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seyaryminamoto · 6 months

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The Shadows in her Reflection: Sokkla Saturdays 2023

Day 8: Winter

Rated: M

On FF.net//On AO3

"Woah, that was a restful night," Aang smiled carelessly by morning, taking his seat in the dining hall of the Eastern Air Temple where the group would eat their breakfast.

"You sure you're feeling alright?" Katara asked him, raising a hand to his forehead. "No fever, you're not overextended…?"

"I'm way better than I was the last time I was conscious. If that helps," Aang smiled before turning to the other two occupants of the dining room, who looked about as exhausted as he felt. "How about you two? Feeling okay?"

Sokka and Azula sat side by side, groggy and yawning. Azula nodded in response to Aang's question, but her half-lidded eyes spoke for themselves.

"Spiritual adventures can be… draining," Sokka answered, with a weak grin. "But we're alright. Just… need to recharge all over again."

"I can't believe it's over," Azula admitted, surprising Sokka.

"You mean… seeing Yue?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded.

"Drank my water this morning and… she wasn't there," she said, with a sad smile. "Nor in the mirror, when I looked. It doesn't feel real… even though it should, considering she was a vision all along…"

"Well, she's back where she needs to be," Katara said. "I know it's little comfort, just as it wasn't when she first turned into the Moon Spirit… but I don't think I'd seen a brighter moon before last night. My bending felt stronger for it, too."

"Just my luck, strengthening the waterbenders with my rare good deeds," Azula smirked. "Should've just continued my track record as a terrible person and kept Yue leashed to me, then…"

"Well, believe it or not, I have no intentions of picking a fight with you these days, so unless you're the one who picks it, I think you don't have to worry about how strong or weak I might be," Katara said, with a sardonic smirk. Azula laughed and shrugged.

"So be it. I'll pick a fight with Toph, if I want someone to spar with," she said.

"You could always spar with me," Sokka said. Azula groaned, dropping her head on his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow.

"Only after we've rested some more. You'll beat me if I fight you like this and I would never forgive myself for that," she said. Sokka chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Katara eyed their closeness with a slight sneer – evidently, it would take time for her to grow used to their relationship, but that she wasn't demanding that they stopped being affectionate with each other in her presence was probably the best start they could have asked for. Instead, she decided to shift her attention to other matters…

"You did bring up Toph… not surprising that she's being lazy, of course," she said, pushing herself up. "But it's kind of strange for both her and Zuko to be lazy in the morning. He did say once that he rises with the sun… I figured that meant he doesn't sleep in."

"He probably just said that to sound more impressive than he actually is," Azula said. Katara couldn't hold back a smile at that remark.

"I'll go check on them anyway," she said. "Breakfast's going to get cold otherwise."

"I can come with you if you want," Aang said, but Katara shook her head.

"Stay here, eat. I'll be back soon," she said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Aang grinned giddily at the gesture as his wife walked away.

He watched her go, still as smitten as ever. Sokka rolled his eyes, smirking slightly while Azula picked one of the sweet buns on the table, ripping it in half and offering one of the pieces to Sokka.

"You two really don't change at all, huh?" he said. Aang turned towards him again, with a careless smile. "Still ogling my sister like you'd never seen her before…"

"Well, how is it my fault that she gets more beautiful every day?" Aang said, still grinning. "You know what? I think… I think we should go for number two."

"Number two? Uh, y-you mean, for the, uh… the loo?" Sokka asked. Azula snorted, choking on the bun and Sokka panicked, patting her back. "Azula?! You okay?"

"That's not what I meant!" Aang blushed: he startled Azula, though, by unclogging her throat far more effective and quickly than ever before by using his airbending.

"T-thank you," Azula smiled awkwardly, and Aang pouted at Sokka, who still held his lover carefully.

"I meant a second kid!" Aang exclaimed.

Sokka froze for a moment, and Azula met his gaze, amused.

"You really didn't think that was what he meant? Even in that context?" she asked.

"I…! I don't know, it didn't cross my mind! I…!" Sokka winced, turning towards the blushing Aang. "You guys sure? Is this about, uh, trying to make more airbenders?"

"It's about me being hopelessly in love with my wife," Aang said, proudly. "We've talked about wanting a big family. I guess, if it gets too big, we'll stop eventually, but… I've never really experienced a family like this before, you know? It's a whole new thing for me. My parents didn't exactly raise me the way yours, uh… w-well, yours would have raised you, but I know it wasn't quite like that for either of you."

"Huh," Sokka raised an eyebrow, taking a bite off his own sweet bun by now. "Well… you could go for it, I guess. Just, don't regale me with any explanations on how you'll make a new baby because that'd kill my appetite."

"I won't, I won't," Aang smiled awkwardly.

"Here I thought you liked the process of making babies all too well…" Azula commented carelessly: both men in the room blushed profusely, and Sokka elbowed her ribs slightly.

"C'mon, now…"

"Don't you?" She smirked.

"Well… sure! But we're not trying to make babies, are we?"

The question burst out of him before he knew it, and it caught both of them by surprise. Azula blinked blankly as a strange awareness bloomed in Sokka's eyes, too.

"Are we?" he asked again.

Azula shivered and shook her head rapidly.

"I mean… not intentionally. Not right now, no. Maybe in time. If we're ever… well, ready," she said. Sokka nodded slowly.

"Then… you guys are that committed, huh?" Aang grinned. "That's great! Guess you'll stay together, going forward?"

"We… might," Sokka said, glancing down at Azula, who frowned slightly. "Provided that's what she wants. I know it's what I want, but…"

"Might be a better conversation to have without the Avatar in the middle of it," Azula said. Sokka chuckled, but Aang pouted.

"Not that I want to pry or disturb your privacy, but… I'm supportive!" he said. "That's all I wanted you to know. If you two found love together, I think that's amazing. It's a little crazy to think Sokka's not with Suki anymore sometimes, but…"

"Crazier for you than it is for me," Sokka smiled sadly. "That relationship had run its course for far too many years before it finally ended."

"Probably. But most of us thought everything was, uh, mostly okay?" Aang shrugged. "It's a big change. But… you do look happier now than you've been in forever."

"Because I am," Sokka grinned, hand falling on Azula's waist as he reeled her closer. "I think I found what I didn't know I was looking for."

"I'm a big box of surprises that way, apparently," Azula smiled at him before shaking her head. "In any case, I don't really have any plans. I guess in a sense I feel like I didn't quite finish what Yue wanted us to do… but after what she said, it seems that she didn't actually want that journey for herself: she wanted it for me."

"You mean, seeing the world, the sights, the seasons…?" Aang asked. Azula nodded.

"It's strange. She was looking out for me, pretending to be selfish while instead she was granting me everything she would have wanted to have in life, if her circumstances had been more forgiving," Azula said, earnestly. "If she'd told me that it was for my benefit, at first, I would have refused to go along with it, but…"

"Good thing you didn't," Sokka said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. Azula smiled.

"Yeah. Good thing I didn't," she agreed, taking his hand in hers.

"I'll have to go back to Republic City eventually, though," he pointed out. Azula hummed in acknowledgement. "Maybe… we can get you a spot on the council too?"

"Sounds very much like nepotism to me," Azula smirked. Aang laughed.

"Well, the Fire Nation representative did say he was getting too old for diplomatic matters," he pointed out. "You might be a good candidate to take over. You know, as long as Zuko agrees."

"He seems to trust you more than usual, lately," Sokka pointed out. Azula shrugged.

"We'll see. It's hard to believe Zuko would give me that kind of responsibility regardless of…"

A piercing scream in the upper floors of the temple caused all three of them to fall silent abruptly.

"Katara?!" Aang gasped.

He was out of the hall as fast as lightning. Sokka followed suit, and while Azula didn't feel the urge to run too, she still decided to go after Sokka in case her aid came in handy. What, exactly, could have caused the waterbender to have that kind of outburst? Had she found a strange Air Nomad trap, triggered it, perhaps? That might have happened if this were a Fire Nation location instead… did Air Nomads do anything of the sort? Azula certainly didn't know enough about their culture to make a proper guess about that…

But by the time she reached the scene that had elicited Katara's scream, she realized no bending could possibly fix what had shocked Katara enough to let out a sound quite so alarming…

"If I wanted to be woken up early, I would've brought a pigster with me! Quit your screaming and your yapping, Katara, damn it!" Toph groaned, covering her ears with a pillow: even though so many people taller than her stood in the way, Azula still caught sight of Toph within the room…

She lay on her stomach in bed, and the covers had rolled down her back, exposing that it was naked.

Well. Perhaps the reckless earthbender preferred sleeping naked, as Sokka had pretended to in Ember Island. Azula was growing fonder of the concept nowadays thanks to Sokka's company, it was quite easy to drift into sleep after a round or two of…

Wait.

Couldn't that be the explanation, too?

"You… y-you… what the hell is going on here?!" Katara finally managed to snap out of her shock to properly ask a question… and it wasn't Toph who answered it.

"L-look, I know this seems crazy and out of place and…! B-but it's not what you think! Okay, well, maybe it is what you think, but…!"

Sokka winced, glancing back at Azula to find a frozen smile across her face at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Whaaaaat…?" she said, her own voice small and nervous.

"Uh… I don't know. I guess those two, uh…" Sokka grimaced: Toph, inside the room, huffed while Zuko scrambled into view, dressed awkwardly, in what would have been the attire to his silent walk of shame if only Katara hadn't caught him well before he started it.

"You… and Toph?!" Katara asked, glaring at Zuko in disbelief.

"W-well…!" Zuko blushed, heart racing under the sharp scrutiny of the rest of the group.

"It was a one-time thing!" Toph huffed. Zuko froze, eyes wide.

"It… was?" he said, turning towards her. "Wait, we never said…!"

"I never said I wanted to go again, Sparky. Guess I was just that good for you, was I?" she smirked. "But that's not my style, pal. Now, get out of here, all of you. I barely slept last night as it is…"

"B-but wait, that IS my style!" Zuko exclaimed, flustered. "I don't… do one-night stands!"

"Well, you do now. Congratulations!"

His jaw dropped, and as much as nobody truly understood what was going on between Zuko and Toph, most of them couldn't help but feel some compassion for the shocked firebender.

"Uuuh… maybe you should just, you know, go to your own room, change, wash up…?" Aang suggested. Zuko grimaced and lowered his head.

"None of you were supposed to… ugh. I'll be on my way," he grumbled, walking past everyone without meeting their gazes.

"And you?" Aang asked Toph, raising an eyebrow. She groaned.

"Fuck off. I'll have breakfast for dinner."

"Sounds about right," Aang smiled awkwardly, turning around and wrapping his arms around Katara. "You okay?"

"Slightly… stunned," Katara admitted, eyes wide still. "I thought Zuko would be out practicing his forms or something when I saw his room was empty. Didn't ever imagine I'd find him here with… spirits, I can't believe it. Zuko and Toph?"

"She's been hitting on him relentlessly lately. Guess she got what she wanted in the end," Sokka smiled a little, leading the rest of the group back to the lower floors, leaving Toph to her rest.

Zuko, naturally, wasn't as calm or careless about the situation as Toph was. He apologized profusely to Katara over what she saw – leaving everyone to wonder just how exposed they had been to her unprepared eyes – and he ate breakfast while scowling.

"Wasn't like we were trying to make a fuss or anything, it was just…! W-well…" Zuko said, running a hand over his hair. "She keeps flirting with me lately and I couldn't help but wonder if something could come of it, most of all after we almost died yesterday! I didn't really think we'd face that kind of danger again after the war ended, but when we did, I…"

"You figured you'd make your survival count for something and fucked one of your best friends," Azula smirked. Zuko blushed, covering his face with his hands. "How wonderful. Now you can't blame me for doing the same thing with another of them, can you?"

"At least it sounds like you two are trying to, well, make something real out of this. Toph just tried to get into my pants, succeeded, and now the novelty wore off or something?" Zuko scoffed.

"Maybe she wants you to be the one to show you want her this time?" Katara said, with an awkward smile. "But I don't know. Maybe don't show her anything. I still have no idea about how to feel over this whole situation…"

"In a sense, I suppose they were the only ones among our group who weren't a couple, so… might be they felt like they might as well go for it?" Sokka said, with a shrug. Zuko huffed.

"So, it's just meaningless for us to have had anything, you mean?" he said.

"Sounds like Toph feels that way," Sokka shrugged. Zuko groaned.

"I don't… do meaningless sex! Ugh, why do I get myself into these sorts of messes?" he said, dropping his head heavily on the table. "Unreal. I need to talk to her."

"Leave it for dinner, apparently that's when she'll wake up," Azula said.

"We, uh, had something important to talk about with you that has nothing to do with that, though," Sokka said. Zuko grunted, raising his head slightly to glare at him.

"You sure? No more humiliation over my questionable life choices?" Zuko asked.

"We'll get back to that after, if you don't mind," Sokka grinned cruelly. Zuko groaned and lowered his head again. "Thing is, we were thinking about the future. Aang says the Fire Nation representative in the council has been thinking about retiring… and maybe it's okay if he does! So, uh… what would you think of Azula as his replacement?"

Zuko flinched and raised his head again, this time a streak of curiosity in his face as he met his sister's eyes.

"You… uh, in Republic City's council? Do you want that?" he asked. Azula shrugged.

"Can't pretend it'd be my most exciting venture in life, but I think I can handle it," she said. Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"Sokka is the chairman. You'd have to answer to him," he said. Azula scoffed, glaring at her lover, who grinned carelessly at her.

"Well, he'll think he's in charge. The hidden truth is a whole other matter," Azula smirked, and Sokka yelped at her declaration.

"Hey, now… if you want something done, you can just tell me!" he said. "No need to pull strings while I'm not paying attention, or so…"

"The point is I'd always have my way. You won't say no to me because that'd mean saying no to, uh, the pleasures my brother grew all too acquainted with last night, I guess…"

"Ugh! We weren't talking about that anymore, Azula!" Zuko exclaimed, cheeks flushing again as everyone else laughed.

"Come on, now, you have enough sense not to ask for anything I shouldn't grant you," Sokka smiled, nudging her with his elbow.

"But what if my uncle shows up in town and I have to pour spice in every single one of his kettles? You wouldn't possibly approve of that, now, would you?"

"I'll tell Uncle Iroh to never visit Republic City," Zuko said, with a deadpan voice. Azula scoffed, throwing a fist in the air with frustration. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"You really should, because I might just let her do it otherwise," Sokka smiled. Azula couldn't help but laugh at his admission.

"I've corrupted you so, Sokka, I really have…" she smiled proudly at him: his affectionate smile warmed her heart, just as well.

"Well…! We'll see about that," Zuko said, shaking his head. "I don't know if the representative is all that ready to resign, it's the first I've heard of it. Plus, you two in the council? It sounds like you're going to fix all the worst problems in the world and start all the stupidest ones you can instead, and I don't know if I want to be responsible for that."

"Come on, why would we do that?" Sokka smiled. "We'll get plenty of work done to solve big and important problems, and then we'll just fuck in some storage closet during our free time and…"

"Sokka!" Katara and Zuko exclaimed: Azula burst out laughing at their reaction.

"What? What's so wrong with that?"

"You know what?" Zuko said, raising a hand towards them, his index finger extended. At first he pointed at Sokka… then, he turned it towards Azula. "There's another job you might be able to do. If the representative doesn't retire."

"Oh? Chairman of the Public Morals Committee or something?" Azula smirked.

"Not a damn chance," Zuko scoffed, as Azula and Sokka chuckled. "I mean… you could join the United Republic's Armed Forces."

All laughter ceased then.

"Wait… what?" Azula blinked blankly. Zuko folded his arms over his chest.

"Will be up to you, I guess, if you want to be in politics or in military matters," he said. "Also depends on whatever the representative wants, of course. But that's an option too. The army's barely being built up right now, the United Republic absolutely needs defenses, and even if you're not exactly beloved in the Earth Kingdom, I think joining the army might work well for you. Think about that possibility too, if you want."

"Heh. And here I figured you might just tell her to stay in the Fire Nation with you and your mom," Katara said. Zuko blinked blankly.

"Well… that option exists too," he said. Azula raised an eyebrow. "I assumed you'd want to stay with Sokka, though. But, if you decided otherwise… you could always come home."

Come home.

Words she had never thought she'd hear from someone else, least of all her brother, words she had never believed she'd be worthy of.

It wasn't a bad offer… only, she wasn't quite sure what said offer meant just yet.

Home… the Fire Nation had been her home all along. It was where she had belonged, up until she no longer belonged anywhere. Perhaps, in the end, all she had wanted was to come home indeed, back when she had terrorized her own nation, seeking always to return to something that was irremediably lost… and, upon knowing it lost, she had simply retaliated against the changes by sabotaging, discouraging, destroying whatever new, positive changes Zuko was trying to bring to their world.

She never imagined the day would come when Zuko would make an offer like this one. That he would want her to be part of his life… it was most likely a choice he would come to regret, of course, should she take him up on it. But it was a choice he had made, nonetheless…

Her heart pounded at the thought of agreeing and learning what, exactly, it entailed to live in freedom under Zuko's rule.

It pounded even harder upon realizing that taking him up on that offer wouldn't truly mean she'd go home, though.

She glanced at Sokka: he appeared to be at a loss over what Zuko had said, but he smiled at her reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"If that's what you want…" he said. Azula's heart trembled.

"Maybe… I need to think about it," she said, turning towards Zuko. He shrugged.

"Take as long as you need. I need time to think about things too. Like what to do about that little…" Zuko grumbled, fists tightening at the thought of Toph again – it appeared that their romance, if it could even be considered that, would be a rather odd love-hate situation, at best, if it survived its chaotic start at all.

After finishing breakfast, Sokka and Azula went for a walk in the Eastern Air Temple. He held her hand constantly, a change she guessed she might grow used to one day, but for now, she found it to be a surprisingly exciting one still. She intertwined her fingers with his as they finally stopped at a spot where they could see the sky and the sea, in the distance. A white, pale but vivid moon hovered above them, in the daytime. Azula smiled at the sight of it, and Sokka even waved in its direction.

"Hope you're holding up okay, Yue," he said. "Guess you wanted to talk out here so she'd get her say too?"

"Not sure we'd hear her if she tried, but… maybe," Azula said, biting her lip. "Zuko's offer to go back to the Fire Nation…"

"Yeah, uh… I get it," Sokka smiled sadly. "It's the return home you must have always looked forward to. Probably what you imagined might happen if he ever gave you a chance, so…"

"Maybe it is, but…" Azula said, biting her lip before looking up at him. "That doesn't mean I'm ready to make that choice."

"Oh. But… do you want to?" Sokka asked, facing her fully and taking both her hands in his. Azula gritted her teeth.

"I think… I think I need some more time before going back to the Fire Nation," she concluded. Sokka raised his eyebrows. "Some things feel… unfinished, somehow. Like I said, I don't think we really fulfilled all of Yue's journey, even if it was meant for me more than her. Like… like going to your hometown?"

"Huh. You expected that to come next, huh?" Sokka smiled a little. Azula shrugged. "I guess I figured she'd find little novelty there, so I never thought much about taking you and Yue to the Southern Water Tribe. It's winter too, it's not as fancy as the north…"

"It's still the place where you were born and raised. I think it's safe to say that the two of us would have loved to see it," Azula smiled. "I still would, if you would ever want to take me. But, well… it's also possible that you don't, I guess."

"No, it's not," Sokka snorted, smirking. "Azula, I'd take you anywhere. I'd go with you wherever you wish to go. There's no question about it."

"Even if that means staying away from the council for a while longer?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka nodded promptly. "So irresponsible of you…"

"I'm incorrigible and I know it," Sokka grinned proudly. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"Still…" she said, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm just thinking that maybe we should fulfill the very last part of our journey eventually. Maybe not right now, it's bound to be the light period in the South Pole still…"

"Yeah, it'll be a few months before it switches back to darkness," Sokka said.

"So, to do things right, I have to go on winter. Proper winter," Azula declared, stubbornly. Sokka chuckled and nodded. "Hence… we have a few months of figuring things out. And, well… I think I'd like to try living with you. Whether as a council member or in the armed forces, I… I want to know if we're actually any good together when Yue's not as present as she was before."

"She may have brought us together… doesn't mean she's the sole reason why we are," Sokka said, cupping her face between his hands. "I love you. I owe Yue plenty for bringing you to me… but whether she's here or not, I love you, Azula. That's not negotiable."

"Heh. No incentive would make you stop?" she asked, with a warm smile, tears prickling in her eyes. "How about an all-you-can-eat meat feast?"

"Not a chance," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed, hands falling on his chest.

"Stop being so easy to love, Sokka. I can't handle it," she said, pressing her face to his neck. Sokka kissed the side of her head gently.

"I'm an absolute pain to love for anyone but you, you know?" Sokka smiled, rocking her in his arms. "Katara's always at her wits' end with me, even if she loves me. Suki would tell you you're setting yourself up for a life of misery…"

"Maybe Suki's the source of the misery, ever thought about that?" Azula asked, cuttingly. Sokka laughed and shook his head.

"I mean, she did become one over time, but…"

"She'll find someone else eventually who makes sense for her. But that she couldn't live with you, that she couldn't love you other than on her terms, is her problem. Doesn't reflect on you, Sokka," Azula reassured him, caressing his chest kindly. Sokka leaned down, pressing his lips to her brow.

"You might think too highly of me…"

"I wouldn't do that. Thinking lowly of you means I can make fun of you far more easily, so clearly, I'd choose that rather than thinking highly…"

Sokka rolled his eyes before silencing her with a kiss. Azula laughed against his lips, knowing she had won that particular non-argument, wrapping her arms around his neck as she returned the kiss heartily. By the time he pulled back, she had a rather surprising revelation to make:

"I have no idea how to live a normal life."

Sokka smiled warmly, pressing his brow to hers.

"I didn't either. Maybe I still don't," he laughed. "I'm not sure the two of us would ever have… well, a mundane, boring life. Feels like even if we're sitting home together, working on puzzle games of some sort, we'd be having way more fun than what regular people do."

"Heh. Even our mundanity would be exciting?" Azula smiled. "That's… promising, actually. I like the sound of that."

"Then…" Sokka grinned. Azula breathed deeply, losing herself in his beautiful eyes.

"I'll go with you. We'll see about whatever my work will be, I don't know, but… I want to try this. You haven't pissed me off irremediably so far, so…" she laughed. Sokka smiled warmly. "Nor have I done that to you, shockingly, even if I certainly tried back in Ba Sing Se…"

"I was just worried about you, and you know it," Sokka said, kissing the tip of her nose. Azula smiled and nodded.

"I do. You make no sense that way," she laughed. "Anyway, I… I just wanted to be sure you'd know where I stand in all of this. It would be okay to go back to the Fire Nation, I suppose, but… I don't really think I want to, just yet."

"Well, I, for one, think that's great news," Sokka smiled, kissing her fully once more.

The difference between his last relationship and this new one couldn't have been more patent: he had damn near begged Suki to leave the Fire Nation, to share a life with him in Republic City, only for that life to wind up going downhill at an alarming rate. Years of pleas had taken a terrible outcome – perhaps Suki had constantly refused because she had known that they might end up as they did, sooner than later. Azula, though… she was choosing to be with him, well above everything else. In all the years of seeking a purpose, of stemming in grudges, of wandering the world feeling that she belonged nowhere, she finally had chosen a place for herself, and it was right at Sokka's side. His heart soared enough to hoist her in his arms, laughing with her as they exchanged more earnest kisses.

"Say…" Azula whispered, still nestled warmly in his arms. Sokka prodded the tip of her nose with his.

"Yeah?"

"I meant it before: I still want to finish the journey," she smiled. "Later, of course, but I'm just saying…"

"I'll take you to the Southern Water Tribe in winter. I promise," Sokka smiled. Azula laughed and nodded.

"Just what I wanted to hear…"

They returned to the others a few hours later, to find that Toph had finally climbed out of bed and appeared perfectly unconcerned by Zuko's distress over their peculiar situation. She refused any responsibility, or any talk about being a royal consort now, something that both Sokka and Aang brought up to tease her. The Fire Lord appeared not to know left from right anymore, hardly sure of whether he wanted to pursue anything real with Toph – a possibility that seemed rather unlikely, considering how unwilling she was to explore a potential long-term relationship with him –, or attempt another reconciliation with Mai somehow, should she ever be willing to be with him again. Clearly, he wouldn't sort that out anytime soon, so by the time the whole group returned to Republic City, in another trip with multiple stops, Zuko still hadn't worked out a solution for his dilemmas.

Their return to the city was far more triumphant than some expected it to be: both Azula and Sokka were caught by surprise upon learning, from Ursa and Bumi, how wide the reach of Aang's bending had been.

"The water around the island… it seemed to want to obliterate this place, maybe," Ursa said, once they were with her inside Air Temple Island's sitting room. "I took Bumi to the highest point and we just prayed for it to stop. The air suddenly grew heavy, and we could barely breathe for almost twenty minutes, but that stopped the storm… and from what I've heard in my ventures into the city, everyone else experienced that too."

"You really bent the entire atmosphere, you crazy guy, you," Sokka said, smiling at his brother-in-law. Aang smiled nervously, shrugging in response to Sokka's apparent pride in him.

"Someone had to do something, I guess," he said.

"And you very much saved our lives with it. Everyone's lives," Ursa smiled kindly at him. "Thank you, Aang."

"Oh. You're welcome!" Aang grinned shyly, scratching the back of his neck. "Doing my Avatar duties!"

"And quite successfully too," Ursa said, nodding sagely.

Toph returned to her city quickly, and it wouldn't be long before Zuko went back to the Fire Nation too… but Ursa wasn't as ready to leave as he was, let alone upon learning of Azula's intent.

"Then… you'll stay? With Sokka?" she asked, a fragile grin on her face.

"I know we meant to travel together, and we still might, one day," Azula said, reassuringly. "But, well… the last stretch of the journey would've been to the South Pole, we thought. In winter, you know? To finish the cycle properly. Won't be winter there for a while, so… I figured I'd stay here, to see if Zuko gives me a decent job to do in Republic City."

"We have two possibilities. Guess we'll see which one pans out," Zuko added. Ursa's eyes widened.

"My… well, that's wonderful to know, even if heartbreaking too," Ursa smiled, turning towards her daughter. Azula eyed her guiltily. "Don't feel bad for me, no, I just… you're growing fast, always have been. I hoped to make up for lost time, but… you have a life to live. I'll come visit, if you'd like! Or you could come visit the Fire Nation too, surely your brother would allow it?"

"Oh? Yeah, well, it's her home too, if she wants it to be," Zuko said, with a shrug. "I know it wasn't for a while, but… I think we're finally past all that."

"Strange for my own brother to trust me this much. I might not get used to it at all, come to think of it," Azula smirked at Zuko, who scoffed mockingly at her.

"I know you like it better when you can piss me off. I have the feeling you'll just leave to recharge energies and then visit when you've gone too long without messing with me," he said. Azula laughed.

"A sound concept. I might just make that happen indeed," she beamed. Despite himself, Zuko chuckled.

"Well… for what it's worth, good luck living in Republic City. Don't let Sokka slack off too much, whether at work or at home…"

"Hey!" Sokka pouted.

"And… have fun, I guess?" he said. "I'll arrange whatever paperwork's needed for this. Your pardon's guaranteed, I'll make sure to settle it as soon as I return. And, uh, if you need anything…"

"I'll make sure to reach out, but hopefully it will be fine," Azula said. Zuko nodded.

"Then… good luck, and see you soon, I guess," he said, with a small smile.

Ursa cleared her throat meaningfully. Zuko grimaced as he looked at her, recognizing her intent. Azula did, too. She stifled her laughter, waiting to see just how effective the motherly pressure would turn out to be…

And naturally, Ursa won. Zuko groaned, blushing as he stepped forward to hug his laughing sister. Ursa beamed proudly at the result, and Sokka couldn't hold back his own laughter either as he watched them.

Within two more days, most of which Sokka and Azula spent resting in Air Temple Island, much like Aang did, the pair sailed across the stretch of the sea between the island and the booming, growing Republic City. It hardly impressed Azula at first, it wasn't much of a city just yet, but she followed Sokka as he showed her the general layout of the place before taking her shopping, a notion that caught her by surprise, most of all due to how giddy her lover was over that prospect.

Loaded with new clothes and food supplies, they finally reached Sokka's apartment by evening.

"Well? What do you think?" Sokka smiled awkwardly, setting down the heavy bags he had been carrying.

Azula's eyes traveled over the kitchen, adjacent to the dining room. The walls were mostly bare, there were piles of clothes scattered in a few places – and Sokka promptly rushed to pick them up, explaining that his carelessness wasn't a constant thing, absolutely not! – and there wasn't enough furniture in the place just yet. Not enough bookshelves, not enough chairs, only cushions to sit at a small table…

And a balcony. Sokka smiled as he showed it to her, and Azula stepped outside with wide eyes to watch the grand horizon that spread ahead. The sea looked rather beautiful… and it reflected the moon vividly as twilight settled upon the world. She smiled at the reflection of the moon upon the waves, and she raised a hand as a greeting at Yue.

"That's a good view," Azula said. "And that place might deserve the name of Full-Moon Bay far more than the one that actually took it…"

"Pretty sure they called the original Full-Moon Bay that way because it was round like the full moon…" Sokka said. Azula scoffed.

"Well, the moon looks better from here. I'm sure it does," she said, leaning against his flank and sighing in relief. "I've never lived like this, you know?"

"Well, it's not as crazy as being on the road, traveling around on a hot-air balloon, dangling off a rope underneath a bridge…"

"Ah, good times."

"But it'll be a home anyway," Sokka smiled, nudging her gently. Azula smiled back, gazing up at him. "Then? Do you like it, or…? I swear I'll be tidy, way more than you imagine! You can scold me for it when I mess up too, I promise I won't whine too much about it…"

"But that's the point of scolding you. It's funny when you whine," Azula smirked. Sokka laughed, pressing his brow to hers. "This place… it suits you perfectly."

"It does?" Sokka asked, happily surprised.

"It's, uh… how do I put it?" Azula said, biting her lip, failing to contain a smirk. Sokka's excitement dwindled and he offered her a deadpan glare instead. "A work-in-progress, perhaps?"

"Isn't that one of the names I suggested for our group…? Hey! W-well…! Sure it's one! But we're all works-in-progress in life, like it or not!" he exclaimed, tickling her vindictively. Azula tried to squirm out of his grasp, but she failed.

Before she knew it, his wicked attack had resulted in them returning inside, and she had landed atop the cushions and pillows on the floor, laughing as his hands mischievously danced over her flanks. There seemed to be no escape from Sokka right now, tickles were such a weakness of hers…

But perhaps she could redirect that energy of his to more favorable pursuits.

Instead of yanking his hands off her body, she dragged them up until his fingers stopped nudging upon falling over her breasts. Sokka's intent fizzled out quickly by then, more so as Azula slid her legs between his.

"U-uh… what are we doing?" Sokka smiled awkwardly. Azula bit her lip, closing her eyes as she compelled him to grope her some more. "I did not expect this kind of generosity over a tickle battle… I have the feeling you're about to kick me in the nuts when I lower my guard."

"Then don't lower it… but I'll lower mine," Azula smiled. "We can do it right here, right now. No one's going to stop us. Nothing can get in the way. It's your place, after all… the only thing you need to do is close the drapes. So…?"

She glanced back at him, that devious smirk across her tempting lips. Sokka's throat dried as he jumped out of the cushions, racing towards all the windows to ensure he had covered them all. Azula, still lying where she did, used her bending to light up the candles and house lamps Sokka kept within his home. By the time he returned, she lay with one leg flexed up, her hands over her hair, and a wicked, meaningful smirk on her face. While the effect she had on his body was usually quite quick to present itself, Sokka was even lightheaded this time at the sight of his lover's mischievous attempt to seduce him.

"If this is what your revenge after tickle fights looks like… I could stand to tickle you some more," Sokka smiled a little. Azula laughed.

"Let's just say… this is how I feel about this place," she whispered. "I see nothing but potential and chances to make this life… ours. So, I may just be generous now because I want you to make me yours as well and… you'd best make the most of that generosity while it lasts, don't you think?"

Sokka laughed, shaking his head before diving in, dropping atop the Princess and kissing her relentlessly. She moaned, wrapping her arms and legs around his body, encouraging him to go further, to make her very first day in their new home as memorable as could be.

It seemed that clothing piles would wind up being a common matter for the pair, for their clothes flew all over the apartment as they stripped each other bare. Their lustful embrace never failed to bring smiles to their faces, thrilled to share a passionate evening where their lips ever found purchase on each other, where their hearts raced as the excitement increased, where they peaked together or apart by mere moments, where it seemed as though no spot in the apartment was off-limits for the wild trysts they wanted to have.

Again, they wound up in the warm tub after far more rounds of sex than they would keep track of, lips locked frequently with deep kisses, hands touching each other freely, everywhere they cared to reach.

"Just… for the sake of boosting my ego?" Azula smiled, prodding Sokka's nose with hers. "Was your first day with Suki in this place anything like this?"

Sokka snorted before laughing off the concept completely. Azula smiled wickedly as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Very clearly… no," he laughed. "I had more warning, I was tidier than I was this time… but hey, we just made a mess and threw our clothes around all over the place, so you're messy too!"

"Who said I couldn't be?" Azula smiled, floating in the tub so she could sit fully on his lap. "I had servants to pick up after me long ago, remember? And after that, I lived as a wanted criminal. This is very new to me, altogether. Maybe I'll become a fiend of order and cleanliness in due time, but for now… I might just enjoy being a mess with you."

"If this is the mess we're going to be, we're definitely winning in life," he smiled, pressing his lips over her collarbone and shoulders. "You're so beautiful…"

She smiled upon hearing that word: Yue had claimed as much too, and Azula had dismissed the notion, ridiculing the Moon Spirit for praising her at all. Strange to find herself far more willing to hear praises now than she had been in years… most of all, by knowing that none of what Sokka would dare say to her would be a lie. His longing for her, the way he couldn't keep his hands off her, his lips trailing across her face over and over, as though there were nothing about her, not a single thing, that didn't please him…

Her arms locked around his neck and she caught his lips in hers, her chest pressed fully against him. The cold evening breeze encouraged her to heat up the tub further with her bending, and Sokka smiled with delight at the sensation as he covered her body with more eager kisses.

It was a grand start to their life together, one that resulted in them resting sloppily and carelessly in Sokka's futon after they'd spent their energy and unleashed even more of the tension they hadn't been able to work out so far. Starting a relationship in the middle of chaotic circumstances might not have been the wisest of choices, but they certainly made up for it now, blissfully indulging in their privacy and every opportunity to make their time together count.

After a couple of days, Sokka finally built up enough resolve to attend the council for the first time in many months. He was welcomed eagerly, and the Fire Nation representative couldn't seem to stop bowing reverently at Azula, who was quite perplexed by his reaction – strange for Zuko to have hired someone who appeared to be an Ozai loyalist for a role like this one… but perhaps he was simply of the sorts who were extremely loyal to monarchy, regardless of whichever member he was facing.

The man indeed was ready to retire: while Azula didn't know if it would be the right choice in the long run, she chose the job as his replacement rather than in the armed forces. It should have been odd to feel a stronger pull towards civil service, towards politics, than the warfare she had been trained for all her life… but that, perhaps, was the reason to do it. Yue had never been a militaristic person, quite clearly… perhaps it was time for Azula to experience firsthand the value of that kind of leadership, bereft of aggression and forcefulness, steeped in thoughtfulness and service instead.

With that, their first shared winter, in this case, in the northern hemisphere, began smoothly. The snowfall was beautiful once it started, a few weeks into the season, and while Azula didn't particularly enjoy the cold, Sokka's ways to keep her warm sufficed to convince her that there were advantages to that kind of weather too. They worked together to build up their apartment, filling it with more furniture they usually chose together, and Sokka made a point of buying quite a few mirrors too, no longer to see to it that Azula could communicate with Yue, but with the hopes that one day she'd be as ready to see herself as beautiful as she was. It was a work-in-progress for the Princess indeed, but watching her reflection grew less distressing as time went by, as she learned to inhabit her new role in the world she had chosen to privilege above any other kind of life.

Republic City also grew and developed further, and they were at the head of settling the challenges that saw to that development: new people drifted towards the grand location that promised change and social progress, better lives for so many who had suffered no end of grievances after the war. The small Cranefish Town hardly seemed to be remembered anymore as it grew quickly, promising to become something so much greater than anyone had imagined possible, let alone in such a short timespan. While Azula didn't handle dealings with other nations, particularly with the Earth Kingdom, she took care of local matters instead, proposing numerous solutions to quicken the pace in which new constructions were being erected, allowing way for more people to move to Republic City if they wished to do so. Sokka was particularly stoked about approving permits for new inventors, for great advancements to finally become the norm… Azula had teased him about it, asking if he wanted to be among the inventors rather than the people enabling them, but Sokka appeared to be far too thrilled to work with her to want a change of jobs anytime soon.

Just as he had predicted, their mundanity was blissful. As the seasons changed, they continued to bask in a life they had made their own, a home they had shaped into a place that belonged to the two of them, and their love only appeared to strengthen as each day passed. Their occasional visits to Air Temple Island resulted in further closeness with Aang and Katara that Azula had never anticipated she'd experience, much like Toph's invitations for late-night drinking in town easily confirmed her place as Azula's second favorite person in Team Avatar, second only to Sokka himself.

By the time summer was coming around, they had been living together for as good as six months. A visit to the Fire Nation, where they checked on Zuko and Ursa, and Azula actually got to meet Ursa's new family properly – Kiyi appeared to admire her, as she was growing a rebellious streak, in which she constantly butted heads with her mother –, preceded the last stage of a journey they had long needed to complete…

Hakoda stood at the new Southern Water Tribe port, arms folded over his chest as his son and his girlfriend disembarked from the ship that had brought them to the South Pole. Azula was clad in a thick crimson parka, but even that didn't suffice to keep her warm when the cold was starting to rise well beyond the levels she was comfortable with…

"I think it's colder down here than in the North Pole," Azula said. Sokka smiled, an arm around her waist.

"You just think so because you were in the Fire Nation only a few days ago and it's crazy hot over there. Nothing more to it…"

"Yeah, sure, nothing more to it…" Azula mumbled, her breath white before her eyes.

She raised her eyes towards the man standing at the end of that pier, nervousness rising inside her gut as Sokka guided her towards him. While he appeared quite stern at first, the man who offered her a most intriguing mirror to who Sokka might become, given thirty more years, smiled at his son before long.

"It's been way too long, Sokka," he said. Sokka chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to the side of Azula's head before releasing her from his grip and stepping forward to hug his father tightly.

Azula watched them, nervous and uneasy as Hakoda clapped Sokka's back firmly. He pulled back then, turning a curious and even mischievous smirk upon her.

"And this… is the big surprise you'll have to explain quite thoroughly, my boy," he said. "I know things between you and Suki didn't look very promising anymore, but… that's a change."

"It is. For the better, too," Sokka grinned, taking Azula's hand. "Azula, this is my dad. As, uh, you might recall…"

"I do," Azula said, with a nervous smile. "I, uh… I'm grateful that you received us like this. Thank you."

"Why, it's no matter," Hakoda said. "Though I admit, of all people, I didn't think you'd be the type to get involved with Sokka…"

"Are you saying she's out of my league?!" Sokka squeaked. Azula laughed, and Hakoda scoffed at him.

"I'm pretty sure he's saying you're out of mine," Azula said: Sokka yelped, looking at her in horror.

"That's…! Not possible! You're not saying that, are you?!" Sokka exclaimed. Hakoda blinked blankly.

"Well. She's certainly brought your goofier side back to the fore. Can't say that's a bad thing," Hakoda grinned, glancing at her again.

"I know there's things that… well, you might need to hear from me," Azula said, her stomach twisting, her heart clenching. "We all know I wasn't exactly the best version of myself I could be for a long time. But…"

"But you're trying to live a different life now," Hakoda said. "You've been doing that for the better part of half a year, isn't that right, Sokka?"

"Longer than that," Sokka smiled, still holding Azula's hand firmly. "We went on a very strange journey, as you already know, I told you on my letters…"

"And I understood very little of what you meant by any of it, so you'll have to explain again now," Hakoda smiled, jerking his head towards the town. "Shall we?"

Azula sighed in relief: it wasn't as though he had welcomed her into his life with a bear hug, but she didn't quite need that anyway. Knowing she wasn't unwelcome, or that she might ruin Sokka's connection with his family solely for being involved with him, relieved her greatly.

"See? Nothing to worry about," Sokka smiled, wrapping an arm fully around her shoulders before leading her to follow his father.

After a whole day spent explaining their journey to Hakoda, who seemed to be utterly enthralled by their story, to the point of even wiping a tear at the retelling of how they parted ways with Yue, the next few were a matter of sightseeing around the Tribe for Azula. Hakoda's initial distance faded quickly, most of all as he laughed at her jabs and puns, every wicked joke that crossed her mind appeared to sit quite well with him and his son. She truly had a place in this world, and she thrived in having found it with the man who held her hand everywhere they might go in the South Pole.

Sokka showed her the places of his childhood memories, where he had first tried to build an igloo only for it to collapse atop him, where he had built a watch tower that Zuko had unceremoniously destroyed with his ship, introducing her to the now-grown children he had been supposed to train long ago, and who did whatever they cared to, instead… he had a wonderful, beautiful life, but his smiles were at their brightest when he shined them upon her. Azula's heart couldn't seem to stop pounding in joy with every new activity she joined in the Tribe, including a late cookout at the central fireplace, where the growing population of the Southern Water Tribe gathered to make all sorts of meals that, while initially unappealing to the Princess, she grew to enjoy in due time.

She didn't quite know for how long they would stay, crashing in Hakoda's place, in Sokka's room. His childhood room certainly was small and cozy, and the few toys that had survived his youth sat in a corner, some worn and with faded colors, some in better shape. There was an awkward factor to their intimacy while they resided there, of all places, for Hakoda was in the next room… but as unreasonable and reckless as they might be, they dared indulge in lovemaking a few times nonetheless, kissing constantly in the hopes of being as quiet as could be, so Hakoda might not be disturbed by whatever noises they made… not that it served much purpose, for his knowing smirks the next morning had Azula hiding her blushing face behind her hand while Sokka smiled guiltily, trying to fend off his father's teasing to imply he had enough knowledge of what had happened between them at night.

Still, there was one more thing they had left to do. One thing Sokka had planned for extensively, and that he executed once he was sure they were ready, when they were already deeper into winter…

"Okay, okay, that was… that was enough weird excitement for me," Azula laughed: the otter-penguin they had been riding together, the largest of the bunch, skittered away from them after their wild sledding reached a halt in the depths of the South Pole. "You sure you know your way back to the Tribe from here?"

"Totally," Sokka chuckled, holding her close as he watched the penguin slide away. "So? Promise to Yue fulfilled?"

"She did say we had to go penguin sledding… and now we have. It was fun, but strange. I've ridden quite a few beasts in my life, but I never imagined otter-penguins would join that list," Azula admitted, raising her eyebrows. Sokka smirked.

"You've had plenty of practice riding in recent times, if not in that way…"

"Could you stop being such a perv for ten minutes?" Azula hissed, no matter how amused she was by his words. Sokka cackled.

"I did stop! That ride was like ten minutes, or something!" he said. Azula rolled her eyes, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around him…

Just so, she noticed she could see Sokka more clearly than usual now, even though she didn't have a lantern at hand, nor was she bending. Sokka smirked and nudged her, turning her in his arms so she would have her back to him… allowing her eyes to feast upon a glorious sight.

"That's…" Azula gasped, watching the lights dancing in the sky with amazement.

"I had the feeling that you'd like to see it," Sokka grinned, nudging her gently. "We just had to go a bit deeper into the Pole for that."

The aurora before them glowed brightly, shifting slowly so that it never retained the same shape for too long. Streaks of color spread out all around. It was mostly green, but specks of other hues could surge from the cosmic occurrence all the same…

"And hey… we're not the only ones watching."

Sokka wrapped his arms around Azula before pointing out a white, bright light, towards the north. Azula smiled warmly at the sight of it, as she ever did these days.

"See? We brought you to see the Southern Lights. We're not such jerks even when you're not around to tell us exactly what you want to see, are we?" Azula said. "Hope you're enjoying the show, Yue."

"I'm sure she is," Sokka smiled, his face buried in her neck. "Most of all… because she wanted all of this for you. She must have hoped you could experience our kinds of winter this way… though, you didn't get to see the lights in the north, did you?"

"No, I was far too busy avoiding capture to pay much attention, to be honest. But I like the southern ones," Azula said, glancing at him over her shoulder. Sokka grinned warmly at her. "Maybe because we're seeing them together. I kind of wonder if she could just… take shape in the lights of the aurora, somehow. Would be nice, seeing her again…"

"It would be," Sokka agreed. "But at least we know she's shining as brightly as ever up there…"

"She'd better not stop. I have too much pending paperwork in Republic City to worry about having to go beat up some other douchebag spirit hellbent on consuming her or kidnapping her," she said.

"Eh, she knows you'd leave the paperwork to help her, you're not fooling anyone with that claim…"

"Well, if she does know that, she'd better also know that I'd spend the whole time complaining about the things she makes me do while we help her, anyhow," Azula stated, haughtily. Sokka laughed, kissing her cheek.

"You're always adorable," he said, proudly. Azula bit her lip and smiled.

"You're asking for it now. Adorable, me? Always? Screw that," she said. Sokka chuckled, fingers tickling her heavily covered flanks lightly. "Sokka…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not asking for anything crazy, I just wanted to mess with you," he said: too often he had taken advantage of her ticklishness across their time together, and more often than not, it resulted in sex. It definitely wasn't the right place or time for that… though it might be the place and time for something else instead.

Sokka swallowed hard as he felt the weight in his pocket. He had to go for it. This was what he'd wanted to do all along, after all. He raised his gaze towards the moon, smiling kindly at her, wordlessly offering Yue his gratitude for everything she had done for them… for helping him find peace with her circumstances as he also learned how to live his life freely, with someone he loved…

Someone he hoped he'd be able to love forever.

After six months of the most successful, stable living circumstances they had ever experienced, the next step forward was as good as a given. He just had to take it.

He released Azula briefly, a hand slipping in his pocket…

"Marry me."

Sokka froze.

Azula's voice had trembled slightly when she spoke the words, but she rested against his chest without fear. Her arms were folded over her torso, as though protecting herself if she wound up hurt after this… but she held herself in place without cowering. Without taking back her words.

"Azula…" Sokka said. Azula glanced at him with uncertainty.

"I guess… I've been thinking about it a lot. I was waiting to see how this turned out, the last bit of our trip?" she said, biting her lip. "I've been delighted through it, too. So… maybe I'm rushing. If I am, that's fine. I just… guess now you know where I'm standing, at least."

Sokka snorted, shaking his head as he released her from his grip. Azula turned towards him, unsure of what he found so funny of her words…

Until he pulled out his gloved hand from his pocket, revealing a pristine necklace of black velvet, and a blue pendant with an engraved symbol on it: she thought she recognized it as the moon and the sun.

"Oh, well, maybe I should show you the other side instead…"

He flipped the pendant to reveal water and fire, too.

Her eyes widened. Sokka snickered, running a hand over his hair.

"I kind of maybe had planned on doing this just now, and you beat me to it by like… I don't know. Three seconds? Why're you always competing with me even when it comes to proposing marriage to each other, huh?"

Azula snorted, covering her mouth with her own gloved hands as she laughed at Sokka's amused smirk. He held the necklace in plain sight for her to admire still, and the surreal situation couldn't seem to stop Azula's laughter. Sokka chuckled too, shaking his head as he stepped forward, wrapping the choker gently around Azula's neck. By the time she stopped laughing quite so hard, there were tears of sincere emotion blinking in her eyes.

"I figured I'd have to wait for your answer, but… guess the ball's in my court instead, since you talked first," he smiled kindly, cupping her face. "And my answer is… hell yes, I'll marry you."

Azula laughed again at his sincere, blunt answer. Sokka grinned wildly before wrapping her tightly in his arms, kissing her fully underneath the glow of the aurora, underneath the moonlight too. Azula's heart pounded fast, the blood rushing through her system as she indulged in the bliss of knowing her love, her needs, her hopes and aspirations, entirely fulfilled by the man she loved.

The future ahead was brimming with potential, most of all when their love would continue to grow and thrive as it had so far. Perhaps there would be children in their future, perhaps there would be none – perhaps pets, instead, or nothing at all. Perhaps they would remain in Republic City forever, or they might even move to the Fire Nation or the Southern Water Tribe, in due time… but the horizon brought countless possibilities, and it would be up to them to seize them at their leisure, to continue thriving in the life they had built together, in the triumphs and victories that had brought them to a day as beautiful as the one they had just shared, and the many more that lay in store in the years to come…

But there was one thing Azula wanted to do. One last wish, one final way to fully silence Oblivion, to ensure the worst of his cruelties towards Yue would never be realized…

To the people of Republic City, it was but another ceremony, like many others, held to commemorate events and heroes of the war that people had heard no end of stories about. To the people of the rest of the world, it was a rather confusing situation, most of all because Councilwoman Azula was the one to push the initiative forward.

But as the day arrived, she stood with her husband proudly, three years after their marriage had been official and made known to the world. Sokka's public speaking skills had improved far more than he wanted to accept they had, ever nervous upon addressing a large crowd, but it was easier for him that day as he finished explaining the event taking place by Republic City's port.

"As has been requested and approved by Republic City's council, Councilwoman Azula's proposal to honor the heroic sacrifice of Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, is hereby approved!"

A loud cheer rushed through the audience. Azula smiled, standing with the other members of the council behind Sokka by a tall statue covered by a cloth, in the middle of the bay. Sokka turned towards her, smiling kindly and nodding in her direction. Azula stepped forward to the microphone Sokka had been speaking into, trying to ignore the nerves and anxiety… there was no hostility from the crowd today. There had been less and less of it the longer she served as the council's Fire Nation representative. She clasped Sokka's hand gently, and he grinned and encouraged her to finish the ceremony herself.

The other council members held the ropes that kept the statue covered. The Northern Water Tribe's representative appeared most eager to pull at his own, eyes aglow with pride. Azula's eyes trailed over the audience, finding the delegation of the Northern Water Tribe, including the proud Chief Arnook, whose eyes glistened with tears, looked forward to this grand moment just as well.

"From this day onwards… Republic City's Bay shall be officially known as Yue Bay!" Azula declared: the cheers rushed through the audience even more loudly than before. "May our city, and our world, ensure to always remember the brave Princess who saved us all!"

Azula's words were accompanied by the unveiling of the white statue, to match the color of the moon: Azula herself had commissioned and seen to the accurate depiction of the young princess, as faithful to her features as possible. That was the face of the girl she owed so much to, even if Yue believed she had long repaid her debts. Seeing her once more, even if in the shape of a statue, brought a tender smile to Azula's face. Yue had truly changed Azula's world… the shadows in her reflection had long receded, chased away by a proud Sokka, who hoisted her fully into his arms, lifting her in the air in a celebratory gesture, and those shadows had relinquished their grip on Yue just as much as they had let go of Azula, too.

The crowd continued to rejoice in the unveiling of the pristine, marble statue, of the beautiful girl who had taken the Moon Spirit's place so long ago. Her story had hardly been known before… but it would be, from now on. Sokka's pain and grief for her sake had finally been channeled into growth, into new strength, into the confidence he had long failed to truly experience… much as Azula's strife, and her aimless life, no longer controlled her, no more than Oblivion could ever control Yue anew.

From a distance, a world away as she might be, Yue didn't feel as far away from them as she most likely was… for merely gazing up at the moon offered a mirage of a beautiful girl in a flowing dress, her white hair dancing in the wind, smiling kindly and gratefully as her greatest act of love for the world was commemorated in the thoughtful gesture that served as an antidote to oblivion indeed.

Mischievously, Sokka teased Azula about making a statue for her next, a notion she laughed off at once, even as she rested comfortably against him. She had meant to see this project completed for years, for the seed of it had been planted when she had arrived in Republic City, once she had seen that moon reflected upon the waves so beautifully: her bond with Yue would never go forgotten, no matter if the Moon Spirit never manifested herself physically before them again. For perhaps she wouldn't… but that would be fine, too. Even if that was the case, she continued to shine with the grand strength she ever displayed after they had parted ways in that spiritual dimension…

Their bonds would never break, and today's celebration was but a testament to the truth they had learned long ago, in the midst of their great journey: three lonely souls had broken their solitude's spell for good, for upon finding each other, they had also found the truest freedom.

A/N:

Hope you guys enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun working on this story, it's my first genuine Azula redemption based on where canon left her off, instead of AUs or just a wholly different story that diverges so much from canon that her development doesn't really fit into the kinds of redemption people look for in stories about Azula. Anyway! Point is it was an ambitious story in some regards, but I'd think I managed to convey several things properly across these 8 chapters, and whatever I failed at, I hope to improve it in any future stories I may write along these lines. Thanks for reading! Happy Sokkla Saturdays, everyone!

#sokkla #sokkla saturdays 2023 #sokklasaturdays #sokka #azula #so I kinda fucked up posting this and nearly crashed the whole post into oblivion #he must have been stoked #but I saved it #so oblivion definitely is not stoked anymore #anyway I was just trying to say that there's one scene here very much inspired by an Elemental scene that was cut #but the idea in it is so cute #that I needed to Sokklarize it ASAP #so here it is!#as for the very final scene #it's actually my answer to all the people so very concerned #by how Sokka can't seem to get over Yue #and that's why that specific Yue homage in LOK is apparently unacceptable #if you ship him with someone else #... well here you have a way to look at it that isn't as toxic as all that :')#justice for Yue 2023 #girl is so much more than Sokka's ex #let alone than the dark shadow that haunts his every posterior relationship #let the poor girl rest #let her be valued the way she deserves to be #as much as this is very much an Azula redemption it's also always been a homage to Yue #and she deserves more love <3 #anyway! hope you enjoy the finale!

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