Azula awoke with a quiet groan, flicking her eyes open to see a blurry room slowly drifting into focus. A tiled ceiling stared back at her, plain and nondescript. She wasn't dead? How funny. So where was she? She made an attempt to sit upright, but her body refused to comply, slow and unresponsive. Her muscles screamed at her. Sore, throbbing, weak. Alright, one more time. Try again. With a heaving, forceful breath, she lifted her head forward and sat up on her elbows

"Hey, welcome back."

"You had us worried for a while."

The sudden appearance of voices nearly stumbled her back to the mattress, but she managed to catch herself before falling. When she steadied herself, she looked towards the side of the bed with a careful squint, focusing on the two women standing there.

"Avatar? Kuvira?" she muttered, brushing her loose hair out of her face. "What are you doing here? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital," Korra said. "Your injuries were pretty bad, but, well..."

Azula blinked, following the Avatar's gaze to the other side of the bed. Anraq sat there, slumped over in a chair with his head hanging, fast asleep. The swelling on his face had lessened since the last time she'd seen him, but he still looked freshly beaten and exhausted. Poor man had probably ignored his own injuries in order to heal her.

"He's been with you all day and night," Kuvira added. "We tried to make him rest, but he refused. Wouldn't budge until he was sure you were okay."

"Oh, Annie..." she said, with a gentle sigh. Sometimes, he really could be an idiot. A wonderful, amazing idiot she probably didn't deserve. "So everything is alright? Yula's been taken care of?"

Korra nodded. "She's no longer a threat. Right now, she's being contained and readied for transport."

Azula gave the two a curious stare. "Where are you transporting her?"

"The North Pole," Kuvira replied. "Eska and Desna said they have a special prison up there that can keep her from firebending, so that's where she'll be held."

"Good. That's good." Azula eased out a relieved sigh and lowered herself to the mattress again, resting her head on the pillow. What an exhausting effort, sitting up in bed. "What about Avan? I can't imagine that weasel snake stuck around."

"Actually, he was taken into custody shortly after Yula," Korra said. "He'll be taken back to his floating prison soon. Didn't even put up any resistance. He just kind of gave up."

Azula lifted a surprised eyebrow. Unexpected, to say the least. After everything Avan had done, she never would have imagined him surrendering himself without a fight. No use complaining, in any case. One less asshole free in the world. "So, what now?"

Korra folded her arms across her chest and gave an unknowing shrug. "You tell us. After you beat Yula, you technically became Dragon Empress. Again. What do you plan to do now?"

"Dragon Empress? Ugh. That always did sound gaudy, didn't it?" She huffed out a deep sigh and pressed her palms against her eyes. "The empire needs to be dissolved, and the nations should go back to being separate. That's what should happen."

"And what happens to the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom once they're separated again?" Kuvira asked.

"The Fire Nation will go back to Izumi," Azula insisted, with a simple nod. "Zuzu left the nation to her, so she should have it. The throne... isn't my destiny. It never was. I was just too blind to realize it until now. I'll leave the Earth Kingdom to you. Do with it as you please. Make it a republic again, elect its leaders, whatever, I don't care. I just don't want to deal with it."

Korra nodded slowly, pausing a moment before continuing. "What about you?"

"What about me? I imagine you'll be arresting me now, too. Spirits know it's about time. I won't resist. I'm too tired for that. I just want to rest."

"Arrest you?" Kuvira's brow lifted, a genuine look of surprise creeping over her face, as though she couldn't believe the suggestion. "After everything you just did? All the people you helped, and all the lives you saved? After you put the world back into balance? Azula, you've more than made up for your past crimes. Take it from someone who knows."

Azula squinted at them with caution, raising herself back up on her elbows. "Are you being serious? Because if you're trying to screw with me..."

"No, we mean it." Korra eased a small sigh and lowered herself into a chair at the bedside, so she was level with Azula. Her expression shifted with unflinching compassion. "Look, Azula, I know you did terrible things in the past to a lot of people. Heck, even to me. Since then, you've changed. A lot. You've shown remorse for your actions, a willingness to make sacrifices to help others, you've done your best to better yourself, and worked so hard to right your wrongs. You've shown that when push comes to shove, you're someone the world can rely on. You're someone the world needs."

Kuvira nodded in agreement. "This is something we've already discussed with the other world leaders. In spite of your past, we've decided to give you a clean slate. A fresh start, so to speak. We figured it's the least we could do in thanks for saving our lives and the rest of the world."

Azula stared at them in disbelief. A dull throb sprang into her skull, as her mind worked to process the information. "I'm not entirely sure what to say to that. I'm not even sure I agree with it, but... thank you." She paused, tilting her gaze down at the sheets. "In that case, I want to go somewhere quiet for a while. Somewhere I can relax and just get away." She looked towards Anraq. The waterbender had begun to stir in his seat, slowly awakening from his slumber. "Hopefully not alone."

"I'm sure he'll follow you wherever you go," Korra said, with an encouraging smile. "You two really are good for each other, you know."

"Yes," she replied, watching as Anraq let out a yawn and opened his eyes. "I know."

Anraq lit up when he noticed Azula sitting up in bed. He immediately bolted off the chair to her side, reaching out to hold her hand. "You're awake! Do you feel alright? Any lingering pain I can heal? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, Annie." She eased out a soft chuckle, and tightened her fingers against his. "Just come here?" With a firm tug, she pulled him closer to the bed. He took the hint without hesitation, climbing onto the mattress to lie beside her.

Kuvira took hold of Korra's hand and pulled her towards the door. "We'll leave you two alone."

When the other two were gone, Azula traced a gentle finger along Anraq's bruised cheek and pouted at him. "You could have healed your face when you were done with me. You look terrible."

"Eh, I'll get to it," he said, with a shrug. "Doesn't even hurt anymore, to be honest."

"Oh really? What if I were to do this?" She pressed her finger against his cheek and gave a soft prod, eliciting a sharp gasp from his lips.

"Ow, okay..." he muttered, with a subtle wince. "Maybe a little."

"And if I did this?" Pulling her finger back, she leaned in close to bring their lips together. She held the kiss a long while, deep and tender.

Anraq eased a pleasant gasp, setting his forehead against hers with a smile. "No, not at all."

"Good, because there's more where that one came from," she said, widening a smirk across her face. As she went to lean in for another kiss, a shrill quack yanked her attention away. Blinking in confusion, she looked over Anraq's shoulder towards the table at her bedside, where a tiny turtle duckling floated in a bowl of water, ruffling its feathers excitedly. "What on earth is he doing here?"

Anraq followed her gaze with a chuckle. "Oh hey, little guy's awake. We found him with Druk after your Agni Kai. Did you know you had a turtle duck passenger?"

"I... no, of course not. He must have, um, hitched a ride himself." Azula cleared her throat, flustered at the thought of Annie knowing she had brought a turtle duck along with her. "I suppose we should take him to the palace gardens. He needs a new home."

"Or we could take him with us?" Annie grinned at her. "Maybe give him a name?"

"What?" Azula balked, eyes widening. "Annie, no, we are not taking in a pet turtle duck."

The turtle duck peered over the side of the bowl, offering another shrill quack before jumping out and wandering towards the edge of the table. Anraq's grin widened, as he scooped the duckling into his grasp and set it down on the pillow. The turtle duck immediately scurried over to Azula and nuzzled against her.

"Looks like he likes you," Annie said.

"I... I..." Azula huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'll think about it, but that's it. No promises!"

Anraq chuckled, leaning in close to give her another kiss. "Fine by me."


"So, what's the next move?" Kuvira asked, as they stepped into Caldera City, leaving the hospital behind. The streets were near deserted at this hour, now well after midnight.

"Well, first we need to find Izumi and inform her she's been remade Fire Lord," Korra said, with a quiet sigh. "She'll need to make an announcement to the Fire Nation people, let them know the Dragon Empire is gone and that they're a separate nation again. We'll have to see to the separation of the empire's military back to their original nations, and we need to get everyone who was taken prisoner from the United Republic and Water Tribes back home to their families."

Kuvira flinched at the mention of returning soldiers to their families. Brief flickers of the Republic City battle flashed in her mind. The death, the bodies, the horror. A chill raced down her spine, bringing an uncontrolled shiver into her arms. "There are a lot more families who won't be reunited."

"Yeah... too many." Korra gave a weak nod, lowering her gaze to the ground as they walked. "We're also going to need to work on restoring Republic City and Zaofu, and figure out how we're going to reform the Earth Kingdom's government." She eased a quiet groan, lowering her face into her hands. "Ugh, there's so much to do."

"We won't have to do it alone," Kuvira said, tightening her hold on Korra's hand. "The whole world will help return things to how they should be."

Korra returned the squeeze, and leaned close against her. "Yeah, you're right. Still, it's going to be a lot of work. At the very least, it can wait for tomorrow." With no further warning, Korra turned and scooped the matriarch up into her arms, as easily as if lifting a pillow. "It's late, and all I want to do right now is make love to my beautiful fiancée."

"Well, aren't you the flatterer?" Kuvira paused, glancing down at the ground below her. A delighted grin curled across her face, as she held her arms around Korra's neck in a loving embrace. "Have I ever told you how much I love that you can pick me up like a bag of feathers?"

"You could stand to mention it more," Korra said, with a soft chuckle. "Now come on, Matriarch. There's a guest bed back at the palace we need to break."

"Don't you mean, 'break in'?"

Korra flashed a mischievous smirk. "Nope. Just break."


Shayu wheeled herself up to the door and raised her fist to knock. She froze, staring at the door in front of her with blank eyes. Cold, tight coils wrapped inside her chest, knotting her breath with a surging gasp. Spirits, she couldn't do this. How could she? They hadn't seen each other in months, after she'd left with Yula to commit countless unspeakable acts. Surely, she could never be welcomed back.

The knot sank deeper, crashing into her gut with a whimpering sob. Oh please, don't hate her. Reaching out the rest of the way, Shayu gave a gentle knock. Silence, for a brief moment, until the sound of footsteps emanated from the other side. When the door opened, she looked to the floor, unable to meet the woman's gaze.

"Hi, Mom," she said, her voice little more than a pale whisper.

"Shayu?" A pause followed, an air of lingering silence that choked through the corridor. Jaya came forward and knelt in front of her daughter, hands lifting to Shayu's shoulders. No avoiding her gaze anymore. Shayu blinked tears out of her vision and glanced upward, staring into her mother's eyes. Concern and confusion warped Jaya's expression, as her attention fell to the wheelchair. "Oh baby, what happened?"

"Mom, I... I'm sorry." A sob bubbled out of her throat, in spite of her best attempts to hold herself together. She squinted her eyes shut, fighting against the increasing flow of tears. No use. They flowed free behind her eyelids, and within moments she broke down into a weeping, sobbing mess. "For Yula, and f-for everything... I'm so... so s-sorry."

"Shhh, shhh," Jaya said, leaning close to hug her daughter tight. She held a hand to the back of Shayu's head, gently running her fingers through the girl's hair. "It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Everything will be okay. We'll get through this, I promise."


Bolin groaned out a sigh, letting his head fall back as he and his brother made their way aimlessly through the halls of the royal palace. "Man, this whole empire thing was intense. I mean, we almost died. Like, a lot."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Mako muttered, with a shake of his head. "I'm just glad it's over. I can't wait to get back to Republic City to help with the rebuilding process."

"I know, me too. I have to find Opal first, though." Worry creased over Bolin's face. "I haven't seen her since the start of the battle. I don't even know if she's alright."

Mako gave his brother a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine. She knows how to look after herself."

"I hope so..."

As they rounded the corridor, a familiar, sweet voice echoed towards them. "Bolin!"

Bolin blinked at the sound of his name, looking straight ahead. A large group of individuals made their way down the corridor, all of them dressed in orange and yellow wingsuits—the Air Nation, led along by Tenzin at the front. One individual in particular broke away from the group and raced forward. Bolin lit up with an excited laugh, and ran to greet her.

"Opal! You're okay!" He pulled her in for a deep hug, arms tight around her shoulders. "Oh it's so good to see you. How's the baby?"

"The baby's fine," Opal assured, giving her fiancé a gentle peck on the cheek. "We're both okay."

"Oh thank goodness." Bolin held his hand tenderly against Opal's abdomen, and stared lovingly into her eyes. "I love you so much."

She smiled at him, and leaned in close for a deeper kiss. "I love you too."


One week after Yula's defeat and the official dismantling of the Dragon Empire, Asami stood at the center of the mostly-destroyed Republic City, staring at the crumbling buildings and piles of debris. The city was barely recognizable, a mere wasteland compared to the once grand place it used to be. So much damage, so much to repair and rebuild. Why was it that every time she helped rebuild this city, another disaster came along to destroy it again? Like some kind of sick, cosmic joke the universe was playing.

"This place is a mess," she muttered, with a disbelieving shake of her head. "From what I saw on the flight in here, Yula's army leveled nearly sixty percent of it."

"Ah, come on there, Madame President. You're thinking with the glass half empty!" Varrick strolled alongside her and gave a firm pat to her shoulder. "Try to look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"Forty percent of the city is still standing!" When Asami shot an annoyed glare at him, he took a step back and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Really, don't worry so much. I have connections with the best metalbending construction crews in the Earth Kingdom. If we hire all of them, we can have this place good as new in six months—a year tops!"

"That's rather optimistic," Asami said, with a disbelieving raise of her brow. "And it sure won't be cheap."

"Money is no object! There's not a dime I won't spend to get this city back in order, that's a promise!" With a clear of his throat, he lowered his tone and leaned in closer. "Although, I'm not exactly expecting to do this all myself here. The United Republic has a budget too, you know."

Asami exhaled a quiet sigh, shifting her attention back over the ruins. "There's a lot of work to do, but I won't rest until we've fixed this place good as new. No matter what it takes, we're going to give people their homes back. We'll give them their lives back. When we're done here, Republic City will be bigger and better than ever. That's my promise."

Varrick offered an optimistic laugh and smacked an encouraging hand against Asami's back. "Now that's the spirit!"


"Do you want any help with this?" Kuvira asked. "It's not exactly a simple task."

"No, I got it," Korra replied, with a shake of her head. "Besides, I really need to stretch my Avatar muscles."

Korra took a step towards the open expanse of land, mountains looming above her in the distance. With a calm, steady breath, she lowered herself to one knee and pressed her palms against the ground, eyes closed. There it was, deep beneath the surface. Deeper than she'd expected. Not a simple task indeed, but she was the Avatar. If anyone could do this, she could. Returning to her feet, she spread her legs wide, held her arms straight forward, and snapped her eyes open with a bright white glow.

Earth trembled beneath her. Softly at first, soon growing into a massive quake. Fissures ruptured throughout the valley ahead of her. They swiftly expanded, bursting apart with a thunderous boom as a gaping void opened in their wake. One more deep breath. Korra spread her fingers and slowly raised her hands, guiding the earth at the bottom of her newly created chasm upward to greet the open air. Slow and steady now. Maintain focus. Maintain control. The tops of metal buildings soon emerged into view, surrounded by the cracked and broken petals of lotus-shaped domes.

Zaofu.

Inch by painstaking inch, the city arose into the valley. When at last she lifted it fully atop the surface, Korra settled the earth in place and closed any remaining fissures. The once quaking earth ceased and fell calm, as the entire city of Zaofu stood tall once more. Allowing the light to fade from her eyes, Korra took a step back and surveyed her work.

"Well, Zaofu isn't buried anymore," she said, holding her hands to her hips. Even so, the city lay in utter ruin, more a twisted pile of scrap metal than the grand populace it had once been.

Kuvira heaved a tired sigh. "There's a lot of work to do."

"Yeah, there is." Korra reached out to hold her fiancée's hand, giving a firm, reassuring squeeze. "But we'll do it together."


Azula stared down at the small shrine. A framed picture of Zuko stared back at her, a gentle smile brightening his aged visage. She sucked in a deep, calming breath, and lowered to her knees in front of the grave. Her heart pulsed, as she pulled out a pair of incense sticks she'd brought with her. With two simple squeezes of her fingers, she lit the tips and set the incense in the holder next to the picture. Tradition, as she'd been told. She'd never been one to care much for silly traditions like this, but Zuzu deserved it.

"I thought it was a nice ceremony," Anraq said, kneeling on the ground next to her.

She shrugged, still staring at the photograph. "It was fine, I suppose. I've never actually been to a funeral before. Well, except my grandfather's, but that was so long ago. I do remember it being a grand affair. This... this was smaller. It was nice."

Zuko's funeral had been a small, intimate affair, rather than some enormous public spectacle. Only those who had been closest to him had attended. Mai, of course, along with Izumi, Iroh, Ty Lee, Toph, and even that Water Tribe woman, Katara, along with a few others. Azula too, and Anraq by association. Zuko would have preferred it that way.

Anraq held his hand against her shoulder. "You know you made him proud, right?"

She nodded, easing out a heavy sigh. "I know."

"So, have you thought about what you want to do now? I know you said you wanted to go some place quiet and get away from everything for a while."

"I'm still not sure," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe go to an island, or some small village in the Fire Nation. Just somewhere I can relax. Somewhere I can be happy."

Another voice called her attention away from the grave. "You can take the beach house."

Azula looked over her shoulder, where she saw a familiar old woman standing behind her. "Oh, Mai... I didn't notice you there. What about a beach house, exactly?"

"Your old beach house, on Ember Island," Mai said, as she approached the grave. She hobbled down to her old, tired knees next to Azula, while maintaining focus on the framed picture of her departed husband. "I'm going to remain on Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee for a while. Too many memories back home. I need to clear my head, so I won't be at Ember Island for the time being. You're welcome to stay there, if you like. I know it probably wouldn't be your first choice, but..."

Azula stared at her old friend a long while, before looking back at the picture again. A pleasant smile slowly curled onto her face. "No, actually I think that will be perfect. Thank you, Mai."

Mai offered a simple nod in response.

"What do you say, Annie?" Azula asked, flashing a subtle grin towards him. "How does Ember Island sound?

"Are you kidding me? A beach vacation with the woman I love? Where do I sign up?" Annie returned his own grin, while holding up one of his hands. His fingers curled around a small, feathered creature cupped in his grasp. The turtle duck gave an eager quack. "Mr. Quackers agrees."

Azula cringed. "Oh, Annie, no. That is a terrible name."

"What? I thought it was cute."

"Absolutely not. If we're going to have a pet, we're giving him a better name than that.

Anraq huffed out a defeated sigh. "I guess we'll workshop it?"

"Yes, we most certainly will." Azula's smile returned, as she reached out to give a gentle scratch to the top of the turtle duck's head. "In any case, looks like we have a plan."