The Next Move

4

Delighted as he was to spend time with Yue and her kids, Kino couldn't help but worry over the hot-air balloon's arrival and the meaning behind its visit. They returned to the Palace about two hours after the others did, followed by the firebending group. The kids weren't quite as friendly with Rui Shi and his companions as they were with him, but their inherent fear of Fire Nation people had dwindled gradually thanks to Kino. They didn't mind their presences much, no matter if they weren't likely to speak often with any of the firebenders.

The typically talkative soldier was much more withdrawn than usual as he accompanied Yue to drop off her children with their tutors – their lessons had been rescheduled on that day, since they had gone to see the new Water Tribe fleet in the morning. Yue would often stay with them through that process… but today, after she ensured the three children would behave and sit still for class – particularly the restless Shina –, she turned towards Kino and took his hand in hers.

"You want to find out what happened with that hot-air balloon?" she asked. Kino gritted his teeth and nodded. "Should I come too, or…?"

"If you want to, sure," Kino smiled shyly. "I'd rather be around you as much as I can be, heh…"

"So I've noticed," Yue said, fondly.

She cupped his face, raising it so she could kiss his lips softly. They were alone, they could afford to be affectionate privately, but Kino's anxiety never failed to bloom in his chest whenever they stole any moments anywhere as open as the corridor right outside the Princess's family's suite.

Even so, he kissed her back, perhaps too enthusiastically, and he smiled shyly still once they broke off the contact. He couldn't help but wonder if her heart raced as much as his own did whenever they kissed… he couldn't possibly fathom eliciting such strong feelings in someone else. But the difference between his passing, meaningless crushes and his growing affection for Yue didn't fail to amaze him. It wasn't merely that she was beautiful, kind, fun to spend time with… there was a part of him that treasured her in a way he never had experienced until now. Upon holding her hand as they marched across the Palace corridors, Kino felt giddy as a child… and yet there was a newfound devotion inside him that urged him to protect her, to shield her from any more sorrow she might experience in life. Perhaps that was the true nature of Sokka's devotion to Azula… it was much easier for Kino to understand why a man would go to war, why he would change the stars, now that he had experienced this kind of love with Yue, innocent as it might be.

The news they would come across next, however, would chill Kino's placid happiness with Yue even before learning the truth about them in full: after checking in the dining hall, and in their respective rooms, Kino failed to find his friends until a guard informed Yue that her father had an urgent, sudden meeting with the Gladiator and his allies.

They wasted no time rushing to the Chief's study after that. They arrived just in time to overhear Sokka's words, through the open curtains that ensured very little privacy in the room:

"The fifteen ships we've built will have to do. How many soldiers can you send? How many benders?"

"I'm afraid… the situation being as it is, fifty benders. At best, a hundred soldiers."

"Done."

Zuko, by the room's threshold, winced visibly upon hearing those words. Kino, behind him, having approached furtively enough not to be noticed, watched as Katara, standing with Zuko, bumped him lightly with an arm.

"Waterbenders are strong. This isn't a meaningless contribution," she warned him. Zuko snarled.

"I know, but… reinforcements only worth a hundred and fifty more fighters isn't what we were hoping for when we came here," he said, defeated.

"Why are we settling for that?" Kino asked boldly: the attention of everyone inside the room turned towards him as he stepped forward, frowning slightly. "What's going on?"

"We were going to tell you later…" Katara said, uneasily. Aang, at her other side, also glanced at Kino with remorse.

Sokka, however, sat before Arnook, on cushions. Pakku stood behind the Chief, watching them with a stern frown.

"We're finalizing the terms of our alliance," Sokka announced, his voice charged with a dark energy that took Kino aback. "We have no more time to waste. We are moving out as soon as we confirm that the rest of our forces are ready."

"What? But… why? So suddenly?" Kino said, eyes wide. Zuko gritted his teeth.

"We lost in Yu Dao," Zuko said: Kino froze. "The situation is not looking good. I'll explain better later if you want, but we can't afford to give the Fire Nation more time. They'll continue bolstering their forces if we give them any room for it."

"They have new developments… weapons as bad as the ones on the destroyed airships that attacked the Northern Water Tribe," Aang said, with a deep sigh. "Who knows what else they might do if we don't stop them now?"

"Then…" Kino said, eyes wide…

The war was resuming. Their time in the Northern Water Tribe was never meant to be a long-term matter, he knew that from the start… he couldn't hope to stay here forever.

His heart, apparently, hadn't remembered as much. It broke rather violently as soon as he realized he would have to say goodbye.

He glanced back at Yue: she looked troubled, her beautiful eyes downcast suddenly, though marred with concern. She glanced among them, as though hoping someone would bring up an argument against this sudden, unforeseen decision… but none arrived.

Her eyes met Kino's, and she found the same apprehension she felt in his brown eyes.

"I'll coordinate matters by sending that same messenger to Ba Sing Se," Sokka said, firmly. "Piandao is in a much better position to send word and spread my orders to all our available forces. Everyone else will converge in the Fortress first… then, they will meet us at the Slate's island. We'll charge ahead with the full-scale invasion from there."

"I suppose you expect very little opposition at sea," Pakku said. "The Fire Nation should not have had enough time to recover from their naval loses yet. That being said, do not take for granted that they committed the entirety of their fleet to the North Pole. They might just have hundreds of other ships…"

"They will have some. It makes no matter. We will destroy them if it comes to that," Sokka said, curtly. "Do we have an agreement, Chief Arnook?"

The Chief didn't hide his apprehension. He eyed Sokka with uncertainty before sighing with defeat.

"I understand your intent, and I respect it. I simply hope… that you're not charging ahead recklessly, General Sokka," he said. "You're certain you've thought things through? That your judgment is not clouded?"

"It's clouded enough," Sokka said, sharply. "I'm aware that I'm not fine, Chief. I wish I could make this choice with a clearer head. Hence, if you see any notorious flaws in my plans, anything that could endanger your men or your assets in ways I'm failing to recognize, speak up now so that I may correct course wherever it's necessary."

"Well… I can't say that it's the plans that worry me. It's your disposition," Arnook admitted. Sokka scoffed.

"If so, that's irrelevant," he said.

"Perhaps," Arnook sighed, nodding in his direction. "We refused to add our troops to your father's, in the past. We feared the consequences of doing so. Said consequences were, no doubt, far worse for your people and your family than any of us had pondered so far. Therefore… I deeply regret that I can only afford to send such a limited force to aid you in your venture. Nonetheless… a man who could create miracles out of nothing should be able to achieve something extraordinary with a force of a hundred and fifty strong and willing Water Tribe warriors and benders. I wish you luck, General Sokka. May victory find you at a merciful cost."

Sokka nodded, rising to his feet. Arnook did the same, extending his hand towards Sokka, clasping his forearm firmly. The gesture of respect established the basis of their newly finalized deal… and with that, everything was settled. They would set out from the Water Tribe shortly.

Kino shivered, lowering his head as his heart pounded painfully at the thought… he didn't want to leave. He knew this would happen, of course he did… but he had foolishly allowed himself to think this moment might be distant, further away than expected. That this separation wasn't around the corner, that he could indulge in his freedom for a little longer…

"Kino…" Katara called him, reaching out to clasp his shoulder gently. He gritted his teeth as Sokka turned towards him.

"W-when…?" the former solder said. "How long do we have left before…?"

"A few weeks, at most," Sokka said: the deep, stern tone of his voice softened slightly, much as the cold glare of his clear blue eyes did. "I'm sorry, Kino. I know it's sudden, but…"

"I knew this would happen. We knew, I… I shouldn't have let myself forget it," Kino said, with unease.

Back to the war. Back to the uncertainties, the anguish… his heart clenched at the thought of not knowing whether he'd succeed or fail, whether he'd be able to come back at all. And knowing Yue would be worrying about those things, too…

"You… you really can't send more forces?" Yue surprised everyone when she spoke to her father. Arnook raised an eyebrow. "I mean… I know we sustained heavy losses. I just thought… they will be fighting the Fire Nation directly. The more help they can have, the better. Right?"

"Even so… it really is all we have at the moment," Arnook said, with a shrug. "If General Sokka could afford to wait a couple more months, we might be able to add, I don't know, perhaps twenty more warriors, ten more benders? But for now… this is all we can do."

"I… I understand," Yue said, lowering her gaze.

"And I understand, too, that you're worried about the success of this venture," Arnook said. "It's no small feat, it's in fact something very few have ever attempted before. No one rebels against the Fire Nation in this scale, at least, not with any hopes of success. But we will trust General Sokka's leadership, Yue. He will prove himself. I'm sure he can prevail."

"I hope so," Yue whispered, gritting her teeth. "But…"

She glanced back over her shoulder at Kino. His vulnerable gaze caught her off-guard. He didn't want to go any more than she wanted him to leave, but…

"Kino… we talked about this."

Yue flinched when she heard Sokka saying words that sounded as ominous as that. She didn't know what they'd talked about… Kino had said nothing about it. But Kino's face, surprisingly, wasn't filled with dread… more so once his friend placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You can stay here if you'd rather do that," Sokka said.

"Oh, can he, now?" Pakku exclaimed suddenly, surprising everyone in the room. "And why is that?"

"Why?" Sokka scoffed, glaring at him. "I'm pretty sure Kino helped save your people, your city, and he's done nothing wrong so as to deserve being removed from the Tribe at haste, or has he?"

"That… is a charged question," Pakku said, firmly. Kino froze in place, and dread bloomed in Yue's gut. "His deeds for the Water Tribe's sake were certainly valuable, but…"

"Kino saved my life," Yue said: her voice startled everyone in the room when it carried a stronger authority than it usually did. "More than once. I won't have you speaking of him dismissively, Master Pakku, or treating him as an inconvenience rather than the honored guest he is."

"Is that so?" Pakku said, folding his arms over his chest. "And the fact that you have taken a liking to this Fire Nation man is entirely irrelevant to your impassioned defense of him, now, is it?"

"You… what?" Arnook frowned, looking at Yue in confusion. "You… Yue! What does that mean? What… Pakku, what did you just say?"

"Father…" Yue said, blushing. Pakku scoffed.

"You've been anything but subtle. Holding hands with the whelp as you walk across the city…" Pakku said, rolling his eyes. "Not that it wasn't suspicious even before you started doing that, but still…"

"You… you held hands with him?" Arnook gasped, looking at Yue in utter shock. "Yue, are you attempting to pursue some manner of… o-of courtship with that man? I did not know of this…!"

"Half the city knows," Yue said, bluntly: her father's eyes widened, and Pakku huffed. "Master Pakku knew, clearly. He could have told you if you hadn't noticed. I suppose he didn't care to."

"Yue…!" Arnook gasped: learning that his grand Southern Water Tribe ally might just run into war carelessly, recklessly, had become meaningless next to the shocking revelation that his daughter had taken a lover without his express authorization. "You… you chose him? The Fire Nation boy who…?!"

"He was born to the Fire Nation, yes, but he's a member of the Southern Water Tribe," Yue said, firmly. "Our sister tribe. Not that different from General Sokka, with whom you were all too enthusiastic to set up nuptials that neither of us cared to accept."

"Not that different? He's from the Fire Nation!" Arnook squealed.

"And now he fights against the Fire Nation," Yue said. "He saved me from certain death at their hands and fought to the bitter end to save his friends and this city. He's an upstanding man… far better than the one you married me off to, without question."

"I… I know Hahn was a mistake, Yue, but no one could have known he would turn out as he did," Arnook argued. Yue scoffed.

"I used to think so too. You convinced me of that… but by now, I realize that's not true," she said. Arnook's eyes widened. "I could have known… would have known, if I'd had the chance to get to know him properly before so much as considering marriage with a man like him."

Despite his dreadful mood wasn't bound to improve regardless of how this argument transpired, Sokka paid close attention to Yue's unusual attempt to stand up for herself. Truth rang along her words, accompanying the sentiment her father no doubt was deeply uncomfortable with…

"And that's what I've been doing with Kino," she said, swallowing hard. "If… if it didn't work out, it would be disappointing. But after everything that's happened… I think I finally understand that I want to choose for myself in life. I'm not simply standing by idly, allowing you or misguided beliefs about my destiny to steer my path…"

"Misguided beliefs…?" Pakku repeated. Yue eyed him accusingly.

"'There's such a thing as being too eager to fulfill your destiny,' is what you said that day, Master Pakku," Yue repeated. Pakku frowned. "You weren't any happier than anyone else over my choice to sacrifice myself, if need be, in the Spirit Oasis. And after getting to know Kino and his friends, learning so much more about life than I thought I would? I… I realized that this life, this gift, was granted to me so that I could experience it. So that I could be… human. So that I could be me. If I was deemed worthy of such a boon by the Moon Spirit, then I don't intend to squander her gift for another moment. And that means… that while I haven't been free to choose for myself for many long years, it's not too late to start now."

"Yue… I accept that. I understand that. It's a magnificent resolve…!" Arnook said, with a nervous smile. "But… you're using this life, this determination to make your own choices, to be with… him?"

Kino shrank in place, under Arnook's judgmental stare. Yue, though, smiled at the nervous man, reaching out to clasp his hand in hers, to Arnook's utter horror.

"It's the first of many new choices, and one I hope I'll be proud of forever," Yue said: Kino's cheeks flushed deep crimson, reaching all the way to his ears. He could feel his friends watching him, and while he didn't hear them laugh or make jokes, he had the slight suspicion that a few of them were quite amused by this rather shocking turn of events.

"But Yue…!" Arnook winced.

"As useful as he may have been in the battlefield… Princess Yue, you are highborn," Pakku said, rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "He isn't even born to the Southern Water Tribe proper, no matter how you may wish to argue for his belonging among them. He is a Fire Nation commoner, and you're a Princess of the Northern Water Tribe…"

"The last time a bigshot of any of our cultures said anything along those lines… a bad war became worse yet. And the likelihood that he'll pay for it with his life grows stronger with every day that goes by, Master Pakku."

Sokka's intervention was likely unnecessary, for Yue had handled herself with poise and dignity so far. Nevertheless, his words gave Pakku pause. The man's wary eyes shifted towards him: Sokka responded with a harsh, stern glare.

"Only… it was the Fire Nation's Princess, and the Southern Water Tribe's nobody, back then," Sokka said, bitterly. "Tread carefully, Master Pakku. You might be in over your head if you decide to underestimate Kino that badly."

"Sokka, I'm not…" Kino mumbled, his voice small.

"He's right," Katara cut him off, startling the blushing Kino anew. "Nobody in all our ranks, in the entire White Lotus, has been as capable of handling highly sensitive infiltration and spying missions as Kino can."

"He's been trained in swordsmanship by Piandao, too," Aang said, nodding sagely. "And he chose the Water Tribe over the Fire Nation when he very well could have made a different choice. He's been a welcome member of the Southern Water Tribe since…"

"And he has proven himself among them, just as he did among the White Lotus forces, and the Gladiator Army as a whole," Zuko finished. Kino seemed moments away from breaking down in tears: of all things, he hadn't anticipated that his friends would stand up for him this way. "I'd be dead if it weren't for him."

"I might be, too," Katara remarked, darkly.

"I certainly would be," Yue confirmed.

Kino glanced between them all, unable to contain the overflowing emotions in his chest. He gritted his teeth, hand gripping Yue's tighter still: they didn't need to be so kind, so genuine, so concerned over his potential place among the Northern Water Tribe. He truly had found the best friends in the world… as well as the most wonderful woman to fall in love with.

But he understood Arnook's grievances and doubts. He couldn't blame Pakku for rejecting him right away: he, too, had believed himself meaningless, worthless. Even now, he struggled to think any differently.

Perhaps he still might, one day. Perhaps…

Where it had seemed like he was moments away from crying, Kino suddenly raised his head, a proud, strong frown upon his face. Without hesitation, he relinquished his hold on Yue's hand and stepped forward, past Sokka, and bowed his head towards Arnook.

"I understand why you doubt me. I would feel no different, if I ever had a wonderful daughter and she made a choice to be with someone that… well, appeared as lackluster as I do, in your eyes," he started, raising his head again. "So… perhaps I should do what many people do, in all cultures I've ever been involved in, to sort this out."

"And what is that?" Pakku asked, skeptical. Kino breathed deeply.

"I… will prove myself. Prove myself worthy of Princess Yue."

The room fell in abrupt, complete silence after Kino's sudden declaration.

It was Yue who broke it, clasping his shoulder and yanking him towards her.

"What… what do you mean by that?" she asked. Kino gritted his teeth, fists tight at either side of his body.

"I mean… that as much as I would love to stay here, I understand why I can't," he said. Yue's eyes widened. "At least… why I can't just yet. I meant to see this war to the end. I meant to stand with my friends…"

"Kino, you don't have to…" Aang said, earnestly.

"You can stay! Even Sokka said so!" Katara exclaimed, eyeing him worriedly. Kino sighed and shook his head.

"I would love to… but it feels wrong," he said. "I don't know that I'll have anything great to provide in the battles left before us, but we set out as a team… and I think I still want to be part of that team until we've put an end to the war. Because I know it will end. I know we will win. I believe in all of you… and I want to be there to help in every way I can. If… if I can do it, then…"

"Kino…" Yue gasped, her heart aching anew upon hearing his resolve. "But…"

He could die out there. The very notion that he might caught her like a punch to the gut. If Kino had survived for this long, it seemed reasonable to assume that he'd be strong enough to prevail against all odds… but no one knew what kinds of threats awaited in the horizon. Yue wanted to hug him, to tell him she wouldn't let him go… but Kino would be making his own choices, much as she wanted to choose him.

"I… I intend to come back after everything's over," Kino told her, reassuringly. "By then… perhaps I will seem less unworthy, in your father's eyes. But if that's how I look right now, the only thing I can think of doing, so that we may be together, and accepted by your people… is to remediate my failings. And if the main one is that I'm not good enough for you, I'll try to show my worth this way. Hopefully."

Kino said the final word with uncertainty. Yue's chest tightened upon hearing those words from him…

"And what makes you so sure that we will deem you worthy even if you do return after the war is won?" Pakku said, skeptically. "Nothing guarantees that we will feel that way, young man…"

"Well, then, if you don't think Kino is worthy even if he goes the distance to do right by Yue and by the world…" Katara interjected, with a skeptical scowl. "Then Kino will always have a place in the Southern Water Tribe. A place Yue will be free to share with him, if she chooses to do so."

That, finally, gave Arnook and Pakku proper pause. Kino jumped, glancing back at Katara, who glared at the older men defiantly. Yue, too, gaped at her… but in wonderment, instead.

"I could… go to your tribe?" she asked, with a slight smile. Katara grinned proudly.

"You, Amarok, Shina and Kallik. All your family will be welcome, Yue. I promise," Katara smirked, knowing all too well just what an effect her declaration would have…

"T-that's not… Curses, Yue, you wouldn't do such a thing!" Arnook nearly yelped. Yue smiled, turning towards him next.

"I don't think you'll give me any reason to… will you?"

Arnook's anguish almost brought a smile to Sokka's face. Almost.

"But… oh, goodness," Arnook sighed, shaking his head and glaring at Kino. He offered him a tense smile. "You… I do not understand any of this. I truly don't! But if… if you start a relationship with my daughter…!"

"He kind of already did…" Zuko mumbled under his breath.

"You will be quite aware of the fact that…! T-that any children you two might sire would not be first in line to the Northern Throne, for Amarok, Shina and Kallik would be the rightful heirs!"

"W-wait, what?! Kids?!" Kino winced, cheeks flushing. "I hadn't even thought of… a-aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? Princess Yue might just realize what a dork I am and dump me…!"

"Yes, she might! She should!" Arnook exclaimed, staring at his daughter insistently. Yue responded with a deadpan glare.

"And honestly, I have no interest in usurping your throne or coming anywhere close to it…!" Kino said, shaking his head rapidly. "So, no, I don't mean to do anything weird to claim power or something. I really, really don't."

"And we're supposed to believe you just because you say so?" Arnook scoffed.

"I'm not trying to mess your line of succession, I promise…" Kino mumbled, slumping slightly.

"Why would he mess it up anyway?" Sokka said, arms folded over his chest. "Or are you trying to say that… regardless of who's the one carrying royal blood, the Princess's husband would become Chieftain?"

Kino winced. Yue blinked blankly. Arnook and Pakku tensed up.

"Ah… so that's what Hahn was aiming for," Sokka said, tapping his elbow with a finger. "And if Kino succeeded at proving himself, which the two of you appear hellbent on refusing, then… he would be the next Chief of the North?"

"No!" Kino exclaimed, cheeks red. "Not a chance! I would never…! That's crazy talk, Sokka!"

"Not my fault if this tribe is ruled by crazy talk," Sokka said, arms folded over his chest.

"We could simply… overlook him if it comes to that, and name Amarok the heir directly," Pakku told Arnook, who shot him a panicked stare.

"Or…" Sokka cut them off, raising his eyebrows. "You could show you have plenty of sense by acknowledging Yue as your direct heir instead of choosing her husband for the role instead."

Yue winced: it wasn't the first time Sokka said anything of the sort, but it surprised her without fail each time she heard it. That he would find it so natural, so logical, for a woman to take a position of power…

"The line of succession would not break: Amarok is her son, after all. Even if she and Kino had kids, they would follow Amarok, Shina and Kallik in the line of succession. Right?" Sokka said, as good as challenging the old men to rebuff his assessments.

"W-well…" Arnook said, frowning. "Yes, but this is… something that would require a lot of thorough, proper discussion. It's hardly something that can be decided in a heartbeat, right now…!"

"You'll have plenty of time to discuss it while we're fighting Ozai, then," Sokka said, shrugging. "Up to you to decide what you want to do with your family, Chief… but I'd advise you to consider forsaking pride and traditions once in a while. Worst thing that could happen is you rustle some feathers, like Pakku's, maybe. Refuse to do it… and you could lose your daughter. What's more important to you?"

His question hung unanswered in the air, and Sokka sighed before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry things are this complicated, you two," Sokka said, glancing at Kino and Yue. "If you're sure you'll come with us, Kino, we'll be glad to have you. We can always use your help. But… I know how hard it is to walk away from someone you love. I know how hard it is to watch that person walk away, too. Think about it properly. You have a few days to decide, Kino. I have a lot of messages to send, and no leisure time to speak of, so… I'll be off now."

Kino swallowed hard and nodded. Sokka breathed deeply, marching past the rest of the group, on his way to finding the firebenders, to relay to them what had happened, as well as to send them on their next mission. Arnook and Pakku were left behind with the awkwardness of the newly revealed relationship between Kino and Yue, as well as Kino's very supportive friends.

"We… we will discuss this some more later, then," Arnook said, begrudgingly. "Goodness, child… since when are you quite so keen on putting me in awkward positions, Yue?"

"I'm… sorry, if just a little," Yue said, with a sad smile. "I just… I really just…"

Kino eyed her with uncertainty: the heavy emotions that hung over her caught him off guard. He didn't want to separate from her either, not at all… but he had never imagined she would crave and need his companionship quite so intensely.

He placed a hand on her arm, carefully. She clasped it with her own.

"I think… we all need some time to think," Yue told her father. "And I'm sure you won't come to a decision regarding Kino until he returns from the war, so…"

"I could, perhaps, help with assessing that."

Arnook frowned: Pakku stared at Kino intently, and Kino offered him a dry, awkward smile, unsure of what the man's words meant.

"Tally the new waterbending team as fifty-one now, Arnook," Pakku said. Kino's eyes widened. "I'd been tempted to go beforehand, to witness the fall of the Fire Nation personally. But now… now I'll do that, and I may just find out whether this man is truly as courageous, strong and resilient as to ever be worthy of so much as gazing upon Princess Yue's face."

"U-uh… are you serious?" Kino asked, grimacing. "Don't you have to stay here to train the newer generations, or…?"

"If so much rides on this final push, it may be the most reasonable time for me to discover your worth," Pakku stated, firmly. Kino swallowed hard. "So, while I would rather stay here to secure our nation in these difficult times of recovery and rebuilding… perhaps there isn't much for us to secure right now, not when the Fire Nation's forces are bound to focus on defending rather than attacking us. With more strength in its arsenal, the Gladiator Army's chances of success would only continue to improve. Therefore… I may just join you in this journey to find out whether you have what it takes or not to even hope to start a relationship with Princess Yue."

"T-that… huh. Well. That should work!" Kino said, nodding. "If Pakku is with us, then maybe we'll have better chances for victory, right?"

"It's Master Pakku to you, and of course you'll have better chances! What manner of fool would ever believe otherwise? I am a waterbending master!"

Kino smiled awkwardly, nodding promptly in agreement with the moody old man. The other old man in the room, however, stared intently at his daughter, brow slightly furrowed… before shifting his attention towards Kino, too.

"You. Fire Nation boy," he said, curtly. Kino swallowed hard.

"I'm called Kino…"

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Arnook asked, pompously. Kino winced, and Yue smiled slightly.

"U-uh… I thought it was kind of obvious after that interrogation but maybe not?" he blinked blankly.

"Obvious? Well, how would it be obvious?!" Arnook exclaimed, marching up to Kino, glaring at him fiercely. "Are you some womanizer who seeks powerful ladies of highborn families? Are you greedy, perhaps? Do you simply intend to take advantage of her, have some manner of fun with her…? In fact, if you so much as dared take this relationship to any level of intimacy…!"

"If he had… which he hasn't," Yue said, with a dry smile that immediately froze Arnook's angry father tirade. "It would be our business. So there's no need to threaten Kino over anything, Father. Please."

"I-I just… w-well, if you say so, but…" Arnook mumbled, shooting Kino another glare. Kino blinked blankly.

"You, uh, you really think I'd be the kind of guy who could somehow have a girl in every port?" Kino asked, with a slight smile.

"I have no idea what kind of man you are, so you could be. For all I know," Arnook huffed. Yue rolled her eyes.

"Well… I suppose that, if you need to know this much, the truth is that I'm a virgin!"

The sudden declaration, so proud and loud, stunned most everyone in the room into silence. Pakku stared at Kino in confusion, glancing at Yue in disbelief afterwards, as though wondering what, exactly, she found appealing in the strange man she seemed to have taken a liking to.

"Yue is the first girl I've ever… well, started a relationship with," Kino said, smiling awkwardly, fiddling with his fingers. "Most other girls I've met thought I was disgusting, haha!"

"Huh. Is that so?" Arnook scoffed, staring at Yue. "Do you know why?"

"Absolutely not a clue," Yue smiled fondly, gazing at Kino with no shortage of affection. "Perhaps they simply did not know greatness when it stared them in the face."

"Haha, yeah, they… uh… what?" Kino blinked blankly, glancing at Yue in confusion. "I'm supposed to be… what, now?"

Yue chuckled, stepping forward and taking his hand again. Arnook yelped, and she sighed before tugging on Kino's hand.

"We have much we should talk about now. But if we're done here, then… let's go do it elsewhere," she said. Kino nodded, and Yue glanced at Aang, Katara and Zuko. "I don't know if you would like to join us… but I would really like to know what brought this about. I'm sure Kino does, too."

"Right… we really should explain," Katara sighed: the slightly lighter mood, elicited over Arnook's reaction to Yue and Kino's relationship, faded rather quickly.

They relocated to the living room in Yue's suite, where the children would not interrupt them while they were busy with their lessons. The explanations and revelations shocked Kino and Yue, but not as much as they mortified the other group of people learning about Azula's latest choices, at the same time: Sokka had intercepted Rui Shi and the guards before they could head over to find food.

"The Princess couldn't have…!" Fei Rou gasped, eyes wide.

His denial appeared to be shared by the rest of Azula's guards… yet none of them dared voice their thoughts. If anything, some of their faces were marred with resignation… albeit Rui Shi's was a mask of frustration, his fist tight by his thigh.

"You don't know for a fact… but it is the likeliest possibility," Rui Shi said. Sokka nodded. "Considering the kind of grudge she held towards Jeong Jeong…"

"I don't expect she would have acted any differently over any other enemy leader," Sokka said. "But… she may have been more determined to defeat him, yes."

"If it had been you in Yu Dao instead, it would have been different," Han said, frowning. "I mean, you're… you. She couldn't possibly fight you, could she?"

"I wish I could say that. But right now… I'm bracing myself for the worst-case scenario. And that's a scenario where she would," Sokka spoke bitterly, his blue glare piercing enough to daunt some of the men at his command. "I will need to deploy you. While I'm very grateful for your work on the ships, and I would have no problem with having your group ride on them to the next stage of the war, I need you to take the hot-air balloons. The messenger will carry my orders back to Ba Sing Se first, where I expect Piandao will coordinate our forces' approach to the Fire Nation. I want you, though, to find Jeong Jeong and his forces. Track him down, make sure he goes back to the Fortress at once, and begin organizing our full-scale invasion of the Fire Nation from there. If you can find any other willing sailors to provide ships for our use, that'd be a good thing, but if you can't… just make them get there as fast as possible."

"Alright. We'll make sure he doesn't go back to Yu Dao, then. You won't go there either, I assume," Rui Shi said. Sokka sighed.

"No. I'll leave Yu Dao be for the time being. At best, we could send bait near Yu Dao to ensure she still thinks she needs to stay there to defend the city," Sokka said. "But considering the reports of how they defeated Jeong Jeong's forces with those bombs… it might not be the greatest idea to try that anyway. That might just mean sending soldiers to their deaths."

"This is unreal," Fei Li said, shaking his head. "I mean… I get it. She's fighting for the Fire Nation, the Fire Lord has to be forcing her to do it, but…!"

"She could have gone about it differently? That's what we think, but not what she thinks, for whatever reason," Sokka finished, eyes dark with frustration and fury he could barely process, still. "Not like any of us should be too surprised by her tendency to make the most inconvenient and painful decisions for the rest of us, huh? It's how she's handled matters more often than not."

"Usually, it was possible to find logic in it whenever she did that in the past," Tai Wei interjected. "This time, I'm at a loss. I don't… I don't understand it. Maybe I never will."

"You won't until we find her, at least. And we can't yet," Sokka said, firmly. "Get ready to move out, all of you. I'll need you to be as quick about your mission as possible. We have no more time to waste."

They nodded, bowing their heads to him in compliance before taking off to gather their things. At least, most of them did.

Sokka raised his downcast eyes to meet Rui Shi's troubled own. The firebender stepped forward, clapping a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," he said. "But I have trouble believing that, as bad as this is… that you could ever give up on her."

"Might be the real reason why I'm in such a shitty mood," Sokka scoffed, shaking his head and marching towards a nearby window. He set his hands on the windowsill, gripping it far more firmly than necessary. "Because I know that she could very well have turned on me for good, turned her back on me forever, and I still would believe in her. I still would try to find answers, excuses, ways to twist her actions to mean something different… and I shouldn't, Rui Shi. I'm the fucking leader of this army. I'm not… not supposed to falter over anything."

"You're also more human than you'd like to be," Rui Shi said, approaching him, patting his back. "You'd have to rip out your heart to avoid being emotionally compromised over what's happening with the Princess, if it's really her."

"Might not be such a bad idea," Sokka mumbled. "Ripping out my heart. Might make everything hurt a little less."

"No doubt, because you'd be dead."

"I thought we were being metaphorical here…" Sokka grumbled. Rui Shi smiled slightly at him.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. I really am," Rui Shi said. Sokka gritted his teeth, averting his gaze from his friend's. "I guess… you're not wrong to say that we're all too used to this, but not in this manner. She overcomplicated everything for us… it was in her nature well before she even found you."

"And then I made everything worse," Sokka said.

"Definitely," Rui Shi smiled. "But in doing so… you wound up proving time after time that you belonged by her side. That she had made the right decision… you even made it patent that she was the greatest leader of the nation. Which, of course, explains why the Fire Lord is using her…"

"And she's letting him. Which… Xin Long and Hotaru explain that enough, I guess," Sokka said, bitterly. "Could it be that the death toll isn't that terrible, regardless of what Jeong Jeong said? Do you think maybe she just took them as prisoners, Anorak and the other waterbenders, and she triumphed as efficiently as possible, with the least number of casualties?"

"I wouldn't put it past her, but…"

"But we can't be that wishful either," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "I… I'm sorry too. You probably should just go pack and get ready to leave, Rui Shi. I'm no good when I'm like this."

"That's exactly why I haven't left, though," Rui Shi said, eyeing him with concern. "You're troubled. I know you'll stay troubled no matter what I say… but I want to make sure you'll be okay once I'm gone. I don't know if your other allies can keep you in check when you're in this kind of foul mood…"

"Can you?" Sokka asked. Rui Shi shrugged.

"Not sure. At least, you haven't lost your temper with me in any such situations. Such as… the last time she pulled something on us that we didn't want to accept."

Sokka frowned: the painful memory of their last days aboard Azula's Barge returned at full force. Rui Shi gazed at him helplessly.

"Back then… you two had that fearsome argument. You were against her choice… so was I. But as her soldier, her guard, I… I couldn't come up with any means to convince her not to follow that course of action. I didn't want her to return to the Fire Nation any more than you did. But… I couldn't find a way to convince her to stay with us."

"Neither could I," Sokka said, gritting his teeth.

"And yet we both realized she wanted to do nothing more than to stay by your side."

Sokka frowned, glancing at Rui Shi anew. He returned Sokka's stare, with more determination than expected.

"I failed to convince her. You told me… she wanted me to persuade her to stay," Sokka said, trembling. "You hoped I might succeed… but Rui Shi, I still failed. If I failed then… I'm just as likely to fail now. I don't even know if… if I'd have the strength to stand up to her once our paths cross again. I'm so weak, and so… so tired. I'm exhausted. I feel like… like everything I've done is crashing down, and that in the end I'll just be that asshole who promised he'd end a war only to make everything worse instead."

"Some people are bound to think of you that way regardless of the outcome of your campaign," Rui Shi said. "You're allowed to feel tired and weak. The truth is… nobody could ever fathom the kind of pain you're facing now. Who has ever had to lead troops against the woman they love?"

"Beats me… but I don't advise anyone to do it. You were damn smart, falling in love with a healer rather than a warrior," Sokka said. Rui Shi snorted.

"I had as much control over the mandate of my heart as you did over yours. I certainly had no strategy regarding who I loved, if you thought otherwise," he said. "I understand it if you need a moment to gather yourself… if you need to heal. What she's done is undoubtedly painful for you. You're allowed to feel hurt, Sokka. You're allowed to feel whatever you feel right now, even if it's resentment towards her, or desperate longing."

"Or both," Sokka muttered, irritably.

"Or both," Rui Shi agreed, sighing. "My point is simply… don't count yourself out just because you failed back then. She was hellbent on protecting us… on immolating herself to save as many lives as she could. Who knows if she's doing the same thing now, in some roundabout way?"

"I've thought about that. But it's no less unnerving if that's the case. I never wanted us to be enemies again, and she's crazy if she expects me to sit tight and watch her throw her life away while serving Ozai, of all things," Sokka said. He closed his eyes, a pained streak crossing his features. "But… can I confide something in you? Something… I probably shouldn't be thinking at all?"

"You can. I have no interest in sharing your innermost thoughts with anyone else," Rui Shi said.

"The fact that… that she did this to Jeong Jeong kind of makes me proud. Kind of," Sokka said. Rui Shi scoffed. "See? I'm messed up. I mean… I know she did something wrong. Something terrible, awful… but curses, she achieved what no one would have anticipated. So far, we've been winning every battle, even if the cost has been consistently worsening as time goes by… the one time we undoubtedly lost, it was against her. And it was Jeong Jeong who faltered. So… it feels like she kicked his ass for everything from back in those days, right? And while I shouldn't find any treacherous joy in it, I… I kind of do. I just wish that bastard weren't such a coward… he could've very well told me directly what had happened. Maybe I wouldn't feel proud of her at all if he weren't so ashamed of his failure that he didn't even want to admit the truth…"

"I'll get it out of him. I'll confirm what happened," Rui Shi reassured Sokka. "But we both know the likeliest reality is that she was the one who did it. No one in the Fire Lord's closest circle would have the motivation or the strategic prowess to overwhelm an army with nothing but defensive measures of that nature."

"That's my girl…" Sokka said, a hint of melancholy in his voice, blended with bitterness. Rui Shi clapped his shoulder.

"You have to ready yourself to face her eventually. Don't think about it much yet," said Rui Shi. "Won't do you any good if you lose your mind to anguish over whatever you two might argue about as soon as you meet again. But you need to be ready once the moment comes. You faltered against her in the Barge, and she had her way. But you're a rebellious bastard, aren't you? That was one of her favorite things about you, no matter how much she might deny it. She won then… but you can win now. Prove her wrong. Put a stop to whatever she's doing, whatever she's planning… whatever her strategies and ideas might be, open her eyes to the paths she can't recognize herself. She might be too deeply immersed in darkness to see anything clearly from where she's standing."

"She might be," Sokka sighed, shutting his eyes tightly. "I miss her, Rui Shi. I miss her so badly I could consume myself with longing alone. But now I'm genuinely scared of… of seeing her again. Of what might happen if I fail to do everything you said I should. I can't fail again… I can't fail her. This damn world I'm trying to tear apart and rebuild into something better… it's a world for us. A world where she and I can be true to ourselves and no longer hide what we mean to each other. The last person I ever imagined I'd need to fight in order to make that dream a reality was… her."

"Naturally," Rui Shi said, with a deep sigh. "And it should have never come to that. It's… it's difficult to fathom that she could have ever betrayed you, if that's what this is. But…"

"But she never said she'd choose me over the Fire Nation," Sokka said. Rui Shi scoffed.

"Because she didn't need to say it."

"What?" Sokka frowned. Rui Shi stared at him skeptically.

"The minute she let herself love you, Sokka, she was choosing you over her nation," he said. "If she decided to backtrack on it now, that's another matter. But any affection she might have felt for you would have amounted to nothing if she had decided to prioritize the Fire Nation over her own needs. She would have never hired you as her gladiator, she would have dutifully married whoever the Fire Lord chose for her, from the very beginning…"

The very notion made Sokka feel sick to his stomach. He gritted his teeth, grabbing the windowsill even more violently…

He wouldn't change any of that. He didn't dare fathom a world where he wasn't Azula's Gladiator.

"With her awareness, or without it… you have always represented her need to rebel and stand against the Fire Nation's designs of who she is supposed to be," Rui Shi said, firmly. Sokka's hands trembled as tears built up in his eyes. "And the closer she grew to you… the further she would drift from the perfect princess her father wanted her to be. That's the woman you loved, Sokka. That's the Princess you were fighting for. So, the one you might be fighting on a future battlefield, should you need to… it would be the pretense she never truly could embody. The Princess who only ever served her father loyally, whose sole priority is the Fire Nation. But… is that even possible for her? Could she truly be the Princess she's expected to be?"

"I… I don't know. But I hope not," Sokka said, sniffing as he tried to hold back the tears. "I… I need to be with her again. But I can't be until… until I set her free. Until Ozai is out of the way. I don't care what I have to do in order to reach her… but I know that, once I do, I'm not letting go, Rui Shi. I'm never letting go."

Rui Shi nodded, clasping his shoulder firmly.

"In changing her, you began your journey to change the world. In giving her everything she never knew she needed in a partner, your strength reached so many more of us than you thought you would. Look at me and my fellow guards…" Rui Shi said, with a weak smile. "Would you have ever imagined we would swear fealty to you and follow you faithfully into any battlefield, back when we were locking you up in the mongoose dragon compartment of the train-tank, by her design?"

Despite himself, Sokka laughed at the memory Rui Shi brought back. The firebender smiled, his firm grip on Sokka's shoulder offering him further stability.

"The truth is… I don't know what she's thinking. It's hard to say," Rui Shi whispered. "But something tells me… that she would want me and the others to stand beside you, rather than with her. Loyalty to you… feels like loyalty to her. True loyalty."

"Does it really?" Sokka asked, glancing at Rui Shi helplessly. His friend smiled and nodded.

"You're her true husband, after all. What's hers is yours, right?" Rui Shi said. "And we are her men. Her guards. Just as we are yours."

"Well… you're my friends, too. Just as you were hers," Sokka said, with a fragile smile. "Some of the best friends I've ever had."

"Wish I could say the same thing," Rui Shi smirked. "You've been a source of far too many headaches all across our friendship. You'll have to make up for those someday for me to reciprocate that statement."

Sokka laughed, unsure of how he found it in him to do so at all. It was his turn to raise a hand now… to grab hold of Rui Shi's shoulder and reel him in for a strong, tight hug. The firebender responded by clapping his back too, showing no restraint in his support for his friend – regardless of Rui Shi's teasing, the truth was that their closeness had been a wild surprise for the two men, a bond built and forged in the fires of far too many challenges faced side by side. The trust between them, so tenuous and frail at first, was the sturdiest, strongest there could be by now.

"Thank you, Rui Shi," Sokka said, gritting his teeth as he attempted to retain his tears again. Rui Shi nodded, patting Sokka's back.

"Me and the others will rejoin you in the Slate, as you asked," Rui Shi said. "We will carry onwards together from there, Sokka. We will fight the Fire Lord by your side."

"And we will set her free," Sokka said, firmly. Rui Shi nodded, pulling back.

Their conversation had smoothed over the rage Sokka had been unable to quell before: the sincerity in his eyes accompanied his fearsome determination perfectly. That was the Gladiator's true self… the man Rui Shi couldn't help but look up to silently, putting his full trust and faith in him as he as good as parted the oceans and moved mountains to change fate… to save not only the woman he loved, but the entire world.

Rui Shi and his fellow guards would stand with him. They would fight by his side, defending him as they meant to fight for their Princess. The day might yet come when they would return to serving her… but even if it didn't, Sokka held their loyalty now, and he would continue to do so. He was a worthy leader… perhaps the worthiest there could have ever been: Princess Azula would be the first to deem him such.

Rui Shi gathered his luggage quickly after parting ways with Sokka, small as his pack was, and marched with his allies to the hot-air balloons. Meanwhile, Sokka wrote messages for them to carry, as well as for the messenger who would be returning to Ba Sing Se. Another round of earnest goodbyes preceded their departure, along with several hugs from the guards, with a much more contained farewell now between Sokka and Rui Shi, in which they gripped each other's forearms, as the Gladiator's people would. Sokka watched them lift to the skies, his sister and the Avatar standing nearby, watching him with concern: the sadness in his eyes, the exhaustion apparent all across his body language, compelled them to hope that this upcoming battle in the Fire Nation would be the last… for who knew if Sokka had it in him to keep going for another moment. Carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, that of a rebellion of this magnitude, was easier said than done.

Their preparations, the stocking up of the ships and the recruitment of their forces, took place across the next week. The time to sail south, to the dangers of a war close to its breaking point, was nigh.

Kino knew they'd have a few more hours of rest left on their final day, but he couldn't fall asleep all that easily. It wasn't about sleeping in broad daylight, he was used to that after the years he had spent in the South Pole… it was the nervousness, the anxiety clawing at him, relentlessly reiterating that he might not return here after all, if anything went wrong in the battlefield. That he might not see Yue again…

He sighed, pushing himself out of bed and pacing in the room, stretching his arms, exercising lightly simply to wear himself out some more, in the hopes that it would suffice to tire him out for sleep. But whenever he thought about her, about how much she had lost already… he couldn't die out there. If he did, she would be the one who would suffer for it the most. Evidently, his friends would too, but… Yue wanted to share a future with him. She hadn't said it outright, but she certainly had implied it: her eagerness to keep him by her side spoke for itself.

He would have stayed, if only his guilt had allowed it, if he believed her people would accept him. But they wouldn't, not until he finished proving himself, much like Sokka had done that with the White Lotus. Yet he wasn't Sokka, as much as he would like to take after him in numerous more ways, and he couldn't truly lead the charge in this war to win it in Yue's name or so. He couldn't do enough to prove he deserved her… for he wasn't sure yet whether he did or didn't.

But his conversation with Sokka had shed enough light on what the right mindset was for a relationship like theirs. Yue's happiness was the priority… and if she wanted him, Kino would be hers. If she ever changed her mind… well, he'd have to grieve for what he'd lose, but he hoped to give her no reason to do so. Kino had grown deeply attached to the Princess and her family across the past months, finding it shockingly easier to get along with the enthusiastic Shina than he ever could with Zuko's daughter, or any other child he had met to date. Kallik often asked him to carry him to places, even if Yue insisted that he had to walk more instead of being carried so often. Amarok was shy, but his strong exterior hid a heart of gold that warmed Kino's every time he glimpsed it. The boy loved and treasured his mother, all of them did… but Amarok was particularly protective of her. And even then, he had deemed Kino worthy of being around them. Not of being part of their family yet, no, Amarok didn't understand the true nature of Kino and Yue's relationship… but with any luck, he'd respond well to it once he found out the truth. Whenever Yue was ready to explain and share it, of course…

He sighed, slowing down his stretches as he approached the room's window: the daylight hardly changed, it only dimmed whenever there were clouds in the sky… but there were none today. Something else hovered above them, though…

"A moonlit day," Kino said, with a small smile: the incomplete moon showed itself in the daylight, a sight that tugged at Kino's heart.

The Moon Spirit had saved Yue long ago, when she had been a baby. It seemed to watch over him now, Kino thought… but he didn't really need it to. He much preferred it if it continued to protect Yue, instead.

"I… I'm not sure how to talk to spirits without making a fool of myself," Kino said, with a small smile, gazing at the moon. "Might be better if I just go to the Oasis to talk to Tui, right? But… maybe you'll hear me anyway. You're a spirit, after all…"

He shook his head, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't know if I should be the one to thank you for what you did many years ago, when you saved her life. I'm simply one of the lucky people who… who got to meet Yue," he said, with a tender, heartfelt smile. "But on behalf of all of us… I thank you, Moon Spirit. Thank you for saving her. Thank you for… for letting her live. And thank you for letting me love her, for as long as I have. Maybe I didn't do the best of jobs, heh, I'm just… just me, after all. But I hope… I hope she was happy. And I hope that, if I can come back, I'll make her happy again by then, too. Until then… please, protect her, Amarok, Shina and Kallik. Watch over them… make sure they're safe and sound, okay? Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. At most… just guide me back to them, when the time is right. If that's… if that's not too much to ask?"

He didn't know if the Moon Spirit had listened. He closed his eyes, and he repeated his request. He leveled his chakras as best he could, clearing away whatever was within his reach… though truthfully, the dark thoughts he'd endured across this journey had muddled those pathways far more than he had realized. He'd have to take his time to properly cleanse…

A knock on his door startled him. Everyone, as far as he knew, was bound to be asleep right now.

He swallowed hard, reaching for the shirt he had removed before bed, dressing in it again as he approached the door. The person outside, however, heard none of his movements within the room… and so, she revealed herself just as he stopped to open it.

"It's me. Are you awake?" Yue's welcome voice spoke. Kino smiled fondly, heart racing as he opened the door.

"I wasn't supposed to be, but yeah, I…" Kino started…

Then he stopped.

His easygoing smile faded from his face.

His typically pale cheeks suddenly flooded with color.

He had met Yue almost on a daily basis since the battle of the North Pole. Her beauty never failed to enrapture him, most of all ever since he allowed himself to just appreciate it rather than forcing himself to remember he was worthless and that she was entirely out of his league. The clothes she had worn ever since were pristine, beautiful, opulent and elegant, even.

But she had turned up at his bedroom with her hair down, dressed in nothing but a sleeping robe.

"Y-y-you… uh… huh?" Kino whimpered, his face redder than Yue had ever seen it before.

Her mood, truthfully, hadn't been the greatest. She had tagged along with him over the past week to help him with most of what he had to do, but their time alone together had often been cut short. She had hesitated, even convinced herself not to do this, initially… but the realization that there might be no other opportunities had urged her to make up her mind.

"Good evening," Yue said, with a weak smile. "Is it okay if I…?"

"Y-yeah! Yeah. Uh… come in," Kino said, swallowing hard and stepping out of the way. Yue entered the room, and he closed the door behind her. "Y-you couldn't sleep either?"

"Honestly, no. The kids fell asleep quickly… I don't think they really understand that you'll be leaving," Yue said, somberly.

"Guess not," Kino said, smiling sadly. "I'll try to not be too depressing when I say goodbye, heh. Last thing I want is to make them cry or anything like that… they really don't know what I'll be up to."

"They will, though. My children are smart… and they've been bearing with the war and its consequences for all their lives," Yue said. "I feel sheltered compared to them. The Fire Nation didn't begin its relentless naval offensive here until I was sixteen."

"Right," Kino said, biting his lip. "Well… they will have a better world to grow up in soon. I'll do my best to make sure of that."

"I know you will. And I… I know it's the right thing," Yue said, with a sad smile of her own. "It's funny, though… how much easier it was for me to sacrifice my own life than it is to see you off, when we don't even know if you'd ever need to sacrifice yours."

"Uh… well, it is war. You never know what might happen, but… I intend to live through this," Kino said, firmly. "I'll come back… to you, and the kids. And I don't know if I'll be deemed worthy of you… but even if I'm not, I will come back to see you again."

"If you weren't deemed worthy, we'd just do what Katara suggested," Yue smiled. Kino scoffed.

"Your father wouldn't let you leave with all your kids…"

"He's welcome to try and stop me," Yue said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure your friends would help smuggle us safely away, and all of you would be far too daunting for my father or his forces to stand up to, so…"

"Well, true, but still…!" Kino winced. "I'd rather you don't have any trouble with your family, is all."

"My family will be fine… provided you're fine too," Yue said, gazing at him helplessly. Kino's lips parted. "Oh, Kino, I… I'm scared. And I shouldn't be, because you and your friends are formidable. I know you are, but… I don't want to be afraid that I'll never see any of you again. Particularly you."

"Well… I'm sorry. I don't think I can say or do anything to make your fear go away… well, short of staying and backing out of the mission, but I don't think I can do that. I don't think I should do that," Kino said, closing his eyes. "I don't know if they'll need me, maybe they won't… but if they did, I need to be ready. I need to be there for them."

"I know you will be. You'll do brilliantly," Yue said, with an earnest smile. "And… and I know you might be too busy to come back right away too, once all is said and done. Things might be complicated in the Fire Nation… though, do you expect you'd ever wish to stay there? To go back and just… settle in the Fire Nation for good?"

Kino blinked blankly at the question. Yue seemed genuinely worried about his answer… he offered her a tender smile before shaking his head.

"As cold as it gets in the poles… I've gotten used to it," he said, with a cheeky grin. "And I like it better here. It's… it's different. Both tribes are different among themselves, but the feeling of belonging I've found in the South, and that I've found with your family, are things I'd never felt in the Fire Nation. I didn't leave behind anything that really mattered… I don't have a family. I never knew my parents, so…"

"Right," Yue said, eyeing him with unease. Kino shrugged.

"If I didn't come here, I'd just go to the south," he concluded. "I can't imagine building a home elsewhere. But if I can build one with you one day, that… that's more important to me, rather than where we do it. If that makes sense?"

Yue smiled earnestly and nodded. Kino grinned too, hands behind his back.

"So, uh, yeah. You don't have to worry if you thought I might not come back…" he said. "Unless, of course, you didn't want me back, but for whatever crazy reason, it looks like you kind of do…"

"Of course I do," Yue said, ignoring his attempt to make light of the situation. His cheeks reddened again upon hearing her say that so clearly. "I… I don't want this to feel like a farewell, Kino. I don't want… I don't want to say goodbye."

"Well, you don't have to yet. Not just yet," Kino said, approaching Yue and placing his hands on her waist. She was downcast enough that she hardly seemed taller than him right now. "I'm still here, right?"

"You are… and I should be in a much brighter mood for it. More so because I… I came here right now, like this, for a reason."

"A… reason. Huh," Kino blinked blankly. Yue raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. I just… don't know if that reason is the conversation we've been having or if it's…"

"I want to sleep with you."

If something could be said for Princesses, Kino thought, it was that they didn't hold back from speaking their mind plain and clearly.

Naturally, that was the last rational thought he could evoke before his mind as good as shut down completely, and his jaw dropped.

Yue sighed, used to Kino's dumbstruck reactions to her boldness. She didn't mind them at all, usually they were funny… but right now, they were but another reminder of how much she had grown to cherish his goofy behavior, and how deeply she would miss it once it was gone.

She cupped his cheeks before kissing him as though to make her point more clearly. Kino whimpered a little, hands gripping her waist a little more strongly. She pulled back, pressing her brow to his.

"Y-you said… you said you want to… huh," Kino said, mouth dry suddenly, heart racing at alarming speeds. "You came here to… to do that because, uh, you don't know when you'll see me again? Yue, are you really ready? I mean, we've been together for almost two months now, but…"

"You think we should leave it for after you return?" Yue asked, earnestly. Kino winced.

"I… well. I don't know. Maybe? B-but if you really wanted to do it…" he said eyes shifting awkwardly. Yue smirked slightly.

"Somehow… it sounds like you're the one who really wants to do it," she said. Kino swallowed dryly, cheeks flushing deeply.

"Y-you're the first chance I ever have at sleeping with someone, and granted, the thought of doing this with you has crossed my mind a few times but I just kept it out of sight and out of mind because… b-because I'm already very lucky that you like me at all and that I can kiss you and hold your hand and…"

Yue silenced him with a new kiss. She caught one of his hands in hers. She raised it over her right flank, slowly rising until his thumb brushed against the underside of her breast.

Kino shuddered. The kiss ended, and his panicked eyes gazed upon hers. Yue sighed, bringing his hand higher still. Kino gritted his teeth, closing his eyes… and he felt her. He touched her. He even dared squeeze slightly, and she didn't slap his hand away.

"Well… well. I… I'd never done that before, haha," Kino said, with a slowly growing smile.

"There's a lot of things you've never done before," Yue smiled sadly, caressing his face again with her free hand. "Do you want to do them with me?"

An unthinkable question that had only one answer. Kino nodded eagerly, leaning in to steal one more kiss from her lips, and then another, and then another… his hand didn't stop, and he took it as a personal victory when he first made her moan. Her robe fell to the floor before he knew it, for she shrugged it off, and he nearly yelped when he first laid eyes upon a woman's naked body. Yue smiled fondly at his reaction, most of all the deep crimson of his cheeks.

"Kino…" she called him.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm… holy shit," Kino said, trying to force his eyes to stay above her collarbone. It was a harder challenge than he anticipated.

"You can look," Yue laughed. "You can touch. If there's anything I don't like, I'll let you know. But for now… humor me?"

She tugged at his shirt: he obeyed promptly, removing it, shoving down his pants quickly, too. Yue sighed appreciatively at what she saw, reaching to undo his fundoshi for him, and Kino trembled as it came undone – his manhood had reacted a little too enthusiastically to everything so far, and it seemed that Yue was perfectly happy about that.

"Y-you're… still sure?" Kino asked. "Don't think I'm disgusting because I, w-well…?"

"Kino… I want you," Yue said, earnestly. Kino's eyes widened. "And yes, that includes even your most, uh, enthusiastic appendages."

"Eh… that's a funny way of calling it," Kino chuckled, as Yue glanced down at his groin. She smiled. "Then…"

"Then… unless you've changed your mind…" Yue whispered, running her hands over his body – while not as bulky as any of his friends, there was still enough muscular definition for her to indulge in, for as long as she cared to that night.

Kino, of course, hadn't changed his mind at all. He leaned in, kissing his lover anew, never expecting her to drag him closer to herself… never expecting her to wrap her arms around his neck before sinking in his assigned bed, bringing him with her.

Her patience, reassurances, kindness, fell upon Kino's heart like the sweetest of balms. He wasn't afraid of making mistakes, even if he endeavored not to make any. She taught him everything he would need to know about her body, and Kino worshipped it as enthusiastically as he could, covering her breasts with numerous, eager kisses as she held him snugly against herself. Each exchange seemed to be enough to send Kino over the edge, but he held on as best as he was able… up until she dared engulf him with her mouth, of course. By then, the act itself, along with the knowledge of what she was doing, broke away with whatever restraint he could show, and he surrendered to his needs without delay.

To make amends for it, Kino returned the favor: it was inherently exciting for Yue that the man she was smitten with would nestle between her legs in such a way, but his initial confusion quickly evolved into proper enthusiasm once he figured out what to do to elicit the best responses from his lover. Yue guided him, as good as coaching his every motion until her chest was heaving invitingly on his bed, her face as red as his as she found greater pleasure in Kino than she ever had known with Hahn, no matter how experienced the latter had claimed to be.

He was nervous again by the time she spread her legs fully for him to enter her. They kissed long and tenderly, exploring each other's depths, whispering warm, affectionate and playful words until Kino finally dared breach her opening: where he had braced himself for being told he was doing everything wrong, he found Yue gripped him desperately instead, urging him to go deeper, to sink inside her to the hilt. He couldn't seem to remember so much as his name by the time he was completely inside her, entirely overwhelmed by that wet warmth… so Yue flipped them on the mattress, taking it upon herself to sit on his lap, bucking their hips together until Kino began moving, too, by sheer instinct.

She had taken her drink to prevent pregnancy once she made up her mind about her late-night visit to Kino. Hence, she saw no qualms when he confessed he was nearly at his limit: Yue hugged him, kissing his face all over, thrusting further as she came undone atop him… as he kept going even so, guided by pure instinct until he, too, depleted himself inside her.

It didn't suffice for her, though: Kino's restlessness and lack of sleep across that night found a perfect match in Yue's unwillingness to sleep at all… an unwillingness to see him off, too. Where so many people shared terrible stories about their first time, Kino couldn't help but think he had lucked out greatly with the beautiful woman in his arms. Her silver hair spread over the mattress and pillows gracefully once she lay on her side when they were done, hugging him tightly, unwilling to let go. The idea that someone would crave his company had ever been a wistful fantasy… until she had made it a reality, shockingly so. Kino smiled, caressing her hair delicately, pressing kind, frequent kisses upon her brow.

"I didn't… didn't do this as some act of desperation," Yue whispered. Kino smiled.

"Well… I was more desperate than you, so I'm sure you didn't," he said. Yue smiled too, gazing at him fondly.

"I did it… as an incentive, instead."

"Incentive…?" Kino blinked blankly. Yue cupped his face delicately.

"No woman in the Northern Water Tribe should give herself to a man out of wedlock," she said, with a sad smile. "I may have learned unacceptable lessons from General Sokka's story with Princess Azula…"

"Oh," Kino chuckled. "Well, frankly, what they have is so crazy that I think everyone admires them for it. If just a bit."

"I certainly do. I wondered, when I first heard about it, what it might be like to feel so strongly about someone that you would risk the wrath of your restrictive society to be with them. Now… now I have my answer."

"You do?" Kino smiled sadly. Yue nodded firmly.

"You'll come back," she said. "You have to. And once you do… I won't sneak into your bed as I did today. At least, not too often. Because… because you'll have proven yourself. You'll make sure my father understands that. And once he does… we will marry. Provided you want that, but…"

"Wait… wait," Kino smiled brightly. Yue smiled fondly at him. "You're… y-you're sure? Married… to me?"

"Married, to you," Yue said, claiming another kiss from his lips. "I'm not going to change my mind about that, Kino. I want to share my life with you. The Moon Spirit gave it to me for a reason… and it's so I make the most of it. If you want to take things slower, then that's fine, but if you don't…"

"Yue, I'd marry you tomorrow if we didn't have to leave," Kino said, hugging her tightly. Her head fell upon his shoulder, and tears spilled from her eyes, and on his shoulders. "I guess I'm just used to, well… longer courtships? Kind of? But honestly, Zuko and Suki probably rushed even faster than you and I did, come to think of it. They even got pregnant pretty…! Uh, pretty early. Uh… did you, uh…?"

"I drank our traditional concoction to prevent pregnancy before coming here, yes," Yue smiled. Kino cleared his throat.

"Good. Not because I wouldn't want to have kids with you, but, uh… I don't think your dad wants to know about what we did tonight," Kino smiled awkwardly. "Felt like he only put up with knowing about our relationship because we hadn't been this intimate before…"

"Maybe," Yue smiled. "But you're not wrong. Kids… well, we have three as it is. Even if you're not their biological father, but…"

"I love them," Kino smiled warmly, and Yue smiled back at him. "Just as… as I love you."

The words came easily. It wouldn't have felt right not to tell her. He wasn't afraid, even if maybe he should have been. Most people would be, upon admitting something so important, something that made them so vulnerable…

But Yue's tender, blue eyes softened further as she wrapped her arms tighter around his torso, pressing her body to his.

"I love you too, Kino."

Well, it was easy for her too, then. He laughed softly, and she offered him a tearful smile before they kissed again. Their relationship had certainly blossomed in a rush, far faster than either one anticipated… but it was real, beautiful, worth fighting for. The incentive she had provided certainly would suffice to inspire Kino… it would strengthen him for every challenge he might yet face.

Finishing his stay in the Northern Water Tribe this way, wrapped so tightly around the first woman he had truly loved, proved to be an unexpectedly soothing manner to help Kino fall asleep after all. He might not rest all that much, considering how active they had been through the night, but they huddled warmly under the covers, exchanging as many soft kisses as they could, extending the moment as much as they dared. Soon, he would be sailing away, or flying on the bison's back, as the case might be… and by then, Yue would be left to wait for his return, praying helplessly to the Moon Spirit in the hopes that it would keep her lover safe as he faced the dangers of war head-on, for what, with any luck, might just be the last battle he'd ever have to join…