Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Probably Tenzin. He seems like one of the most popular characters and a lot of interesting stuff is done with him.

Zigzagdoublezee: Kuvira understands the value of morale, and in any case I think after the few years she's had she might feel she deserves to relax for a bit. And the problem with Chao isn't that he's not bright, necessarily, he's just scared of Kuvira.

Thunder: I don't like Kuvira and have drawn heavy inspiration from numerous real world authoritarians when writing her (though not Hitler so much). But everything else falls within the realms of spoilers. I may do what you wish... but I may not. Only I know.

As Always, Please Review!

Mako

Mako stood at the window and watched as the clouds parted and the Capital City of the Fire Nation came into view below him.

The city was situated inside a large natural harbour, and protected by the crater of a volcano that cupped it, providing formidable natural defenses. Several grey warships were moored in the harbour nearby.

The city itself looked very old fashioned, especially in comparison to Republic City. There were no skyscrapers, no shining buildings made from metal or glass. In most respects, the city still looked like it must have looked for hundreds of years.

The only major change was that a large area outside the caldera had been flattened out, and turned into an airship park. It was here that the pilot was aiming.

Despite himself, Mako felt excitement surging through him. He was going to see Hotaru again! Their last meeting had been rather overshadowed by Kuvira's coup and the subsequent escape, so he was looking forward to actually getting to talk to her.

Oh, and help the United Republic too, of course.

Wu appeared next to him.

"Phew!" He declared loudly. "Why is it so hot?"

"That's just their climate," Mako told him. "Hot is what they do."

"Great," he grumbled. "Did we bring any warm weather clothing?"

Mako sighed.

"There's some loose robes in the back," he said. Wu thanked him and wondered off to get changed.

The airship continued to descend, and soon the cityscape was lost behind a high wall of rock. Mako grabbed something to steady himself as the landing gear was deployed and the airship touched down. Airport workers wearing bright red jackets rushed up to them and used ropes to tie the airship down. Then there was a hiss of air and the ramp descended.

A moment later there was a commotion and Wu rushed up to him, sliding his arm through the sleeve of the baggiest green robe Mako had ever seen. He spread his arms, which now had an enormous curtain of fabric hanging from them.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Mako thought it looked huge, but he nodded.

"You look regal. Let's go!"

Together, the two of them moved towards the ramp. As soon as the descended a wave of heat slammed into them, along with a sun so blinding that Mako had to hold his hand in front of his eyes.

"You must be the Earth King!" A voice said in front of him. Mako lowered the hand and squinted to find a delegation standing in front of him. Several Fire Nation officials bowed in unison. Mako looked worriedly across at Wu.

The Earth King stepped forwards, and bowed. "Hello!" He chirped. "I thank you for the welcome."

"When Raiko told us you were coming, we had to come and greet you," one said politely. "My name is Jiro, and I'm the Foreign Minister. Apparently you have a proposition for us."

Mako looked around, but nobody else was paying them much attention. A few guards looked bored nearby.

"Yes," Mako nodded, intruding into the conversation for the first time. "I'm Mako, companion of the Avatar and representative of the United Republic, by the way. I have a message for the Royal Family. Could you take us to them?"

"We know who you are, Mako," a new voice came from behind the clump. A smaller figure with a familiar looking hairpiece and very familiar amber eyes stepped out from behind them, and Mako and Wu immediately dropped into a bow at the sight of her.

Princess Hotaru smiled thinly as she looked down at them.

"You may rise." She said in an oh-so-regal voice.

"Who-what-I mean what are you doing here?" Mako gabbled, and instantly regretted it.

"Why, I am greeting my honoured guests, of course!" Hotaru replied. "It wouldn't do to damage relations with the United Republic by insulting their delegate."

She paused.

"So I would advise you not to give me a reason to."

Mako smiled back.

"I'll try not to."

There was a moment's silence, that seemed to drag on for far longer than that. Hotaru appeared to be studying his face intently.

"It's good to see you again," Mako said after a while, sincerely.

"It'a good to see you too," Hotaru replied. "We didn't get much of a chance to talk last time."

"No, Princess. Sorry about that. I had... other things to worry about."

Mako hadn't noticed how close he had got to Hotaru before he heard a cough and looked up to find Wu and the officials staring at him impatiently. They took a step backwards.

"Right," He said, awkwardly. "I suppose I'd better fill you in."

"I suppose you'd better," Hotaru agreed. "Shall we walk?"

The group moved away from the airship and towards a column of waiting Satomobiles.

"How have you been?" Mako asked.

"I should be asking you that," Hotaru replied. "You seem to have had a rougher time of it than I."

"No offence, but I reckon that's always been true," Mako pointed out. "I've been fine."

"Well, that is true," Hotaru conceded. "But also, ouch."

"Sorry," Mako said. "I probably could have framed that more diplomatically."

"Have you ever done this diplomacy thing before?" Hotaru asked.

"Well..."

Hotaru laughed lightly.

"Don't worry," she said. "Just be nice to everyone and you can't go far wrong."

"Thank you," Mako replied gratefully.

Hotaru paused for a moment, and then looked around quickly.

"Look, I am pleased to see you again, but I don't think you came here for pleasure," she said.

"No, that's just a happy side effect," Mako said before he could stop himself, and then went bright red. Hotaru gave him a strange look and then gently swatted his arm.

"Shut up," she mumbled. "Anyway, what was it you were sent here for?"

"The United Republic needs your help," Mako told her.

"I see," Hotaru frowned. "Kuvira?"

"Yes. She didn't take our little stunt in Ba Sing Se well, apparently."

"I'm sure she didn't like your little stunt in Zaofu either," Hotaru pointed out.

"I'm sure she didn't. The thing is, Lin Beifong may have used United Republic assets to intervene to save her family."

"She did?" Hotaru asked. Then she rolled her eyes. "So she provoked Kuvira into attacking the United Republic, is that it?"

"She didn't mean to! But I'm afraid it is," Mako replied. "Although I don't think Kuvira needed much encouragement. Bolin said she seemed eager after the referendum."

"What's she doing at the moment?"

"I don't know," Mako replied. "Probably on a wild goose-swan chase for traitors all over the Earth Kingdom. Either way, she hasn't attacked us yet."

Hotaru nodded, stopped, and turned to him.

"So what, precisely, do you want from us?"

"Support, I suppose," Mako shrugged. "Raiko is hoping that Fire Nation support for the United Republic will make Kuvira see that a war would be hopeless and back down. Joint exercises, maybe?"

"And if Kuvira doesn't back down?" She pushed.

Mako sighed. "Then he's going to hold you to your treaty obligations."

"That would mean war with the Earth Kingdom," Hotaru pointed out.

Mako thought about pointing out that it wasn't a Kingdom any more, but decided that would be needless pedantry that would get him nowhere.

"I know," he told her instead. "I don't ask this lightly."

"And I cannot give it lightly," Hotaru told him. "Well, I can't give it at all, my mother is the Firelord. But after the Hundred Years' War we would be painted as the aggressors in basically any conflict."

"I know," Mako nodded. "I'm here to plead our case, that's all."

Hotaru nodded. "Shall we talk further in the Satomobile?" She asked. "It has air conditioning."

"Good idea," Mako replied gratefully. Together, they embarked in a vehicle, which drove off as soon as the rest of their party had got into their Satomobiles. A long tunnel led into the city, and from there into the Fire Nation royal palace.

As soon as the last Satomobile was out of sight, a man in a red robe slipped out from where he had been hiding and looked around furtively. Damn, they're onto us.

Kuvira would be very interested to know what had been discussed here today.