Azula dragged her fingers through her hair and eased out a deep sigh. The past several days had been somewhat easier to bear than the previous few weeks, although she still suffered from the occasional bout of anxiety as the Sun Warriors remained at large. Annie had served as a sort of rock for her during that time. His presence had a way of easing her paranoia, enabling her to actually relax. Perhaps placing so much reliance and trust in someone was a mistake. Perhaps it would only end up hurting her. Deep down, she didn't care.

As she rounded the corner of the palace corridor, Azula was too far lost in her thoughts to notice the woman coming around the opposite side. They collided, and she fell back a step with a frustrated groan. Of all the clumsy, ungraceful things... Shaking her senses clear, she scowled at the woman across from her.

"Why don't you watch where you're—!" When she noticed who it was, she paused, relaxing with a deep breath. "Oh, Yula. I didn't see you there. Actually, I haven't seen you in a few days. It's everything alright?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine," Yula assured. "I've just been busy ruling the Fire Nation. You know how it is."

"Ah, yes, of course," Azula muttered. "How are things going there?"

Yula shrugged. "As well as you could hope. The people are happy, the economy is up, crime is down. You'd almost never even know there's a rebellious group of traitors running around."

Azula flinched at the mention of the Sun Warriors. "Have you located them yet?"

The Fire Lord uttered a gentle sigh and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. They're quite elusive."

Azula's eye twitched. Weeks later, and they were no closer to catching the Sun Warriors than when they had started. "Any information about them at all?"

"No, Empress."

"I see..." She drifted her gaze away from Yula towards the floor. How was it that these people, these traitors, could continue hiding from the city's entire military force?

"Azula, I was wondering," Yula said, taking a step closer. "Perhaps you'd like to go out for lunch? It's been a while since we've really sat down together, just the two of us."

"Out? You mean into the city?" Azula's eyes flared with a brief flicker of panic. She immediately took a deep breath to calm herself. No quick enough. Surely, Yula had noticed. "No, I... I was on my way to meet Annie at the spa soon, so I don't have a lot of time. I suppose we could get something in the palace dining hall, if that suits you."

"Oh that would be fine!" Yula turned down the corridor and ushered Azula along to follow her. "I'm sure the cooks would love to whip something up for us."


Azula poked at the slices of roast duck with her chopsticks, but didn't bother taking a bite. On the way to the dining hall, the thought of food has interested her. She hadn't eaten since early that morning, and her stomach had been growling for nourishment. Now that she sat here, her thoughts slipped away, and she could no longer bring herself to eat. They needed to find Shin Tsang soon and stop him. Every day he went free was another opportunity for Sen to take his essence back from her.

Memories flashed through her mind. Memories of the Spirit World. Wan Shi Tong and the Spirit Library, Koh The Face Stealer, the Fog of Lost Souls. The sealed door containing Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. An anxious twinge quivered through her hands, causing her to drop her chopsticks. She couldn't go back to the Spirit World. She wouldn't!

"So, Azula, I've been meaning to ask," Yula said, staring at her from across the table. Her gaze was curious, concerned. "Now that the entire Earth Kingdom is under your empire, do you plan on progressing any further? Perhaps leaning harder on Zaofu? Or maybe even flexing your power to the United Republic?"

"What?" Aula blinked up from the plate, forcing her thoughts out of he mind. "Oh, yes. I have plans. Eventually. There are just more important things to take care of here first. Like those Sun Warriors..." She lowered attention back down at her plate and tapped her chopsticks lightly against the table. Finally, she snatched one of her roast duck slices and took a bite. "Besides, you can't simply invade another nation. That's how you meet resistance and start a hundred year long war. No, you have to be smart about it."

"But Azula, the Dragon Empire is greater than any nation in history," Yula insisted. "Taking over the other nations would be easy. All we'd need to do is—"

"Didn't you hear me?" Azula's voice snapped with a much harsher tone than she meant. "I said that's not how we're going to do things!"

Yula shrank back against her seat, gaze lowering to her own plate. "Yes, of course. Master."

"I do admire your ambition, don't get me wrong," Azula said, as she reached for her cup of wine. "You've learned a lot from me over this past year, and I daresay I'm even proud of you as my student, but you worry about the Fire Nation, alright? Let me worry about the empire."

Yula's eyes narrowed. "Of course."

Azula polished off the last of her drink and reached for the small pitcher nearby. It lifted into her grasp with little effort, as though lifting a bag of feathers. Empty. "Are we out of wine already?" She looked around for the servant who had been flitting about the hall a moment ago, but found no one. "Where did that server go?"

"Oh, allow me, Master. It would be a pleasure." Yula made her way around the table, took Azula's cup from her, and scurried off towards the kitchen. She returned a moment later with the cup filled to the top with fresh sweet wine. "Here you are."

"Well, thank you, Yula." Azula took the glass and gulped down a mouthful. Oh, how she did enjoy the taste. "I should probably be going in a minute, though. I don't want to keep Annie waiting too long. I do pride myself in my punctuality, after—ack!" A harsh cough surged from her throat, spraying out a mist of lingering wine droplets into the air. She tried to stand, but her body went limp and collapsed against the table. "What...? What is... this?"

"Oh, that." Yula's gaze darkened at the Dragon Empress, a frown cutting across her face. "That's the shirshu toxin you just drank. Quite a lot of it, too. Should keep you out for a while."

"What are you...? Yula?" Azula gazed up at the woman, eyes twitching with panic. The harsh stare glaring back at her warped fire through her chest. She knew that look. Hate, disappointment. Betrayal. "Why?"

Yula took a step closer, leaning forward so they were eye-to-eye. "Because you're weak, Azula. You think you're so powerful, so untouchable, but really you're a paranoid mess who's afraid to leave the palace. You have the strongest nation, the strongest military, under your control, but you don't even want to use it. You're too busy running scared and jumping at shadows." She straightened herself, arms crossed over her chest. "Well, I'm tired of it, and I'm tired of living under your boot. It's time people see just how strong I really am, when I no longer answer to you."

Azula swallowed the tightening knot in her throat. The fire in her chest burned hotter, fueling her with unbridled rage. Mere moments ago, she had been looking at this woman with pride. Now, the sight of her brought only fury. "You... traitor! You will pay for this!"

"No, I won't," Yula stated, clasping her hands behind her back. "Once I deliver you to Shin Tsang, it's all over for you."

Azula's eyes widened. Anger evaporated, overwhelmed by a crushing wave of fear. "No... No!"

"You were right, Azula. I did learn a lot from you. Perhaps you shouldn't have taught me so much."


Anraq stood by the entrance to the royal spa, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently. Azula was supposed to have met him here twenty minutes ago, and yet there was no sign of her. Worrying, to say the least. He'd never known her to be late to an appointment before, or at least an appointment she was looking forward to. She'd been so excited when they spoke about it yesterday, going on and on about how they could spend the evening day together.

So where was she?

Another minute, and still no sign of her. Anraq marched away from the spa, making his way down the corridor. Something must be wrong, for Azula to be this late. She might have had another episode. If that were the case, he needed to find her and be there for her. She liked to claim she was fine and he shouldn't worry about her, but he knew her anxiety was growing worse. Since that night in her bedchamber, she had suffered several similar episodes, and they were growing more frequent. He did his best to help her through them, but no telling what might happen if they didn't take care of Shin Tsang and his Sun Warriors soon.

When Anraq turned into the western wing of the palace, he froze. He watched the empty hall, eyes flicking back and forth. Caution crept into fingers, poising above the cork on his water flask. Why was the corridor empty? There should have been three guard patrols in this wing—two covering the windows, and another stationed near the doors at the far end. This wasn't right. Where were they?

Figures darted out from behind the pillars of the corridor. Shadowed figures dressed in dark robes, each wearing familiar golden sun masks. Anraq shifted into a defensive stance and pulled the water from the flask at his hip. His initial stream of water blasted one of the men into a pillar so hard the marble cracked. The man slumped to the ground unmoving.

Sun Warriors in the palace? Not good. Not good at all. Anraq pulled his water back in the form of a raging gimbal, two rotating rings spinning rapidly around himself. The remaining Sun Warriors attempted to surround him and attack from all sides. Didn't do them any good. With a few quick flicks of his wrist, Anraq blasted water at each of the approaching attackers. The water froze into ice, trapping the assailants against the wall in frozen prisons.

Anraq took a few careful steps forward, remaining on guard. How had Sun Warriors made it inside the palace? Where were the guards?

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Anraq snapped a look towards the end of the corridor in time to catch a glimpse of fleeing Sun Warriors, making their way into the next wing of the palace. Panic burned through his chest, as he noticed the unconscious figure being carried atop one of their shoulders.

"Azula!" He raced down the corridor, pulling his water along both arms in the form of two long whips.

Anraq didn't notice the figure lunging out from behind another pillar until several quick jabs exploded across his ribs. He recoiled with a pained shout, water splashing away from his arms. Another series of swift strikes popped along his arms. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the floor.

Chi-blocker.

"No! Damn it!" He struggled to force himself upright, but three more strikes turned his legs to jelly. With a frustrated shout, he looked up at the masked chi-blocker. "How did you get in here?"

"I let them in."

Anraq blinked, tilting his head towards the new voice. When he saw the woman dressed in Fire Lord robes striding towards him, his insides knotted. "Yula? You... Why?"

"Because it's my turn to be on top," Yula stated, with a disdainful glare. "Azula is no longer fit to rule anymore."

"You..." Anraq swallowed, a furious scowl twisting across his face. "She trusted you!"

"I know. That's what made it so easy." Yula glanced at the chi-blocker, giving him a commanding gesture. "Take this one to prison."


Consciousness returned to Azula in a blurred wave. She rolled onto her side, sluggish and weak, the effects of the shirshu toxin still lingering in her body. Holding herself up to her elbows required every ounce of effort she could muster. Her arms quivered and tensed, only to give out moments later as she fell flat onto her stomach, a burst of air rushing from her lungs. The darkened room around her spun, tilted. She forced her eyes shut to slow the growing nausea.

"Welcome back, Azula. How are you feeling?"

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. She forced herself back to her elbows, this time holding firm. Her shoulders hunched, and her head bowed, hair dangling free around her face, but she did not fall. "You..."

"Yes, me." Shin Tsang sat across from her, his legs crossed on the floor, hands folded in his lap. "I assume you know why you're here?"

"You're taking me back to the Spirit World," she muttered. "To Sen."

"Yes and no," he said. "You are correct in that Sen wants his essence back, but I'm not exactly taking you to the Spirit World. At least, not physically. The three spirit portals in this world are all within another nation's territory. Trying to fly over Water Tribe airspace or get through the heart of Republic City while having a world leader captive would be a hassle."

He paused, leaning closer to her with a knowing stare. "We'll be going about this in a different way. The winter solstice is only a few days away, a time when the Spirit World and the physical world are closest together, even without the portals. During that time, I'll be able to tap into much of the spiritual energy from the Spirit World, which I can use to extract Sen's essence from your body. Once I have it, I'll enter the Spirit World myself and free the Spirit of a Thousand Faces."

"You're a fool." Azula lifted her gaze, glaring intently into Shin Tsang's burned white eyes. "Sen will merge with your body and soul in order to leave the Spirit World. You'll be destroyed."

"Yes, I know this." Shin Tsang closed his eyes and continued, "I've always been closely attuned with the spirits. Some time ago, I received a vision from one spirit in particular, a vision that burned my eyes. It was from the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, and it told me that I would be the one to help usher in a new age. In that moment, I realized what my destiny truly was: to free Sen and become his physical avatar."

He opened his eyes again, meeting her gaze with heated ire. "I met with him, and he told me all about your betrayal. I knew I'd have to get to you eventually, but I couldn't do it alone. So, I waited. Once you declared yourself Dragon Empress, I knew I had an opportunity. I played on the fears of those who despised you, and through them I created the Sun Warriors. They've done a fine job at unraveling you, wouldn't you say? Of course, even then I needed something else. Someone else."

Azula let her attention sink to the floor, a mix of rage and agony igniting in her chest. "Yula..."

Shin Tsang nodded. "Yes. She was easy to motivate into action, once she saw you for the sham you have become. Now, here we are, mere days away from fulfilling my destiny, and delivering upon you the justice you so rightly deserve, not only for betraying the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, but for everything you've done."

With a seething, furious breath, Azula lifted her gaze once more to glare into the man's dead white eyes. "When I get free..."

"Oh, you won't. By now I'm sure you've noticed you can't bend. I've been keeping you chi-blocked, every hour on the hour. I'm not taking any chances with you."

Azula curled her hands into fists. He was right, she knew. She had made several attempts during this conversation to ignite a fireball so she could roast him. No such luck. She couldn't produce a single puff of smoke, let alone flames. "You won't get away with this. You'll see. Annie will find me." Yes, she could count on Annie. He would find her, and he would make Shin Tsang suffer. They both would.

Shin Tsang raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you mean that bodyguard of yours? No, I'm afraid he won't be following us. By now, Yula has already taken care of him."

An unfamiliar emotion gripped Azula's chest. Not simple panic or concern. Not even fear, as she'd experienced before. Something far greater. Far more intense. The thought of Anraq being hurt sent her entire world crashing down around her, as though a glorious stained window shattered into millions of tiny fragments. It angered her. No, not just angered her. Infuriated her, in a way she'd never been enraged before.

"Don't you dare touch him!" If she could firebend through her voice, the fury in her tone would have incinerated Shin Tsang where he sat. "I swear, if anything happens to him, I will fry the skin from your bones!"

"It's too late for that, Azula. You've lost. Your brother, too, will have been neutralized by now. No one is coming for you. You're all alone."


Anraq squinted as the heavy metal door opened, carving a sudden influx of light into his prison cell. Several figures stood in the doorway, one pushed along by two others. Zuko fell forward inside, landing atop his aging knees with a grunt. The door slammed shut behind him, plunging the small room into near darkness once again.

Anraq offered a sigh of acknowledgment. "So, they got you too?"

Zuko nodded, stumbling up to his feet. His legs quivered, arms limp at his sides. No doubt chi-blocked. "Yes, but this doesn't make any sense. I was ambushed by Sun Warriors, but thrown in prison by the palace guards. What in spirits name is going on?"

"It's Yula." Anraq grimaced, and held a hand to his forehead. Yula had changed so much over the past year, nothing at all like the sweet and naive girl he used to know. "She's formed some sort of alliance with the Sun Warriors to remove Azula from power, and keep rule for herself."

Zuko's eyes widened. "What? Then, Azula...?"

"She's still alive, for now. But it's worse than you think."

"How does this get worse?"

Anraq hesitated. Azula wouldn't want him to tell anyone about her past, least of all Zuko. She'd be furious, in fact. Even so, given the current circumstances, her secrets had become need-to-know information. "Azula told me something recently, about what happened to her after she ran away eighty years ago. It's big."

"I see." Zuko struggled with his arms, forcing his trembling fingers into the neckline of his robes. "Well, you can explain on the way."

"Uh, on the way to what?"

"On the way to Azula."

Anraq rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "If only that were possible. Problem is, we're trapped in here. I've tried everything I can think of, even pulling water out of the air, but it's too damn dry."

"Just stand back," Zuko said, as he pulled out a small golden whistle.

Anraq's brow lifted in understanding. "Right, your dragon whistle. You think Druk will hear it from here?"

"One way to find out."

Zuko blew the whistle, and waited. Several minutes of silence followed, no sign of any dragon. Anraq took a step back, looking around curiously. As he opened his mouth to say something, a loud, steady thumping filled the air. He turned his focus towards one of the walls, where the strangely familiar sound gradually grew closer. No doubt what that noise was—large, flapping wings. The prison wall exploded seconds later, showering the cell with dust and stone debris, as the scaled face of a crimson dragon poked into the cell with a mighty roar of greeting.

Anraq coughed out a mouthful of dust, staring wide-eyed at the majestic creature. "Have I mentioned how sweet it is you have a dragon?"

"Get on," Zuko said, as he mounted himself atop Druk's back.

"Right." Anraq jumped atop the dragon's back and seated himself behind Zuko, holding on tight. "Let's get your sister back."