The worst part about growing old, Lord Zuko mused, was getting up in the middle of the night. Not that he really minded the night. He liked the night. It let him think. It made him contemplative. He leaned against a window on the second story of the palace, looking up at a moonless sky. He caught the sound of quiet footsteps, and he strained his eyes in the darkness to find the source. His bladder may be showing signs of age, but his hearing wasn't.

The scent of powder reached his nostrils, and then everything became heat and flame as an explosion lit up the night. An inferno rushed towards him and he caught the flame, dispensing it around him and into the sky. There was just so much of it. Only seconds had passed but it felt like an eternity. And then his body failed him.

Pain blossomed along his arm, his chest tightening and he lost control of his fire as his breath failed him. Zuko fell to his knees, hand clutching at his heart. He feared for his daughter and granddaughter. For the Fire Nation. For the Avatar.

Voices talking quietly greeted him when he came back to the world. He could still smell the fire, the burnt cinders and an acrid smell, like bubbling fat and charcoal. Zuko had smelled burnt flesh before, but not like this.

He struggled to sit up. His limbs tingled and felt heavy. His vision was blurry and it felt like the smog had lodged itself deep into his lungs. Eventually he gave up trying to move. One of the voices said, "Lord Zuko is awake, fetch Princess Azula!"

Gradually, Zuko examined his surroundings. It was a building he didn't recognize. The sky outside the window was hazy, black smoke billowing in the distance.

"Grandfather!" Azula entered in a swish of scarlet robes. Zuko turned his head towards her as she knelt besides him. "The healers were afraid you would never wake up."

Zuko didn't have the energy to grab her hand when she took his. But he could speak. His voice was gravelly and weak. "How many have died? Where is your mother?" He coughed, and added. "Send the healers away. Tell them to help those who can be helped and not an old man with too many years behind him."

He knew the answer. He could read it in her eyes. In the way her reserve cracked, her voice wavering for just a moment. "Mother's gone. There were explosions all over the city. At least two hundred are dead, hundreds more are missing. Our soldiers have disarmed a dozen bombs, all of them with a red lotus painted on the sides."

His eyes closed and he took a shuddering breath. He couldn't let himself think about Izumi. A father should never outlive his child, though he doubted he'd live through the day anyway. Azula smiled tightly, squeezing her grandfather's hand between both of her own. "Republic City has aide on the way. Planes have already landed with what supplies they could carry. Avatar Korra is on the first airship."

A coughing fit wracked Zuko's lungs, and he could feel his heart beating erratically. Warn Korra, he wanted to say, but when he opened his eyes again, his vision swam and he thought he could see Mai. She'd always seemed to have his sister's eyes, but her face…. "You look so much like your grandmother. Azula, listen to me very…."

Zuko trailed off as his body was wracked by another fit. He dimly felt Azula's lips on his knuckles and once the fit had passed, he continued. "Your brother is a maverick. He'll need you to temper him. We need to get word to the other nations. Protect their leaders…Protect…" Another coughing fit left him dazed, and he looked puzzled for a moment. As though he no longer remembered where he was or what he was going to say. Protect the Avatar. Protect the Avatar…Protect…. "Protect Aang."

Lord Zuko seemed to gaze towards forever as the last breath left his body. Azula sat there, the weight of losing most of her family in a single day pulling her heart down. There was nothing left of her mother to bury and her grandfather, the man who'd guided their nation into a new age, was gone.

She pulled a sheet over Zuko's head, then got to her feet. Outside, everything was still in chaos. On the hill, the palace lay in ruin. Smoke billowed throughout the city and the ground suddenly rocked as another explosion went off in the market district. The plaza was covered with the wounded, and the buildings surrounding it were filled with the people who were the worse off. It wrenched at her heart, it made her angry.

The most frustrating part of the attack was that no one could trace the attackers. Every time someone caught a glimpse of them they managed to melt away into the shadows. Whoever they were, they knew the city well.

Until her brother made it back to the Capitol, everyone had to look to her for guidance. She was already exhausted and covered in soot and ash, and it didn't look like things were going to calm down any time soon. She grabbed one soldier by her shoulder, "Find the captain of the guard, I need to speak with him."

"Yes, princess" She bowed stiffly, then took off at a sprint.

Azula clasped her hands together inside the sleeves of her royal robes, and walked at a brisk pace towards a section of the plaza where healers had some of the wounded. Most of the men and women here had been injured by flying debris. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The healer was an elderly man, and he looked at Azula through tired eyes. "Yes, princess, if you think you can stomach it."

"Just tell me what to do."

"There are too many for us to take the time we'd need to sew these wounds shut. We need to cauterize them if we want to save as many people as we can, but I'm nearly spent."

Azula looked down at a boy on the ground, at how mangled his arm looked, then at the saw in the healer's gnarled hand. Her stomach churned. She knelt on the ground, placing one hand on the boy's forehead. He looked up at her with glazed eyes, and she gave him a reassuring smile before looking back at the healer. "I'm ready when you are."

She'd never understand why something like this had happened. Was it Karma, coming back to strike at innocents the way her great and great-great grandfathers had? At least there hadn't been any more explosions since the one shortly after her grandfather had passed, but she still hadn't gotten used to the screaming of the patients by the time the guard captain finally found her. She tucked her bloody hands into her sleeves to hide how much they were shaking as she rose to face him. Her voice was surprisingly steady. "Give me your report."

"We don't think there are any more bombs. One of my people reported an attack on the council building during the last explosion. Two of the council members were killed, the rest have been taken away to a secure location." He gestured towards her with one hand. "You should join them. You're an open target and if something were to happen to General Iroh the nation would fall to you."

Appreciating but ignoring his concern for her safety, she asked, "Any word from my brother?"

"He radioed in about ten minutes ago, his ship will arrive within the hour. Aide from Republic City will arrive within a few minutes."

"Thank you. Find someone who can help the healers here." She nodded her head towards the wounded. "I need to… " Wash my hands "Meet the Avatar."

"By your command."

Hurrying away from the plaza, Azula found a fountain to wash her hands in. It wasn't really enough, but it would do for now. When she reached the docks, three airships had already arrived, and far in the distance she could see the United Forces fleet at full steam. She prayed that there were more healers.

Crews were unloading crates of medical supplies, and Fire Nation Soldiers were guiding Earthbenders towards the city to help clear rubble to reach survivors. Avatar Korra landed in a gust of air next to her. "Princess Azula. I'm so sorry about your mother."

Azula nodded stiffly in greeting. "Thank you, but right now we need to concentrate on the living. Several plazas have been commandeered for the wounded. There are hundreds still trapped. My guard captain believes there are no more bombs, but the attackers may still be in the city."

"You really shouldn't be out here then," Korra said. She craned her neck to look towards the city. "There's enough chaos without the Fire Nation losing both your mother and you."

"I won't abandon my people." Azula replied. She dug her nails into her hand, still safely hidden away in her sleeves. "We've lost the Fire Lord. I lost...we lost…my grandfather. They need to see me."

Korra had felt an anxious knot in her stomach the entire trip to the Fire Nation. Asami's airships had been fast, but not fast enough and airplanes could only carry so much. But the news about Lord Zuko turned that knot into an icey knife that lanced straight through her heart. Just like it had with Toph, Zuko had felt like a comfortable warmth after a long day on the ice, or like a piece of home. And now he was gone, violently and quickly. "I…" Words failed her, and she settled her feelings by suddenly hugging the princess off the ground. Azula's loss was more acute than Korra's. "I'm sorry."

With how people kept picking at her emotions, Azula wasn't sure how long she was going to be able to keep herself in check. "His last request was to protect you. He seemed convinced that your life was in danger."

"He was probably right." Korra put Azula back down. "Luring me here was probably a secondary objective after your mother. But I'm still going to help. Where do you think I'm needed the most?"

Azula's hands itched. "Healers. More than anything our wounded need healers."

"Got it, I'll do what I can." Korra stepped away, flagging someone off of the airship. Azula met eyes with Mako, and felt a strange mixture of relief and trepidation at seeing her boyfriend.

"Azula! You're okay!"

She was glad to see him, but she also feared he'd be a distraction. But his arms were a comfort, though one she only let herself have briefly before stepping away. "Relatively speaking."

"How do you need me to help?" He asked, the seriousness of the situation too obvious to ignore.

"You're Republic City's finest detective," she pointed out, knowing that he'd jump on the chance to help. "I want to know how they pulled this off, and who is leading this revived Red Lotus."

Leadership looked good on her. Mako nodded. "Okay. I'll start with the site of the first blast."

"Captain Shou Hu can show you."

"Azula, when you're ready to talk…" Mako put his hand over hers, gently pulling the sleeves away until their skin met.

"You're lucky I like you so much," she teased. The words were a little forced. She felt raw and vulnerable, but didn't want to show it. She just wanted to reassure Mako that she was okay. There was an old joke between them. The first words she'd ever said to him. "People have lost their hands for touching a Fire Nation Princess before."

"I'll never live that accident down, will I?" He squeezed her hands again, then pulled her sleeves back over them. "But you're worth it. We'll talk later."

It was well after dark before Azula had a chance to talk to anyone alone, and then her first choice was to corner her brother in the building they'd claimed as a temporary headquarters. Iroh's arms wrapped around her and she leaned into the embrace. For the first time that day, she let herself cry. Iroh was barely holding himself together, too, but he'd had time to rage on the trip back. They'd all been so close as a family.

Iroh let her step away in her own time. She'd always been picky about touching people. It was usually limited to their grandfather, Aunt Azula (much to her dismay), him and Mako. And even with them she liked to have her space. She was a lot like their grandmother in that respect and frankly, Iroh had been surprised at how quickly she'd opened up to her boyfriend.

She leaned against the wall. She didn't want to talk about their mother or their grandfather. "Your coronation won't be very fancy. It just needs to be quick."

"I won't be having a coronation."

She looked up sharply. "Iroh, you're next in line, mother-"

"It doesn't matter what mother wanted," he snapped. "It was never what I wanted. Azula, I belong with the United Forces. It's where I can do the most good in the world. I've spent more time around the world than I have here at home. The people know you better." He closed the distance between them again, and held out his hand. "You were born for this. I was never meant for it.."

Sighing, Azula took his hand. Lantern light flickered, casting them in shadow. "You're asking me to take on a burden that you don't want."

"Are you telling me you never wanted it?" They were both ambitious, but Iroh's ambition had led him to the military.

"If I did, I would be lying." She rubbed his knuckles. "I suspect this is part of it, but if you do this, Weichi will be moved down the line of succession, after any children I have."

"I'd rather my daughter have a normal life," he admitted, knowing full well that he was taking any choice his sister's children might have away.

"Did you ever tell our mother about her?"

He shook his head. "I'm unmarried, I didn't know what she'd think."

She frowned. She'd never liked the idea of keeping her niece a secret from either their mother or grandfather, but she'd listened to Iroh's wishes. "Mother would have loved her."

"It's for the best, now. With someone targeting our family, she's safe where she is, and only a few people even knows she exists."

Azula let the subject drop. Iroh was obstinate, and it was too late now. Weichi would never know her grandmother. She found herself alone with her thoughts again. She kept thinking about the sound of people suffering. About that boy and his arm. She lifted her hand, the fire blazing to life in her palm casting her face in orange highlights.

"Hey." Mako's voice intruded on her thoughts, and she snuffed out the flame as she looked in his direction.

"Did you find anything?" She asked, hesitant to step back across the bridge between professional and personal.

"Your people are pretty thorough, but I've already got a lead." Mako moved closer, expression severe. "The unexploded bombs they recovered. I've come across something like them before. A few years ago we busted a group of people who were making them. They claimed they wanted to destabilize Earth Kingdom rebuilding efforts and all evidence at the time suggested it was an isolated incident from fanatical Kuvira supporters."

"Now, you're not so sure it was isolated," she finished for him, and closed the gap between them. "Or that they weren't actually her supporters. Kuvira and the Red Lotus have contradictory philosophies."

"It wouldn't have been hard for the Red Lotus to manipulate those people into doing their dirty work for them. Pretend they're in it for Kuvira, while knowing that the chaos they create served their interests more."

Azula nodded, her hand lifting to Mako's face. She stroked her thumb along his cheek, then ruffled it through his mustache.. "It's been a long day and I still have to make sure that security is prepared for my coronation tomorrow, but I'd like you to stay with me tonight."

Mako's face colored at her request. 'I..uh...wait,, your coronation? I thought Iroh was next in line."

"He's abdicating, before ever wearing the crown," she explained. She ran her hand down Mako's arm. "When we were little, he was always off playing the boy general. It's what he's best at, and where he can best serve our nation and the world."

The idea of dating the leader of an entire nation made Mako feel a vaguely uncomfortable for reasons he couldn't place. But Azula leaned into him, and he hugged her, kissing the top of her head, then the side of her face. "I love you, Azula. Whatever I'm able to do for you, I will."