Chapter 57.6- And so the Dragons Danced

“Good. Very good. That was as good an introduction to the Empire’s high and mighty as any. Now, tell me why you think you’re here today?” He asked, gesturing to the massive office they sat in. If there was any doubt about the Empire’s wealth then it seemed this office was designed to put those doubts to rest. The floor was a gleaming marble that she knew would take only the most skilled earthbenders to affect, and the giant pillars that dotted the massive space were gilded in gold. The table in front of her that separated the Emperor from her was larger than the bed she slept on at home and was made of polished wood. The chair she sat on had gold along the armrests and the cushions were so plush and comfortable that to felt like she had sunk into it when she had taken her seat. And then behind him was a large aquarium with two fishes swimming within it— one of them black and the other white. There was something about them that drew her attention but the Emperor’s cough brought her back to him.

“Because I won the tournament?”

“Yes, you did. Now why do you think I organised such a large tournament?”

“They say you were bored” She replied before her brain caught up to what had left her mouth. She looked up, expecting to see fury on her face but only being met with amusement.

“Benders from all over the empire have coalesced here at Natsu’s Rising at the Empire’s expense— no small expense with sending air ships to every nook and cranny of the empire, I assure you. And then a special stadium was designed and built to ensure that every element was equally advantaged before being built in less than two months. It was a pain and a half to get this thing together, so tell me why I did it”

“You wanted to know who the best bender in the Empire was”

“That’s not a hard question. It’s me” He said, leaning forward and pinning her with his gaze. It sounded so arrogant— the way he just casually claimed to be beyond her and everyone else. But after what she had seen yesterday, she found it difficult to argue. She had never seen fire bending like that. He never even called forth the green flames that the world knew him for, instead being raw heat to deadly effect.

“Besides, if I wanted to find the best bender in the Empire, I wouldn’t have made it under seventeens only. To tell you the truth Korra, I created this tournament because I was looking for an apprentice.”

“An ap-apprentice?”

“Yes. I haven’t personally trained anyone in a long time. My sons already carry out my will in the Fire Provinces, my daughter spreads my intentions across the Earth province and in the Water Provinces, I lack a suitable representative. That is where you will come in, Korra.”

“You want me to rule for you?”

“When your training is complete, yes. But for now you will be my student in all respects. All your other learning will be terminated. Everything you learn will be at my feet— whether it is bending, mathematics, or politics.”

“B-but I’m a water bender”

“I’ll tell you a secret, Korra. So am I” He said, and the aquarium behind him lifted into the air, all the water rising under his clear control and beginning to spin around the room in circles. The fishes that had drawn her attention earlier still remained in the tank, however, suspended in one large bubble of water.

A/N: And so the Dragons Danced. I think this was a suitable epilogue, answering a lot of questions and leaving the rest up to your imaginations. If you do have any outstanding questions, feel free to ask them here and I’ll do my best to respond.