Asami was Earthbending. Korra's mind struggled to wrap around this. Airbending she could almost understand, every once in awhile a new airbender showed up at the temple, but Earthbending? Korra let out a choked sound. "How?!"

"Just a little bit of mover misdirection." Bolin stepped out from behind a Satomobile, and lowered the chunk of Earth back to the ground. "A little razzle dazzle, and everyone is looking at Asami and presto!" He gestured exuberantly at Asami, "Instant Earthbender!"

"You set that up just to see the looks on our faces, didn't you bro." Mako put an arm around Bolin and squeezed. "You know, this has to be how that woman was Earthbending. Work with someone who can and who can teach her the stances, and just like Bolin said, instant Earthbender."

Korra was still gaping at her wife, but that only lasted another few moments before she expertly recovered. "I don't know why I was so prepared for that to be true."

"Wishful thinking?" Asami looped her arm around Korra's shoulders, and the Avatar shook her head.

"No, nothing like that. I like you just the way you are, but with everything that's been happening lately I honestly blinded myself. Like I could actually believe it was true." That was probably what Amaya was counting on. Misdirection, using peoples' own perceptions against them. Magic tricks.

"So assuming she's an actual Firebender, she's probably got an Earthbender working with her. Maybe even a Waterbender too," Mako suggested. "She could be using technology to replicate airbending."

Asami chimed in, "That's my going theory."

Jinora frowned, "I don't think we can entirely rule out the possibility that this is all real."

With all eyes suddenly on her, Jinora cleared her throat. "We still don't know the full effect of the third Spirit Portal opening, especially so soon after Harmonic Convergence. Maybe part of the world realigning and settling into a new balance is another person controlling multiple elements." She gestured at Bolin. "Bolin can lavabend. How much of that is actually Earthbending and how much of that is … heat from fire?"

Bolin opened and closed his mouth for a few moments, then shrugged.

"In the past hundred years, we've seen an increasing number of advanced bending styles, and more people using them. Lightning and metal bending went from a select few to almost common place. Earthbenders and Firebenders coming from the same family, Airbenders coming from every Nation. It's like all the nations intermingling is causing a sea change, and then you throw technology and the spirits on top of all of that..." Jinora paused to catch her breath. She'd been thinking more and more lately about the state of bending in the world. "Maybe some day everyone will have bending. Or no one will because we won't need it any more."

An awkward silence fell over the group. Korra folded her arms, thinking of a time far in the future and wondering if the Avatar would be needed in either of those worlds, and if so, what form that need would take.

Mako's thoughts turned more to the here and now. "If she can really bend all the elements, then how are we going to be able to contain her when we catch her?"

"Korra can just take her bending away."

Ikki's comment startled Korra out of her thoughts. She held up her hands palm out and shook her head. "No. No way. I'm not taking anyone's bending away."

"Korra, it sounded like she wanted to start a war-"

She shook her head again, interrupting Mako. "No. I don't care how evil she is, if she's even evil. Taking away someone's bending is a terrible punishment. Look how that turned out with Yakone? I'm not going to do it, and that's final." They hadn't had it happen to them. They didn't understand. But taking away bending was a last resort and one that Korra didn't think she could ever do.

Asami put her hand on Korra's shoulder and squeezed. "Okay, that's off the table then. I'll go back to the drawing board and figure out the technology. I'm a little peeved that I didn't come up with it first."

"Sometimes you have to look at something you know you can do, and ask yourself if you should do it," Korra pointed out.

"Point taken." Asami leaned in to give Korra a kiss on the cheek. She'd spent too much time on this with a lawsuit hanging over her head, and she needed to get back anyway. "I need to head back to the office, I'll call you if anything comes up."

"We should visit my partner, she should be awake by now and maybe she'll have some more information."

Korra nodded at Mako. "Great! Bolin, Ikki, Jinora. You guys coming or do you need to be elsewhere?"

"I need to do some more research," Jinora said. "Kai is back tonight and I was going to make him help me."

"Just make sure dad doesn't catch him "helping" you," Ikki said, forming quotes with her fingers. "The vein in his head might explode."

"Ikki!"

Ikki stuck her tongue out. "I need to call Opal, maybe she has some dating advice."

"Oooh." Bolin put his arm around Ikki. "Let Bolin help you with that, too! I've got all kinds of advice on how I wooe'd the lovely Opal."

He started to lead Ikki away, and the girl looked back at the others with a helpless expression on her face.

Korra mouthed the words 'don't listen to a word he says' at her, then jerked her thumb in the general direction of the hospital. "Guess it's just you and me, Captain Mustache. Lets get going."

The hospital was a few blocks away and they walked in companionable silence. Mako's mind was on the case (it often was on cases), and Korra was waging an internal debate. The very idea of removing someone's bending was anathema to her. She'd experienced it herself, she'd seen the way it had almost destroyed some of the people it had happened to. If Aang hadn't broken through to her, she might not be alive today.

Could she have done it to someone like Ozai? Found that third way that Avatar Aang had, a way to end the conflict without violence and actually used it? Korra had never faced someone like Ozai. Insanely powerful and sadistic enough try to burn an entire continent to ash? She wasn't Aang, she wouldn't have looked for a non-violent means and unlike Kuvira Ozai couldn't be reasoned with.

She could have killed him in battle, but she had never done that before and she never really felt like her Uncle counted for that. He'd been hopped up on Vaatu and she'd been in a kind of spirit form. There was a disconnect there that she had never been able to shake.

While she hadn't fought a major battle in years, she'd kept up her training and she was stronger than ever, but that didn't always translate into an actual fight.

"Tell me again what Amaya told you?" She shot a glance over at her old friend.

Mako's mustache twitched and he sighed. "She claimed to be a fire cleansing a forest. That peace is a lie and new growth can't exist without clearing out the old."

Korra folded her arms and stopped in front of the hospital. "Taking down the old order, days of reckoning….You know who that sounds like, don't you?"

"I wish I didn't." Zaheer's name hung unsaid between them as Mako led Korra through the hospital. The very real prospect of a resurgent Red Lotus weighed heavily on Korra's mind and she had the uncomfortable thought that she might actually have to talk to the bastard again. He couldn't do anything to hurt her, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him. And that was assuming he'd give them any information to begin with. He'd probably just taunt her.

Yuki was on the second floor, and sitting up when they arrived. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders and she had bandages around her head. Her leg was in a sling. Her smile was sheepish and she snapped a salute at Mako. "Sir, I'm sorry to be laying down on the job."

"You got pretty badly hurt, you earned some rest." Mako and Korra sat on opposite sides of Yuki's bed, and Mako leaned forward. "But I'm going to need to disturb it for a few minutes. What do you remember after you jumped off of the platform?"

"She wasn't there. I jumped down and she wasn't there. I was double checking my glove when I was attacked from behind." She rubbed the back of her head. "And the crazy thing, I thought I saw two of them. Like I was seeing double. And then wham the whole stage came down."

"Double?" Korra asked. "Like you saw her twice?"

"Like there was two of her."

"Sisters," Mako mused. He brought his hand to his jaw and rubbed at his chin. "Firebender and Earthbender, like me and Bo."

"You mean, I wasn't seeing things?" Yuki looked between them. "Damn, I knew that I'd hit her pretty good."

"Yeah, about that." Mako leaned back in his chair, folding his eyes and regarding her seriously. "Chiblocking?"

"Ahh… heh." Yuki leaned back against her pillow and hung her head. "I've been learning it on the side. My aunt was an Equalist. She served her time and she's reformed and she was never about the whole hurt all the benders thing, though!"

"A lot of people were misled by Amon," Korra assured her. "I'm not going to judge a person I never met."

"We're about do for our yearly debate on police chiblocking anyway." Mako pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We need to be able to handle Bender criminals when there's not another bender to help." Yuki looked at Korra. "What do you think?"

"I think that training non-bender cops to chiblock would cause a lot of people to be upset, but it's also for the best of intentions. The Chief would need to make sure there are rules and regulations in place and enforced on its use."

Mako nodded along as Korra spoke. "Yeah. Ten years ago I would have laughed at the idea."

"Me too."

"Ten years ago I was just a kid," Yuki offered. "And pro-benders were my heroes."

Korra laughed, "Thanks for making me feel old, Yuki. What did you think of the Fire Ferrets?"

Yuki ducked her head. "... I was a big fan of the Wolfbats. I had a poster of Tahno in my room."

"Traitor."

If Mako had been closer, Korra would have elbowed him. "Still a fan of him?"

"Of course! I have all his band's records!"

"He played at my wedding. We used to be major rivals but we've come to an understanding." Korra reached over and patted Yuki's shoulder. "Since you're a hero and all, injured in the line of duty, I'll see if I can talk him into dropping by."

"You are the best Avatar ever!"

After leaving Yuki to rest and Mako to his work, Korra found herself with little to do. She tried to question some of the arrested protesters at the police station, but there were only a few left in custody and none of them really knew anything about this Amaya person. She then stopped by the scene of the crime, but there was nothing to go on and the police combing through the wreckage were irritatingly opaque when she asked them questions. Curiously, some of the President's personal security team were in the park. Whether they were observing or helping, she couldn't quite say, but they didn't look like they were doing any work.

Deciding to work on a hunch, Korra flew on her glider to the President's office. The situation was growing too urgent to wait for the scheduled meeting, and maybe she could find some answers. They'd never spoken more than a few words to each other but she was hopeful since Jinora had told her that Tuyin was a fan of hers.

It was just after four when she landed. Many of the staff were finishing up her day, and she strode past the President's assistant. The man got to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?"

She jerked her thumb towards the door. "Is Tuyin in?"

"Yes, but-"

"Is she alone."

"Yes, but-"

"Good." She pushed the door open with a flourish.

President Tuyin was a short stick of a woman of Earth Kingdom descent. There was a mole above the left corner of her lip. She had large green eyes and her hair was dyed red as per the latest in Republic City fashion. Her glasses were oval and stylish, but every time Korra saw her she was reminded of a praying mantis - and she often looked at people she disapproved of as though they were prey.

Right at this moment, her eyes were closed and she sat at her desk as though deep in meditation. Her concentration broke as the door hinges creeked, and she looked at Korra with mild irritation. "Can I help you, Avatar?"

"I think we need to talk about the false Avatar."

"You have an appointment with me tomorrow." President Tuyin clasped her hands on the desk in front of her, regarding Korra critically. "You may be the Avatar and have saved this city numerous times, but the world simply cannot run without order."

Korra felt herself bristling and had to regulate her breathing to calm herself down. "This is too important to wait. I don't believe she's working alone, and I believe she has access to some kind of technology that's helping her fake her bending, and-"

"And what proof do you have? How does she power these devices? Spirit energy? Something else?"

"We're still trying to figure that part out." Spirit energy. Now there was a possibility. Spirit energy was still poorly understood and in the wake of Kuvira's disastrous use of it research had been strictly banned. Bans and restrictions wouldn't stop the Red Lotus, or really anyone who didn't care about laws and treaties.

"We?"

"My wife, Master Jinora, my friends on the police force." Korra folded her arms, meeting Tuyin's hard stare with one of her own.

Tuyin sighed, and sat back in her chair. "We can discuss this in more detail tomorrow at the appointed time. Until then, perhaps you can continue to do your Avatar duties and leave this office in peace."

"Madame President," Korra started, but Tuyin cut her off.

"And if you're thinking about interfering in the legal matters between the United Republic and Future Industries, think again. Some things are in fact out of your jurisdiction."

Korra bristled, annoyed that the President had anticipated her next statement and even more irritated at it being shut down so quickly. Tuyin wanted to do everything by the book and in its appropriate place and time. Fine. In a tight, controlled voice, Korra replied. "Then I'll see you tomorrow." She turned on her heels and stormed out before she said something she might regret.

Hours later, and Korra was still fuming. Asami had barely gotten through the front door when her wife exploded. "The President has a stick so far up her-"

"Korra!" Asami took Korra by the wrists and made her sit down on a couch. It looked as though Korra had been pacing around the condo all afternoon. "Did you seriously visit the President?"

Blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face, Korra nodded. "I wanted to talk to her about Amaya, but she just wanted to wait until tomorrow."

Asami grimaced. "Yeah, Tuyin is a stickler for schedules. Jia has been running herself ragged trying to make sure we file the exact right forms at the exactly scheduled time. She swears up and down that any chance of winning this thing could vanish in a cloud of dust if we misspell a word somewhere."

Korra grunted, and folded her arms. "I hadn't even opened my mouth and she told me she wouldn't even discuss the case."

"She can't, legally." Asami cupped Korra's face. "And I appreciate you going to bat for me, but this is something I'm going to have to fight on my own."

"You always have my back, Asami, I just wanted to return the favor for once."

She shook her head. "You always have my back too. But this is different than dealing with some of the things we've faced in the past. We can't punch our way out of it. It's going to take months of work, months of talking and arguing in court. And the scary thing is I'm not entirely certain we're going to win."

"There has to be a way to get through this without having to sell off parts of your company."

"I have some ideas about that, if it doesn't look like it's going to go my way. But that can wait until tomorrow. Maybe we should go out to eat tonight." Asami glanced out the window. "It's a nice night, and maybe people seeing the Avatar relaxing might ease tensions."

"It might make them worse!" Korra got to her feet. "They could look at me and see me shrinking my duties, or being decadent, or whatever. Protests, and the Red Lotus is probably back, and I can't even do anything right now. It feels like we're waiting for disaster to happen."

Asami suddenly went deathly still, save for her nails digging into her palms. "The Red Lotus?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." Korra knelt in front of Asami and helped her unclench her hands. "The things Amaya said. Her agenda. It sounds so much like Zaheer that I'm not sure it's a coincidence. They disappeared off the map after we took down Zaheer."

"Why now? It's been thirteen years." Asami swallowed her fear, and resolved to not let them ever get ahold of Korra again. More than anything they'd ever faced, the Red Lotus was the one thing that still made her afraid. Not for herself, but for Korra. She'd nearly watched her die, and Korra had spent so long trying to rebuild herself. Some of that trauma would stay with her for the rest of her life.

"New president in the United Republic, new government in the Earth Republic, talks of reforms in the Water Tribe. Maybe all of that, maybe it's something else."

Asami pulled Korra up onto the couch with her, refusing to let her go. "Lets stay in tonight then."

"Sweetie, Zaheer isn't going to come bursting through the window and shout 'boo'." Korra folded Asami against her, resting her chin on the top of her wife's head. She wasn't as immediately afraid as Asami was. She'd spent the better part of the day coming to terms with the idea. "But lets stay in."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

Korra nodded her head as Asami pulled back to look at her. "I will. Not tomorrow, but soon. I need to know if he actually knows anything, or if this is some splinter group."

Unhappy about the idea, Asami still had to accept it. Wanting to think about something else, she pushed Korra back against the couch and straddled her. The worried look on Korra's face was quickly replaced by a big, goofy grin. It was the effect that Asami had been hoping for, and it helped push her own worries to the back of her mind. "Your day seems like it was as stressful as mine. I have some ideas on how we can counter that."

"Me too." Korra pulled Asami down by the lapel of her shirt, kissing her deeply. The tension ebbed out of her shoulders and Asami's body relaxed on top of hers. She got up, Asami still wrapped around her, and carried her to the bedroom.

She dropped Asami on the bed, then crawled on top of her. Asami's hair was halo'd around her head. Leaning down, she asked, "What do you want?"

"You." The word was loaded with a dozen possible meanings, but the roughness in Asami's voice and the desire in her eyes told Korra what she wanted to know. She kissed Asami's cheek, and then along her jaw line.

When her lips reached Asami's ears, she whispered. "So you don't want to be able to walk tomorrow, right?"

Asami laughed breathlessly, "I'd like to see you try."

Korra was roused out of a sound sleep by an incessant buzzing sound. As sense returned to her, she vaguely began to put 'ringing' and the word 'phone' together. Cursing the very existence of the invention, she tried to roll out of bed to answer it, only for her feet to tangle in the sheets and send her crashing to the floor.

"Hello?"

She picked herself up as Asami answered. A comment about how early it was and if that person wanted snow in their kitchen died on her lips as she saw how quickly Asami had paled.

"Yes...yes. Take care of that, get aide and supplies on an airship immediately. Yes, I'll be going too, you're in charge while I'm gone." She hung up, running both her hands through her hair as she tried to process what she'd just heard. Her body started to shake.

"What happened?" Korra got to her feet and jogged around the end of the bed to reach Asami. Her stomach sank into her feet and she felt momentarily lightheaded as Asami's words sank in.

"There's been...there was an attack in the Fire Nation. A bombing. The Fire Lord is dead."