The Next Fire Lord

1

Azula didn't often disrupt her habit of waking up at dawn, even when her life had fallen to shambles as it had. It usually took a lot of effort, or much nighttime carelessness, for her to sleep past the sunrise… but after going to bed mere moments before dawn broke, that would have been an unreasonable, impossible expectation this time.

She didn't know what time it was once she woke up, but the first thing to disturb her rest was an unpleasant, yet familiar smell… then, a baby's soft voice, whimpering.

She forced herself to open her eyes: she certainly had rested better than in months, and she would have enjoyed it for longer, but her instincts to take care of Hotaru kicked in quickly. She rubbed her eyes, rising on the bed… lifting her head from the warm, comforting pillow of Sokka's chest.

Her arm remained locked around him and Hotaru: for a moment, she felt out of sorts, as though she were in a dream still, rather than awake… fortunately, the scent of Hotaru's diaper proved it was reality after all. She smiled, the sight of her slumbering lover warming her heart at once. She caressed his chest gently before she sat up, her gold fire flaring within her as she scooped up Hotaru carefully.

"There, there…" she hushed her: as usual, Hotaru pouted quite hopelessly, shifting on herself in an awkward way, as though wanting her rear to avoid touching the contents of her diaper. "No need to fuss, I'll take care of that… I'd have made your dad do it for the sake of it, but he's sleeping still, you see? So… let's be very quiet. Don't want him to wake up if you cry, do we?"

Hotaru seemed to understand Azula's intent, but she didn't stop pouting, even so. Azula smiled, rising towards the room's dresser before setting up to change the diaper. It was a perfectly smooth process by now, made smoother yet by Hotaru's typically easygoing demeanor once she no longer felt the diaper sticking against her skin.

"You really are a little princess, aren't you?" Azula said, wiping her daughter carefully. "Yes, you are. Can't stand being filthy… and neither can I. I'll have to go see if there's anyone else downstairs… maybe Rei will be around, right? She could watch you while I… bathe. For the first time in too long."

She smiled at that notion before rubbing some lotion on Hotaru's skin. The baby had calmed down by now, perhaps by the sound of her voice, too. She watched Azula intently, and the Princess smiled kindly at her daughter.

"Yeah, I know, maybe you'd rather be watched by your dad… but unfortunately, he needs a lot of rest," Azula said. "You can understand that, can't you? He's been through a lot of crazy things to come to us. Might be he should sleep for a week to recover, wouldn't you say?"

Hotaru cooed softly, and Azula chuckled: she finished fastening the new diaper, and she pat her daughter's belly gently afterwards.

"There we go. All squeaky-clean again, as you should be. Never allow anyone to tell you otherwise," Azula said, nodding sagely. Hotaru smiled as Azula dressed her up properly, and she still beamed at her mother once Azula hoisted her in her arms again. "Next time we'll make him do it… find out if he actually knows how it's done. If he doesn't, we'll just make fun of him while teaching him, won't we? That seems about right. You'll get used to it soon, dear… your dad is always at his best when he's being a goofball. I mean, you already think his beard is fun… but you haven't seen half of it yet."

She smiled proudly, hugging Hotaru to her chest before sighing at the sight of Sokka, still profoundly asleep. Her heart had churned in such a blissful way upon waking up beside him… she would have gladly stayed in his arms until he woke up, too, but it seemed like a risky idea right now. She had no clue what the current situation was, if Jeong Jeong wanted answers yet, if anything else was stirring in the city… it was the second dawn since the Palace's destruction. The Fire Nation's stability had shattered then, and the longer they went without patching it up, the harder it would be to reel things into order in the future.

But leaving Sokka to wake up alone… she sighed, kissing Hotaru's brow before setting her down on her crib momentarily. Hotaru cooed, watching as her mother approached the bed once more, cupping Sokka's cheek kindly after sitting by the bedside.

He stirred slightly, but he didn't wake up right away. Azula bit her lower lip, her other hand caressing his chest.

"Sokka?" she called him softly. "I don't mean to… to wake you for good, you can keep sleeping, but I figured I'd…"

His brow furrowed slightly as he came to consciousness.

His hand shot up, quickly fisting her hair, and Azula gasped before winding up in a sudden, brisk kiss with her lover.

She laughed as she returned his affection, relieved for it, hands raking his chest gently. His initial urgency dwindled after a moment, once he seemed to accept that this was no mirage, no wild dream… the grip of his hand eased, and his fingers slid down to the back of her neck instead.

"Azula…" he whispered, once they parted. He smiled groggily, even though he didn't open his eyes yet. "Morning…?"

"Don't think this counts as morning anymore," Azula admitted, smiling awkwardly, pecking his lips softly again. "Hi. I have to take a bath."

"Have to…?" Sokka said, with a weak, teasing grin.

"Yes, I do. For the life of me, I don't have a clue of when was the last time I even… oh, I don't want to think about it. But I didn't want you to wake up alone, so…"

"Heh. You're the best," Sokka smiled, opening his eyes slightly. "And you're the most beautiful sight to wake up to, too."

"I'm not sure. You were a most agreeable one for me, too," she said, with earnest fondness.

"Need me to get up and watch Hotaru while you…?" he asked. Azula shook her head, kissing his brow now.

"No, don't worry about it. I'll find a babysitter for her, for a little while," she said. Sokka hummed. "Rei's usually willing, so…"

"Katara's good at it too, if Rei's not available," Sokka said. "Aang, too… Zuko had better offer, I was his kids' babysitter enough times… so, he owes us, right?"

"Right," Azula smiled.

"Just… don't ask Toph."

"Never."

They shared a chuckle before kissing one more time, thoroughly. The comfort of their bond eased Sokka into relaxing anew as Azula pulled back, watching him affectionately. He met her gaze with warm gratitude, and she cupped his cheek kindly.

"Rest some more. I'll see you later," she said, softly. He smiled and nodded.

"Enjoy your bath, love."

Her smile gained more strength: her thumb rubbed over his cheek, and she sighed as she rose to her feet. Being away from him at all sounded like madness, a waste of time… but there would be more chances to enjoy each other's company later. They had all the time in the world… their whole lives, it seemed.

Tears bloomed in her eyes at that thought, as she hoisted Hotaru in her arms. She had no trouble convincing herself that she didn't deserve this relief, not after all the things she'd done… but Sokka's kindness certainly helped her put those thoughts aside to enjoy the present, to be grateful for the opportunity of building the family they deserved to be.

She bounced Hotaru gently in her arms as she marched downstairs, eyes peeled for anyone who might be available to watch her daughter. The restless child waved her hands around, patting her chest, eager for things that, as usual, remained elusive mysteries that Azula could only venture guesses over.

"I can only wonder if you need a bath yourself," Azula admitted, eyeing Hotaru with curiosity. "Did your sister and your aunts handle that while I was gone? Guess you won't tell me, will you?"

She smiled, kissing the top of the baby's head as she turned towards the long corridor in Mai's place: the bathroom was clear, but so far, it seemed to Azula as though most nobody was home… until noise drifting from the kitchen convinced her of the opposite. Azula breathed deeply and marched in that direction.

Her heart clenched upon entering the room to find her brother working on dishes.

Sokka had suggested he could look after Hotaru, and if matters were perfectly normal, Azula would have been content to ask. Facing him now, though, brought back the reality of their current circumstances: whether they liked it or not, Azula and Zuko were at odds again, rivals over a throne that had once appeared to be a grand prize to be won, and that now resembled a curse that haunted them instead.

He noticed her presence quickly, glancing over his shoulder, surely alerted by her footsteps… and Azula's apprehension dimmed slightly when he smiled, even if he mainly did so at the sight of the curious Hotaru.

"Here I thought you guys wouldn't be awake for about another week," he smiled.

"Yeah, well… I'd say good morning, but it isn't morning anymore, is it?" Azula said, with an awkward grin. Zuko chuckled and nodded.

"It's about three in the afternoon if anything. Heard you guys came in really late last night, huh?"

"We did," Azula said, rubbing Hotaru's back as Zuko finished his work. "You were on dishwashing duties?"

"Someone had to be. Mai and Ruon Jian are out getting more food… we've cleaned them out, unsurprisingly," Zuko grimaced. "They had stocked up on reserves, I guess in case things got really bad for a really long time… and then it turned out the reserves only kept us fed for about a day. They're not too happy about it, but…"

"Better that than all of us being dead, I'd say," Azula said, with a dry grin now. "Is it possible to buy food, just like that? Is the city back to normal?"

"I have no idea. It probably isn't. It might be the real reason why she was annoyed about having to do it," Zuko reasoned, with a shrug. "Things aren't as bad out there as you might fear, though. I think… the whole city's still trying to wrap their heads around what happened."

"Aren't we all," Azula said.

"Are you still?" Zuko asked, wiping his hands and eyeing her warily. "Did you and Sokka not talk things over after all, or…?"

"Oh, we did, we… it's fine. Things… things worked out for the better," Azula said, with a small smile. "He's not what worries me right now."

"Well, good. Though I'm sure he'll make you regret saying that," Zuko smirked. "Guy's got a knack for being entirely unpredictable after all…"

"Wouldn't be him if he weren't," Azula acknowledged.

"You do look better than yesterday," Zuko reasoned, with a nod. "So… I take it you've made a choice now? I mean… regarding this Agni Kai we're supposed to fight?"

Azula sighed, eyeing her brother remorsefully. With a wiping rag in his hands, finished with his work on the dishes, he looked inoffensive, domestic… much like she might, holding her daughter in her arms.

"Doesn't feel right, does it?" she asked. "For anything else to be resolved by violence. For you, too, to face an Agni Kai again…"

"I've probably fought enough of those for a lifetime, yeah," Zuko admitted, with a shrug. "But… this is important. I wish there were another way to do it, but… you know what the Fire Nation is like. Doesn't really matter how competent either of us might be for the job: if we win the Agni Kai, it means we deserve the throne. Simple as that."

"Suppose it's up to whoever wins to change things so that our people stop treating Agni Kai duels as the sole way to truly resolve any conflicts," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "I take it you're open to doing it, then?"

"I… I think I would be, if you are," Zuko said, eyeing her warily. "Of course, I don't want to hurt you, but… I would think it won't come to that."

"Because you know restraint… or because you expect to lose?" Azula asked, with a slight smile. Zuko snorted.

"I'd be prepared to lose. It's you after all," he said, breathing deeply. "But I do think I stand a chance. As for restraint… I'd think we both would be able to show some?"

"Indeed," Azula agreed, nodding. Zuko smiled.

"Then… we'll do it?" Zuko asked. "Are you ready for an Agni Kai, too?"

Azula sighed. She lowered her gaze, mournfully, before raising it again to meet her brother's gaze.

"I don't know if I'd call myself ready for it, truthfully," she said. "But… I will face you. Even if, well, it won't be in the Agni Kai Arena this time, as might be obvious. I don't know where, or how, it will work… but perhaps you'd rather not have to do it there anyway."

"I didn't really want to revisit it, so no," Zuko admitted. "I guess we'll just have to pick a new place to do it… or someone else will. But, then… we really will go for it."

"Doesn't sound like that's what you wanted to hear," Azula pointed out. Zuko sighed.

"Well… would be easier if either of us gave up," he said, with a shrug. "But… I guess it makes sense that we wouldn't. That throne has been at the core of so much for us…"

"Here I thought you'd say it was a matter of not giving up without a fight," Azula said. Zuko grinned and shrugged.

"Guess so… but if you can find a way to win without fighting, that seems more valuable to me nowadays," Zuko breathed out slowly, shaking his head. "We've been through a lot since the days when we'd bicker endlessly over who'd be the Water Spirit and who the Dragon Emperor, huh?"

"Who'd have thought the day would come when I'd start thinking the Water Spirit's not that bad after all?" Azula smiled, shaking her head.

"Heh. Does that mean it's finally my turn to be the Dragon Emperor?" Zuko teased, smiling slightly.

"I… didn't say that," Azula clarified. Despite himself, Zuko chuckled. "Merely, I have a new appreciation for him, I'm not saying I will be him…"

"Always going to have a sneaky way to excuse yourself out of playing the Water Spirit… your fire's blue now, too. It wasn't back then," Zuko pointed out, jerking his head in her direction. "Looks more like water than mine, at this point."

"I can make it gold, if you'd rather I was more consistent with our traditional colors…"

"Well… you could. I guess. But… it's still not normal fire," Zuko huffed. Azula laughed.

"Are you taking this discussion seriously?" she asked. Zuko snorted.

"No?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"What's it to you, huh?"

His childish behavior prompted Azula to laugh: despite himself, Zuko smiled too, cheeks slightly flushed. It was undeniable that Azula could bring out rather unflattering sides of himself… but that no longer tormented him as it did in the past. Perhaps simply accepting that he was playing the fool for her amusement kept him from losing his temper upon being teased into verbal traps by his sister.

"I had half a mind to ask you to watch Hotaru for a while, but I'm not so sure anymore," she said, shaking her head. "You'll likely just use it as an opportunity to take revenge for what Sokka's done while babysitting yours…"

"I would, but I doubt Hotaru would understand my retelling of the adventures of Princess Jing," Zuko said, with a dry grin. "She's too little for that, I think. But don't worry about it, Prince Piqi's revenge will happen someday…"

"I… oh, I'm sorry for that one," Azula laughed, shaking her head. "When he told me about that, I…"

"Must have laughed yourself to tears, I imagine," Zuko said, shaking his head. "Sometimes it's hard to fathom your relationship still… then he does stuff like that, and I realize you were made for each other."

"That's… flattering," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "I suppose you'll get used to it eventually, though. Unless you intend to keep saying that you can't wrap your head around it just to be a contrarian older brother…"

"I could do that, I could…" Zuko frowned, raising an eyebrow before smiling at her. "But you two really are back on track? Everything's sorted out? You'd… get married and take the throne, if you beat me in the Agni Kai?"

"Well… for one thing, in our own way, we already are," Azula said, lowering her gaze. "For another… even if I don't get the throne, I would still marry him, provided he doesn't come to his senses about me anytime soon."

"Got to lock him down before he does, then," Zuko advised, teasingly. Azula rolled her eyes but smiled. "Anyway, I can watch Hotaru if you need me to. I know I'm your idiot older brother indeed, but I've got plenty of experience dealing with feisty kids and yours doesn't seem feisty at all…"

"She's very calm. I suspect she takes after someone in Sokka's family because that's not from ours, without a doubt," Azula said. Zuko chuckled and nodded.

"Might be, though his dad's pretty intense when he wants to be. And I'm sure his grandmother was, too. Maybe… his mother?"

Azula smiled, looking at Hotaru fondly. The baby looked back at her, large golden eyes gleaming in the afternoon light.

"That's an agreeable notion," she said, pressing a soft kiss to Hotaru's head. "And it proves me right to think she takes after his family too, so…"

"I'm glad you could protect her. Well, her and everyone else you kept safe," Zuko said, smiling.

"I am too… even though it took all it did," Azula sighed. "Anyway, I should go raid Mai's closets, find something new to wear. If you can hold Hotaru while I do that…"

"Not a problem," Zuko said, reaching out to take Hotaru in his arms. "Hello. I'm your uncle Zuko. When your mom was your age, she didn't like me one bit."

"And it was entirely mutual, so don't go around pretending you were a victim in all of that," Azula smiled, bumping his shoulder before kissing the top of Hotaru's head one last time. "I'll be back shortly. Don't set your uncle on fire while I'm gone, wait until I get back, at least…"

"Oh? She's a firebender?" Zuko asked. Azula shrugged.

"She has an inner fire. Hasn't bent at all so far, though," she said, brushing the child's hair gently with her fingers. "Anyway… I'll come back shortly. You'd better not torment me pretending she did bend while I was gone…"

"Now that you gave me that idea, I probably will…" Zuko smirked. Azula smiled, shaking her head and bumping him lightly.

"I admit, it's nice seeing you in such a good mood, but I suppose that means you'll actually be able to give as good as you get nowadays, huh?" she said. "I'll have to up my game to make sure you can't get the better of me."

"I'd be shocked if I ever did," Zuko admitted, smiling as he hoisted Hotaru in his arms. "Yeah, yeah, I know I'm clean-shaven, must be boring for you…"

Azula smiled as she walked back upstairs, guessing Mai would give her grief for ransacking her closet, but hoping she would be lenient, considering Azula's circumstances. The thought that she had nothing to wear that truly belonged to her anymore was rather odd, for someone who had been born and raised with everything. That she and Zuko would contend over the throne seemed so unlikely… she had spent a long time feeling distant from her regality, from the glamour and dignity of her position. The loss of the Palace, of all her belongings the others hadn't brought with them, only bolstered that feeling further.

She didn't intend to stay too long in the bath, but the relaxing heat certainly helped ease her body's exhaustion. The sudden, blissful thought that she might just be able to do this with Sokka next time brought a smile to her face. She missed every single one of their simple pleasures, and the chance to reclaim them hardly seemed real… she closed her eyes as that awareness laid roots within her heart, appeasing her anguish, cutting down her helplessness. It didn't matter if she won or lost against Zuko… she would live her life beside Sokka, just as she always had meant to. It was no longer a distant, unattainable dream… it was a reality within her reach. Whether she deserved it or not… it seemed life was regaining its sense and meaning at last.

She pushed herself out of the bath, only acknowledging the soreness of her muscles once it was dimming… but just as she resolved to set aside such concerns, wiping herself dry, a sudden, unpleasant sensation inside her throat forced her to cover her mouth and cough.

"Again…?" she hissed. She finished dressing up before rushing out of the room and finding a disposable paper: she brought it to her lips and she forced herself to push out the latest clot of corruption…

She glared at it: it was a rather unwelcome, unwanted blemish that reminded her of far too many things she'd rather not think of. Its size might be less worrisome than those from the previous days… but how much more of it would she need to expel before it was all gone? She snarled and disposed of the paper before marching into the kitchen anew, finding the room more crowded than before: Mai and Ruon Jian were back, and Zuko sat at the table with Hotaru on his lap.

"You plan on cleaning out my wardrobe completely?" Mai asked, without glancing back at Azula. The Princess smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

"I would've asked for permission, but you weren't around, so…"

"Next time you end up homeless, you're crashing at Ty Lee's and stealing her clothes."

"What? No! Mai…!" Azula gasped: her friend's smirk spoke for itself. "Don't you dare. You can't kick me out and force me to… to wear that?"

"Surely Sokka wouldn't complain if you bare your midriff around him all the time…" Mai said, teasingly. Azula winced, cheeks flushing.

"That's not an image I needed in my head, thank you very much," Zuko said, with a grimace.

"You're holding the product of your sister's sex life on your lap, sorry to say. No idea if you and Suki ordered your babies from a cabbage vendor, but that's not how the rest of us do it," Mai smirked at him. Azula couldn't help but chuckle this time as Zuko glared at his first love.

"Is this your way to make me and Azula fight less? Antagonizing us both? Because it's not working, she's laughing at what you're saying about me anyhow…"

"I suppose I'll have to find a better way to do it," Mai smiled: she pulled out an apple from her bags, handing it over to Azula. "We'll cook something or another now, but you probably should have something to eat already."

"Thank you," Azula smiled, taking the apple before marching up to Zuko and Hotaru. "How did it go? You convinced her I'm a menace yet?"

"Nah, she's immovable," Zuko shook his head. "Seems to think you're the best and nothing I said fazed her. Takes after her father, after all."

Azula smiled, taking her seat by Zuko's side and scooping Hotaru into her arms again. The child chirped happily then, nestling with her head upon Azula's chest. The Princess's first bite of the apple brought her to smile in bliss, even if her stomach churned at the first food she'd eaten for far more hours than was optimal.

"I heard you coughing just now," Zuko said, eyeing her warily. "That thing still bugging you?"

"Less and less so, but… still happens," Azula admitted, nodding. "Should give you an edge if I get a fit of coughs in the middle of the Agni Kai, huh?"

"I would stop and wait until you're done, don't worry about it…" Zuko huffed. Mai and Ruon Jian frowned upon hearing those words.

"Then… you will fight each other after all?" Ruon Jian asked, frowning over his shoulder. "The others mentioned that was a possibility, when they came back from the meeting, but… I figured you'd find a way out of it."

"No one's going to compromise," Azula said, with a sigh. "Not the Fire Nation, not the White Lotus. And someone will have to take charge of the Fire Nation anyway. So… it's probably the best way out."

"At least you won't be so stupid as to try to kill each other, right?" Mai said, eyeing them skeptically from over her shoulder. Azula smiled and shrugged.

"I'll make no promises…"

"Heh. You'd been too nice so far," Zuko scoffed.

"You didn't promise it either," Mai pointed out. He winced and shrugged.

"If she won't do it first…"

"Have you two really not changed one bit since you were kids? Really?" Mai asked, skeptical. Azula laughed, while Zuko shrugged.

"I'd hope we have, but sometimes it's harder to say," he smiled.

Within another few minutes, Ruon Jian offered Azula a steaming bowl of rice: she smiled with relief before starting the meal, careless about how simple it might be, eager to regain her strength by any means possible.

"If she's already eating like that… I can only imagine how much worse it's going to be to feed that one too, when he wakes up," Mai groaned, glaring at the ceiling, in the direction of the room Sokka rested at.

"Say, is it hard, finding food right now?" Zuko asked. Mai shrugged.

"Could be worse," she admitted. "There are a few shortages on some things, mainly… well, whatever was imported from the colonies. But that's been the case for several months already. I'll assume that whoever of you becomes Fire Lord will fix that, so… huh. Maybe I ought to make a list of my personal complaints and requests to make sure you get to them all, shouldn't I?"

"That's ambitious," Azula smiled. "You're the world's harshest critic. Don't think either Zuko or myself would have enough years left to live to fix everything you have complaints about."

"That's fine, your heirs would take care of whatever you won't live long enough for."

"Maybe we ought to make her Fire Lord," Zuko said, jerking his chin towards Mai. Azula snorted as Mai made a sound of utter disgust. "Why not? If you're so sure of what you want…"

"I'm sure indeed: I don't want to do the work myself. Either of you two can handle it," she said, shaking her head.

Azula had finished half her rice bowl when heavy footsteps outside the room gave away that someone else had returned to the house, and it wasn't long before she announced herself quite loudly, too.

"Spicy!"

Azula glanced over her shoulder just in time for Toph to rush in for a hug. The Princess smiled awkwardly, patting her friend's back.

"Not going to let her eat, are you?" Zuko asked.

"Jealous, are you?" Toph snickered. Zuko snorted.

"I'm not interested in getting my bones crushed, thank you…"

"And then he wonders why he's not my favorite. Like it's that hard to guess," Toph huffed, pulling back but smiling at Azula again, standing beside her. "You feeling better yet? All that gross shit in your lungs gone?"

"I don't think it is, but at least it's less irksome," Azula acknowledged. Toph grinned.

"Good. And you talked everything over with Sokka? Fucked it out, too?"

Her first question warranted an answer: the second one made everyone in the room do a double-take.

"W-why would you…? Toph?!" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Toph snorted.

"Because it's you two. I mean, you don't need me to remind you of how many times you…"

"Toph, as crass as you've ever been, that's none of your business," Azula said, with a dry grin. "So…"

"Hehe. They totally did it." Toph beamed proudly, hands on her hips, as everyone else gasped or groaned. Azula, of course, couldn't do anything but hide her face in a hand, while enduring the accusatory glares, marked with surprise and amusement, over her blushing cheeks and reddening ears.

"Well, to be fair, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise, but… damn, Azula," Mai snorted, shaking her head. "For how long did you hold out? Was it even a full day, or were twenty-four hours too much to ask?"

"Shut up," she groaned. Zuko, beside her, shuddered before reaching for Hotaru. Azula winced even though she let him take her, and he put his hands on her ears.

"This is disturbing enough for me, you're not about to scar your daughter for eternity with all this excessive information…" he said, shaking his head.

"She doesn't understand any of it, and…! Curses, Toph, I know you love chaos, but do you really have to?" Azula said, glaring at her with a dangerous smile. Toph cackled happily.

"Of course I do! I missed you!"

"You're making me think I shouldn't have missed you, myself," Azula hissed. Toph's laughter gained strength. "Curses, I ought to beat up Jet… you were a prude about all this stuff before he got his hands on you."

"Hey, if you want to fight him, I'm not gonna stop you. Might as well sit back and enjoy the show," Toph snickered. Azula rolled her eyes.

"And now you make me feel bad for him, even. You're as true to yourself as you ever have been, Dirt Worm," Azula shook her head, leaning back to smile at her friend. Toph grinned proudly. "You look too upbeat for someone who probably needs more rest than I do. From what I've been told, you've been overworked quite a bit all across this war…"

"Eh, what's a few broken Fire Lord statues? I'm the Blind Bandit, nothing stands in my way," she smirked proudly, sitting beside Azula. "You doing okay, though? Settled everything properly? Did he tell you all his embarrassing stories yet or should I do it for him?"

"Well, if you have any of those, I wouldn't mind hearing them," Azula smiled. "But I think we're in a good place now, yeah. No need to worry quite as much as before."

"Which means… we ought to go tell Jeong Jeong that you've made your choice, once you're done eating?" Zuko said, eyeing Azula with uncertainty. She sighed and nodded.

"Though… might be better if Sokka and I tell him ourselves. There's a lot that needs to be done, anyway, and…" she trailed off, a slight frown on her face. "There's one thing we ought to do before anyone is crowned, too. Don't know if you feel the same way, but I'd rather have most funerary rites handled before…"

"Oh," Zuko frowned. "Well… I guess. You mean, though…?"

Azula didn't say anything, but the heavy weight on her shoulders was apparent, regardless. Zuko nodded, letting out a deep breath.

"Guess you've got to do a whole send-off ceremony or something?" Toph said, with a grimace. "Sorry if I'm an insensitive bitch, Spicy, but it's hard to feel… well, anything good about the guy who fucked you over as he did."

"I'm not asking you to feel sorry for him. I wouldn't ask that of anyone," Azula said, lowering her gaze.

"He was a public figure, though. The Fire Lord of a whole nation," Mai said, eyeing Azula skeptically. The Princess shrugged.

"Hence why I'd think the Head Sage will prefer a public affair," she said. "But it doesn't mean I'd force anyone to mourn him. Even if he finally seemed to be… well, snapping out of his madness at the very end, the damage he did to the world cannot be understated."

"Or the damage he did to you," Toph huffed. "I'm not forgiving Iroh for how he threw you and Sokka into Ozai's claws…"

"And I share that sentiment," Azula smiled dryly. "Ironically… I'm sure Zuko doesn't, when it comes to Iroh."

"Uh… well. I don't. Toph knows as much," Zuko admitted. Toph scoffed.

"You're both weirdos. If the grown-ups in your lives are screwing you over, you send them to hell!"

"Toph…" Zuko scoffed. Azula smirked.

"We're all grown-ups too by now, Toph. In case you forgot."

"Oh, please…" Toph huffed.

"It's not as straightforward and simple as that… life would be quite nice if it were," Azula said. "But I expect Zuko won't campaign to make me forgive or accept Iroh…"

"Zuko won't," her brother said, with a slow nod.

"Hence, I won't do the same thing to him over our father, and if I wouldn't do it to him, clearly I wouldn't do it to anyone," Azula said, shaking her head. "As things stand, it's obvious to me that the only one who…"

She froze, a frown upon her face as she started speaking. She gritted her teeth, withdrawing slightly before taking another mouthful of rice.

"Something the matter, Spicy?" Toph asked. Azula swallowed, a grimace across her face.

"Well. Sokka says I'm… not the only person left in this world who gave a fuck about my father."

Zuko gritted his teeth before eyeing Azula expectantly: her slightly more relaxed demeanor had faded quickly, replaced by a tension and discomfort he could identify right away… more so after what she had just said.

"He's not wrong," Zuko said. Azula eyed him with uncertainty. "And… I'd dare say she gives more than a fuck about you too, even if you might struggle to believe it."

"It's… difficult," she confessed, shaking her head. "Twisted as it might be, it feels like, out of all your experiences, the one thing I can't seem to believe is that you found her, much less that she acted the way Sokka says she did…"

"Ah. You meant your mom, huh?" Toph said. Azula glanced at her… and a clatter by the stove gave away that Mai had dropped a frying pan, turning towards the group by the table with wide eyes.

"Your… mother?" she asked, glancing between Zuko and Azula. "What? She's… alive?"

"Yup. I didn't really know if she would be or not anymore, for the longest time, but… she was," Zuko said, with a small smile. Mai's jaw dropped. "The White Lotus had kept her hidden from the world… even from me."

"How you still care about that old fart after he kept your dear mommy away from you, beats me…" Toph huffed. Zuko rolled his eyes. Azula gritted her teeth, eyes flickering between the two people sitting by her.

"It's not like I didn't believe Sokka, but… two more people talking about her make this sound too real," she sighed, before glancing at Zuko. "How… different is she? I'm sure you'd be a decent enough judge of that…"

"Well, she's more likely to scold me or be disappointed in my poor choices nowadays, if that makes you feel any better," Zuko smiled. Azula smirked.

"Well, now, Zuko… if even our mother's questioning your judgment, you really need to rethink your life these days."

"I do, don't I?" Zuko chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, well. She's different, definitely. Still has an air of authority, of dignity, but… she's lost a lot of the old, uh, glamour, I guess? No more perfectly filed nails, her hair's graying, she has wrinkles…"

Azula's eyes widened further as he explained. Zuko, despite himself chuckled at her reaction.

"You can't even picture it, can you?"

"Nope," Azula said, blinking blankly.

"Doesn't wear her hair up anymore, either," Zuko said, his voice ringing with melancholy.

"Well… that's an image," Azula said, swallowing hard. "Honestly, I… I will see how I feel about it once I do meet her, I think. But… Sokka says I can take however long I need to wrap my head around it all."

"Might be a good idea to not do it right away, yeah," Zuko said, frowning. "I… don't even know if I want to face her anytime soon, myself. After what happened to our father, I…"

"Sokka told me she… didn't want him dead," Azula said, eyeing Zuko with uncertainty. "Don't think that sat too well with you before that fight's outcome, did it?"

"Not really," Zuko admitted, with a sigh. "Came as little surprise in some ways, but… it felt weird. After everything he'd done to you and me, it didn't make a lot of sense to me that she was quite so ready to save him, but… once she explained things more thoroughly, I guess I understood."

"Things? What kind of things?" Azula asked. Zuko breathed deeply, shaking his head.

"Frankly… you're better off hearing it from her, when you're ready. You don't need that kind of stuff hanging over your head before we beat each other up over a throne," Zuko said.

"That's not ominous at all," Azula said, eyeing him with skepticism. "Is it about… well, that night? Grandfather and…?"

Zuko breathed deeply, and Azula fell silent. Perhaps he was right: too much weighed on her mind still, and she wasn't even halfway through healing just yet. She smiled, shaking her head.

"Guess I'll ask her when I meet her in ten years or so. I'd rather not think about it much, truthfully," she said. Zuko nodded.

"Wise of you," he said. "She… didn't talk about that to Sokka, that I know of. So… you can't really get that story from him. Bet he'd have told you already if he knew about it…"

"He might have," Azula conceded, with a small smile. "He's not very good at shutting up about important things, I'd say…"

"Not around you, he's not. But he's just not good at shutting up around you, outright," Toph said, nudging her with her elbow. "It's going to be a nice change of pace, though… for him to go back to normal now."

"I suppose he mustn't have been as much fun to spend time with as he used to be," Azula said, eyeing Toph with uncertainty. The Blind Bandit sighed dramatically, shaking her head.

"Not one bit! He was a pain in the ass, so stiff and grumpy and hardly ever any fun…" she sighed, dramatically.

"Even when he gave you big missions and battles to let loose in?" Azula asked. Toph smirked.

"Eh, less so when he did that, true," she conceded, hands behind her head. "I really did get to do things I'd never done before, heh. Tearing down statues was a blast. So, you know, whoever of you wins had better be ready not to muck it up, or I'll break yours too."

"Oh, what a terrible threat…" Azula smirked, and Toph snickered. "What, exactly, counts as mucking it up in your books anyhow? The Toph I knew didn't really care one way or another about politics… I suppose you do care more nowadays, you went on a warpath after all, but…."

"I went on a warpath because I was pissed at what happened to you, Spicy," Toph admitted, resting with an elbow on the table. "Which I guessed a lot of people would take issue with, you know? But I was strong enough that they didn't really care. I took back Gaoling and… oh! That nasty governor, the guy who gave you trouble? We humiliated him plenty and made him our prisoner. How about it, eh?"

"Kuan?" Azula smiled. "Why, that's wonderful to hear. Good job, Toph. I did always hope that my father would demote him, but he never bothered… was about time someone took care of that."

"Yeah, he won't be a problem for you anymore," Toph said, beaming. "Or for Gaoling, of course. It was a weird fight, but… I kind of felt like I was in the right place, doing what I had to do, when I fought there. Don't know if that makes sense…"

"Well, provided you pulled it off without tearing apart your old home to save your city, I'd say you did a great job," Azula said, dryly. Zuko grunted.

"Not like you did that to the Palace because you wanted to. If you hadn't done that, well… none of us would've survived," he said. Azula shrugged.

"There might have been another way. But it is what it is," she said. "It's probably not a weird feeling for you, or not that weird… the feeling that there's no chance you can go home?"

"Hasn't felt like home for me for a long time," Zuko admitted, though he sighed. "Still was familiar enough, though, that I'd know my way through the corridors when we were trying to escape that night. But… well, I suppose whoever wins gets to rebuild something there? Seems logical, I don't know. Could the corruption still cause trouble?"

"It can be defeated, if it is," Azula said, earnestly. "It's dangerous, yes, but it can't best gold fire, much less the multicolored one. Though… I don't know if Xin will be down for doing that one with me for a while."

"Is he alright?" Toph asked. "I haven't really checked on him… or on a few things. Wasn't even introduced to your other kid yet, either."

"I bet you've been too busy eating everything and sleeping carelessly for that," Azula smiled. Toph snickered. "Xin is healing… and he might do that better if he's away from the Fire Nation, at least for a while. He hasn't set out on his journey yet, but he will, soon."

"Don't you want to go too?" Toph asked.

"Guilt is a powerful demotivator," Azula said, with a dry grin. "I'm always connected to him, I'll always know how he's feeling, what he's doing… but I do think he needs time away to reclaim his freedom. He was a prisoner here, for far too long."

"Well, I hope he doesn't take too long to come back, or else you'll have to only fly on Appa or so," Toph snickered. "I doubt Twinkle Toes will let you borrow him that often."

"I suppose I'll get used to walking around," Azula smiled. "At any rate… Am I right to assume Rei isn't home? I haven't seen her so far."

"She's out, helping Song check on the wounded," Mai explained, still hard at work frying noodles on the stove. "Same as Sokka's sister and the Avatar, I believe. Rui Shi went with them, too."

"Makes enough sense," Azula said, nodding. "Then I suppose I can't introduce you to my oldest yet…"

"You adopted her, huh?" Toph said, raising her eyebrows. "Feels crazy that you'd do that. Never thought you'd be the type."

"I didn't either, but life certainly took weird turns," Azula said, reaching over to take Hotaru from Zuko's lap. The placid baby smiled once her mother was holding her. "Weird enough that I wound up with two daughters instead of one. You did meet Hotaru yesterday, if I recall right… but either way, Hotaru, in case you forgot her because you've met far too many people lately? This is Toph, your weirdest aunt. She likes filth and dirt in all its forms. I call her Dirt Worm, and you're welcome to do the same thing."

Toph smiled upon hearing those words, raising her hands tentatively towards the baby. Azula clasped her wrist, carefully guiding her to touch Hotaru's face. The baby seemed confused by it, while Toph laughed at the softness of the child's skin.

"Still hard to believe you're a mom now…" she laughed. "This is crazy, Spicy."

"You'd better be careful not to make one of these yourself when you least expect it," Azula smiled, as Toph's hand spread over Hotaru's soft dark hair.

"Hasn't happened so far, for… whatever reason," Toph said, with a shrug. "Did you do something to avoid it?"

"You haven't even heard about that kind of thing?" Azula asked, grimacing. "Goodness…"

"Kanna gave Suki something to drink… a Southern Water Tribe thing, I guess," Zuko said.

"Mai makes a tea she can probably share with you," Azula said, before eyeing Mai suspiciously. "And, uh… she can share it with other people, too?"

"At this rate, I ought to start charging you all," Mai scoffed. "I'm providing the whole lot of you with chances to sleep around without consequences…"

"Yep, you got the tea to keep us from making kids and a nice, big house where we can…" Toph started: Mai dropped the ladle she had been working with, loudly enough to startle everyone in the kitchen.

"I am only going to say this once…" Mai hissed, turning towards Toph, even if her eyes glided towards Azula's as well. "Nobody is allowed to get laid in this house besides myself and my husband."

Ruon Jian, next to her, tensed up and glanced at her with flushing cheeks: Mai, however, remained as pale as ever even while uttering such bold words. Azula, inevitably, snorted at her strictness.

"If I ever overhear even the slightest sound out of any of you…" Mai said. Toph huffed.

"Wow, fine, then. Guess I've gotta close the tent real well so you don't overhear it, I got it…" she said, hands behind her head.

"I hope you enjoy getting stabbed as much as you like that guy you're sleeping with," Mai said, returning her attention to her meal. Toph winced, and Azula chuckled.

"She would. That's not an empty threat," Azula said. Toph scoffed.

"So harsh… well, for that matter, stab those two!" Toph said, pointing at Azula, who jumped at the threat.

"What? No! What… what happened wasn't here. No rules were broken, even before they were stated," Azula said, firmly. Mai smiled.

"Be careful, then. Hope you don't end up giving Toph ideas on where to run to when she wants any action," she said. Toph huffed.

"Spicy's not as mean as you are, Mai, she'd let me crash in Sokka's garden… because that's where you went, right? His old place?"

"Yeah. Though… I wouldn't say for sure that you're allowed to stay there if that's what you intend to do," Azula said, with a dry grin. Toph yelped. "I mean…"

"You're all real skittish now, huh?" she said. "Then I guess… Ty Lee's! She won't mind, right?"

"Probably not, but she might just listen in and start bugging you about giving her all the dirty details," Azula smiled awkwardly. For once, Toph grimaced with distaste.

"Fucking… ugh. Some people really know no shame."

"Boggles the mind, doesn't it?" Mai said, her voice ringing with sarcasm. Zuko couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

"So, what you're all saying is I've got to find my own house around here? Pfft," Toph grimaced, shaking her head.

"You could just… build yourself a huge tent someplace?" Azula suggested. "Not in the Palace's area… but I don't know. There are other empty places in the city."

"Sure, like where the Dome was?" Toph asked, pouting slightly. "This place doesn't feel right without it, you know?"

"Right. The Palace being gone is no big deal, but the Dome…" Zuko said, widening his eyes sardonically. Toph scoffed.

"I do mind the Palace being gone, I had a room there too," Toph said, nodding sagely. Azula smiled, shaking her head. "But… say. Say, that's… not that bad an idea, come to think of it. The Dome… the Dome!"

"You'll go live in its ruins?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "I have no idea what it looks like right now, if I'm honest…"

"I'll check it out myself. If I've got to fix a few things, I will, but…" Toph said… as a slow smile spread over her face. "But… no. Not a tent. I… I'll rebuild it!"

"You…? Huh?" Zuko blinked blankly. "I mean, it's not like that's beyond you, but… why?"

"What'd you mean why?" Toph scoffed. "The Dome was the coolest place in the world!"

"You mean to live in a huge mansion of your own, then?" Azula asked, amused. "I'd have thought you'd rather live someplace else. You want to stay in the Capital, long-term?"

"Maybe I can just go from Arena to Arena!" Toph said, blind eyes blazing with determination. "Maybe… I can bring back the League!"

"Say what?" Azula froze. "Toph, that's…"

"Amazing! That's the best thing I could do with my time now that this whole mess is over!" Toph laughed, jumping to her feet and smiling broadly. Azula frowned, though the sound of footsteps, this time familiar and welcome, made her perk up, attention on the kitchen door anew. "The League… I can build it on my terms! No slaves, that goes without saying, but I'll make my own rules, and I'll be the one running it, so that…!"

"That's still not going to make you the Gladiator instead of me, Toph. Sorry to say."

Azula didn't expect Toph to freeze up once Sokka's voice drifted into the kitchen. Excited as she had been about this new purpose she had come up with, the Blind Bandit now flinched and turned warily towards Sokka.

"Y-you… you'd have to join it too! You'd fight me again, and then…! Then we'd actually see who is the Gladiator, for once and for all!" Toph exclaimed, cheeks flushed.

Sokka snorted, shaking his head before approaching Azula. With no regard as to their company, Sokka placed his hands upon her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. The Princess's cheeks flushed slightly, and she didn't bother trying to stifle a smile over the gesture.

"Can't imagine you've had a peaceful time with this rascal coming up with insane ideas that way, but I hope you enjoyed your meal," he said. Azula nodded.

"You should have some food yourself," Azula said: Mai, by the kitchen, groaned as Ruon Jian started gathering plates to fill with Sokka's upcoming meal.

"Don't worry, don't worry, we're almost there…" Ruon Jian smiled.

"Indeed, the Lord Gladiator shall finish off half our supplies now, I'm sure," Mai sighed. Sokka grinned as he slipped into the chair Toph had vacated earlier.

"I can try to be more considerate, but… you do know it's a good idea to keep the Lord Gladiator well fed. That way, once he takes his throne in Toph's rebuild Grand Royal Dome, you'll be in his good graces..."

"I'm NOT building you a throne! If I built one, it'd be for me!" Toph exclaimed, flustered and pouting. Sokka chuckled.

"You're setting yourself up for misery, Toph. I'm… not going back to any Gladiator Leagues. Not in a permanent fashion, anyway," he said, before turning towards Hotaru now. "And good day to you too. Your aunts and uncles are making so much noise, aren't they?"

"She seems entertained over meeting so many new people," Azula smiled, smoothing her daughter's hair.

"She reminds me of Zi, a little," Zuko said. Sokka smiled at him. "I bet they'd get along great."

"Or they'd just be bored because they're both too calm," Sokka chuckled. Zuko scoffed, shaking his head but grinning slightly.

Azula eyed her brother, finding an unexpected tension in him upon Sokka's arrival: both Zuko and Toph reacted differently near him… a sign of respect, she realized, that hadn't been there back in the simpler days of her partnership with Sokka in the Gladiator League. Mai acted the same way towards him as she usually did… Ruon Jian, clearly, was curious about the relationship between them, finally having a chance to be a direct witness to what he had suspected for some time. But where Azula was used to feeling giddier, less worried about matters around Sokka, she certainly wasn't used to seeing other people react to him with reverence of any kind.

She knew his story now, of course… she understood what burdens he had taken upon himself, what challenges he had faced, harsh and painful as they had been. He had gained courage, earned respect, secured his leadership… and even then, he was still her Sokka.

Ruon Jian placed the first plates of food meant for Sokka right before the Gladiator, who grinned before digging in, immediately. The slabs of meat among the rice certainly pleased him.

"This nation and its meat-based diet…" Sokka said, happily munching on the first slabs. "I think I even missed ridiculous spices, Azula. We'll go visit Jiare eventually and take up the Ramen Challenge again…"

"I don't think we're in any position to do that just yet," Azula chuckled. "But it's something to work towards, no doubt."

"Ramen Challenge, huh?" Toph pouted. "If I beat you at that one…"

"Nope."

"Come on, Sokka!" Toph groaned, pressing her head to his shoulder and shoving him playfully: he raised his index finger, pressing it to her brow and directing her away from himself. "Our friendship is based on being rivals! You can't just leave me at it all by myself…"

"I consider this a happy break from having to go to war and face conflicts constantly," Sokka said, with a dry grin. "Enough strategizing and plotting and… everything. I'm just going to kick off my shoes and sleep for a week. A month. Maybe a year…"

"You can be lazy enough for the first one, but I doubt you'd pull off the others," Azula smiled, though the grin waned quickly. "We have too much to do to put it off for that long."

"Eh. True enough," Sokka sighed. "We've got to go talk to Jeong Jeong, don't we?"

"I could do it myself…" Zuko offered, but as expected, Sokka shook his head.

"I appreciate it, but… probably better if he hears Azula's choice from her, and if I stand with her while she tells him," Sokka said, reaching a hand over to clasp Azula's over the table. She rubbed her thumb over his fingers, reassuringly. "Hopefully he's still too scared of me to be an asshole and try to backtrack on what was agreed upon yesterday…"

"There's… one more thing, though," Azula said, eyeing him with uncertainty. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I understand if you'd rather not do it, but… I brought it up to Zuko earlier, too. We have a lot of funerals to hold, one of them… well, my father's. I understand if you'd rather not involve yourself in it, but… I think I'd for that to be done before Zuko and I fight any Agni Kais."

"Huh," Sokka frowned. Azula sighed.

"I'm serious, you don't have to join in or anything. It's just… not going to feel right for either of us to take the crown until that's done," Azula said. "When my grandfather died, my father was crowned while the pyre was still burning. It… doesn't feel right to put off the funeral until later."

"The people need to mourn first, celebrate the new leader later," Sokka agreed. "But I suppose your father was that keen on taking power as soon as possible."

"It's not unheard of, coronations that follow funerals as fast as that, but…" Azula explained, and Zuko cut her off.

"Probably happens mostly when the heir is more than happy to see his father dead," Zuko said. "As was the case with our father and grandfather. But yeah, it's possible that the Fire Nation people will want to mourn him. It's better to do the whole ceremony… should also confirm all rumors that he actually died. Knowing how things work here, a lot of people might not believe it until the funeral's held…"

"The Head Sage should be able to handle that," Azula said, breathing deeply. "But I don't know whether he'd do it today, or tomorrow. It's late enough by now, so…"

"We can go visit him and find out," Sokka said. Azula glanced at him, heart pounding in her chest.

"You want to be involved too?" she asked. "Sokka…"

"You know I'd do it for you. As much as he made one right choice at the very end, I still despise him," Sokka said, eyeing her earnestly. "But he mattered to you. So… I'll be there. Unless, of course, you're worried about the nonsense people will say if they see us together…?"

"That's…"

Azula frowned: she should worry about that more, a part of her certainly was apprehensive of what the common folk would say… of whether the nobles with some power might decry her as a traitor. Perhaps that, too, could be a strategic choice on her part… this could be a way to test the crowds, to confirm whether or not her people would accept Sokka by her side anew. For, if they didn't…

If they didn't, she might as well surrender without fighting Zuko at all. She would not face the weight of being Fire Lord without Sokka by her side.

"We will have to deal with this sooner than later," Azula reasoned, eyeing him firmly. "If you'd rather not test it yet, I don't mind… but whether I become Fire Lord or not, the truth is what it is. I don't intend to keep sneaking around and hiding anymore. We did more than enough of that back in the day."

"Then I'll go with you," Sokka said, with a small smile. "I know it won't be easy, but you won't face this alone."

Azula smiled back and nodded, squeezing his hand kindly before he focused on his meal again. Nobody spoke for a moment, and the main sounds to be heard were those of the foods Mai and Ruon Jian continued to work on. Toph, however, appeared to still be unsatisfied now that she had seemingly found her new purpose, only for it to be blocked so bluntly. Azula sighed, smiling at her next as she hoisted Hotaru carefully against her chest.

"I shouldn't speak for my brother…" she said, startling Zuko. "But I think you can't build a new Dome without a Fire Lord's permission. I imagine you'd have to convince either of us, whenever one takes the throne…"

"Oh. Huh!" Toph blinked blankly, turning her attention towards her. "You would let me, wouldn't you, Spicy? You could challenge me to fight, too! I'll make better rules this time, I will…!"

"No doubt," Azula smiled. "But I was thinking… you could use some practice, crafting grand buildings before you make your masterpiece, right?"

"I… could? What, you don't trust my bending?" Toph scoffed.

"I don't think your bending is the issue, more that… you'll need to do a different kind of it than you usually do," Azula said. "You ought to talk to Haru about it. He's been in the business of building houses for the past years."

"Oh… huh," Toph raised an eyebrow.

"You could work with him, maybe, with any earthbenders you care to… and build a new Palace first. Then, whoever's Fire Lord would owe you quite so much that they'd be obligated to approve of your request for the Grand Royal Dome's rebuilding as well, right?"

"Uh… would we?" Zuko smiled awkwardly. "What if I hire someone other than…?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Toph gasped. "No, no, I can do that! Spicy, I…! I'd do that, for sure! Don't listen to Zuko, he's being a dumbass…!"

"Hey."

"You'd really let me do it if I build the Palace again?" Toph asked, a blissful smile spreading over her face. Azula sighed and shrugged.

"We'd have to go over those new rules of yours to make sure they make sense, but… probably."

"YEAH!" Toph threw a fist into the air. Zuko, beside Azula groaned and slumped in his seat.

"You're getting political allies right under my nose, aren't you?" Zuko grunted. "That's rude, Azula."

"Hardly my fault that you don't take the chances to build bridges when they come by, you know?" Azula smirked. Zuko pouted.

"Besides, you knew I'd be rooting for her," Toph huffed. "Doesn't matter if I don't think you're totally pathetic anymore, Zuko, she's still my favorite."

"Your favorite… Fire Nation Royal?" Azula finished. Toph snorted.

"My favorite, I said!" she reaffirmed, surprising Azula with her open, blunt way to express affection towards her.

"She's been pretty forthright about that for some time," Sokka smiled, shaking his head. "Jet's got his work cut out for him, if he ever hopes to make her care more about him than she does about you."

"He knows he won't succeed at that, so he's not going to bother," Toph said, waving her hand dismissively. Azula laughed, shaking her head.

"Goodness, Toph," she said.

"I'll make sure to give you a seat of honor in the new Dome!" Toph grinned brightly. "Even if you lose against Crankypants, you'll have free access to my Dome, for a lifetime!"

"Heh. Not a bad deal, though I don't know how eager I'll be to watch fights all the time," Azula smiled. "Make sure to set up an area where I can change Hotaru's diapers in there too, then."

"Gotcha!"

"Sounds like you can make just about any request and she'll approve, huh?" Sokka smirked, before nudging Azula with an elbow. "Tell her to set up a stand for snacks! That was always such a big oversight from the original League…"

"I told you once, I'll tell you as many times as needed: nobody should be eating snacks if they're about to witness incredibly violent fights," Azula said, with a dry grin. "Imagine what you'd do to the janitors if they had to clean up the vomit from the audience members with the weakest stomach…"

"I'll make sure to forbid snacks in the bad fights, no worries, Spicy," Toph snickered. Sokka hooted.

"Good going, Toph! You're going to be a great businesswoman, I can tell…"

"Eh? Huh? That's…! I'm not a businesswoman. I'd fight in the new League, too!" Toph huffed.

"Didn't say you wouldn't. But if you're going to run it… you'd be a businesswoman," Sokka said, with a guilty smile and a shrug. Toph froze up. "Don't like the sound of it?"

"It's… weird. Pretentious. My parents might even be proud of it or something, that's not right…" she said, grimacing. Her earnest reaction actually saw most of the people in the room bursting out in laughter…

A soft voice joined them at it, too: emboldened upon hearing the others laugh, Hotaru did it too. Sokka gasped upon recognizing the sound, and he turned towards his daughter with amazed, wide eyes.

"You… laughed? S-she…" Sokka said, a slow, amazed smile spreading over his face. "She laughed!"

"She's done it sometimes, but… she really let it out this time," Azula chuckled, stroking her daughter's hair. "Good on you, dear. Having a good sense of humor is how we survive in this family."

"Heh. No wonder I've wound up as I am, then," Zuko grimaced.

"You're actually joking by saying that, Zuzu," Azula smirked. "Your sense of humor has improved plenty in the past few years, I'd say. Must be the real reason why we're getting along better than ever."

"Eh… that's almost flattering of you to say, even. Thank you," he chuckled.

That Zuko wouldn't take anything poorly, that he would be so calm even as their impending battle loomed ahead, relieved Azula deeply. The meal she and Sokka continued to eat might not have been the most polished they'd ever enjoyed – Mai's servants had taken time off to be with their families after the catastrophic events across the city as of late –, but to their empty stomachs, it was blissful relief indeed. Properly fed and far better rested than across the past days, they were ready to face Jeong Jeong afterwards. Mai and Ruon Jian promised to watch Hotaru this time – while Azula was growing bolder over being out in public with Sokka, Hotaru's safety wasn't yet assured, and she didn't dare risk bringing her anywhere near someone like Jeong Jeong. Sokka could defend himself, should anyone mean him harm… her daughter was better off out of reach from anyone who might take offense to the child's apparent mixed heritage.

Toph didn't stay at Mai's place, either: the promise of her future ventures as chairwoman of the renewed Gladiator League urged her to inspect the damage in both the Palace and the Dome's ruins, to begin scoping out what kind of work she'd need to do. Azula hoped the girl wouldn't rush through the process of crafting a new building, but she would worry about that later: together with Sokka and Zuko, she marched towards the Capital's Temple, refreshed, with her hair properly combed. The sun was already sinking in the horizon by then, and she sighed as she wondered how much more time they'd have left before matters started to spiral out of control… one more day gone by, one more opportunity for dangerous factions to sow discontent and vie for power in the Fire Nation.

"You okay?"

As ever, Sokka read through her immediately. His hand found hers, and Azula squeezed it gently.

"Getting there," was her answer, with a small smile. Sokka smiled back. "Just thinking… we probably should get both things done over the next two days. I doubt Jeong Jeong will be happy for the Agni Kai to be held off for two more days, but you did say you can scare him, so… I guess I'm counting on you for that."

"No worries. I'll get him in line if need be," Sokka said, smugly. Azula snorted at his obvious, playful demeanor.

"It's really wild to think that you daunt that guy as much as you do. I love it, don't get me wrong, but…"

"What? You're trying to say you don't know why anyone's intimidated by me?" Sokka gasped. "Zuko! Tell her why I'm intimidating!"

"What, me? Pfft," Zuko snorted, shaking his head. "Just go on and give her one of your killer glares or something, that's bound to do it."

"Uuuh… not likely," Azula admitted, with an awkward smile. Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't take it seriously, I assume?"

"No, it's just… my reaction wouldn't be fear, exactly," Azula smiled guiltily, averting her gaze towards the sky as they progressed through the city's streets. Sokka snorted, and Zuko shuddered.

"Curses… I didn't need to know that," he swallowed hard. "Are you two going to be like this forever, from now on? Is this what I signed up for?"

"Well, now, isn't this better than awkward tension and serious conflicts?" Azula scoffed. "You've seen enough unhealthy marriages, Zuko, you should never wish that unto anyone else, much less your sister…"

"I've also seen healthy relationships and they don't usually include tormenting the bride's brother with images or ideas he'd rather not know anything about," Zuko groaned. Sokka snickered.

"If that's your standard for healthy… well, that sounds incredibly boring," he said. Azula laughed, covering her mouth with a hand as she leaned against his arm. "I've been through it myself, Zuko, you're just more dramatic over it than you need to be…"

"Have you?" Zuko asked, skeptical.

"I literally caught my sister refusing to do a walk of shame after sneaking around to spend a night with Aang, in the Northern Water Tribe," Sokka said, with a dry grin. Zuko winced. "See? Teasing you isn't as bad as that…"

"Oh, you poor older brother, you…" Azula said, dramatically, patting Sokka's chest kindly. "You need to get even, I'm sure."

"I do? Plan on tormenting Katara right back?" Sokka asked, amused. "I'm listening."

"Uh, no, I meant Zuko," Azula said, gesturing at her brother. Sokka laughed, and Zuko squealed.

"What do I have to do with what he went through? I was probably still unconscious by the time that happened!" Zuko protested. Azula laughed.

"It's just more fun to torment a brother than a sister, that's a fact…"

"Oh, really? Well… I'll get even on you right back whenever I get back to Suki. You'll see," Zuko scoffed. Sokka blinked blankly, eyeing him skeptically.

"You would? Because… you guys were pretty damn restrained and decent. If you were doing anything, nobody found out. Could've been a celibate marriage if it weren't because you had two kids, for all we knew…"

"It wasn't a celibate marriage!" Zuko squealed, cheeks flushing as Azula laughed again, hiding her face in Sokka's flank. He snickered, wrapping an arm around Azula's shoulders. "I…! You guys truly are a nightmare of a combination for me, aren't you? I always knew it, curses, I did, but…"

"You hoped we'd have mercy?" Sokka asked, smiling guiltily.

"At least, I thought you'd focus much more on how happy you are to be back together than on messing with me," he hissed, shaking his head. "And you know what? I don't have to deal with this anyway! I'm going on ahead!"

"Oh, Zuko…" Azula laughed, watching as her brother sped up his pace, hands on his hips as though to make his point more apparent.

It couldn't be denied anymore that Zuko had indeed developed a sense of humor – all that bickering had been far too innocent compared to how outraged and aggressive he used to be over any taunts in the past. He sped up indeed, but he kept a specific distance between himself and the other pair, occasionally glancing back to ensure that they still followed.

As relaxed as she had felt before, Azula grew tenser as she became more aware of her surroundings. Even so, she held onto Sokka, leaning against him as she was. He walked beside her, strong and sturdy, no doubt projecting as much confidence as expected from a leader of his stature… though most of his renewed strength was found in their reunion, their reignited bond. Her eyes drifted about themselves whenever any passersby turned up… and she knew, in many instances, that they had been recognized at once. It didn't stop her from basking in Sokka's embrace.

That wasn't her sole source of tension, however: she glanced to her side often, past Sokka, to glimpse the charred remains of the Fire Nation's Royal Palace. Even now, the sight of its destruction pained her heart, no matter how necessary it had been. She suspected most the world would see it as a just outcome, for the Fire Nation had burned down cities and towns across the Earth Kingdom, obliterated the Air Temples, assailed the Water Tribes… for once, they had felt the destruction directly, and they had deserved that pain. She wondered if some people might have more compassionate views of the situation than that… but even if they didn't, she wouldn't protest it. Countless people besides herself would never go back to the homes they'd always known… it would be in her power, or Zuko's, to ensure that they could live their lives with dignity after facing so many terrible catastrophes.

"What's on your mind?"

Sokka nudged her gently, and Azula smiled at him, if sadly. Her eyes drifted towards the Palace again, and Sokka eyed it with uncertainty.

"Too bad this is the most direct route to the Temple, huh?" he said. "You mustn't want to see this…"

"I don't, but… it's fine to," Azula said. "I… think I have to get used to it being gone. It's so odd, thinking I'm homeless now… guess I ought to go live in a box."

"You're not homeless," Sokka smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "My house is there still. And hey, we used to talk about you moving in there permanently, didn't we? Might be time we actually don't joke around with that and… just relocate there, once this whole mess is said and done."

"You mean… if I win?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't expect us to stay in the city forever if I don't."

"Still set on going to the South Pole, I see?" Sokka smiled. "You know what? I'm glad you are. Going back properly this time… I want to try that. You'll be very cold, yes you will be…"

"Oh, yeah?" Azula smirked.

"And it'll be up to me, yes, to do something about it," Sokka smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Azula laughed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I hadn't thought about that side of things just yet, but fair enough," she said. "Can't imagine it'll feel too cold if you're constantly holding me."

"I'll take that as a petition, and I am granting it preemptively, right now," Sokka said, pompously. Azula laughed. "What? I'm Prince of the Southern Water Tribe, you said it yesterday…"

"Ah, my prince, thank you so much for your magnanimity," she said, her voice delightfully teasing. Sokka smiled, resisting the urge to kiss her at once. "I am but a humble woman, in need of a home for myself and my daughters… if you would be so kind as to provide for us, we shall forever be in your debt."

"Now that's just…" Sokka snorted, shaking his head. "You can't just humble yourself down to that extent, Azula. You're a Princess, yourself…"

"Right now, I don't feel much like one," Azula smiled. "And you know what? I… don't really mind it at all. As I knew I wouldn't, ever since our relationship began. What I didn't know back then, though, was that I'd be marrying up anyhow…"

"Because I'm a Prince? Or because I'm the Gladiator?" Sokka asked, amused.

"Because you're both," Azula gazed at him, her gaze heartfelt and affectionate.

He bit his lip, leaning quickly to press a kiss upon her brow. Azula's cheeks flushed as he pulled back, a satisfied grin across his face.

"I've shown restraint, okay? I have," he said. She chuckled, shaking her head. "But you can't be so nice and expect me not to kiss you. It's all on you, Azula."

"Of course it is," she smiled. "I'm afraid I'm incorrigible, though. Tricking you into kissing me has always been one of my favorite pastimes, as you know…"

"Then we shall continue to be reckless and forget ourselves, I suppose," Sokka smiled. "Still, though, if you win, or even if you don't… it's not a bad idea to relocate to the house for good. Would get a weight off Mai's shoulders… Song probably would join in. It was her place just as much as it was ours."

"Rui Shi would tag along," Azula nodded. "Though… we'd need to do something to ensure Rei can have a room too. Leaving her to sleep on the couch sounds unacceptable to me."

"Well, we had a few rooms we just used for storage… would be just a matter of setting them up," Sokka said, with a shrug. "Might not be as big as the rooms on the upper floor, but I hope it works. Or… we could just expand the house! We can make Toph build new rooms for it…!"

"I think she's going to have her hands full if she'll rebuild the Palace, like I asked," Azula pointed out. "We'll figure things out, but… I guess we'd have to clean the place properly again. And stock up on food… clothes, too."

"We'll find you good stuff to wear," Sokka said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand reassuringly. "Hell… there's bound to be stuff back at the house, come to think of it. The clothes you wore, back when we went to Shu Jing? They've got to be there."

"Heh, true," Azula smiled. "Guess if we go back there tonight, I can wear that tomorrow?"

"You could," Sokka said, biting his lip as an idea came to mind. "You really could."

"Sokka?" Azula raised an eyebrow. He snickered.

"No worries, no worries. Just thought of something we need to do, but… better to do it once we're alone tonight, I think," he said, reassuringly. Azula hummed.

"Well… if you intend to dress me up again, I won't protest," she smiled. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"Not what I meant, but I'll gladly do that too," he teased her, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers softly. "Hell, you're making this impossible. How the hell did I walk across this city with you, whenever we did, without pinning you to the nearest wall and kissing you senseless?"

"Uh… I suppose I was more authoritarian and firm back then about how we couldn't take risks," Azula smiled, intertwining their fingers. "But we were tempted often enough. As soon as we were alone, whenever we were…"

"All bets were off," Sokka grinned mischievously. "Ah, it's strange to both miss that and be relieved that we don't have to do it anymore. But unfortunately, we still have to deal with society and propriety, huh?"

"As far as I know, yes. It would be the same in the South Pole, wouldn't it?" Azula smiled. Sokka sighed and nodded.

"We'd have a lot of work to do, no matter where we wind up," he said. "Life was easier when we had nothing to do but train, attend Gladiator League fights and have sex in our free time."

"To think that you brought up training first, as if it hadn't decreased in frequency alarmingly once the last thing started…" Azula said, eyeing him skeptically. Sokka huffed.

"You always made us go a few rounds with swords before we went… a lot more rounds in bed," Sokka admitted, with a mischievous chuckle. Azula laughed too, shaking her head. "Sorry, sorry. Guess I'm a little too happy about being with you again."

"That's not something you need to apologize for," she said, placing her head on his shoulder. "We'll make up for lost time little by little… but clearly, we won't be able to do that if we stay at Mai's for too long, huh?"

"Nope. She's very uptight, that one," Sokka said, shaking his head disapprovingly. Azula laughed.

"We've imposed on her a lot. It'd be the last straw to push her patience that way," she said, clapping his forearm gently as they finally reached the long stairs that led up to the Temple.

"Hmm… so steep and tall," Sokka said, scrutinizing the top of the climb with a scowl, rubbing his chin with a hand. "Maybe… I should carry you up there!"

Azula snorted, leveling him with a disbelieving glare. He offered her a careless grin, and she laughed before shaking her head.

"It's undeniably lovely to see you back to your usual self, but I don't need that," she said, taking the first steps up and pulling him along with her. Sokka groaned in disappointment, but he followed, nonetheless. "Feel free to do it when we're alone and not in a public venue, but for now…"

"For now, we hold hands anyhow," Sokka decided, with a proud grin. Azula nodded, tightening her grip on his palm.

Their exhaustion hadn't receded entirely, but Sokka's fitness saw him reaching the top of the long stairs without much struggle. Azula, on the other hand, appeared to be slightly overwhelmed by the time they reached the temple's entrance, and he wrapped an arm around her waist as he stopped beside her.

"Need a moment?" he asked. Azula breathed deeply, looking into his eyes: this wasn't the kind of closeness they ever allowed themselves to indulge in when they stood in plain sight. The slightest display of intimacy had to be restrained… and yet now she found herself wondering how they ever found the willpower to withhold their urges. She smiled, a hand falling upon his chest.

"Thanks. I… I think I'll be fine, it's just… it's been a few hard days."

"I know," Sokka said, rubbing her back gently before raising his gaze towards the temple's main building.

Zuko had sped ahead indeed, succeeding at finding the very people they had sought: the White Lotus leaders who had joined the final push had taken temporary residence in the Temple, alongside some of their most trusted soldiers. Whether it was a matter of tormenting the Head Sage or if they were trying to prove their worth, Sokka didn't know for sure... but Jeong Jeong stood by the Head Sage, with Pakku and Zuko, as they approached the Temple's entrance.

"Have the both of you succeeded at finding your answers?" Jeong Jeong asked Sokka and Azula, raising his eyebrows. "It would appear so."

Sokka's disposition changed quickly, instinctively, Azula realized. Nobody was as casual and easygoing around acquaintances as they were with their friends and close ones… nonetheless, the quick disappearance of his humor, the immediate set of his shoulders, the light scowl upon his eyebrows, turned him into the intimidating leader he had been thus far, the man who had achieved everything he had shared with Azula the previous night.

"Jeong Jeong," Sokka said, unwilling to relinquish his grip on Azula, unconcerned with his judgment. "I take it you haven't been causing trouble for the Head Sage?"

The way he spoke truly left no room for misunderstanding: Sokka was the indisputable leader to whom everyone else answered. His question took Jeong Jeong aback, clearly finding it distasteful to be addressed as a misbehaving child, chided by his parent… and yet he didn't answer, uncertain of what to say.

It was impressive, Azula couldn't deny it. The commanding presence of her lover had truly evolved beyond her projections, and she certainly found that admirable and enjoyable to witness. Even so, she supposed it was up to her to give out the answer they had arrived to.

She pulled back, but she made sure to hold onto Sokka's hand. He glanced at her, as though to make certain that she was alright, but this time there was no doubt to be had. The Princess, who had appeared profoundly apprehensive, nervous and uneasy last night now presented herself with far more serenity than she had felt in years, and she nodded solemnly at Jeong Jeong and the Head Sage.

"I accept your terms," she said. "I will face my brother in an Agni Kai, and should I win, I shall rule the Fire Nation with Sokka by my side."

"Though I'll marry her after the coronation is done," Sokka said, with a dry grin. "I'm not about to become Fire Lord through marriage."

Jeong Jeong breathed deeply and nodded. Whether he had expected another response or not, it was hard to say, but perhaps he was relieved to know the path forward would not be any more chaotic than anticipated.

"I will fight, too," Zuko confirmed. Jeong Jeong nodded in his direction.

"And the both of you vow to respect the results of the Agni Kai, regardless of whatever it may signify in the future?" Jeong Jeong said. "There have been more than enough wars in this world as it is. Neither of you will lead uprisings or attempt to overthrow the other…"

"Not a chance," Zuko said. Azula smiled.

"At this point, I think we're both quite aware that there's far more to life than wearing that crown. We don't take this duel lightly," Azula said. Jeong Jeong hummed before nodding.

"Then… I shall prepare to officiate it," the Head Sage said, nodding solemnly. "A duel for the fate of the Fire Nation is no small matter. It shall be held in the Coronation Temple and Plaza."

"There's no Agni Kai Arena for it anymore…" Zuko reasoned, nodding.

"It's not merely that, Prince Zuko," the Head Sage answered. "You do not recall anyone officiating your Agni Kai against your father, surely… no one did. It was as the Fire Lord wished it. But in these circumstances, you will need an arbiter, just as you'd do best to hold the duel so the commonfolk and highborn alike can witness it. That way, there will be no questioning the outcome of your Agni Kai."

"Heh. I see," Zuko frowned: he wasn't entirely sure why it bothered him for it to be a public affair. His father had done it, in his own way, by fighting him in front of the nobility and his military officials… it shouldn't be too different from that harrowing experience.

"There's, however, one more thing I wanted done. Preferably, before the Agni Kai," Azula said. Jeong Jeong's expression gave away that he had anticipated a setback, whatever it might be.

"Is that so?" he asked. Azula breathed deeply, calming herself – his tone didn't agree with her, but she resolved to ignore it, no matter if Sokka was already glaring menacingly at Jeong Jeong for disrespecting her.

"I can understand that we may not have the chance to organize proper pyres for all the dead, not in such short notice," Azula said. "But… I believe my father should be given to the flames publicly, before the people witness an Agni Kai at all. While it's likely that word has spread about what happened, I don't know for sure that it has. Sending off the Fire Lord when he's perished is the common procedure before anyone is crowned."

"It's how it was, when he was crowned," Zuko reasoned. Azula nodded.

"A funeral pyre, followed by an Agni Kai? You people certainly have strange customs," Pakku said, eyeing everyone skeptically.

"It would be done in separate days, I believe. While funerals can be followed by coronations, it's reasonable not to do so this time, what with the Agni Kai being necessary, first," the Head Sage said, nodding. "I had begun organizing matters to give him to the flames, but… I wasn't quite sure when to do it."

"It's best to handle it soon," Azula said, softly. "Delaying it any further won't help. It's… it's time now."

"Then… this means we shall hold this funeral by tomorrow?" Jeong Jeong asked, raising his eyebrows. "And you would fight the Agni Kai on the next day?"

"I believe that would work. Zuko?" Azula glanced at her brother, who nodded approvingly.

"I'm good with that, too," he said. Jeong Jeong sighed.

"So be it. At least it's finally a certainty," he said, glancing back at Pakku. "We shall see to it that the White Lotus spread the word. The city will learn of both events in no time."

"Good. We should hold as many funerals as possible by tomorrow," Sokka said. "I doubt we can get to all of them, but it's better than putting them off due to other occasions."

"The Temple can arrange that, yes. The sages who man the shrines of each district in Harbor City will also be certain to help," the Head Sage explained, and Sokka nodded.

"Good. I know it's a lot of stuff, but… we're getting closer to setting the right course towards the future now. Let's take it easy while we get there, alright?" he said. Jeong Jeong sighed and nodded.

"So be it, General. A few more days of wait are not too many, I suppose," he said. "We shall begin organizing matters for the funeral, and for the Agni Kai."

"The coronation robes… are they in the Temple?" Azula asked, eyeing the Head Sage with uncertainty. "If they were in the Palace, well, clearly we'd need replacements…"

"We do keep a set for such purposes in the Temple, yes," the Head Sage reassured her, with a smile. Azula nodded. "I have the crown safe and sound as well. We shall have all symbols prepared for the coronation… it should follow the Agni Kai right away, yes?"

"I would prefer that. The less time we waste, the better," Jeong Jeong sighed.

Sokka eyed Azula, as though confirming that she was fine with that notion, and she nodded. He responded in kind, and Jeong Jeong appeared relieved by his approval.

"Might be rushed… but it's for the best," Sokka acknowledged. "Then… should we help with anything? If you need our assistance with setting up the funerals or Agni Kai…"

"The Temple can and will handle both things," the Head Sage reassured him. "It is our duty. Perhaps it's rare for us to have so much to do at such short notice… but it shall be done. I will ensure to call the Sages from all shrines to aid us all the way to the coronation."

"Very well," Sokka nodded.

"Thank you… for your patience, as well as your diligence now," Azula said. "This might seem a whim for some of you, but… it's important, nonetheless. I appreciate your willingness to help us."

"It is our duty, Princess, and we shall see it done," the Head Sage said, bowing his head towards her. "Rest assured… quite literally, as well. You'd do best to rest, regain your strength, and be ready both for tomorrow's rites and the duel, on the next day."

Azula nodded, breathing out slowly – all important decisions had been made so quickly that their long trek to make it all the way here almost seemed to have been the greater effort this time. Nonetheless, everything was in order now, and the way forward much clearer than it had been thus far.

The Head Sage returned to the Temple's main building – he had far too much work ahead of himself to waste it with casual conversations now.

"Well… back to Mai's, then?" Sokka asked. Azula hummed.

"We could do it, though. Relocating to your place today?" she suggested. "She might be grateful for it…"

"Heh. We'd fetch Hotaru and go?" Sokka suggested. Azula nodded and he smiled. "Alright, then. Uh… do you want to come too, Zuko?"

"To stay at your place?" Zuko asked, with a slight grin. "Yeah, uh, I'll take my chances with Mai."

"How do you know she's not going to scar you for life with her inappropriate nighttime noises, though?" Azula asked, teasingly. Zuko scoffed.

"For one thing, it's Mai, I doubt she'd be that careless, and for another… she's exhausted. I doubt she's going to be nearly as active in that department as the lot of you," Zuko shook his head. "Anyway, you're bound to be better off without me in the way too, so… I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Plan on sticking around here a while longer?" Sokka asked. Zuko nodded.

"I figure I'll keep an eye on things, make sure Jeong Jeong's got nothing dangerous in mind or so," Zuko said. Sokka hummed.

"Good call. Then… see you tomorrow."

He waved at Zuko before placing a hand upon Azula's shoulder. She smiled at her brother, bowing her head in acknowledgement at him, and Zuko did the same.

Sokka and Azula began their trek down the stairs again in silence, this time moving more slowly, for the situation wasn't as pressing as it could have been. But Azula broke the silence between them, perhaps mainly to hear his voice anew… even if she did have something in mind to discuss.

"Do you have any money?" Azula asked, casually. Sokka frowned at the odd question, smiling slightly as he squeezed her hand, once they reached the bottom of the Temple's stairs.

"I don't think I do," he said. "Haven't really needed it lately."

"You really did embrace the royal lifestyle, huh?" Azula smiled. "Damn. I just… I know you said I have some clothes at your place, but… I need white clothes."

"Oh. For… for the funeral, huh?" Sokka asked, eyeing her mournfully. Azula sighed and shrugged.

"Maybe I can ask Mai for some, again… she'll get mad, but what else is new?" Azula grinned awkwardly. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.

"We can look around, see if we find anything. There's bound to be some seamstress or another in town who would provide clothes for free to the Royal Family, right?"

"Right…?" Azula raised her eyebrows. "I don't think it was ever for free, though. We could look around, I guess…"

"Let's give it a shot. If not, then… I had white shirts I'd wear for sleep sometimes. You could wear that," Sokka smirked. Azula snorted, shaking her head.

"How very appropriate. No doubt you'd find it perfect, of course, for me to send off my father while basically showing off our intimacy that way…"

"Why not?" Sokka smirked. Azula rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

"I'll have plenty of chances to wear your clothes after the next few days. Let's try to be appropriate until then, shall we?"

"Uh… no, we shall not. I thought we were relocating to my place so we could be inappropriate?" Sokka smirked.

"We won't be in public by then, Sokka. We can do whatever you want at that point," Azula smiled, leaning into him. Sokka snickered.

"Good to know."

The first store that crossed Azula's mind was the one Ty Lee had hired for her wedding, years ago. She breathed deeply before entering its premises, followed by Sokka, who, apprehensive as he might be about making public appearances casually, nonetheless stood by her, hand in hers.

"Excuse me, we're a little…!" the clerk said, rummaging through her storage room awkwardly, as soon as she heard the door opening.

The young woman froze up at once, letting out a small yelp upon laying eyes upon them both.

Azula raised a hand, reassuringly – the days when she would go unrecognized merely because she wasn't wearing her hairpiece clearly were gone by now. Sokka, too, had been rather recognizable throughout the city, and it was no secret that he had been the one to lead the enemy forces… the girl might just jump to some wrong conclusions, even if she no doubt had just confirmed the nature of their relationship, in virtue of their joined hands.

"Don't… don't fret," Azula said. The woman paled. "I only need… funerary attire. For… one, I suppose?"

"Eh… yeah," Sokka grimaced. "I mean, I'm not going to get kicked out if I'm not wearing any, am I?"

"I doubt it," Azula said, smiling sadly before turning towards the nervous clerk. "I'll have to pay you later, but…"

"N-no, no, you… y-you don't have to pay me later or at all, Princess…" the girl said. Azula winced.

"I appreciate the generosity, but…"

"Do excuse me, I… I'll go see what I have in the back?" she said, swallowing hard. "I just… I'm afraid I don't have a lot to offer you right now. Do forgive me."

"It's fine if you don't have anything, I know it's a sudden demand…" Azula said, frowning. "I didn't expect the textile industry to be stretched so thin, though. Have the shortages been this bad ever since the war spiked up again, or…?"

"Uh… that's not really it," the clerk said, with an awkward smile: she kept shooting worried glances at Sokka. Where he frequently impressed people in the past, there was no doubt he terrified them now, without even trying. "It's just… well, a group came by a while ago and they as good as cleaned me out. I guess maybe they were, uh, from… the new arrivals in the city? But some did look Fire Nation, so I don't know…"

"Cleaned out?" Azula repeated blinking blankly. The girl smiled awkwardly.

"Anyway! I'll go find… anything for your purposes. I'm sure… I'm sure there's something somewhere, yes…"

Azula watched her go, perplexed. She turned towards Sokka, finding he had raised an eyebrow upon the girl's unexpected revelation.

"Almost sounds like… some people we know might have been here," he said.

She had thought the same thing, and was unsurprised to find him coming to a similar conclusion: after the clerk returned, with a set of straight-forward, simple white robes, bereft of the usual golden decorations for royals' use, Azula and Sokka progressed towards Mai's home. He carried her set of clothes for her, and he opened the door to find the house far more crowded than it had been earlier: piles of bags, be it with food or clothes, crowded the vestibule and corridors, along with a number of guests that Mai might just be overwhelmed by, at this point. Azula, however, smiled instinctively at the sight of her former guards, accompanied by the new Third Squad, and even Chan: many of them carried bags still, and they appeared to keenly listen to Song as she attempted to organize their numerous goods. Even so, she stopped talking abruptly as soon as she heard the door opening.

"Ah! You're back!" Song smiled at them as she approached the pair, leaving the others to set their bags down wherever they might find room for it: Azula raised her eyebrows, letting out a huff of amusement at the sight of the cluttered vestibule hallway.

"Clerk wasn't lying, huh? You really did clean her out?" Azula said. Song froze up before smiling awkwardly.

"Oh, uh, guess we had similar ideas?" she said. "I fetched as much stuff as I could for you, didn't think you'd have the chance to do it yourself…"

"I know I needed new clothes, but you might have gone overboard," Azula laughed. Song snorted.

"We only went to three shops, could've been worse…"

"Three?" Azula repeated, eyes wide. "And… you, uh, paid properly for all of it? Really?"

"Eh… with your money, yeah," Song said, guiltily. "It's one of the things we brought with us back when we ran, remember? Things have been expensive, but…"

"Oh. I… didn't think about that at all," Azula hummed. "Good to know it came in handy. Though… is there any left?"

"Not a ton, sorry about that…" Song bit her lip. She glanced at Sokka, who smiled somewhat dismissively. "What's that look for, huh?"

"Sorry, I just… can't believe how the tables have turned," he chuckled. "I haven't worried about money once since… uh, probably since before we were even apart, Azula."

"As we've established, you've become far more royal than I am, as of late," Azula smiled. "Carrying no money with you, not even thinking about whether you need any or not… shame on you."

He snickered at her accusation, playful as it might be. Azula shook her head, smiling before glancing down the corridor: the guards waved at her eagerly, and she offered them an affectionate smile and bow of her head.

"Thanks for all your help," she said.

"No need to thank us! We're thrilled to help!" Fei Li grinned. "I kind of missed working at menial tasks for you!"

"That's good to know," Azula laughed. "Because you might need to do some more of those now, too."

"Oh?" Fei Li perked up.

"We've thought to relocate to your old place," Azula explained to Song, who hummed upon hearing the words. "It will need some cleaning anyway, and not everyone will fit there, but… it's probably a good thing to give Mai some space, huh?"

"Yeah, I have the feeling she'll be grateful," Song chuckled. "That's a thought, though! And that way I don't have to fret about where to put all this… though we will be leaving some food here to make up for what we've used, and… goodness, going back to the house. We… we really can do that. We could just stay there...!"

"I'd say it'll be a chance to return to the good old days… but I doubt it'll feel quite like that," Sokka smiled. "For one thing… we have a kid to look after now. And speaking of which…"

"Ah. Rui Shi's with her now," Song said, with a proud smile. Azula hummed, as Song gestured towards the garden. "She'll probably need food soon, though… maybe you can take care of that while I set things up so we're ready to go to the house. The sooner, the better, right?"

"Right. Thanks," Azula said, nodding. Impulsively, she stepped forward and hugged Song, who stiffened at first before returning the embrace. "Hell knows what I'd do without you."

"You'd… just have to do all of it yourself, I guess," Song chuckled. "I ought to be exhausted… maybe I am, kind of. I'm just so glad things have turned out this way that I barely care if I'm overworking myself at all."

"Well, you'll get a break soon. I hope," Azula smiled, pulling back. "After things are sorted out, the funeral, the Agni Kai…"

"Right," Song said, frowning slightly. "You'll be okay fighting against your brother? I doubt you wanted to, but…"

"It's the better way to deal with this, for now," Azula said, nodding. "We've talked, neither one's taking this lightly, neither one is vying for the throne mindlessly either. Winning is a more daunting prospect than losing, if you ask me."

"Well… I'm sure the two of you can handle anything by now," Song smiled, glancing at Sokka. "If you're ever overwhelmed, take a break and make Sokka deal with all of it in your stead."

"Heh! I'd do that. Ten times over. As often as needed," Sokka said, firmly. Song chuckled as Azula smiled fondly at him.

"Good to know your goofy side's still as lively as ever," Song concluded. "Alright, well…! You guys heard what's going on, so let's get ready to bring all our bags to the old house!"

"Yes, yes, Lady Song…" sighed Fei Li, with a teasing grin. Song scoffed at him, but the bulk of the guards took to work anew under her direction.

Azula smiled at the sight before stepping towards the garden's door. Sokka followed, and the Princess's mood brightened all the more at the sight of Rui Shi and Rei, with Hotaru in the arms of the former.

"It's not so hard, once you get used to it," Rei smiled, setting his arms carefully around the baby. Rui Shi hummed approvingly, before raising his gaze to find Azula's.

"Ah… Princess. Welcome back."

"Getting acquainted with Hotaru, I see," Azula smiled, stepping forward and placing a hand upon Rei's head. The girl grinned brightly at her, leaning against her leg. "I hope both of you have been nice to Rui Shi so far… I'm the one who's supposed to be rude and unreasonable around him after all."

Rui Shi laughed, shaking his head as he caressed the baby's hair gently.

"They've been nothing like you, or him, that's for sure," Rui Shi said. Sokka scoffed.

"You're going to start picking fights with me again? You were such an obedient nice second-in-command for as long as you were, Rui Shi…"

"Ah, my favorite two men, getting along nicely right until I show up," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "I always knew you two pick fights with each other just to amuse me, but it's nice to confirm it in full."

"It's… not as simple as that, but fair enough," Rui Shi smiled, hoisting Hotaru so Azula could take her into her embrace.

"I probably will feed her now, so…" Azula said: Rui Shi tensed up before bolting to his feet and bowing towards Azula.

"That is my cue to go right back out there and work, then," he said. "I hear Song's still giving them orders…"

"Did you help out at first too?" Sokka asked. Rui Shi nodded.

"Mai simply wanted a break from watching Hotaru, she handed her over to Rei… I was curious about her, Song told me to stay here and meet her properly," Rui Shi smiled, reaching over to take Hotaru's small hand. "She is far too reasonable, not just for your child but for any baby, too. Please don't teach her to make her guards' jobs harder than they need to be?"

"Huh? What else is there for us to teach her, if not that? Curses, Rui Shi, and then you claim I'm the unreasonable one…" Azula said, shaking her head dismissively. Rei laughed, covering her mouth with a hand, and Azula smirked proudly.

Rui Shi stepped up to the door, but he clasped Sokka's shoulder before leaving. The Gladiator smiled at his friend, finding him mirroring the expression before long.

"Everything's good?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka nodded.

"Mostly. Things feel really busy, but… I'm glad it's in this way," he said.

"Anyone in the city give you a hard time?" Rui Shi inquired.

"Well, the girl from the clothing shop seemed to be about to shit herself in fear of me, but… nothing else, beyond that," Sokka said, with an awkward smile. "Guess I've earned that kind of reaction anyway."

"They'll get over it sooner than later," Rui Shi said, reassuringly. "Focus on the good things instead."

"Will do," Sokka nodded.

Rui Shi squeezed his shoulder before marching out. Sokka watched him go, smiling as Rui Shi approached Song, wrapping an arm around her waist. She smiled brightly, resting her head on his shoulder as he spoke quietly to her. To think the four of them truly might be a step closer to reclaiming their normalcy soon… his heart soared at the very thought. The difficulties they'd face across their journey were nothing to scoff at… but this outcome served to soothe and heal all their hearts. A new journey would be certain to begin soon, too…

"You seem to get along well with Rui Shi," Azula told Rei: Sokka glanced over at her, finding the Princess preparing to nurse Hotaru with perfect comfort around her older daughter. Rei even rummaged through some bags, finding a cloth to help Azula, showing her understanding of the Princess's rite while feeding Hotaru. "Not that that surprises me, but still…"

"He's very nice. Quiet, too," Rei said, with a chuckle. "He hardly can believe the stories I told him about Song's time as Wen…"

"Oh really?" Azula smiled.

"She was really embarrassed about some of them, too," Rei chuckled. "But if she's changed since the days when they were together, he seems to be welcoming it fully anyway, so… they're happy."

"As they should be," Azula said: Hotaru latched onto her nipple by then, feeding eagerly, and Rei smiled kindly at her mother.

"As you should be, too," she said, softly. Azula glanced towards her. "Everything's worked out for the best for you too, Mom?"

"Well…" Azula said, an inevitably warm smile spreading over her face. "I may have gone out of my way to fall in love with the best man alive, so… seems like everything's going to work out just fine for me."

Rei chuckled, glancing back at Sokka: the tenderness with which he gazed at Azula, as he rested against the door's frame, spoke for itself. He didn't intervene in their conversation, but he watched over the Princess even so.

"Thank you," Rei said, startling him out of his reverent gazing at Azula. He blinked blankly, turning his attention towards Rei. "For… for being exactly what I hoped you'd be."

"Uh… huh. Well… thank you for saying something so nice," Sokka said, cheeks flushing slightly, smiling bashfully at Rei. "If you're saying it because of your mom, well… I have the feeling you and I understand each other quite well when it comes to how amazing she is."

"We do," Rei grinned brightly. Azula scoffed beside her. "And that means… we ignore her when she doesn't want to accept that."

"That's the fundamental rule in this family, yes. We praise Azula and all her protests about it go ignored," Sokka smirked. Both Rei and Azula laughed, though the Princess shook her head over his words.

"I always wanted the two of you to meet… and now I realize what a hazard that is for me. If you two get away with this twisted agenda of yours, I'll actually end up so full of myself I'll become unbearable. Mark my words," she warned them. Neither Sokka nor Rei appeared fazed by that at all.

"Fine by me," Sokka smiled brightly.

"Say…" Rei bit her lip, turning towards Azula again. "You gave me, uh, something that I was supposed to give him, if worst came to worst?"

"Oh… oh," Azula frowned. Rei bit her lip.

"Should I give it to him at all? Should I give it back to you? Or…?"

"Did you keep the necklace with it all, too?" Azula asked. Rei nodded. "Hmm. Well, if you can get someone to carry it all the way to the house, we can figure out what to do about it then. But… frankly, I'm not sure he needs to read all that after everything we talked about."

"You mean… the letters you mentioned you'd written?" Sokka asked. Azula swallowed hard and nodded. Rei bit her lip.

"I don't know if they'll help in any way," Rei admitted, glancing at him. "But maybe… it'll help you to see how good you are for her, heh. You've only been back for a few days and… well, she's at greater peace than ever before, I think."

"It's not just me, I'm sure," Sokka smiled. "But thanks for saying that. I'll only disturb that peace for dumb reasons, I promise."

"You're an expert at that, true," Azula smiled. "I suppose you'll join us over at the house, Rei? Or… would you rather stay here?"

"If I get to choose, I'd go with you," Rei answered immediately. Azula bit her lip.

"Then we'll have to set up your room indeed," she said. Sokka nodded.

"No worries, we can get to it as soon as we get there," Sokka said. Rei tensed up. "Might not be all good right away, but we'll take care of…"

"I can sleep on the couch if need be!" Rei said, cheeks flushing. "You don't need to go out of your way to give me a room…"

"You're my daughter, Rei, I'm not making you sleep like you're just crashing temporarily…" Azula scoffed.

"Well, she could stay on the couch for like… one night or two?" Sokka suggested. Azula winced, glancing at him in confusion. "I mean, setting up a proper bed will take a while, with the situation being as it is. But we have sleeping bags too! She could stay in one of those instead, and…"

"Sokka? What's going on?"

Katara's voice drifted in from the hallway: she appeared to have returned to Mai's house just then, from wherever she had been before. Azula smirked, watching as Sokka winced, turning quickly towards his sister and the Avatar.

"I just heard you guys are moving out to… your old house, is it?" Katara asked.

"We will, we will, and you guys can come too? I think? But, uh, there's not going to be that much room…"

Azula smiled, shaking her head before turning towards Hotaru anew. The baby's golden eyes were set on her as she nursed, as though waiting for explanations that hadn't arrived just yet.

"So many people, huh? You basically had four people in your life for the longest time and now…" Azula said, brushing her daughter's hair carefully with her fingers. "Now it's like two worlds collided, huh?"

"That's one way to put it," Rei smiled. Azula grinned too, holding Hotaru carefully.

"And she's the union of both of them," Azula said. "I don't envy you much for that, I have to say… so many people to get to know, all at once, when you're quite so small? I suppose the upside to it is you'll never be lonely, dear, but goodness… if you're not overwhelmed by it, it'll certainly be a shocker."

"She'll be fine," Rei chuckled. "I think she's enjoying all the changes… most of all because she met her dad, and because you're still right here, watching over her."

"I am… I am," Azula smiled, her heart churning with joy and relief over Rei's truthful words. "And I always will be. Over her… and over you, too, Rei."

Rei bit her lip and giggled before leaning close to Azula, hugging her gently. Azula sighed, dropping her head atop her daughter's.

"I never really thought I'd feel like… like anything would be alright eventually," Azula said, her throat thickening with tears. "But it really does, doesn't it? Maybe… maybe our new normal is still to be determined, but…"

"But things are better now," Rei smiled, nodding. "Say… you talked to him about everything, right?"

"I did," Azula said. Rei bit her lip.

"And he didn't react badly?"

"Well… not really," Azula smiled earnestly. "There were a few rough patches but… it was expected. He would've had to be more than human not to feel any kind of way about that. But… if you're wondering if he's ready to accept you, it seems so."

Rei smiled brightly, leaning against Azula in glee. The Princess smiled, spreading her arm around Rei's shoulders to hold her closely.

"Things might get tricky, in the next couple of days… my father's funeral will happen tomorrow," Azula said. Rei nodded. "Then, the Agni Kai. Depending on what the outcome is… either I'll be Fire Lord, or I won't be."

"What would you prefer?" Rei asked. "Do you want to be Fire Lord, or…?"

"At this point… I don't really know," Azula smiled, shaking her head. "It's no longer as daunting an idea as I thought it would be… but I know it would be a great burden anyway. And life would certainly be easier if I weren't Fire Lord, I can tell you that much, but… I will do my best anyway. I owe it to myself, to my family… to my nation."

"Well… I'll be rooting for you," Rei smiled. "And if it's hard, well… you'll have a lot of people helping you. You're not alone, Mom."

"I'm not… I haven't been, for a long time," Azula smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Rei's head. "Thank you for everything, Rei."

"No need to thank me," she blushed, smiling. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

Azula sighed in relief, hugging the girl against her flank: once Hotaru stopped eating, Azula embraced the both of them, and Rei laughed in her arms. Dusk was falling, but the brightness of the world's new dawn seemed to be but moments away. Only the final challenges were left before a new era began: Azula's final goodbye to Ozai, as her father's remains were burned as intended, would come by the next day, and the Hundred Year War's darkness would finally end on the day to follow… as the vital Agni Kai, fought between brother and sister, determined the fate of the Fire Nation.