For how quiet and small the coronation was, security had been tight. The were in the building that normally housed visiting dignitaries. Soldiers and guards stood in every corner and the Avatar was nearby with her eyes scanning for any signs of trouble. Azula expected an attack at any moment. For the murderers to finish the job and eliminate the rest of her family. Even if the worst happened and she and her brother were killed, there was still her niece to continue the royal line. It was only a small comfort. Azula had no wish to die, and the ensuing chaos would only lead to more people hurt.

Korra hadn't slept well the night before. She'd gotten a good look at one of the bombs that had been dismantled. It was a simple enough device, a clay pot filled with some kind of explosive black powder. The lotus painted on the pot had sent a shiver running up her spine. She'd had a short conversation with Lin that morning. The Chief had tried to interrogate Zaheer, but he'd denied any involvement and had been otherwise unresponsive. Korra thought he'd probably only talk to her.

She folded her arms as the crown was placed on Azula's head. The new Fire Lord was nothing like what she'd been told about her namesake. She was friendly, if a bit stand-offish. Azula liked to have a small bubble of space between her and everyone else most of the time. As she turned to face the people gathered, Azula straightened, seeming to gain several inches as she scanned the room.

"There are no time for speeches," Azula said. "Our nation is in crisis, but we will not falter. Justice will be had. For Fire Lord Izumi, Lord Zuko, and the men, women and children who were lost yesterday. With the help of our allies, these terrorists will be brought to heel."

The applause was subdued. Korra felt her wife's hand on her back, and stepped to the side with her. "What is it?"

"Some supplies were stolen overnight. No witnesses but I don't think it was just an opportunistic theft."

"They're definitely still in the city then." Korra glanced around. The surviving council members were here. A few aides and a dozen soldiers. Two provincial heads who'd been in the city when the attack had occurred. A far cry from past coronations but it was an emergency and they couldn't wait for a full ceremony. There was nobody here who was out of place. Despite that she was still on edge.

She leaned against a wall, closing her eyes and centering herself. The columns that ran in pairs made her nervous. Too many places for someone to hide behind. Asami watched her for a moment before moving between Korra and the rest of the ceremony. Once she was partially obscured by her wife, she knelt down and pressed her palm to the marble floor. It wasn't quite 'seeing' the way she could see with earthbending, or 'hearing' the way she could hear with airbending. And it wasn't quite spirit sight since there were no spirit vines here. Rather it was a combination of all three, channeled through her connection with Raava.

Thirty people in this room, twice as many outside waiting. Korra could sense nothing alarming, but something still felt wrong. Off. Something was off and she couldn't place what it was. She stood, shaking her head at Asami. She wanted to get closer to Azula, just in case. She felt Asami fall into place next to her.

"If something happens," She whispered. "Get the Fire Lord to safety. I'll hold the line."

Asami nodded, hooking her thumb into her belt and resting her hand there. She had a dozen pouches and pockets, and her glove fit on her hand comfortably. It wasn't her old friend, but a new model she'd developed two years ago. Stylish (as always) and with beefed up capabilities thanks to new discoveries. She just hoped she wouldn't have to use it. "Do you think something will happen?"

"I don't know. Something doesn't feel right, but I can't place my finger on it."

They followed Fire Lord Azula out of the building, to her right and a few feet behind. Asami was tense. There were a lot of people here. Anything could happen, at any time. Mako and Bolin flanked Azula on her left, and they seemed as tense as Asami felt. The few people gathered greeted the new Fire Lord with subdued cheers, and the plaza felt woefully empty. On the plus side, Asami reasoned, it would be harder for a sneak attack.

General Iroh had formed an honor guard, and Azula passed through it. She exchanged a look with her brother as they passed him, and he smiled at her. He nodded at Korra and she stopped next to him. "Something is wrong, I can feel it. I just can't tell you what is wrong."

"Okay. I'll put my soldiers on higher alert. I'm not one to question the Avatar's judgement."

Korra clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks. Be careful, you're a target too."

She'd jogged no more than six steps towards catching up with the others and Azula when the air pressure around her suddenly changed. She dodged to the left, something sharp and jagged cutting into her cheek. Her blood splattered the ground as she rolled to her feet. Facing her was Amaya. In current Fire Nation fashion, the woman was wearing a midriff baring top. A red line from some kind of tattoo curved from under her left breast, taking an elaborate course towards her navel. She also sported red tattoos along the chi lines of her arms and legs. Those were new, and the blatant way she'd copied airbenders pissed Korra off. She punched her fist into her palm. "I've been waiting for this."

"Perfect, I can take care of everything at once." Amaya darted forward, a stream of fire aimed for Korra's head.

She caught the fire easily, swirling it around her like a shield, aware of the people around them trying to flee. She needed to buy them time. Amaya attacked again, ripping chunks of earth from the intricately carved stones that made up the street. She flung them at Korra who simply added them to her fire shield. "Nice try, but you and your earthbender are going down."

Amaya chuckled, falling into a waterbending stance. "You know nothing, Avatar." She attacked like a striking snake, lashes of water seeming to meet Korra no matter which way she turned. She caught the next strike, wrapping the water around her hand and freezing it.

Her sudden charge caught Amaya off guard and she smashed her icy mace into her face.

As soon as Korra had been attacked, Asami had grabbed Azula's arm. There were only a few places she could think of that were defensible enough and her first instinct was to get into the air. "Stay close!"

Mako had hesitated only a moment longer before moving behind them to give them cover. When he caught up, it was like he was seeing double.

"A second rate Fire Lord, a so-called detective and a failed pro-bender. How quaint."

Between them and the docks was Amaya, or someone who looked a lot like her. She wore a similar outfit to her sister, and had the same pattern of tattoos extending out from under the top of her tunic. Asami narrowed her eyes. She'd noted that she hadn't even rated a mocking comment. "Korra will take care of your sister, and we've fought people a lot tougher than you."

" I was hoping you'd be more surprised. I owe Nuo dinner. I'm Lihua." She lifted her hands, forming them into fists. Behind her were the air docks, five airships waiting on the circular platform. "One should know the name of the person who kills them."

Earth crumbled underneath Asami's feet. She dove forward, jabbing at the earthbender. Electricity crackled between them. Lihua dodged back, bringing up a wall of earth to block Azula's attack. Azula ran in, the Fire Lord wielding her fire like a flame whip, lashing at Lihua's shield, battering and burning it. Mako joined her, shooting fire from his fists.

As the whips of fire sizzled and crackled, Asami reached into a pouch, pulling out a little metal ball. She bounced it past Lihua. There was a flash of light and the earthbender stumbled out of her protection, hands over her eyes. Bolin jabbed twice, hitting Lihua in the head and jaw with slabs of rock. She hit the ground and lay still.

"Clever," Azula said. She glanced behind her. "We have company."

"Yeah." Asami had her eyes on a teenage boy holding a sword. He was younger and stocky in build, but his face was shaped similarly to the sisters.

Bolin looked from the woman on the ground to the newcomer. They both had the exact same face as Amaya. "Okay. Seriously. How many of them are there?"

"No idea, bro, but we'll take them all out just the same." Mako edged slightly in front of Azula, prepared to use his body as a shield for her.

The third sister formed a lance of ice and hovered it in the air. "I'll tell you after you're dead."

Korra was finding Amaya a tougher fight than she'd expected. Even after Iroh had jumped in Amaya was keeping up with both of them, switching between bending forms and stances like a natural. She was aggressive, and fast enough that Korra was beginning to doubt the other-benders-helping theory.

Iroh was as good as she remembered him, and about as reckless. It looked like they had the upper hand until Amaya turned one of his attacks into a fire cyclone and unleashed it on Korra. Most of the plaza erupted into flame, the buildings catching fire like dry tinder in a forest. Eyes glowing white, Korra rose into the air on a cyclone. She drew the fire to herself.

Iroh cornered Amaya while the Avatar was otherwise occupied. He crooked his finger at her and smirked. "Ready to give up?"

"Hardly." Amaya drove her fist into the ground. Her tattoos began to glow and her pupils turned red as she liquified the earth beneath Iroh. The man sank into it like a stone in water and all around them the fire grew worse.

"I don't want to hurt you." Asami had been playing defensive against the boy, deflecting his sword and using quick jabs and kicks to keep him away. She could only hope that Azula didn't need help with the waterbender.

He ran forward, ducking under her first attack. Asami twisted roughly to avoid a slash across her gut. She grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the chest. He stumbled back, and Bolin grabbed him in a headlock.

"Listen to the nice lady, kid!" He grunted as the boy elbowed him in the stomach, but didn't loosen his grip. He couldn't be more than a few years older than Kai had been when they'd first found him. Bolin didn't want to hurt him. Honestly, he wanted to help him. "It'll be okay. We'll take care of you."

Mako dodged an attack from the woman, rolling towards her and shooting twin jets at her head. She dodged them, ignoring Mako to lash out at Azula. Above all else, the Fire Lord had to die. The trio from Republic City was of only secondary concern - though if she could strike at the Avatar's heart by taking them out, then she would.

Azula jumped over the water whip. She didn't give the waterbender time to react before striking with her own fiery whips. Tendrils of flame cracked on either side of the woman. "Surrender, and I promise you a fair trial." A part of her wanted to give in to the anger and grief that had wormed it's way into her heart. That wasn't what her grandfather and mother would have wanted and that thought tempered her.

The woman laughed, drawing water from a pouch. It came out in a tendril, then suddenly splashed to the ground as her tattoos glowed red. "What? No, not now!"

Cautiously, Azula held out her hand. "I'm giving you one more chance to surrender." She wanted answers. She needed answers.

She didn't answer, trying to summon the water back under her control. It moved, but weekly and she cursed vividly.

Mako changed stances. "Times up, we're doing this the hard way."

Before Mako could attack, something heavy slammed into his side. He skidded on the ground for several feet and groaned as he tried to get his bearings. Azula landed on top of him a moment later. She struggled to her feet, pulling Mako up with her. The detective stepped between her and their opponents.

"Come now, Nuo." Amaya formed a dozen spears of ice and angled them towards the Fire Lord and her boyfriend. "Do you honestly think I'd let you get hurt? Lets finish this and enact phase two."

"Avatar giving you trouble? Did you use-"

"Quiet! We'll deal with her in the Earth Republic." Amaya cut her off. A pair of metal orbs bounced at her feet, she looked down and was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. On instinct, she kicked the second orb away. Her hair rose on her skin as the electricity crackled nearby. Blindly, she attacked with her ice lances. She rocked the earth, throwing flame wrapped boulders around. The neighborhood caught fire.

Mako grabbed Azula's hand and they ran, Asami and Bolin close behind. Azula ducked around a corner, leading them into building. "This way. We can cut through here and regroup with Avatar Korra." She pressed a finger to her temple. "My whole city is going to burn at this rate."

"They're going to go to the Earth Republic next," Mako said. "But that doesn't mean they won't come after you again. We have to stop them."

"Lets just find Korra." Asami peered down the street, then started to jog up it. As they got closer to the royal district, the smell of burning wood greeted their nostrils. Azula broke into a sprint.

Korra greeted them in the plaza, her clothing scorched and torn. One building had been lost, but most of the rest had been saved. The gash on her face was still bleeding. Iroh sat nearby, covered in mud.

Asami looked her wife over, her breath catching in her throat. "Korra! Your face…" She pulled out a compact mirror to show her.

It was much deeper than Korra had realized. She pulled some water from a nearby well to start healing it. "I'm fine, but Amaya got away. She torched the plaza and turned the ground to liquid rock and it was let her go or lose Iroh."

"You should have left me," Iroh stated. For the third time since it had happened.

"We'll catch up with her," Korra promised. "I'm not letting her get away."

Azula sat down next to her brother, putting her hand on his arm. "She said something about the Earth Republic."

"They're triplets." Asami put her mirror away. She moved closer until her hip bumped into Korra's. "Water and Earthbender. They also have a non-bender little brother."

Korra frowned. "If you were fighting them, how did Amaya bend multiple elements against me and Iroh?"

It didn't make any sense, but Mako offered what he'd seen. "The waterbender's bending stopped working when her tattoos glowed."

"...and when Amaya's glowed her bending got suped up."

Asami turned the information over in her head. She didn't know how it was possible, but she could only think of one answer. "She's somehow siphoning bending from her sisters."

Iroh looked at Korra. "Is that possible?"

"I don't know. I don't think anything that we knew before applies any more. This is uncharted territory." Energy bending could remove or block a person's bending, Korra knew. Could an energy bender redirect that bending from one person to another?

"Mrs. Sato! Mrs. Sato!" A Future Industries worker ran up the road towards them. "Some women stole one of the airships!"

"Can't you make this thing go any faster?" Korra asked. She leaned on a railing and stared out the front window. She couldn't even see the other airship anymore.

Asami shook her head. "I'm sorry, but they stole the fastest one we have."

"Yeah. They stole mine." Gripping the railing, Korra closed her eyes. There was no use getting angry over an airship. She needed to focus. Naga nudged her head under her hand and she scratched absently at the polar-bear dog. "Bo, what's the word from Republic City?"

He looked up from the radio. "Jinora says everything is quiet. She also said she was going to look into what that firebender did to take her sisters' bending. She has some ideas, or something."

Mako folded his arms, leaning against the bulkhead. He wondered if he should have stayed behind to help protect Azula. Iroh was there, but there was no telling how many other Red Lotus were still in the Fire Nation. "The Red Lotus seems to attract powerful benders."

"That kinda makes sense," Bolin suggested. "I mean, if you're like this powerful super bender or something then the world going all anarchy isn't going to affect you all that much. If anything you're going to be at the top of the mountain."

"And Amaya was specifically trying to turn benders and non-benders against each other again. We fight amongst ourselves and they just step in to pick up the pieces." Asami stepped away from the flight controls, and started to open a panel. "I'm going to see if I can get some more juice out of the engines…"

Korra glanced at Mako. "Do you think she's an opportunist, or a true believer like Zaheer?"

"Either she's a very good actress, or she's a believer. There was a lot of passion in her voice when I fought her."

"Great." That confirmed her own opinion. The last person Korra wanted to fight was a true believer. They didn't give up, not when fighting for their cause. It made them extra dangerous.

The airship suddenly lurched. Asami climbed out of the panel and dusted her hands off. "There, I think we can catch up to them. The engines are going to end up shot, though."

"Thanks, Asami. If we can get close enough I can fly over and bring them down." Korra squeezed Asami's shoulder. "Hopefully without damaging the airship."

"Whatever you can break I can fix." The triplets were planning something and people were going to get hurt. An airship would be an acceptable loss to stop them. Asami just hoped that was all they lost before it was over.

They were over land before they spotted the other airship again. Mako pulled out a map, spreading it on a table. "There's not much if they keep going in that direction. Ba Sing Se, the dam…"

"Oh no," Korra said.

"They wouldn't seriously try to break the dam, would they?" Bolin looked between his brother and his best friends. "Thousands of people would drown!"

"And even more would starve to death," Mako said. "There's a lot of farmland below that dam. What doesn't wash away won't have any irrigation anymore."

Alarm filtered through Korra's voice. "Asami?"

She looked at her wife, and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't get it to go any faster, Korra, not without serious risk. We're already close to blowing the engines. I do anything else and we could blow up the whole ship."

"Honey, if that dam breaks..."

"I know." Asami pulled goggles out of her pocket. "I'll be in the engine room."