Kuvira lounged on her new prison bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. No platinum this time around. All wood, everything from the floor, to the walls, the table, chairs, even the bed. There were a few notable exceptions, such as the shower and toilet. Synthetic materials for those. The mattress and sheets were softer than the last time she'd been in Republic City prison, more comfortable. A meager reward for her service, perhaps.

No platinum also meant the guards had taken away the platinum pendant Korra had given her, all those years ago. With an absent sigh, she grasped at the empty space around her neck, where the pendant used to rest. She'd almost never taken it off before now. Its absence warped her with a sense of nakedness. Vulnerability.

A dull knock on the cell door pulled her from her thoughts. One of the few remaining handful of guards still stationed at the prison peered in through the window slot. "You got a visitor."

She immediately sat upright. Only one person that could be. Sure enough, when the thick wooden door opened, Korra stepped inside. Kuvira brightened with a smile, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "You came."

"Of course I came," Korra said, carrying a plastic bag with her towards the table. "You didn't think I was going to miss our date, did you?"

Kuvira joined her at the table with a kiss. "Our very first prison date."

Korra chuckled softly and placed the bag down on the table. "Hopefully not the first of many." She paused, sudden shock lifting into her expression. With a flustered stammer, she added, "Uh, because hopefully you'll be out of prison soon! Not because we wouldn't be having more dates. Because obviously we will. A lot."

Kuvira's smile broadened. "You're adorable when you stammer, you know that?"

"Well, I would hope I'm always adorable," she replied, as a subtle blush darkened to her cheeks. "But thanks."

"Mmm..." Kuvira sat at the table and took a deep breath through her nose. "Something smells good."

Korra offered her own delighted grin. She opened the bag to pull out a few containers and wooden chopsticks, as well as a large plastic thermos and paper cups. "Brought some takeout from Kwong's, and some Jasmine tea."

"You know me so well."

"Well, that is a girlfriend's job."

Kuvira opened one of the food containers. The exquisite aroma of sweet dumplings instantly overpowered her, causing her stomach to growl with eager anticipation. "So, how have things been going around the city?"

"Honestly? Not very good." Korra heaved a deep sigh, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. "It seems like no matter how hard we try, things just keep getting worse. We don't have the numbers to fight all the triads at once, and every time we make progress with one group, another takes advantage. All we've really been able to do so far is evacuate more civilians to safety."

"Well, that is important, too." Kuvira snatched one of the dumplings with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The explosive flavor of sesame and ginger rice followed, eliciting a deep, satisfied groan from her throat. She attempted to stifle herself as quietly as possible. "Have you heard any news from Ba Sing Se or Zaofu?"

Korra shook her head. "Nothing from Zaofu. Toph left to help a couple days ago, but she hasn't sent any word yet on how things are going over there."

"What about—?"

"Before you worry, no, they're not going to have Su's funeral without you," she assured. "Toph promised me."

Kuvira eased a gentle sigh, lifting another dumpling to her lips. "Thank you."

"As for Ba Sing Se, we did get a message from General Iroh this morning. Apparently, things are even worse over there." Korra tapped her chopsticks against the table with a dismayed frown. "The United Forces are doing everything they can, but they're not a large military, and I think we sometimes forget just how big that city is. Even with the Earth Republic military helping, it's slow going."

Kuvira swallowed her dumpling. "Where are Azula's forces? She made a deal to send aid when we gave her Zaheer."

"I know, and I wouldn't be surprised if she backed out if it." Korra poured a cup of tea from the thermos and offered it to Kuvira. "But it's only been a week since we left the North Pole. It'll take longer than that for a sizable force to make it from the Fire Nation all the way to Ba Sing Se. As much as I hate to say it, we need to be patient and trust Azula's word. For now, anyway."

Kuvira accepted the cup of tea. She stared down at her reflection the hot liquid, watching the steam billow. "Even after we've stopped the Red Lotus, there's still so much to do."

"Yeah, but worrying about it right now isn't going to help." Korra eased a deep breath to calm herself, and lifted her own cup of tea. "We're on a date, so let's focus on that and enjoy ourselves."

With a warm smile, Kuvira tilted her cup to her lips and took a sip. "I already am."


General Iroh hunched over the map of Ba Sing Se spread over the war table. He moved several markers across it, through the various city rings. Each of the pins represented a different battalion of the United Forces. Not nearly enough to cover the entire city. He and his troops had been spread far too thin since they arrived, and they were only growing thinner.

"What are your orders, General?"

Iroh glanced up to see one of his captains standing there, awaiting orders. He paused, moving a pair of green pins across the map. "I want the Second and Third Earth battalions clearing out more rubble from the collapsed walls. In all likelihood, it's far too late now to pull out any survivors, but there are still numerous missing persons. The least we can do is find them and give their families closure. As for the First and Fourth Earth battalions, I want them erecting new walls between the city's rings. I'm not expecting the grand walls they used to be, but I want something to start separating Ba Sing Se's neighborhoods so we can keep our efforts more organized."

"Right away, General." The captain gave a quick salute and marched out of the war tent.

When he was gone, Iroh looked across the table, where another one of his captains stood at the ready. "Captain, I want you to take the First and Second Fire battalions and sweep the tunnels beneath the city. From what I understand, many escaped prisoners have been using them as a hideout, and to get around Ba Sing Se easier. I want you to round up anyone you find down there and bring them into lockup. When we get the chance, we can start sorting through the city's records to determine who they are, and what prisons they belong to."

"Yes, sir." With an acknowledging salute, he captain marched off to complete his task.

"Commander Sheng." Iroh moved another red pin across the map, joining this one next to a blue pin. He turned his attention to the man standing next to him in a red uniform. "Take the Third Fire battalion and meet up with Captain Kedo of the Second Water battalion in the Middle Ring. I've received reports of several fires breaking out in the eastern neighborhood. Could be the arsonists from last week. I want you putting out those fires, and taking in anyone suspicious who might have started them."

Commander Sheng bowed, and hurried out of the tent.

"What about me, General?" A soldier wearing a blue uniform approached with a salute. "What should I have the Third Water battalion do?"

"I want you to meet up with General Hao of the Earth Republic Army, down in the Lower Ring," Iroh said. "Continue trying to keep the peace and putting a stop to any riots that break out. Arrest anyone who shows hostile behavior, and try to keep the conflict away from innocent civilians."

"Of course, sir."

With that, he was alone again. Iroh groaned out a heavy sigh, and sank into his chair in front of the war table. At this rate, things were hopeless. No matter how many times he did this, no matter what plans he made, or where he sent his men, conflict within the city only grew worse.

Ba Sing Se was enormous, large enough to be considered its own country. Tens of millions of people lived here. The United Forces had come from the United Republic, a much smaller nation. Their Army was only a few thousand soldiers strong in all, while their Navy and Air Force wouldn't be much help here. Not to mention only a fraction of Earth Republic forces had been stationed in the city that could help. With no government or leadership, putting out an order to recall any other troops from around the nation proved near impossible.

When he had last spoken to Chief Beifong a few days ago, she had mentioned that the Fire Nation would be sending aid. Still no sign of them. If they didn't arrive soon, Iroh's troops wouldn't last much longer here. Maybe another week or two before they failed and Ba Sing Se fell completely out of hand.

"General!"

Iroh looked up to see one of his messengers running into the tent. "What is it? What's going on?"

"A fleet of Fire Nation airships is approaching Ba Sing Se, sir! We just received a message from the Fire Lord herself."

"My mother?" Iroh bolted out of his seat. The Fire Nation military would have been enough, but he'd never imagined his mother would come personally. "It's about time they got here. How many are there?"

"According to my intel, there are fifty dropships inbound."

Iroh choked out a gasp. "What did she do, send half the Fire Nation Army?" A single Fire Nation dropship could transport up to 750 ground troops, and there were fifty? Far be it from him to refuse the help, but that almost seemed excessive.

"I don't know, but this is a good thing, right?" the messenger asked. "With those kinds of forces, we should be able to clear up Ba Sing Se in no time."

Iroh nodded. "It's excellent news. Make sure the airfield is clear, and send an escort to meet them. I'll join you shortly."

"Right away, sir."


Iroh waited at the airfield with an escort of three United Forces squadrons accompanying him. He stood at attention, arms held behind his back, as the Fire Nation dropships floated down into the airfield. A tight fit, but they all managed to squeeze safely into the landing zones. When the gangway of the fleet's flagship lowered, he took a step forward and breathed in deep. With how often his work kept him out of the Fire Nation, he hadn't seen his mother in years. Perhaps after they discussed business, they could catch up over lunch.

A long procession of soldiers marched down the gangway onto the landing zone. The two lines parted, troops marching in formation to clear the way for the Fire Lord behind them. She appeared at the top of the ramp, dressed in the familiar Fire Lord robes and crown headpiece, flanked on either side by what looked like bodyguards. One, a young woman with glasses, the other a man with a neatly trimmed goatee, both dressed in high ranking Fire Nation uniforms.

The woman marched down the ramp with her hands held tight behind her back, a grin slashing across her face. Iroh froze. Confusion warped his senses, cold and clawing. This woman wasn't his mother. She was much younger, maybe in her late teens or early twenties. A woman he had never seen before. A woman who most certainly was not the Fire Lord.

"Ah, you must be General Iroh," the woman said, as she reached the bottom of the ramp. "So good to finally meet you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? Where's my mother?"

"Oh, little 'Zumi couldn't make it," she replied, broadening her smirk. "She's busy running things back in the Fire Nation while I'm away. As for who I am, allow me to introduce myself. I'm the new Fire Lord. Fire Lord Azula, to be precise."

"You're what?" Iroh eyes flared, mouth hanging partially agape. "New Fire Lord? What are you talking about?"

"There's been something of a change in leadership back home. I'm not surprised the news hasn't reached you here, with how much of a mess things are. Honestly, Ba Sing Se is a disaster, from what I saw flying in."

"I don't understand. What happened to my mother?"

Azula reached into her robes, fishing around for something. "Oh compose yourself, General. Everything's fine. The only thing that's changed is that I rule the Fire Nation now, instead of your mother." She pulled out a rolled up piece of paper sealed with the royal family insignia. "Here, this will explain everything that's happened in the past few weeks. In the meantime, your troops are to pull out from Ba Sing Se and return to Republic City, as I'm sure you've already been informed. I hear they could really use your help over there. My forces will be cleaning up things here, so don't worry."

Iroh unrolled the missive and scanned the page as quickly as he could. Something about an Agni Kai, his mother being scarred, Azula being crowned the new Fire Lord, stopping Zaheer and the Red Lotus at the North Pole, the summary went on. He swallowed the frozen knot coiled in his throat. As impossible as it all sounded, there could be no doubting it was true. If this were some elaborate lie, Azula wouldn't be standing in front of him now dressed as the Fire Lord, at the head of a fleet of Fire Nation dropships. That would be impossible to fake.

If anything, that fact only made the information even more difficult to accept. "I don't believe this."

"Well start believing," Azula stated. "Things are different now, and denying it isn't going to help."

One of the nearby United Forces soldiers stepped next to him, with a concerned look. "General, what should we do?"

Iroh stared at the paper, mind racing. If he could firebend with his eyes, the paper would have ignited. A sinking stone crashed into his gut. So much about this situation was wrong, and yet there was nothing he could do. His mother may have been the previous Fire Lord, but he was still primarily a United Republic citizen. While Fire Nation matters might strike a personal chord with him, he couldn't afford to become involved right now. He had a different job to do.

"Recall our forces," Iroh said, as he rolled up the missive. "Our plans haven't changed. We're returning to Republic City as soon as we can."

Azula grinned. "Good choice, General. I know the Avatar will be pleased to have you. I do hope you do better cleaning up that city than you did here."

Iroh glared at her, and gave a simple salute. "Good day, Fire Lord."


Once the United Forces troops had left the airfield, Azula watched the other airships lower their gangways. Thousands of soldiers emptied out the vessels, marching down the ramps onto the landing zone in formation. "I must say, that went smoothly. When the United Forces pull out of Ba Sing Se, our troops can begin liberating the city."

Anraq narrowed a questioning look. "While we go after the remaining Red Lotus hideouts?"

"That is the plan, yes. I'll be leaving General Xhiao in charge here while we take care of that business. When we're done, we'll return here and oversee our military's efforts. By that time, Zuzu should be back from the North Pole."

"How long do you think it'll take?" Yula watched the Fire Nation troops march towards the state house in the distance, which would serve as their base of operations. "Ba Sing Se really is a mess."

"Oh, it shouldn't take long," Azula said. "Once order has been returned to Ba Sing Se, the rest of the nation should follow quickly. When that happens, they'll owe everything to the Fire Nation. To me."


Korra grinned, as she lowered a finger to one of her Pai Sho tiles. "Looks like I have you backed into a corner."

"For once." Kuvira returned a confident stare, lips curling into a challenging smirk of her own. "It won't last."

"Oh no?" Korra jumped the tile over one of Kuvira's pieces and crossed her arms flat over her chest. "What are you going to do about that?"

"I think I might try... this." Kuvira lifted one of the tiles she had moved farther up the board, and jumped it backwards over one of Korra's. She kept going, jumping it over several more tiles in succession before coming to a stop.

"Wait, what?" Korra stared at the board in disbelief, studying it intently. "No... No that's not right!"

Kuvira chuckled. "You have to keep your eyes on the whole board, Avatar. Otherwise, you open yourself up to an attack from behind."

"Oh yeah, well..." Korra frowned, pausing briefly before lunging inward to pull Kuvira in for a kiss. She held their lips together for several solid seconds, before finally pulling away with another smirk. "Bet you didn't see that one coming."

"No, but I'm not complaining about it, either," Kuvira replied, as she licked the taste of Korra from her lips. Oh, how she would never tire of that. When she looked back to the Pai Sho board, she paused. Now that wasn't right at all. "Wait a minute... You moved the tiles!"

"Me? Nooo. Never."

"Oh, you..." Kuvira deepened a frown in attempts to display clear displeasure. A futile task, as her frown broke into a smile. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around the Avatar and pulled her inward. Korra fell against her with a laugh. "Come here."

They shared another kiss, longer than before, held close against each other on the bed. Another week in Republic City and they'd only grown closer. Remarkably, Kuvira being in prison had done nothing to come between them. If anything, it had only strengthened their relationship. Korra visited everyday, without fail. Even if she couldn't leave her cell, Kuvira never once felt alone.

Korra set her head down in Kuvira's lap, gazing up at her. "It's nice to see you smiling so much."

"It's easy, when I'm with you," she replied, maintaining the loving smile to which Korra had been referring. She brushed her fingers through Korra's hair, and offered a pleasant sigh. "You know, I was worried when I went back into custody. Being locked up isn't easy, no matter how ready you are to face it. But things are so different this time around. I have friends, family, a girlfriend, I know who I am and what I want. I'm happy now, happier than I've ever been, and I owe so much of that to you."

Korra smiled, reaching out to take one of Kuvira's hands in her own. "You don't know what it means to hear you say that. I'm happy for you, Kuvira."

"Hey!" A voice shouted from the other side of the cell door. "Hey, Korra!"

Kuvira lifted an eyebrow. "Is that Bolin?"

"Sounds like it," Korra said.

"Korra!" The window slot in the cell door slid open, and Bolin's face appeared. "Hey!"

Korra shot a mischievous smirk at Kuvira, and sucked in a deep breath. When she sat upright, she snapped her gaze towards the door with a bright white glow in her eyes. Her voice boomed, echoing through the cell. "What is it? I'm in the middle of a date!"

"Oh, hey, whoa!" Bolin ducked out of sight with a startled yelp. Slowly, he eased himself back into view. The glow in Korra's eyes dimmed. "Okay, ha ha. Avatar State. Very scary. So not funny."

Kuvira snickered under her breath. "It's a little funny."

"Sorry, Bolin," Korra said, as she sat straight on the bed. "What is it?"

Bolin cleared his throat and pressed his face closer to the window. "We just got word from General Iroh! Azula's forces arrived in Ba Sing Se, so now the United Forces are on their way back!"

Korra's brow lifted. "Really? That's fantastic!"

"I know, right? Lin is putting together a meeting. She wants everyone to be there."

"I'll be right there." Korra stood up, only to pause and look back at Kuvira.

"Go on," Kuvira said, with a simple wave. "I'll be fine. You have work to do."

Korra leaned in again to give another kiss. "I love you, Kuvira."

"I love you, too."

Bolin watched them with an awkward glare, eyebrows scrunched together. "Man, that is going to take a lot of time getting used to."

Korra chuckled, as she hurried out of the cell to join Bolin. "Alright, let's go take back Republic City."