A/N: Just a fair warning, this chapter is a little more bloody and graphic than it usually is. Read at your own risk. ~Chemistry God

Chapter XXIX:

Korra looks between the Emperor and the Empress. Who is she to believe? Her stomach churns as uncertainty plagues her mind. She looks back to Asami, Bolin, and Opal. Her gaze returns to her two choices. Something is not right. Something must be amiss. She taps her fingers anxiously, mouth open to answer. Both guards, on either side of their leaders, look to her, waiting for her decision. Kuvira is starting to tap her foot impatiently, while the sweat beads down Bataar II's face. He wipes the sweat away with his forearm.

The ex-gladiator stares straight ahead, channeling her inner focus. She attempts to draw the power from her connection of the Spirit world. A vision flashes through her mind's eye in bits and pieces. She cannot understand the full message of the vision, but she understood the broad meaning. If she picked the wrong person to support, Rome is going to fall from threats outside of it as well as it collapses on the interior. This must be avoided at all costs. She blinks, and the vision clears from her sight. There has been too many changes recently in the city. Stability needs to be maintained in order to repel the potential outside threats.

Korra also notices how the uniform for Kuvira's soldiers differ from those of Bataar. Asami looks between the two guards, wondering where she had seen the uniform of Kuvira's guard before. She gasps as she realizes that they are the same robes, the same awful green robes, that the intruders in the palace wore. The same ones that were responsible for the deaths of the Imperial Family. She remembers vividly as the assassin lay dying on the ground, how he swore fealty to the Magnus Dux. Kuvira is the their great leader, there is no other explanation. The assassins that Unalaq took responsibility for, for what he died for. This realization leaves a sick, cold, pit in her stomach. She taps Korra's shoulder, and mouths the words to her. Korra does not react the way Asami thought she would, but she cannot say this information out loud in fear of alerting Kuvira, so she prays to the Spirits that Korra understands what she told her. The ex-gladiator lets a breath out, her decision being made.

"Asami," Korra calls to her fiance, an eerie calm in her voice.

"Yes?" Asami whispers.

"Remember how I won that bet?" Korra asks eyes flicking between Kuvira and Bataar. "It was a while ago."

"Yes," The pale woman answers. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I am waiting!" Kuvira hisses. Her guards tense even further. The tension in the air could be cut with a gladius.

"Well, I am redeeming the reward of the bet now," Korra says. "You have to listen to me."

"Korra, what is going on?" Bataar demands.

The ex-gladiator turns to face Asami. Blue eyes meet green ones. "What is it?" Asami asks gently.

"I need you to get out of this palace. Now," Korra says. "Take Bolin and Opal with you." Her voice lowers to a whisper, that is almost inaudible, and only Asami can hear it. "If there is any of the sun fire, do not be afraid to use it as the Equalists used it on me."

"Why? Why are you pushing me away?" Asami asks, her voice raising. "I can't leave you!"

"Asami!" Korra pleads. "You have to listen to me. Please. Go. I have to handle this."

The pale woman shakes her head. "I refuse to leave you. This is just like how you were when Mako died!"

Korra's blue orbs bore into Asami's green ones with such intensity, the pale woman flinches. "No, this is different. Do as I told you. This is my duty. Go." The ex-gladiator orders. "Please," She adds,with more gentleness.

Asami sighs, and she rubs her temple. "Fine," She says. "But I am coming back for you before dawn."

Korra's voice lowers once more. "More of Kuvira's men are going to try and take the palace. I am not sure what their numbers are, some might even try to take strategic points in Rome. I need you get to General Bumi, and find any help you can."

Asami nods, tears streaming down her face. She embraces Korra with an intense ferocity. "I understand," She murmurs. "Stay safe. Choose wisely, I love you."

"I love you too," The blue-eyed woman responds. The pale woman takes her leave, and Bolin and Opal reluctantly follow her. Korra returns her attention to the two separate, almost warring parties.

The ex-gladiator clears her throat, dropping into a defensive position. "Kuvira Beifong, adopted daughter of Emperor Bataar the first and Empress Suyin of the former Imperial family, I, Korra Bear-Slayer, right hand of the Emperor, hereby place you under arrest for high treason and..."

The Emperor sighs with relief. His guards advance upon Kuvira's.

"Korra!" Kuvira barks, interrupting Korra. Her green eyes darken as she raises a fist, silently ordering her guards to remain stationary. The Emperor's guard hesitate. "You don't want to do this."

The ex-gladiator feigns surprise, hoping to keep up this act long enough for Kuvira to buys this. Her eyebrows pinch together. "And why wouldn't I?" She demands.

"Because," Kuvira says. "I want you at my side when I rule."

This is not what Korra was expecting. Real surprise fills her. "What?"

"You heard what I said. Join me," Kuvira says.

"That would mean betraying everything I have stood for."

"Untrue," Kuvira says, tilting her chin up. "Imagine us, Korra. It would be as we dreamed about when we were young."

"Those dreams died when I killed that assassin on that fateful night," Korra recalls. "Everything ended when his blood spilt upon my hands."

"It doesn't have to be," Kuvira urges. "Think about it! As me as Rome's sole Empress and you as my Avatar. We can destroy Rome's enemies side by side, as it was meant to be!"

"But what about Asami? Where does she stand in your fantasies about power?"

The Emperor's head bounces between the ex-gladiator and Kuvira.

Kuvira shakes her head. "We could be together again, Korra. All it would take is your word. Kill Bataar, join me. We can rule together, as equals, as lovers."

Korra takes a deep breath in. "Although that is a tempting offer, you have the awful habit of killing anyone who gets in your way...And," She adds on, "Any future without Asami is not a future worth living."

The blood drains from the Empress's face. "What do you mean I kill anyone who gets in my way?" She hisses.

Korra turns her vision to look at Bataar. "Your wife is responsible for the deaths of your siblings and parents. Not to mention all of the innocent slaves that served. She was the one pulling the strings. How do you think she survived, Bataar?"

"That's a lie," Kuvira growls. "Bataar survived, so did Opal."

"A convenient fall back," Korra spits. "Your treachery is over, Kuvira. And this this time, you aren't going to get rid of me by having Unalaq burn me at the stake."

A feral snarl curls on Kuvira's lips. "You know that isn't true."

"Perhaps it isn't. Perhaps it is. But what does not make sense in all of this is why you have a new guard all to yourself. That in of itself is strange," Korra says. "You left too much evidence, too many clues."

"It doesn't have to end like this. It can end with minimal bloodshed, and with you on the top of the pyramid."

"Hearing you beg is kind of nice, I'll be the first to admit. But it does have to end like this," The ex-gladiator responds, clenching her fists together. Sparks escape from her hands, and ignite into fire. "My disability and suffering has been brought on by your actions. You're a clever woman, Kuvira. And your plan almost worked. But I am smarter, and I am stronger. I have survived everything you have thrown at me," Korra almost shouts towards the end. "This is the last time you'll get the chance to hurt someone." Her eyes flick to the Emperor's guards. "Take her down, boys."

The Emperor's guard crash into Kuvira's. Korra bends up earth quickly, flinging herself up from a ledge to land next to Bataar. She holds her fists up, waiting for Kuvira's men to push through Bataar's.

"For a moment there," Bataar says in a hoarse voice. "I thought you were going to pick her. Thank you, Korra."

The ex-gladiator clears her throat and spits on the ground. "Don't thank me just yet," She says with a smirk on her face.

Korra punches the air, a ball of flame exploding from her fists. It hits one of Kuvira's men in the middle of his chest. His robe catches fire, and he drops to the ground, rolling around to kill the flame. But before he can stand again, his neck is impaled with a long spear of Bataar's men. The guard who wields the spear takes a piece of rock to the head. His ally tries to intercept the rock with one of his one, but the block comes to late. The rock whirls into Bataar's guard at a high speed, and takes the top of his head off. Korra's nose scrunches as chunks of brains scatter the room.

"They're just earthbenders, boys!" Korra shouts. "Take them out!"

"Aye aye," One of the guards says.

More of Bataar's guards come from throughout the palace, drawn to the throne room due to all of the commotion. They surround Kuvira's guard. Two more of Bataar's guards fall to brutally accurate shots to the head. Korra launches another ball of flame, followed by a knee raise, summoning a chunk of earth. She sends both towards the center of the group, hoping to hit Kuvira in the process.

One of Kuvira's guards breaks through the line of Bataar's men and charges straight for the Emperor with the intent to kill. Some of Bataar's men peal away to deal with the threat until Korra stops them. "Don't let any more through!" She barks. "I'll take him down."

Bataar's men close the gap between their ranks, continuing to fight off Kuvira's men, who clearly have the advantage.

The man, who is advancing quickly towards the Emperor, is tall, tan, and built like a tank; the true definition of a by the book earthbender. He sends two kicks towards Korra which flings massive chunks of stone towards. The ex-gladiator responds by lifting up a wall of earth. She punches the wall, sending squares flying towards the assailant. The man punches the earth back into the ground, effectively blocking all of Korra's incoming attacks.

With a snarl, Korra lowers the wall and takes a deep breath in. When she breathes out, a massive lick of flame collides against the man. He is hit, and falls to the ground with a grunt. He scrambles to his feet and launches another series of coordinated attacks. One stone has a curved trajectory, and weaves around Korra's body. The rock is flying straight towards the Emperor. With a gust of wind, Korra pushes Bataar back. The Emperor's head narrowly misses the rock, and he trips and falls on the ground. Figures. He was always the book type, never the warrior type

Korra punches a gust of air towards the assailant, who ducks against the incoming wave of wind. While he is on the ground, the ex-gladiator stomps on the ground, producing a long, thin, sharp, spike of stone. It impales the man and sends him straight up to the ceiling, cracking it. She pushes his body all the way through the ceiling, and then sends the spike slamming down to the ground, causing the ground to rumble, which causes some of both Kuvira's and Bataar's men to become unbalanced. With three quick punches, she hits one of Kuvira's guards with balls of flame to his head, chest, and groin. He collapses, the smell of burning flesh filling the throne room.

Korra glances back to Bataar, who is cowering in a corner. Korra sends a massive boulder in the direction of Kuvira's guard. He redirects the boulder straight into one of Bataar's men. The man is crushed under the weight of the boulder, and he lies limp after a brief moment of struggling. Kuvira has not moved from where she stood in the beginning. She watches the scene with a distant coldness in her eyes. She calculates where she will join in the battle, or when to cut her losses and flee.

More and more of Bataar's men start to fall. A few look around to their fallen compatriots and turn tail and run. Korra calls after them, ordering them back. They either ignore her, or never heard her words. She can feel the morale of Bataar's men drop as Kuvira's men advance. Korra looks up to them, trying to decipher where to strike.

Two of them break through the shrinking line of Bataar's guards. The ex-gladiator crouches and prepares for the onslaught of attacks that are sure to come from the two of Kuvira's men. She lifts her arms up into the air, and she slams them down to the ground, producing a tidal wave of flame. The two lift up a marble wall of defense and the fire hits the stone and deflects harmlessly. Korra lowers the wall and throws a cyclone towards three incoming projectiles that are whizzing towards her. The cyclone of air redirects the flying stones and two of the three hits one of the assailants in the head. His blood splatters across the ground.

An incredible, yet awful, idea springs to Korra's mind. Spilled blood is sure to be similar to water. It's a liquid, just like water is. And we as humans do drink a lot...Well, let's see if this works. Spirits, be with me. Spirits, please keep Asami and the others safe. Korra looks up to the hole she made in the ceiling, and relishes the light of the full moon. She can feel its power surge through her like a wave crashing into a shore. The moonlight bathes the throne room in an intense light.

Korra bends at the knees and pulls at the pool of crimson red blood on the marble floor. With her other hand, she produces a violent gust of wind that almost knocks the second of Kuvira's men to the ground. At first the blood does not respond to Korra's commands, but she closes her eyes and focuses upon it. She freezes the blood, sharpening it into dangerous spikes. As one of Kuvira's men reaches her, she pulls the spikes forward. They penetrate deep into the man's body, and he stops in his tracks. He coughs out blood, as one of the spikes embedded deep in the back of his neck. His eyes roll back, and Korra moves to finish the kill. Ordering the blood to expand, Korra releases her clenched fists, and makes a wide gesture. The spikes leave the man's body in separate directions. Red spurts out of the man's neck, and he falls to the ground without another movement, his life escaping him. Fuck yeah! Can't believe that worked. Two points for Korra!

A few of Kuvira's men saw the exchange. Not all of them. but the few that did saw what Korra had done. One of them faints, collapsing to the ground. Bataar's men do not hesitate to finish the man's life where he lies on the ground. Korra ensures the other of Kuvira's guard that saw her dies. The ex-gladiator analyzes the throne room turned battlefield. There are perhaps seven of Bataar's men left. Kuvira's men exceed that number, nearly almost double as more pour into the throne room. Korra closes her eyes, inhaling deeply, allowing the rage of battle to fill her. Her eyes snap open, shining a violent blue. Her body is no longer chained by her disability as she raises herself up into the air in a cyclone of air. With a raised fist, she collapses all the entrances to the throne room. There will be no escape for anyone. One party will remain victorious.

Kuvira's eyes widen, and the blood from her face drains. She never had seen the raw power of an Avatar in the Avatar State. The loud rumble causes almost everyone in the room to cover their ears. The marble groans further, and more rubble covers the entrances, ensuring no one shall enter without having to fight through the stone. With a ear-splitting roar, Korra breathes fire down unto Kuvira's men. All of them raise up a wall of marble in a blink of an eye, but the force of the inferno pushes the wall back down onto the assailants, crushing a few of them.

Now reorganized, Bataar's men charge with a fierce battle cry.

"For the Emperor!" One shouts.

"For our Rome!" Another cries as he engages in battle.

Drained, Korra lowers herself to the ground, gasping. Her braces almost give out as her feet hit the ground. She scrambles trying to stay upright. She curses her legs for their uselessness. The ex-gladiator steadies herself and once again looks towards the battle. Blood has splattered across every wall. The throne has splatters of the red substance on it. Korra herself can feel dried blood on her face, on her arms. The smell of battle reminds her of her times in the Colosseum, as her time as a -gladiatrix-. The pungent scent of the fight makes her feel at home. She might not have been born as a warrior, but through the forge of fire and blood she was made into one. This is her destiny.

After regaining her strength, Korra makes sure no one harms the Emperor. In a brutal, devastating attack, Kuvira's men break the throne of the Emperor and fling it towards Bataar's men. It crushes three of the seven remaining soldiers. With a shout, and a charge that mirrors the one Bataar's men just took, Kuvira's men leap over the throne, swiftly disposing of the remainder of Bataar's men. Korra sends another wave of flame to aid the last of Bataar's guard It engulfs two of Kuvira's men, and they scream as they burn. The ex-gladiator looks over to Kuvira, who grimaces at the sound. Ending their misery, Korra sends two head-sized rocks towards their skulls. The two rocks hit their targets with a violent crack. The two of Kuvira's men drop to the ground with a sickening thud. Their flesh still burns. Kuvira's men finish the last standing soldier that is loyal to Bataar. Her body topples to the ground.

Five of Kuvira's men remain, and they close upon Korra and the Emperor.

"Halt!" Calls Kuvira as she takes purposeful strides to the cornered pair. Korra raises her fists, and she is panting hard. Sweat beads down her face. Kuvira's guard, in response, hold their position, but do not let down their guard.

"I am giving you the chance to surrender," Kuvira says.

"Oh, fuck off," The ex-gladiator spits. "I can take all six of you. Come on, bastards! Bring it on!"

"You do not have to die," Kuvira urges Korra. "You can still join me. I'll look past this treason."

"You aren't Emperor yet," Korra growls. "My loyalty lies with Bataar, not you."

Kuvira's eyes flare up with anger. "This is your last chance, surrender. Kill the Emperor, and you can join me."

"Why don't you do the dirty work yourself?" Korra asks, motioning towards all of the dead bodies. "You didn't fight alongside your men. Why?"

"I'm strategically saving energy, of course," Kuvira rolls her eyes. "If you refuse, I have to be ready to take you down myself."

"What? You and your puny-ass earthbending?" Korra laughs.

Kuvira's eyes narrow into dangerous slits. "Last chance," she spits out.

Korra crosses her tattooed arms. "You want me to kill the Emperor to make it seem like I was the one who did all of this," The ex-gladiator gestures towards the nearly destroyed throne room, filled with dead bodies and the smell of burning flesh.

Kuvira smirks. "Kill her. Leave Bataar for me." She steps back, and allows her hounds to attack Korra.

The ex-gladiator sweats with nervousness. She jumps up into the air, knowing very well that once she lands, she will fall to the ground. She hopes that this maneuver will bring her time to recover from her fall. Her braces will not be able to handle this kind of stress, but at this point, Korra does not care. When she lands on the ground, she slams her fists downwards. Fissures and cracks roll through the ground, knocking Kuvira's men down, and causing the Empress herself to trip on her feet. With a swift punch in the air, she lifts a pillar upwards which throws one of the men up into the ceiling. His spine hits the ceiling, and the sounds of the cracking of the ceiling, and of his spine, fills Korra's ears. The ex-gladiator flinches at the sound after his body falls to the ground. His neck is twisted in all sorts of unnatural positions. His arms and legs are splayed in different directions.

One down, four to go, Korra thinks with a steely determination. The ex-gladiator scrambles up from the ground, bending her knees and putting her fists up to her face. This is just like pro-bending, but with a twist. Mako, if you're out there, keep me safe, brother. I love you.

Two of Kuvira's men, each armed with a gladius charge towards Korra, who is still unarmed, and has been since the beginning of the fight. Producing a whip of fire, Korra strikes out at the men's legs. The singing of flesh occurs when the whip meets skin. One man cries out in pain, while the other grunts the pain off and continues charging. Korra ducks under a ferocious swipe of his blade. The blade whirls past Korra's head and she can feel a section of her hair get cut from the blade. The section of hair falls almost peacefully to the ground. The ex-gladiator pulls her fist back and punches with all her might the man's stomach with the help of air bending. Her fist flies forward, almost like a thrown spear. The wind is knocked right out of the man's lungs. And, with a devastating uppercut, he is knocked to the ground. Korra does not hesitate to bring down a wall of fire down on the fallen man. This time, she shows no mercy. She lets him burn. Three more.

Her blue-eyed glare snaps towards another advancing target, three of them at one. She places her palms together, making a 'c' shape. A thin and precise line of wind leaves her palms. The air knocks one of Kuvira's men right into the other, allowing Korra to focus on one of the incoming threats. She pulls more blood from the ground, and bends it right underneath the man's feet. She freezes it, giving her a moment to finish the man off. The guard is quicker than Korra expected, and jumps up with a pillar of earthbending. She knocks him out of the air with a ball of flame. He falls to the ground, lifeless. Three down, two to go. Let's see if I can pull a different strategy. They must have hated seen their companions fall one by one to me.

The ex-gladiator takes a deep breath in. "Looks like you two are the ones who should be negotiating with me. Give up. Is losing your life worth however much Kuvira over there is paying you? I don't want to have any more deaths on my hands."

The two guards look to each other, nod, and lift themselves to the hole in the ceiling, leaving the palace.

Korra cracks her knuckles, one by one. Afterwards, she cracks her neck. She rolls her shoulders. "Looks like it's just you and me, Kuvira."

Kuvira looks up in anger as her men disappear from view. The Empress fumes, her shoulders tensing up, jaw clenching, eyes shutting. She snarls and kicks at the floor, causing a chunk of earth to fly towards Korra. The ex-gladiator deflects the stone with ease. Kuvira's fists tighten at her sides.

"Why. Must. You. Ruin. Every. Single. Thing?" She asks through clenched teeth.

Korra chuckles. "Ruin everything? You have to be kidding me. You lost Kuvira. Accept it."

A look of fury passes through Kuvira's eyes. But it is not a heated anger, but it is the cold, calculating anger it usually is. The sight makes Korra's blood go to ice.

"Never," The Empress growls. "More of my men, by the droves, are coming to end this as we speak."

Korra crosses her arms and widens her stance. "You know, you claim that I ruin everything-"

"You do," Kuvira interrupts.

"Not really," Korra smirks. "You do. I mean, look at my legs. You had me burned at the fucking stake, you power crazy fucker!"

"What did you just call me?" Kuvira says, her voice low and dangerous.

"A power crazy fucker, what, do your ears not work either?" Korra taunts.

That is all that takes for Kuvira to break. She releases an onslaught of attacks, with a loud yell. She seemingly forgets about the fact that the Emperor is alive; her focus narrows unto Korra. The ex-gladiator dodges the attacks, and with a pillar, she knocks Kuvira to the ground. The Empress tumbles across the ground, skidding across it. She groans and lifts herself up. Korra spits on the ground, wiping her chin.

"Oh come on, that's it?" Korra grunts. "I thought you were some badass. Guess I was wrong."

With a snarl, Kuvira springs from the ground, a pillar similar to the one that pushed her to the ground flings her towards Korra. The ex-gladiator's eyes widen as Kuvira tackles her to the ground. They wrestle across the ground, their growls growing in volume. Kuvira encases her fist in stone. She lifts her fist to strike down on Korra's face. Damn it! Korra snarls in her head. She must have known I wouldn't have been able to get up once she tackled me. Fuck. Gotta think of something!

Korra does not struggle against the incoming punch. Instead, she reads Kuvira's movements as she slams her fist downwards. She moves her head to the side, and Kuvira's fist crashes into the ground instead of her head. Kuvira's stone fist shatters into tiny pieces. Korra breathes in deeply, and blows a gust of air from her mouth. It is enough to throw Kuvira off of the ex-gladiator. She tries her best to regain her footing, but Kuvira advances upon her again. Korra flings a elliptical shaped flame towards the Empress. Kuvira flips over the incoming fire with ease. Trained ease. What the fuck has she been doing in her free time?!

Korra fully stands and sends a chunk of earth towards Kuvira. The Empress leaps on top of the incoming boulder, and does another flip. She lands on the ground, causing the earth to crumble further. The ex-gladiator stumbles and falls, her knees scraping against the ground. She cries out as the broken stone cuts her hands.

She staggers to her feet and sends a mixture of air, fire, and earth towards Kuvira. The Empress dodges the two respective elements, but collides with the chest-sized rock. The wind knocks right out her, and she hits the ground hard.

"Looks like you're the one who needs to surrender!" Korra says, confidence beginning to tint her voice.

Then, the Empress does something that makes Korra's skin raise up in unease. The empress begins to laugh maniacally. "Oh Korra, I am just getting started," She manages to say between fits of laughter.

The hairs on Korra's arm and neck stand straight up. "Cut it out," Korra growls. "You're beat. Turn yourself over and I won't hurt you. I really, really don't want to have to kill you Kuvira."

"I don't want to kill you either," The Empress says, standing from the ground. Her mossy-green eyes turn towards the fallen, armored bodies of Bataar's men. "But sometimes," She says, closing a fist in front of her face. "We don't always get what we want."

And at that moment, all of the armor and weapons fly towards Kuvira. The metal screws in Korra's braces fly out towards Kuvira. The ex-gladiator falls to the ground, her elbows taking most of the blow. Korra looks up in fear. Now, her heart begins to race. What the shit is going on? She asks herself. She finds her lungs pumping air in and out at a rate that hurts her. She wills herself to calm, but she cannot.

Kuvira is bending the metal into a full-suit that covers all over body save for a slit near her eyes that allow her to see. The armor thickens as more and more pieces of metal answer the call of the Empress. Nothing, not even a gladius, not a spear, not a trident, not even a boulder would be enough to hurt Kuvira when she is equipped with that armor.

The ex-gladiator hears Bataar say, "Spirits help us." After those words reach her ears, Korra can hear the Emperor praying in a quiet fever.

Korra tries, but to no avail, to stand from the ground. Kuvira starts to laugh, the sound echoing in her metal suit. The sound sends shivers down her spine.

"Had to let you think you had the advantage," Kuvira says, pride tinting her voice.

"How...?" Korra gasps. Nobody in the known history of the world had ever metalbended. If Korra is to be considered an anomaly, this is even more so.

If Korra could have seen Kuvira's face, she knows the Empress would be smiling. One of those smiles that Korra knows that only means trouble.

"Training," Kuvira says simply. "That's what happens when people don't keep tabs on you that often. I am the ultimate, far stronger than even you."

"No," Korra grunts, she pushes herself up from the ground. She surrounds herself in a box of raised stones. The box comes up to her hips. She cannot move, but she can at least stand.

"You have a lot of fight, I'll be the first to admit," Kuvira snorts. "But you just don't know when to give up."

"The same could be said for you," Korra snarls back.

Kuvira clicks her teeth. "Look at yourself," She laughs. "You've almost died, how many times? You're a fighter. You don't know when to quit, and that's going to be the death of you."

"Bullshit," The ex-gladiator responds. She sends a segment of earth towards Kuvira. The Empress raises her hand, catching the rock. The movement does not even seem to affect her. The Empress sends the same rock back towards Korra. Unable to move, the blow breaks the box Korra created.

Korra deflects the next of Kuvira's attacks, flinging it towards the already damaged ceiling. More of the roof collapses down into the throne room. Even more moonlight fills the space. The ex-gladiator tries to draw strength, but finds her body does not respond. She cannot block the next of Kuvira's attacks.

The stone lands straight on Korra's chest. A sharp stab of pain almost pierces her chest. She flies to the side of the throne room, where the last of the ceiling was broken. Her body slams into the wall, her owns bone cracking. Her ribs ache and she coughs, which only hurts them more. Kuvira begins to laugh again. The ex-gladiator coughs again, and this time, blood comes with it. I hurt all over…

Kuvira in her hulking armor takes a step towards Korra, and the ground shakes. Korra swallows, trying to fix her parched throat. She clutches her ribs with a grimace. I did not fight like a demon to have it all end like this!

Now, Kuvira stands directly below the massive gap in the roof. The moonlight reflects against the unholy combination of metals. The suit of armor almost sparkles.

The ex-gladiator lifts a fist to punch at Kuvira. Only a weak flame goes through her hand. Her arm drops to her side, limp. Another coughing fit wracks through her body.

"You should have given up when you had the chance," Kuvira says, bending over to lift Korra.

Before the massive paw grips Korra's throat, she swears dawn has come. The throne room is filled with bright light. But...the light is not sunlight. Korra squints to see a woman on top of the roof. A most familiar woman with flowing black hair. The liquid light pours from the sky.

The sun fire lands directly on Kuvira, engulfing her armor.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gladius- A short sword used primarily for stabbing

A/N: Well, this was the most fun I've ever had writing a chapter. ~Chemistry God