So, I know I gave options for future stories at the end of Rise of the Earth Empire and this wasn't one of them. Don't worry, Legend of Korra Book 5, the unanimous choice of the reviewers, is coming, but I didn't really want to start it immediately after finishing the last one and after a few days of brutal writers' block I had a brilliant idea and have had to get it down.

As Always, Please Review!

Princess Yue sat in front of the mirror, and stared at her own reflection, deep in thought. A young woman 16 years of age stared back. Her face was framed by hair that had been bright white as long as she could remember, and she had the blue eyes common among her people.

She sighed, and drew her furs around herself. Even in the safety of her own bedroom, she felt cold, and it had nothing to do with the fire burning in the corner.

The door opened and a hand rapped on it gently.

"May I come in?" A familiar voice said. A moment later her father appeared.

Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe was a thin man with a sallow face and a small beard. His hair, like that of all northern men, was long and braided. He wore the blue robes of his people with a large necklace around his neck. It bore the images of a pair of koi fish swimming around each other.

"Father!" Yue stood up and went to hug him.

"Yue, my love," Arnook greeted her warmly. "Are you alright? It's a big day today."

Yue nodded. It had been 16 years since Avatar Aang had passed on, and that meant it was about time for a new Avatar to be revealed- and, according to the elders, the Avatar was a northerner.

"We've got delegates coming from all over the world," Arnook continued. "Chief Hakoda of the South has come all the way north, and the Earth King and Firelord have sent emissaries. We need to put our best foot forward."

"Of course father," Yue understood perfectly. Her duty was what mattered, and her duty was putting on a show.

"Still," Arnook continued. "I wonder who it'll be. The Avatar, a member of our tribe! It's a great honour."

Yue hadn't really given that much thought. The new Avatar would be someone her age, she knew, but she didn't really know anyone her own age. Therefore, it didn't particularly matter to her.

"I don't know," she said.

Arnook sighed.

"You know you can tell me anything?" He said. "You are the Princess of our tribe, and I won't deny that's a great responsibility. But you are also my daughter."

Yue turned to look at him. He gazed back earnestly, clearly hoping for a response.

"Thank you," she managed. "I... I hope the ceremony goes well."

"Of course," Arnook's face fell. "Well, the guests will be arriving soon. Be ready in about fifteen minutes?"

He got up and left.

Yue returned to the table with the mirror on it and busied herself with doing her hair, braiding it and fixing it so that her assistant could then make the intricate patterns that she couldn't reach or see in a moment. There was much to do.

"General Secretary Yi, from the Earth Kingdom!"

Yue watched as an old man in green robes filed in holding a scroll. He bowed in front of her, and then moved on to talk with her father. He mentioned something about being keen on seeing who the next Avatar was, and how happy he was to be here, and then moved on. Then came delegations from all four Air Temples, the nomads moving with practised ease and light feet across the floor as they introduced themselves. The eldest monk from the Northern Temple stopped in front of her.

"And how are you?" He asked. Yue looked up, startled at being asked the personal question.

"Fine," she replied quickly. "And how about you?"

The Monk laughed. "Oh I'm fine too. You seem surprised."

Yue controlled herself quickly. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

The nomad raised one eyebrow, ever so slightly distorting the blue arrow which ran down his forehead. Then he shrugged.

"Don't you?" He asked.

Then he walked away.

"Prince Iroh of the Fire Nation!"

The next figures entered, the delegation from the Fire Nation, led by a corpulent man with a big, bushy grey beard and a kindly looking face. He gave a big grin as he came in.

"What does a Prince have to do to get a good cup of tea around here?" Prince Iroh called.

Yue had heard about him. He had been Fire Lord Azulon's first-born son, and should have been heir to the throne; but after Azulon's death a few years ago, for some reason his younger brother had acceded to the throne instead. Yue didn't understand why, but something had clearly happened. It didn't seem to have affected the Prince though, because he bounded up to her and bowed enthusiastically.

"Princess Yue," he said warmly. "I am delighted to meet you."

"Thank you," Yue replied politely.

Then Iroh's expression changed. Yue saw his eyes narrow for a moment, an inquisitive look in them. It seemed like he was searching for something within her, and she did not know whether he had found it. Then it was gone again, and Iroh laughed.

"Have fun at the party!" He said, and then followed the rest. Yue didn't know what to think. Iroh seemed jovial enough but he had behaved strangely for a moment.

She did not have much time to reflect on this though. A moment later more people entered, dressed in light blue. These were Southerners.

"Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe!"

Hakoda was dressed similarly to Arnook, although he had a wider, friendlier face, longer hair and a slightly bigger beard. Behind him trailed two teenagers, who Yue assumed were his children. One of them was a girl who looked a couple of years younger than Yue and had brown hair surrounding a round face with big blue eyes. The other was a boy, her brother, with his hair done up into a warrior's wolf-tail and a boomerang hanging at his belt.

Yue couldn't deny that the boy was quite handsome, but she stared resolutely straight ahead. She couldn't let herself be distracted.

"Yue!" Hakoda greeted her. "It's good to see you. Have you met my children?"

He gestured to them.

"This is Katara," the girl gave her a friendly smile, "and this is Sokka."

The boy bowed.

"Pleasedtomeetyou," he mumbled quickly.

It took Yue a couple of seconds to understand what he had said.

"Pleased to meet you too," she replied, enunciating carefully to make sure she didn't repeat his mistake. She looked into his eyes and felt a strange warm feeling flood through her. She suspected she might even be blushing. She also noticed Katara's eyes flicker between her and Sokka, and couldn't have failed to miss the devious grin that appeared on the Southerner's face.

Then a voice was calling from within the hall, summoning anyone who had not entered yet to come and see the ceremony that was about to begin. Yue waited for the Southerners to get a few steps ahead of her and then left her place to enter the hall herself.

It was time for the Avatar to return.