Azula squinted curiously at the scroll in her hands as she followed Korra through the main hallway of the Sato mansion. The illustrations and wording both confused and astounded her, unlike anything she had seen before in regards to firebending. The style depicted was fluid, graceful, but also restrained and passive. Far closer to waterbending than the sharp, powerful motions of modern firebending.

"So, this scroll..." She lifted her eyes to glance at the former Avatar. "It's supposed to be able to heal Mai and Ty Lee, and the others?"

"According to what it says, yeah," Korra replied. "It's some kind of fire healing, meant to restore both spirit and body, rather than destroy. I've never seen anything like it before."

Azula looked back to the scroll. "It is remarkable. To think that firebending at one time could heal. I suppose it's no surprise that such an ability was lost over the centuries, with how volatile the Fire Nation became. Nowadays, I don't think you could find a firebender that pulls their bending from a place of peace, rather than hostility."

"Except for the Sun Warriors," Korra said. "Plus you and Zuko."

"Is that why you tasked me with this?"

Korra nodded. "Exactly."

Azula stopped walking, forcing Korra to stop as well. She narrowed her eyes, giving the former Avatar a confused glare. "Why not go to Zuko? Surely you'd trust him with something like this more than me."

"Honestly? Because I believe in your ability." Korra took a step closer, lowering her focus to the parchment. "The method described in that scroll requires precise control and meticulous attention. Who better than the Fire Nation prodigy?"

Azula tried to hide her surprise with a quick look away, focusing instead on the scroll. To think, the Avatar of all people could have such confidence in her. "Well, I suppose you do have a point. I promise your trust in me will not be misplaced."

Korra smiled. "I know."

As the two started walking again, Azula gazed around at the mansion's elegant décor. "So, why are they being held here, of all places? Surely the Republic City prison would be a better location to contain them."

"Because they're not criminals," Korra said, with a soft sigh. "They're just not themselves. Besides, they put Toph on guard duty. I can't think of anyone better suited at containing prisoners."

No sooner than she said it, they rounded the corner of the hallway and came face-to-face with Toph standing outside the door to one of the mansion's sitting rooms. The old—or rather young again—earthbender folded her arms and let out a confident scoff. "You're darn right. Haven't had the least bit of trouble with those dunderheads."

"How are they?" Korra asked, with a quick look towards the closed door.

Toph offered a simple shrug. "Fine, I guess. Still firmly under Sen's control, though. Standing guard is pretty boring, but I make the most of it. I will say, I've never been happier to be blind than when I have to escort them to the bathroom."

Azula grimaced. "Alright, that's enough information right there. Let's just get this over with."

"Sure, sure, go on in, Sparky."

Azula paused, glaring in puzzlement at the other woman. "Sparky?"

"Sparky. You know, because of your lightning?" When Azula continued staring, Toph rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's a nickname, you dunce. I give them to everyone."

"I see... Don't ever call me that again."

"Whatever you say, Sparkplug." Toph stepped aside to let them pass, maintaining one of her signature uninterested expressions, even as Azula continued glaring at her on the way by.

The four prisoners sat on one of the couches inside the sitting room, each of them bound in metal restraints that held their wrists and ankles in place. Another strip of metal wrapped across their mouths to silence them. Toph had certainly made sure they wouldn't be able to do anything to escape, although that did nothing to quell the ire in their eyes as they looked up to see both Azula and Korra enter through the door.

Azula studied Mai and Ty Lee with an intense stare before shifting her focus over to Sokka and Suki. Each of them returned the same hateful glare back at her. With a sigh, she placed the scroll down on the table and gave it another quick read-through. Seemed like a simple enough process, but then she had never before attempted a form like this. No telling how long it would take to get this right. For all she knew, she might fail miserably.

No, that was no way to think. She was Azula, Princess and Prodigy of the Fire Nation. She would get this right. She would be perfect. Taking position in the center of the room, she took in a deep breath and steadied it with her hands held together in front of her abdomen. As she breathed in, her hands went up, and as she breathed out, her hands went back down. She slid one of her feet forward across the floor and whirled her hands around in a sweeping circle in front of herself, with her palms moving around directly opposite one another.

A wave of heat emanated from her fingers, made visible by a blue glow. The light was not quite fire, but more than simple sparks. When the wave built to a searing glow, she pushed her palms carefully forward. The wave spread through the air and washed over the four individuals in front of her. Heat enveloped them, bolting each of them straight at attention with wide eyes. Muffled gasps of surprise pushed around their metal gags, and seconds later they fell back against the couches. Within moments, they drifted into unconsciousness.

Azula furrowed her brow. "Did it work? Did I heal them?"

"I'm not sure," Korra said, with an equally puzzled look. "Something happened, though."

"Well duh something happened." Toph leaned into the room to voice her opinion, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. "They didn't all decide to take a spontaneous nap at the same time. Let 'em rest a while, I'm sure they'll wake up eventually. As far as I can detect, their vitals are normal."

"Well, alright then." Korra gave the four sleeping individuals a long parting look before making her way out of the sitting room, while Azula followed close behind. "I suppose we should see if Asami made those copies of the other scroll yet."

"Way ahead of you, Korra," called a voice from down the hall. Jinora hurried towards them with a bundle of rolled papers tucked under her arm. She handed one scroll each to Korra, Azula, and Toph. "Here are the copies. Asami sent me out to distribute them to everyone."

"Oh, thanks," Korra replied, giving her friend an appreciative smile. "I guess we should get started."

"You all realize I can't read this, right?" Toph said, holding up her scroll.

Korra's eyes flared in sudden revelation, prompting an awkward shift of her stance. "Oh, right... sorry. I'll send Bolin or Su by later. They can help you with it."

Azula unrolled her paper and gave the illustrations a cursory glance. With a cocky scoff, she rolled it up again and set off down the hallway. "As I said, I'll have it memorized in an hour."

"Hold on." Korra quickened her pace to catch up. "I'll come with you. We can train together."

"Actually," Jinora said, with a quick raise of her hand, "if it's alright, I need to talk with you first."

Korra paused, giving the airbender a curious gaze. "Oh, okay."

"What a shame," Azula said, with an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose we'll have to take a rain check on that. See you around, Avatar."

Korra followed Jinora farther down the hall, into a small sun room near the east side of the mansion. "So, what's this about?"

"It's about when we were attacked in the South Pole, when Sen came back the second time," Jinora explained, as she took an idle step towards one of the large open windows. She peered outside, her gaze lost and unfocused. "I tried to tell you before when I meditated to the Spirit World, but I got cut out before I could, and there hasn't been a good time since then."

"What is it?"

Jinora sighed, and gently turned away from the window. "It's about the newest minions Sen brought back to serve him. I wasn't sure when I first saw them, but I knew I had seen them somewhere before. That's when I remembered."

Korra's brow lifted in curiosity, but she also maintained a certain caution. "Who are they?"

Jinora hung her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "Korra… we could have a huge problem."


Republic City Police Headquarters was quiet in the early evening. Fewer officers worked the evening and night shifts, and those who did typically went out on patrol. Only the secretaries and a few men on call remained at the station itself. That left the training yard open to the three individuals who now occupied it. Mako and Hari stood off to one side, each going through the form of their bending type depicted on the copy of the scroll they had received. P'Li stood alone on the other side of the yard, practicing her form same as the others.

Mako's attention drifted on occasion towards the tall woman across the yard, half-expecting her to make a sudden attack. He'd been more than a little cautious when she had requested to come along with him over the course of the afternoon, while he coordinated things with the police and the United Forces. While Korra had made the decision to give the former Red Lotus member a second chance, that decision still didn't sit right with him. They couldn't really trust her, could they? At the very least she hadn't caused any problems yet. In fact, she'd been rather passive, hanging back out of the way while he went about his business that day. With any luck, things would stay that way.

"Are you getting any of this?" Mako asked, glancing towards the sandbender. "I can't make heads or tails of some of these motions."

"These forms are certainly unique," Hari replied, as he bent his knees and shifted into a flowing, spiral motion, as opposed to the usual firm steps of earthbending. "The movements for this one are different from most known earthbending styles, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

"Well, that makes one of us." Mako twisted his body and traced a pattern in the air with his hands. His feet faltered, and be nearly tripped before steadying himself.

"If you need help, I might suggest asking someone studying the same form as you," Hari said, with a quick look across the yard. "I don't think you'd find my input on firebending very valuable."

Mako followed the glance towards P'Li, who seemed to have a firmer handle on the movements so far. With a frown, he looked away again. "Yeah, I think I'll just keep trying myself. I don't need that kind of help."

"You realize I can hear you, right?" P'Li shot a look of her own towards them, and straightened to her full height.

"Well, I wasn't whispering, was I?" Mako said.

P'Li's gaze narrowed. She made her way slowly towards him, keeping her eyes locked on his the entire way. When she stepped in front of him, she craned her head to stare straight down, as she towered more than a head taller than him. "If you have a problem with me, say it to my face. You've been side-eyeing me all day, and it's really starting to piss me off."

Mako stared straight back at her, even if he did have to tilt his neck upwards. "Can you blame me? My entire experience with you has been you trying to kill me and my friends, starting riots, hurting innocent people, and taking out government leaders. So excuse me for being a little cautious."

"That's why I'm here right now. To make up for all that."

"Right, because it's just that simple." Mako shook his head and took a deep breath inward. "Korra may have decided to give you another chance, but believe it or not, I don't always agree with her, even if she is the Avatar. This happens to be one of those instances."

P'Li folded her arms square across her chest. "Didn't you get the memo? She's not the Avatar anymore."

Mako glared harder at her. "You're wrong. It's not the ability to bend all for elements that makes her the Avatar. It's more than that. It's what she represents, and what she means to people and the world. She's shown that every step of the way, ever since she first came to Republic City all the way to now. If you're serious about making amends, you might try remembering that and showing some respect."

P'Li continued staring, piercing his gaze with hers. A moment longer, and her combative posture faltered, visibly relaxing. "Look, I'm trying to make the most of this second chance. That's why I'm fighting Sen. I don't need you to trust me in order to do that, so I really don't care what you think of me or my opinions. Either way, we're on the same side here. We all are. So get used to it."

Mako rolled his eyes, and turned away to continue his practice. "What do you even plan on doing after this is over, anyway? Once we beat Sen and you're free to do whatever, what then?"

"How should I know? I haven't really had time to think about it." Shifting her attention away, she returned to the stance depicted on the scroll and continued to practice her movements. After a long pause, she glanced back towards Mako and asked, "I don't suppose you have any openings at the station?"

The question sent Mako's mind into a somersault. He stumbled and tripped over his own two feet, only catching himself thanks to Hari grabbing at the sleeve of his uniform. Hurriedly straightening himself, he spun around and stared at the woman in disbelief. "You're not serious. Don't you hate authority figures?"

P'Li sighed, looking away with her arms crossed over her chest. "I never really knew how much I believed in the Red Lotus and their goals. I believed in it because I loved Zaheer, and he believed in it. At the time, it all made sense. But where did any of it get us?" She closed her eyes, a look of disgust twisting across her face. "Nowhere. All it got us was dead or locked up. We were never going to change anything that way. I get that now. So, if I'm going to keep moving forward, I might as well do something productive, and I'm going to need a job. Not many occupations out there are well-suited for my kind of skill set."

Mako quirked an eyebrow and studied the woman curiously, fully expecting her to retract her assertion and take him for a fool. At the same time, her tone was shockingly sincere. With a disbelieving shake of his head, he replied, "Honestly, it's mostly paperwork." He almost chuckled at the near-horrified glare P'Li shot him. Almost. "I know, right? They don't tell you that when you first start, but you'll spend at least half your time at a desk filling out forms."

P'Li recoiled with a grimace. "Maybe the military, then." She contemplated a moment longer, as a slow smirk curled across her face "Or a bounty hunter."

"Do whatever you want. I still don't believe you, but I'm not going to argue. We need to get back to practicing, anyway."

P'Li eyed him a moment longer, watching as he went through the form again. "Your style sucks, by the way."

Mako shot a glare towards her. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"What, and you're any better?"

P'Li's smirk grew. "Oh, I'm a much better firebender."

He pointed at her with an overzealous scoff of indignation. "You can't even lightningbend!"

"So? You can't combustionbend," she countered, offering a simple shrug. When Mako's glare intensified, she rolled her eyes. Taking a few steps towards him, she took the initial stance of the form and went through it step by step. "Look, your footwork is sloppy, you're too stiff, and you're unfocused. Just follow my lead and let me show you how it's done."


Sokka awoke with a tired grunt, blinking his eyes open to see nothing but a swirl of blurry images. With a few rubs of his eyes, things became clearer. He was in a sitting room of some kind, in what looked like a mansion. Huh. Not a bad place to wake up, all things considered, but what was he doing here? He squinted his eyes shut and thought back, straining to remember.

Memories roared back in a sudden instant, filling his mind with everything that had happened during the past few days. His head pounded. With an uncomfortable groan, he doubled forward and clutched his skull between his hands. Felt like a sabertooth moose lion had wrapped its teeth around his head and decided to turn him into a chew toy. What he wouldn't give to go back to sleep and forget it all again.

"Sokka? Is that you?"

Sokka opened his eyes again to see a familiar woman sitting on the couch next to him. The throb in his skull vanished at the sight of her, replaced by a sudden rush of elation. "Suki!"

"Sokka!" Suki lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a deep kiss. When she finally let go, she leaned back to look him over more thoroughly. "I don't believe it. It really is you, and we're back to normal! Sort of." She glanced to the mirror hanging on the wall next to them. A young man and woman looked back, no older than their late twenties. "We're so young again."

"I know, would you look at me? I look great!" Sokka grinned at his reflection and raised his arms to flex. A wide grin spread across his face. "Heh, still got it."

Suki stood up and made her way over to the mirror, gently prodding her own face in disbelief. "This is so weird. I was an old woman just a few days ago."

"Not to mention possessed by some spooky dark spirit like the rest of us," Sokka muttered, with a shudder. "There's something I'll never forget."

"Tell me about it. I hope the others are okay."

Sokka folded his arms and gave a matter-of-fact nod. "Oh, I'm sure they're fine. Now that we're here, anyway."

"Sokka?" Another voice called from the doorway, drawing their attention away from the mirror. The young woman standing there was familiar, and yet her image gave both Sokka and Suki sudden pause. It wasn't until she ran across the room and pulled Sokka into an iron-like hug that Sokka realized who she was. "Oh, Sokka!"

"Katara!" Sokka returned the hug with a delighted spark, holding his sister tight until she chose to pull back an step away.

"I don't believe this." A vivid smile curled across Katara's face, fighting against an underlying grief that threatened to overpower her expression. "It's so good to see you again. I don't... I..." The grief won out soon enough, forcing her to sniffle back her tears and wipe her eyes.

Sokka stood up and held his hands to his sister's shoulders in reassurance. "Whoa, hey, come on, Katara. No need to get all sappy. It's just me, the incredible Chief Sokka, back from the dead." He paused, pursing his lips with intrigue. "Huh, you know, when I say it like that it does sound pretty impressive."

Katara uttered a soft laugh and wiped the rest of her tears away. Her smile returned, and she pulled her brother back in for another embrace. "With all the horror going on, I needed some good news. This is more than I ever could have hoped for. Oh, Sokka..."

"I know, it's good to see you too, Sis." Sokka wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. "And looking as good as we are, I might add."

"Thanks," Katara said, shifting her attention towards the mirror. "It's definitely strange, but we might as well make the most of it, right?"

Suki joined her in the mirror, gazing at both their reflections. "Absolutely. We're with you, Katara. And the Avatar, and everyone else, whatever you need."

"Yeah," Sokka added, coming to Katara's other side. "We'll show this spirit exactly what happens when you mess with the Siblings of the Southern Water Tribe." His grin widened, and he reached over his shoulder to pull out his signature weapon from its holster on his back. "And Mr. Boomerang, of course."


Zuko heaved a tired breath as he knocked on the front door of the Sato mansion. The day had been a long one, in which he'd spent every waking minute coordinating their defense for when Sen arrived. He hadn't slept more than a few hours since first arriving from the Fire Nation. The fact that he hadn't already fallen asleep where he stood was a miracle in itself, but he couldn't stop now. Too much to do, too much to prepare. Now that Korra and the others had returned, their inevitable confrontation with the Spirit of a Thousand Faces would be soon. He had to be ready. They all had to be ready.

In the meantime, he had a small break in his day. Best to pay a visit to Shayu during that time, the poor girl. Even though she'd been allowed to stay in Asami's mansion and had Sinn looking after her, Zuko still worried. Shayu's life had been torn apart twice in the past year. Such tragedy would take a toll on anyone, but poor Shayu was especially innocent and impressionable. Her emotional state since the events at the Fire Nation had been questionable, and that was putting it lightly. Zuko couldn't recall a time when he'd seen someone so broken and distraught. The least he could do was check in on her, and see if he could offer any help.

When the door of the mansion opened, he found himself caught in momentary confusion at the sight of a familiar woman standing in front of him. Not Sinn, as he'd been expecting, but someone who held far more meaning, and who lifted an elated gasp into his throat at the sight of her.

"What's the matter?" Mai asked, offering a half-smirk as she folded her arms across her chest. "Can't give your wife a kiss? You could at least say hi."

"Mai, you're... you," he uttered, barely able to force out the words. He took a slow step forward, cautious, as if not able to believe his own eyes. The last he'd heard, his wife and the others had still been firmly under Sen's control. "Aren't you?"

"Well, I'm not possessed by a dark spirit's influence anymore, if that's what you mean." Mai closed the distance between them and planted their lips together. She held the kiss a long while, before pulling away and pressing her forehead against his. "I'm me again, Zuko."

Zuko chuckled, widening his smile. He reached out and held his arms around his wife's waist to pull her closer. "It's so good to see you again, Mai."

"I'm the one who should be saying that," she insisted. "You look great, by the way."

"I look great? You always looked better than me."

Mai scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him. "Zuko, I was old. You were dead. You look better by default."

"Well, aright, I suppose you have a point." He gave her another kiss, before pulling away and bowing his head. A deep, shameful sigh hissed out his throat. "I was going to tell you, you know. About me, about Izumi and Iroh. I wanted to. I just..."

Mai shushed him with a finger against his lips. "I know why you didn't tell me. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand. It's too late to worry about that right now, in any case. Our daughter and grandson have had their souls taken by a crazy dark spirit trying to destroy all of humanity. Being upset at you for not wanting to worry me would be pointless."

He gave a simple nod and looked up at her again, straight into her eyes. "We'll do whatever we can to get them back. I promise."

"I know." Once more, she kissed him. This time, she held their embrace even longer, allowing the moment to linger. When she did finally pull away, she took a step back and folded her arms again. "So, what brings you here anyway? Didn't seem like you already knew I was better."

"Oh, I actually came to check in on Shayu. She went through a lot during Sen's attack on the Fire Nation, so I figured I should see how she was doing."

"Shayu?" Mai frowned, and glanced over her shoulder into the mansion. "Yula's sister, right? Poor girl." With a deep sigh, she turned back to her husband. "Well, I have to take care of something right now with Ty Lee, so you go ahead. Just don't take too long."

Zuko smiled, leaning in to give his wife one last kiss before they parted. "Don't worry. I won't."


The late evening sun hung low, casting long shadows and a dull orange-red glow across the grounds of the Sato estate. Azula looked at the sun briefly, allowing herself a momentary reprieve. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and went through the form once again. She had already nearly mastered it. The physical part, at least. The spiritual part would take a bit more time to get right, as well as harmonizing her inner peace. That was proving more difficult than she'd anticipated. Each time she tried, images of Annie and Kanna roared through her mind. Images of Sen looming above her. She faltered, only to catch herself and try again. Couldn't let that stop her. She would get this right, no matter how long she had to stay out here.

"Well, I see you haven't slowed down since we've been out."

Azula paused halfway through the form and turned to find where the voice had come from. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw the two women standing only a few paces behind her. Two of the most welcome individuals to her in the entire world right now. "Mai? Ty Lee? You're both alright."

"Yup!" Ty Lee grinned with a pleasant giggle, raising her arms up to the sky in a deep stretch. "Thanks to you, Azula. My aura is glowing again, and I feel wonderful!"

"Yeah, what she said," Mai added, with a much less obvious half-smile.

Azula ceased her practice and placed her hands gently on her hips. She looked them up and down a moment, and raised one of her hands to her chin in contemplation. "Well, you two certainly are looking spry for your age. Almost exactly how I remember you." Perhaps a little older than she remembered, actually. Mid or late twenties from the look of it, but still far more recognizable to her than they had been as old women.

"It's weird, being young again after so long," Mai said, with a subtle frown. She glanced down at herself, at her hands that were no longer frail, and no longer lined with wrinkles and liver spots. "I'd gotten so used to being an old woman, I never imagined being able to handle knives again the way I used to. I got jittery fingers in my later years, made my knife throwing difficult to keep up with. Now?" She popped out a pair of daggers from beneath her sleeves into her grasp. With a simple flick of her wrists, she tossed the daggers with pinpoint accuracy into a nearby tree. Both blades embedded deep into the wood perfectly next to each other. "Easy as breathing. It's nice, for sure, but it's still not natural."

"Well, I think it's great," Ty Lee said, with a bubbly grin. "I'm so much more flexible now, and full of energy!" With a quick tumble forward, the acrobat raised herself up straight on her hands and walked forward several paces before stopping. She held herself there on her hands a moment longer before lowering to the ground onto her stomach, legs bent up over her back so she could place her feet on top of her head. Resting her chin in her hands, she looked up at Azula and smiled even wider. "I haven't been able to do that in over forty years."

Azula watched them both with intrigue, doing her best to hide the amusement from her face. She was sure she failed, as she struggled to keep herself from smiling. "Yes, just as I remember."

"We are still much older than we look, though," Mai said, pulling her arms across her chest. "Even if we appear young, we've still lived nearly a century and have a life's worth of experience. That kind of experience gives you a different view on the world, so I wouldn't say we're exactly how you remember us."

"Well, neither am I, remember," Azula said. "I may have died once and come back to life, but I've still been around in one form or another for just as long as you have. I suppose that makes us the best looking bunch of ninety year old women in the world. Although, I am the hottest of the three, naturally."

Ty Lee giggled, flipping herself back to her feet. "Literally, too."

Azula maintained her smirk a moment longer before wiping it from her face entirely. "Of course, none of that will matter if we fail. I need to keep practicing this form and perfect it. If even one hair is out of place, everyone will die. We will, Annie will, Kanna will, and my..."

She let her words trail off, as she lowered a hand against her abdomen. Without even finishing her sentence, both Mai and Ty Lee grasped the meaning. They'd be the first to hear she was pregnant in that case, aside from Katara. Still, they didn't comment on it. Judging from the looks on their faces, they could tell it wasn't something Azula wanted to talk about right now. Just as well. Instead, they came forward and each held a hand against one of her shoulders.

"We're with you," Ty Lee said.

Mai nodded. "Yeah, count us in. I have a personal bone to pick with this Sen bastard anyway."

Azula looked back and forth between them. This time, she didn't even try to hide her smile. "Thank you. Both of you, I mean it."


Shayu sat quietly in the Sato mansion sun room, blankly staring out the window at the estate grounds beyond, where Azula stood practicing her bending form. Whether or not she was actually paying attention to the firebender was hard to say, the way her gaze drifted out of focus. She'd wheeled herself into the room hours ago on her new wheelchair, and had been staring out at the ground ever since, long before Azula had arrived. Every now and then her attention appeared to flick towards Azula, only to drift off into a blank stupor moments later.

Sinn watched from the doorway, maintaining focus on the young woman while leaning against the wall. Wherever Shayu went, Sinn followed, in an effort to help the clearly distraught girl however she could. Poor thing could use a helping hand, after everything that had happened to her.

"How is she?" a voice asked, in a hushed whisper.

Sinn glanced beside her to see Zuko step into view. She replied in an equal whisper, "If I had to make a guess, I'd say not very good. It's been ages since she said anything. She won't eat, won't sleep, and I think the only reason she stopped crying is because she physically can't make anymore tears."

"I'll try to talk to her," Zuko said, with a gentle nod. "Thank you for looking after her.

"Don't mention it. Just trying to do my part as hostess with everyone here, while Asami's still working. Someone's gotta hold down the fort, right?"

"True enough."

"Good luck." Sinn gave him a parting wave and headed off down the hallway. "I'm going to check on the others."


Zuko stood in the entrance a moment longer before working up the courage to enter the room. With a deep breath, he sat down in the chair next to the young woman and folded his hands in his lap. "Hello, Shayu. How are you feeling?" No answer. Blank silence lingered, as he leaned closer to try and get her attention. "Shayu?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" Shayu's voice was sharp, biting, filled with an underlying sorrow that cut Zuko to the core. "My mother had her soul taken by a dark spirit, I haven't seen my sister in over a year, my family is broken, and I can't do anything about it. I'm just... stuck in this chair. Useless. All I can do is worry, and be sad, and cry, and... and..." Her words stammered into a pale whisper, as she sank back into her chair. A horrified look crept onto her face, lifting tears to the edges of her eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Lord Zuko. I shouldn't have snapped."

"It's alright Shayu, really," he replied, bringing a hand to her shoulder. "And please, just call me Zuko. We're friends."

"Zuko..." Shayu sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her breath was choppy and uneven, stuttering with an underlying panic threatening to overtake her nerves. "I am so far from being okay right now, and I don't know that I ever will be. I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do. Every time I close my eyes, I see my mother, I see that awful spirit attacking her, and I just..." She closed her eyes tight, but couldn't stop the tears from leaking down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Zuko stated, in a quiet tone. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to help your mother. Whatever it takes."

"Thanks for the sentiment, but it's pretty hopeless, isn't it?" Shayu blinked her eyes open and turned a tear-streaked look towards him. "Chances are, we're all going to die. You don't need to sugar coat it."

Zuko didn't respond. How could he? If he tried to comfort Shayu and tell her everything would be alright, she'd call him out for lying. If he confirmed her beliefs by telling the truth, he would only add to her grief. Instead, he merely sat there with her, remaining quiet. The least he could do was offer his company.

After a long pause, Shayu looked back to the window with a wistful sigh. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she? Azula, I mean."

Zuko followed her gaze, looking outside to see his sister practicing her new form. Mai and Ty Lee stood nearby, practicing their own martial abilities. "She really is."

"I always admired her, after she let my family stay in the royal palace. She was always so nice to me, but still so intimidating. In a good way, though. Does that make sense?"

A soft chuckle found its way out of Zuko's throat. "More than you realize."

Shayu's expression sank, and she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Zuko. For everything that Yula did to you. Both of you. I... I haven't had a chance to speak with Azula about it yet, since I'd probably just be bothering her, but I want you both to know that."

Zuko stood up and stepped in front of Shayu. He knelt down, lowering himself so they were both eye level, and held her hands with his. With an earnest look, he stared straight into her eyes. "None of it was your fault, I promise you that. You are a good person, and never deserved any of the awful things that happened to you. The kind of pure heart you have doesn't come along very often, but I've seen it before, and I know: you're the best of all of us. Never change, Shayu."

Shayu's breaths stuttered again, nearly breaking down into further tears at Zuko's words. With a deep, shaky inhale, she managed to compose herself and smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Shayu." When Zuko lifted his gaze, he noticed someone else standing in the doorway. The two shared a brief, silent look, before he returned his focus to the young woman in front of him. "Are you hungry? I hear you haven't eaten in a while."

"Maybe a little."

"I'll go fix you something, then." Standing upright, Zuko touched a hand to her shoulder briefly before making his way towards the door. "I'll be back soon."


When Zuko was gone, the new arrival entered into the room. Shayu didn't look to see who it was, instead maintaining her stare out the window. She did hear the sound of footsteps steadily making their way towards her, until the figure finally stepped into view.

"Um, Shayu?" The voice was feminine, but deep, and almost scratchy in its hesitation. "Do you think we can talk?"

When Shayu first looked up at the woman standing before her, she recoiled back against her seat. Sudden flashes rippled through her mind—flashes of a shadowed figure plunging at her from the ceiling, a blade biting into her ribs, and that face staring down at her. Her heart thumped against her chest with terror for a brief, agonizing few moments before she was able to calm herself down and start breathing steady again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Kuvira said, raising her hands up to calm the young woman. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see, but please, I just want to talk."

Shayu swallowed the knot in her throat and looked away. The pounding in her chest gradually weakened, until she forced herself to relax in her wheelchair. "O-okay..."

Kuvira lowered into the chair Zuko had previously been sitting in. Another quiet moment lingered between the two, until she finally leaned forward to speak. Her gaze softened, filling with a remorse so visible it trembled her eyes on the cusp of tearing. "Shayu, we might not actually know each other very well, or at all, but this is so past overdue. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I realize you probably want me to leave and never talk to you again, but I had to say this. I made a mistake, and it cost you something precious. You were innocent, and I... Shayu?"

Kuvira stopped herself mid-apology when she realized Shayu had looked away and started crying. Not simple tears of mourning or sadness. These tears were heavy, violent, almost crippling in their ferocity. Kuvira stared in silence, her mouth floundering in search of something to say. Shayu cried harder, as her breaths cracked with harsh coughs and hiccuping sobs.

"It's not... not your fault..." Shayu uttered, through her sobbing. "Y-you didn't know... You thought I was Yula. She made me w-wear... She was... I'm s-sorry. Yula put you in that position. She was the one... the one who..." Shayu pounded her fists against the sides of her head in frustration, unable to force the words out of her throat. "Damn it! Everything is so broken and messed up, and I can't... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm—"

Shayu's stuttering sobs silenced when she felt the strong pair of arms wrap around her, holding her, comforting her. At first, she seized up, uncertain of what had happened. Her resistance melted moments later, when she realized Kuvira had reached out to hug her. Shock gripped her almost as tightly as the embrace, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she buried her face against Kuvira's shoulder, held her own arms around the woman, and cried harder. Far too hard for any words to follow. She could only weep until she had no more tears left to give.

"Don't apologize, Shayu." Kuvira eased out a gentle breath and gently ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "Just let it out."


Asami tilted back in her chair and let out a deep yawn, stretching her arms above her head. When she finished yawning, she lowered her arms into her lap and straightened the chair legs flat against the ground. The workshop was quiet this late at night. Varrick, Zhu Li, and Baatar had gone home hours ago to get some sleep, but not before working out the last of the kinks in the Spirit Conductor. At long last, they could get it running without the circuit board frying itself. No telling if it would have any effect on Sen, but it was the most progress they had made yet.

Even with their work mostly complete, Asami had remained behind to make some final adjustments. She wanted to be one hundred percent certain there wasn't anything more they could do to improve the device before they had to rely on it. She'd get back to that in a few minutes. Just needed a quick break first, and then she'd run a few more diagnostics. After that, maybe she could head home and call it a night.

The door to the workshop creaked open, followed by a sweet, gentle voice. "Hey, Asami."

Stifling another yawn, the United Republic President looked up from her seat. When she saw Sinn approaching, she straightened herself and rubbed her eyes to appear more awake. "Oh, hey. What are you doing here?"

"Well, it was late and you still hadn't come home, so I figured you stayed to work." Sinn made her way to the front of the table next to Asami and set down the plastic bag she had been carrying. "And that means you probably haven't eaten yet."

Asami breathed deep, taking in the heavenly scent of Kwong's Cuisine. Within seconds, her mouth began to water. "You know me so well."

"Well, as your girlfriend, I should hope so," Sinn replied, with a grin.

Asami returned the smile, and started pulling out the food containers from the bag. "Thanks, this was sweet of you."

"You're quite welcome." Turning her attention towards the Spirit Conductor, Sinn added, "So, how's the machine coming?"

"Pretty well, actually. I think we've finally managed to fix all the little problems we've been having with it. We won't know for sure it will work against Sen until he's actually here, but we have to hope."

Sinn looked at the machine a while longer, before turning again to watch her girlfriend. Even half-starved and almost ready to fall asleep, Asami had a certain glow to her. "You really are incredible."

"Thanks, but this was a team effort," Asami insisted. With another deep breath, she opened one of the food containers and very nearly moaned with anticipation.

"I know," Sinn said, as she made her way closer. "But that still doesn't change how amazing you are."

The continued praise brought pause to Asami, as she momentarily took her attention away from her food and raised a curious eyebrow at her girlfriend. "Are you trying to make me blush?"

"That depends." Sinn leaned forward, bringing her lips close to Asami's cheek. She hovered there a moment, allowing a warm breath to graze lightly against Asami's skin. In a careful, sultry whisper, she asked, "Is it working?"

Asami sank back in her seat and huffed out a pleasant breath. The feel of Sinn so close to her, teasing her like this, made her squirm in her seat. "Maybe a little."

Sin's lips continued, kissing gently along Asami's neckline. She moved closer, taking a seat atop her girlfriend's laps with her legs straddled around Asami's waist. The kisses never stopped, soon traveling lower, and joined by swift hands that expertly undid the buttons of the president's blouse. Pulling the front of the shirt open, Sinn continued her kisses against the bare chest beneath. Each graze of her lips brought a new gasp and moan from Asami's lips, which only spurred her on more.

"Sinn..."Asami groaned, bring her hands around to tightly clutch the other woman's rear end. "I still haven't eaten yet, you know."

Sinn merely smirked. "Why do you think I'm here?"

The comment sent a blissful wave pulsing through Asami's body, fueled by a growing warmth between her legs. When the kisses to her bare chest continued, she let her head fall back over the top of the chair and uttered a shrill moan. "Okay... okay yeah, now I'm definitely blushing."

Sinn answered with a pleasant giggle. "Good."


Korra sat cross-legged in the open night air, in the middle of one of the training fields of Air Temple Island. The Republic City skyline stood before her in the distance beyond the bay, while its ever-present lights and spirit portal cast a glowing beam across the water. Under normal circumstances, the scene would be beautiful. These were not normal circumstances. The impending conflict with Sen dominated her thoughts, making it impossible to look at the city without a powerful knot of dread twisting into her stomach.

Ever since her conversation with Jinora, she had been more nervous than ever. She had been practicing the waterbending form from the scroll since then as well, for the past several hours, only now taking a break when she physically couldn't keep going anymore. She'd resume her training again soon, and probably train long into the night. What choice did she have? Sen could attack tomorrow, and she needed to be prepared. They'd only have one chance.

"Hey," said a warm voice, as a figure stepped next to her. Kuvira lowered into view, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Her approach had been so quiet Korra hadn't even heard her. Or perhaps she had simply been too lost in thought to notice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Korra said, with a shrug. "I still need to practice the form some more."

"Yeah, me too." Kuvira scooted closer, leaning their shoulders against each other. "I've got the basics down, I think, but there's still more to work on. Just needed a break."

Korra nodded, keeping her focus on the city. "Same. I'll practice as long as I need to, as long as it takes to get right."

"Might as well train together, then."

"Thanks, I'd like that." Korra offered a brief smile, but it soon faded with a drifting sigh. Shifting her position on the ground, she raised her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm worried. What if this isn't enough? What if Sen is too strong? What if we fail?"

"Then at least we'll have tried. That's all we can do at this point." Kuvira inched closer and reached out to hold Korra's hand, linking their fingers together. "Still, I know we'll succeed, together. You make me better, Korra. You make everyone better. Because of that, we won't fail."

A gentle smile curled onto Korra's face. She leaned closer to her wife, and tightened their fingers. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you."

When their lips pressed together, they held on longer than either of them meant to. Instead of pulling away after a few moments, the kiss deepened and intensified. Kuvira crawled forward and sat atop Korra's lap, legs wrapped around her hips. Hands began to travel, entering beneath clothing and exploring bare flesh. Shared gasps and moans burst from each other's throats, both muffled by their kiss. Within moments, Korra had fallen flat back against the ground, with Kuvira poised above her, still joined by their lips.

"Mmph... we shouldn't..." Korra uttered, only barely getting her lips away from her wife's long enough to speak. "We need to train."

"We can train after." Even as Kuvira spoke, her lips continued to graze Korra's with each word.

"But we... we can... unnnf..." A deep groan exploded from Korra's mouth, as she felt Kuvira's fingers plunge beneath the front of her pants and dive between her legs. A sharp twinge of pleasure jolted through her like lighting, bringing her back to an arc, and she was lost. "Train… after. Okay, we'll train afteeerrr..." She made one last attempt to sway her wife's actions, as futile as it was. "Th-there are…mmmph…other people on the islaaannd…"

Kuvira offered a smirk as her fingers disappeared inside Korra. Her other hand worked to pull the former Avatar's shirt off. "They're asleep. And if we wake them…" She finished her thoughts with nothing but a simple shrug.

Korra assisted in removing her shirt, now making no effort in resisting the pleasure. The repeated pulses of excitement shooting through her body only made her want it more, so much that her body would have revolted if Kuvira were to stop now. How long had it been since they'd had a real, true moment of passion like this? No sense in stopping it now. With a hot, heavy breath, she reached her own hands up and started pulling Kuvira's shirt over her head, followed by yanking down her pants.

When at last they were both naked in the open night, Kuvira dove back in for another kiss and returned her hands between Korra's legs. "I love you, Korra.

"And I love... love you... tooooo!" Korra's voice cracked in a shrill pitch of delight. Only thing left to do was let her head fall back and enjoy her wife's touch. "Oh fuuuu….!"