Part One for the final round of Pro-bending! The Capital City Catgators are teaming up once again to present an ATLA/LOK Scavenger Hunt.

Prompts used: Invitation, meeting a celebrity and getting stuck in a tree

Fire element used

Word Count: 2249

"The world is elated to have the ENTIRE royal family's presence at the opening of United Republic's Endangered Species Zoo! Welcome!" Varrick's irritatingly, extra high-pitched voice announced brightly to hundreds of lucky hordes of cameras and eager Republic City citizens gathered behind the blood, red and black airship slowly coming to a land on a makeshift landing pad.

The propellers came to a slow stop with a dramatic gust of air that almost felled Councilman Tenzin, his wife and his young airbenders.

"Oh wow! This is uber exciting!" Squealed Ikki tightening her grip on her mother's arm while she held a drowsy baby boy in her other arm while juggling the equally excited, Meelo on her shoulders.

Jinora observed the scene with cautious eyes. Close by were Opal, her grandmother and the entire Bei Fong clan along with the new Team Avatar. The elder child noticed the quiet whispers between Asami and Korra. Neither woman was smiling, yet communicated with the smoothness of long-last lovers.

They're worried too. She noted before looking up to her father's wrinkled brows.

The airbender had little words to say when he accepted the mysterious invitation sent by the Royal Family to intentionally selective people to be amongst the first to tour the zoo for endangered animals. Each of the guests held solemn expressions except her optimistic brother and sister, of course, along with most of the crowd and home viewers of the world broadcasted segment.

Varrick, the famed mover director he is, took his invitation as a business opportunity and carefully kept the cameras away from capturing the picketing and near riot being handled by Chief Lin Bei Fong's diligent task force.

Of course, the world was ecstatic to witness the return of the Hundred Year War hero, Former Fire Lord Zuko. He was, after all, one of the biggest contributors to the beauty that is the United Republic, despite shortly after, wrecking the home of her honorable grandparents, Katara and Aang. Jinora had never formerly met her step-grandfather, but it was obvious Tenzin did not think very fondly of him. Zuko had taken the liberty to appear for Jinora's acceptance as the first airbending master since her father which was not favored by the councilman. Even now, his grimace was deepening when the door to the lavish airship opened.

"And here they are folks!" Shrilled Varrick, drowning out the angry growls from the protesting crowd with no screen time to show their impressively organized mob to the outside world. "Unfortunately, Fire Lord Izumi could not join us today, Folks," he continued, directing the cameras to zoom into the inside of the now open hatch of the airship. "She has sent the world's most popular bachelor, Iroh the second in her place!"

The camera immediately captured a horde of slobbering women in reaction to the surprise replacement of the fire lord, before panning back in time to capture a bright smiling Iroh II, waving with his grandfather. The handsome captain of the Fire Nation's army and his equally handsome, fifty-something-year-old grandfather were quickly overshadowed, however, when the crowd suddenly silenced at the emergence of two women from inside the airship.

The women held hands as they looked at the spectators below them. The camera caught every slight of the hand and it burned the avatar's chest to see one of them, in particular. Around forty or fifty years old, the spouses put many twenty-something-year-olds to shame instantly with their well-kept features from years of the most expensive pampering royal and dirty money could buy. The avatar was none the surprised, they were Asami's grandmothers, afterall. The women married and conceived her lover's mother during a time before it was inconceivable for two women to create life. The times of omegas, betas and alphas were long gone before Korra or Asami were even born. A cure had been invented unfortunately making it impossible for the women to do the same as previous generations of lesbians. Well, unless Kyoshi's secret cave could prove to be the answer…

Korra breathed heavily at the sinking feeling in her stomach as sharp, golden eyes locked on her and her girlfriend, followed by soft, brown ones following suit.

"Yes, Everyone, it is the MAD PRINCESS, herself with her gorgeous wife in their first televised appearance with the former fire lord since…well…EVER! Brought to you, ONLY, by Sir Varrick, Ladies and Gentlemen!"

Korra swallowed, watching Varrick scurry up to interview the party of four. Hatred was evident in the crowd coupled with envy and admiration.

"Wow, I don't think even you are hated this much!" Commented Mako with a chuckle, before being silenced instantly by Korra's companion. "Uh, yeah, I forgot. So…are you happy to, um, see your other family, Asami?" He asked, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

Before Asami could answer, the squeal of a microphone made the crowd cringe. "Princess Azula! Hey!" Came Varrick's voice. "So, could you please elaborate on your thoughts for this joyous moment?"

"Oh, no," mumbled Asami next to Korra.

"Joyous?" Started the princess with a flicker of her golden iris.

Luckily, her pretty wife grasped the microphone quickly. "Thank you all so much for your support! We are ready for the hunt!" She squealed a bit too dramatically with a bright smirk.

With that, they hurried towards Korra and Asami, leaving Zuko and Iroh to deal with Varrick's questions.

"Sweetie!" Cried Ty Lee nearly beheading Asami with her quite toned arms for a middle-aged woman. "Agni! I am so happy to see you! You're gorgeous! Ready to hunt?"

Korra kept her eyes on the woman lingering behind her wife suspiciously. "Problem, Avatar?" Asked Azula, silencing both her wife and granddaughter instantly.

"Nae Nae, please, Korra's with me for this competition. We have to work together," Asami explained, giving her best pleading eyes.

Azula shrugged, passively. Her only granddaughter was more precious than any man-made metal to the cold princess. "Well, blue eyes make me nauseous. Be sure to keep them to yourself, She-Man," she cooed.

"Bitch!" Hissed Korra, embarrassingly sounding childlike, before thinking.

Azula smirked at the action she provoked before coolly kissing the brightly jeweled ring on her forefinger under Korra's seething eye. A hand possessing the same ring grasped her shoulder a little too roughly. The avatar met another pair of gold eyes that were not as cold as the princess, but still made her skin prickle.

"Well, my grands will be excited, I'm sure, to see you again, Korra," said The Northern Water Tribe's former queen, Mai.

"Hello, Cousin," greeted Desna and Eska simultaneously bleak, making Korra groan.

She had not expected to see them again, though she should have, given the exclusive invitations involved in this mysterious scavenger hunt. Thankfully, Tenzin approached with his family along with the Bei Fongs, making Korra smirk at her past life's attempted murderer.

Hmph! I may need to trust you for this, but I have the numbers. Her look silently told the mad princess.

She glanced at Katara, who had joined the party later due to an emergency healing session needed as soon as the airship landed.

Katara took charge eagerly, cutting an eye at her long-time nemesis while snaking her arm around the former fire lord's for good measure. "Well, now that everyone's here…"

"Hush, Peasant," Azula immediately cut in with a roll of her eyes as Katara clenched her fists. "Listen, in about two hours this entire zoo will be incinerated and all of the poor animals will cease to exist. Unfortunately, I will not be the reason for such events, so I beg to you all, may the terrible odds of surviving this hunt be in your favor".

Taking the hint, the Bei Fongs, along with Bolin hurried inside the gates of the zoo followed by Team Air led by Tenzin's wife, children, siblings, mother, stepfather and Iroh II.

Azula watched them go with pursed lips before looking back to her smaller team of herself, her wife and grandchild, the avatar, some mixed fire, earth kingdom kid, Mai and her grands, which may as well count as one as they were never separated. Unfortunately, numbers were not in her favor, yet she refused to let Toph, Zuko or Katara claim her prize. She beamed as she imagined what she could do with it. Ty Lee always wanted one and she secretly wanted to be one as a child.

I WILL be victorious! She told herself, looking to the handsome mixed bred boy next to the avatar and her beloved grandchild. Hmph! She should have chosen him for a mate. At least he doesn't smell like funky, aqua turtles, ugh! She thought.

"Uh, Azula, shouldn't we follow them?" Asked her loyal wife.

Azula shook her head. The crowd had dispersed. The idiots had played hero so readily towards the hordes of covered cages with dangerous, exotic animals that may or may not have been ordered partially opened by several drug-infested addicts who owed the Triple Threat Triad a favor or two. With a wave of her hand, Azula lit a blue flame and kneeled on one knee, gesturing for her small crew to do the same.

"What is it? We don't have time!" Groaned Korra.

"Remind me to buy a muzzle for your wedding present, Dear. Take care to use it often for your wife," responded the princess.

Asami and Ty Lee exchanged solemn looks while Mako tried to mask a snicker with a cough.

"Grandmother, why haven't we met this woman of obvious brilliance before?" Asked Desna to the former Queen Mai.

The woman shrugged. "Eh, she is not the most friendly person to meet as you can see," she said passively.

"Not true! I give it my all. Unfortunately, avatars just bring out the, hmm, monster in me…should I say?"

"I like her, Asami, you should take heed to her wisdom whenever possible," commented Eska.

Mako could not hold his snicker at Korra's pout. "Time wasting…" said the avatar.

Asami gave her girl a pinch on her cheek to cheer her up before whispering softly. "At least she believes we will get married".

The comment brought a sweet grin to Korra's face instantly.

"Those idiots ran off without so much as a glance back. We are closer than they are to my…OUR prize".

The group stared in awe as Azula's signature flame illuminated a trail of footprints obviously made by a very large animal. The woman moved a manicured nail up to show that the trail was extended at least a mile in the opposite direction of the zoo and the other teams.

"How did you know?" Asked Korra, impressed.

"Natural, Dear, do you remember when I was your mentor when you were six? You were as oblivious then as now. That's why I quit before you were seven. I have zero patience for idiots". She answered, flippantly. "Come, we should have an hour or so before the idiots catch on. You're driving, Sweetie," she directed to Asami.

Her granddaughter led everyone to her newly designed SatoSUV.

"How could anyone miss that?" Asked Mako as they crept along a windy road.

"Well, first off, if you read the fine print like yours truly. It states specifically that refreshments will be served. What zoo for animals hosts refreshments? Southern Water Tribe…hmm…nevermind".

Korra was the last to catch the insinuation, however, when she did a gust of wind was released from her fist. Turning to the princess, she growled angrily.

"Look here, you psychotic lunatic, if I didn't LOVE Asami so much I would so-"

"Korra!" Screamed her lover making the avatar jerk back in time to set the now flying sports utility vehicle on level ground again.

Unfortunately, it missed the ground by about 20 feet or so. Ty Lee rolled down the back window, eagerly, basking in the lovely view from high above the earth in a giant tree not far from where the trail ended near an abandoned, scary-looking mansion.

"Ooooh…oooh, Azula, we should soooo have sex right now!" She squeaked.

Asami's eyes widened and her voice caught, glancing at Mako, she was happy to see that he was squeezed in the middle of her grandparents, yet wanted to smack the wide grin from his face through her rearview mirror.

"Um, no thanks, witnessed enough of you two during the war," chirped Mai observing her nails while her grands looked at one another with uneasy expressions.

Azula smirked at the reddening avatar, ignoring her wife's suggestion. "You were saying?" She taunted, her eyes glistening.

Just to further note, I gave several nods to some of my favorite writers: Pen, KD and electricgurrl and their stories. Most of my stories carry the same themes and universes. This one is no different, however, I have left it open enough to explore. Check out my teammates and GO CATGATORS! Here's to the Finals!