Empress Of The Old World {Legend Of Korra}

PART 1: Nightmare

The nights were growing short again but the torches that lined the walls made a warm glow as the Empress walked the corridor. Still in her uniform, Sukara had called the nightly meeting with her advisors shortly after being informed of a family visitor.

Though her mother had never been pleasant, she always held out hope that, through her achievements, she would come around eventually. That, at some point Sukara would do something good enough to receive her approval.

Sukara entered the room where her mother had been waiting to find her staring at one of the portraits of Sukara. Aput turned to see her daughter standing just in front of the door. An apprehensive look on her face.

"You asked for me?" Sukara said, waiting in hope for a well intentioned visit.

"Will you not address your mother properly?" Aput asked, an element of surprise in her tone. It had been a while since she had seen her child but she had hoped that Sukara's manners would have survived their separation.

"Will you address your Empress with respect?" she asked in return, trying to keep her tone as calm as possible.

"I will respect you when you start doing better," Aput said coldly, turning away from Sukara, "which brings me to why I'm here. I need you to stop this whole charade."

"I'm sorry?" Sukara asked in disbelief, the anger in her chest rising, "what do you mean, stop it? Is this not the world you described to me as a child? Is this not everything you wanted?"

Her mother gave a sigh as she watched Sukara's control leave her as it always did when she became emotional.

"You need to stop trying to please me," Aput told her, her voice filled with disappointment, "you've gone too far this time."

"I should have known," Sukara said, shaking her head as she began to pace across the room, "you never came to anything. Not the coronations, not the victory celebrations, not even my crowning! I should have known that you turning up out of nowhere was nothing good."

Sukara could feel the pain of years past erupting inside her, tears beginning to threaten her eyes.

"And you don't even care!" Sukara shouted, half growling her words, "how could you be so uncompassionate? I gave everything to you! My work!"

As she shouted, Sukara began to lash out. Sending white fire blasts towards her mother, Aput only narrowly missing them.

"Everything I worked for!"

Another shot.

"Everything I was!"

The room began to burn as the fire spread.

"My whole life!"

The Empress could only see red, the tears of a broken child falling from her eyes. Guards had come to see what the commotion was, against their better judgement and Sukara's orders.

"Your Majesty!" one of them called over the flames, "are you alright?"

Sukara glared across the room at them, her mother standing within a few feet of the door.

"No one asked that of you Sukara," Aput said, ignoring the guards and hoping that her daughter wouldn't snap and kill all three of them.

"Get out!" the Empress screamed, throwing a final fireball at the door.

The motion threw Sukara up into a sitting position on her bed. It had been just a dream.

Her breathing was heavy and rapid as she tried to recollect herself. It was only when she heard the crackling of flames did she open her eyes to see that the tapestry at the end of her bed was burning. Drop bits of flaming cloth on the ground.

"No," she mumbled, she must have done it as she woke up.

Quickly, she bent the water in the bowl on her bedside table and tried to extinguish the fire. She only had a second to breathe before her landlord came crashing through her apartment door.

"Again?" he asked, clearly angry with her as he saw the charred tapestry, "this is the third time this month."

"I know, I'm sorry," Sukara said, her voice still shaking from her nightmare, "I'll--"

"No, you're done," he snapped at her, cutting her off.

"I'll fix it," Sukara begged, "please."

"I can't keep doing this," he sighed, shaking his head, "I said one more chance, that was it. You're gone in the morning."

There was nothing she could do. He was right, he had been as kind as he could be but at some point he had to start considering what sheltering a person who couldn't sleep without attacking his property was worth.

"Seriously kid," he told her, sympathy breaking through in his tone, "you need to get some help."