"So, I don't suppose you can just swoop down and sink them all, can you?" Azula asked.
Druk grumbled out a disbelieving groan in response.
"No, I didn't think so," she uttered, with a sigh. "Besides, it's not as though we know which ship they're on, anyway."
Azula peered over the side of Druk's head, gazing down at the Dragon Empire Navy fleet below. Twenty ships in all, traveling in even formation through the ocean. One of them should be holding her friends prisoner, but which one? She couldn't very well check them all. No doubt she would be spotted long before she found the right one. With no way to determine which ship her friends were on, she had no way to free them, and even if she could free them, Druk couldn't carry them all. She needed a new plan.
"Alright, just follow them for now," Azula said, giving the dragon a gentle pat. "Stay up in the clouds, so they don't spot us."
Druk bellowed a soft growl, flying high into the sky beyond the clouds until the battleships below became mere dots beneath them. Azula let her gaze waver, staring straight ahead. Judging from the direction they were traveling in, the fleet was indeed heading towards Capital City. If she couldn't do anything here out on open water, perhaps she could once they reached their destination. She did know the capital like the back of her hand. Infiltrating the populace would be simple, so long as she disguised herself. Once she did, she could work on rescuing her friends and coming up with a way to take out Yula. With all the secret passages in the palace, getting close to her shouldn't be too difficult. When the Dragon Empress fell, the entire empire would follow, and they would be free.
Would that it were that easy. Maybe if she were lucky.
"How far do you suppose we are from the capital? About half a day's flight at your top speed?"
Druk replied with a long, groaning yawn.
"Ah, well... Yes, I suppose you do need rest first, don't you?" Azula looked to the horizon, where the sun now dipped low in the sky ahead of them. They'd been flying all day, and the entire night before. Druk must be exhausted by now. "Alright, head for the nearest island. We can rest up there and continue in the morning. Should still arrive at the capital at least a day before those ships do."
With an appreciative growl, Druk veered southwest towards a visible island chain on the horizon. Azula sat back and looked down the front of her shirt, where the turtle duckling remained curled up inside. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. We can find you something to eat when we get there. What do turtle ducks eat, anyway? Berries? Worms? Well, we'll find you something."
The turtle duck looked up at her and quacked excitedly, ruffling its feathers. Azula puffed out a breath, lips pursed. "Maybe we can find you a new family when we get to the capital too. Would you like that?" Another quack. "Well, I happen to know the palace garden keeps turtle ducks, and they're well cared for. Would that suit you?" The turtle duckling nuzzled close, burying its face against the warm fabric of Azula's undershirt. She'd take that to mean 'yes'.
Azula gave one last look at the enemy fleet, humming a deep sigh to herself. Not long now. Soon, she would free her friends, take down Yula, and end this nightmare once and for all.
Either that, or she would die trying.
Harbor City was exactly as crowded and busy as Azula remembered it. She hadn't often left the Caldera during her time here for precisely that reason. Absolutely aggravating, these overcrowded streets packed full of people who never slowed down and didn't care who they bumped into on their way by. Granted, right now the crowds worked in her favor. No one gave her a second look, merely going about their business as usual.
Azula pulled the hood of her cloak tighter over her head. Getting into the city had been simple enough. She knew the surrounding hills of Capital island as well as she knew the secret passages in the royal palace. Easy enough to sneak her way into the city once Druk had dropped her off on the other side of the island. From there, she had 'borrowed' the cloak from a street vendor, and blended into the crowd unnoticed. She'd left the turtle duckling behind with Druk, of course. No sense bringing it along with her where it would get in the way. Or get hurt. Not that she cared.
From what she had gathered so far, the imperial naval fleet had recently arrived in port, which meant prisoners would soon be escorted to prison. Only question was: which prison? Harbor City contained several, while another resided in Caldera. The Caldera prison wasn't large enough to house all of the United Forces captives, but the Avatar and world leaders would be a different story. It was one of the most secure prisons in the Fire Nation, after all, housing only the worst kinds of criminals. Yula would most likely send them there, but Azula had to be certain.
Azula kept her head down as she broke through the crowd and approached the harbor docks. Numerous citizens had turned up to witness the return of the fleet. Some were perhaps curious to see the prisoners. Others most likely had family who had gone off to fight in the battle. They had come to see their loved ones return. Or not return. The realization sank deep in her gut, another reminder that these people were not her enemy. Not even the imperial troops were her enemy. Not really. They were just people doing their jobs, living their lives. They were her people, borne of the same land. No, they weren't her enemy. Yula was her enemy.
As the first battleship gangplank lowered onto the dock, Azula sank back behind the first row of onlookers and peered over their shoulders. A line of imperial soldiers marched out of the ship. Several excited shouts burst from the crowd, drawing the soldiers' attention. Two men at the front lit up with joy and waved. Their wives and children waved back. A double-file line of men bound together in chains followed, each of them dressed in different uniforms than the empire—United Forces and Water Tribe uniforms. The procession continued for several minutes, as hundreds emerged from the depths of the ship.
Another gangplank lowered, drawing her attention. As with the previous, a formation of imperial soldiers exited first, met with joyful reunions from their families. Azula's eyes sharpened at the next figure to emerge behind them—Asami, bound in chains. Tonraq followed, along with Eska and Desna. Kuvira emerged next, bound with rope instead of metal. Once the world leaders had cleared the gangway, their closest associates followed—General Iroh, Izumi, Tenzin, Mako, and Bolin.
When the next person in the procession exited the ship, Azula's heart knotted tight. Annie. He brought up the rear, his head hanging low. He was alive. Dear spirits, he was alive. She hissed out a deep breath, settling her nerves as she made her way further through the crowd to keep up with the prisoners. Another squad of imperial soldiers followed, wheeling a dolly along with them. A figure was strapped to the dolly, bound by platinum chains, a straight-jacket, and a muzzle. The Avatar. As if her restraints weren't enough, Korra also appeared unconscious. What was it that soldier had said? They were keeping the Avatar sedated? Made sense. If Korra was unconscious, she couldn't fight back.
"Make way for the empress!" a voice called from the crowd.
Azula snapped her gaze towards the front end of the harbor. The crowd parted, making room for a large procession of imperial soldiers surrounding a hand-carried palanquin. Servants set down the palanquin upon arrival and stepped back, bowing as they went. When the curtain on the carriage pulled back, Yula stepped into the open, a smirk carved across her face. Cheers and applause broke out from the crowd, coupled with shouts of endearment. The Dragon Empress waved at her people to acknowledge their support, although her focus remained squarely on the prisoners.
An urgent jolt shot through Azula's chest, drawing one of her hands down up the handles of her swords beneath her cloak. She worked her way around the harbor, closer to the imperial procession. If she could get close enough, perhaps she could end this right now. She could sneak in from the crowd and gut Yula before anyone knew she was there. Only ten guards in all, a paltry number for someone like her.
Her sudden plan crumbled when she noticed strange figures moving within the crowd. Familiar figures, stalking along the harbor in the shadows, each of them with their faces partially hidden by the wide brim of their hats. Dai Li. Dozens of them, all standing at various points in the crowd, watching, waiting, as though expecting an attack. Azula's gaze shifted, and she noticed Avan lurking among them. The Dai Li commander stood at the edge of the crowd near Yula, his eyes closed, no doubt sensing vibrations in the ground.
Azula hissed out in annoyance. She'd never get close to Yula like this, not as long as Avan and his cursed Dai Li were watching. Perhaps Yula assumed Azula was still alive and would come for her, or perhaps she was being paranoid. Either way, Azula couldn't make a move here. For now, she would have to stay back and wait.
"Welcome to the capital," Yula said, with a mocking grin directed at the world leaders. "Do try to enjoy your stay. Not that you'll be here for very long, but still." She chuckled, and snapped her fingers at the man leading the prisoners along. "Take them to the Caldera prison for tonight. Tomorrow will be a very special day."
Azula's eyes narrowed. 'Not that you'll be here for very long'? 'Tomorrow will be a very special day'? What on earth had Yula meant by that? Nothing good, no doubt. Whatever the meaning, Azula would have to make her move tonight. If she couldn't get close to Yula, she could at least free the others. Once she did, they could stop Yula together.
Drifting back through the crowd, Azula's mind raced to come up with a plan. Getting around Caldera wouldn't be a problem. She knew her way well, and had the layout of the prison memorized to near perfection. Only trouble would be actually getting up to the crater, with how heavily fortified the main road was. She'd have to go up over the sides. Druk could help with that, especially at night when he could do so unseen.
Even so, she'd certainly need a better disguise than a simple cloak. The moment anyone recognized her was the moment she failed. A single, random intruder was something the prison guards would believe they could handle themselves. Azula, on the other hand? They'd alert the entire city, probably even Yula. Forget freeing her friends, in that case. She wouldn't even make it out of the prison alive.
Where to get a disguise? She'd need new clothes, preferably something dark to blend in with the shadows. Something to hide her face, too. Azula frowned, shifting her gaze from side to side at the various street vendors set up throughout the city. Too gaudy. Too conspicuous. Too impractical. Not a single thing that would help her.
Halfway down the main thoroughfare, her attention settled on a vendor selling combat uniforms. Now this was more like it. She approached the stand, giving the garments a close look. Light, practical, made of form-fitted material. Not weighted down by additional clutter like armor, nothing that would cause excessive noise. Perfect for a stealth mission. A variety of colors, too. Black would do nicely. Now, if she could only find a way to hide her face...
She paused, shifting a careful look towards the other side of the stand. Her gaze fell upon a familiar blue and white mask, causing a steady smirk to curl across her face. Could this be mere coincidence, or was Zuko sending her some message from beyond? Perhaps it didn't matter. Either way, she had her answer.
Lao tilted his head back and let out a deep yawn. The night shift patrol outside Prison Tower wasn't exactly his preferred job, but it beat going to war. Fortunately, local prison guards weren't high up on the list of essential military personnel. While most of the Dragon Empire had been off fighting at Republic City, he had been here, bored out of his skull as he walked around, and around, and around the prison exterior. One of these days, something exciting would happen. If he was lucky, anyway.
"So, what do you plan on doing after your shift?" he said, turning a look to his partner.
Ren shrugged, holding her hands behind her head. "Probably catch up on sleep. Haven't been getting much of it lately."
"Oh, still? Sorry to hear that. You should try some warm ginseng tea before bed, that always helps me."
"Thanks for the suggestion, but tea really isn't for me," she said, with a visible cringe. "Always tasted like wet leaf juice to me."
Lao lifted an eyebrow. "Well, technically that's what tea is, so..."
"Right..." she muttered. "Anyway, I'm a coffee person. I need my caffeine."
Lao grimaced. "Ugh, how on earth do you enjoy that foul drink? Tastes like liquid dirt."
Ren rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's not that bad. It just takes some getting used to the taste."
"Okay, no beverage should ever 'take some getting used to' for it to taste good,. It should just taste good."
"You need to keep an open mind about these things, Lao. Someday, coffee will be big and tea will be a thing of the past, just you watch. It'll be just like—" Ren paused, shifting her focus sharply to the left, towards the outer wall surrounding the prison. "Did you see that?"
Lao followed her gaze with a careful squint. Nothing but empty space in the prison courtyard. Heavy floodlights illuminated most of the yard, although there were a few small areas of shadow the lights didn't quite reach. Either way, nothing out of the ordinary from what he could see. "Probably just the light playing tricks on you."
"I could have sworn I saw something." Ren focused on the wall several moments longer, until finally she shrugged and huffed a long sigh. "Maybe I'm more tired than I—"
Thwack!
Ren's words cut out with a hard crack against her head. She crumpled to the ground, prompting Lao to recoil away with a shout. Before he could make a move to help her, a pair of swords swung around from behind him and crossed against his neck.
"The prisoners who were taken here earlier today," said a smooth, commanding voice. "Where are they being held?"
Lao swallowed a hard knot in his throat, making sure not to twitch a muscle in case the slightest movement prompted his attacker to make further use of those swords. "Th-they're in cell block eight. Second floor."
"Thank you," the woman replied. "Now, goodnight."
"Wait, goodnight? What are you—?"
Thwack!
A sharp blow exploded across the back of Lao's head, sending him tumbling to the ground unconscious.
Azula pressed herself tight against the wall next to the edge of the prison corridor. Breaking into the tower had been easier than expected. Only a handful of guard patrols to take care of, and no more than three guards at a time. Even with her handicaps, they couldn't stop her. As long as she was trying to conceal her identity, she couldn't firebend, or else her blue flames would give her away in an instant. Not to mention, this mask limited her field of vision quite a bit. Even so, she still excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and she could thank Zuko for the sword lessons. Almost a little sad, really, how lackluster the security had been so far in one of the Fire Nation's most secure prisons.
Peering around the corner of the hallway, she noticed four guards stationed outside the entrance to cell block eight. They weren't even paying attention, merely standing around and chitchatting. Perfect. With swords drawn, Azula lunged around the corner and raced towards them. She made it halfway down the corridor before they even realized she was there, and by the time they turned themselves to attack, she was on them.
She slid low beneath an incoming fire blast and sprang to her feet between them. Two quick blows to the back of the head from the pommels of her swords took down the first two guards. The third guard turned to kick a lash of fire at her, prompting her to duck out of the way. The fireball scorched above her head and struck the fourth guard, knocking him backwards in pain and surprise. With a pair of whirling kicks, Azula sent the final two crumpling to the floor. She didn't waste any time, immediately slashing the locks off the door and kicking it inward.
Another corridor lay beyond, this one lined with dozens of cells on either side. She ran to the first cell door and pulled the window slot open to look inside. Empty. With a frown, she went to the next cell. Also empty. She ran to the next, and the next, and the next. All empty. Had that little weasel snake of a guard lied to her? No... No, he couldn't have. He had been too panicked, too afraid. So where were the prisoners?
Azula came to the final cell in the block and slid open the window slot. When she saw the man sitting on the floor inside, slumped against the wall with his head hanging, a relieved jolt tore through her. "Annie!"
Anraq blinked, tilting his head up towards her. His gaze puzzled momentarily in confusion, but he had no doubt recognized her voice. "Azula? Is that you?"
Azula smirked, and lifted the mask up to reveal her face. "Who else would it be?"
"Heh, cool mask," he said, as he hopped to his feet and approached the cell door. A wide grin spread across his face at the sight of her. "What are you doing here? How are you here?"
"It's a long story, and we really don't have time for me to explain," she said. "Where's everyone else?
"I don't know." Anraq folded his arms with a heavy sigh. "The guards came by earlier and moved them out from this cell block. I guess they figured we'd all work together and come up with an escape plan, so they decided to separate us."
Azula hummed a contemplative breath, and lowered the mask back over her face. "I suppose we'll have to search for them next."
"Yeah, and we'd better hurry. If we don't get them out tonight, we won't get another chance."
"What do you mean?"
"Because of what Yula has planned for us tomorrow." Anraq narrowed his eyes into a glare, his eyes darkening with grim seriousness. "She's going to execute us."
"What?" Azula's eyes snapped open wide behind her mask. So, Yula was going to make a statement. She had been right to assume the worst. "We need to go. Now."
"Couldn't agree more. How about you get me out of here?"
Azula smirked, and slipped off the item she was wearing around her hip. She pushed it through the open slot for him to take. "Here, brought you something."
Anraq flashed a delighted smile as he took the waterskin. He slipped it around his waist, and gave it a gentle pat. "It's like getting a piece of my soul back. Alright, stand aside."
Shifting his stance, Anraq popped off the cork from the tip of the waterskin and bent out a flowing stream into the air. He guided the water against the door, slipped it in around the cracks, and exhaled a soft breath. The water froze into a thick layer of ice, pushing against the seams. Metal creaked and groaned, as ice further expanded. Seconds later, the heavy door burst from its hinges and clattered to the floor with a bang.
As soon as he stepped out of the cell, Anraq lifted Azula's mask up and gave her a deep kiss. "Man, it's good to see you."
"You, too," she replied, grinning as she set her mask down again. "Now, let's find the others."
The pair raced back down the corridor, side-by-side. If the other prisoners weren't here in this cell block, they must have been moved to different ones, and if they had indeed been separated to keep from working together to escape, they could each be in a different area of the prison. As if their job wasn't already hard enough, that only made it harder.
As they rounded the corner towards the next cell block, they slid to a sudden halt. A team of ten guards stood in front of the entrance, each of them already prepared in a bending stance ready to fight. Anraq immediately bent his water out around himself, while Azula drew her swords.
"I guess they figured out you're here," Anraq said, as the guards advanced towards them.
"Probably the bodies I left lying around," she muttered. "I didn't really have time to try and hide them."
"Well, it's a little late to worry about it now. Here they come!"
The prison warden let out a yawn as he slumped against his desk. Curse these late night shifts, exhausting in the worst way possible. Boredom. All the prisoners were asleep, which meant no problems like riots to worry about. Nothing to do but sit in his office, and maybe get a couple hours of shuteye.
As soon as he closed his eyes, the radio at his desk hissed to life. "Warden! We need backup! Alert the rest of the prison and send as many guards as you can to cell block nine!"
The warden shot upright with a startled gasp, frantically grabbing the radio. "What? What's going on?"
"We have an intruder! They've already broken out one of the prisoners!"
The warden rubbed his eyes. "What intruder?"
"Uh... I'm not really sure how to say this."
"What are you talking about?" he said, glaring down at the radio. "Spit it out!"
The radio paused a moment, before crackling back to life. "It's... the Blue Spirit?"
"The what?" The warden narrowed his eyes. Was this guard trying to play a dumb joke on him? The Blue Spirit was a fairy tale, nothing but a fictional figure out of old folk lore. Some historical accounts claimed the Blue Spirit had appeared near the end of the Hundred Year War and caused problems for the Fire Nation, but those were just ridiculous stories.
The guard's voice on the other end of the radio surged back, more insistent than before. "We're being attacked by the Blue Spirit!"
Azula spun low and kicked out the legs of one of the attacking guards. The man flew from his feet, and she knocked him out with an arcing kick to the back of his head on his way to the ground. One down, a lot more to go. She spun towards the next guard, only for a scorching blast of fire to cut her off. Crossing her swords in front of herself, she caught the flames and directed them into the wall beside her. Another pair of guards converged on her, forcing her back around the corner of the hallway. Anraq covered her retreat with repeated shots of water to keep the guards at a distance.
"Damn it, there are too many of them!" Azula said.
"Well, you could always try firebending!" Anraq pulled his water back to form an icy shield in the middle of the hallway, separating them from the guards. "Just a suggestion!"
"If I do that, they'll recognize my blue fire and know who I am," she insisted. "Then the entire city will be on alert! Do you want Yula showing up here with half her army?"
Anraq glanced back at her with a reluctant frown. "Okay, point taken, but that still doesn't help our predicament."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you."
His gaze shifted back around the corner, watching as the guards chipped away at his ice wall with repeated blasts of fire. Wouldn't take them long to break through at that rate. Shouting erupted from their right, drawing his attention towards the next corridor. Another team of guards appeared, racing in their direction.
"You have to go," he said.
Azula lifted an eyebrow behind her mask. "Excuse me?"
"Look, we're not going to find the others now, not like this." Anraq pulled back enough water from his wall to send a lashing wave spiraling down the next corridor. He caught the first line of guards with a direct hit, stumbling them back a step to slow the entire group. "If we both keep trying to fight, we're both going to get captured. If I hold them off, you can get out of here."
"Are you kidding me? I just got you out!"
"We don't have time to argue about this!" He shot a heated, insistent glare over his shoulder at her. "You're the biggest advantage we have right now. If they catch you, we're all done for!"
She stood her ground, pushing back at his assertion with her own. "If I don't free you tonight, you'll be executed tomorrow!"
"Coronation Plaza," he said. "That's where the executions are being held. At noon, in front of the public. Some grand statement Yula is trying to make, or something."
Azula scoffed. "Oh, and I'm just supposed to come up with a plan to rescue all of you in the middle of a public execution, right out from under Yula's nose?"
Anraq breathed out a steady sigh, softening his gaze. "Well, you're going to have to. Otherwise, we're dead."
"Annie, this is stupid, I'm not going to leave you—" Her words cut out, as Annie lifted her mask and pressed their lips together. The kiss lingered only a brief moment, before he pulled her mask back down.
"I love you." Before she had a chance to further protest, Anraq shoved her away and recalled all his water from down the hall. With a swift whirl of his arms, he erected another ice wall, this one between himself and her. With one last look, he turned and raced towards the advancing team of guards. "Come and get me, assholes!"
"Annie!" Azula beat her fists against the wall in desperation. If she wanted to, she could break through the wall in an instant, but doing so would give herself away. Damn Annie, always having to be the self-sacrificing hero. With a frustrated groan, she turned and raced back down the corridor. This entire mission had gone to shit, and now she needed to get out of here.
The door to the warden's office burst open. Several guards entered, dragging a beaten and bloodied man dressed in Water Tribe attire with them. They threw him at the foot of the desk with all the care they would take in throwing a sack of potatoes on the ground. For added measure, one of the guards added a firm stomp to the back of the man's head. A dull groan heaved out the man's throat, weary and hoarse.
"This is the prisoner who broke out, sir," said another of the guards. "We managed to recapture him, but there's no sign of the Blue Spirit."
The warden stood from his seat and made his way around the desk to stare at the beaten prisoner. "So, you thought you could escape?"
"Heh... almost did," the man said, with a grunting chuckle.
Hmph. Worthless filth." He gave the prisoner a quick kick to the ribs, eliciting another pained groan from the man's lips. Turning his attention to the other guards, he added, "Take him back to his cell, and then put an alert out for—" He paused, huffing out a tired, disbelieving sigh. Sounded more ridiculous when he had to say it out loud. "Put out an alert for the Blue Spirit."
"Yes, sir."
Once the guards left with the prisoner, the warden returned behind his desk and slumped into his seat. "They don't pay me enough for this crap."
Azula sat against a tree in a small clearing, deep within the surrounding forests of Capital Island. Druk sat nearby, watching her. She held the Blue Spirit mask in her hands and stared at it, as if it would somehow answer all her problems. With a hissing sigh, she tossed the mask aside and let her head fall back against the tree. "What on earth am I supposed to do now? The prison break failed spectacularly, and I'm almost out of time. If I don't figure out something by noon tomorrow, everyone I even remotely care for will be executed. Hardly even a point in trying to stop Yula after that."
Druk raised his head with a droning growl, narrowing his eyes at her. His tone carried clear enough intent to understand.
"I know, you're right," she muttered. "I need to stop her either way, but that doesn't mean I'm about to let her murder my friends."
A soft quack echoed from beneath her. She frowned, glancing down to see the small turtle duckling staring up at her from the ground.
"What? You want to give me advice? What could you possibly have to offer, hmm?" Azula watched the tiny creature ruffle its wings. Honestly, why was she still keeping this thing around? Not like she cared about it. Just annoying, really. The turtle duck quacked again, and she rolled her eyes. "I know, okay? I need a plan. Doesn't even have to be a good one. Just something. Fact of the matter is I can't simply waltz into Coronation Plaza tomorrow, fight through a swarm of imperial guards along with Avan and his Dai Li, kill Yula, and free my friends all by myself. Only thing I'd accomplish there is getting myself slaughtered. I wouldn't have a chance."
Another quack. Azula paused, eyes snapping open wide. Leaning forward, she looked to the turtle duck with dawning revelation, the beginnings of an idea forming in her mind. "Unless I make that chance for myself! That's it. There is one way I can goad Yula into giving me the opportunity I need."
The turtle duck cocked its head to the side with a quizzical stare. Azula smirked at it, and gave the bird a gentle scratch on the top of the head. "It'll be risky, of course, maybe even suicidal, but I'm out of other options. This is the only way."
Leaping up to her feet, she gazed down at her pile of royal armor. About time she changed out of this Blue Spirit attire and back into a more fitting outfit. If she was to face Yula tomorrow, she would do it in the uniform that truly defined her, the uniform that projected strength and instilled confidence within her.
This was it. This was what everything came down to. One last chance, all or nothing. Succeed or fail.
Triumph or die.
Hundreds, possibly even thousands of people had gathered in Coronation Plaza to witness the grand event their empress had promised them. They awaited eagerly for it to start, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing and shoving each other to get a better look at the top of the steps in front of the temple. Imperial soldiers stood in formation around the perimeter of the plaza, prepared to react to any unruly behavior. Or intruders, such as the Blue Spirit attack the night before. Avan and his Dai Li waited patiently at the top of the steps, standing stiff and at attention with their arms clasped behind their backs.
When the sun reached its zenith in the sky, another platoon of soldiers exited the temple at the front of the plaza, flanking a row of prisoners between them—Kuvira, Asami, Tonraq, Eska, Desna, Tenzin, Iroh, Izumi, Mako, Bolin, and a beaten and bloodied Anraq. Korra brought up the rear, her body limp as a group of soldiers dragged her along. The Avatar had been kept well sedated, rendering her barely conscious and helpless to fight back.
Yula marched at the front of the procession, dressed in her regal Dragon Empress robes and cloak, with a pleased grin cutting across her face. She led the guards towards the top of the steps, motioning for them to set the prisoners in a straight line for all the crowd to see. Once they were in position, she made her way towards the podium and spoke into the microphone.
"People of the Dragon Empire, I welcome you all here today for this momentous occasion," she said, her voice booming over the speakers surrounding the plaza. "In a short time, we have accomplished a great deal. We've built up the strongest nation the world has ever known, created the mightiest military to ever exist, and are so close to uniting the world under a single, solitary ruler. When that happens, we will truly enter a new age of peace and balance."
She breathed deep, a well of pride and accomplishment bubbling into her chest. After so much work and sacrifice, her goals were finally within reach. "No longer will any of you have to worry about your safety or security. No longer will you have to fear the possibility of horrors such as those we've seen in recent years. When we are all one people, we will have no more reason for conflict, no more reason to fight, no more reason to worry. All the people of the world will be better off than ever before. We will grow, and prosper, and help each other become great!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Some screamed Yula's name, proclaiming their love for their empress. With all she had done, her people continued to support her. As well they should.
Yula gestured towards the line of prisoners. "Standing before you today are the faces of those who tried to put an end to that dream. These so-called world leaders and their associates did everything in their power to stand against us, and stop us. They failed. The Dragon Empire faced them and came out victorious! No longer must we fear the tyranny of other nations! No longer are they a threat to us!"
She raised her fist in triumph, eliciting another round of cheers from the crowd. When they quieted down again, she continued, "Now, as an example of what happens to those who would endanger our way of life, those who would keep you from ever feeling safe or happy, they will pay the ultimate price. For their crimes against the empire, I sentence them all to death, here and now."
The crowd dulled to a murmur, rippling with surprise and confusion. No cheers this time. While they had gathered here today to hear their empress speak, no doubt they hadn't expected to witness a public execution. No matter. None of them could stop it. In time, they would come to appreciate what she was doing here today, just as they had with everything else she'd done. "We'll begin with the Avatar."
Avan grabbed Korra and pulled her forward, dragging her feet along the ground. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, as consciousness flickered in and out of her mind. With a simple push of his arms, Avan pushed her down to her knees.
"The Avatar claims to be a beacon of hope, a bridge between two worlds, and a keeper of balance," Yula stated, leaning close to the microphone. "That is a lie. The truth is that we must bend to her idea of balance. We must follow what she thinks is right. If we don't, she bullies, threatens, and inflicts violence upon us until we fall in line. Well, no more. She is an antiquated, obsolete idea that has no place in the modern world, and she must therefor be gone from it!"
Yula left the podium and made her way around to the front of the steps. She stood in front of the Avatar, ten paces away. With a grin spread wide across her face, she shifted her stance and began charging lightning at her fingertips. With as injured and weakened as the Avatar was now, there would be no coming back from this. Not for her. Not this time.
"No!" Kuvira lunged forward, fighting to break free from the guards holding her. She made it three steps before they shoved her back into line.
Tonraq made a similar attempt, as did Mako, Bolin, and Asami. They fared no better, as the Dai Li bound them in place with earthen hands. In spite of their screaming protests, they were powerless to intervene. Yula grinned, and pointed her fingers forward. No one could stop this. No one could stop her.
A deep roar thundered across the sky. Yula snapped her gaze upward in time to see a searing jet of flames exploding down at her. Lightning dissipated from her fingertips, as she instead stepped back to bend the fire away to protect herself. When the flames dispersed, a massive red-scaled dragon appeared in their wake, diving towards the plaza. Onlookers screamed, pushing against each other to flee in a rising panic amongst the crowd. Many of them toppled over each other as they scrambled to get away, although some more daring reporters ducked off to the side to watch, with cameras rolling. Within moments, the plaza cleared.
When Druk landed, Azula lowered the turtle duckling from her grasp onto the dragon's scaled back, and leaped downward. She positioned herself in front of Korra, stepping towards the empress with a cold glare. "You want the Avatar, you go through me first."
"Ah, Azula." Yula brushed herself off, hissing out a disappointed sigh. "So you are alive, and in much better condition than I would have expected."
"You should know by now not to underestimate me," she countered. "And you should have listened to me. The way you've done things, the path you've chosen? It can never lead to victory. There is always someone or something to stand in your way and stop you."
"Oh really? Look around, Azula. Anyone who could stand against me, anyone who could stop me..." Yula turned and gestured towards the chained world leaders, to the beaten Avatar, and to Anraq, whose face was so blackened and bruised he barely looked like himself. "They're defeated. They're broken. They're nothing. Who's going to stop me now?"
Azula scowled. "I am."
Yula tilted her head back and uttered a boisterous, amused cackle. "Oh, you're hilarious! What exactly do you intend to do here? I give the command, and my guards tear you apart."
"They're not going to get that chance, Yula. This is between the two of us, one-on-one, the way it was always meant to be." Azula eased in a deep breath to prepare herself, calmly shifting into a rigid bending stance. This was it, now or never. Two simple words. "Agni Kai."
