Kuvira gazed up at the temple atop the hill. She'd only ever been to Air Temple Island once before, and hadn't even been able to leave the ferry then. Making her way along the docks towards the island itself instilled an entirely different sense of awe and grandeur. A humble temple it might be, but nonetheless beautiful.

"Welcome to your new home." Korra moved in beside her and reached down to hold her hand. "Well, at least until we figure out something else. The whole pardon thing was kind of last minute."

Kuvira smiled. "It's lovely, thank you."

At the end of the dock, near the main path that led up to the temple, a group of individuals dressed in traditional Air Nation orange and yellow waited for them—Tenzin and his family. Kuvira stiffened with a deep intake of breath. While Korra had assured her that Tenzin agreed to this arrangement, she couldn't fight the sinking feeling in her gut that told her she would be unwelcome. The last time she had interacted with Tenzin and his family had been during her invasion of Republic City six years ago. Surely, they must all still hate her?

Tenzin greeted her with a low bow. "Kuvira, welcome to Air Temple Island."

Kuvira swallowed the knot in her throat and returned the bow. "Thank you for having me, Master Tenzin."

"Just Tenzin is fine." He stared at her with a deep, slow breath, stern and contemplative. "I have to say, I never imagined I'd be inviting you into my home and around my family, but after everything you've done to help the world, and with how Korra speaks about you, I see now you've really changed. You've finally found peace within yourself, and have started down a new path in your life. A good path." With a thoughtful hum, he added, "Of course, having the Avatar and both my siblings vouching for you doesn't hurt, either."

"I promise I'll live up to your expectations," she said, with a nod. "I won't cause any trouble."

The middle-aged woman with graying brown hair at Tenzin's side stepped forward, offering a big smile and a friendly wave. "Hello there. I'm Pema, Tenzin's wife. I suppose we should get introductions out of the way first." She moved behind her children, stopping first to introduce the young woman wearing an Air Nation wingsuit, maybe nineteen or twenty years old. "This is Jinora."

"We've met." Jinora smiled, and lowered into a bow. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Kuvira."

Kuvira nodded, and returned the bow. "And you, as well, Jinora."

Tenzin blinked, shifting his puzzled gaze back and forth between them. "Wait, when was this?"

Pema moved on before he could get an answer, gesturing to the teenage girl with longer hair, dressed in the same style wingsuit as her sister. "This is Ikki."

"Hey, so you used to be really bad, but you're like good now, right?" Ikki leaned close and squinted at Kuvira, lips pursed in thought. "Why'd you change your hair, I thought it looked better in the bun, Korra said you could bend platinum, is that true, and are you two really dating now, because that's like really weird, Korra and Asami were dating for like ever, but I guess they broke up now, which is really sad because they were really cute together, are you just as cute?"

"Uh..." Kuvira blinked at the girl, trying to wrap her head around the rapid string of questions. "How about we have a question and answer session later?"

Ikki sighed. "Sure, fine, whatever you want."

Pema moved on to introduce her next child, a boy with a short crop of dark brown hair. "Meelo."

"Just so you know, I'll have my eye on you," Meelo said, glaring intently at Kuvira. He crossed his arms tight across his chest and broadened his shoulders, in some attempt to make himself look more intimidating. It didn't work very well, considering he was still a baby-faced, fourteen-year-old boy. "Any funny business, and you'll face the wrath of Meelo. Got it?"

Kuvira returned an equally serious expression, nodding in response. "I'll do my best to stay in line."

"And finally," Pema said, indicating the a nine-year-old boy with a head of wild brown hair, "this is Rohan."

Rohan gazed up at Kuvira and flashed a big grin. "Hiya. Like your outfit."

"Oh, thank you," Kuvira replied, as she glanced down at herself. This kid probably hadn't seen many traditional Zaofu robes before. Returning her focus to the family, she bowed again and said, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Thank you for inviting me into your home."

A sudden shudder trembled through the ground, the sound of something massive bounding towards her. Lifting out of her bow, Kuvira looked up to find the source. She caught sight of a white blur before something solid struck her chest. A surprised gasp burst from her throat, wind rushing out of her lungs as a great weight pinned her to the ground. When she finally regained her sense of awareness, she found herself blinking up at the face of a large, fuzzy white animal. A polar bear dog. Glaring at her, unblinking. Kuvira froze, staring straight back at it. No sudden movements.

"Naga!" Korra rushed forward and started pulling at the massive polar bear dog to get her off. "Naga, down. Kuvira is a friend. Friend."

Naga didn't budge, no matter how hard Korra pulled at her. She continued glaring, a low grumble bellowing out her throat.

"Uh, nice Naga?" Kuvira gave the animal a gentle pat on the snout. "Good Naga."

The polar bear dog stared a moment longer before finally leaning close and giving Kuvira a firm lick across the face with her large, slobbery tongue. Satisfied, she stepped back and sat next to Korra, tail wagging.

Korra held out a hand to help Kuvira back to her feet. "Sorry about that. Naga gets a little excited around new people sometimes. She's just happy to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Kuvira muttered, as she wiped the dog drool from her face.

"Ha, looks like you got a real way with animals!" The voice belonged to a new arrival, strolling down the path towards them with a dragonfly bunny spirit flying around his shoulders.

Kuvira smiled. "Bumi, Bum-Ju, good to see you both again."

"You too," Bumi said, with with a wave. Bum-Ju responded with a delighted chirp. "And might I say, welcome to Air Temple Island."

"Thank you." She returned the wave, and gave one more bow to the entire family. "All of you, for your hospitality."

Before she could even straighten herself, Ikki grabbed Kuvira's hand and started dragging her up the path towards the temple. "Come on, I'll show you to your room! It's really cool, you'll love it!"

"Hey!" Korra called, running after them. "Wait for the girlfriend!"


Kuvira fell flat against the bed with an exhausted huff. Not only had Ikki and the other airbender kids shown her to her room, but they had elected to take her on an entire tour of the island. A tour that had taken two hours, during which time Ikki and Meelo assaulted her with a relentless barrage of questions. She had done her best to keep up with the answers, to no avail. Half the time, they threw another question at her before allowing her a chance to properly answer the previous one. Jinora had done her part in calming her siblings, which worked for a while. Until Rohan had shown up, adding the energy of a nine-year-old into the already volatile mixture. Spirits, how could anyone have that much energy?

At least now she could relax.

"Well, they all seem... nice," she said, sucking in a deep breath.

Korra sat at the edge of the bed. "Believe me, I know how much of a handful those kids can be, but you get used to them."

Kuvira gave a little smirk. "I am happy to be here, you know. With you. Thank you for inviting me."

"Well I couldn't just leave my girlfriend out in the cold with nowhere to stay."

"I mean, I probably could have earthbended myself a hut or something."

Korra laughed, falling back on the mattress next to Kuvira. "So, what do you want to do on your first night free from prison?"

"What do I want to do?" Kuvira breathed in deep, allowing the question to simmer in her mind. For the past six months, she had believed she'd be in prison for another fifteen years. Why take the time to stop and think what she'd do when she got out, when it was so far away? Now that she had the chance to think about it, the answer arrived with a delighted smile. "I want to go out. On a real date, out in the city, with my girlfriend."

"Now that sounds like an idea I can get behind." Korra leaned in to give a gentle peck on Kuvira's cheek. After a moment's pause, her eyes lit up. "Oh! We could invite Bolin and Opal along. I know they'd love to see you, and double-dates are always fun."

Kuvira hummed softly, lips pursed together. "Hmm, I suppose that's not a bad idea. I haven't actually been out with any of my friends since before I came to prison. It would be nice."

"Great, I'll give them a call and set it up."

"Sounds like a great idea for tonight. As for right now..." Without warning, Kuvira rolled atop Korra and pinned her arms to the mattress. She leaned in close, kissing along the other woman's neck. When her lips made it next to Korra's ear, she paused long enough to whisper, "It's been a couple of weeks since we've had some proper alone time. And now we don't have a guard on the other side of the door."

Korra squirmed beneath her. "Mmm, no, but we do still have everyone else in the temple."

"Then I guess we'll just have to be quiet." Kuvira traveled a hand along the other woman's abdomen, gentle, teasing. When she reached the waistband of Korra's pants, she slipped her fingers beneath the fabric and continued south. "Think you can do that?"

A soft gasp burst from Korra's lips. Her back arched, toes curled. "I suppose we can...mmph...try."


Several hours later, Korra and Kuvira arrived in the heart of the Little Water Tribe neighborhood of Republic City. Passing citizens stared at them on their way by. All the way here, in fact, wherever they went. Seeing Kuvira traveling freely around the city would have been shocking and concerning enough for most people, but to see her walking arm-in-arm with the Avatar prompted several passersby to walk straight into a light pole, or a newspaper stand, or some other obstruction while distracted.

Kuvira didn't care. Let them stare. She had a date to focus on right now, the first date that hadn't been in a prison cell or in the Spirit World since their first one at the North Pole. The sights, the sounds, the smells of the city, the feel of Korra's arm wrapped around her own—they were the only things that mattered. Dear spirits, how she'd missed this. Walking around a city after dark, not a care in the world. How many years had it been? Not since her time living in Zaofu, hitting up Shu's Bar with the other guards after her shift. The laughter, the drinking, the conversation. Those had been good times. Great times. Times from another age, a whole lifetime ago. So much had changed.

Oh, to be free again. What a wonderful thing it was.

By the time they arrived outside of Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, Opal and Bolin were already waiting outside for them. Opal spotted them first, guiding Bolin by the hand to greet them.

"Hey guys!" Opal pulled them both in for a hug, squeezing tight. "It's so good to see you! Thanks for inviting us."

Kuvira smiled. "It's great to see you too, Opal."

"And thanks for coming," Korra said. "This is nice, getting together like this."

"Yeah, look at this!" Bolin exclaimed, throwing an arm around his girlfriend. "Us, out for a nice evening together, with Korra and Kuvira. Almost unbelievable, right?" Bolin's gaze shifted towards Kuvira. "I mean, not because I can't believe you're out of prison, because I can, but... Okay wait, I know I was going somewhere with this."

"It's alright, Bolin," Kuvira said, with a subtle smirk. "I know what you meant."

"Oh, okay good, because I don't even think I know what I meant. Oh! And hey, there's someone else who'd like to say hello." On his cue, a fuzzy orange blur raced up Bolin's pant leg, climbed up his shirt, and perched atop his shoulder. The fire ferret gave an excited squeak, fluffy tail lifting up in greeting. "See? Pabu's here, too!"

Kuvira couldn't help her chuckle, as she reached forward to scratch the fire ferret behind the ears. "It's nice to see you again too, Pabu. How have you been?"

Pabu chittered in response, nuzzling against her hand.

"He says he's doing great," Bolin stated, with a positive grin.

"Well, that's good to hear." Kuvira held her smile, glancing towards the noodle shop. "So, this is Narook's?"

"Yeah, best noodles in all of Republic City for the past twenty years!" Bolin exclaimed. "Mako and I used to come here all the time, whenever we could afford it."

"Should we find a seat?" Opal asked.

Korra chuckled. "Probably a good idea, huh?"

They found a quiet booth near the back corner of the shop that offered a little more privacy than the usual table. Kuvira and Korra sat together on one side, and Bolin and Opal on the other. A waiter found them shortly after to take their drink orders, and left them alone to look at the menus.

"So, Kuvira," Opal said, as she flipped open her menu. "What's it feel like? I mean, being free again after so long?"

"Honestly, I'm still having trouble believing it's real," Kuvira replied. "I was fully expecting to serve out the rest of my sentence. I never imagined I'd have a second chance like this."

"Have you thought about what you're going to do now?" Bolin asked. "I mean, I know you said you want to help the world, but there are a lot of ways to do that."

Opal nodded. "Yeah, are you going to be sticking around in Republic City, or do you plan on returning to Zaofu sometime?"

"I... I'm not sure." Kuvira paused, staring down at her menu as she realized she didn't have an answer. "I hadn't actually thought that far ahead. I mean, I grew up in Zaofu, but I do want to stay with Korra." She lowered the menu, looking to her girlfriend. "Since you're the Avatar, I thought I could help you however you need me to."

Kora offered a gentle smile and reached out to take Kuvira's hand in her own. "We'll figure something out together. I promise."

"Well, you are going to be visiting Zaofu next week at least, right?" Opal said.

Kuvira raised a puzzled brow. "What's next week?"

"Oh!" Opal's eyes widened at the realization. "That's right, you don't know yet. I only found out this morning from Grandma Toph. It's Mom's funeral. They're finally able to have it, now that Zaofu is back in order."

"Oh." Kuvira's heart jolted, a rush of warmth lifting into her heart. Spirits, it had been so long. Finally, Suyin would get the goodbye she deserved. "Yes, of course I'll be going."

"A lot of people are going," Bolin said. "There's Lin, and Tenzin, and Kya, myself, Mako, Asami, Bumi, Lord Zuko, Katara, Toph, and a bunch more I can't really remember right now. Su really touched a lot of lives."

"Yeah," Kuvira uttered, with a distant smile. "She really did."

"Excuse me." The voice came from behind the booth, as a short old woman stepped around the side of the partition and approached the table. "Hope you don't mind my interrupting."

"Grandma Toph!" Opal exclaimed, with a smile. "I thought you'd already returned to Zaofu."

"Oh, I will soon enough," Toph replied. "Just a little business I need to take care of first. You mind if I borrow Kuvira for a minute? We won't be long, I promise."

"Oh, me?" Kuvira gave the others a brief glance, before sliding out of her seat to follow the old earthbender. "Sure, of course. I guess I'll be right back."


"So, what did you need to talk about?" Kuvira asked. A cool breeze rippled through the street outside the noodle shop, racing a chill down her spine.

"Well, first of all, I want to congratulate you on your pardon," Toph said. "After everything I've seen from you, I can say without a doubt you deserve this second chance."

"Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you."

Toph turned a blank glare towards her. "Just don't go screwing it up, you hear?"

"Uh, right." Kuvira cleared her throat. "Of course."

"Now, I couldn't help but overhear you earlier about how you weren't sure where to go from here."

Kuvira glared back at the old woman, raising a single eyebrow. "You were eavesdropping?"

"Hardly," Toph huffed. "I was just on my way over to you, and nothing escapes these ears. In any case, I might have something that could help you."

"What's that?"

"Well, things are still a bit confusing in Zaofu right now, as far as leadership goes. I'm currently the acting matriarch over there, but that was only ever meant to be temporary. They want to me stay full time, but I don't really have any desire to lead a nation, even a small one like Zaofu." Toph turned her head and spit onto the sidewalk, much to the displeasure of a passing couple. "Besides, let's be honest, I probably only have a few more years left in me, anyway. They'd just have to replace me again when I croak."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Kuvira said. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that." Toph spit again, and folded her arms across her chest. "As the interim matriarch, I'm technically allowed to choose a permanent successor anytime I want. Now, I think such a successor should still be a Beifong, someone Su raised and imparted her ideals upon, someone who could keep her dreams and her memory alive. Problem is, most of Su's family is either busy doing other things, doesn't want the role, or are just plain unfit to be a leader. You see the dilemma?"

"I suppose." Kuvira deepened her confusion, eyebrows scrunching. "Toph, I'm still not quite sure where you're going with this."

"My point is that there's really only one logical choice I can come to here, now that you're a free woman." Toph cleared her throat, and raised a hand onto on the taller woman's shoulder. "Kuvira, how'd you like lead Zaofu?"

"What?" Kuvira's heart lurched into her chest. "Toph, are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Do I look like I'm joking?"

"But I just got out of prison," she insisted. "Not to mention I took over Zaofu before. The people would never accept me."

Toph coughed out a laugh. "They will if I tell them to."

"Well that's a little optimistic, don't you think?"

"Please, they practically worship me over there. I'm the great Toph Beifong! They even have a statue of me for crying out loud. If I wanted, I could probably get the entire city to perform the dance of the badger moles." Toph snickered at the thought. "Trust me, if you have me vouching for you, they'll accept you. Besides, regardless of what you might think, you still have a lot of supporters across the nation, even in Zaofu. I think you'd be surprised at how willing they'd be to give you a chance."

"Toph, I don't know." Kuvira shook her head, staring down at the sidewalk. A thick haze swam in her mind, muddling her thoughts. She, lead Zaofu? The mere idea of it sounded utterly preposterous. "This is a huge offer, and it's so sudden."

"Well at least say you'll think about it," Toph muttered. "I really don't want to be a world leader much longer. The politics are a total drag! I just want to head back to my swamp where I can get some peace and quiet."

Kuvira heaved a deep sigh, pressing her fingers against her eyes. "Alright, I'll think about it for now."

"Well, good." Toph gave her a firm punch to the shoulder, and turned to leave. "Now I should probably get going. Enjoy your date."


Asami flipped through the stack of papers on her desk. Her new desk, not the one at Future Industries. The desk at City Hall, at the office of the President of the United Republic, a position she never could have imagined holding a few years ago. Of course, the new position meant new responsibilities. Running both Future Industries and the United Republic would be a colossal test of her ability to multitask and prioritize, but fortunately she had a competent team at her business to take care of day-to-day tasks. Meanwhile, she could focus on running Republic City and the rest of the nation to the best of her ability.

A knock thudded at her door. With a tired sigh, she set her papers down and looked up. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing an old man in Fire Nation garb, and a distinct burn mark scarred over his left eye. "President Sato, I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I didn't have time to schedule an appointment."

"Oh, Lord Zuko." Asami sat straighter, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk. "Not at all. Please, have a seat."

Zuko nodded, and promptly lowered himself into the chair. "Thank you."

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, first I'd like to congratulate you on your election," he said. "I can't think of a more deserving person to run the United Republic."

"Thank you," she replied. "That's an honor, coming from you."

"Now down to business." Zuko leaned closer to the desk, eyes narrowing. "I'm afraid I come bearing dire news. It's about the Earth Kingdom."

Asami's brow lifted. "Oh, I hadn't heard anything from over there. How are things going in Ba Sing Se? Have Fire Lord Azula's forces managed to restore peace?"

"Well, yes..."

"Wait a minute." Asami paused, squinting with confusion. "You said Earth Kingdom. Don't you mean Earth Republic?"

"That's the thing." Zuko huffed out a sigh. "They've reverted to a kingdom, now led by a new Earth Queen."

Asami recoiled, eyes flaring. "What? Why?"

"Because they were led to believe it was in their best interests. It's worse than that, though. The new Earth Kingdom is under Azula's control, as an extension of the Fire Nation. Or rather her new empire."

Asami slowly sank into her seat, lifting a hand to curl her fingers through her hair. As if things weren't bad enough with Azula in charge of the Fire Nation, now she had taken over the Earth Kingdom and started an empire? "I don't believe this. Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

Zuko bowed his head. "I would have, but I only just learned about it before leaving for your inauguration. I thought it more appropriate to wait until after you had been sworn in to bother you with it."

"This isn't good." Asami tightened her fingers, dragging them through her hair with a forceful tug. "I'm assuming the new Earth Queen answers to Azula. Do we know who she is?"

"Yes, actually. The Earth Queen is my daughter."

"What?" Asami pressed her hands against her face and uttered a deep groan of frustration. Each new bit of information she learned about this situation made her head throb harder. "So Izumi is in league with Azula? After what Azula did to her?"

"Only on the surface," he assured. "The only reason Izumi accepted the offer was so Azula didn't appoint anyone we couldn't control. We're still trying to figure out a proper way to oppose her, and in the meantime we thought it best to have someone ruling the Earth Kingdom we know won't abuse her power."

Asami hummed quietly. "I suppose that makes sense. Have you been able to learn any new information about Azula? Anything that might help us stop her?"

Zuko shook his head. "I've tried getting close to her, but she's done a fine job of shutting me out thus far. She doesn't trust me."

"I see." The gears in her head began to turn. That's it, move beyond the initial shock. Settle down, and think of a solution. "Do you think there's a chance she could be reasoned with?"

"If I'm being honest, no, I would doubt it. Still, we shouldn't exclude it as a possibility."

She nodded. "We should invite her to a meeting with the other world leaders. We have to talk her down, let her know she can't do this."

Zuko stroked his beard, humming thoughtfully. "Well, it's probably a waste of time, but I'll deliver the message to her myself when I return to the Fire Nation. You'd better let everyone else know what's going on."

"I will," she said, already reaching for the phone on her desk. "I'll organize the meeting right away. Thank you for your time, Lord Zuko."

Zuko stood from his seat and gave a bow. "Madame President."


The journey from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation capital took only two days aboard the newly repaired Dragon's Wing airship. What a marvelous vessel, not only an astounding feat of engineering, but a testament of the Fire Nation's superiority. Anything the rest of the world could do, they could do better. Azula knew that through experience. Other nations paled in comparison to the Fire Nation. Or rather, the new Dragon Empire.

"Overall, I'd say our efforts in Ba Sing Se were a resounding success," Azula stated, as she lounged atop her seat in the palanquin. The curtains on either side had been drawn back, so she could see Anraq on her left, and Yula on her right. They had landed only minutes ago, now making their way back to the palace. "We've reinstated the Earth Kingdom, created a new empire, and now I have a new title. Dragon Empress. Hmm, reminds me of a play Zuzu and I used to reenact when we were kids. Oh, that was so long ago."

"Things seem to be going well for now," Anraq said. "It's only a matter of time before the rest of the world starts creating problems for you."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Again with the worrying. Just relax, Annie. We're back in the Fire Nation now, you don't need to be so stressed. You know what you need? Another trip to the Royal Spa. Yula, you can join us if you like. We really should do something about those glasses of yours."

"Of course, Master." Yula gave her teacher a nod, and looked ahead down the street. She paused, lifting her brow. "Um, Master, what's that?"

"It looks like a crowd," Anraq muttered. "An angry crowd."

Azula pulled open the curtain in front of the palanquin. A group of twenty or so people had gathered, standing beyond the line of guards at the front of the procession. They shouted, and booed, and held signs. Some ignited flames into their hands as torches. Filthy commoners. Did they have any idea what they were doing?

"They're blocking the street," she said, with an irritated frown. "Get them out of the way at once."

Anraq moved ahead of the guards and approached the crowd, waving his arms. "Everyone, you need to disperse immediately. Please, get out of the street and—"

A series of angry shouts drowned out his voice.

"You can't do this, Fire Lord!"

"You can't turn us into an empire!"

"You'll turn the whole world against us!"

One of the guards near the palanquin turned a worried glance towards Azula. "Should we use force, Empress?"

"No, set me down. I want to speak with them." When her servants set the palanquin on the ground, Azula stepped into the open and approached the crowd. "So, you peasants have a problem, do you?"

One of the protesters at the front of the line marched forward, holding a burning flame above his fist. "You're out your mind if you think you can just turn us into an empire and take over other nations! You say you're trying to keep us safe, but then you pull this? It'll be just like the Hundred Year War all over again, when the entire world hated us! We don't want war!"

"No more war!" his followers chanted. "No more war!"

"You may have the rest of the nation fooled," he added, "but the Sun Warriors know better!"

Azula scoffed. "So, that's what this merry band of idiots is called? You think naming yourselves after a dead civilization somehow gives you credibility?"

"The Sun Warriors were a noble, righteous people," the man stated. "We follow in their footsteps, and in their name!"

"And what is your name?"

"I am called Katsu."

"Well, Katsu, I'll tell you what. You want to stop me so bad, here's your chance." Azula took a step back and pointed at him. "I challenge you to an Agni Kai. If you win, I'll dissolve my empire and step down as ruler."

Katsu lifted his eyebrows. "What?"

"Don't do it," said one of his followers. "She's just trying to bait you. She's too strong."

Katsu shook himself out of his shock. "You must think I'm a real fool. I may be confident in my abilities, but even I know I can't beat you like that."

"Oh, you won't be facing me." Azula marched towards the right side of the palanquin. She held a hand out, gesturing to Yula. "You'll be facing my student. The conditions remain. If you win, I step down. Furthermore, regardless of who wins, the victor will be declared the new Fire Lord."

Yula widened her eyes, snapping a look of astonishment to her teacher. "Master, are you certain?"

"I'm Dragon Empress now," she said, with a simple shrug. "I don't need to be Fire Lord."

Katsu lowered his gaze, eyes shifting back and forth in thought. Azula could already see his answer written in his body language. He was jumping at the chance. Sure enough, he snapped a glare up at her and stepped forward. "I accept!"

Azula's grin widened, cutting across her face like a knife. "Excellent."


The Royal Palace Agni Kai chamber hadn't been used in decades. Now, an eager crowd packed it full, intent on watching the impending duel between Dragon Empress Azula's apprentice, and Katsu, the man who had proclaimed himself the leader of the Sun Warriors. Perhaps they were looking forward to the violence, or perhaps simple curiosity had overtaken them. After all, who in their right mind would defy their Fire Lord, let alone the Dragon Empress?

Azula stood at one end of the chamber, next to her student. "Are you ready, Yula?"

"Yes, Master." Yula knelt on one knee with her back turned, one fist pressed against the floor. "This is exactly the kind of thing you've been training me for. I'm ready."

"Good. Make it quick. I don't want to drag this out. Let these Sun Warriors know exactly what they're up against."

"I understand. I'll keep it brief."

As the crowd began to grow restless in anticipation, Head Fire Sage Shao made his way to the center of the chamber. He raised his arms, and the crowd silenced. "People of the Fire Nation, and of the Dragon Empire, we are gathered here to bear witness to the time honored tradition of Agni Kai. Today's contest is between Yula, student of Dragon Empress Azula, and Katsu, of the self proclaimed Sun Warriors. The conditions state that the victor shall be named Fire Lord. Furthermore, should Katsu win, Dragon Empress Azula has agreed to dissolve her newly established empire. Are both combatants ready?"

Yula stood up and turned to face her opponent. "I am."

Katsu did the same. "Let's do this."

"Then begin!"

Katsu ran in quick, leading with a pair of fire blasts from his fists. Yula leaned out of the way, dodging with little effort. When Katsu closed the distance between them, he unleashed a rapid assault. Each of his strikes exploded with a powerful burst of flames. His strikes were crisp, precise, unrelenting. He had been well-trained, far beyond the skill of an average firebender.

He never landed a single blow. Yula dodged and blocked his strikes with reflexive, snapping counters, as if swatting away a fly. His flames scorched the air beside her, but never touched her, never burned her. Frustration fueled Katsu, driving him with increased fervor. Yula maintained her flawless defense. Watching, waiting. Only a matter of time. Katsu overstepped on one of his strikes, allowing her to break inside his guard. With a firm push of both her hands, Yula shoved him backwards to create distance between them. Katsu stumbled, lost his balance.

There it was. Yula shifted her stance, extending the first two fingers of both hands. One hand she pointed forward at her opponent. The other she held backwards. A spark of electricity crackled at her fingertips. Katsu's eyes widened with the dreadful realization of what was coming. He could do nothing to defend against it, only able to watch as a bolt of lightning exploded from Yula's fingers and collided with his chest. Electricity surged through his body. His screams shattered the air. Moments later, he collapsed, silent and unmoving, a smoking scar burnt in the center of his chest.

The crowd erupted with frantic chatter. Some of the onlookers were astonished, others were impressed, others horrified. Whatever their reactions, one thing remained true for all of them: Yula had seized their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Azula announced, as she made her way towards the center of the Agni Kai chamber. Immediately, the crowd died down and became silent. "We have our winner. As your Dragon Empress, I give to you your new Fire Lord: Fire Lord Yula."