The palace courtyard was darker than it should have been. Unnaturally heavy shadows crept in from every corner, blocking out any light cast from the moon overhead, or the spirit lights dancing in the sky. They had no physical source, but rather emanated outward from the figure sitting cross-legged between a circle of ice sculptures, as if his mere presence made these shadows manifest. Sen held his eyes shut, palms flat against his knees, and concentrated his mind deep into the palace beyond. Concentrated on the misery and despair, the shock, confusion, and horror he sensed within. Beautiful, all of it.

Cold air stung his lungs. He flinched, curling a deep frown across his face. Curse this human body of his. This need to trap himself within a physical vessel to enter the material world. If he possessed his full power, he could break free and enter this world in his true form, limitations set forth by his mother be damned. A far off goal to work towards, for now. He needed to regain his strength first, as weakened as he was in this body. Even with his essence returned to him, the limitations of this human form were great. At present, he could manage only to call back spirits from the void and place them in new bodies. At the very least, those made for adequate servants.

Not that he called back just any spirits, oh no. Where would the fun in that be? By reading into the memories and doubts of people's minds, he knew exactly the right spirits to bring back. The ones who would cause the most turmoil. The most distress. Granted, he could simply steal the essences from anyone he came across, and so he would for many of them, but watching his victims break down and deteriorate in the meantime? That was where the real pleasure came from.

The sound of footsteps across the ice drew Sen's attention away from the palace and back into the courtyard. When he opened his eyes, he noticed one of his resurrected servants standing there, dragging a pair of bodies behind. With a calm exhale, he rose to his feet and glanced down at the two unconscious figures. "Ah, Sokka. I see you were successful."

"Sure was," Sokka replied, as he tossed the old women to the spirit's feet. "We have here Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world, and Katara, my sister and wife of the previous Avatar."

Sen nodded. "Well done."

"Eh, it was easy." Sokka offered a quiet chuckle, and folded his arms across his chest. "Should have seen their faces when they saw me. Priceless. Completely let their guards down."

"I know, I could sense their emotions from here. Their shock, their confusion. Their despair, when you turned against them." Sen managed a subtle grin. The essences he sensed within these two were quite powerful. They were two of the strongest benders of their time, making their value indispensable to him. That led to an intriguing dilemma. He could steal their essences for himself, and add to his power. Could. He shook the thought from his mind. No, patience was a virtue he needed to value. Regaining his full strength through the absorption of human essences would take time, and there would be many more to be had. In the meantime, he could use these two for other purposes.

Movement drew his attention towards the steps of the palace, where another group approached the courtyard. He recognized the three Red Lotus members he'd resurrected, as well as those two bloodbenders. All of them, enemies of the Avatar.

"We got a few surprises for you here," Ming-Hua said. "The Avatar's father, the Air Nation leader, and a whole bunch of guards for you. We figured you could find a use for them."

"Yes, their essences will do nicely," Sen replied, with a careful glare. These ones he had no greater purpose for. He could absorb their essences directly. "Were you able to acquire the Avatar, as well?"

"No, she got away," Amon said.

"But she can't have gotten far," Tarrlok added. "We'll find her."

Sen's eyes darkened. "You had better. Hers is the most important essence of all."

Of all the individuals he had hoped to acquire tonight, the Avatar was his highest priority. Aside from his own mother, the Avatar was the only one with the power to stop him. Or rather, the cursed light spirit, Raava. If he allowed her to oppose him unchecked, she could spell disaster, but if he could destroy her—if he could steal her essence—his power would become greater than it had ever been before.

From the eastern side of the courtyard, another figure approached, his arms clasped tight behind his back. "I'm afraid my children were able to get away, although I'm still not sure why you're bothering to waste your time with them. They are weak."

"Oh, Unalaq, you underestimate your twins," Sen insisted. "They may be unremarkable alone, but they do nothing alone. They were born into the world together, their essences uniquely bonded to each other's in a way only seen in twins. Together, they are exquisite.

Unalaq gave a disinterested sigh. "As you say."

"Now, a more important question." Sen looked over his shoulder, where three new arrivals stood waiting for him to acknowledge them. These three, Ozai, Zuko, and Megumi, were all tied together in their tasks, all meant to break down and destroy the one individual Sen most wanted to suffer. "What about Azula?"

Ozai scoffed. "My daughter fled like the coward she is."

"In the meantime, we did manage to snag these two." Zuko took a step to the side to reveal a pair of unconscious figures behind him: his daughter, Izumi, and his grandson, Iroh. "Their interference allowed Azula to escape, but we made short work of them."

"I suppose that will suffice for now," Sen muttered, with a deep sigh. He didn't yet need to capture Azula. No, that could wait for now. After all, he had no intention of ripping out her spirit just yet. She needed to suffer first, to break down and drown in misery. That required certain other objectives. "Megumi, you were able to end that boyfriend of hers at least, I should hope?"

Megumi paused, bowing her head in shame. "I was not. I did injure him, but he didn't let his guard down around me as much as we had expected. He was able to flee before I could finish the job."

Sen frowned, a gentle twitch of annoyance spasming at the corner of his eyes. So far, this night had not been nearly as successful as he had hoped. "I want to see Azula broken, do you understand? Ozai and Zuko were meant to place doubt in her, and in that they succeeded. You were supposed to continue things by destroying the people closest to her, first her boyfriend and then her daughter."

"My daughter."

"Excuse me?"

Megumi cleared her throat. "Kanna is my daughter. I gave birth to her, and I want her back. She shouldn't be with Anraq or Azula. I should be the one taking care of her."

Sen raised an eyebrow, glaring at the defiant woman. These servants of his shouldn't be able to question or refuse his orders. Perhaps his current power was weaker than he'd first thought. Here, this Megumi was not only outright refusing to kill that useless girl, but asserting she should take possession of her instead. Never before had he experienced something both so infuriating and fascinating at the same time.

"Is that so?" Sen heaved a quiet, thoughtful exhale, as he gave the request genuine consideration. In the end, it didn't matter what became of Kanna, so long as Azula lost her. The result would remain the same. "Very well. If you want your daughter so badly, you may have her."

Megumi bowed her head in appreciation. "What would you have us do in the meantime?"

"For now, nothing." Sen gave a quick glance at all the victims his servants had brought him. "I have plenty to occupy myself with at the moment, and day is nearly upon us. I won't be able to operate then. With these new essences come new possibilities. I'm certain the Avatar and her allies will be looking for them soon, so let's leave them where they can be found."


Korra led the way through the palace. Kuvira followed behind her, along with Lin, Anraq, Kya, and Hari. Not a lot, but they were the only ones who had been able to leave the safety of the jail. Eska was still recovering, and Desna had refused to leave her side. Mako and Bolin were in no condition to fight yet either, still resting from their previous battle, while Asami and Sinn had remained behind to stand guard over Suyin. Someone had also needed to stay back and watch Kanna. Given Azula's current emotional condition, she and Anraq had agreed that she should take it easy for now and try to calm her mind.

As they worked their way through the palace, Korra's insides steadily tightened. They should have run into someone else by now. A lot more guests had come for the wedding, not to mention the palace guards and other workers. Nothing but empty, silent corridors so far. Granted, the palace was enormous, and they could be hiding anywhere. Perhaps the attacks had never reached them, and they were all still sound asleep. Even as she attempted to reassure herself, her gut sank with sour dread. They were all just as likely to have been attacked and taken captive. Not to mention her dad, or Tenzin, or Toph and Katara, Izumi and Iroh, so many who'd already stayed back so the others could escape.

"Keep your guards up," she said, peering around the corner of the next hallway. When she saw that all was clear, she waved them along and continued. "There's no telling who we'll run into."

"So, what exactly is the plan if we get attacked?" Anraq said. "I mean, you said two of the people this spirit brought back are bloodbenders who don't need a full moon. That seems a little one sided."

"They can't bloodbend me if I'm in the Avatar State and they have to focus on all of you at the same time," Korra replied. "If Amon and Tarrlok do attack, at least one of us should always be free from their grip. The key will be to keep them under assault and break their focus, separate them if possible. Then I can spiritbend them. As for the others, well, prepare for a tough fight."

"I suppose the good news is that these corridors aren't very wide," Kuvira said, with a careful glance to the walls on either side of them. "They won't be able to surround us."

Lin folded her arms and grumbled. "They can sure as heck still cause a lot of damage, especially if that combustionbender is raining explosions down on top of us."

"Just be diligent," Korra insisted. "We have to find them first. Or anyone."


As the group continued into the next wing of the palace, Anraq glanced towards the earthbender carrying a stone jar on his back. Instinct told him to be quiet, to focus on the task at hand and ignore the man. Ultimately, his curiosity and compassion got the better of him. He knew nothing about this Hari, and no doubt Hari knew little about them. Anraq knew well how awkward being amongst a group of people you didn't know could be. Perhaps he could help the young man feel a bit more welcome, and ease that awkwardness.

"So, Hari, right?" Anraq said, in as casual a tone as he could muster. "Where are you from?"

Hari blinked in surprise, straightening his posture. No doubt he hadn't expected anyone to strike up a conversation with him. "Oh, well I was born in Ba Sing Se, but my family moved to a sandbender commune in the Si Wong Desert when I was five. Mostly grew up there, left when I was seventeen.

Anraq raised an eyebrow. "Si Wong, huh? Guess that explains the sand, but how does someone from the desert end up working for the chieftains of the Northern Water Tribe?"

"A few years after I left the desert, I joined the White Lotus," Hari explained. "Just a year after I joined, I ended up stationed at the prison holding former Dragon Empress Yula, where Eska and Desna met me during one of their monthly inspections. I guess I intrigued them, because they offered to make me their bodyguard right there."

Anraq pursed his lips. "Right, bodyguard."

"You say that as though you don't believe me."

"Well, it's just I know those two. Nothing is ever that simple with them. If they made you their bodyguard, I'd suspect that's not all they wanted. Am I wrong?"

"Oh. Uh, w-well..." Hari cleared his throat, quickly turning his head to hide the embarrassment blushing across his face. "No, no I guess you're not wrong."

Anraq couldn't hold in his chuckle. "Heh, thought so. I know from experience what that's like."

Hari glanced back at him again, lifting his eyebrows. "Wait, you and they used to...?"

"Oh, uh, briefly," he admitted, with a clear of his throat. "Was mostly just, you know, physical, but yeah."

"I see..."

Anraq cleared his throat. So much for making things less awkward. "You know you don't have to do anything with them you don't want to, right? I know those two aren't exactly the most tactful, and they can be pretty forward, but they'll still respect your boundaries if you refuse them."

"What?" Hari's gaze lifted with genuine surprise. "Oh, yes, I know, but you don't understand. I like them. They haven't forced me into anything at all."

"Oh," Anraq said. "Right. I mean, of course. I wasn't trying to imply you didn't, or that they were trying to... I'm sorry."

Hari exhaled a deep sigh, letting his attention fall away to the floor. "You can probably guess from how I look, but I've never been that desirable to anyone before. Most of my life I've been mistaken for a girl, so I was always overlooked for more masculine guys. Eska and Desna were the first ones to show any real interest in me before, and I really do enjoy my time with them. Desna even says I'm cute." He paused, as a bright red blush rose into his cheeks. "Can't say I'm sure about Eska's proposal for children, but she hasn't tried to force it."

"Oh man, she's trying to get children out of you too? At least she's not being as aggressive this time around. Maybe she actually learned something."

Hari shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I'm not saying it's something that couldn't happen in the future, but it's not something I'm ready for right now."

"I hear you." Anraq smiled, and extended his hand. "In any case, any friend of the twins is a friend of mine. It's nice to officially get acquainted with you, Hari."

Hari smiled, and shook his hand. "You too, Anraq."

"Also, Desna's right. You are cute."

"Oh!" Hari balked, the red in his cheeks darkening as he managed an appreciative smile. "Th-thank you."

As the group neared the main atrium of the palace, Korra held up a hand for them to stop. She peered around the corner of the next hall, eyes narrowed. "Hold on, I see something."

After taking a moment to make sure there were no enemies ahead, she waved them along and continued into the corridor. Multiple bodies lay strewn about. Half a dozen in total, all of them palace guards. They lay sprawled out on their backs, eyes open wide with blank stares up at the ceiling. Motionless. Lifeless.

"Dear spirits..." Kuvira uttered, cautiously approaching the scene. "Are they dead?"

Kya knelt down next to the nearest guard and held a finger to the man's neck. After a moment's pause, she called a bubble of water to her palm and swept it gradually across his body. A frown deepened across her face. "No, they're alive. Sort of."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'sort of'?"

"It's hard to say," Kya replied. "I sense life in them, and yet no one's home. It's like they're caught somewhere between life and death."

"It's their spirits," Korra said, as understanding dawned in her gaze. "Their essences have been removed, just like Suyin said."

Anraq knelt beside one of the fallen guards and looked deep into the man's wide open eyes. There was pain in those eyes, an abject horror staring back at him. "So what does that mean?"

Korra swallowed, tightening her hands into fists. "It means they're in serious trouble. If they don't reconnect with their spirits soon, they'll die."

Hari tilted a worried stare towards the Avatar. "How long do they have?"

Kya answered him. "Impossible to say. A few days, a couple weeks, maybe? It's different for everyone."

"We have to keep moving," Korra said, as she hurried farther down the corridor. "We need to stop this spirit before this happens to anyone else."

Kuvira quickened her pace, following close behind her wife. "If it already hasn't."


Azula shuddered, as she stared into the flickering blue flame burning in her palm. Regardless of the heat that flame emitted, it could not eliminate the chill rippling up and down her spine. On and on the chill continued, never quite disappearing no matter how small it became. At times it would fade to the barest of tingles on the cusp of vanishing altogether, only to rage back stronger than ever and force her to curl tighter against herself in desperate attempt to stay warm.

For all the good it did. Not even her breathing techniques could help her now. Her breaths came out short and raspy, impossible to calm into the steady inhales needed to regulate her chi flow. Her vision blurred, her heart pounded, and her fingers trembled. The flame in her hand disappeared in a flash of embers, unable to stay lit. When it was gone, she buried her face against her knees and hugged her arms tight around her legs. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she calm herself?

A soft groan lifted her attention to see Kanna lying next to her, shivering now that the fire was gone. The young girl curled into a ball, arms clutched tightly together, breath misting in front of her lips. The anxious chill in Azula's body shattered. Her mind sharpened, focused on a solid, tangible purpose: keep Kanna warm. Keep her safe. Scooting closer to the sleeping girl, she raised her hand and reignited a flame between her fingers. Soon after, Kanna settled down and stopped shivering.

With a relieved breath, Azula lowered her head into her other hand. What in spirits name was her problem? How could she become so disconnected that she'd forgotten about Kanna? How selfish could she be? Her own troubles and concerns didn't matter, not when compared to her daughter's well-being. She needed to find a way to settle her mind, to calm herself. She could do that, couldn't she? She could find a way.

She had to.

"Excuse me, Azula?"

Azula blinked, turning to look towards the entrance of the cell. Desna stood there, carrying his unconscious sister in his arms. Eska curled up against him in his grasp much the same as Kanna had curled up when the fire had disappeared—cold, shivering, mist puffing outward with each breath.

"Oh, Desna." Azula shifted awkwardly on the metal floor. What exactly was she supposed to say? She'd never had many interactions with either of these twins outside of world meetings back when she had been Fire Lord and Dragon Empress. Not a whole lot to go off of, really. "Can I, uh, help you with something?"

"I do not mean to bother you," Desna said, glancing down at his sister in his arms, "but as Eska is unconscious right now, she cannot regulate her body temperature, and I've noticed her shivering. Since you are the only firebender here, I was wondering if you might be able to warm her?"

Azula blinked again. "Oh... well, there are torches, aren't there?"

"The torches have already started to die, and quite frankly they would not supply a significant enough amount of heat."

Azula huffed a disgruntled sigh, shifting focus back to the flame in her palm. She could always be rude and refuse his request, allowing Eska to freeze. Not that she would. That wasn't her anymore. She wasn't cruel. "I suppose you can sit her here near the fire."

"Thank you." Desna approached and set Eska down gently on the floor, as close to Azula's fire as possible. When he was sure she was in place, he seated himself next to her.

Silence enveloped them. Azula kept her focus on the fire, unwilling to look anywhere else and accidentally start a conversation she might regret. That's all it took sometimes, meeting a person's gaze. Pretty soon, you were talking about the weather, or some other inane topic. Horrible things, really. The silence strengthened, deafening in its embrace. She heard only her own pulse between her ears, thrumming with a constant, dull beat, as though someone were pounding a drum. Anymore and her skull might well explode.

With a soft grumble, Azula glanced towards the twins. Might as well say something, before the silence killed her. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes, she is stable now," Desna said, looking down at Eska. "She merely requires rest."

"That's good, I suppose. You're fortunate to be so close with your sibling."

He offered a simple shrug. "We are twins. We've always been close."

"I wish I could say the same about myself and Zuko." Azula's thoughts drifted far back from the present time, to an age she had tried so hard to forget. A much younger Zuko popped into her mind, accompanied by her much younger self. She saw herself tormenting him, laughing at him, making his life miserable. How awful she had been. How foolish. "We never got along when we were kids, and even less so when we were teenagers. I even tried to kill him on several occasions."

She held her free hand against her forehead and closed her eyes. "I only got a chance to really know him for a brief time before he... before I lost him again. Now he's back under the control of some dark spirit, but he's not really himself, and I don't know how to help him. Or if he even can be helped."

Why on earth was she saying so much? Why open up to someone who was essentially a stranger to her? Some deep compulsion drove her to do it, gave her a need to let out her emotions. Didn't matter who was listening, only that someone was. "And then to top it off, he's working with our father, as if I needed to see that bastard again. This entire night has been one long nightmare I can't seem to wake up from, and I can't even do anything."

"Are you alright?" Desna asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Azula shook her thoughts clear. She hadn't blinked once since she'd begun speaking, staring into the fire in a partial daze. "Yes, yes I'm fine. My apologies."

"I am sorry to hear about your brother," Desna said. "And your father. Our own father returned, as well. We looked up to him for our entire lives, believed in everything he did, but in the end he went mad for power and proved he never cared for us at all. We were not sad to see him go."

An unwitting scoff burst from her throat. "Sounds exactly like me and my father."

"Parents," Desna muttered.

"Yes, parents."

Another silence followed. Shorter this time, thank the spirits, and not nearly as stifling before Desna spoke again. "So, how are things with you and Anraq?"

"Hmm?" Azula blinked up from the fire, caught off guard by the question. Neither Desna nor his sister would have struck her as the type to ask about relationship gossip. "Oh, things are fine. We care very much for each other and we're both very happy. And Kanna..." She let her gaze drift towards the sleeping girl, gradually curling a smile across her face. "She's wonderful."

"That is good to hear," Desna said. "Anraq always seemed so distant underneath his easygoing nature, even when we were together. I am pleased that he has found a way to be happy. You, as well. You both deserve it, I think."

Azula stared back at the Northern Chief, tilting her head sideways in confusion. "Wait, when you were—You and Annie?"

Desna nodded. "For a brief time, yes. A few years ago."

She blinked again, letting her gaze drift into middle distance. "Huh."

"Is something the matter?"

"No, I just... I never would have thought Annie to go that way."

"Yes, I believe he said he has no preference," Desna stated. "To the best of my recollection."

Azula stared closer, studying him with unblinking eyes. "I see..."

Desna met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. "You're staring."

"I'm just trying to picture it," she blurted, without stopping to think that maybe she was prying a bit too deep. No, this bit of information was far too juicy. "Which one of you was the...?"

"He was."

Azula laughed. Loud, boisterous, unwitting. She let her head fall back and held a hand over her mouth to stifle herself, not wanting to awaken Kanna. Nonetheless, her laughter echoed throughout the metal cell. "Oh my, Annie. I never would have thought." When at last she settled down, she took a moment to wipe tears from her eyes, and looked back at Desna with a smile. "Thank you. I needed a laugh."

"And thank you," he replied. "For the fire, I mean. Eska already appears more comfortable."

"Yes, well, you're welcome," she said, noting that Eska had already stopped shivering. "I could hardly just let your sister freeze."

Moments later, Eska stirred with a soft groan. She rolled over across the floor and blinked her eyes open, staring up at the first thing she saw. "Desna?"

"Eska!" Desna was at her side in a moment, reaching down to clutch her hand in his own. "You are alright."

"Yes, I am fine," she said, although the exhaustion in her voice belied any claims to the contrary. She made an attempt at sitting upright, only for her arms to give out and collapse back against the floor.

"Just rest," Desna insisted. "You still need to recover."

Eska sighed, and allowed her eyes to close again. "Very well. I suppose I am tired."

Azula watched the two siblings closely. A sharp, stabbing pain drove through the center of her chest, as her thoughts flowed back to Zuko. He had helped her so much, and yet she'd never done anything to return the favor. As close as they had become before his death, they had never had a chance to be model, loving siblings to each other. What she wouldn't give to get that chance now, to actually help him. Perhaps now that he was back, she would be able to do just that.

She needed only find a way.


Korra hurried down the corridor in a steady jog, followed close behind by the rest of her team. The trail of bodies led out of the palace towards the main courtyard. Another dozen bodies had waited for them along the way, all in the same condition as the first group. Unmoving, blank stares upon their faces, spirits removed from their physical shells. With each new person she saw, each new life potentially destroyed, Korra's anger and desperation mounted, burning white hot through her core. She quickened her pace into a full sprint. They needed to find the one responsible for this and they needed to end him. Now.

As she ran out the front entrance of the palace into the courtyard, Korra slid to a halt. Her gaze snapped towards the set of ice sculptures circling the center of the courtyard. Another group of bodies lay between them. Not palace guards this time. Much more familiar. Frighteningly, horrifyingly familiar. She recognized Izumi first, with Iroh lying next to her. Katara, Toph. Her heart thundered at the sight of them, a thudding that exploded when she noticed Tenzin amongst the group. And next to him...

"Dad!" Korra raced to her father's side, sliding down to her knees. She held him upright, tried to shake him awake. No response. Same as all the others, he stared forward with blank, lifeless eyes. Tonraq's essence had been removed. His, and all the others. Cold, clawing coils squeezed into her chest, lifting a bubbling sob into her throat. "No, no, no... This isn't happening. This can't be happening!"

Another pair of anguished cries joined her own. Lin and Kya raced towards their respective mothers, Toph and Katara. Same as Korra, they knelt at their mothers' sides and held them. Pain, fear, despair, all prevalent among them. Exactly the kinds of emotions this dark spirit so relished.

"Mom!" Kya cried, pulling Katara against her lap. She made a desperate attempt at healing the old woman, but to no avail. She could only hold her mother's body tight and try to fight back her tears. Even in that, she failed.

"We're too late," Lin muttered. Her voice shook beneath its usual sternness, unable to hide a trembling distress. "We're too damn late!"

"We can get them back, can't we?" Kya shot a pleading, hopeful look towards Korra. "There has to be a way to get them back!"

Korra shook her head, unable to tear her gaze away from her father's blank eyes. "I don't know... I don't know."

Kuvira came to her side a moment later and held a comforting arm around her. Korra sank against the embrace. "We'll figure out a way to save them. No matter what, I promise."

Hari shifted a dire stare towards Anraq. "This spirit, whoever he is, must be stopped."

"I know..." Anraq remained focused on Izumi and Iroh. Those two had saved Azula earlier, allowed her to escape, and they had paid the price for it. "We should at least transport their bodies to a safer location. All of them."

"But what if that spirit is still in there?" Hari said. "Or his minions?"

"Then we stop them. One way or another, this spirit will pay."