Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Good morning everyone,” Kuvira said as she entered the meeting car. The train car was mostly empty, except two couches pushed up against either wall. A large metallic map of the Earth Kingdom dominated the far side of the car. Seated on either couch were her advisers: Varrick, Zhu Li, Baatar Jr, Asami Sato, Commander Guan, and Bolin.

“Good morning, Kuvira!” Bolin said enthusiastically.

“Would you care for some tea, General Kuvira?” A nearby steward asked. Asami and the others repeated the greeting, though with less gusto.

“No, thank you,” Kuvira replied. “So, let’s just get down to business, shall we? What do you have to report?”

“I’m happy to report that the village of Yu has agreed to our terms,” Commander Guan spoke up first. “There was a brief struggle with some bandits, unfortunately. But that’s only to be expected.”

“Were you able to apprehend them?” Kuvira asked.

“We managed to arrest most of them,” Guan replied. “But unfortunately some of them avoided our soldiers. I still have search teams looking for them now.”

“Good, we need to make sure to stay on top of such lawlessness,” Kuvira said. She turned to Baatar Jr and Asami. “And how are things in engineering?”

“They’re going smoother than ever,” Asami said, smiling. “Baatar and I have made some exciting progress on our latest project.”

“And how are preparations for the coronation coming?” Kuvira inquired. “Are we ready to begin transferring power back to the Earth Kingdom?”

“We are,” Baatar answered, nodding slightly. “It’ll take time, but everything has been the process whenever you give the order.”

“Excellent,” Kuvira replied. “Thank you all for coming, you’re dismissed.”

Bolin, Varrick, and Zhu Li stood and filed out of the car. Kuvira raised an eyebrow when the other three didn’t move.

“Was there something else?” Kuvira asked.

“We wanted to discuss Wu,” Baatar spoke up first. “We have concerns.”

“I think everyone has concerns,” Kuvira sighed.

“So you agree that he isn’t fit to rule?” Asami inquired.

“Can you honestly name one person who was actually ‘fit’ to rule?” Kuvira remarked dryly. “Most of the time they’re not. They have to be taught how to rule first. Wu’s young, and he has a good group of advisers to help guide him. So unless you’d rather have his infant sister on the throne, I don’t see any other options.”

“Have you even read the articles that the tabloids have written about him?” Baatar protested. “The boy is foolish and entitled.”

“I don’t read that drivel,” Kuvira shrugged. “And we both know that being foolish and entitled are very common amongst nobles, Baatar. Besides, I highly doubt that Wu could be any worse than Hou-Ting. That woman drove her own subjects into extreme poverty with her merciless taxes. I’ll admit, Wu doesn’t look or act very kingly. But I think he has good intentions underneath his pompous exterior.”

“You can’t be serious!” Asami scoffed.

“Of course I am,” Kuvira replied calmly. “What would you have me do, Asami? March down to Republic City and murder the Earth King?”

“You don’t have to kill him,” Guan said hastily. “That’s not what we’re suggesting.”

“Then get to the point,” Kuvira said, sternly.

“We want you to take Wu’s place,” Guan explained. “There’s no reason to put a man-child on the throne when we have the Hero of Ba Sing Se.”

Kuvira lowered her hands, staring at the three of them in pure disbelief.

“Have you all lost your minds?” Kuvira asked, incredulously. Asami and Baatar both flushed at the accusation. Guan glared at his lap indignantly. “Let me make something abundantly clear: King Wu might not be the king we want, but he IS king nonetheless. Even if I wanted to take his place, the nobility would never back a commoner. Not even one with my accomplishments.”

“You’re not just a commoner! You have my family’s support.” Baatar pointed out. “We could even arrange a political wedding if we have to.”

“I am Suyin’s ward, not an official member of the Beifong family. And I have no interest in being married off like some broodmare.” Kuvira countered. Baatar looked away. “Help me understand. We’ve been working tirelessly for the last six months to disband our forces and prepare for King Wu’s coronation. Yet now you’re sitting here making borderline treasonous statements. What changed?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Asami replied. “You convinced Baatar and I to join you three years ago by sharing your dream of stabilizing the Earth Kingdom. Now it seems like you’ve given up on that dream.”

“I haven’t given up on anything,” Kuvira said, frowning. “I always knew that our mission would end by putting Wu on the throne. We accomplished what we set out to do. The Earth Kingdom is better than it’s been in decades for spirits’ sake!” Her voice rose as she spoke, and she paused to gather her composure again. “But that doesn’t mean that our work is done either. We can help King Wu make even more improvements in the future.”

“I can’t believe that you’d be foolish enough to put your trust in Wu of all people!” Asami snapped. Kuvira scoffed and shook her head.

“The only fools I see are you three!” Kuvira countered. “You’re asking me to undo all the hard work that we’ve done, and for what? Because you don’t like the new king? Do you understand how crazy that sounds? You’re talking about a coup.”

“This is getting nowhere,” Guan sighed, getting to his feet. Baatar Jr and Asami stood as well and moved towards the door. “I thought you of all people would understand where we’re coming from. But clearly I was wrong.”

“That’s enough, Guan!” Kuvira snapped. “I understand your frustration, I do. But it’s not our job or our responsibility to decide who rules the Earth Kingdom. That is the job of the noble families, all of whom have decided to put their trust in King Wu. Queen Hou-Ting was a disgrace, but as I said before, I have hope that Wu will be different. Especially when he has people like us to help guide him.”

“This conversation never happened, that’s an order,” She continued. “Do you understand? If I even hear a word of this from any of you again, I’ll clap you in irons myself.”

“Kuvira, please just listen!” Baatar said.

“Do. You. Understand?” Kuvira repeated, frowning grimly.

“Yes, General,” Asami replied. The three of them bowed in unison, before leaving. Kuvira sat down with a sigh, rubbing her face with her hands. Her colleagues words hung in her mind. She could understand their hesitation, but they had come too far to give up now.

——

Air Temple Island was a flurry of activity. To Mako it felt like the entire island was excited for the Avatar’s return. Not that he could blame them, he was excited too. He stood inside the main hall with the other guests, as they awaited word of Korra’s arrival.

“When Korra gets here, I bet she won’t even recognize who I am!” Meelo boasted.

“Why’s that?” Ikki asked.

“Because, Meelo the boy, has turned into Meelo the man!” Meelo declared, striking a heroic pose.

“Right. You’re totally unrecognizable.” Ikki replied sarcastically.

Mako grinned at the siblings’ antics. It felt good being on Air Temple Island again. Even if he’d been forced to bring Wu. It had been too long since he last visited. He made a mental note to come by more often once the coronation was over.. He glanced over at where Wu was standing talking and laughing with President Raiko and his wife, Buttercup. Tenzin stood a few feet away with Pema. The crowd parted and he spotted Chief Lin Beifong.

“How’re you holding up?” Lin asked, as Mako joined her.

“Ugh, Wu insisted that we go to the spa this morning,” Mako sighed, shaking his head in annoyance. “Luckily there were some protesters who intervened.”

“You’re excited about Wu being pestered by protesters?” Lin questioned.

“You didn’t hear him go into excruciating detail about milk baths,” Mako replied. “This coronation cannot come soon enough. I can’t wait to go back to being a detective.”

“Right…” Lin said, looking mildly guilty. “Yeah, about that…”

“What?” Mako asked, frowning. A nagging suspicion began to form in the back of his mind, but he hoped that he was wrong.

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Lin began. “But you’re going to Ba Sing Se, with the prince.”

“No!” Mako gasped, grabbing Lin by the shoulders.

“I tried to get you out of it, but it’s over my head,” Lin replied, smiling sympathetically. “Wu personally asked Raiko. He says he doesn’t know what he’d do without you.”

“This can’t be happening!” Mako said. He released her and ran a hand through his head in disbelief. “I’m not even an Earth Kingdom citizen; I work for the Republic City Police Department.”

“Not anymore,” Lin said. They both glanced over at Raiko, who was laughing at one of Wu’s stories. “You’re a pawn in Raiko’s diplomatic game. You can try talking to him, but I don’t think he’s going to let you quit.”

Mako sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. He couldn’t believe it! He was so close to finally getting away from Wu, only to have the rug pulled out from under him. He was saved from existential crisis by the arrival of an Air Acolyte.

“There’s a Southern Water Tribe Ship pulling up to the dock!” The Acolyte announced.

Everyone immediately began to move towards the exit in a hurry. Tenzin took the lead, with President Raiko at his side. Mako was a few steps behind them, his enthusiasm adding a spring to his step. The group gathered at the dock in time to see the ship coming to a halt at the dock. Metal clattered loudly as they dropped anchor. A few moments later, a wooden gangplank was lowered. The first one off was Naga. The polar-bear-dog barked loudly, sprinting down the gangplank and beginning to run towards the crowd. Mako stepped forward to greet her.

“Hey girl!” Mako said. Naga licked him, her tail wagging excitedly. “I missed you too.”

Mako glanced up to see Chief Tonraq walking down the gangplank. Tenzin moved to meet him.

“Tonraq. It’s good to have you back in the city.” Tenzin said as they shook hands. “And everyone is excited to see the Avatar again.”

“What do you mean?” Tonraq asked, glancing around in surprise. “Isn’t Korra already here?”

“No, we thought she was coming with you,” Tenzin replied, looking equally surprised. Mako glanced at Lin, who frowned in concern.

“Korra left the South Pole six months ago,” Tonraq said. “She’s written me letters. She said she was here in Republic City.”

Mako’s heart sank as Tenzin spoke.

“I assure you, your daughter is not here,” The airbending master said, his voice full of concern.

“Then where is she?” Tonraq asked, worry written all over his face.

Chapter Text

Korra barely dodged the melon-sized rock aimed at her head. She sidestepped it, and counterattacked by launching a chunk of earth in her opponent’s direction. But her aim was off and her attack missed. The other woman grinned viciously, and launched into a series of rapid attacks. Korra did her best to either avoid or redirect the barrage of rocks that came her way, but she couldn’t keep up. One struck her in the hip, knocking her off balance. It was immediately followed up by two more slamming into her chest, smashing her off her feet. She landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

Korra rolled onto her side slowly, gasping for breath. She gritted her teeth against the pain, and forced her tired body to stand. She could do this! Her opponent watched her with a curious expression on her face. Korra spat out a glob of bloody phlegm, and raised her fists once more. Her opponent stomped the ground, kicking up a handful of small rocks, which she punched in Korra’s direction.

The small projectiles were much faster than the previous ones, which forced Korra to move faster as well. She raised an earthen wall to shield herself. The rocks smashed against it uselessly. Korra took a deep breath, forcing her mind to settle. She closed her eyes and focused on the ground beneath her feet. There! Her opponent hadn’t moved. Grinning, Korra kicked the wall towards the other woman. She sprang forward, hands raised in preparation to bend. But she didn’t notice the small rock flying towards her left leg until it was too late.

It slammed into her calf with enough force to knock her foot out from under her. She dropped to one knee. Korra didn’t have time to even notice the pain before she spotted a second, larger rock sailing towards her face. She managed to bring her arms up just in time to shield her face, before it impacted. The rock broke apart against forearms, showering her face with rock fragments and dust. The force of the blow threw her backwards several feet. Korra let out a soft groan, and tried to get back up. But her head swam uncomfortably and she decided against it. She was vaguely aware of the bell ringing, signaling that the match was over.

—

Korra hissed as she pressed an ice pack to her eye. She could practically feel the bruise growing. She was sitting in the dingy locker room of the underground earthbending fighting ring. Places like this existed all over the Earth Kingdom. They made for good practice, even if she kept losing. If her old earthbending teacher, Master Lee, could see her now, he’d be rolling in his grave. Korra sighed leaning her head back against the wall behind her.

“I thought you said you were good?” She turned her head to see Chow, the arena’s owner, standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a neatly pressed brown suit.

“I am,” Korra replied.

“Yet you still lost,” Chow shrugged. “Don’t feel too bad though, kid, you lasted longer against Li than most people do. Here, you’ve earned it.” He added, holding out a wad of money. Korra accepted it wordlessly, and counted it in front of him. “It’s all there. Look, kid, I know you said that you’re just drifting through, but if you want to make this a regular thing, I’d be willing to pay you more.”

“I don’t plan on staying around that long,” Korra said.

“Suit yourself, the offer still stands if you happen to be in the area again though,” Chow said.

“Are you that eager to watch me lose again?” Korra asked. “Wouldn’t that bore your audience?”

“Hardly, these people are always happy to pay to see someone get their ass kicked,” Chow laughed. “Besides, not everyone is meant to be a champ. Some are just better suited to losing.”

“I’ll think about it,” Korra lied, grabbing her backpack and getting to her feet.

“You should see the healer before you leave,” Chow suggested.

“I’ll be fine,” Korra replied. She slung her bag over one shoulder as she walked away. The locker room had an exit that opened up straight into the street outside to allow the fighters to come and go while avoiding the crowd. The cool night air felt refreshing against her sweaty skin. Korra counted the wad of paper money again, and grinned slightly. More than enough for some food and a bed for the night. Making money had been surprisingly easy during her trek. There was always someone who was looking for help, especially from a bender.

Just to be safe, Korra had decided to only use her earthbending while traversing the Earth Kingdom. She’d also cut her hair and ditched her usual Water Tribe outfit for new clothing. A light green shirt and dark green pants. It wasn’t much to look at, but it made it easier to blend in better. She wasn’t trying to go entirely unnoticed, yet it was nice to be able to walk down the street and not have people watch her in awe. Or demand help from her.

There was a public bathroom down the street that she ducked into. It wasn’t much to look at. A single toilet and metal sink. The walls and floor were dingy. A cracked and dirty mirror hung on the wall over the sink. She locked the door and dropped her bag on the floor. Her whole body ached, but she was mostly concerned for her face. She metalbent faucet open. A weak stream of water began to flow into the sink. Korra glanced up at the mirror, and winced. Dark bruises had already begun to form around her eye, and her lower lip was split.

Sighing, Korra tore her gaze off her reflection and bent a stream of water from the faucet. It began to glow as she moved it towards her face. She managed to bring the swelling down significantly, before moving to her lip. Just as she was about to start tending to her other wounds, there was a loud knock on the bathroom door.

“Hurry up in there!” A man shouted. “Come on, I got an emergency situation!”

Korra sighed heavily. She shut off the water, slung her bag over her shoulder, before unlocking the door.

“Knock yourself out,” Korra said as she opened the door. The man barely seemed to notice her as he practically sprinted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Korra shook her head slightly.

She kept walking, following the road back towards town. She didn’t really have a destination in mind, but wasn’t ready to turn in for the night either. The town she was in was a bit more modern than the others she’d seen during her trek across the Earth Kingdom. Though the streets were mostly empty and quiet at this time of night. Korra allowed her mind to wander as she walked, drifting from one thought to another.

The sound of an approaching shattered the otherwise silent night. Korra glanced over her shoulder and blaunched. The satomobile was coming straight towards her. She somersaulted out of the way, just barely avoiding being hit. The vehicle swerved to a stop. Not wanting to deal with the driver, Korra ducked into a nearby alley and pressed her back against the wall as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. She placed a hand on her head. She must’ve been beaten up worse than she thought.

As she lowered her hand, she glanced around the alley. Icy dread settled into her chest. Standing at the far side of the alley was herself. The Specter was dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt, and matching pants. It’s hair down, framing its face in long tangled strands. A broken chain was wrapped around one wrist. But the most striking part was its eyes. They glowed with the pure white light of the Avatar State. The figure was hunched over slightly in an inhuman manner, its eyes fixated on the ground.

“You again,” Korra said quietly. She wasn’t sure what it was. A hallucination? A spirit? Maybe both? Whatever it was, it had been haunting her for years now. Without warning, the Specter lashed out with its chain. It wrapped around Korra’s calf and yanked her off her feet. Korra landed on her back with a huff. Her instincts kicked in, and she punched a stream of flame in the Specter’s direction.

Her fire passed through it harmlessly. Korra jumped to her feet. The Specter whipped its chain through the air once more, aiming at her arm. Korra knocked it aside with a burst of flame.

“Get away from me!” Korra shouted.

“Are you okay?” Someone asked from behind her. Korra glanced over her shoulder to see a group of people watching her in concern.

“I’m fine,” Korra said gruffly. She adjusted her bag and walked away quickly. Great, just what she needed. Drawing attention to herself by attacking things nobody else could see. Not that it really mattered, she was already planning to leave this town anyway. Might as well leave tonight instead of waiting until morning like she’d planned. Korra ran a hand through her hair as she walked, pondering where she was going to go next. There was a slight bit of movement to her left. She turned to face it.

A small white dog was standing a few feet away from her. It barked and wagged its fluffy tail excitedly.

“Well, hey there little cutie,” Korra said, smiling. She approached the dog slowly and squatted down to pet it. “What’re you doing out here so late?”

The dog licked her hand, and barked again. Korra laughed. Maybe this night wasn’t so bad after all. She thought. Suddenly the dog turned around and began barking at something. Curious, Korra followed its gaze and froze.

The Specter had reappeared at the top of a set of stairs. It was standing still, staring down at her with its glowing, unblinking eyes. Confused, Korra looked back down at the dog, who was still barking at the Specter.

“You can see it too?” Korra asked. “Huh, maybe I’m not losing my mind after all.” She added with a sigh. The Specter vanished after a few moments. To Korra’s surprise, the dog ran over to where it had been, then turned and barked at her expectantly.

“What? Do you want me to follow you?” Korra inquired. The dog barked again. “I guess that’s a yes.”

—

Korra followed the dog out of town. The two of them walked for hours. The dog would run ahead of her, then stop and wait for her to catch up. Yet they always seemed to keep going in the same direction. Korra wasn’t sure where this dog was leading her, but then again it wasn’t like she had anywhere better to be either. Besides, the physical exercise was refreshing. By the time the sun began to rise, the town was far behind them. The sunrise also revealed an unexpected sight on the horizon. A vast densely wooded swamp. Korra frowned, as she looked at it.

“Is that where you’re taking me?” Korra asked. The dog looked up at her and barked. “Right. Okay then.” She shrugged, and kept walking. The dog trotted alongside her happily. The two of them reached the swamp roughly an hour later. As soon as they reached it, the dog began to glow with a bright white light. Korra watched in surprise as it changed into a familiar looking spirit.

“Wait, I know you. You were at the Tree of Time.” Korra said.

“I was,” The spirit confirmed.

“You should’ve told me who you were,” Korra replied.

“If I did, would you have followed me?” The spirit asked.

“I get your point. But why’d you bring me here?” Korra asked. “What am I going to find in the swamp?”

“Not a ‘what’ a ‘who’,” The spirit replied.

Before she could say anything else, the spirit disappeared. Korra shook her head in disbelief. Of course her new animal companion would turn out to be a spirit. Though she probably shouldn’t be surprised. She was the Avatar after all. Sighing, Korra adjusted the straps of her backpack, before venturing into the swamp. The ground slowly became more and more muddy as she walked. She pushed her way past the thick vines that hung down from the tree canopy far above her head. Bugs buzzed around her, occasionally landing on exposed skin, only to be swatted away immediately.

Korra muttered a curse under her breath as she stepped into a puddle, soaking her shoe. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she turned around to see the Specter standing a few feet away. It watched her in silence, its glowing eyes unblinking. Korra squared her shoulders. She’d been haunted by this thing for the last three years, and she was tired of being afraid of it. She shifted into a defensive stance and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Before she could even exhale, the Specter attacked. The chain around its arm whipped out at her. Korra dodged it easily, and retaliated with a burst of flame. The Specter avoided her attack, and countered with a powerful burst of flame. Korra barely managed to dodge in time, stumbling backwards in her attempt to avoid the flames. It wasn’t the first time it had bent the elements at her, but she was still uncertain if it could really hurt her.

The Specter kept up its attack, alternating between swinging its chain and hurling the elements at her. Korra dodged and weaved as best she could. The muddy ground didn’t help much, occasionally making lose her footing momentarily. Eventually she felt her back hit the trunk of a large tree. Determined to put some more distance between them, Korra launched herself into the air with a burst of airbending. She grabbed onto a nearby vine-covered branch and began to pull herself up.

The Specter’s chain lashed out again, this time wrapping around her ankle. Korra gasped in surprise, and tried to knock the chain off, but it refused to budge. She watched in rising horror as the ground underneath the Specter started to morph and shift into a large puddle of silvery liquid metal. A chill crawled down Korra’s spine. Slowly, the Specter began to sink into the puddle of metal and yanked back on the chain. Korra desperately tried to hold on, her hands grasping at the closest vines. Yet each one snapped underneath her grip and suddenly she was falling.

Korra screamed as she fell. She splashed into the metal back-first, and immediately began to claw and push against it in a desperate attempt to escape. But it was useless. The more she struggled, the deeper she seemed to sink into it. Another scream tore through her mouth as the puddle of metal swallowed her up entirely.

—

When Korra woke again, she was surrounded by darkness save for a faint blue light. She was surprised to find herself laying on a bed. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was falling into a puddle of metal poison.

“Feeling better?” A woman’s voice asked. It sounded vaguely familiar, though Korra wasn’t sure why.

“What happened?” Korra asked. She sat up to see a hunched figure standing next to a campfire. The woman appeared to be stirring something in a large metal pot. They seemed to be in some kind of cave.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” The woman replied. “I found you passed out in the swamp.”

“I followed a spirit here,” Korra replied. “It said that I was supposed to meet someone here.”

“Huh, well if your Avatar senses lead you here it must be for a reason,” The woman replied. “You should trust them.”

“Wait, you recognize me?” Korra asked in surprise. She stood up and summoned a small flame in her hand. The woman turned and began to walk towards her.

“We were good friends in your previous life,” The woman said as she stepped into the light.

“I don’t believe it,” Korra gasped. “Toph?”

“It’s good to see you again, Twinkletoes,” Toph said with a grin.

Chapter Text

Kuvira woke before sunrise and went through her usual morning workout routine. She moved through a series of practice forms, by the end of it she was pleasantly warmed up and more alert. After a quick shower, she dried off and dressed in her uniform. As she got prepared for the day, she went over the day’s schedule in her mind. The train would be arriving at Republic City in a couple of hours. Once there, the main event would be the coronation itself, which she expected to take up most of the day. Followed by a meeting with President Raiko and King Wu to discuss their next steps.

Kuvira tied her hair in a tight bun, then bent a pile of metal strips off a nearby table. The metal settled into place across her back, shoulders, arms, and around her neck. The added weight was comforting to her. It reminded her of her time serving as a guard in Zaofu. Though she didn’t miss having to wear her old helmet anymore. It was hot and stuffy, especially on warm days. Once she was ready, she turned to leave. Her security team was waiting for her in the hallway, as expected. It was a four person team, two men and two women.

“Good morning, General,” One of them greeted. Kuvira paused and stared at him for a moment. Her gaze swept over the others.

“You’re not my usual security team,” Kuvira said, frowning. “Who are you? I never authorized a switch.”

“That would be my fault,” Asami announced, appearing from behind them. “I apologize, I meant to warn you sooner. Your old team is currently preparing to return to Zaofu. Don’t worry, it’s only a temporary change. They’ll only be working with you until after the coronation.”

“Why would you authorize a change like this without alerting me?” Kuvira demanded.

“It was a last minute clerical error,” Asami replied. “We’ve been so busy preparing for Wu’s coronation that it just slipped my mind. I’ll get it sorted out as soon as I can, I promise.”

Kuvira sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The excuse sounded poor to her, but she had more important things to worry about right now.

“Fine,” Kuvira replied. “Just let me know ahead of time before making decisions like this, please.”

“Of course, I’m sorry again for the inconvenience,” Asami said, flashing an apologetic smile. “I came to let you know that we’ll be arriving in Republic City soon.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” Kuvira said, nodding in understanding. “Make sure that everything is ready for our arrival.”

Asami nodded in understanding. Kuvira turned and headed towards her office. She wanted to rehearse her speech and over a few other things before their arrival.

The train arrived in Republic City’s Central City Station an hour later. Kuvira and her entourage were met by a swarm of reporters as they exited the train. Kuvira clasped her hands behind her back and forced a pleasant smile. Her security team helped clear a path through the crowd. Kuvira’s ears rang from the amount of questions that were hurtled her way. Suddenly she remembered why didn’t care for the press that much.

Luckily Asami had planned for this exact occurrence. Several cars were already waiting for Kuvira’s group outside the station. They made a beeline for them, careful to avoid the thickest clumps of people as they walked. Kuvira, Asami, and Baatar Jr slid into the nearest car. Guan and the others climbed into the remaining vehicles.

“Spirits, I swear those reporters swarm people like buzzard-wasps,” Baatar Jr muttered.

“You may as well get used to them now,” Kuvira said. “There’s only going to be more once the coronation officially begins.”

“Speaking of, President Raiko will be meeting us at City Hall,” Asami said. “After we get checked into the hotel, we’ll head straight over.”

The drive to the Four Elements Hotel was thankfully short. It was still early and there wasn’t much traffic yet. When they arrived, Kuvira was the first to get out of the car. She’d never stayed in the Four Elements before and was curious to see what it was like. Her security team fell in around her as she walked towards the entrance. Checking in took longer than expected. They weren’t the only guests who had arrived for the coronation. The lobby was full of other people. Kuvira lingered by the door, preferring to let Baatar Jr handle the check-in process. She’d never cared for crowds, and could already feel her anxiety rising.

“Kuvira,” The sound of her name made her look up. Suyin Beifong approached her, with Baatar Sr at her side. Behind was Wei, Wing, Huan, and Opal. To Kuvira’s surprise, Prince Wu and Detective Mako were with them as well.

“Suyin, it’s nice to see you again,” Kuvira said, smiling slightly.

“It’s good to see you as well,” Suyin replied. “It’s been far too long.”

“I hope there aren’t any hard feelings about the way I left,” Kuvira said.

“There was, at first,” Suyin admitted. “But I’ve heard a lot of good things about what you’ve managed to do in the Earth Kingdom. Along with some concerning rumors as well.”

“Concerning rumors?” Kuvira asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Suyin could respond, Baatar Jr returned.

“Ah, hello again Mother, Father,” Baatar Jr greeted his parents coldly. He turned to Kuvira. “I managed to get you into the Presidential Suite. We can head up now if you’re ready.”

“The Presidential Suite? There must be some kind of mistake.” Wu interrupted. “That’s where I’m staying.”

“I had you moved to a junior suite,” Baatar Jr explained calmly. “I’m sure you won’t mind.”

“A junior suite?!?!” Wu repeated incredulously.

“Wow, so first you force villages to sign your corrupt deals, and now you steal hotel rooms too?” Opal scoffed, glaring at Kuvira.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kuvira inquired.

“You know exactly what it means!” Opal snapped, taking a step towards her.

“Look we can sort this out later,” Mako spoke up, stepping in between them. “Preferably without causing a scene in the lobby.” He added. Kuvira glanced around. Sure enough, their argument had attracted some attention from the crowd.

“I agree,” Suyin said, placing a calming hand on Opal’s shoulder. “We have more important matters to attend to today. We can have this discussion at another time.”

—

King Wu’s coronation turned out to be rather lackluster. To Wu’s dismay, the Royal Vault had been plundered, which meant that the crown simply couldn’t afford an extravagant celebration. Kuvira had tried her best to recover some of the riches that had been stolen. But the truly valuable items were long gone by the time she reached the Royal Palace, and there was no way of knowing who had taken them or where they’d gone. As far as Kuvira knew, the ancient treasures contained in the Royal Vault were probably halfway across the world by now, gathering dust in their owner’s homes.

Gun and the other royal advisers did their best to console the soon-to-be king. Wu lamented the loss for nearly an hour, before finally giving in and declaring that the coronation would go on. Kuvira sighed in relief. She’d been worried that he’d cancel everything. Yet eventually he relented and allowed the ceremony to proceed. After a performance of the traditional Dance of the Badger-moles, which Wu did solo, Gun pinned the royal broach to his jacket. And it was finally time for King Wu to give his speech.

The worst part of press conferences in Kuvira’s opinion were the cameras. The constant barrage of flashing lights was aggravating, and she could feel a headache coming on already. Logically she understood why the flashes needed to be so bright, but that didn’t help clear the afterimage from her eyes. Yet she gritted her teeth and stoically ignored them as she had been trained to do. She was standing atop the staircase outside City Hall, with Asami and Baatar Jr standing on either side of her. In front of them, standing at a wooden podium, was the newly crowned King Wu. To the left of the king were the other world leaders; Chief Tonraq, Chiefs Eska & Desna, Master Tenzin, and Fire Lord Izumi.

Arranged before the stairs was what appeared to be every reporter from every news company across all five nations. Dozens of cameras continued to flash as Wu delivered his speech. Kuvira couldn’t help but wonder if the young king had written it himself. She doubted it.

She checked the time on her pocket watch as Wu’s speech continued to drone on. He’d already gone over by nearly twenty minutes now. Sighing, Kuvira stuffed the watch back into her pocket and glanced over at Asami, who looked as bored as Kuvira felt. Asami noticed her looking and rolled her eyes in Wu’s direction. The sound of her name made Kuvira turn back to the King.

“Now, without further ado, General Kuvira, could you please step forward?” Wu said, gesturing for her to approach the podium. Kuvira stepped forward and nodded her head respectfully. “As the Hero of Ba Sing Se, it is my honor to present you with the Kyoshi Medal of Freedom. The highest honor that the Earth Kingdom can bestow. It’s also one of the few things that wasn’t plundered from the Royal Vault.” He said, holding up the ornate gold medal. Kuvira bent over slightly to allow him to place the medal around her neck. Then she shook his hand and flashed her best professional smile as they posed for pictures.

“Do you mind if I say a few words?” Kuvira asked.

“Why not? It’s not like we have six hours to fill.” Wu said sarcastically. Kuvira then moved to take his place at the podium. She spread out the notes she’d written for her speech, before looking back up at the crowd of reporters.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today,” Kuvira began. “Three years ago today, Queen Hou-Ting was brutally assassinated, plunging the Earth Kingdom into anarchy. We were unable to rely upon the Avatar to restore the balance. Courtesy of the temporary powers I was granted, it was possible to stabilize our Kingdom.” She added, gesturing to the people behind her. “There was no way I could do it alone.”

“Bandits, raiders, and other criminals controlled large portions of our lands. Even our great cities were not safe. Through blood and sacrifice, we saved our people, more so bringing them into a new era of enlightenment. Due to all our efforts, I can proudly say that our nation has a very bright future.”

“Now that our mission is complete, our people at peace; I am here to publicly surrender the temporary powers given to me by President Raiko. As of today, the peace force, I led, has officially been disbanded. I will serve as an advisor to the Earth Kingdom’s government for as long as you will have me.”

An eruption of questions immediately rose from the crowd, but Kuvira gathered her notes and walked away purposely. She’d never really enjoyed public speaking, but it was a necessary part of her career that she had learned to navigate well. Keeping her speeches short and to the point had proven to be very effective over the years. She couldn’t help but feel a bit smug about her controlled delivery over the rambling mess that had been King Wu’s lecture.

“Short and to the point as always,” Asami muttered as Kuvira took her place beside her again. King Wu stepped back up to the podium to deliver the last part of his speech.

“At least she wasn’t putting them to sleep like our new illustrious monarch was,” Baatar added. “Pretty sure I saw one man nodding off in the front row.” They both chuckled softly.

“Careful now, he might hear you,” Kuvira chided them, though she was smiling softly. Finally King Wu’s speech came to an end.

“Thank you all for joining us today’s celebrations,” King Wu said, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I look forward to seeing you again in Ba Sing Se as I take my rightful place as your new Earth King. Farewell.”

After posing for a few more pictures, Kuvira, Asami, and Baatar Jr headed into City Hall, followed closely by King Wu’s and President Raiko’s entourages. The doors slammed shut behind them, sealing off the voices from the mob of reporters. Kuvira repressed a sigh of relief.

“That was a splendid speech, Your Majesty,” President Raiko said, enthusiastically shaking hands with Wu. “It’s been an honor getting to host you in our fair city. Though I’m sure that you’re eager to return to Ba Sing Se.”

“I am,” Wu replied. “Especially since Mako will be accompanying me.” Mako rolled his eyes. Kuvira smiled sympathetically. She couldn’t imagine having to guard Wu 24/7.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty,” Kuvira said, hoping to save Mako from further awkwardness. “The ceremony was quite nice.”

“Are you kidding? It was terrible!” Wu sighed dramatically. “It wasn’t half as grand as I had imagined it would be. And the only thing that was left of the Royal Jewels was this brooch!” He whined, tugging at the golden brooch clipped to his jacket. It was a simple-looking piece, though it probably cost more than it looked.

“I don’t know, I think your rendition of the Dance of the Badger-moles really livened up the celebration,” Kuvira remarked dryly. “I’m sure we can arrange a proper celebration at a later date. But this is the best we could do for now. What matters is you’re king now. Speaking of which, we have an important meeting to attend. President Raiko, would you kindly show us to your office?”

“Of course, right this way,” Raiko replied, gesturing to the elevator.

Once they’d reached the president’s office, they all gathered around a long table. President Raiko sat at the head of the table, with King Wu at the opposite end. Mako stood behind the king, looking mildly bored. Kuvira sat next to Raiko, with Suyin and the other world leaders seated on either side of the table.

“As I’m sure that you’re all already aware, but we’re here to discuss the disbanding of General Kuvira’s peace force,” President Raiko began.

“I’ve taken the liberty of bringing all the necessary paperwork with me,” Kuvira added, gesturing to one of her assistants, who began passing out folders to each person. Kuvira waited for them to review the information before speaking again. “As you can see, my advisors and I have divided up our forces as equally as we could. Each detachment will be sent back to their respective homes.”

“Zaofu will be happy to have our metalbenders back,” Suyin commented.

“The United Forces will be glad to welcome back our troops as well,” Raiko said.

“Of course,” Kuvira replied, nodding respectfully. “I wanted to thank you all for your support. Especially to Chiefs Desna, Eska, and Tonraq who sent their own healers. And the Fire Nation, for their supplies and equipment.”

“It was my honor to provide whatever support I could,” Chief Tonraq said. The other world leaders nodded in agreement.

The meeting continued for another hour, as they discussed their next steps. King Wu and his delegation were preparing to leave for Ba Sing Se in a few days. Suyin would be returning to Zaofu, and the other world leaders would be leaving as well. It suddenly dawned on Kuvira that she didn’t really know what her next steps would be. She’d been so focused on completing her mission that she hadn’t really considered what she might do once it was done. Despite her best efforts to pay attention to the meeting, her mind kept wandering.

Before she knew it, President Raiko called the meeting an end.

“I think we’ve discussed everything thoroughly enough,” He said, looking around the table slowly. “Once again, I want to extend my gratitude to you, General Kuvira. Without your efforts, the Earth Kingdom would still be lost in anarchy.”

“I agree,” King Wu spoke up. Kuvira raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I know I’m not what any of you wanted in a king. But I want to promise you all now that I will do my best to live up to your expectations.” He turned to Kuvira. “Our nation owes you a debt that we cannot hope to repay. However, I’d like to offer you a position in my court. As Protector of the Realm, you’d serve as a military and political advisor. I think your advice would be very beneficial to me, and I’d be thankful if you accepted.”

Kuvira was speechless for a moment.

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting this,” Kuvira said eventually. “Your offer is very generous, Your Majesty. I desire to continue serving my nation however I can. Yet I’d like to take some time to think before I accept, if you don’t mind.”

“I understand,” Wu replied. “Just let me know before we leave for Ba Sing Se.”

“I will,” Kuvira promised.

Kuvira followed the others as they departed from President Raiko’s office. Now that it was all finally over, Kuvira let out a sigh of relief. She was looking forward to a brief break from her responsibilities. A few days spent in the Four Elements spa was calling her name. It would be nice not to worry about things for a little while. Besides, a celebration was in order. She’d completed her mission. One that she wasn’t sure was possible at first. She’d earned the right to celebrate that accomplishment.

When she returned to her hotel room, Kuvira decided to hold a small celebration with her top lieutenants. She ordered several bottles of fine liquor and food. During the course of the night, she drank, ate, and shared stories with them all. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, even Baatar Jr who normally hated social gatherings like parties. Sensing that it was growing rather late, Kuvira stood up on a nearby table and cleared her throat loudly to get everyone’s attention.

“Speech!” Bolin yelled out enthusiastically. Several others shouted in agreement. Kuvira laughed.

“I wanted to thank you all,” Kuvira said, choosing her words carefully in her inebriated state. “Without your support what we managed to accomplish never would’ve been possible. If you told me three years ago that I’d be able to bring peace back to my nation, I wouldn’t have believed you. It didn’t seem possible at the time. But thanks to all of your hard work, we pulled off the impossible! It’s been a long, hard road. We lost a lot of people.”

Kuvira paused, swallowing past the lump in her throat. The image of her childhood friend, Shang Nami, flashed in her mind. Grief welled up in her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. She saw similar looks on the faces gathered around her. Everyone here had lost someone during their campaign to stabilize the Earth Kingdom. With great effort, Kuvira forced her grief back into its box and forced a smile.

“I know for a fact that the people we lost are smiling down on us now,” Kuvira continued. “They’re proud of us for seeing this thing through to the very end. So let’s raise a toast to those we lost, and to our victory!”

The crowd cheered in agreement. Kuvira polished off her drink with a broad grin, then rejoined the party. By the time it ended, she was happily drunk, yet still had the wherewithal to see her guests out, before finally collapsing in her bed. Sleep claimed her before her head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

Bolin took a breath to steady himself, before knocking.

“Come in!” Asami called from inside. He opened the door and slipped inside, shutting it behind him. Asami was seated at her desk, but he was surprised to see Baatar Jr and Commander Guan in attendance as well. “Oh, Bolin, good you came. I apologize for calling you in so early. How’re you feeling after last night’s festivities?”

“I’m okay,” Bolin said. “I’m not really a drinker, so no hangover to worry about.”

“That’s good to hear,” Asami replied, smiling. “Now as for what you’re here for. I wanted to make you an offer. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that we’re returning to Ba Sing Se?”

“Yes,” He confirmed. “Kuvira wanted us to oversee the dismantling of our peace force.”

“Well, there’s been a change of plans,” She said. “We’re not dismantling anything.” Bolin began to protest, but Asami cut him off with a raised hand. “Kuvira has noble intentions by stepping down. But she’s wrong. You saw King Wu at the coronation, does he look like someone who should rule a nation?”

“Well, no. I guess he doesn’t.” Bolin answered. “He seemed pretty spoiled to be honest.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Guan commented dryly. Baatar Jr snorted in amusement. Asami silenced them with a look.

“Exactly! I for one am not comfortable giving a man like Wu so much power.” Asami said. “Which brings me to my offer. Commander Guan, Baatar Jr, and I have been planning to reform the Earth Kingdom into the Earth Empire. This way we can continue to do what we’ve been doing, helping the people of this nation come into the modern age, while also changing the monarchy’s archaic legal system to make sure that they’d never wind up in extreme poverty again.”

“But to do this, I need people I can trust,” She continued. “People like you, Bolin. I’d like you to join my inner circle. You’ll have full access to all our plans, and will get a vote in important decisions.”

“I’d be honored to join!” Bolin said excitedly. “But if Wu isn’t going to be king, then who’s going to lead the Empire?”

“Originally we were going to ask Kuvira to lead us,” Asami sighed. “But she’d rather disband our forces and go back to Zaofu. So I decided to take her place.”

“That’s great!” Bolin replied. “But what does that mean for Kuvira? Is she not going to be part of the Empire anymore?”

“I’m afraid not,” Asami said with a sad smile. She got to her feet and approached him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Bo, I know you really looked up to her leadership. But I’m hoping that I can be a decent replacement.”

“Of course you will be!” Bolin assured her. “You’re Asami Freaking Sato, there isn’t anything that you can’t do!”

Asami smiled warmly, and nodded in agreement. She released his shoulder and reached into her uniform pocket.

“Now, since you’re part of my inner circle, I’ve decided to promote you to corporal,” Asami explained, handing over his new rank insignia. “It also comes with a modest boost to your pay. I also have your first assignment lined up for you: I want you to oversee Varrick’s project. His lab is here on the mag-train. I’d like you to help him however you can, his project is very important for the Empire. I also expect you to report back to me regularly with updates on his progress.”

“I won’t let you down,” Bolin promised.

“I know you won’t,” Asami replied. “I’ll be taking my personal airship to Omashu. I have an important meeting with Governor Yu. But if you have any questions or problems, you can reach me at this number.” She added, handing over a small slip of paper. “Oh, and please remind Varrick that I expect some useful results from his project soon or I’ll shut it down.”

“Now, I’m sorry to cut this meeting short,” Asami said, flashing an apologetic smile. “But I’m very busy.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Bolin said. “Good luck in Omashu.”

“Welcome to the inner circle,” Baatar Jr said, shaking Bolin’s hand. “You’ve earned it, Bolin. I know Kuvira would be proud of the progress you’ve made.”

“I look forward to working with you,” Guan added, saluting. Bolin grinned and returned the salute.

“Thanks, guys!” Bolin replied enthusiastically. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he left, a spring in his step.

—

Asami watched Bolin leave with a sense of satisfaction. She’d been unsure about this decision at first. It was very clear that Bolin’s loyalty to Kuvira had been strong. Yet she clearly hadn’t needed to worry.

“Are you sure about this?” Guan inquired.

“I am,” Asami said confidently. “Bolin’s proven his worth to the Empire. He has a natural talent for interacting with people. Plus he’s worked with Varrick before, so he’s used to his eccentricities.”

“Not to mention that his lavabending is a major advantage in combat,” Baatar Jr said. “Though I do share Guan’s concern. I doubt Bolin would have the stomach for the tough decisions that we’ll need to make.”

“We’ll tell him what he needs to know for now,” Asami replied. “Keep an eye on him in the meantime, just in case.”

“As you wish,” Baatar Jr replied.

“How did your meeting with the Zaofu team go?” Asami asked.

“I’m afraid it went exactly how you predicted it would,” Baatar Jr sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. “They’re all fiercely loyal to Kuvira. She earned their unconditional respect after the Ba Sing Se campaign. Without her, I suspect that they’ll return to Zaofu instead of staying in the Empire.”

“Very well then,” Asami replied. “We’ll make do without them. Losing a few metalbenders and politicians won’t break us.”

“What about Kuvira?” Baatar Jr asked.

“What about her?” Asami inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“What are your intentions for her?” Baatar Jr clarified.

“What are my intentions?” Asami repeated. “Kuvira made it clear that she isn’t going to join us. She’s a threat to our operations, Baatar. She knows how many soldiers we have. How many tanks, planes, airships, mecha suits. She knows our tactics. She’s simply too much of a risk to leave alive.”

“We don’t have to kill her!” Baatar Jr said quickly. Asami shot him a curious look. “I just mean, Guan and Dr. Sheng just completed their machine. We could use it to indoctrinate Kuvira instead. Like you said, she’s a very resourceful enemy. Why not capitalize on her talents in a way that could benefit us? Imagine what we could do with her working for us!”

“You make a good point,” Asami said. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and smiled softly. “I understand that this decision is a difficult one for you. She’s practically like a sister to you, after all. Because of that, I’ll make you a deal. If my team manages to capture her, I’ll personally make sure she’s indoctrinated instead of killed, okay?”

“Thank you, Asami,” Baatar Jr replied, smiling in relief. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Anyway, I should get back to my work.”

“Farewell, Baatar,” Asami said as he left her office.

“He’s weak,” Commander Guan said once he was gone. “That’s going to cause us issues soon.”

“He’ll toughen up,” Asami replied. “He hasn’t had to make any truly hard decisions yet. But he’ll get there.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Guan inquired.

“Then I’ll deal with him myself,” Asami said firmly.

“And Kuvira?” Guan pressed. “What about her? Are we really going to waste time capturing her?”

“Of course not,” Asami scoffed. “I meant what I said: She’s too big of a risk to leave alive. It’s better to remove our opponent's most useful piece from the board now while we have the upper hand. I just said what Baatar wanted to hear. Kuvira will suffer a most regrettable ‘accident’ during our attempt to capture her.”

“You’re more devious than I originally imagined, Empress Asami,” Guan replied.

“Just ensure that your team is ready within the hour, Commander,” Asami said, smiling grimly.

“They’re already in place and awaiting your orders,” Guan said. “They’re the very best I have. Even if they’re captured, they won’t talk.”

“Good. I don’t want to reveal our true intentions before we’re ready.” Asami replied. She sat down behind her desk once more. “Give the order.”

Guan bowed in response, before leaving. Asami turned to look out her office window, her lips twisting into a soft smile. Soon, all her hard work would pay off and she’d reveal her new Empire to the world. The thought sent a jolt of excitement and pride through her body.

Chapter Text

Kuvira allowed herself to sleep in for a change. Normally she rose before dawn. But she’d earned a break, besides her head felt like it was being struck with a hammer. Plus her bed was simply too warm and comfortable to leave. She drifted on the edge of consciousness, her mind wandering through hazy dreams. She rolled onto her back, stretching. She froze when she heard a soft clicking sound coming from somewhere in the room. Unease rose in her chest, and she felt body immediately tensing in preparation for action. It was still early, the sun hadn’t risen yet. The room was still dark, save a beam of moonlight from the balcony doors.

Kuvira laid perfectly still, straining her ears as much as she could in an attempt to locate the sound’s source. She didn’t have to wait long. The sound rang out again, she quickly realized that it was coming from the door. Someone was picking the lock. Kuvira immediately rolled out of bed and bent on her armor. As soon as it was on, the door swung open violently and two figures rushed inside. Kuvira raised her hands to start bending, when the sound of shattering glass rang out behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see two more figures standing on the balcony. The figures were dressed all in black, save for white masks covering their faces.

The intruders wasted no time capitalizing upon her brief distraction. All four of them attacked at once, clearly hoping to overwhelm her. Kuvira barely had time to shield her face as a hail of rocks and metal slammed into her. She widened her stance to keep from being knocked over, before risking an attack of her own. She thrusted a fist forward, shooting off a metal strip from her bracer. It struck the nearest attacker in the head, forcing him off balance. The opening was small, but it was all she needed.

Kuvira lunged towards the distracted attacker, lowering her shoulder before slamming into him. He fell backwards with a pained grunt, but she kept moving. She fired off several more metal strips at the other three attackers, forcing them into defensive stances before they started attacking again. Kuvira didn’t allow herself to slow down. She dodged most of their attacks, and managed to redirect a few right back at them. All the while, she was constantly moving, not wanting to give them a chance to overwhelm her.

The one she’d knocked down finally found his feet again, and bent a nearby metal table in her direction. Kuvira took cover behind a decorative pillar. The table missed wildly. Kuvira used her bending to break off small pieces of marble from the pillar, sending them flying back at her opponents. Her makeshift projectiles forced both of her attackers to find cover of their own, occasionally counterattacking wildly. Seeing an opening, Kuvira left her cover, heading towards the still open door.

There was a flash of silver that caught her attention, followed by sudden, sharp pain as something heavy struck her in the shoulder. She looked down to see a metal blade sticking out from just beneath her collarbone. Why hadn’t she sensed that coming?

Kuvira didn’t have time to think though. She barely managed to avoid another blade that came flying at her from the far corner of the room. Kuvira retaliated with her own attack, shooting off two metal strips from her bracers. One wrapped around her opponent’s wrist, the other around an ankle. With a wave of her arms, she sent the assailant tumbling head over heels through the air. The assailant flew through the broken remains of the balcony door, slamming against the metal railing.

The blade in her shoulder slightly hampered the range of movement in her right arm. Every time she raised or moved her arm, it sent a fresh wave of agony throughout her body as the blade ground against bone. She grit her teeth and forced herself to keep moving. If she slowed down now, she was as good as dead. Her three remaining assailants seemed to realize this. Like shark-squids smelling blood in the water, they began to circle her.

Slowly, they backed her into a corner, occasionally striking at her with coordinated attacks. Kuvira’s back brushed against the wall behind her and she froze. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. At the same time two of her attackers whipped at her with metal cables, one aiming at her head and the other at her legs. Kuvira redirected the cables with a wave of her right arm, while using her bending to shape the bracer on her left arm into a long blade. She leapt towards her opponents, using their own cables to pull them towards her.

She slashed her blade across the chest of the first assailant. The man stumbled away, clutching at the wound. Kuvira dodged a punch from the second man, spun inside his guard and buried her blade into his chest. He grunted in pain, as he sagged against her. His green eyes locked with hers. They were full of pain and shock. Kuvira forced herself to look away as she ripped her blade free and dropped his corpse to the floor.

She barely had time to step away from his corpse before her last opponent struck. The assailant lashed out with a flurry of fist-sized rocks. There were too many of them to avoid entirely. Kuvira grunted as a rock smashed into her hip, followed by another that struck her in the chest, knocking the wind from her lungs. She stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the body at her feet.

Shielding her face with her bad arm, Kuvira weathered the onslaught, waiting for an opening. She got it when her opponent ran out of projectiles, and started to charge her instead. Kuvira raised her blade, and settled into an defensive stance. She dodged two quick punches aimed at her face, and ducked underneath a high kick. Pivoting slightly, she drove her blade through her attacker’s head. The blade cut through the mask and head behind it with ease, erupting from the other side in a shower of gore. The body slid off her blade slowly, crumpling to the floor with a dull thump.

Kuvira took a moment to survey the scene, arms raised in preparation to bend. There were no signs of life from the bodies at her feet. Cautiously, she lowered her arms, looking around the room. She reformed her blade into a bracer once more. Now that the threat was gone, she needed to get help. She hurried over to the suite’s small office area and picked up the phone. The line was dead. Cursing, she dropped the headset and rushed towards the door.

In her mind’s eye, she pulled up the mental map she’d made of the hotel. The security office was on the first floor, just to the left of the main lobby. She just needed to get to the elevator. Kuvira stepped through the open door, clutching at her injured shoulder. She took one step into the hall when she was tackled from behind. She landed hard, turning to keep her injured shoulder from striking the floor. Her attacker had landed on top of her, and began to punch her in the head repeatedly.

Kuvira raised her good arm to shield her face. This close, she realized that her attacker was a woman. And based on her chosen weapons, she must be a non-bender. The other woman’s mask was partially broken, revealing the lower half of her face.

“Thanks for holding this,” The woman said, reaching for the knife still buried in Kuvira’s shoulder. Her fingers wrapped around the handle and she yanked it free. Kuvira screamed. Warm blood poured from the wound, soaking her pajama shirt. “Goodbye, General.”

The woman leaned back, knife raised in preparation to strike. Kuvira shifted onto her back, and raised her good arm, firing off a metal strip from her bracer. It struck the woman in the neck. Her eyes widened behind the mask, and she let out a gurgling cough, before collapsing on top of Kuvira once more. With some difficulty, Kuvira shoved the body away in disgust. She rose to her feet slowly, her shoulder screaming in pain.

Kuvira looked down at the body of her attacker and sighed. She could feel the adrenaline starting to leave her body, leaving feeling sluggish and weak. Cradling her bad arm to her chest, Kuvira leaned down and pulled off her attacker’s mask. She gasped in disbelief. A familiar face stared up at her from the floor. She hadn’t known her long enough to learn her name, but she’d recognize that face anywhere. The woman had been part of her personal security detail. The one Asami had given her before the coronation.

The sound of footsteps made her jump, raising her good arm defensively.

“Easy, it’s me!” Mako said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

“Detective Mako?” Kuvira asked, lowering her arm. A mixture of confusion and surprise washed over her. The detective was dressed in a white tank top and gray shorts. “What are you-“

Her sentence was cut off by something large slamming into her side. The force of the blow caused her to stagger towards the wall. She managed to catch herself before she fell over, using the wall for support. Kuvira barely had time to turn towards her room, before a second chunk of concrete smashed into her chest. The air in her lungs was forced out in one huge gasp, and pain erupted all across her chest. She saw stars as her head rebounded off the wall behind her. Kuvira’s legs gave up beneath her and she slumped to the floor, gasping for breath.

Kuvira looked up to see the man she’d cut across the chest standing in the doorway of her room. He’d removed his mask at some point, and was clutching at his wound with one hand. Blood flowed freely between his fingers, pooling around his feet. His free hand was held up, a melon-sized chunk of concrete floating above his palm.

The man grinned victoriously, raising his hand in preparation to strike. Before he could, a bolt of lightning struck him in the chest. His body crumpled to the ground, smoke rising from the hole in his chest. Kuvira glanced over as Mako rushed over. After checking the body to ensure it wasn’t moving, he knelt down in front of Kuvira.

“Don’t worry, help is on the way,” Mako said.

“Thanks,” Kuvira said breathlessly.

“Can you walk?” He asked, concern written all over his face.

“I can try,” Kuvira replied. Mako stood up and helped her to her feet. Kuvira groaned in pain, but managed to stand up on her own. As soon as she tried to take a step, however, she stumbled and would’ve fallen if Mako hadn’t caught her.

“Easy,” Mako said, wrapping an arm around her waist for support. Kuvira hooked an arm around his neck and leaned on him as they made their way to the elevator slowly. By the time they reached it, the doors slid open, revealing Lin Beifong and six RCPD officers. Lin took one look at them and motioned for her officers to move out of the way.

“There’s an ambulance waiting for her,” Lin told Mako. She then turned to Kuvira. “Are there any survivors?” Kuvira shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. “Good. I’ll send a team of my officers to the hospital with you. Until we figure out what happened here, I won’t be letting you out of my sight, General.”

“Roger that, Chief,” Kuvira replied, forcing a smile.

“We should put an extra watch on King Wu’s suite as well,” Mako spoke up.

“I’ve already taken care of that,” Lin replied. Mako nodded and helped Kuvira into the elevator. Kuvira slumped against the wall, watching numbly as the doors slid closed.

The ride to the first floor felt like it took an eternity. Her whole body ached, and the fight had left her feeling exhausted. She started racking her brain for any ideas about who might’ve been behind this attack. She’d made a number of enemies during her campaign to stabilize the Earth Kingdom. But none of them seemed powerful enough to pull something like this off. Kuvira frowned as a new explanation came up. Asami had swapped out her security team less than twenty four hours before the attack. And her attackers were the very same soldiers Asami had assigned to protect her?

Even if Asami wasn’t involved in the attack. That was a massive coincidence that Kuvira just couldn’t ignore. Yet if Asami was involved, then she most likely would’ve covered her tracks. Kuvira would’ve done the same if she were in Asami’s shoes. She glanced over at Mako as she weighed her options. He and Asami had been friends for years, same with the rest of Team Avatar. Would they even believe her if she voiced her theory? Sighing, she decided to keep her suspicions to herself, at least for now.

The elevator doors slid open, and Kuvira allowed Mako to help her walk out towards the team of healers waiting for them in the lobby.

Chapter Text

Korra fell face first into the mud for the, well she’d lost count of how many times it happened at this point. Yet she’d never get used to the taste of it in her mouth. She pushed herself up with a groan, spitting out a mouthful of mud as she did so. Damn it, how was she losing an 80-something year old woman? She was the Avatar for fuck’s sake!

A broken Avatar. Her mind was quick to remind her.

Korra pushed the thought aside, and forced herself to stand back up. Using her bending to remove the mud from her clothes.

“Honestly, I don’t know how you haven’t managed to land a single hit on me.” Toph said in obvious amusement. “We’ve been doing this for two days now, Twinkle Toes.”

“Shut up, I’m just rusty.” Korra huffed.

“That’s your excuse?” Toph retorted. “Come on, you told me all about how you’ve been getting your ass kicked by random earthbenders in underground fights. You can’t even beat me, and I’m an old lady! You’re not rusty, you’re just holding yourself back.”

“What’re you talking about? I’m not holding myself back.” Korra replied in confusion.

“Yes, you are. You have no confidence in yourself anymore. I can tell.” Toph said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And carrying around all that metal inside of you ain’t helping anything either.”

“Metal?” Korra asked, looking at the older woman as if she’d grown a third head. “What metal?”

“You’re telling me that the Avatar can’t feel metal in her own body?” Toph scoffed.

“You mean the Red Lotus poison?” Korra guessed. Realization finally dawned on her. How had she not noticed that? Probably because she just automatically assumed that the poison was gone, just like everyone else had. Could some of it still really be inside her after three long years? Who knows what kind of damage it must’ve been wreaking upon her body all this time, completely unnoticed. Yet surely someone would’ve noticed, right? “That can’t be possible. Suyin bent the metallic poison out of me after my fight with Zaheer. Master Katara herself confirmed that it was gone.”

“Katara’s older than I am.” Toph replied. “She’s still the best healer alive, but she’d be the first one to admit that she can make mistakes. Besides, she’s not a metalbender, so how could she have noticed it? And my daughters never really picked up metalbending as well as they like to claim.” She paused briefly, her blind gaze studying Korra intensely. “It’s not a lot of metal, but it’s in there alright. I can understand why so many people missed it. Especially if they were all led to believe that it was gone. Which is a dumb assumption to make, if you ask me.”

“So, can you get it out of me?” Korra asked curiously.

“Why do you need me to do it? You’re a metalbender, aren’t you?” Toph replied.

“Well, yeah, but you’re THE metalbender. If anyone could get this stuff out to me, it would be you.” Korra said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “Like you said, I didn’t even know that it was still in me. So clearly I’m not that good of a metalbender either. Please, I could really use your help with this.”

“Alright, alright. No need to get all worked up over it.” Toph huffed, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll do what I can, but you’ll need to relax.”

Korra took a moment to relax herself using the breathing techniques that Tenzin had taught her. Once she felt loosened up enough, she gave a slight nod to Toph to signal that she was ready. Toph widened her stance, bending her knees slightly and held her hands out in front of her. She began to move her wrists in a practiced manner, slowly pulling her arms backwards. At first, nothing happened, and a spike of confusion rose in Korra’s chest. Then she felt it. An almost imperceptible pain. The pain slowly grew worse with each movement that Toph made. Going from barely noticeable to a deep, burning sensation, like something was slowly being pulled out of her joints.

Yet the pain wasn’t the worst part. Memories of her previous battles flashed in her mind.

“And I’m saving you for last, then you’ll get your duel, and I’ll destroy you.” Amon’s voice echoed in her brain, as clear as the first night she’d heard it.

Amon’s mask was soon replaced by the face of her uncle, Unalaq.

“You think what Avatar Wan did was good? Driving all the spirits from this world?” Uanlaq scoffed, his voice full of derision. “The Avatar hasn’t brought balance, only chaos.”

Once again, the face rippled like water, before changing into another.

“So, we lucky few. This band of brothers and sisters of archarcy, are witnessing the beginning of a new era of true freedom. Together we will forge a world without kings and queens, not borders or nations, where Man’s only allegiance is to himself and those he loves.” Zaheer declared, his voice full of conviction. “We will return to the true balance of natural order. And though you will never again be reborn, your name will echo throughout history: Korra, the last Avatar.”

“Stop!” Korra shouted, gasping for breath. She vaguely heard a grumble from Toph, but the pain suddenly stopped and the memories stopped with it. Korra bent over, placing her hands on her knees. Forcing herself to breathe deeply and slowly.

“I told you to relax.” Toph scolded her.

“What was that?” Korra demanded.

“What was what?” Toph replied.

“The visions. I saw…everyone who’s hurt me in the past.” Korra explained, her voice shaking slightly. She straightened up and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

“You have to let go, Twinkle Toes.” Toph said firmly. “Unless you’re determined to keep all that metal inside you.”

“What? Of course I’m not!” Korra protested immediately.

“Good. Then you can bend it out yourself next time.” Toph said with an air of finality. “Think of it like a learning experience.”

“Learning experience? What else could I possibly have left to learn!” Korra demanded, frowning in annoyance.

”You said that you saw your past enemies. Now why do you think that is?” Toph replied.

“I don’t know.” Korra sighed. “Maybe because they made me and a lot of other people suffer.”

“Sounds like you’re carrying around your former enemies. The same way you’re carrying around that metal poison.” Toph said sagely. “You ever consider maybe you can learn something from them?”

“Sounds like the swamp is messing with your mind.” Korra replied, shaking her head in disbelief.

“My mind is just fine, thank you.” Toph replied. “Listen, what did Amon want? Equality for all. Unalaq, he brought back the spirits. And Zaheer believed in freedom.”

“I guess.” Korra conceded, confused about what her point was.

“The problem was those guys were totally out of balance and they took their ideologies too far.” Toph explained.

“Okay, fine. But that doesn’t explain why they keep haunting me.” Korra said, crossing her arms impatiently.

“Because you need to face your fears.” Toph said simply. “You can’t expect to fight future enemies if you’re still fighting the old ones.”

Korra was silent for a long moment. She hadn’t thought about it that way before. Yet she couldn’t really deny the wisdom in Toph’s words.

“Look, I’m not saying that you haven’t had it hard, kid. Being the Avatar is the most thankless job in the world,” Toph continued. “I know because I saw it happen to Aang over and over again. Sure, some people were actually appreciative of his help. But most of them weren’t, especially as we got older. The world always expected him to solve their problems, and they had no issue blaming all their problems on the Avatar either. Crop failure? It’s because the Avatar didn’t make it rain soon enough.” She counted off each grievance on her fingers. “The local governor is overtaxing people? That’s the Avatar’s fault too. A tsunami hit their village? You better believe that it was because the Avatar wasn’t watching the coastline every second of the day.”

“So, yeah, you drew the shortest straw, kid,” Toph shrugged. “You’re never gonna be able to please everyone. Believe me, I watched Aang try, and yet he still failed. It used to eat at him. I spent a lot of nights listening to him vent about it. But he never stopped trying. So neither should you.”

“It sounds like you guys were really close,” Korra replied.

“Eh, my love life is none of your business,” Toph replied gruffly. “Now, how about you go round us up some grub?”

“Okay.” Korra said. She could use some time to try and sort out her thoughts anyway. “I’ll see what I can find.”

—

Later that night, Korra crept out of Toph’s cave. As helpful as the older woman was, she found herself craving some solitude. After traveling alone for so long, she was still getting used to being around people again. She didn’t go far, however, since the swamp wasn’t the safest place to be during the day, let alone at night. She found a large, flat boulder a few hundred yards away from the cave near the area where she and Toph had been training earlier.

Korra climbed up onto the boulder. The top was nearly perfectly flat and covered in damp moss. She cleared off some of the moss with a short burst of airbending, then sat down on the flattest part of the boulder. Immediately getting into the familiar lotus position by second nature. She’d tried countless times to meditate and connect with Raava over the last three years, all without success. But she refused to give up hope. Surely that spirit hadn’t brought her here just to meet Toph? There were countless stories about the spiritual nature of the swamp. Maybe she could somehow use it to help reach Raava? Hopefully.

Shutting her eyes, Korra placed her fists together and began to breathe in the same practiced manner that she’d done hundreds of times before. She could feel herself relaxing slowly. The cold of the boulder started to seep into her body, and a faint breeze ruffled her hair slightly. Focus. She had to focus. She tried to empty her mind of all thoughts, one by one, looking for that familiar feeling of inner peace. Hoping for something, anything, to come to her. Yet like always, there was nothing.

Still, her stubborn nature refused to give up so easily, so she persisted. She lost track of how long she’d been sitting there. Her backside and legs had long since gone numb, and her lower back was starting to protest from sitting for so long. Eventually, however, Korra had to admit defeat. Her stomach was growling again and she’d have to try and sleep eventually. Sighing, she stood up and stretched languidly. Her back and joints popping.

She didn’t understand why this wasn’t working. Yet ever since she’d been poisoned, she hadn’t been able to connect with Raava. No matter what she tried. She’d even gone to the Spirit Oasis in the Northern Water Tribe and meditated there for a few days. Yet she’d been met with nothing but silence and growing frustration, just like tonight. Whatever was causing this spiritual blockage, she needed to figure it out, and soon. So she could go home.

The thought of home brought up images of her friends and loved ones in her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of Team Avatar was doing now. Bolin’s and Asami’s letters had mentioned that they were helping to restore balance in the Earth Kingdom, but they hadn’t gone into any specifics about what they were doing exactly. Mako had written several times about his new job as Prince Wu’s bodyguard. She wondered if the Prince had made King yet. Probably. Would Mako get his old job as a detective back, or follow Wu to Ba Sing Se?

Thoughts of Tenzin and his family crossed her mind as well. It had been so long since she’d seen Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. They must’ve grown so much by now! They were like the younger siblings that she never had. Spirits, she missed Pema’s cooking, and Tenzin’s guidance. She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d say about her current spiritual blockage.

Maybe Toph was right. Maybe she did need to confront her fears in order to restore the balance inside her. But that was a problem for another day. For now she needed to eat, and try to sleep. She jumped down from atop the boulder and began trudging her way back to Toph’s cave. When she got there, the elderly woman was already snoring loudly. But there was still plenty of the mushroom stew they’d made earlier simmering in the pot over a small fire. Korra helped herself to some and ate quietly as she mused over the day’s events.

Eventually, she decided to turn in for the night. As she laid down on her bedroll, curling one arm under her head like a pillow and staring up at the cave ceiling. Her mind began to wander as she drifted in the hazey space between consciousness and sleep. Once again her thoughts drifted to her friends and loved ones, wondering what they were doing now and feeling a bit guilty for not trying to write to them lately. Her last thought before falling asleep was of Kuvira. The two of them had written back and forth over the last couple of years. She thought briefly of the night they’d shared together before Korra had gone off to track down Aiwei. What was she up to now? She thought, before sleep finally claimed her.