Lai rushed outside, and tour off her shoes, and slammed her feet. 'I can't feel anything!' But she pressed her foot down, and she felt the tiniest of tremors from the hills. 'Wait. Nokka, which mountain?'

'The one to the north of the one we mediate on.'

'Right.' Lai slammed both feet down again. She felt a small movement in the distance – but at that distance it could be huge. She also felt it getting bigger.

'It's coming this way!' Lai shouted, bracing herself to move. 'Nokka, wake up Tiku! Akmei come with me!'

'I'll get Liko too.' Nokka said, but there was a 'No need,' from behind the open door. Liko stepped around the door.

'Where are you going?' Akmei said, rushing out the door.

'I'm going to stop the volcano.' Lai said. There was a smirk on her voice.'

Akmei looked nervous, then said. 'OK. Avatar.'

Feels a bit more appropriate now. Lai grinned. Liko stepped forward, and said 'Princess, this is not wise. We should go and-'

'Shut up, Liko.' Akmei said. A rare phrase.

Lai began running, then earthbending up the side of the slope of the mountain, Akmei and Liko following close behind. As she went, she would stop and slam her feet into the floor, and change the direction she was running. Akmei barely seemed able to catch, up but after a while Lai lost sight of her and Liko.

Eventually Lai reached an expanse of grass on a gentle slope, before a forest. A good enough place. Lai began earthbending, pushing the earth into a large ditch, with a mound behind it. She had done barely a quarter of the minimum she wanted to do by the time Akmei and Liko arrived behind her.

'Tell me you have a plan?' Akmei asked, a tad out of breath.

'Yep.' Lai gestured to the ditch. 'The lava's going to come down this slope. It'll come into this ditch, which being made of volcanic rock will hold it for a reasonable amount of time. This will allow me to cool the lava with my lavabending from a safe position –' she pointed at the mound – 'so it will pile up here, delaying it or even stopping it if we're that successful. I need you to try and help take some weight of from where ever I am – cooling it if you can?'

'There's a firebending technique called heat redirection. It would allow me to cool an area of rock around you to dissipate it safely into the air away from the lava stream. Would that be what you would need?' Akmei asked.

'Sounds great.' Lai turned back to the ditch. 'I'll keep building this up.'

'Me and Liko will look out for the lava for you!' Akmei shouted.

This was unnecessary, as between her seismic sense and the heat Lai could feel the lava moving slowly down the mountain. She tried to concentrate on making the ditch as big as she could, as the lava advanced on ditch. Eventually, the lava became visible. The lava flowed in sticky river of black smoke. From the sky toxic gases flowed down with it. The lava was wide enough to bury Yaoling a dozen times over, with great rocks slamming down from the mountain top.

Lai leaped onto the mound, and Akmei and Liko scrambled behind them. 'By any chance have you been practising your lavabending at all?' Akmei asked.

'Don't remind me I haven't!' Lai shouted back. She braced her legs in a wide stance, pushing her feet into the ground. She brought both fists down in a sliding arc. The front layer of lava solidified, and turned solid, only to begin to melt as the wave of lava continued over it.

Lai slammed her fists down to the sides. This time one side of the lava was frozen, the earth being pushed up to channel the lava away from the side. Hopefully I can stop it spreading. AS she brought her hands down to block it on the other side, she felt some ash hit her lungs, and she coughed heavily, before the feeling passed. 'I wish I was an airbender!' Lai spluttered.

Lai pushed herself up, before completing the bending on the right side, and strengthening the left side. The lava was flowing down the mountain in a straight line, terrifying in its intensity. It barely seemed like it could be stopped.

Lai felt a rock flying in their direction. 'Rock incoming from above!' Lai shouted, trying to steady her trembling knees.

'I'll deal with it!' replied Akmei. Around her, Lai felt static roll in towards Akmei as she moved her arms in circular movements in the corner of Lai's eye. A bolt of lightning slammed out of her fingers, and Lai felt the rock being smashed apart.

'Nice!' Lai shouted, punching twice forwards, raising a block of earth, slowing the lava down a little as it slowed on relentlessly. It occurred to Lai that some past Avatar wisdom would be really helpful. Korra, if you're listening, could you lend a hand? There was no response, not that Lai expected one. But does she have anything better to do? What else does a dead Avatar have to do all day?

It was a stupid thought given the situation. The molten earth followed the path of least resistance, and flowed down the slope. The intense heat even at a distance was blazing off the lava, and Lai's brow was sweaty. The first of the lava flowed into the ditch.

I'm going to hate this! Lai slammed the lava up, the heat almost too much to bear, before she cooled it, turning it to solid rock. She slammed down, raising herself up in a pillar of rock, and inspected the situation. 'Akmei, start cooling!'

'I will!' Akmei started going along the mound, cooling the mound, keeping it from melting. Hot ssir started to rise from around her, into the distance.

But Lai didn't have time to watch. Propelling her with fire – I need to get some arm cables – she jumped to one side of the mound, raised a pillar she landed on, before raising more lava and solidifying it. She went along the mound, blocking the ditch.

'That should hold it for a bit.' Lai muttered to herself. 'How's it going down there, Akmei?'

But she didn't get the response she was expecting. She heard a 'Look out Lai!' Lai slammed round, to see a huge blast of fire heading in her direction. With barely enough time, she blocked the fire, and looked for its source.

The source was a large satomobile driving from up the slope. Another blast of fire slammed out towards Lai from it, forcing her to leap of her pillar onto the ground. The pillar was smashed apart y the impact.

The satomobile halted silently, with what must be an altered engine to take advantage of the electric engine. Quickly, men leaped out of the vehicle. Most wore masks, but one didn't. He was tall, with deep black hair and a fine moustache. Lai recognised him from photos. Zolt.