hours away."
"W-what…?" Azula grimaced, pushing herself up awkwardly: the covers rolled down her body, and even though she had slept clothed, the chills still threatened to overtake her.
A glance out the windows spoke for itself: icicles, icebergs, all kinds of frozen formations jutted out around them.
"Ugh… we've made it?" Sokka asked: Azula leaned in to briskly kiss him good morning.
"Sounds like it," she said. "We've got to get ready."
"R-right…"
She jumped out of the bed then, shivering in the cold: now, on her feet, she could see the windows behind her bed… the ones that revealed what lay ahead.
A distant formation loomed in the distance, one that Sokka would recognize quickly. He climbed out of bed too, wrapping his arms around Azula from behind as he rested his chin, and his tired eyes, but briefly.
"Is that it?" Azula asked: she could see what appeared to be small buildings, a grand wall… a massive chasm within which the city was encased.
"Damn right," Sokka smiled, kissing her cheek.
Good thing they had made it so quickly… most of all, when he had something so urgent to worry about concerning Azula's health. She wouldn't know it until he had settled matters on his own… he wouldn't give her false hopes or expectations of a cure until he knew for certain that they'd help them. But that the chance loomed ahead sufficed to relieve him… and that the world apparently saw him as a hero also helped. One way or another, he truly hoped the solution for Azula's predicament would be found there.
Thus, he tilted her face towards him, pressing their lips together softly: Hotaru cooed behind them, in her crib, but Sokka took the chance to speak to Azula once more, before he tended to the child.
"Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe."