Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Of the Same Cloth

Despite his injuries from his training, Xisheng managed to fall asleep relatively easily the night of his catastrophe. Aside from a gentle rainfall that helped lull him to sleep, the exhaustion of the physical exertions that day had gone a long way as well. Even though the instance in which he had injured himself had not looked particularly spectacular, the damage had been extreme. His left limbs were still shaking up to the time he had fallen asleep, and they were still twitchy even when he awoke the next morning.

Sitting upright in his tent, Xisheng somberly appraised his left arm and leg. The twitching was not nearly as bad as the day before, but even with him doing nothing more than holding his arm up, the trembling of his limbs was easily discernible. Well, he supposed this was the kind of thing one should expect when chi-powered lightning ran amok within the body. Honestly, the thought was a little terrifying: this was the result of Xisheng partially managing to direct the lightning in one direction out of his body. Even though he had failed to do that cleanly, he could only imagine how badly things would have turned out if he hadn't managed to control his chi at all. What if it had raced into his heart? His brain? Somewhere else crucial? Death certainly seemed like a very real possibility in such a scenario.

That being the case, Xisheng had no choice but to spare a few moments to appreciate his fortune in avoiding an untimely demise. Said appreciation didn't last too long, however. After all, thinking about the situation that had led to this inevitably meant remembering Azula's expression after witnessing his failure yesterday. Undoubtedly, her disappointment was immeasurable. And between the physical ramifications of his failure and her reaction, the latter was by far the worse outcome.

He hadn't thought about it much until now, but with the power of retrospect, Xisheng was fairly certain that this was the first time he had actually failed her. She had been unhappy with him before, certainly. But this was the first time he failed to meet an expectation of hers. The first time her faith in him as a pupil and subordinate had gone unrewarded. Having never truly been on the receiving end of her disappointment, Xisheng didn't know what to expect. But considering how high her expectations were, and how valuable her trust was, he couldn't imagine it would be good. Then again, maybe it didn't matter. Regardless of how Azula felt about it all, Xisheng was still disappointed in himself. He felt like an amateur. A reckless fool that risked life and limb for pride. He knew he was better than that, but evidently, that knowledge was incorrect.

With a frustrated sigh, the soldier pushed himself to his feet on shaky legs and managed to exit his tent. The ground was a little damp from last night's rain, but the drizzle had been light enough to avoid making the camp itself muddy. Still, the sky was foggy, and a light mist hovered above the ground. The sun was obscured beind a gray curtain of clouds, dimming the light of morning. It was actually quite nice. Unfortunately, it was difficult for Xisheng to appreciate it, since standing on his left leg was incredibly uncomfortable right now. Not only did the limb feel much less stable and trusty than usual, but the patch of scorched skin on his left foot stung like hell even despite his treatment of it. Dammit, it had barely been that long since the last time he was injured...

Judging by the number of people actually out and about in the camp right now, Xisheng had slept a little longer than anticipated. Most of the crew was awake and out of their tents, either tending to some task that needed doing or eating a meal around the smolders of last night's campfire. Xisheng couldn't help but notice the curious looks he got from many of the sailors. He supposed he couldn't blame them: he had been almost carried into camp last night on the shoulder of a woman, hobbling around like a cripple. Then he'd been confronted by the Crown Princess, who hadn't looked terribly happy. Naturally, anyone who had seen it without understanding the context was going to be curious as to what had happened. Unfortunately, the prying looks only served to make Xisheng feel more ashamed of it all.

At least he wouldn't have to worry about anyone asking him about it. Not that Xisheng was unfriendly with the crew, but they knew better than to pry into the personal business of the Princess' retinue. Moreover, if they assumed the incident had something to do with his special off-limits training, then they had all surely been warned by the Captain to not get involved. So ultimately, none of the sailors came to bother him. This left Xisheng's attention readily available for someone who actually was interested in approaching him.

"Gohan!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Xisheng noted a certain brunette approaching him, curiously without her usual braid. Maybe she just hadn't felt like doing it today. Or maybe it had come time to undo it for a good brushing or something. Either way, it played second fiddle to the concerned look on Ty Lee's face as she neared him.

"Are you alright? I never really figured out what happened to you last night..."

In hindsight, Xisheng figured it was a little rude that he hadn't informed one of his close friends about what had happened to him in order to get hurt. Other than assuring her that nothing truly serious had occurred, he'd been in no mood to do anything other than retreat to his tent. A little immature of him, but also fairly understandable, at least in his eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you overnight. I just got a little too hasty and reckless with training yesterday. I don't think I'm hurt as bad as when that rock from Toph smashed me. I should be fine."

Despite his words, Ty Lee's anxious expression didn't lessen in severity. "You say that, but that wound on your foot looked really bad. And your arm..."

The brunette glanced down at his arm while saying this, so Xisheng followed her gaze. Sure enough, it was still trembling enough to be easily noticed by someone next to him. Feeling oddly insecure knowing that his vulnerability was so obvious, Xisheng clutched the limb with his other arm to forcefully put a stop to it. Thankfully, with his leg braced against the ground, its trembling was somewhat controlled. At the very least, Ty Lee didn't comment on it specifically.

Whether it was her alleged aura-seeing gift or just keen observation, Ty Lee clearly acknowledged that Xisheng was displeased with how noticeable his bodily state was. She at least didn't press him further right away. Not that she had a chance to, since someone else was joining the conversation from behind both of them.

"Hey... how do you feel?"

It wasn't hard to identify Mai by her voice. Unlike Ty Lee, she looked about the same as she always did. Well, a little more tired than usual, but that was all, not including an expression that displayed obvious worry, which was also pretty rare for her. Xisheng's immediate response was not an answer to her question.

"I'm surprised you're up this early, Mai."

The young woman crossed her arms as she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Just what time do you think it is?"

Xisheng glanced up at the sky, trying to glean a hint from it. Unfortunately, the clouds and mist made it hard to tell. "Not early morning, by the way you're talking."

"It's probably closer to noon by now. Anyway, stop avoiding the question. How are you feeling?"

Unsure how to even explain the tingling sensation in his left side and the inability to stop the shakes, Xisheng didn't bother doing so. "Like I did something extremely stupid."

Mai didn't seem entirely satisfied with his evasive answer, but perhaps she also realized that he normally wasn't the type for evasion. So if he was acting that way, he likely didn't want to get too deep into it. Ty Lee may have been a bit better at reading people, but it wasn't like her friends were incapable of it themselves.

"...are you hungry? Most everyone already ate something."

While it was difficult to notice past his bodily pains, Xisheng noted that, surely enough, he was a bit peckish. "Yeah. I don't suppose there are any leftovers?"

Mai glanced to the side a bit sheepishly as she spoke with a hint of exasperation that seemed more for show than anything else. "No. But I guess I could make you something, if you're hungry..."

Knowing full well that Mai's behavior was just a result of her being unused to acting graciously, Xisheng merely thanked her outright for the offer. Despite all of the other shit that had gone down in the past twenty-four hours, he couldn't help but feel a little happy that she was willing to do something like that for him without any pressure from anyone to do so. Under that veneer of indifference and general disgruntlement with life was a kind woman: well, a woman that could be kind to her friends, at any rate. Maybe not so much for humanity at large.

With the current plan agreed on, the trio moved towards the campfire, though it was little more than a few embers by now. Perhaps understanding that his presence would only be seen as an intrusion, the one sailor who had been sitting around it finished up the hard biscuit he was eating and got up to leave, giving a nod of acknowledgment to the newcomers as he passed them. Xisheng felt a little bad about running a comrade off from a place of rest, but then again, the sailor himself may have felt awkward in that situation, so it was likely that he had removed himself for his own benefit as much as theirs. At any rate, he had chosen to do so of his own volition, so there was nothing to feel guilty about.

"You feeling soup or something?"

Mai's question about food was answered without much delay. Xisheng didn't want to inconvenience her anymore than he already was, so he would just accept whatever she felt like making.

"That's fine. Thank you."

Since the fire was mostly dead, Xisheng swiftly used a bit of Firebending to rekindle it. Thankfully, whatever damage he had dealt to his body appeared to be limited to the physical muscles and nerves. Bending his chi in the usual fashion was not affected, as far as he could tell. With the fire roaring, Mai grabbed a few things laying around it in crates, including the utensils and pot needed, along with actual ingredients that were available. Well, it made sense for all of it to be kept around the fire where things would actually be cooked. Still, Xisheng had to acknowledge that he didn't really know what all the girl was grabbing in regards to ingredients and seasoning. He did, however, have faith that whatever she made would taste pretty good.

As for him and Ty Lee, the acrobat was quick to guide him into a sitting position on one of the closed crates being used for seating around the campfire. She then knelt beside him. "Show me your arm."

Immediately feeling a bit insecure again, Xisheng tried to dissuade her from this course of action. "Ty Lee..."

Unfortunately for him, Xisheng was not ready for the almost pleading, yet determined look she directed right into his eyes. "Please. I might be able to help you. Let me do that at least."

Unable to refuse her when she looked at him like that and spoke so gently, Xisheng conceded and freely allowed Ty Lee to examine his left arm. Without his right hand holding it down, the trembling was unmistakable. With an air of seriousness that was quite rare for her, Ty Lee ran her hands up and down his arm, feeling different muscles and their slight quaking. Under normal circumstances, Xisheng might have been embarrassed to have her touching him so brazenly, but knowing why she was doing this and seeing how seriously she was taking it, that type of feeling was averted.

After about a minute of her examination, the brunette questioned him. "How does it feel? Are you in pain, or is it just discomfort?"

"Uh, well... it's kind of tingly, like... when you accidentally fall asleep on your arm, I guess? It's not entirely numb, but it's not pain so much as discomfort. The shaking really doesn't help either."

Nodding in understanding of his explanation, Ty Lee moved her hands higher up Xisheng's arm, then began firmly feeling around for a moment. Xisheng found the contact a little embarrassing, but he didn't get to dwell on it for long anyway, as a mere moment later his brunette companion had pressed her thumb very deeply into whatever target she had been searching for.

For a brief instant, Xisheng's arm tensed up uncontrollably, a sensation that was not entirely dissimilar to when he had accidentally ran some lightning through it. But it passed quickly enough, and his entire upper arm relaxed afterward, eliminating both the feeling of strain and the trembling of the muscles. Ty Lee swiftly repeated this process with a different spot on his lower arm, after which Xisheng noted that the limb felt much better. Even the shaking had been lessened to a degree that was difficult to perceive unless you were trying really hard to see it.

Initially, Xisheng had intended to say nothing about his leg, since he already felt bad for inconveniencing both Mai and Ty Lee. But honestly, his arm felt so much better like this, he couldn't help but want the same relief for his similarly afflicted leg.

"Wow, that feels great... er, I hate to ask, but do you think you could do the same thing for my leg...?"

"Your left leg? Is the problem the same as your arm?"

"Y-yeah..."

With this said, Ty Lee wasted no time in treating his left leg as well. Of course, this included rubbing her hands up and down it, presumably searching for the pressure point she was looking for. Admittedly, this was even more nerve-wracking than the arm. He had a beautiful girl firmly feeling up his thigh, it was hard not to feel a certain way about it. However, Ty Lee didn't seem to be flustered by it. Perhaps she was taking the whole thing too seriously to even have such thoughts cross her mind. She was the type to do her best when it came to taking care of her friends, after all.

Thankfully for Xisheng's composure, the process of treating his leg didn't take that long. With a few moments of discomfort, the effects of yesterday's folly were greatly lessened. His relief must have been fairly obvious, because Ty Lee was quick to comment on it.

"Just know that this isn't permanent or anything. It should help for a few hours. But I can just do it again after it wears off."

Amazed with how well a few pokes on his body had helped him, Xisheng rubbed the afflicted arm just to verify how much better it really felt. "It's crazy what all you can do with this skill and knowledge you have. Why do I get the feeling there's a whole lot of other stuff you could do to the body that I don't know about?"

Some small part of Ty Lee acknowledged that she probably shouldn't answer with her immediate thoughts. But she couldn't help herself. Besides, Xisheng was in the dumps, and a bit of flirtatious brevity might help lift his spirits. She much preferred his usual vibrant and reassuring aura.

"I think you'll find there's a lot of things I can do to the body that have nothing to do with pressure points at all. All women have secret skills for that kind of thing..."

She intentionally petered off, leaving the insinuation vague. There really was no need to specify anything, because Xisheng's flustered expression and reddening cheeks made it obvious that he understood her implications. It was a little funny, actually: Ty Lee was able to flirt really well, but it wasn't like she actually had any experience in the stuff she implied. If it really came down to it, she probably wouldn't be confident at all in herself when it came to her first time being intimate with someone. Especially if it was someone she was really into and she was worried about making a fool of herself in front of them. Shit, now she was thinking way too hard about what the future could hold for her in that regard, and while sitting right next to the man she had in mind for such things. She'd intended to just rile Xisheng up a bit, but somehow Ty Lee had turned herself into collateral.

Mai certainly wasn't oblivious to this exchange, nor was she particularly happy with it. Before, she'd have questioned why she even felt this way, but by now, Mai had a pretty good idea why something like this ticked her off. She just wasn't sure if it was super serious, or just the result of a flight of fancy. She wasn't so incapable of understanding her own emotions as to not understand what attraction and jealousy felt like. She just didn't know if this was something to make a big deal out of, or if it was just the result of some external factors. Anyone with half a brain could see that Mai was a little short on options when it came to romance lately. So it was possible that what she felt now was more of 'no other choice' or 'path of least resistance' thing as opposed to real, committed feelings.

A small voice in the back of her mind immediately whispered something along the lines of 'you know which one it is', but Mai purposefully ignored it. She hadn't figured out what to do with that acknowledgment yet, so for now, she just wasn't going to acknowledge it. Still, she couldn't deny that the scene before her was grating on her nerves... thankfully, she had an easy way to curtail the situation before it went somewhere that irked her even more.

"Hey, your food's ready."

Xisheng must have been hungrier than he let on, because the mention of food did tear his attention away from whatever unscrupulous things he had been thinking. He seemed to entirely forget any embarrassment regarding intimate implications as he was handed a bowl of whatever soup Mai had concocted with what was available in the camp. Which wasn't much, naturally. It wasn't like the little tugboat they had used to get here had been laden with luxury ingredients. Still, after using a bit of subtle Firebending to cool down the soup, Xisheng found himself pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was.

When presented with relatively common and uninspiring ingredients, lots of people liked to season the shit out of everything, replacing what could have been a fairly balanced dish with a mouthful of salt, pepper, or worse. Failing that, they neglected to season it at all, or just didn't pair the ingredients in a way that complimented one another. Xisheng wasn't much of a cook himself, but he had eaten a lot of soup in his life, because aside from rice, that was one of the easiest things to provide to large groups of soldiers in camps. So he could tell a good soup from a bad one.

"Y'know, Mai, it's so weird to me how you're so good at something you don't even like to do that much. I mean, you put something that tastes great together so easily. I find it hard to believe you have no passion for cooking at all."

Mai did find herself feeling a little sheepish at the praise. "Cooking well is just a matter of common sense. It's nothing special."

Too wrapped up in enjoying the food to think of his phrasing, Xisheng simply allowed an intrusive thought to be spoken into the world. "Well, anyone lucky enough to marry you will definitely think it's something special. I know I would!"

Even Mai wasn't able to keep a blush off of her face after hearing that, especially considering a certain implication laced within those words. "Oh, t-thanks..."

Always aware of when her stoic mask was faltering, the young woman rested her chin in her hand solely so she could hide her face with it. It was a pretty nonchalant way to hide her reaction, though the way she turned her gaze way to the left was a lot less subtle. It was obvious to Ty Lee at least that she was happy and trying to hide it, and now it was her turn to feel a little disgruntled. Then again, she had no one to blame but herself for not having a territorial mark on Xisheng. She was the one that had established a boundary between them, however shaky said boundary tended to be.

Then again, wasn't this exactly why she was doing this in the first place? One big reason she wasn't moving forward with Xisheng was because she felt that Mai or Azula needed the chance more than her. So what was she getting so jealous and upset about when they actually seemed to be progressing on that front? Damn, was her rationale this flawed? Or was it just that one could make a sacrifice for others without being entirely satisfied with doing so? It was very possible to want an outcome that you actively avoided. Sometimes people had to choice between things that were both desirable, just from different perspectives.

Either way, Ty Lee wasn't going to make a big scene out of it right now. Xisheng was happy at the moment, and the least she could do was maintain that happiness right now. After all, everything she and Mai were doing right now was a temporary solution to his bad mood. They couldn't change what had happened yesterday or how he felt about it. Ultimately, it was how Azula acted beyond this point that would determine how well or quickly Xisheng returned to his old self. Admittedly, Ty Lee was a little worried about that fact.

She would be the first to admit that Azula was a better person today than she used to be. But at the same time, Ty Lee knew that her old shortcomings were far from nonexistent even now. And of all the things that pissed Azula off, one of the worst was how disgruntled she became when someone or something failed to meet her expectations. The young Princess had been so excited about teaching Xisheng how to bend lightning that she had even bragged on him to her friends. Needless to say, Ty Lee was certain that Azula was beyond disappointed right now.

The question was, what would she do with that disappointment? Most people would acknowledge that not everyone was a prodigy that could master a skill in a few days. But Azula was not most people. Would she lay into him? Call him a failure of a student? Or maybe she wouldn't be so upfront about it. Maybe she'd just act disappointed, which would honestly be enough to hurt Xisheng anyway. The only upside was that Ty Lee knew Xisheng was mature enough to avoid basing all of his self-worth on one person's opinion. Even so, she had little doubt that Azula's opinion was of great value to him.

Unfortunately, that opinion might not have been so far off, judging by the arrival of a certain someone on the scene, though she wasn't speaking to her friends. "...then just leave it in the crates we currently have. There's no point in unloading all of it for a few days of extra comfort only to package it all again. Though I'll be annoyed if we end up being out here longer than anticipated."

With the voice coming from behind them, Mai and Ty Lee glanced behind them to appraise Azula, who was walking beside the Captain and discussing something unbeknownst to them. Xisheng's body grew tense upon hearing her voice, and he didn't turn to look immediately, though he ultimately glanced behind him apprehensively as well. Considering the Captain's words, it seemed like they were catching Azula at the end of their conversation.

"I understand, Princess. I'm sure the escort will arrive soon, but my crew and I will be more than able to remain by your side until then."

"Very well. You may return to your duties, Captain."

Waving him off, Azula caught the gazes of her companions sitting near the fire. However, she didn't elect to say anything to them. After a brief moment of eye contact, she walked away once again, effectively ignoring the trio. Xisheng's expression soured immediately after the Princess turned her back, as he could only assume the worst by such a reaction. Azula usually wasn't the type to not even acknowledge her allies. He could only assume that she had no desire to talk to him right now: probably because he wasn't worth her time.

Admittedly, even Mai thought it odd that Azula would choose to say absolutely nothing right now. Surely she knew that Gohan was distraught over what had happened. But then again, maybe she didn't: as far as she knew, Mai was the only one that Xisheng had vented his frustrations to. Sure, the others could assume he felt bad, but only Mai knew his exact thoughts on his recent failure. Maybe Azula didn't think it was as big of a deal as it was?

Either way, Xisheng was only able to get a pat on the back right from Ty Lee right now to comfort him. "She's probably just busy, Gohan. Don't overthink things too much."

While the soldier put on a strained smile, it was obvious that he was just trying to avoid lowering the overall mood. "Yeah, thanks. I'm sure it's nothing..."

It was obvious to both girls that he clearly thought otherwise, but for now, there wasn't much else that could be done about it. Well, Mai thought of something she could do, but it would probably have to wait until later. Right now she would just do her best to keep Gohan's mind on other things. With Ty Lee helping out on that front, the two of them could hopefully at least do that much for a few hours.

---

By the time evening fell, most of the camp was quiet. There wasn't a whole lot for anyone to do at this point: the place had been established, everything that needed to be transported from the tug had been, and the people that needed to be on watch were. So most everyone was relaxing or tending to quiet tasks. This included Azula, who was standing near her tent, arms crossed as she peered into the forest outskirts. She had given all the orders required today, and as best as she could tell, everyone was appropriately focused on what they needed to be. So, at this point in time she had time to herself and her thoughts.

Not that anybody looking would know what she was really thinking. Mai honestly took some pride in her ability to present a stone face to almost everyone at all times, but as she looked at Azula from afar a few tents back, she could admit that Azula was good competition at least when she was alone with her thoughts. It was impossible to guess what the young Princess may have been thinking about, or if she was even thinking about anything at all. Maybe she was just spacing out, though Azula didn't really strike Mai as that type.

It didn't really matter though, did it? Whatever Azula was thinking about, Mai had deemed this the best time to talk to her. Gohan was having his injuries tended to by Ty Lee again, as the acrobat's initial aid via chi-blocking only seemed to last for a couple of hours at a time. They were occupied, most of the crew was busy or absent, and Azula was alone. Considering the overall lack of privacy around here outside of a tent, this was the best time to have a private conversation with Azula. Still, Mai was rarely the best at initiating a conversation she knew had the potential to be awkward. But as she thought of the distress Gohan was so obviously going through, the young woman pushed down the overall discomfort she felt with the situation and just decided to roll with whatever came to mind. Mai had plenty of things she wanted to say, she just had to figure out how to get to that point.

With that in mind, Mai quietly walked towards Azula who was lost in thought. Maybe that was why the young princess didn't notice her approach, though it may have also been Mai's natural light gait or the softness of the ground. Who could tell? Unfortunately, Azula's inability to notice Mai only made things more awkward for her, because it meant she absolutely had to initiate the exchange. Damn, going out of your way for others was such a pain...

With no idea what else to do, Mai settled for the best she could think of. It may not have been original, but it was a classic.

"...hey."

To the eagle-eyed, it was easy to see Azula's body tense slightly at the sudden intrusion, probably because she hadn't known that anyone was approaching her. She definitely wasn't the type to be unbothered with getting sneaked up on like that. Still, after her brain had enough time to register the voice and who it belonged to, Azula merely glanced over her shoulder to address the new arrival.

"Is something amiss, Mai? You don't usually come to someone to talk like this."

"Yeah, well, it happens sometimes."

"Not without a good reason, I imagine."

For most people, the swiftness with which Azula ushered this conversation to the main topic may have been uncomfortable. But Mai was actually glad: that allowed her to get past the awkward part of the conversation and to the part where she already knew what she wanted to say.

"Seems like a good reason to me. Listen, I'm just going to get right to the point: why haven't you talked to Gohan yet?"

This blunt question caused Azula to fully turn around and face her. "Excuse me? Where did that come from?"

"Where do you think it came from? Is that really a question?"

Mai didn't intentionally mean to sound accusatory, even though she felt it was justified. She was accusing Azula in her head, but she knew better than to do that out loud. Still, she wasn't the best at socializing, so maybe she hadn't done a very good job of it. At any rate, Azula reacted as though she had been accused.

"That's quite a tone you're taking with me, Mai. Watch yourself."

Mai would be lying if she claimed to be completely unfettered by this, but she didn't genuinely believe Azula would do anything to her for something as minor as getting testy with her.

"Then don't evade the question. There's no way you're oblivious to how bothered Gohan is by what happened with his training. You haven't said anything to him about it since it happened, and I want to know why."

For some reason, Azula's previously sharp gaze grew a little sheepish as she glanced away from Mai. "Well..."

"Is this some sort of punishment? Are you that disappointed?"

"N-no, it's just-"

"Do you have any idea how much your silence is-"

Apparently fed up with this accusatory line of questioning, Azula finally said what she was thinking, even though the admittance flustered her. "I just don't know how to comfort him, alright?!"

Stunned by the uncharacteristic outburst, Mai was left without anything to say for the moment. Ultimately, she only managed to question this unexpected admittance. "...really?"

Undoubtedly irritated by the fact that she had expressed such a sentiment, Azula furrowed her brow at her companion. "What do you mean 'really'?"

"I just... didn't expect this to actually be what was on your mind. You're actually thinking about this?"

"My pupil seriously injured himself while practicing a technique he should be more than capable of. What else would I be thinking about?"

Still somewhat confused, Mai folded her arms as she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but I figured you would only be considering it in a negative light. You said you don't know how to comfort him. You actually want to do that?"

Now it was Azula's turn to cast a quizzical glance. "I'm starting to wonder just what it is you and Ty Lee think about me."

Mai didn't seem bothered by this remark. "Come on, can you blame me? When's the last time you actually felt inclined to genuinely comfort anyone? Have you ever done that?"

"What are you talking about, I genuinely comforted you or Ty Lee all the time when we were kids."

Mai said nothing to this, instead choosing only to make her expression more incredulous. Azula was more than capable of getting the hint.

"Well, a few times, at least... at any rate, the rationale behind it doesn't matter. The point is, I don't know what to say. He knows me. It's not like I can lie and say that it's no big deal and that he shouldn't feel troubled by what happened. He wouldn't believe me even if I did say that."

"It might help if you weren't actually lying about that sentiment, Azula. You could just actually mean it."

Azula scoffed at this. "So just be intentionally delusional, then? It's the most closely guarded secret in all of Firebending, Mai. No one outside of the Royal Family has been taught this technique in over a century. It's a big deal. He should be troubled by his current situation: any sane person would be."

Recalling all of Gohan's earlier sentiments, Mai sighed in frustration. "Yeah, how about you don't say any of that to him? Thoughts like that are exactly what's tearing him apart right now."

The Crown Princess appraised Mai with curiosity. "And how would you know?"

Naturally, her friend didn't see any reason to lie about this. She didn't even see why anyone would care. "Uh, because he told me? Pretty much word for word: waste of opportunity and potential, cosmic injustice and irony, self-loathing and despair, y'know, the usual."

For some reason, Azula found this revelation incredibly vexing. Xisheng had told Mai all of this? He hadn't even told Azula that he was having trouble with the technique at all, never mind any doubts or concerns about his ability to do it. She was his teacher, and yet, her pupil had opened up to Mai instead.

A big part of Azula acknowledged this as reasonable: Xisheng was a smart man. He undoubtedly knew that a very influential factor in Azula's fondness of him was his confidence, devotion, and commitment. And he undoubtedly knew that she was the type to demand the best from everyone, especially those she was putting her faith in. So it only made sense that Xisheng wouldn't want to express such vulnerabilities to her. It would be the first time he let her down in many ways... as a pupil, a vassal, and most importantly, just as the person she had come to know him as. And honestly, Azula would be lying if she denied being somewhat bothered by recent events. The Xisheng she knew was a reliable man that was always confident, at least to the extent that she always felt he was tackling life with everything he could muster. Despite sustaining grievous injuries throughout this journey, not once had Xisheng's image as a trustworthy and steadfast individual been shaken in Azula's mind. Even when she had accosted him, threatened him, and beaten him senseless in a fight, Xisheng's tenacity and willpower had never faltered. He never let fear get the best of his efforts. He always tried his best and was comfortable in knowing that his best was all he could do.

To see that same man filled with doubts and fear of failure was troubling for Azula. This just wasn't the same man she had come to trust and rely on. Which was, of course, probably the reason Xisheng was so downtrodden in the first place. Azula had made it abundantly clear that her trust was very rare and valuable, and did not come easily to anyone. That being true, Azula was more than capable of seeing why someone who had so painstakingly earned that trust would be scared of betraying it, even unintentionally. She herself had experienced such feelings before. In fact, this whole situation was not all that dissimilar from a piece of her own past...

"Uh, Azula?"

Realizing she had been lost in thought, the young Crown Princess returned her focus to the present. "...when did he tell you all of this? Did he come to you directly?"

Perhaps realizing that the girl was mildly irritated by the information Mai had provided, said girl tried to placate her. "Calm down, it was nothing special. I was bored out of my mind and walking around the woods. He was nearby when the accident happened and I heard it. I showed up before he even got back up from the ground. He was just frustrated and talked to the first person to come along: yelled at me and everything. I'm sure he would have said the same stuff to you in that situation."

Azula refrained from stating that she knew otherwise. Xisheng would not have shared these sentiments with her. He didn't trust her: not with his vulnerabilities. If she were being honest with herself, Azula knew that Xisheng was almost a different person when he was around just Mai or Ty Lee. Or rather, he allowed a more complete version of himself to exist with them. There was a part of himself that he hid in Azula's presence. A large part of that was probably just decorum, though that had fallen away before: Xisheng had been far more candid with her than usual the day of their duel. But another aspect of it was undoubtedly his fear of failing to meet her expectations in any number of ways. He wanted to be the best soldier, the best subordinate he could be for her. And that meant having no blatant weaknesses or doubts about himself and what he could offer her.

Most nobles would claim that this was the way it should be: your subordinates should display no weakness in your service, and any vulnerabilities that did exist should have been hidden, never to bring shame to the lord. Not terribly far in the past, Azula would have undoubtedly believed the same. But now, she didn't find the prospect so desirable.

"If it was immediately after the incident, he was probably quite blunt with you. What do you think he wants to hear from me, Mai?"

The questioned noble was silent for a moment as she contemplated her words. "What he wants to hear is probably some super secret training technique that will let him master this lightning thing, so he can feel worthy of your respect. What he needs to hear is that you don't think any less of him for failing, and that you never will, even if he's never able to actually do this."

Azula glanced at the ground as she contemplated this. "Is that so...?"

Mai, on the other hand, continued with her sentiment. After all, it would be wrong to minimize Gohan's feelings to just this. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like Gohan is upset solely because he thinks he's failed you. Even ignoring any of the rest of us, he wanted to master this technique for himself, and he hates that he can't do it. He understands how rare of an opportunity it is to learn this stuff, and that just infuriates him more. But getting past that feeling of self-loathing is going to be on him. If he feels that he let you down, you can fix that. If he feels that he let himself down, nothing any of us say will change that."

Now that Mai appeared to be done with her spiel, Azula found herself in thought again. "You've left me with a lot to think about. I think I'll need some time to contemplate what I should say."

This was said somewhat dismissively, making it clear that Azula likely wanted to be alone, but even though Mai got the hint, she didn't leave immediately. "Azula."

Surprised that Mai was still sticking around, Azula once again cast a quizzical gaze at the girl. "What?"

Mai was generally someone with a pretty serious looking face, but that was usually just the result of her not being very expressive. When she was actually leveling a serious look at you, it was a bit more intense: the sharp gaze, the furrowed brow, the stern set of the mouth... she was quite good at the dire look.

"Do you really want to help him?"

"...why do you ask?"

Her friend's gaze didn't falter. "Because, he did let you down. You trusted him to achieve a goal and he failed. You expected him to be capable of something and he wasn't. I've seen how people that did that to you were treated in the past. Comforting them was the farthest thing from your mind. You didn't even want to look at them."

Azula was quiet for a moment as she contemplated this. After all, she couldn't quite deny Mai's words. Azula knew very well the makings of her own past. Ultimately, the young ruler to be turned her back on Mai, focusing her gaze on the trees in the distance as she had been before this conversation ever started.

"The mind of a child tends to favor the extremes. I've come to realize that what truly irks me about people failing is the knowledge that they could do better if they really tried. If the reason they fail is because they didn't do their best, it means they didn't value whatever they were doing enough to put all of their effort into it. Lots of people have failed me in such a way, and I still think extremely little of them for it. But if there is one thing I can claim to know for certain about Gohan, it's that he always tries his best. Specifically, he always does his best for me. Maybe his best isn't enough to reach every goal I have, and in the past, I may have begrudged him for that and that alone. However... this is not the past."

Having heard all of this, Mai scoffed, though there was a bit of a rueful twinge to it. "You still tend to favor a lot of extremes, you know. That said... you've changed, Azula."

With a rueful look of her own, Azula glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Are you unhappy about that, Mai?"

"Not at all. I'm heading back to my tent. Gohan's in his, when you're ready. See you tomorrow."

With her mission complete, Mai turned and returned to camp, with nothing more than a wave to mark her exit. Left alone once again, Azula turned her focus to the sky, pondering the extent of Mai's observation. She'd changed, had she? Well, looking back on the experiences of her childhood, there was no denying that. The question was, had she changed for better, or worse? Sometimes she missed the version of herself that was beholden to no one. Life was easier to navigate when you only cared about yourself. The version of herself that her father had approved of... answerable to no one, strong enough to have whatever she wanted, unladen by weaknesses such as concern for others or consideration for anyone. The type of person that would undoubtedly make a strong and unchallenged ruler.

And yet, thinking of it now, Azula could only wonder: did her father have anyone he truly trusted and relied on? Did he know how it felt to have someone at your side who did their best for you, not because of coercion or compensation, but because they wanted to? Was there anyone he actually enjoyed being around? Was he actually happy with his life at all, or did he just tell himself he was because he had power and influence?

Deep in her heart, Azula knew that she would have never earned the loyalty of someone like Xisheng if she were just like her father. And knowing that, she was faced with the very unfamiliar feeling of seeing her father as something other than a desired ideal. She wanted what her father had. But she wanted to get it without sacrificing what she had now. Considering that, Azula had a distinct opinion about how she had changed in the past few months. She was different from how she used to be, and she liked it. She'd probably continue to change from here on out, if she kept her present company. And if she were being honest with herself, Azula was actually eager to grow under a different type of tutelage.

The thought of really being disappointed in him was ridiculous. And even worse was the fact that he didn't know it.

---

With the moon already dominating the night sky, Xisheng found himself lying in his tent, staring up at the canvas. He needed to sleep. Heck, he wanted to sleep, he just couldn't. Even though Ty Lee had tended to his shivering limbs again less than an hour ago, he was too uncomfortable to sleep. Psychological discomfort often led to physical discomfort, after all.

Recalling the way Azula had pointedly ignored him since the training incident still weighed heavily on his mind. Before, he had been troubled by her silence, but now he was fearful of what would happen when that silence was broken. She would surely have something to say to him soon. Something bad, presumably. Xisheng's head had been filled with different potential outcomes when the time finally came, ranging from mere disappointment to discharging him from service, or even worse. Probably nothing more than a wild imagination for some of his fears, but even so, the thoughts were murder on his nerves.

When you knew something bad was coming, and you knew it was unavoidable, it was almost impossible for anyone to be free of anxiety. That anxiety was multiplied tenfold when you didn't know exactly when that bad thing was coming: only that it would be soon. Feel anxious for too long and you often started to feel sick, and that was how Xisheng felt right now. Heart racing, stomach queasy, thoughts disoriented: hell, this feeling wasn't all that different from his experience on the battlefield, when he had to stand in formation at the cusp of an impending battle. Anxiety ran rampant in men at arms at times like those.

Not that Xisheng would ever claim that his current dread really approached his battlefield experiences. As much as he was troubled by his current situation, nothing came close to the anxiousness and dread a soldier felt as he waited for bloodshed he knew was inevitable. Adrenaline washed those feelings way in the thick of combat, but before the fighting started, even the toughest of soldiers questioned whether or not they would die, if they would ever see home or their loved ones again. Nothing could compare to that feeling.

Still, less severe as his anxiety may have been in comparison to that, it was still unpleasant to deal with, and it was more than enough to prevent Xisheng from drifting into a peaceful slumber. He was wide awake, and that was why it was impossible to miss the rapping of knuckles on the wooden stake that served as support for a door made of canvas.

Xisheng's first assumption was that the visitor was Ty Lee, checking on him one last time before bed. After all, the girl had been making all sorts of comments about his aura while treating him. Apparently, his anxiety was so obvious that they were flashes of dark green to her. Or was it smatterings of dull gray? Honestly, he couldn't remember exactly what the brunette had said about it all. He hated to admit that he hadn't been paying attention to her, but Xisheng's thoughts had been pretty convoluted at the time.

Figuring that he should just allay the girl's fears, Xisheng crawled to the entrance of his tent, speaking before he even pushed the canvas flap out of the way. "Ty Lee, you don't have to check... on me..."

The young soldier's voice petered off as he identified the footwear in front of him. Namely, not the shoes and usually bare calves of a particular acrobat, but rather the plated shins of the one princess he knew. Following the legs up, he laid eyes on Azula's bemused expression.

"How often has Ty Lee been bothering you that you assume it's her so readily?"

Azula didn't seem particularly irate. If anything, she seemed like her usual self. Still, Xisheng couldn't help but feel the trepidation rising in his heart. The dreaded moment had come far too soon. "It's nothing like that, Princess. I just... didn't expect you at this hour."

"I imagine you wouldn't. I hope I didn't interrupt your rest?"

"N-no, I-"

Noticing his discomfort, Azula tried to assuage the man's nervousness. "Calm yourself, Xisheng. I'm just here to talk."

Ironically, this statement had the opposite of the intended effect. "That's... why I'm nervous, Princess."

Azula donned an expression that was difficult to interpret, but something about it didn't strike Xisheng was particularly dangerous or irked. He'd expected her to be annoyed with such sheepishness from him. He wasn't sure that he'd ever actually acted this way around her before. At any rate, the young girl didn't comment on it.

"Come on. We should find somewhere private to speak. While most everyone is asleep, I don't want to bet anything personal on that assumption."

With that, Azula turned and began walking in the direction of the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Xisheng didn't follow immediately: he couldn't help but draw absurd conclusions about why they would need privacy. Was this the part where she told him that anyone who was told the secret to lightning but failed to master it was executed or banished? Imprisoned for the rest of their days, perhaps? Frankly, he knew the idea was silly, but the thought occurred to him all the same. Reluctant though he was to follow this situation to his conclusion, Xisheng knew he had no choice. Accepting it for what it was, he simply arose to follow Azula, disquieted by thoughts of what might be discussed in a few minutes.

Having been a little slow to follow her, Xisheng trailed behind Azula, who was already standing near the cliff edge by the time he caught up. Xisheng expected some sort of comment on his slowness, but the princess seemed unbothered. Well, he supposed it was just a minute or so.

Despite coming to stand beside her, Xisheng said nothing, nor did he look at her. The trepidation he felt at this moment was too great for that. Ironically, this feeling was not unlike when he had first encountered Azula, what seemed like years ago on that barge among all of the other Royal Guards. Back then, she had seemed far above the concept of an ordinary person that had thoughts and feelings you could actually relate to. More like a mortal deity that held your life in the palm of her hands. Technically, that aspect of Azula had never actually changed. At not point since then had her control over Xisheng's future waned: it had only seemed less likely that she would feel the need to ruin said future as their relationship advanced beyond mere lord and subordinate.

If he had a rational thought in his head right now, Xisheng would have acknowledged his awareness of reality: he didn't really think Azula would up and banish him to some backwater town or something. She had come kind of close to doing that in the past, but the young ruler to be had grown a lot since then. But even though he knew this, Xisheng still felt an irrational fear regarding this upcoming conversation. The fact that Azula had yet to look at him or speak didn't help. Her serious gaze was focused on some aspect of the night horizon as well.

This left Xisheng to stew in his growing anxiety. Azula was hard to read at the best of times, and right now he couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. But it had to be bad, right? It was the only logical thing she could be feeling considering what had happened. Such thoughts only made the silence between them even more difficult to bear. While Xisheng had initially not wanted to have this conversation at all, now he could only wonder why Azula was torturing him with this silence. Why wouldn't she just get it over with? There was no way she hadn't contemplated what she wanted to say prior to now. What was the point of extending his suffering like this?

As the seconds passed, Xisheng found himself more and more agitated that nothing was being said. Eventually, it reached a point where he no longer cared if it was a good idea to speak first: he couldn't handle standing around like this in silence for much longer.

"...I'm sorry."

Likely not expecting him to speak first, Azula cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "What?"

While he immediately felt foolish for speaking first, Xisheng knew there was no turning back now. He had broken the silence, so it would make no sense to keep quiet now. "I... I know that you're disappointed. You put your faith and trust in me and I failed. There's nothing I can say to excuse it, so... I can't deny that I deserve whatever punishment you have in mind."

Feeling that he had gotten the worst of this ordeal out of the way, Xisheng fell silent once more. After all, what more was there to say now? He had acknowledged his failure, made a worthless apology, and accepted his fate. There wasn't anything else to really say. Or at least, he was hoping as much. Even if the end result was the same, he still would have preferred to avoid hearing those exact things directly from Azula. But it was made clear pretty quickly that he wouldn't be so lucky.

"I am disappointed."

Even though he had fully expected to hear this, Xisheng still felt wounded by it. It really did hurt more to hear something like this be confirmed, no matter how convinced you were of it beforehand.

"But I'm not disappointed in you."

Unsure if he had heard correctly, Xisheng managed to turn his gaze back to the Princess. "Uh... what?"

For her part, Azula acted as though she had said nothing strange, even though her gaze was pointedly out to sea at the moment. "I am disappointed. I'm just not disappointed in you."

Unsure of what on earth that even meant, Xisheng's brow furrowed. "That... that doesn't make any sense. How can you be disappointed, just not in me? What else is there to be disappointed in? Azula, you don't have to lie about this. I get it, I-"

Instead of letting him finish, the young girl turned a sharp gaze back at him, though it was more of slight annoyance than actual anger. "Xisheng, I thought you knew already that I don't like it when people attempt to speak my thoughts for me. Do you want me to be lying? Is this some sort of guilt relief thing? You want to be told that I'm disappointed in you, is that it?"

"N-no, it's not that, I just... don't see how you couldn't be..."

"It's not so complicated, Xisheng. Of course I'm disappointed that you didn't grasp the technique. I was looking forward to your mastery of it for a number of reasons. But being disappointed in how things turned out doesn't mean I am specifically disappointed with you."

For his part, Xisheng still didn't understand what on earth she meant with all of this. "OK, but why not? You should be! It's not like it's anyone's fault but mine that things panned out like this."

"Did you try your best?"

For reasons difficult to pinpoint, Xisheng was floored by this question. Tried his best? Did that matter? Did Azula really care if he tried his best if he still failed? He couldn't actually wrap his head around the notion. That being the case... what else could he do but express that sentiment?

"Does it matter if I did?"

This time it was Azula that was rendered silent, though it was only for a moment. After all, she had already pondered how Xisheng felt about their relationship, and it didn't really come as any surprise that he would feel this way. Apparently everyone around her felt this way, and Azula couldn't rightly blame them for it. For as long as she could remember, she'd demanded excellence from everyone, and she hadn't exactly been forgiving when those expectations weren't met. And admittedly, that was how she still operated with most people today. But Xisheng wasn't most people. The standards she held him to were different than others.

"Do you think it doesn't matter to me?"

Feeling the weight behind this question, Xisheng didn't have a response. He hadn't expected the conversation to go this way in the slightest. Plus, he got the feeling that Azula was somewhat bothered by the implication that he felt this way. All of that said, he didn't know what to say back. This gave Azula an opening to say what she had on her mind. Thankfully she had spent plenty of time dwelling on what all she wanted and needed to say in this conversation. She'd played it out many times in her head prior to now, having concluded just how important it would be after that conversation with Mai.

"Do you know what I appreciate the most about you, Xisheng? You always try. Since I've known you, you've always tried, even when it was something insurmountable. In fact, this aspect of your character is why I ever took note of you outside of all the other soldiers: that day on the barge, when I ordered you to fight me. That other soldier didn't even try. Whatever the reason, he didn't give me his best or even a fraction of it. But you... despite an overwhelming obstacle, despite knowing it was fruitless, still tried your best. Why?"

Azula looked directly at him, making it clear that she was personally invested in this answer. She wanted to know. She wanted to have him be open about it. Xisheng was fully capable of understanding this, though he wasn't sure how exactly to answer now that he had been put on the spot.

"Because... that's just... I don't know. That's just how I am. For one, what reason is there to not try your best? An obstacle won't just go away if you don't. It still has to be confronted regardless of how much effort you do or don't put in. But more than that... I want to overcome the challenges I face. When you ordered me to challenge you that day, I wanted to meet your expectations... but I also wanted to win. Even though I knew it was next to impossible, I wanted to strive for that goal. It was a challenge from you, but it was also a challenge from myself."

To this, Azula smiled. Genuinely, which was rare for her. "Exactly. Xisheng, this is why I respect you. Because you're just like me. You tried your hardest when I ordered you to fight me. You tried your best when you confronted Iroh. You took a risk in asking me to train you so you could become the best version of yourself. When I gave you an insurmountable challenge to rise to, you faced it head-on and even bested me. When I give you difficult training, you tackle it with everything you have. I'm sure you do this to meet my expectations. But more than that, you do it for yourself. You do it because you want to, because it matters to you. Because perfection is worth pursuing regardless of the feasibility of attaining it. Because if you fail something due to your own shortcomings, you let yourself down, and failing yourself is consequence enough. That's you, Xisheng. That's also me. That's why you are... special. I've never met anyone else who treats life the same way I do."

Xisheng was honestly stunned to be so blatantly labeled as 'special' by the girl next to him. Even admitting something like that was allowing a great deal of vulnerability to show. Moreover, it wasn't just praise from a superior, accolades from an official. This was Azula, telling him that he was special to her, in some regard or another. Honestly, it was hard to even accept it at face value.

"Come on, Azula, that's a bit much... not even your father?"

"My father puts effort into life to achieve certain goals, to get things that he wants. Which I suppose it not entirely different from pursuing perfection, but I digress. You and I strive for excellence for its own sake, simply because we want to be the best we can be regardless of what we do with that excellence. My father strives for excellence as well, but not for such reasons. If he could have the power and control he desires without having to try hard for it, he would certainly do so. Not that I condemn such motivations. I merely acknowledge that said motivation does not align with my own. I also like having power and control, but the pursuit of it isn't the reason I want to be the best version of myself. That is something I do for my own satisfaction, same as you."

While touched by the reassertion that he was different from all others in her eyes, Xisheng still found it difficult to be truly satisfied. Perhaps Azula had a point: by wanting to be the best he could be all the time, failing to do so was truly difficult to accept.

"Even so, your best can actually achieve great things. Mine is nothing particularly great."

To this, Azula merely sighed. "You know, this self-pitying business is actually kind of annoying coming from you. I know this sounds strange coming from me, but you only failed once. It's not like the goal is forever unachievable now. Dare I say, even I think it's a tad ridiculous that you expected to accomplish so much in such a short time frame."

Though he knew Azula had a very good point there, Xisheng found it difficult to accept. Truly, he knew that he was likely expecting too much out of himself. But it wasn't like he could help it. Apparently, he looked as unconvinced as he felt, which prompted Azula to fall silent for a moment as she contemplated something. Frankly, what she was thinking about was something she had never told anyone else. But she felt that it would help make a lot of headway in this conversation. While the thought of sharing an actual vulnerability still cowed her somewhat, but then again, if there was anyone she actually trusted to hear it...

"You know, I was only allowed to learn lightning bending a few years ago. Five, perhaps? Maybe four. Regardless, it's not like I've had this technique mastered since I was an infant. And it's not like I mastered it immediately when told how to do it either. The reason I knew to look at your foot the other day... it's because the same thing happened to me. I had been excelling at firebending training: in fact, the reason my father felt I was ready for lightning was because I had manifested my first blue flame shortly prior. I felt on top of the world. I, a mere child, head and shoulders above most Firebenders. An unmatched prodigy that impressed even the Fire Lord and his son. I'll admit, I was quite full of myself: even more so than I am today, if you can believe it."

For some reason, it was the inclusion of a self-deprecating joke that really brought the weight of this exchange down on Xisheng. This was not the type of thing a Princess told a soldier. The type of thing a noble told a commoner. This was a humanizing, perhaps even embarrassing story. Something a prideful person like Azula would almost certainly not share with anyone, even people she actually did trust. He certainly doubted that Ty Lee and Mai had ever heard it. And yet, she was sharing it with him. There was no denying reality at this point: he'd be a fool to consider himself a mere soldier, servant, or student at this point. He was well and truly more than that.

As for Azula, she didn't seem privy to his revelation, so she continued with her story. "I quite foolishly believed that I was likely the best Firebender in the world. Even better than people like my father or grandfather. After all, they were incapable of producing blue flame as I was. Most assuredly the delusions of a haughty child, but you must understand: there was next to nothing that I had been unable to achieve prior to that point after putting my mind to it. I believed myself infallible. So you can imagine my shock when I found myself struggling with lightning. More than just struggling really, it felt insurmountable at the time, like trying to break a mountain into pebbles with my fists. I was furious at the idea of being incapable. And like you, I didn't ask anyone for assistance. I told no one that I was struggling, because that was akin to admitting defeat. Of course, that just led to even further complications, and I grew more and more frustrated with my inability to succeed."

Having experienced this exact situation very recently, Xisheng was certain he already knew where this was going. The similarity was uncanny. Maybe the two of them were that similar?

"Eventually I grew so frustrated and agitated with the situation that I attempted to achieve my aims through brute force. Very rash and very stupid."

She said this with a pointed glance at Xisheng, which admittedly made him feel a little sheepish, but not too much. After all, Azula was admitting to having done the same thing, which she confirmed with her continuing story.

"Needless to say, I lost control of the lightning. It raced wherever it damn well pleased and caused my excruciating pain in the process. Naturally, a great deal of it used my leg as a path the ground, and I received a very nasty burn on that foot for my troubles. It was undoubtedly one of the worst pains I've experienced in life. And yet, it wasn't the pain that caused the most damage. It was how people reacted upon learning of my failure. My father said nothing of disappointment, but you could see it in his eyes. My mother, on the other hand... tch, she railed on and on about how foolish and reckless I was, about how I clearly lacked the restraint to be learning such dangerous things. About how I couldn't be trusted with something like lightning. My father ultimately defended me against her, but I'm sure he was largely defending his decision to teach me. That damn woman still carried on, clearly more upset with the fact that I was learning something she didn't approve of than the fact that I was actually hurt physically or emotionally. Hmph, and Zuko wondered why I hardly cared that she-"

Perhaps realizing that she was saying more than she really intended to, Azula cut herself short, clearing her throat awkwardly as she glanced away from Xisheng. "Sorry, ignore that rambling. The point is, I know how it feels to think you've disappointed people whose opinion you actually care about. I also know how it feels to fail a task expected of you by those people. I know how it feels to have those people condemn your failure even though you gave it your all at the time. That's why I want you to know that I am doing none of those things to you. If you were someone else: someone who failed because they were just unwilling to try as hard as they could, someone who failed because they didn't think it was worth their time, I'd condemn you. But I know that isn't true. As I said, you're just like me in this regard, and I know I can trust your commitment because of that. I cannot think less of you for this incident unless I'd also be willing to think less of myself: and I think we both know that isn't going to happen."

Though she didn't explicitly state as much, Xisheng got the distinct feeling that Azula had said everything she wanted to say. Everything she needed to say. And frankly, he couldn't quite disagree. This entire conversation had lifted a weight off of his shoulders. Not just the weight of the current situation, but also a sort of burden he had carried since the very beginning of his journey alongside Azula: the burden of balancing the obligations of multiple roles alongside her. There was a difficultly to trying to be more than a mere subordinate while also respecting the boundaries that such a role demanded of him. But this exchange had finally cleared many vague questions about their relationship and what it entailed. There was truly no room to doubt it now.

"...thank you for that, Azula. I know telling anyone all of this couldn't have been easy for you. Have you... actually told anyone else this?"

Feeling a little bashful about that answer, Azula pointedly averted her gaze out to the darkened sea. "No... which is why I expect you to appreciate this, and what it means."

Though he had a feeling he knew what it 'meant', Xisheng felt compelled to ask anyway. He just wanted to have absolute confirmation. "What it means, Princess?"

Despite being a little embarrassed with this line of conversation, Azula nevertheless managed to look back at him. "Exactly the opposite of that. Surely it's obvious by now that we're not just a princess and some subordinate. From now on, when we're alone... or rather, when there's no one present to warrant the illusion of decorum, I want you to feel at ease around me. If it's just us and the others, you can ignore my noble status."

Somewhat amused by the shy discomfort of her saying all of this, Xisheng cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you asking me to respect you less?"

"I'm asking you to consider us equals. Unless the idea repulses you? I can rescind this offer if you wish."

"N-no, not at all Princess! I mean, er, Azula... I'm... honored that you'd consider me your friend."

Perhaps seeking to diffuse a rather embarrassing situation for herself, Azula scoffed, though she pointedly avoided Xisheng's gaze. "Well, it seemed a little pathetic to only have two friends. I don't want to end up like Mai, that soon-to-be spinster..."

"I thought being a spinster meant not having a partner at a certain age. How does this stop you from-"

Perhaps aware that Xisheng was going to reach a particular conclusion very quickly, Azula cut him off. "Anyway, about your training: obviously you will need to leave it be for now. Considering how difficult it is already, and your particular struggles with it, it'd be foolish to attempt lightning again with your body still reeling from the last fiasco. Spend these next few days resting until you're healthy again. The effects of lightning arcing throughout your body will likely be felt for a decent period of time. In the meantime, we can discuss the obstacles you're facing and figure out how to overcome them. Stop letting this one setback get the better of you and go back to the you we all actually enjoy."

With that, Azula turned on her heel to return to camp, though not before Xisheng called out to her one last time. "Does 'we all' include you, Azula?"

Stopping briefly, the young girl glanced back over her shoulder. "It especially includes me, Xisheng."

Continuing on her way after that, Xisheng was left standing alone. His arm still tingled, his leg still shook, but his heart hadn't felt so light in ages. Truly, this was the last thing he had been expecting before this conversation had taken place.

---

While he had been given permission from Azula to take things easy for the next few days, Xisheng didn't get much of a chance to. Before he even had a chance to wake up himself the next day, an unusual amount of hustle and bustle around the camp did it for him. Upon being roused from sleep and feeling awake enough to present himself to the world, Xisheng perused the camp to see what the commotion was all about. To his surprise, there was an Overlord transport parked not far from the camp, and the presence of several soldiers that were not part of the crew they'd been traveling with so far. Many troops were carrying crates of supplies and amenities to and from the tents to the cargo cabin of the Overlord.

Laying eyes on a particular sailor tending to a familiar hawk was the last hint Xisheng needed: their ride was here, and quite a bit earlier than had been expected. He hadn't expected to be leaving this area for at least a few more days. Either that bird had a hell of a work ethic, or the soldiers it had made contact with knew better than to loiter when they were being summoned by the Crown Princess, indirectly or not.

Putting on his boots and stepping out into the world again, Xisheng was mostly ignored by everyone, since the whole camp was busy. It seemed like anyone that wasn't piling supplies onto the Overlord were instead preparing the boat for departure: after all, the crew that had ferried Azula and her allies here had their own post to maintain, and they were only ever supposed to be here long enough to hand the group off to another escort. Even so, it didn't take long before Xisheng was picked out of the crowd by one of his actual friends.

"Gohan! How are you feeling?"

Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching voice revealed Ty Lee. "Hey. Decent enough. Pain's not as bad but not entirely gone..."

The expression on her face showed that this wasn't exactly the answer Ty Lee had been looking for. "OK, but like... y'know, how are you doing?"

That she was asking for a more emotional or psychological answer was impossible to miss. How she knew to ask was a mystery though. Had Mai or Ty Lee known about Azula's conversation with him last night? He couldn't imagine that Azula would have shared the exact details of the conversation with them. Still, the brunette had some idea that an important thing had taken place.

"I'm fine in that way too, Ty Lee. Better than fine, actually. Can't you tell? I feel positively rosy today."

The brunette glanced him up and down, with an expression that was not entirely convinced. "More of a hibiscus if you ask me, which is good and all, I just didn't want to assume that it actually meant anything without asking. I gotta admit, you do look better. So... does that mean it went well?"

"Depends on what you're referring to."

"You know, the talk. Mai said Azula was going to actually talk to you. She did, didn't she?"

Xisheng smiled. "She did. And yes, it went well. Really well. Much better than I could have imagined, honestly..."

Ty Lee beamed at the mention of this, clapping her hands together. "Wow, this must be what a proud mother feels like! Azula's really changed from the old days... I mean, it was crazy to me that she would genuinely apologize just a little while ago, and now we're all the way to this! You've really been such a good influence on all of us, Gohan."

"And all of you on me, in one way or another. But as much as I'd love to talk, I feel like I should help the soldiers with all of this heavy lifting."

Grabbing hold of his arm, Ty Lee immediately stopped Xisheng from moving away from her. "I don't think so, Gohan. We should tend to your arm and leg first. You're still shaking even now: just not as bad as before."

Now that she had called his attention to it, Xisheng noticed that he really was still trembling a bit. He supposed he had actually gotten use to it over the past few days. But kind of like breathing, once his mind was on it there was actually some agitation.

"OK, but after that..."

Instead of letting him finish, the acrobat tugged him towards a crate that had yet to be moved so he could sit on it. "Not even then, Gohan. Sit back and let some other people work every once in awhile. Technically, they're getting paid to do this. You have a different job now."

"They're gonna give me the evil eye though, having to work while I get tended to by a pretty girl..."

"Well, they should have thought about getting a pretty girl of their own. Or three, if they're greedy like you..."

"Hey-!"

Ty Lee pulled him down to the crate to cut off his protest. "Alrighty then, show me your arm..."

Since he had gotten used to this routine by now, Xisheng quickly did what he was told without any confusion, allowing Ty Lee to tend to his arm and leg as he watched the men around them work. Apparently, most of them truly didn't care that he wasn't participating. The two of them barely got a parting glance as Ty Lee worked. At some point they were joined by Mai, who naturally wasn't helping lug a bunch of stuff around, nor had she been able to sleep with all of the racket going on. She'd asked some similar questions to Ty Lee, and even gotten some similar answers from Xisheng. She'd even expressed some similar amazement at how things had progressed between him and Azula. Ultimately, the three of them ended up sitting around and observing the rest of the camp, even after Ty Lee was done with Xisheng's physical therapy.

By the time someone was actually asking Xisheng to move so he could take his impromptu seat, a few hours had passed and almost everything was ready to go. It was around this time that Azula summoned her friends to the new Overlord that would take them to Ba Sing Se, though not before Ty Lee got caught up saying goodbye to almost everyone in camp that she'd gotten acquainted with. Xisheng couldn't blame the sailors for feeling that way: who wouldn't be sad to see someone like Ty Lee leave their lives? It was incredibly unlikely that she would see any of them again.

At any rate, Xisheng and the girls found themselves next to Azula, the Captain, and whoever was in charge of driving the Overlord, though it was impossible to tell the man's age under his mask. Azula swiftly opened up the conversation with her friends.

"Well, as you can no doubt tell, it's time for us to leave. Ba Sing Se awaits: I assume none of you have any pressing business before we depart?"

With shrugs or outright statements to the contrary, Azula got her answer quite quickly, prompting her to turn to the masked soldier in charge of the Overlord. "Well then, do start the engine, Corporal. I'd like to be underway as soon as possible."

With a silent bow, that soldier went off to do as he was told, leaving Azula to focus on the Captain that had been accompanying them thus far. The graying man honestly looked a little emotional, but in a good way. After all, this had probably been the most exciting adventure he'd been on in years, even if it hadn't really been all that much outside of that encounter with the EKN. At any rate, he would be able to tell all of his friends and family that he had personally escorted the Princess of the Fire Nation at one time, and that kind of clout would last him quite some time: if anyone ever believed him.

"Captain, allow me to say that you've served me well. Please extend the gratitude of the Royal Family to your entire crew. I will be sure to remember your outpost and its soldiers when the time comes to grant accolades for our success at Ba Sing Se."

The captain bowed low to Azula. "Your gratitude is reward enough for all of us, Princess. It was an honor to escort you and your retinue. Should you ever have need of our meager services again, you have but to bid for our aid. We will come, even if it means fighting through the Earth Kingdom Navy once again."

With a nod of acknowledgement, Azula turned towards the passenger cabin of the Overlord. Mai was right behind her, so she didn't waste much time in heading that way either. Since she hadn't gotten particularly involved with the captain, their only exchange was a customary bow from the older man as she passed, to which she nodded in return. Ty Lee, on the other hand, actually got a personalized farewell after the captain's bow to her.

"Lady Ty Lee, it was a pleasure to have you with us. I assure you, the men will be devastated to see you go."

For her part, Ty Lee looked a bit teary herself. Then again, she was the most social of them all, and had spent a lot more time growing fond of the crew. "Oh, Captain! You guys were the best bunch of sailors a girl could ask for! Even the constant seasickness was made bearable by all you guys!"

With a chuckle, the captain held out some of the medicine he had been sharing with Ty Lee since the beginning of their sea journey. "Even so, why don't you take some of this just to be on the safe side? Riding over land can be bumpy too."

Taking the medicine from the man, Ty Lee double-checked to make sure no one else was looking before she gave him a swift hug. Well, she wasn't one for decorum in most cases, so even though the captain looked stunned and more than a little flustered, Xisheng wasn't surprised. That marked the final goodbye between those two, with Xisheng moving forward as Ty Lee skipped to the Overlord. The captain had to clear his throat before speaking to him after that somewhat awkward debacle.

"Ahem... Lieutenant Xisheng."

The older officer held out a hand, instead of opting for a bow. A sign of mutual respect, rather than one of subordinate homage. Honestly, what Xisheng would have preferred from a fellow soldier. As he grasped the man's hand, the captain continued to speak.

"It was a honor to serve with such a dedicated soldier. I haven't met someone who embodied the values of duty and honor so completely in a long time. Not to mention the fact that my crew and I certainly owe you our lives for the part you played in the skirmish out at sea. Thank you."

"I can say the same about you and your crew's excellent skills and teamwork, Captain. It was an honor to be among men I could trust as my comrades so completely. Thank you for keeping the Princess safe."

Clasping his hands behind his back once the handshake was over, the captain nodded. "You only prove my point further, Lieutenant. And speaking of the Princess... it is clear even to me that you have the trust of all three of those young women. Not to threaten you on the back of a dignified exchange, but... you had best take care of them, soldier. You don't know how lucky you are."

Xisheng was about to respond, but was called from the Overlord before he could by Ty Lee. "Gohan, Azula says to hurry up!"

With a wave of acknowledgement, Xisheng turned to the captain one more time. "That's a fact I remain keenly aware of every day, Captain...?"

The way Xisheng petered off made it clear that he was probing for a certain response. It only just now occurred to the captain that he hadn't shared this information at any point prior to now.

"Tianhai, Lieutenant."

"Well then, Captain Tianhai, I sincerely wish for the day we can meet under the best of circumstances. Maybe at some grand victory feast when this is all over, eh?"

With a chuckle, Tianhai stroked the edge of his mustache before taking a few steps back towards the camp. Azula had expressed a desire to leave quickly, after all. "That is my wish as well. Farewell, Lieutenant. Best of luck on your endeavor. My men and I will be rooting for all of you."

With one last wave, Xisheng turned towards the Overlord, preparing to depart for the next leg of his journey. Hopefully, this sense of contentment wouldn't be replaced with foreboding until they were at least able to see the walls of Ba Sing Se.