Kuvira arrived at the palace at sunset wearing a light green hanfu and matching hairpiece, ready for the gala being thrown in her honor. Baatar and Bolin wore different green hanboks, while Sarita had a long sleeved dark green and yellow kimono. The party and festivities began, and Kuvira couldn't wait to have a chat with the queen.

She spotted her across the room, next to the table of food. Queen Gerel watched as Kuvira angrily marched over to her. She walked outside to the same balcony she knocked Kuvira out on. "I know you were testing me," Kuvira said hastily, "and I know you claim you wanted to see if I have what it takes to rule over people, but how could you chain me up? What gave you the idea I could escape?!"

"I know you're a metalbender," she explained calmly, "and Bolin is a lavabender, and Baatar is a non-bender. I've sent scouts out to watch your progress in Ba Sing Se over the course of the last few weeks. You've been doing a good job."

Kuvira gave her an unimpressed look.

Gerel continued, "And I've met you before actually, and Suyin Beifong of course, over in Zaofu. Remember when you were a kid, trying to sneak into a party one night and a lady stopped you and asked what you were doing?"

She flushed red, hopeful that under the white make-up she was wearing hid it. "...No..." she lied. Of course she remembered. It was the only time she ever got caught trying to sneak into one of Su's parties for special guests. Kuvira was never invited, despite being considered family. Sarita was out there too, but as soon as Sarita noticed they were spotted she ditched Kuvira.

"Sure you do," she said, "you were outside, peaking through the window and I spotted you and asked you what you were doing. When you said you weren't invited to the party, I brought you inside and asked Suyin who you were."

Kuvira said sheepishly, "I remember. Su chatted with me about it later. She told me she had to make the city look presentable and perfect for outsiders to take her seriously since she's such a new ruler so the guest list always had to be short, excluding so many of her 'family.'" She looked her over carefully, "You're older than I thought."

"36," Gerel replied, shrugging.

"Well, I'm not that little girl anymore," she explained, "Su hired me to be part of her security team and then I moved up the ranks to be in charge. So many people in Zaofu have been looking for me to be their leader for a while now, which is why when I decided to leave, they did too, without a second thought."

Gerel added, "You're going to need a lot more than your little old security force when it comes to the entire nation, Kuvira, but enough about that. This whole gala is being thrown in your honor. You should be out there enjoying it!" She pushed her back towards the entrance of the balcony.

Kuvira examined the ballroom more thoroughly as she walked through the crowd. The tables were made of wood, unlike the metal tables Su always insisted on using, so one wrong move with her metalbending and food would fly-not that she had any experience.

Bolin and Baatar came up from behind her. She asked, "Where have you two been?"

"Stuffing our faces," Bolin replied, "the food here is great!"

"That's all you've been doing?" Kuvira asked, "Eating?"

"Well, I don't know how to dance," he confessed, "do you, Baatar?"

"Are you kidding?" he replied, "I've only been forced to take dance classes since I was three. My mother insisted her children needed to be fully well-rounded." He rolled his eyes. The music changed. "Kuvira is your favorite song! Let's go!"

She blushed and asked, "You want us to dance together in front of all these strangers?"

He grabbed her hand gently and tugged at her. The implication was heavy. Sure, the people in her crew knew they were close friends, and they both knew they were growing ever closer behind closed doors, but this was so public. But Kuvira decided not to stop him. Instead, she let him pretend to drag her onto the dance floor. It was so crowded, no one noticed the two of them sway together. The rhythm overcame her, and she began leading Baatar in one of the oldest dances she knew. Normally it was performed with a ribbon, or how she was taught, a metal wire she would bend to her whim.

Together they twirled in circles, down on the ground, squatting, and then up in each other's arms. They motioned with their hands to each other, circling and bringing each other in. Mesmerized, they didn't notice as other people made space for them and stopped and stared. Sarita stopped and watched, impressed.

As the song came to an end, Kuvira and Baatar stopped with the beat and stared deep into each other's souls. There was a connection, perhaps one they knew was there all along, but they couldn't bring each other to say out loud.

"That was..." Kuvira whispered, "lovely."

"A pleasure," he replied, smiling.

The songs and dances went on into the evening, but it did have to come to an end eventually.


The next day, Kuvira went to Queen Gerel's office inside her palace. This was much more extravagant than Suyin's office. Images of badger moles in different statues, sculptures, and paintings filled the room. Mountain views were seen outside every window in all directions. Green tapestries were woven and hung off of every wall. Her desk was wooden, and expertly carved and crafted.

"Well, Omashu would like to officially be recognized as part of the earth kingdom," the queen said, standing up from behind her desk, "is there anything I need to do to insure that happens?"

"The only real thing you have to sign is where you want the railroad," Kuvira replied, pulling out her paper, "that's one of my duties, also, we'll need people in Omashu to become part of the workforce to make sure it gets built."

She paused. "I don't know, I like how isolated Omashu is, and we don't actually need the railroad here."

Kuvira hesitated. "You're not wrong."

"Being connected to Ba Sing Se would make things easier for me and my people," she continued, "unfortunately that also means being connected to the United Republic and therefore Republic City." She frowned.

"Do you have a problem with Republic City?"

Gerel explained sadly, "That's earth kingdom territory, Kuvira. The fire nation caused so much pain and suffering for an entire century, but then they get a whole region and get to rename it because Firelord Zuko is nice? What if he became corrupt? What if Fireprincess Azula killed him and inherited the throne instead? Then what? Would the earth kingdom suffer again?"

"But the fire nation doesn't control the United Republic," she said, "it's a sovereign nation."

Gerel gave her a side eye, "You're so naive. Start looking more into their politics and policies, and you're really see what goes on behind the scenes where they don't want anyone looking."

Kuvira asked, "Have you ever been over there?"

She nodded. "It feels...off."

"You felt it too?" Kuvira couldn't help but gasp.

"The air tastes bad," she explained, "and the spirits and animals, they're all twisted up inside over there, anyone who's connected with the environment can feel it. Here in Omashu we try to stay to our natural roots. That's not to say technology is all bad, but in Republic City, I don't think anyone can be close to nature there. Even Ba Sing Se feels more spiritual than that place."

Kuvira said, "I think I noticed while I was there." She thought back to her original arrival and how she couldn't wait to leave.

Gerel replied, "I told you that you have what it takes. I'll have train tracks, but it has to be on the other side of the tunnel." She extended her hands to take the scroll Kuvira was holding. With a stamp of approval, Omashu was officially recognized as part of the earth kingdom.

"One more thing," Kuvira said, "before I go, there was always something I wanted to do ever since I read Avatar Aang's story about this city."

Together, Kuvira brought Baatar to the top of the highest mountain in the city to the beginning of the city's mail system. "Whoa," Baatar said, "I don't like this already."

"We have to at least try it," she insisted, "come on." She motioned for him to get into the earth box first. She stepped in front of him as he sat down. With earthbending, she launched them down the massive shoot. Baatar grabbed her waist tight and pulled her down, screaming the entire way in pure panic. Kuvira's screamed of pure excitement.

Off to the side, Bolin said, "Oh looks like so much fun! I want to go next!" He watched as they went all the way down and crashed at the bottom of the mountain. Bucket list item complete.


After that was all said and done, the group made their way back to The Iron Maiden. "Well that was fun," Sarita said, sitting down in the office cabin of the train, "for the most part."

"Maybe for you," Kuvira replied, "I'd rather not go through anything like that again. We're lucky the queen didn't do anything nefarious to us." She visibly shook as she remembered waking up in metal chains.

Bolin asked, "Where are we going next?"

Baatar said, "There's no messenger hawk invite this time, but Jae told me there were reports of bandits ravaging a town the next region over. Train tracks are already laid, all we need to do is show up."

Kuvira said, "I'll tell the conductor."


The Iron Maiden rolled into the small town with a roar of its engine. The sight of a full-blown war was happening right before their eyes. Random bandits attacked people left and right, children and teenagers included. Pieces of buildings flew through the air, crumbling under their own weight. Dust kicked up into the air. Full blown chaos as screams of panic filled the streets.

"Whoa," Bolin said, looking out the windows in horror.

Sarita asked, "How do we stop that?!"

"Divide everyone," Kuvira commanded, "Hurry!"

She jumped out of the train and created earth walls left and right. With a bow and arrow, Sarita pinned down two bandits attacking a woman and baby. Jae used his firebending to stop a bandit from nearly knifing a man to death in front of him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" a large man across the way demanded. He lurched his large muscular body forward and asked, "Who are you and what is that contraption?" He gestured to the train as the dust cleared.

"I'm Kuvira that is The Iron Maiden," she explained, "a train I'm riding on to help the kingdom."

The man asked, "You're supposed to be that savior woman who's going to save us all?" He laughed in her face, the rest of the bandits joined in as the townspeople continued to cower.

Sarita, standing next to Kuvira, readied to bow, and said, "Continue laughing and pay the price!"

Heat and pain ran up their spines. They screamed in agony as they world faded to black, and they hit the ground hard.