A/N: I had a feeling so peculiar that this pain would be for evermore. Love and be loved. Read… and review!

The One…

[Late Fall/Winter 138 AG]

Aang knocks on the door.

He can hear commotion from the other side as he waits patiently for someone to open up. The cold of the South Pole is no deterrent for him, but drifting flakes fall onto his shoulders and collect all on the ground around him. The pathway to this door is dusted with the light powder, besides the footprints from those coming and going. The door is a faded red. He's nervous, perhaps even afraid of what awaits him, apprehensive and unsure of what is awaiting him inside. The noise on the other side gets louder and then finally it creaks open, light and sound flooding his senses. A small, dark skinned woman with fluffy hair is starstruck momentarily after realizing who is in front of her. She doesn't have the time to react though. She tries to say two different things and ends up jumbling her words, she says, "Thank you your here."

The Avatar enters, eyes searching the room and he replies, "Thank you. Where are - Tenzin!"

He quickly moves past the woman and crosses the chaotic, busy, healing hut to get to his son. Tenzin lies in a bed under a number of bed sheets, and looks gingerly up at his father.

"Dad? Dad, you're here!"

"I'm right here, son! I'm right here!" Aang leans over the bed and Tenzin rises as much as he can to meet him in the embrace.

"Mr. Avatar, Aang, sir. You need to give him some space." A doting healer interrupts their moment.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure, I know. But," He holds on a little longer before finally releasing. "I'm just relieved to see him."

"I'm fine, Dad. I'm in much better shape than Kya and Mom. They really took it hard. Kya, she almost. She…"

"How did this happen? Did you try to come to a compromise like we talked about?"

"Yes! Yes, I tried! But Mom, she just. She…"

"Did the other woman try to? Did she-"

Tenzin doesn't know what to say. The truth of the matter is that he's not sure if the Guardian tried to come to a compromise or not. She had tried to talk Mom away, tried to convince her to leave her alone. But it was all so hostile and it's been almost two days now. It's harder to remember. Deep down he knows that his Mother probably caused the fight, but he can't admit that. He can't betray his lifegiver and say that to his father. Instead, he changes course and asks the question that's been on his mind this whole time.

"Dad, is it true? Did that woman?" Searching eyes, desperate and afraid. "Did she kill you?"

"I'm here now, right?" Aang doesn't know how to answer otherwise. So instead he compartmentalizes and changes topics, "Where's your sister?"

"Right this way, Mr. Aang Sir." A different healer replies.

Aang follows him out of the room while Tenzin is left to wonder.

Aang follows closely behind but an open door catches his eye. As he goes to streak past it, he catches a glimpse of the inside and comes to an abrupt halt. The healer, recognizes what has happened, just keeps going to attend to his tasks. He leaves the Avatar to deal with his private, family matters.

Aang steps up to the doorway slowly, as if each step could be his last. He stares into the room. It's a tiny room, with a tiny window along the wall. The walls are painted a beige-yellow. It's dark, the only source of light are a couple of candles along each wall. There's a bed that's neatly made, and a woman he knows well sits on the end of it. There's a chair beside the bed and another familiar face sits in it, holding up a water bowl. He is dressed fully in the garb of a Chief. She bends the water from the bowl to heal her mouth. They look up and all stare at one another.

"Welcome to Wolf's Cove again, brother." Sokka greets his in-law.

"Hey Sokka. Wish I was here on more pleasant business," Aang replies, exasperated. Katara is using the water to heal a cut on the inside of her mouth right now, as well as repair a couple of tears on the inside of her cheek. She can't speak so Aang goes on. "So what exactly happened? I got the messenger hawk and came right away."

"Azula happened, Aang. We should've known you can't keep someone like her down for long."

"Did she provoke in some way?"

"Loads of ways! She had a little mini Dragon Empress Reborn. This water bender with ice arrows. Don't get me started on her sword collection either!" He says while gripping the handle of his jian, his Space Sword.

"But what did she do?

"She beheaded someone earlier that same day, Aang. She took Yue's name in vain. She asked Katara how she wanted to die. She threatened to kill Tenzin and Kya, and she almost did kill Kya!"

"That's," Aang pauses trying to understand if there was any possible explanation. Any way to rationalize or understand. "That's not good. Those are all terrible things."

"Yeah. We know. Maybe worst of all? She called herself the Avatar."

"What? That doesn't make any sense?"

"Yes! Katara told me that she said you weren't helping the village, so she had to."

Aang contemplates this for a moment. He lets it settle and flips it around. Part of him has to admit that Azula was right. He was not there for this village, if it's true that they needed him. He didn't even know it existed before the article from the newspaper showed up. He watches while Katara finally bends the water away from her mouth and back into the bowl that Sokka holds with one hand. She looks beyond mad. She seems to embody fury itself. Aang worries about her.

"What about you?" He asks his wife with a head nod. "Are you really going to go through with this?"

Sokka looks up to his sister as well. She speaks deliberately and slowly, emphasizing each word.

"I'm going to find her and I'm going to end her."

RISE OF THE DRAGON EMPRESS: FORMER PRINCESS AZULA FOUND ALIVE IN SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE

Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, now 53, who went by the name "The Dragon Empress," was discovered living in the Southern Water Tribe this week by Avatar' Aang's wife, Katara. Former Princess Azula was last seen alive 25 years ago in Republic City and was pronounced dead by her brother, Fire Lord Zuko, in 115 AG.

The Dragon Empress was a known crime lord and criminal mastermind, responsible for numerous atrocities and a litany of murders after the conclusion of the Hundred Year's War. Allegedly she was usurped by her own inner circle, and was believed to have been murdered by former crime lord and notorious bloodbender, Yakone, although this commonplace story has now been upended.

What's more, The Republic Times' has learned that former Princess Azula was also 'The Guardian' of the Lonlhai Village, which was reported by the Times' late last week as the defender of a virtual fortress, a holy land amongst the frozen tundra. The exact details and whereabouts …

Suki puts the newspaper down, but continues staring at the article in stunned silence. The sun is barely above the horizon. Beams of light peak in through her blinds. She sits at her breakfast table on Kyoshi Island, barely dressed and wasn't even barely conscious before the headline caught her attention.

None of this has been leaked to her. She knew none of it. She is completely unprepared for the fallout or what comes next or how she will respond. Her mind rifles through a million different scenarios of what could be in store of her now. She realizes that it won't be long before Katara and Aang and Sokka find out that she knew the whole time. Then they could disown her when they find out just how much she had a hand in all of it. At that exact second, her ten year old daughter Hana enters the room. Suki spits an expletive out to herself, thinking about all of the consequences.

"Mother fuc-"

"Mom?"

"Fascinating."

Xai Bau folds the paper and puts it down on the coffee table in front of him. He sits at a public, outdoor cafe area in uptown Republic City. Sitting across from him is his loyal lieutenant, Zaso. This is the luxury afforded to them. Unlike the topic of the headline, the Red Lotus has never been publicly outed. A shadow organization that silently pulls the strings and puppetmasters from afar. The machinations of an increasingly complex world allow them to do as they please without repercussions.

"Indeed," Zaso folds his own paper and puts it down. He lifts his morning tea up and sips from it. When he's done he lightly smacks his lips. The hustle and bustle of the city stops for nothing. People zoom past them as they sit in broad daylight. "If I'm being honest, I had all but forgotten her."

"I don't really blame you. She invoked the name in Ba Sing Se while we were preoccupied and then vanished without a trace. Her wife went with her and that was that."

"It was quite the disappearing act."

Xai Bau closes his eyes and listens to the sounds around them of the republic at work. A city fully alive. He revels in it. Without opening his eyes he confesses, "I once told her there were no rocks on earth that I wouldn't turn over to find her. Turns out she just had to go to the South Pole to escape me."

"Do you think she is back? That the dragon stirs?" Zaso asks, leaning forward a bit. He sincerely asks, "Is it even anything we should be concerned with at this point?"

Xai Bau contemplates the question as he rises from his seat. He fixes his robes and clears the table of the crumbs he left behind. He looks up at a skyscraper before them, which should help him in answering the question.

"I'm not entirely sure, Zaso. But our dear friends at the Corporation should be able to extend their search to find her for us. Then we'll find whatever rocks she's hiding under."

Ming Fe finishes scanning the newspaper and then hurriedly rises from her desk chair. She scampers around her ornate desk, across the marble flooring, and in through the open door of her boss and the Chief Executive Officer.

"Mr. Gan-Lan! Mr. Gan-Lan! Have you seen-"

"I have Ming," the Cabbage Merchant interrupts her from his desk. "I can't believe what I'm reading."

"Sir, Mr. Gan-Lan, I know you've always said-"

"I know! I know Ming!"

"What should we do?"

"Gather the Board Members. Call an emergency Special Assembly. Get a private detective on retainer. My attorney and my executor. My son. Get everyone you can. I want to know where she is, anyone who's had contact with her, and anyone who could find her. Stat!"

The long-time secretary to the founder and CEO of Cabbage Corp scribbles some notes as quickly as she can, then exits to make it all happen.

"I knew it! Hahaha! I knew it all along!"

Toph Beifong raises both fists above her head in celebration at the breakfast table. It is a most glorious day for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the 50 year old police chief has the day off, a very rare occurrence. Second, she is getting to spend it with both of her daughters, the 18 year old Suyin and the 12 year old Lin. Third, they have a stupendous day planned of adventuring around Republic City together. Fourth, this bombshell of a news drop about the former Princess is not her problem, at least not for today. Someone else can handle the calamity while she wistfully sits on the sidelines for approximately twenty-four hours. Finally, she gets to celebrate, because she knew it all along.

Lin sighs and puts the newspaper down. "Mom, I really doubt you knew it. The Times' article says it was a surprise to Aunt Katara and Uncle Aang. How could you know it and not them?"

Her younger sister butts in, "Shut up, Lin! Mom knew it and she was totally right."

"That's right, Su! Your ol' Mom might not be able to see, but I saw this coming miles away!"

Lin rolls her eyes while Suyin smiles widely. They know full well that their special day off has just been hijacked. They will spend the rest of the day hearing all about how their mother somehow always knew that this dead lady was, in actuality, alive the whole time.

"Well…at least this helps you write your book? Right? The Times' effectively did all the homework for you."

"I suppose. It takes some of the fun out of it, but the reporter clearly got more of her story than I would've in years."

On Ji and Jin were dodging the rain at the Southside headquarters, waiting for Bing and Beng to come through, when one of Jin's ant-flies inexplicably delivered the newspaper. It was bizarre and confusing but they took it all the same. The moment the ant-fly was gone though, and they opened the paper to the front page, it suddenly became clear. They sit shoulder-to-shoulder and read from the article together. It is a relief to know "Akola" is still alive, but the fact that the article exists is a devastating turn of events.

On Ji asks her wife, 'Mama' as she is still referred to by the younger generations, "Should we be worried? Could this change things for the Southside?"

Jin waves it off, completely unconcerned.

"We don't need the threat of the Dragon Empress to keep the First Bank in line anymore. My concern is with her. She found a home in Siq's homeland. What will she do without it now?"

"That's true. Maybe we should write to the Suki woman? See if she has any contact and can pass along a note about how she is welcome back here?"

While the ever rare rain sprinkles down on Ba Sing Se, the wives in charge of the Southside brainstorm ways to help the Dragon Empress from the other side of the world.

"Hmmm. Nothing will ever kill that woman, I'm sure of it."

Po Boh of Lanxi talks to himself, although his wife Shoyon is awake somewhere. He sits at the kitchen table, a glass of juice in front of him, early in the morning. He does not wish to bring this up to her quite yet. As his closest confidant, she has shared many of his burdens in leadership. She is a great listener, and her advice has privately guided him during his 19 years as the Chairperson for the Council of the Elders. All this while being a loving mother to their children. She will surely know what to say of the former Chairperson for the Council. In the meantime, he grabs a napkin and a quill and scribbles some notes for himself.

Next meeting

Amnesty for 'Asuna the Coward'

Must secure the votes

Create speech on all she did for us

Get Roland's input

Yasuko strides around their cramped apartment in a spaghetti string white tank top and her work slacks. The nearly twenty-three year old is in the midst of her morning routine but it has been rudely interrupted by some Earth shattering news. She tries to go about her business but the woman sitting at her kitchen table is clearly perturbed.

"I wish I had more time to talk about this, but if I don't get out the door in," Yasuko checks her watch, "3 minutes ago, then I'm going to be late, Ukuyi!"

The bald, golden eyed, former Kemurikage sits at the table, a plate of untouched fruit and a spread open front page of The Republic Times'. She doesn't know how to explain what she is going to explain, she just knows it may drive an irrevocable wedge between her and Yasuko when she does tell her. Yasuko marches around getting ready and rambles.

"All those years ago? When I first came to Huwan? It was searching for her! She was what I was looking for, here, in the Dreaming City. I can't believe she's alive!"

"Yes," the 49 year old fire bender mumbles, caught in the twilight zone. "The Princess being alive and well, it is quite a revelation."

Ukuyi and Yasuko have spent the last nearly 9 years together, from the moment Ukuyi finally found what she was looking for in Huwan. In an effort to assist Yasuko in living out her dreams and using her vast knowledge of engineering and architecture, they moved to Republic City over 4 years ago. Now, for the last year, they've been living just the two of them.

Yasuko's history is an open book, Ukuyi's not as much. Such is life as a guardian for a young girl, the sole remaining parental figure for the child from Lanxi.

"What will you do with this information, Suko?"

Ukuyi watches as Yasuko puts a golden pin in her hair, a smile as bright as the sun on her face.

"I'm going to be the one to find her!"

A few moments later Yasuko excuses herself and heads out for work. Ukuyi is left with her thoughts and her fears. She worries about what will happen when others find out, definitively, that the Dragon Empress still lives.

The rumors were all the rage long before some fancy newspaper in a far away land wrote it all out. Those at Wolf's Cove have been whispering it to one another ever since Chief Sokka's sister arrived last week with the Avatar's children in disarray, and unnamed refugees who were to be taken in. Each day the words were twisted or changed, but now the latest newspaper could set the record straight.

One thing it would not do though is ease the struggles to adapt and assimilate for Miki and her family. The trauma was real and not going to dissipate. She returns from the market where she once again heard everyone talking about the story. None of them knew what had happened to her, or Aklaq, or Senna. Only they knew their hand in the story of the Guardian and the Ghost and their rise and fall.

"Mama! Did you find anything good?" Senna calls from the next room.

One thing Miki was set upon though is protecting her child from the harsh truths of the world around them. Just because the whole village was talking about the woman she always knew as On Jin did not mean that her daughter needed to know.

"There's some good, and there's some not as good. We'll make due."

"Noatak! Tarrlock!" Their father shouts at them as he strides past. "Let's go!"

"Coming, Dad!" The 8 year old Noatak replies for both of them.

The boys peel off from their group of friends, wishing them well and bidding farewell.

"We can't be fucking around, boys. There's gonna be a white out later."

"Yes, Father." The 6 year old Tarrlock offers the joint reply this time.

"At best it's a shit storm of freezing rain."

The boys had come with their father to the market to gather supplies before their hunting trip. They were in a hurry, and Father has no patience for dilly dallying. Nonetheless, the boys got sucked into a group of their friends who happened to be around. They were all going through the national newspaper and the story about some Dragon or a Dragon Woman who was found alive. Noatak tries to make idle conversation with his father by bringing it up.

"Did you hear about the dead woman they found?"

"Who? Down by the river? Fucking polar bear dogs again."

"No. It's in the newspa-"

"Boy, how many times have I told you to stop reading that crap?" He shouts at his son. The boy flinches, and so does his younger brother. The father continues, "Nothing in that fucking paper is going to make a lick of difference out in The Wild, you understand me? None of it is gonna keep you alive."

"Yes, Father."

The man who was once known as Yakone leads his sons further out of the village square. He is blissfully unaware of the cover page of the Times as he leads his boys out on a vital hunt for potential food sources.

"When do you think she'll visit us? Do you think she needs a royal invitation? Should we put out the fresh sheets? Oh! We should commission a painting of her coming home!"

The news had broken early in the morning and had instantly set off a chain reaction of personal and political ramifications. While the Fire Nation was mostly a place of peace anymore, this is exactly the kind of thing to stir up drama. An old spirit, born of anger and spite, comes back to life, here to haunt the homeland. While Azula was not aiming for this impact, the idea of the 'Mother of the Kemurikage' has perhaps never been more terrifying to the Fire Nation. The perfect thing for political players and old spooks to capitalize on to push their nation back towards a more offensive approach. These and many more are the expected problems for the Fire Lord and Fire Lady, but right now they are handling the personal sides of this bombshell news drop.

"What do you think, Zuko?" Ursa asks him. "Should we commission the painting? It could go right in that empty space in the hallway outside the waiting area. You know the one? When diplomats and dignitaries come to visit, there's that gap in the wall. It would fit perfectly, just perfectly!"

Ursa is 77 now and it shows on her face whenever Zuko, now 55, looks at her. Her beautiful black hair has been shredded by age and now more of a charcoal with its faded dark spots and greys. There are lines around her mouth and chin. She is slow moving and hard of hearing. Eight years ago Noren, her husband from her second life, had passed away. A year later, Iroh passed on as well. There was a version of this where the revelation that Azula was actually alive could've buried her under her grief. For whatever reason, that is not happening. Rather than being crushed that her first daughter never came to see her in the twenty-four years of her "death," Ursa is actually energized by the news. She is lively and excited, ready to redecorate the palace and welcome Azula home with open arms. A hope that Zuko does not currently wish to kill with grim reality as they amble through the hallways that echo every word.

"Yes, Mother. I know exactly the spot. Maybe we can?" He offers a platitude.

"How excited are you to see her again? Oh, we must tell Kiyi! She can bring the grandchildren!"

"I think she already knows, Mother."

"How? Did you tell her?"

"No it was in the paper, Mother."

"Oh, yes. Of course!"

Zuko rubs the back of his head, unsure of what to do. At that exact moment his wife appeared at the landing of some stairs in front of them. She wears a look of concern. Zuko places a hand on Ursa's back and takes his leave. She wanders off to find the royal chef so they can begin preparing the delicacies of the Fire Nation. She goes on and on, to no one at all, about how no expense shall be spared, no shortcuts taken in preparing for the homecoming of her daughter. Meanwhile, Zuko climbs the stairs and meets his partner at the landing.

"How's she doing?" Mai asks.

"Surprisingly well. A little delusional about the whole thing, but what can you do?" He explains, turning back just in time to watch Ursa hobble out of eyesight. He turns back to Mai, "How's Izumi?"

"Well, just like her parents her first concern was the political fallout."

"That's our girl."

"Mhm. She at one point asked if I thought this meant she was coming for the throne. The way she tried to usurp you, 'Zum was worried she might try to do the same again."

"You put that to bed I assume?"

"Yes. I told her how you and I knew all along, so there's nothing-"

"You did? But we didn't. When we buried her in Republic City-"

"Zuko, it was a few years."

"Four years is a long time to not have known!"

"Regardless, this is just illuminating the larger point. We have to figure out how we're going to play this publicly. Telling Izumi we knew all along is one thing. She's our daughter, we won't lie to her. But the rest of the world? Your generals? The politicians and the public? What do we say?"

"I'm worried less about the politicians and more about Aang, Katara, and everyone else. Specifically Katara. If she finds out that we knew?"

"Fuck," Mai groans, having not crossed this bridge yet. "She's gonna rip your fucking head off."

"Mine? Not ours?"

"Oh, Babe. If you think I'll be the one she wants to kill? You've got another thing coming."

At the tender age of 61, Ai Zhou is far too old to be concerned with the going ons of the young. She prefers a life of quiet and tranquility, a life that has at times been afforded to her in abundance, and at other times has left her bereft. She's not sure what today's front page of The Republic Times' will mean for her quiet, but she is prepared to face it, come what may. She sits across the table from her husband, who is carefully reading each word of the cover story. Finally, The Fisherman looks up.

"And?" She asks.

"Well, it's not ideal."

"Thank you, Lin, my loving partner and husband, for making such an eloquent point," she chides him. He smiles and bows his head. She adds, "What does it mean for us?"

Lin looks out from their rooftop balcony across downtown Republic City. He contemplates all of the various impacts this will have and what it means for his old friend and former employer. Just like Ai Zhou, Lin prefers the quiet of life. He weighs his choices, and he returns to the one that has been nipping at his heels for many years now.

"I think it means that I'm retired."

She raises her eyebrows.

"Effective immediately." He proclaims.

"Just like that?"

"I've been considering it for some time now."

"You have."

"This is just the last thing. Who knows if her friends or enemies will come looking for me again or not, but I'd rather not stick around and find out. It's time."

"What will we do?"

"Hmmm. What do you want to do?"

"I'd love to spend some time at our home in Baochou."

"Sounds like a perfect getaway until all this calms down." He agrees.

"But what of the Empress? Don't you think-"

"Worry not, my Dear. If she needs me, she'll reach me. But at times like these, she tends to go dark."

He pauses and stares out at Republic City's skyline, for the last time in possibly a long time.

"But I don't think I'll be the one who ends up finding her this time."

The sun is at such a place that the branches and trees of the wooded area cast a looming shadow over the meeting place. Ty Lee paces a bit in place, her hands mindlessly rubbing her arms, back, hair, anywhere they can go to stop from remaining idle. She calculates exit strategies and escape routes in anticipation of her clandestine meeting. Just as she's working through some ideas on how to escape from view, a woman steps into the clearing. She has a bushel of black hair, red eyes, a pointed chin, and medium height. She carries a small satchel with her.

"Long time, no see, Lomin." Ty Lee greets her.

"It's been far too long." She approaches and they embrace.

After they disengage and step back, Ty Lee asks, "Suki couldn't make it?"

"She might've been able to make it, and I tried to convince her to come, but she refused. She's convinced that if she's not already under surveillance, she will be soon. These things can move fast, when the right people are motivated."

"Fuck. Is it really that bad?"

"The whole world is going to be looking for you two. Have you seen the paper?"

"The inn that we're currently crashing at gets copies of Times' delivered, so yes. We saw it this morning."

"Have you been careful? Covered your tracks?"

"Yes, but more so out of habit than intention. We didn't take any public transport, we've been checking for anyone trailing us, and we've paid coin-only for any and all purchases. Katara had said she was going to 'tell everyone.' I guess we should've seen something like this coming, but it just felt like bluster. Kind of hoped she would calm down once she had some time to think about it."

"Well, that didn't happen. This is just the beginning. You two need to go into hiding, ASAP. Well, at least one of you does."

"What's that mean?" Ty Lee doesn't like the implication.

"Well, Ty. You still own your home in the village. And you will always be welcomed back. Suki and I talked about it and we think if you came willingly, soon, we could probably convince the Earth Queen to protect you from the Water Tribe's wrath. Unlike Zuko, she's not a biased party in this. It would be her defending a lifelong servant of the Earth Kingdom from prosecution by-"

"Prosecution? From the Water Tribe? We were residents. We lived there and fought there and protected that place. Kept people alive. I gave years of my blood, sweat, and-"

"And none of that matters now, Ty." Lomin interrupts her. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, always the strategist, explains her predicament to her, "You fought the Avatar's wife and two of her kids. Made them bleed, made them hurt. My intelligence suggests that the daughter was nearly killed!"

"But she wasn't! We saved -"

"This is a massive political, paramilitary event. There are going to be consequences. You're seeing them right now, with Suki missing this. Even I am probably going to be subject to some fallout."

Ty Lee is frustrated but the reality is setting in. The feeling isn't much different than she's had since leaving Lonlhai. It's just bubbling over right now. She pushes it down and focuses on the present.

"So you want me to leave my wife behind?"

"Listen, I think Suki and I both are fine with welcoming her to our home in secret. If we're all honest with ourselves for a moment, she has more than earned a place to rest and be at ease. The problem is that I don't think we live in a world anymore where it can be a secret. You can come back with ease. Her? We could tuck her away on Nokizo again, but I think that's treacherous too."

"Why? What's wrong with Nokizo?"

"On the one hand, I doubt that will be left untouched by Katara's seekers. And on the other hand, is that really what Azula would want anyway?"

"I'm… not sure. We didn't discuss it."

"Ty, she wants to be with you. Not hiding out on Nokizo or somewhere else while you're in that lush home of yours in the village. And when people come, and they will come, they're going to find her. If you come back, it won't be long before someone knocks on the door and either kills her or throws her in a padded cell for the rest of her life."

Reluctantly, disappointedly, Ty Lee concurs. "You're right. I… can't come home."

"Not yet anyway. Which is why I brought this."

Lomin reaches into her satchel and pulls out a black box. She hands it to Ty Lee, who knows very well what it is but is horrified to see Lomin holding it.

"How did you-"

"Suki has known for a while that you had this little memory box hidden in that wall. I had no idea, but she told me about how you would want it and I should bring it in case you agreed with us. I paid some Earth bender off the record to come pull it out of the wall."

Ty Lee is slightly embarrassed but thankful. She is flustered and unsure of what to say. Lomin can sense that. She offers, "I know it's a violation of your privacy, but it's better that it's us than the Southern Water Tribe. It'll only be a few days before the Earth Queen agrees to extradite you both. Then they're going to tear your place limb from limb."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Lomin."

"Don't mention it. Seriously. And don't tell me where you're going. Plausible deniability and all that," she jokes and they share a brief laugh. "Just be careful. Okay?"

"Okay."

Ty Lee and Lomin bid their farewells, fearful that it could be for the last time, but hopeful that they'll meet again someday.

Azula has been here before. So many times she's begun to lose count. She sits on a bench, beneath a tree, facing the west, and watches as dozens of miles away a forest fire burns down the woodland. The outskirts of Chin Village are just underfoot, right at the bottom of the hill she sits upon. From the bottom of the hill, Azula is perfectly visible. She does not know what caused it, although she wonders. The smoke and fire billow up above. There is something almost soothing about it. She contemplates the flames and how natural it now feels, for them to burn down everything around them. She thinks about how Katara said she is the same way. Perhaps she was right, and Azula is a destroyer. Someone only capable of burning down everything she holds. She wonders about the purposes of a forest fire. She feels the fire rise in herself as she grows angry about the events that have unfolded.

"Hey! Hey!" A voice yells to her, panicked.

A hand grabs Azula by the forearm and forcibly pulls her up and off of her seat. Her wife drags her back into the shadows, into woods. Azula once again is in the same place where Lin found her originally: starving, sweating, and hiding amongst the trees. Ty Lee scolds her, "What are you thinking?"

"I was just enjoying the view!" Azula shoots back as they both stumble further into the darkness.

"Well, you can't. Not within eyeshot of Chin. The Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe are gonna look here when they don't find us at Kyoshi."

"Oh please, Ty. They're going to look everywhere for us. You can't be afraid of that."

"Of course I can be afraid of that! I'm terrified of it. Our whole lives could end. They could put you to death, Azula!"

She shakes her head. She slowly ambles back towards the daylight, the overlook above Chin Village. "I'd like to see them try."

Ty Lee yanks her hand and pulls her back from the brink.

"What's wrong with you? Do you want to get caught? Is that it?"

"Huh. Yep. That's it, Ty Lee! You figured me out. I want to die!" She bites back at her sarcastically.

"If Katara or Sokka or anyone caught you, at least maybe this would all be over!"

"Oh yes. Definitely. That's perfect, exactly what I want and what we need."

"Azula, I've said it before. If we're in danger, if we're cornered, then we should go back to the Fire Nation!"

"I don't want to hear another word about the Fire Nation."

Temperatures are rising. Unintentionally their voices become louder.

"I don't say that lightly, Azula," Ty Lee summons her strength. She takes a breath and explains, "But for years, years I have been tormented by this nightmare of you opening your front door and getting killed!"

"I don't want to hear about Caldera."

"You're not some hardened criminal, Azula. Not anymore!" Ty Lee tries to emphasize. "So we go back home and we just own it. Or we go to Lanxi, or Ba Sing Se, or Baochou or wherever."

"Okay. We're done here." Azula begins walking away, further into the woods, away from the light of Chin Village.

Ty Lee is exasperated by Azula's attitude. Her lack of respect for the trouble they find themselves in. The almost intentional, malignant, hostile indifference. She shouts at her wife as she walks away from her.

"What is with you? Why can't you just admit that you're in danger?"

Azula turns around quickly.

"Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Hmm? Asuna? Akola? On Jin? Do you know all the things I've done? All that "evil" I've put out into the world? I mean, even if I told you, really told you, you wouldn't believe it. There isn't anything in this world big enough to push the cosmic scales to balance. My ledger will forever drip with the red of my enemies. Katara won't let me forget it, no one will let me move on. So maybe I should just lean in? No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in."

Ty Lee is stunned. She stares dumbfoundead at Azula. She is reminded in this moment of the Dragon Empress. She is reminded of the days when she chased her wife all over the world, always feeling like Azula was both ahead of her and right behind her. The ferocity of her words, the anger behind them, the sheer force of will. Azula rises up and looks at Ty Lee with fire in her eyes and a steely resolve in her speech.

"I am not in danger, Ty Lee. I am the danger! Someone opens their door and gets killed and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!"

Without another word, Azula turns around and walks away. She feels the venom in her system, but the truth in her words. There is no one alive who can stand opposed to her.

Far away from the hidden shadows outside of Chin Village, the news continues to spread. The Republic Times' cover has found its way into homes, lives, and businesses of all sorts of people who both did and did not have dealings with the Dragon Empress. Reactions span the gamut, as some are impressed, others are terrified, people ask questions, while some raise alarms. Everyone has different feelings and opinions and all wonder how this "dead woman" was able to stay "dead" as long as she did.

Somewhere in downtown Republic City, in the den of a gangster and mobsters, the Kingpin of the underground world sits and reviews the story. Lightning Bolt Zolt, the 19 year old founder of the Triple Threat Triad, has amber eyes, light skin, and dark hair with white streaks along the side. His third-in-command enters the room.

"Hey boss, you seein' this?"

"Yeah, Viper," the crime lord replies, while not looking up. "It sure is something, ain't it?"

The room is poorly lit, with just a few candles. There are comfortable chairs all around and a desk that Zolt sits at, but there are other chairs around the room and Viper joins them by sitting down. It's a compact space, but it's also not one they spend much time in anyway. There are various papers and documents lying about for one reason or another. Viper leans forward.

"Whatcha think? Anything we should do?"

Zolt leans back and crosses his arms. The men are not alone. He looks over to the darkest corner in the room.

"I don't know? What about you, Z?" He asks her. "It says here that this girl fought Yakone back in the day. You know anything about that?"

From just beyond where the light touches, a 54 year old woman leans forward. She has black eyes and brown hair, with freckles sprinkled across her face. Her nose bears a terrible scar from some sort of injury, as if someone has shattered the bone and punctured the skin repeatedly. She holds her own copy of the paper in her hands and looks up at her young protege.

"Oh yes," she replies, a wicked smile dawning on her lips. "I know all about it."

A/N: Welcome to the 5th book of my colossal Dragon Empress series! It's been a long time coming. One thing I wanted to do with this chapter specifically was harken back to a lot of the earlier days of the series, back to Book 1. There were both direct and indirect references. Additionally, it was about time, after all of this, that we finally brought Zirin back in full force. Originally my plan was for her to just be in the background, doing these things throughout the series that folks didn't know/I didn't show. However, y'all smart as hell lol. Y'all have known for a while that Zirin was still around and kicking. Specifically, Zirin was both The Last Kemurikage and The Unbroken in Huwan. She is the woman who brought Yasuko in and gave her a home. She successfully survived Yakone's wrath at the end of Book 2 and went into hiding on her own. Ukuyi eventually found her and then they both helped Yasuko to achieve her dreams of going to Republic City. Once she was back in town though, with Zolt needing some guidance, she fell back into her old ways. Alright, I've gone on enough about Zirin. Y'all get it. She's alive. In any case, Azula's outburst here is important. Ty Lee's had this nightmare, and Azula is so unconcerned, when she should probably never be more scared of that exact thing than right now. Juxtaposed immediately with the fact that Zirin is still out there, back in a position of power, and yeah. We've got the whole world looking for these two. I will warn you all that the next chapter will feature a significant time skip. In fact, this book features many of them. I have a plan for how to manage the skips and make it so that you all can follow along without being confused. Alright, this has been a lot so I'm gonna head out. As always, thank you for reading! This chapter's OST is "Sky Full of Song" by Florence + the Machine.

Love always. Tyzula forever.

Notorious