Reunited once again
"Why, though?" asked Sokka "What's the real goal of what you're doing? Just say it already, will you?"
Azula sighed and lowered her gaze again.
"I have two objectives, if I think about this on the long run" she muttered "First of all… I need you to defeat someone's gladiator. And I need it done as quickly as possible. You'll have about one month to train to be up to the skill of this gladiator… then, you must fight him. And you must win, no matter what. Understood?"
"Uh… okay…" said Sokka, gulping. Who was this person Azula seemed to hold a grudge towards? Why did she need him to smash his gladiator so badly? "What about the other goal, then?"
"It's something… something I realized just now, actually" she said "Truth to be told… if you achieve victory on your first fight, you might be the person I need to help me accomplish the biggest of my feats so far…"
"Right… can you be direct and say what you want already?" asked Sokka, growing impatient
"I want you to become the top gladiator of the Superior Gladiator League"
Sokka's jaw dropped in quite a comical manner. Azula, though, wasn't amused. Her stare was steady on his eyes, proving to him that she was serious about what she'd just said.
"Y-you… you're crazy, woman" he said, unable to believe her statement "You… you really are crazy"
"That does seem to be the popular belief…" she muttered, playing with her bangs as Sokka yanked the short stubs of hair that grew on the sides of his head.
"You're insane!" he concluded, turning to her again "How can you even suggest I become the top gladiator?! I'm not even the best in the amateur league of Hui Yi!"
"You're giving up before even trying?" asked Azula, disappointed
"Please, cut the crap!" yelled Sokka "You're talking about the Superior League! They have benders there and all! How on earth do you want a simple non-bender like me to beat them?! Maybe I'm good against people like me, but against benders I'll be toast!"
"Which is why you'll be trained so you can fight benders on even terms" said Azula "You had a few tricks up your sleeve today against the dart man, proof you're smart enough to come up with ploys that might give you the upper hand even against the most skilled benders. Also, rules are very different in the Superior Gladiator League… there are several non-benders amongst the top fifty gladiators"
"And what makes you think I can be one of them?" asked Sokka, his eye twitching
"What makes you think you can't?" replied Azula "Just imagine the glory you'd attain… the top gladiator, a non-bender. People would be in awe and they would hold you in high honors, no matter if you're a slave or not"
"That's likely, but still…" mumbled Sokka "I don't know. It sounds fishy. But… if I manage to become the top gladiator, you'll let me return home?"
Azula's brow contracted as she pondered her options. She would rather have him prove he was worthy of the position of first gladiator of the ranking during a few weeks or months… but she didn't have much of a choice at this point.
"Yes" she said, and Sokka jumped, surprised
"I… I thought you'd refuse" he admitted
"Well, I didn't" said Azula "Do we have ourselves a deal, then?"
Sokka didn't really know what he was getting himself into… and he probably didn't want to know either. This was bound to develop into something beyond his control, something absurd that he wouldn't understand, since he didn't understand much already anyways. Why did Azula need a gladiator? Why him? What was the point of having him become the top gladiator of the Superior League? He wanted the answer to these questions… but he figured he would find out soon enough if he was patient.
"Deal" he said, extending his hand towards her.
Azula stared at the hand, unsure if she should grasp it or not. It was a ridiculous notion, a Princess shaking hands with a slave… but he had seen her as equals back when they were at the South Pole. Perhaps she should return the favor now…
Both felt a jolt when their hands touched, no matter if Sokka's was covered by a glove. The most physical touch Sokka had had lately was when he had been forced to strangle a man to his death… Azula didn't happen to touch much people either, and for him to be the one she touched, of all people… but despite the turmoil of feelings within their souls, their eyes didn't betray them as they held the other's gaze, both boiling with determination and certainty.
An alliance was formed then, one that would last for many years, one that would eventually develop into something beyond either of their reasoning at the moment… because right now, the sole conviction they both held was that they had become sponsor and gladiator.
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