Invincible

Korra frowned. Azula had been gone for almost a month now, and she was supposed to have returned to the compound yesterday. Yet she hadn't seen the old woman at all, and none of the White Lotus people were willing to tell her anything. The only person left to ask was Katara.

"Is something going on with Azula?" Korra asked.

"What makes you think that?" Katara's smile was as kindly as ever, but there was a teasing glint in her eyes.

"She's late, and she's never late unless she has a reason." Korra frowned. "She went on a mission or something, didn't she?"

"I imagine so." Katara patted the spot beside her, and Korra sat down. "You're still so young, Korra, and there is still a lot for you to learn. Azula is… a complicated person, and there is a lot she does that many would find unpleasant. Yet she does those things not only because she is good at them but also so that no one else has to."

"What sort of things?" Korra asked. Azula had insisted that she begin lessons on the politics of the world beyond the compound, but she still had a long, long way to go before she understood everything. It was hard work, but Korra would rather suffer through all of her lessons now than enter the world without any understanding of what was going on.

"Several months ago, an attempt was made on Fire Lord Izumi's life. The attempt failed, largely because the Fire Lord is herself an excellent warrior. But during the attack it emerged that members of her personal guard were working with the assassins. As you can imagine, Azula wasn't pleased."

"I'll bet she wasn't." Korra shuddered. Just the idea of assassinating someone disgusted her. There was a big difference between using physical force to restrain someone and actually killing people. Besides, wasn't Fire Lord Izumi good? Everything she'd read suggested that she was a fine ruler. "So what happened next?"

"There were investigations. People were arrested. But the assassins were just the beginning, and those who had masterminded the plot had covered their tracks well. The Fire Lord had her suspicions, but nothing solid enough to identify the real culprits, the ones behind the scheming. That is what Azula left for. If there is anyone who can handle intrigue, assassination, and plotting, it's Azula."

"Will she be okay?" Korra asked quietly. She didn't doubt that Azula could handle almost anyone in a fight, but from what Katara had said, these people wouldn't be fighting fair.

"She'll be fine," Katara said. "In fact, I almost pity the people she catches."

A week later, Azula returned to the compound.

"It appears that you've been slacking in my absence."

Korra stopped her exercises and turned. "Azula, you're back…"

She trailed off. The old woman had a sling on one arm and a patch over one eye. She was also walking with a slight limp.

"What… what happened to you?" Korra tried to wrap her mind around the fact that someone had actually managed to wound Azula. It was… well, surreal.

"Nothing that I didn't expect," Azula replied. "I simply found myself dealing with a rather large number of highly skilled opponents. As formidable as I am, I'm not invincible, you know." Her lips curled. "But you should see my opponents. They're either dead or in prison awaiting execution. It was quite a fun trip, actually."

"But… what happened?"

Azula nodded at her arm. "A chi-blocker. She damaged the chi pathways through my arm mid-way through a rather powerful lightning technique. I put a knife in her eye, but I wasn't able to use my arm properly for the rest of the fight, which was rather inconvenient. Ty Lee has already looked at it, as has Katara. It will be fine in a week or two." She paused. "As for my eye, that was the result of some shrapnel after I was forced to blow apart a boulder before it could crush me." She shrugged. "I would have dodged, but I had a metal cable wrapped around my ankle at the time."

"A metal cable?" Korra winced. What kind of people was Azula fighting?

"It didn't work. I simply electrocuted my opponent once I blew up the boulder. It was troublesome trying to untie it, however, so I had to melt through it with my flame. Naturally, that was when one of my other opponents decided to flood the place with water."

"A flood?"

Azula sneered. "Waterbenders are fond of immersing themselves in their element. It gives them an advantage, or so they believe. A word of advice, Korra: never do that against someone who can wield lightning. It tends to end the fight quickly and fatally."

Korra gulped and nodded. "So… you're okay?"

"Of course, I am. None of those fools would even have been able to hit me if there hadn't been several dozen other fools trying to kill me. " Azula's gaze softened a fraction. "Don't tell me you were worried."

"I wasn't." Korra fought the urge to pout. "Not much."

"I see." Azula took a deep breath and gestured at the compound around them. "This place is a prison, no matter how nice it might look, and I am one of the few people here who treats you as anything more than the Avatar. No doubt you were worried that if something were to befall me, you would find yourself with even less company than you currently have."

"You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know." Korra glared at the wall, avoiding Azula's gaze. "So what if I was worried about you? I was just trying to be nice."

"Your concern for me is unwarranted. I can handle myself. But… I do appreciate it." Azula chuckled softly. "Do not worry, Korra. You're stuck with me, at least until you finish your training, and likely for a long time after that. Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid once you start travelling the world."

Korra's lips twitched. "So you do care."

"Of course." Azula turned and started walking back inside the compound. "It would be a shame if something happened to you after all the effort I put into training you."

X X X

Author's Notes

As always, I do not own Legend of Korra. I am not making any money off of this either.

Korra doesn't have a lot of company at the compound, so the thought of losing someone that she views as friend and mentor is quite unsettling for her. Throw in the fact that she's never really seen Azula hurt, and it's no wonder that she's worried. But, like Azula said, you should see the other guys. Or what's left of them. Naturally, Azula left a detailed study plan for Korra while she was away. Korra might not have Azula's knack for politics, but Azula is going to make sure that the Avatar can hold her own against all of the treachery that she is likely to encounter.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.