Azula stared at the ancient, crumbling stone buildings. Hordes of thick green vines coiled over most of them, like snaking fingers reaching up from the earth to grasp and pull them into the ground. The whole city appeared to be a labyrinth of stone corridors and old temples. "So, this is the place?"

Zuko nodded, as he approached the central city street. "Yes, we're here."

"Well, it's definitely ancient," Anraq muttered, following close behind. "Doesn't look like anyone has lived here in centuries."

"That's the point," Zuko said. "The Sun Warriors have become secluded and secretive over the years. They're smaller than they used to be, and don't wish the outside world to know they still exist."

Kuvira gazed into the distance, focusing on the massive stepped pyramid near the center of the city. "If that's the case, how did you find them?"

"When Avatar Aang and I came here, we had initially meant only to surround ourselves in the place where firebending was born," he explained. "We thought that simply by being here we would be able to tap into some ancient spiritual energy and learn what we needed. It wasn't until after I accidentally triggered a trap that the Sun Warriors revealed themselves to us, and gave us the opportunity to meet their masters."

Anraq froze in mid-stride. "Wait, hold up. Trap? Like, booby trap?"

"Yes, there are many such traps throughout this city. Be careful where you step."

"Oh, great, that's just... great." Anraq took a careful step forward, testing the cobbled stone beneath his foot. Seemed solid enough. "You could have mentioned that before we got here."

Zuko chuckled. "Must have slipped my mind."

Korra stepped forward and slapped an encouraging hand to Anraq's back. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I mean, what are a few traps to Team Avatar, right?"

No sooner than she said this, Korra stepped onto an oddly colored cobblestone. Her foot sank several inches into the street, followed by a distinct grinding of stone. A handful of dark slots opened on the walls to either side of the street. Seconds later, a barrage of piercing darts launched out of the slots. Anraq shouted and ducked for cover. Zuko and Azula followed, both falling flat onto their stomachs against the ground, while Korra and Kuvira both turned to one side and lifted a pair of earthen walls to block the projectiles. When the attack ceased, they lowered their walls and helped the others back to their feet.

Anraq glanced at the open slots on both walls and uttered a groan of dismay. "We're dead."

The group continued through the city towards the central ziggurat, setting off several more hidden traps along the way. Azula nearly plummeted into a spike-filled pitfall trap, barely managing to catch herself on the edges before becoming human shush-kabob. Anraq triggered a tripwire that released a massive rolling boulder along the path behind them, which likely would have flattened them had they not had a pair of earthbenders with them. Zuko triggered the flashiest trap, setting off a spark that ignited a puddle of oil they had been forced to walk through. He swiftly bent the flames away into nothing, but not before Kuvira suffered severely singed eyebrows.

When at last they made it to the steps of the ziggurat, Anraq crumpled forward with his hands pressed against his knees. "Alright, how about we make a point to never go through that city again? Really, I don't know how much more of that I can take."

"Yeah, I'm going to agree with you on that," Kuvira muttered, as she gently prodded her eyebrows. The hair was stiff and charred. "I've had enough booby traps to last me the rest of my life."

"I'll third that," Korra said, huffing an exhausted breath. "Or at the very least just fly Druk straight to the pyramid next time."

Azula scoffed. "Bunch of babies. It wasn't that bad."

Zuko looked up the ziggurat steps. "Take a minute to catch your breaths, then we need to continue."

They marched up the steps single-file, Zuko leading the way in front of Azula, followed by Korra, Kuvira, and Anraq bringing up the rear. Midway up the ziggurat, the steps led around to another side, where they came upon a massive stone wall. A mural painted across the wall, eroded and cracked with time, depicting two dragons breathing fire at a man between them.

"What is that?" Korra asked.

"A scene depicting the original firebenders," Zuko said. "The Sun Warriors were the first to learn how to firebend, taught by the dragons."

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted. "Dragons are the original firebenders?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes, just as the badger moles are for earthbending, the sky bison are for airbending, and the, uh... moon is for waterbending."

"Yeah, I never really understood that one either," Anraq muttered, scratching the back of his head. "You'd think it would have been some kind of fish or something."

Azula brought a hand to her chin, staring at the dragons in the mural. "Well, these ones don't seem all that friendly. How is it you managed to tame Druk?"

"I didn't tame him," Zuko insisted. "We're friends, partners. Our relationship is mutual."

"Right, if you say so," she muttered, with a roll of her eyes.

Korra shifted her focus away from the mural towards Zuko. "I've actually been meaning to ask you about that. I always thought dragons were extinct, but then I met yours. Are there more dragons?"

Zuko eased a deep sigh outward. "Very few. They're not extinct, but they are extremely endangered. Most dragons were hunted and killed many years ago, for sport."

"For sport?" Kuvira's face twisted with disgust. "Despicable. It should be a crime to murder such majestic creatures."

"Majestic?" Azula scoffed, turning away from the mural. "That's one way of describing them. I could think of a few others."

Zuko shot a stern glare towards his sister. "Remember, Azula, you must be humble. Dragons are sacred to the Sun Warriors."

"Yes, yes, humble," she sighed. "I know."

Zuko continued his march towards the steps. "Let's keep going. We've almost reached the sunstone chamber."

Azula followed close behind, wasting no more time with the old, weathered mural. "Is that where the Sun Warriors are?"

"No, but there is something there I must show you."

The next level on the ziggurat brought them to a wide open space in front of a stone chamber, the doors of which were shut tight. A pillar stood across from the chamber, with a large red gem set in a slot at the top. Sunlight filtered through the gem, creating a faint red beam of light that cascaded against the stone ground. Anraq approached the gilded doors and tugged at them, straining his muscles to make them budge. They remained firm and unyielding.

With a groan, he backed off and scratched his head. "I don't suppose anyone has a key?"

"This is a celestial calender," Zuko said. He pointed at the gem atop the pillar behind them, and then to a second gem above the doors. "The chamber only opens on the summer solstice, when the light that filters through the stone at the pillar hits the one above the doors."

"Oh, well that's just lovely," Azula muttered, planting her arms across her chest. "You do realize that's half a year away, right?"

"Don't worry, I know a trick. Give me one of your swords."

Azula raised a questioning eyebrow, as she reached over her shoulder to draw one of the dual swords from their scabbard. When Zuko took it from her, he made his way towards the concentrated red dot of light on the ground, near the bottom of the calender. He knelt low and held the flat side of the blade in front of the light to reflect the red dot towards the gemstone at the top of the chamber. A rumbling of stone echoed atop the ziggurat, and the doors slid open.

"There," he said, passing the sword back to his sister. "Simple."

Azula frowned, sheathing the blade. "Show off."

The room within was empty, save for a collection of twenty statues set in a circle at the center. A large painted mural of a sun sat between the statues, lit up by sunlight cascading in from a hole in the ceiling above. Additional murals covered the walls, but unlike the dragon mural outside, these were in pristine condition, preserved with the utmost of care. Even the statues appeared as if new, with nary a chip or scratch on them.

"Wow," Korra said, guiding her attention along the painted walls. "This place is amazing."

"Hmph," Azula muttered. "It's not that impressive. Just a dusty old room with some statues."

Kuvira walked to the center of the chamber and looked around at the line of statues. Each one appeared to be performing some kind of bending pose, completing a full form when put together. "What do these statues represent?"

"Those are what I need to show Azula," Zuko said

Azula furrowed her brow. "They're just a bunch of old statues. Why do I need to see them?"

"These statues showcase a traditional, ancient firebending form called the Dancing Dragon. It requires two participants, both beginning next to each other, like so." Zuko stepped in front of one of the two starting statues and took the initial pose. He waited, as Azula got the hint and took her stance in front of the other statue. "Then, we each mirror the other in an opposite circle, performing the set in unison. Mimic the statues, and make your way around to the other side."

Azula sighed, but did as instructed. No sense in arguing. If this was required to help regain her bending, so be it. She performed each of the poses, moving around the line of statues one after the other. Each time she stepped into the proper position, foot-pads pressed into the floor beneath her boots.

When they completed the entire form, leaning towards each other with their fists pressed together, the last set of foot-pads lowered into the floor. Moments later, the center of the sun mural opened, allowing a pedestal to rise into the room. A large golden gemstone sat atop the pedestal, gleaming in the direct sunlight from above.

Kuvira leaned close to the golden egg, squinting her eyes curiously. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Anraq said, raising a hand to his chin. A wide, greedy grin spread across his face. "I bet it's worth a fortune, though."

As Anraq made a grab for the glowing stone, Zuko grabbed his wrist and pulled him away. "Don't touch that."

The waterbender frowned. "Why not?"

"Just trust me on it." Zuko waved the others along to follow him as he made his way out of the chamber. "This way."

When they returned outside, a harsh, authoritative voice barked out to greet them. "Stop right there! Who dares intrude upon our home?"

The group halted. A crowd of men and women dressed in scant tribal clothing stood before them, just outside the statue chamber. Some wore golden earrings, armbands, and bracelets, while others had painted markings across their faces. The man at the front of the crowd wore a feathered headdress, and bore markings across his eyes unlike any of the others. These must be Sun Warriors themselves, which would make the man in the headdress their chief. Not a single one of them looked happy to see Team Avatar.

"Since you all seem to enjoy gawking in silence, I will ask again," said the chief. "Who are you?"

Zuko took a step forward and bowed. "Greetings, ancient Sun Warriors. I am Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation, and I've come here with the Avatar and some of my closest friends. Rest assured, we come on peace."

"The Avatar?" The chief raised an eyebrow at the other four behind Zuko. "Which one?"

Korra moved to Zuko's side and offered her own bow of greeting. "I am, sir. It's an honor to meet you."

"I see..." The Sun Warrior chief took a step towards her, still glaring. "Tell me, Avatar, if you came in peace, then why did you attempt to steal our sacred sunstone?" In spite of asking his question directly to Korra, he turned his glare towards Anraq, the one who had actually attempted to take the stone.

Anraq immediately stiffened. "Oh, uh, you mean that glowing egg thing in there? No, no... we weren't trying to steal that." Glancing back over his shoulder, he pointed inside the chamber. "See? It's still in there. We didn't touch it."

"We didn't come to steal any of your treasure." Zuko moved in front of the chief, forcing the man's attention on him instead, and gestured towards Azula. "I only entered the chamber in order to show my sister here the Dancing Dragon statues."

The chief glanced at Azula, back to Zuko, then to Azula again. "Your... sister?" Considering the massive disparity of age in their appearances, the man's confusion needed no explanation.

Azula sighed. "It's complicated."

"You see, I was here many years ago to learn the true way of firebending from your masters," Zuko explained. "Now, Azula wishes to do the same. Her inner spirit has become conflicted recently, and she wishes to better understand herself. I humbly request you grant her the opportunity."

The chief narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Azula, so close that she leaned farther away to keep an appropriate amount of distance between them. "Just because you were found worthy by our masters does not mean she will. I sense a darkness in her. Something twisted, and cold."

"Hey, I'm standing right here," she shot back. "What would you know about me, you no good—"

Zuko silenced her with a simple touch to the shoulder. She bit her tongue and glanced up at him, meeting his stern gaze. Yes, yes. Be humble. Don't ruin your chances before they even start. With a deep, grumbling breath, she calmed herself and stared back at the Sun Warrior chief.

"Look, I know I've been rather... abrasive in the past." Even as she said it, Azula could feel the stares on her. She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I've been terrible, but I've come to realize some things recently, and perhaps I... I don't know. I just want to try things different this time around, alright?"

Her posture slackened. "Every time I try to force what I want, things blow up in my face. Well, I'm tired of always failing and hurting myself. Hurting other people."

She eased a heavier sigh, carrying the weight of remorse built over numerous decades. Remorse she never thought herself capable of. She turned a cursory glance towards her brother. How many times had she hurt him? Too many. She had never cared before, and yet now here she was actually regretting it. How had she ever become so soft?

"I want more out of my life now," she continued, shifting her attention towards Anraq. The sight of him grew her lips into a gentle smile. "I've seen what I can accomplish when I'm not cruel, or awful. When I'm... kind. I want more of that."

She coughed out a chuckle, and lowered her eyes to the ground beneath her. If ever there were more unlikely words she never could have imagined herself saying, she didn't know them. Likely or not, she meant them. They were true. As loathe as she was to admit it, she did want better things in her life. Good things. Happy things. If she continued to be the vicious, cold, cruel individual she always had been, she could never have them.

"I can't firebend right now. I used to be able to, but I've lost my ability. My brother thinks it's because these changes I'm going through have put my spirit into turmoil." Azula lifted her hands and stared at them. She imagined creating flames from her fingertips. Nothing appeared, of course. With a distant frown, she clenched her fingers into fists. "Ever since I was a child, my firebending has been my most notable skill. It was everything to me, but I only ever used it for my own selfish and destructive purposes. It's all I've ever needed from it. It's all I was ever taught. Now, I suppose I don't want that from my bending anymore."

Azula let her hands fall limp at her sides, looking to the Sun Warrior chief in earnest. "If I'm different, then so too should be my reasons for bending. That means learning about true firebending. Or at least, that's what I've been told. If that's what is required of me, I want to do it. I want the chance. Please."

"Hmm..." The chief rubbed his chin, maintaining his glare on her. "Do you know the risks involved in meeting the masters Ran and Shaw? They will look into your heart, your very soul, and if they do not find you worthy, they will destroy you."

"Yes," she said, with a firm nod. "Zuzu already explained that part. I'm willing to face it."

"Very well." The chief looked from Azula to the others, and waved them all along to follow him. "Come with us."


The Sun Warriors brought them to the very top of the ziggurat, where a large open hearth blazed with rippling fire. The chief approached the hearth and reached a hand into the flames. A coil of fire sprang outward and focused at the center of his palm.

"If you're going to see the masters," he said, "you must bring them a piece of the eternal flame. This fire is the very first to ever exist, given to us by the dragons themselves. We have kept it going for thousands of years."

Azula furrowed her brow with suspicion. "You must be joking. It's never gone out?"

"Not once." The chief turned away from the hearth and approached her with his palm extended, offering the flame to her. "You must take some of this fire to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending."

"But I can't firebend." Azula took a tentative step away from the man, keeping her attention on the flame. Her stomach knotted at the sight of it. "That was the whole point of this, so I could learn to firebend again. How am I supposed to carry it?"

A hand came to her shoulder, as Zuko leaned into view. "You can do this, Azula. Remember, you still possess the ability deep within yourself. Believe that you can hold it, and you will hold it."

Azula swallowed, slowly extending her hands outward. The Sun Warrior chief raised the flame above her palms. When he let go, she flinched, expecting the fire to disperse into embers. A heated pulse emanated from her grasp, and the fire remained hovering above her open palms, although smaller and weaker than before. Still, she carried the fire under her own power. Her face lit up with a beaming smile.

"I... I'm doing it! Zuzu, look, I'm—!" Her words caught in her throat when she noticed the others watching her in amusement. She immediately calmed herself and cleared her throat. "I mean, of course I'm doing it."

"This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy," the chief explained. "You must maintain a constant heat. Make the flame too small, and it will go out. Make it too big, and you will lose control."

"Alright..." She concentrated on the flame, straining to keep her chi at a constant, manageable level. The flame remained small and flickering. "So where do I take it?"

The chief pointed beyond the city. A small mountain stood in the distance, with twin precipices towering atop the peak. "You must bring the flame up there. The cave of the masters is beneath that rock."

Azula turned towards her brother. "You're coming with me, right?"

"Only those who carry the eternal flame and wish to seek judgment may travel with you," the chief said.

Zuko met his sister's gaze. A distant need lingered in her eyes, a need for him to do this with her, to be at her side during the journey. With a simple step towards the blazing hearth, he raised his hand and called a small swirl of the eternal flame to his palm. "Then I suppose I'd better take some of this."

"Very well," said the Sun Warrior chief, giving them both a stern look. "Your journey will be slower, due to your need to maintain your flame. The rest of us will be waiting for you to arrive."

As the chief led the way back down the steps of the ziggurat, Anraq approached and set a comforting hand upon Azula's shoulder. "You can do this. I know you can."

"Thank you, Annie." She smiled at him, and leaned in for a brief kiss.

When the kiss broke, Anraq offered a parting wave and hurried after the others. "Meet you up there!"


The journey to the top of the mountain was indeed slow. While Zuko maintained his fire with expert control, Azula struggled the entire way to keep her fire lit. She stared at it, refusing to take her eyes off the flame for any reason, even as her feet stumbled across the rugged terrain. If she lost focus for even a single moment, she would no doubt lose control. She couldn't afford that now. She couldn't let herself fail. By the time they reached the mountain peak, the sun had set low in the sky, painting a bright orange glow across the horizon.

At the top of the mountain, they found a large open circle of space, with another painted sun mural at its center. A towering set of stone steps near the far side of the circle led up to a platform above, where a stone bridge connected between two opposing caves on either crag. Dazzling ocean stretched out beyond the far cliff, gleaming in the waning daylight. As promised, the Sun Warriors waited for them there, set up in a circle around the painted mural. Anraq, Korra, and Kuvira stood off to the side, watching.

When they arrived, the Sun Warrior chief approached them, his arms clasped behind his back. He focused intently on Azula. "Facing your judgment at the hands of the firebending masters will be extremely dangerous for you, Azula of the Fire Nation. You have done many horrific things throughout your lifetime, and shown little remorse for it all. You have twisted firebending into a perverse, destructive art that directly contradicts our teachings. The masters may not take too kindly to this." He shifted his attention to Zuko. "You, I am not so worried about. However, you should know that if the masters choose to destroy her, you will be destroyed as well."

"I understand." Zuko turned to his sister. "You can still turn back. It's not too late."

Azula narrowed her eyes, staring up at the towering staircase before her. "No, not now. I've already come this far. I have to do this, no matter the result. This isn't just about me getting back my firebending anymore. This is about me taking back control of my life."

He nodded. "Then we face them together."

The Sun Warrior chief reached forward and took a small piece of the flames both Zuko and Azula carried. He gave another piece of the flame to the other Sun Warriors around the central circle, each one fueling it with their own bending to create enough for them all. Once they each had a part of the eternal flame, they spun the fire around in a circle in front of themselves. Another line of Sun Warriors sat upon the ground in front of large rawhide drums. As they prepared for the ritual, Zuko and Azula approached the steps.

"Chanters!" the chief called. The Sun Warriors beat their drums in rhythm, pounding their fists upon the hide. A deep, steady chant filled the mountaintop.

Azula's nerves fluttered, raging within her gut. She focused on the fire in her hands. The flame flickered and nearly went out, but a reassuring touch to her shoulder allowed her to steady it. She looked up to meet her brother's gaze. He smiled at her, and she nodded. Her nerves settled, calming and at ease. When they reached the top of the platform, Zuko turned to face one of the caves at the end of the long stone bridge, while Azula faced the other.

One of the Sun Warriors' voices echoed up to them. "Those who wish to meet the masters Ran and Shaw will now present their fire!"

Azula swallowed, and lowered herself to one knee with the flame held forward.

"Sound the call!"

The deep bellow of a horn rang out across the mountain. Moments later, the twin precipices began to quake. Subtle, at first, but soon growing more violent. Bits and pieces of rubble broke away from the crags and tumbled to the ground below.

"Zuzu..." Azula's back stiffened as she stared into her cave. "What's going on?"

"Be calm, Azula."

"Is there something I should know about these masters?"

"Just relax and wait," he said. "This is something you must experience yourself."

The quaking grew stronger, rippling vibrations throughout the entire platform. Azula stumbled to keep her balance, shifting her weight so she didn't fall. Still, she maintained her flame. Deep within the darkness of the cave ahead of her, a pair of glowing eyes appeared. Her own eyes widened at the sight of them. What on earth...?

Seconds later, a massive beast emerged from the lair, soaring into the open sky astride leathery wings. Her heart pulsed, fueled with a jolting awe. A dragon. A great blue-scaled dragon. A second dragon joined the first, this one red, emerging from the opposite cave. Together, the dragons circled the platform, wings spread wide.

Azula's jaw dropped. "The masters... They're dragons?"

Zuko nodded. "They are."

She watched them with wide eyes as they soared around the platform, diving beneath the bridge and coming up the other side, always keeping her and Zuko at the center between them. They were so much bigger than Druk, nearly double his size. "They're..." What was the word Kuvira had used? "...majestic."

Azula lifted her hands higher to present her offering, only to realize that her flame had gone out. Panic leaped into her throat, choking her with a tightened knot. "Zuko! My fire—it went out!"

"It's alright, Azula. Don't worry."

"But we were supposed to give the fire to them! Now I don't have it! How am I supposed to—?" Her words silenced, as she turned to her brother only to see that his flame had also extinguished. He stood straight, watching the dragons fly around them with an oddly calm demeanor.

"I said, don't worry." Zuko looked over his shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. "Now, follow me."

Zuko shifted himself into the first pose of the Dancing Dragon. Azula's brow lifted in understanding. That's why he had taught her the form. With a deep breath, she joined him in the same pose, back-to-back. She snapped into the second stance, the third, the forth, and continued on. She kept in perfect rhythm with Zuko, both shifting their stances in unison. They flowed through the entire form, pivoting around in a circle until finally meeting at the other end with their fists pressed against each other.

The platform quaked, as Ran and Shaw landed on the connecting bridge, one on either side of the siblings. They glared at the two in the center, their lips pulled back into hostile snarls, jagged teeth on full display. Deep, powerful growls rumbled out of their throats.

"What's happening? Why are they just looking at us?" Azula's voice quivered, unable to conceal the steadily rising fear in her tone. The blue dragon stared at her, deep into her eyes. Into her soul. Judging. "Zuzu?"

No answer. Another agonizing moment of silence lingered, until at last the dragons struck. They gripped the edges of the bridge and pulled themselves forward, jaws opening wide. Flames jetted out onto the platform. Azula screamed.

"Zuko!"

She squinted her eyes shut, arms raised in desperate attempt to shield herself. Scorching heat engulfed her, consuming her entire being. Her chest tightened. This was it. This was how she died. Seared to the bone by a dragon who had deemed her unworthy. Unworthy of peace. Unworthy of life. Unworthy of redemption.

"Azula." Zuko's voice. His hand came to her shoulder, evaporating any of her lingering worries and fears with a single touch. "Look."

A flash of colors erupted in her vision. Her eyes flared wide, no longer cautious, no longer fearful. A cyclone of whirling flames surrounded her, flames of all different colors. Blue, red, orange, green, yellow, purple, white—colors she had never imagined. Heat returned to her, but there was no pain, no agony. Instead, comfort. Warmth. Peace. She stared at the dazzling fire with a seed of wonder sprouting roots within her, a sense of awe and amazement she had never before experienced. She saw so much in this fire. More than color, more than power.

Fire wasn't merely destruction. Fire had so many other aspects to it. Wondrous aspects. Fire was energy. Fire was beautiful. It was soothing, comforting, and wonderful. It was a warm hearth on a cold winter's night. The feel of late afternoon sun kissing your skin. A mother's embrace to reassure her child everything would be alright. The spark of passion between lovers. That, and so much more.

Life.

Fire was life.

The flames soon vanished, dimming into flickering, colorful embers. Both dragons lifted back into the sky and circled around the platform one more time before returning to their lairs and disappearing from sight. Even with the masters gone, Azula remained staring wide-eyed into empty space, trapped in her awe.

"I... I understand now," she uttered, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Zuko leaned close, offering a knowing smile. "Show me."

Azula stepped towards the edge of the platform, overlooking the ocean below. She closed her eyes and took a deep, steady breath. A surge of energy lifted into her stomach. Down below, the flames controlled by the Sun Warriors burned larger. She took a second breath, and their flames turned blue. One more breath, and the flames leaped out of the Sun Warriors' control, dancing into the sky. Azula released her breath, eyes snapping open with focused determination. With a quick shift of her stance, she thrust her hands forward, both with two fingers extended. The energy in her stomach surged along her chi pathways, focused into her fingertips, and released.

Towering blue flames erupted, igniting the dimming twilight sky. A grin spread across her face, one of genuine joy and excitement. Elation tore through her, fluttering her heart with rapid pulses. She took another deep breath and shifted back into the first stance of the Dancing Dragon. Once again, she flowed through the entire form, each shift in stance releasing a brilliant shot of blue fire. When she finished the form, she turned to face her brother, breaking out into another wide grin.

"You did it," he said, returning a smile to match hers. "As I knew you would."

"Zuko, I..." Her own smile faded, a deep sigh of regret hissing between her lips. "I'm sorry. For everything. I..."

Zuko wrapped his arms around her, silencing her words with a warm, comforting embrace. "You are forgiven, Azula. You are forgiven, and you are loved."

A bouncing knot lifted into her throat. She forced it down and returned the hug, tightening her arms around her brother's shoulders. "Thank you, Zuzu. I... I love you."

Zuko, the brother she had done nothing but torment and humiliate. The brother she had hated and made suffer. The brother who had never given up on her. The brother who had helped her heal. She could never repay how much she owed him.

His smile grew with gentle warmth. "I'm proud of you, Azula. So very proud."

When they returned to the bottom of the steps, Anraq ran forward, a look of wild excitement in his eyes. He pulled Azula close, holding her cheeks as they embraced for a long, passionate kiss, before pulling away with a delighted laugh. "That was incredible! You did it!"

Azula let her eyes close, as she held herself against him. Annie, yet another who had been there for her through so much. "I never imagined. All this time, my whole life, I've been doing things so wrong. Now, I know better. I'm going to be better."

"Congratulations, Azula." Korra approached, offering a friendly smile. "You still have a lot of work to do, though."

"Yes, I do," she said, with a stern nod, "and I'll do it to perfection."

Kuvira came forward, and extended her hand. "I think you've just made the biggest step towards finding peace for yourself, and healing. That isn't easy. Take it from someone who knows."

"Thank you, Kuvira." Azula clasped the other woman's hand and gave a firm shake. Her gaze shifted towards the horizon, watching the setting sun. A smirk curled her lips. "Now, let's get out of here. We have an empire to stop."