A/N: Welcome to Book Two of Invictus. It's based on Catching Fire but deviates much more from the plot of the book than the first book does. It has chapters around half the length of Book One, but will have at least twice as many chapters. The entire story was based around a few scenes from this book that sparked the idea, so it's probably my best one in the trilogy. I hope you enjoy. :D

Sidenote: I made Naga dog sized instead of polar bear sized. I don't like messing with canon too much, but I have changed a lot of canon in this story already and for reasons in Book Three, Naga had to be smaller.


BOOK TWO
When Lightning Strikes


I want to confess as best I can, but my heart is void. The void is a mirror. I see my face and feel loathing and horror. My indifference to men has shut me out. I live now in a world of ghosts, a prisoner in my dreams.
-The Seventh Seal-


Chapter One
A Very Fragile Cycle

Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.
- Seneca the Younger -


The 74th Harmony Games, Closing Ceremony

Ty Lee runs into Azula's arms despite her heels and her nice hair.

She jumps onto her, because this is the first time they've been able to see each other since the Harmony Games. Maybe they don't have anything but a one night stand, but Ty Lee kisses her on the mouth in front of too many people.

Azula pushes her away. "You can't do that in front of the cameras."

"I'm just so happy! We did it!" Ty Lee cheers, holding Azula by both arms.

Azula envies her positivity. Ignorance would be such bliss.

Ty Lee kisses her again. Just one more time.

It feels warm and right to both of them, but Azula cannot let this turn into more than a fast fling. If that. She cannot allow someone to get close to her romantically. For that person to get hurt.

But screw it, she decides as she hears the applause and chanting of her two tributes' names.

She kisses Ty Lee hard.

[X]

Korra is stunned to see another victor waiting for her when she walks into the green room. It feels more like a holding pen until she gets shown off to the crowd that she can already hear outside, but she is so excited to see Iroh II.

He smiles at her but then his expression becomes very serious. Korra's mouth dries in an instant, because she has Hama's warnings stuck in her brain.

"Your homework is extremely overdue," he scolds and Korra suppresses her grin.

"I'll get right on it, General Probending-Guy," she says, giving him a playful salute.

They remain serious for all of two minutes before they both burst out laughing and fall into a tight embrace. Korra pulls away the minute she calms down from her joyous outburst.

"Asami, good job," Iroh II says when she walks in the room. Asami smiles and bows her head.

He notices that Korra looks like the sun itself has just entered the room and illuminated it. It is sweet, their love, even if he isn't always sure if he buys Asami's feelings for his best friend. They will be happy and married, he hopes.

"Are my mom and dad here?" Korra asks and Iroh II shakes his head.

"They'll be at the train station in District 2. But, Asami, Mr. Sato is in the other room if you want to go say hi."

Asami races off and throws herself into her dad's arms. Tears stream from her eyes.

"I never thought I would see you again," Asami chokes out. "You saved my life in there."

"You saved your own life," Hiroshi protests, allowing her to pull away. "I made that camera but you made it into, well, a bomb of all things. Maybe I can get you a job at the Defense Department. We could move to the Capitol…"

"I've seen enough of this place to last a lifetime," Asami says earnestly. Before she can say another word to her dad, a bright orange girl with metallic gold hair waves her hand.

"The crowning will begin now," she says.

Asami hugs her dad once more, and she and Korra both walk up the stairs to the balcony above the square. The Royal Plaza, it is technically called, in honor of the city the Capitol is based on. A city that probably looks more like the arena Asami escaped than this sparkling metropolis.

She gets into place as rehearsed, but she didn't practice with President Shinohai himself. And there's the First Lady, Asami notices. She crowns Korra after the brief speech, and Asami sees her squeeze Korra's hand out of the corner of her eye.

President Shinohai is close to her and Asami realizes that what she thought was a very grotesque incense on the balcony is his cologne. Blood and roses. It must be Eau de Fear.

He places the gorgeous golden laurels on Asami's head and remarks, "That is a beautiful pin."

"Thank you," she replies. "It was my mother's."

"So I noticed." He steps back to make the closing remarks over the thunderous applause.


The wedding planning makes the six months after the Harmony Games slightly less unbearable.

It's funny, because the things that Korra and Asami missed most are now painful. But planning a wedding under the constant scrutiny of the Capitol is almost fun. It's detached from their old lives, they suppose. Maybe that is why.

At present, Korra is training with Iroh II. He understands her mindset, even if she tries to hide it from everyone. As a victor, he has been through it all before. But in his Games, he did not threaten the balance like Korra and Asami did.

"I can't do the Victory Tour tomorrow," Korra blurts out as the two of them take a water break. "I just can't."

Korra feels the anger rising inside of her again. The moment she feels any fear, she begins to start punching through things. The number of items in her house she has destroyed when overwhelmed is unbelievable. Her heart starts to race like it never did before.

Small things like a bad thought or an aggressive tone in someone else's voice make her body feel like it did when she was in that arena. She has been on the breaking point for months. Her nightmares never, ever stop. She wakes up over and over at night. Not screaming, but breathing out air like she is trying to cry out as someone presses their thumbs against her throat.

She sometimes just can't even breathe, usually when she is lying in bed at night and a bit of phlegm in the back of her throat makes her think she is choking on blood.

"You'll do fine," Iroh says and Korra shakes her head.

She tries to suppress the rising feeling of unstable rage, but she cannot stop it for the life of her. With a wordless shout, she kicks her leather bag at the wall, where it loudly thuds and two bridal magazines spill out, screeching, on the stone floor. That was not nearly as satisfying as she thought it would be. Nothing ever is.

"I won't do fine! I won't! It's going to be horrible, and then I'm going to get married, and I don't even know what comes next!" Korra complains, clenching both of her fists. She then quickly unclenches them for fear that fire will come out.

Hama told her not to show any of the other elements within moments of waking up back in the Capitol. Korra doesn't know how a person was supposed to forget that they are the Avatar, or that anyone will fully ignore Korra, but she agreed anyway.

"A constant spotlight and three kids, probably," Iroh says and Korra glares at him, her nostrils flaring. "What? I'm just being honest. Maybe he'll let you fade into oblivion. Maybe that's the plan, but I assure you that you're going to be in the limelight until the fuss about you and Asami both winning calms down."

"I wish she had just let me die so she could make it out," Korra screams.

"You don't mean that," Iroh II aggressively insists. "Everyone is happy for you."

"She doesn't deserve to pay for me being the Avatar!" Korra starts to cry and tries to hide it.

The tears don't stop. Neither does the sobbing,

Humiliated, Korra kicks a dummy to the floor before shoving the magazines back into her satchel and storming out of the gym.

[X]

Meanwhile, Asami is in the Capitol one day before she will begin the meandering journey back. She is currently with Xia - a gorgeous woman with Water Tribe skin, blue hair and tattoos of white flowers - in the green room of Varrick's talk show. Unsurprisingly just called Varrick.

"The dress is good," Xia finally decides. It isn't as if she would have much of a choice; the Capitol citizens voted for it. But Asami supposes Xia did propose the options, and is remarkably famous for her work on Azula. Korra's dress is a surprise. In other words, President Shinohai is keeping Korra out of the public eye until he is forced to put her back on television.

Asami, however, has already been to the Capitol twice in the past six months for events. If the attention is on her, she has realized, there is less of it on the Avatar.

"I like it a lot, Xia. Thank you," Asami says and he waves his hand dismissively.

"I knew you would like it. Everyone will like it. The trouble is if I will like it," she explains and Asami isn't sure how to respond. "I thought the sapphires were just too much, especially with your eyes, but I think they look good. They add some sparkle."

Asami grimaces and he interprets it as a smile.

She walks onto the stage and feels her heart flutter like it always does. Looking at the spotlights makes her want to crumple up in a ball on the ground and sob. Azula had to drag her out of the green room on the first of her public interviews. Asami never wants to look at this stage again, but the horror remains fresh in her mind.

Maybe that is what President Shinohai wants.

[X]

In the Presidential Palace, "Mimi, your hair looks nice like that," the president says and he evidently means the opposite.

She is wearing Water Tribe wolf tails at the lunch table, her face sticky from the orange she is devouring. Mai looks away from the scene and the smiling little girl who has no idea.

"Thank you. Everyone at school is wearing it like Korra," Mimi says brightly.

"I didn't put it like that. My idiot stylists did," Mai states honestly.

Before any conversation can break out over it, the door opens and in comes Azula. Who has been missing for the third entire night in a row. She is wearing yesterday's clothes, for the third awkward morning in a row. Those clothes are not on properly at all, and Azula does not seem to have noticed.

"Having fun with your escort?" Mai asks and then she sees Ozai's face. "I didn't say an escort. Her escort. From District 2. The pink one with the tacky eyelashes."

"Hm." He genuinely misses when she just had anonymous sex with fawning fangirls.

"Not tackier than yours, Mai. They look like you put on primer and forgot to do the rest," Azula says and Mai sighs. "I brought you two bottles of that also tacky cherry vodka."

"Your generosity knows no bounds." Pause. Mai allows Azula to set the bottles on the table with a loud clink. "Shouldn't you two be with Asami? She's revealing her dress in fifteen minutes on Varrick."

"She'll live without my expert coaching, and… whatever it is Ty Lee does," Azula says brightly before sitting down and quietly rebuttoning her shirt – seeing as it is about three buttons off from how it should be. "We'll be meeting her at the train station tonight."

"You will be taking her from here to the train station. I have to speak with her before the tour and I have no desire to spend a day in a swamp," Ozai says.

Mai jabs her nail into the cap of one of the bottles.

[X]

Back in District 2, Korra walks right past the house she shares with her mom and dad and invites herself into Hama's place. It's the house furthest down the block, after the other four victors. She won the longest ago. In fact, Hama is the oldest victor still alive from any district.

"Heyo, Hama!" Korra shouts out, hoping her old mentor hears her. She has learned a very painful lesson about walking in on Hama unexpectedly. Maybe you really never get over the Harmony Games. "I brought groceries!"

"I'm coming, dearie!" Hama calls back and Korra laughs a little at dearie.

She is like the grandma Korra never had, except completely deadly and with the most morbid sense of humor in history.

Naga gets there first. Korra kneels down and grabs her fluffy companion tightly. And Naga instantly starts sniffing around in Hama's grocery bags.

"There's a treat for you. But, Naga, patience is a virtue," Korra growls. Unfortunately, she can't stay mad at her polar bear dog for more than two seconds. She grabs the bone, drops it into Naga's mouth and goes to try to put away the groceries she bought from the Water Tribe market.

Hama walks in. "You don't need to do that."

"I do, actually. Oh no – not because of you really – it's because I need to be constantly doing stuff or I start thinking. This is great for me." Korra shuts the cereal cabinet and folds up the first of three paper bags.

Thinking is bad. Thinking is the worst thing in the whole world. When Korra starts to think, she starts to remember. Often she starts to worry, and she never worried before the Games. When Korra keeps moving, keeps punching, keeps doing stuff, she can put off memories and anxiety for another few minutes at least.

Hama nods. "You do need hobby other than probending. I have several. None of them are knitting or baking, thankfully. I hate to feel old."

Korra has tried Hama's hobbies and all of them are super boring… and kind of for old people, in Korra's opinion. Gardening is the worst hobby in history, and Hama does it nonstop.

The elder victor sits down at the table and watches how urgently Korra is sorting and stacking. She has seen worse, but it never stops being unsettling.

"This is a weird question," Korra says as she tries to find the proper cabinet for canned vegetables, "but, did you know Asami's mom? You've lived here for a long time."

Hama smiles faintly to herself. "I was one of her mentors."

"You mentored for the Quarter Quell?" Korra incredulously inquires.

"I mentored for both. And I will mentor for another next year." Hama sighs and sits down. "Unless I pass first. I am very old."

"No-no you can't die ever," Korra protests vehemently.

Hama shrugs. "Our district won both Quells. Did you know that?"

"No. No, I didn't. Why don't they tell us that?" Korra feels like she might have heard it before now that Hama mentions it, but nobody official talked about it and they don't teach it in school.

Hama cracks her knuckles and calmly explains, "Well, Yusa's Games were looked about as kindly upon as yours. And the victor of the 25th died of not-so-natural causes. Both Quells were examples of true defiance."

"So, why hasn't the Capitol abolished them? If the Games go wrong sometimes, like mine and like Asami's moms and..."

"Because that's the point, Korra," Hama sharply says, making the Avatar slightly recoil. "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. Most victors are well-behaved and do as they are told. People are scared and children are the best to throw into an Arena because they don't know any better. Of course, one occasionally shines like a beacon, attracting hope like a lightning rod. Maybe causing acts of defiance. But they all have failed. The Capitol uses the hope that they summon and they publicly crush it. Any of that rebellion fades within months."

"How many have there been? How many people failed?" Korra cannot think of many victors who have ever caused a stir.

"I didn't," Hama sadly admits, touching her hand to her face. Korra sees the inexplicable shame, as if Hama wishes she had been a rebel. "I might have used unconventional methods to win but I behaved so well like everyone else. The girl who won the 25th, Yusa Sato, Zuko Agni, Katara Suli, Mai Shinohai, and... perhaps the Girl on Fire. Have you noticed what they have become?"

"Dead, dead, celebrity, celebrity, first lady..." Korra does not know what to call Azula. Probably a number of unflattering words. "So... about the Quarter Quells. What were they like? There's one coming up so soon."

Hama swallows and stares at her weathered hands. Korra's stomach sinks; she knows that look.

But before Korra can apologize and back out of the conversation, Hama says, "The first was a nightmare. None of us knew what to expect. It required all of the tributes to be related to each other – from only one of the two elements, random, they said, but of course water was chosen over fire in District 2 – and so siblings were forced to kill siblings. I had one little twelve-year-old girl, and her seventeen-year-old sister. The twelve-year-old won. She still is the youngest ever victor in history. Or, was, I suppose."

"How'd she win?" Korra asks with her sapphire eyes wide.

"Her sister sacrificed herself to save her. It was this one action that made people believe. Believe that there was good in this world somewhere. The Games had been emotional enough without that finale and I think even the Capitol wept that day," Hama says softly. "She could have been a martyr, but the Capitol won out in the end."

"Wow," Korra whispers.

"The second Quell gave the tributes nothing but the clothes on their backs and what they could find in the Arena. There was no Sanctuary Square, but there were sponsors, and were benders. Yusa wasn't supposed to win, but she did. Her mother was a healer here, and so she helped one of the careers by using only plants. They saw use in keeping her around and then she killed them all in their sleep. That took out almost all of the competition. Then she poisoned the water supply and waited for the last cannon to fire."

Korra screws up her face in concentration and asks, "What was defiant about that?"

"People liked her. People saw themselves in her, saw that they could be self-sufficient, that the Capitol's narrative might not be perfect. Unfortunately, it was not enough." Hama says and Korra squirms. "Her fiery spirit faded as quickly as the rest."

"Wow. I wish I knew her," Korra says.

"Yusa would have loved to see Asami getting married." Hama smiles wistfully. "She loved Asami. Azula…" The smile disappears. "Azula was different, but I understand why. She had too much of her father in her."

Silence and discomfort.

"Did you mentor her Games?" Korra asks, although she realizes she knows the answer the minute she says it. Hama has been the last water tribute for a long time.

Hama rubs her face. It pains her to talk about this, but Korra deserves to know. Someone ought to know, before Hama's life ends. "My grandson was her district partner."

Korra's jaw drops. "B-but she killed her district partner. She cut his—" Korra changes her mind about adding on that fact.

The Avatar does remember that that horrid act was the only humanity Azula truly showed. He killed the one person in that Arena that Azula remotely cared about, and so she killed him. Then she... what she did next makes Korra want to believe Azula is something other than what she is: a monster.

"I know," Hama says softly. "But he killed the little girl. The worst thing Azula did to me was the only real humanity I saw in her. I think Kiyi reminded her of Asami, reminded her of how much she felt she failed with her half-sister. He killed Kiyi, she killed him, but, I would say the Games killed all three of them."

All three, Korra silently notes. Nobody wins the Harmony Games. She knows that by now.

"Did he grow up in the Victor's Village?" Korra cautiously inquires.

"You mean were they friends? Azula was never good at friends, but she and Kunik played together when they were little. He got along more with Asami than her, like everyone else." Hama sighs and Korra forgets to breathe. "That was a long time ago. Five years, but a long, long time in most ways. I never liked her. She was a Capitol type girl before she even developed the accent, and the Capitol stole everything from me but my name."

"You remember before the Games, don't you?" Korra whispers, rubbing her sweaty palms on her pants.

Hama nods. "I was very young, but I remember it all clearly. It was violent. The bombs dropped when I was a baby, and after that I can only remember fear. The districts were order. They were precise and calculated, but I never liked the fences or the fact that they paired water and fire not to unite us, but to keep us from uniting against the Capitol. The Games were order as well. But I never thought I would wind up in them."

"That's…" Korra doesn't know what to say.

"I have something from before the Games. It was my token when I fought in them. Come see in the attic," Hama insists, pushing herself to her feet and beckoning for Korra to follow her.

Hama pushes herself up the stairs by the railing and Korra desperately wants to help her, but she knows it would piss the very tough old lady off to be assisted. Korra didn't know you could love somebody so quickly until she left the Games and even Iroh II didn't understand her and how the aftershocks messed her up so bad. But Hama did, without even bothering her past mentee about it.

Korra has spent every minute that wasn't with Asami – or sometimes Tonraq and Senna – with Hama. The truth is, she loves her parents, but they do not understand that the Korra they knew died in the arena and somebody else that even Korra didn't understand came out. She loves Asami too, but she is afraid of Asami thinking she is weak and no longer loving her. So… Hama is vital to Korra's sanity.

They reach the top floor of the home that matches Korra's new one and Hama pulls down the steps her attic on her own. The two women walk up the creaky wooden stairs and then Korra glances around. Her attic is pretty barren, but Hama's is both clean and empty, like she comes up here all the time to see… a really tiny box that is placed so the light from the small round window shines on it.

"You can open it."

"Is it a booby trap?" Korra asks as she leans down and picks it up. It pops right open; the hinges are frequently used. Disappointed, she remarks, "It's a comb."

Hama laughs. "I said I brought it into the Games. Were you expecting something more exciting?"

"I was expecting something that made more sense." Korra scratches her head.

Hama again laughs. "It's from the seaside."

Korra's eyes light up. "When did you get to go to the seaside?"

"I'm from there. I was born in a coastal village. It was my home before the walls were built when I was a small girl. And I was trapped inland like a fish on a dock no one bothered to put out of its misery. No, it isn't even about putting me out of my misery. The fishermen did it just to watch my pain and fear."

"I'm sorry."

"It hurt my family more than me. I had only a few fuzzy memories of the ocean. To them, that little village had streets paved with gold. It rubbed off on me, I guess. This was my mother's. She hid it when they stripped down everything that… as President Sozin put it, symbolized division. She gave it to me while crying hysterically at the train station."

Korra swallows. She doesn't know what to do, but the word ocean flooded her with memories of the nights preceding her Harmony Games. All she can do is throw her arms around Hama.

Before their hug breaks, Hama says quietly, "I always wanted revenge. Rebellion got close again and again but never close enough. The fire that those six people started always was snuffed out in a spectacular fashion. But they can't do that to you. You are the Avatar. The Avatar! They can't stop what you have started."

Korra pulls away from the sheer bitterness of her words. She feels like she just bit into a crabapple that fell into the swamp.

Hama continues, "You're our best chance at vengeance. We almost got it once in a while and it was close enough to taste but they tore it from us."

"Those failed icons I told you about all had one thing in common: they were products of the Games and were examples of how effective the Harmony Games are. But you and Asami broke the Games with that poison. The Avatar! The Avatar lives! Do you understand what that means?"

"N-no." Korra gently shuts the lid on the comb. She feels sick.

Hama smiles a very different smile than the one she wears while gardening. One that makes Korra's blood run cold.

And the old woman says, "It means it is only a matter of a time before we make them bleed like they made us bleed."

"Yeah." Korra's throat is constricted with fear.

People cannot possibly think that she, some hick from District 2, could possibly do anything worthy of the Avatar.

[X]

In the Capitol, President Shinohai and his family meet a grinning girl in a restaurant.

"So this is your girlfriend of six months," President Shinohai says, examining Ty Lee with scrutiny. The escort looks incredibly uncomfortable, and for good reason. "I wanted to celebrate the Victory Tour by meeting you at last."

Azula wishes he had not said that.

Ty Lee has already met him, but she just smiles harder. She is so excited to do this and she is so not going to mess it up.

"I'm excited," Ty Lee says and Azula grimaces. "I'm always pretty excited."

"I've noticed. It's disgusting," Mai comments and Ty Lee looks scared for a flicker of a second before brightening her face again.

They are seated and Ty Lee wishes she could grab onto Azula, who's next to her, because she is kind of horrified. Does this mean they're a real couple? Ty Lee never thought they would be a real couple. She was just a fan. An adoring fan. Then she wound up… here.

She does hold Azula's hand. Azula has never let Ty Lee do that in public before, but the victor does not let go. That thrills Ty Lee.

"So, it is the escort I have heard so little about," President Shinohai says and Ty Lee's spirits are slightly dampened. She hates feeling like Azula's secret. "Why did you choose to be an escort?"

"Oh, I always wanted to… save kids." Ty Lee's heart is in her throat.

"By deciding which little boys and girls go to die?" Mai asks dryly and Ty Lee blushes bright red.

"Be polite," Ozai orders and she leans back in her chair. "She doesn't decide. She just draws the lottery. Her work before the Harmony Games is very important to survival."

"Thank you," Ty Lee says brightly. "I love my job. I always was so fascinated by the Harmony Games. Picking your favorite and…" She turns pinker than her braid. "Azula was my all-time favorite. I was crazy about her. I guess everybody was but I had a poster of her and some comic books and maybe the action figure."

"Were her lips worn out in the poster?" Mai asks and Ty Lee tries not to glare. She really cannot afford to be rude to the First Lady, even if the First Lady is a bitch.

"I'm not like a stalker. I'm like a fan who got lucky enough to meet their favorite celebrity," Ty Lee says honestly and no one protests.

"Well, what are the odds of that? They must be in your favor." Mai says sardonically and Ty Lee shrinks in her chair. She exuded confidence moments ago, but now she is realizing the reality of her situation.

"Let's talk about something that doesn't make her look like she got her skin dyed beet red," Ozai says and they all obey.

[X]

It starts out uncomfortably, but after two hours Ty Lee feels almost at ease with Azula's family. They avoid current events or anything about the Harmony Games. They talk about television, about this and that, nothing that brought up anyone's childhood; Ty Lee is glad of that, since she tries to hide her past in District 8 at all costs.

Azula gets up, her father gets up, they stand beside a placidly babbling waterfall with no decent excuse to their girls.

"You wanted to talk to me before the Victory Tour, not her," Azula says and he nods. "Why now?"

"Because it is the anniversary of the day I last asked," he says and Azula's breath catches. She had hoped he had given up on that, or at least let it slide.

She should have known better.

"And you want Ty Lee and Asami here to remind me what's at stake." He likes his games very much. Azula dislikes his games very much.

"You are such a smart girl," he says smoothly

Across the restaurant, Ty Lee is left alone with Mai, which is super uncomfortable.

"She chews people up and spits them out," Mai says and Ty Lee wrings her hands. "You seem like a bubbly person who couldn't handle what she does. Leave her while you still can."

"I have to know her for a long time," Ty Lee says and Mai shrugs.

"In my opinion, I think you should break it off while you still can. She isn't the kind of person you should look for a real, healthy relationship with," Mai explains.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ty Lee asks.

"To warn you. I think you deserve a warning about her. Anyone would."

Ty Lee wishes she had evidence to throw in Mai's face. But there isn't really anything about her six-month relationship with Azula that proves Mai's assertion wrong.

Across the restaurant, Ozai inquires, "Have you have reconsidered my offer from last year?"

Azula takes a very slow breath. She might be able to afford a question in response. "What are you planning for the Quarter Quell?"

"Whatever chance decides, of course." He almost laughs but catches himself first.

She would call him out on that blatant lie if she had no memory of last time. It will be carefully planned, of course, seeing as it is such an important event. And she is certain it will also be carefully planned to do the most damage to the rebels.

"I..." She follows his gaze. It deliberately landed on the girl in the shiny carnation hued dress. She turns back to him. "I would be honored to make the best Quarter Quell history has seen."

"I like your confidence," he says mockingly.

He gives her a look that makes her feel like a bunny-mouse sighted by an owl-hawk.

Azula used to be a predator, but now she is prey.

[X]

Asami has still not gotten over the beauty of the Presidential Palace. She has had three quick glimpses of it on her visits to the Capitol, since they have her stay in this ritzy hotel, but even the same room seems to be different and more awe inspiring every time she steps inside.

"He'll be ready for you soon," Azula says, breaking free of the prep team, Prince Wu and Ty Lee. They all are overly eager to be taking a red-eye train to District 2 in an hour, in Asami's opinion.

She catches sight of Mimi and quickly scuttles over to her, her high heels pinching her toes relentlessly.

"Mimi," Asami says and the small girl looks up at her. She has such cute wolf tails like Korra; Asami has seen a ton of young girls wearing their hair like that. "Oh, your hair is adorable."

"I know," slurs the child.

Asami just smiles. Confidence is healthy.

"Korra and I would like to know if you would like to be our flower girl in the wedding," Asami asks and she can hear Ty Lee's gasp of overwhelmed excitement from across the huge foyer.

"Yeah," Mimi agrees, but her brow is knit.

"Do you know what that is?" Asami softly inquires.

"No," Mimi admits without hesitation.

Asami smiles wider. "Oh, well, ask your parents then."

"Mhm." Mimi shrugs.

Asami has a feeling that Mimi won't be asking. She also has a feeling that it won't be easy to work into her conversation with President Shinohai. Perhaps Azula could get Mai to do something about it; they are quite close.

She doesn't need to be told he is ready for her; she can tell from the expression of the slave girl waiting at the foot of the stairs.

Asami climbs up and lets herself be guided to a gilded door at the end of a long marble hall.

"President Shinohai, I am honored to meet with you," Asami says with a respectful bow as she enters his office. She has always tried to avoid meeting him, but he has visited Hiroshi more than once due to his invaluable inventions. Her mother made her hate him.

The office is as Asami would expect it to be. It has some relics and gorgeous artwork, a nice mahogany desk, and the horrid scent of blood and roses. The roses sting her nose even more than the smell of metallic rot. She cannot comprehend what kind of cologne that is, but it is unpleasant.

"Miss Sato, I think things will be much easier if we agree not to lie to each other, don't you?" Ozai says and Asami has chills.

His voice bothers her. It reminds her of vicious but calculated predators. Maybe that is why it triggers an instinctual response of fear.

"I do," Asami says, nodding and moving to sit down. She takes a slow breath. In and out. "I have nothing to hide or be dishonest about."

"I have a problem. A problem that began the moment you revealed that poison in the arena. I am impressed by your act. By the very brave move of proposing marriage. Crazed schoolgirl madly in love, unable to live without her. But, you see, there were certain factors that make this more complicated."

"Yes?"

"The Avatar, Miss Sato, the Avatar. Kuvira's display. It seemed you were going to sacrifice yourself to, what was it you said? Break a cycle."

"I was…" Asami purses her lips. She does think that this will be easier if she doesn't lie.

"You were supposed to win. She was supposed to die. You would go mad from the tragedy of losing your true love, and you would fade into the background and live the life of a victor, as promised. Unfortunately, you decided it was time for a noble sacrifice. You have almost succeeded at breaking your cycle. I will not let that happen."

Asami studies her nails and then looks up. "It must be a very fragile cycle if it can be broken by two teenage girls and a bottle of poison."

"It is. After all, it's the law of averages, you said?"

"Yes, sir," Asami says softly, now tapping her foot nervously on the floor. "Why not just kill Korra?"

"She'd be reborn, which would only complicate things for me. You are worth keeping alive. You are a very good distraction from her, but it is not enough. The Capitol may be buying your act but the districts are not convinced."

"I'm not a leader. I'm an inventor," Asami insists earnestly.

Ozai is not swayed. "Then invent a new persona that I find more palatable. You need to make sure Korra loves you, and that she believes every word you say. You need to make sure that the United Republic sees you two as silly schoolgirls who are nonthreatening and prepared to end it all if you couldn't have each other."

"I don't know what that would do," Asami says softly. She hastily tacks on, "sir. I can't take back what I did in the Games."

"The cycle has been threatened before, but my generosity and clever people like you have stifled any real rebellion."

Timed. Probably intentionally timed. The door opens and Asami turns to see the First Lady. She sets down two cups of tea on the table and Asami smiles at her. She gets an indifferent once over in response.

"This is two minutes late because Azula's airhead girlfriend tried to help and broke the first two cups. I'm sorry," she says halfheartedly and his eyes drift from his guest to her.

"You can leave," he says and Asami imagines Mai as slicing his throat open, but she just walks away.

Ozai looks directly at Asami.

She cautiously nods. So, that interruption was intentional.

Asami considers taking the tea before changing her mind.

"Afraid of something?" he asks and she shakes her head. "We promised not to lie to each other."

"Just afraid of an ironic death," she says and he smiles at her like she is a cat standing on its hind paws.

The girl from the districts thinks she's people, Asami hears in her head.

He tilts his head to the side and examines her before straightening again. "Do you remember how the first mentors were selected?"

"Uh..." Asami should.

"They were chosen by lottery. After the Century of Ash, the rebel soldiers were taken care of in various ways. The lucky eighteen were chosen to use their expertise as soldiers to try to save the lives of the young tributes. It's a very powerful way to destroy an enemy." Pause. "Not that the victors are enemies. No, I simply mean that an image change can do wonders."

"I can... understand," she says, but can see he does not think so.

"I want you to imagine the consequences of dividing the elements. Thousands upon thousands dead, like in a war that lasted centuries. You fought very hard in the… reenactment of that nightmare, but it was nothing more than a pageant. Would you like to fight in a real war?"

"No," Asami says softly, shaking her head.

"I thought so. Korra is a threat to everything you know and love. I imagine you understand the importance of keeping her, her powers and her influence under control."

"You want me to make sure she doesn't… do any Avatar stuff?"

"Yes. There is no better way to control someone than with love and you're cute enough to bat your eyelashes and make anyone forget their malicious desires. I also want you to make sure that the Victory Tour and wedding go very smoothly. I think over the past six months you have come to understand your new role in life. She, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be the type for such delicate operations."

Asami swallows. "I'll keep her under control." Pause. "Sir."

"Good." He sips his tea.

Asami feebly smiles.

[X]

That evening, Azula lies on a sofa on the speeding train. Ty Lee sits on the floor beneath her. They both are watching the Varrick special featuring Asami and his own lengthy commentaries on the quickly approaching wedding and Victory Tour.

"That dress is gorgeous," Ty Lee gushes, her sentence punctuated with a dreamy sigh. "I can't wait until the wedding! Asami asked me to be in her bridal party!"

"I can barely contain my excitement," Azula replies sarcastically. "You care too much about this pageant."

Ty Lee gasps. "You're Maid of Honor! You don't care enough."

"I'm only Maid of Honor because I'm her sister and the mentor who saved her life," Azula says but Ty Lee thinks those are both very valid reasons to make her the Maid of Honor.

"Those are really good reasons." Pause. "What did your dad talk to you about?"

Azula blinks in disbelief. She did not think anyone alive would ask something like that.

"Do you not see the cameras everywhere?" Azula demands and Ty Lee blanches.

"I…" Okay, Ty Lee really didn't notice that. "I'm not used to being under this much scrutiny. Most of my life, people didn't even notice that I existed."

"That's kind of sad," Azula admits. "It does explain why you so desperately crave attention."

Ty Lee's jaw drops and she shrieks, "I don't desperately crave attention! That's ridiculous!"

"No, it's not."

"Will you stop being mean?" Ty Lee yelps.

"No, I won't." Azula shoots her lover an icy smirk.

They are interrupted by one of the peacekeepers on the train. The one who speaks so gruffly. The one who speaks at all, for that matter.

"We're about to arrive at District 2."

Azula leans over to Ty Lee and whispers, "So it begins."

Ty Lee bats her away.