DISCLAIMER: The Legend of Korra and its characters belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante Dimartino, and Nickelodeon. I do not claim ownership of the universe or the rights to it.

It was quiet on Air Temple Island, save for the endless chirping of the cricketmoths that filled the trees. I walked out of my room in the women's dormitory and down the hall, my feet barely making a sound as they glided over the matted floor. The balloons and streamers from Jinora's anointment were still here, filling every corner with their bright colors. Today had been a day of hope for a brighter future, but I still had to confront my past.

Her room was at the end of the hall. The light was still on, and I started feeling nauseous as I drew closer to the sliding door.

You can't stop now, my conscience told me. You have to do this.

My hand reached up to find the betrothal necklace that hung below my head, and I knew that there was no going back. I walked, faster now, and knocked softly on the side of the door.

"Su, are you in there? It's me".

Silence.

"I just came to talk about everything that happened".

I waited, for what felt like an eternity, but there was no response. I turned around and began heading back to my room, defeated, when I felt a hand grab my wrist and pull me around.

There she was. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen, just as I remembered her. She leaned in and wrapped her lips around mine, and our tongues met for the first time since we were girls.

It didn't last, though, and she pulled away; a regretful look on her face.

"Why did you come here tonight?" she asked, her voice filled with pain.

"I had to apologize for what I did. It tore us apart, and I regret it more than anything".

"No, Kya. You were selfish, yes, but it helped me find out what I really wanted in life".

"Not me, that's for sure".

"I love you, and I always will, but you're not the person I need to be with. I have a husband, and a family. I love them more than anything".

"I know that," I replied. "And I didn't come here to steal you away from your life, I just needed to tell you my side of the story".

Su stared at the floor.

"Tell away" she said as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

Taking a deep breath, I began to recall the events that had led us to each other...

30 YEARS AGO

I woke up that morning to find my room flooded with sunlight.

Great, I thought. Overslept again.

I stumbled out of bed and over to my bamboo cabinet, where I removed my nightgown and put on a fresh set of clothes. There was no time to shower, and besides, I was too hungry to clean up. It didn't matter. Nothing did. No one would even notice, anyway. It wasn't like they actually paid any attention to the waitress at Narook's Noodlery.

Walking downstairs, I was greeted by Tenzin, who had just finished breakfast and was headed to the meditation hall.

"Let me guess, you just woke up?" He passed by me, shaking his head. "You know," he continued, "You have a lot of talent. It's a shame to see you wasting it like this".

Thanks, little brother. Not like I've never heard that before.

The kitchen was empty. No doubt dad was already hard at work with his "Avatar duty" to Republic City. He always told me he'd take some time off to spend with us and mom, but we knew he didn't mean it. When I had asked mom about it last month, all she said was "This city is your father's pride and joy... sometimes he gets so caught up in it that he forgets about his family. But he still loves you, never forget that".

Yeah right. I knew the truth: Tenzin was the only one dad really cared about. Sure, there was Bumi, who was already becoming famous for his natural leadership in the United Forces. But me? Not a single notable accomplishment. Dad probably gets embarrassed whenever my name is brought up. "Kya, the girl who dropped out of Republic City's Healing Academy because she never even bothered to try". Yeah, real impressive.

I was frying an egg to eat with my rice when suddenly, there was a loud banging from behind me. I turned off the stove and walked up to the door, opening it just enough to see who was outside. To my surprise, the person standing in front of the kitchen was a young girl; Suyin Beifong to be exact. She was about eight years my junior, and though I had met her before, we had never exactly been close. There was a big enough age gap between us that I avoided her at most dinner parties, and the only things I had heard about her were negative. When Lin came over, she'd often complain to Tenzin and I about her sister's careless behavior.

"Umm... hello" I said awkwardly.

"Hi!" said Suyin. "You work at Narook's, right?"

"Yeah" I replied. "I bus tables; nothing fancy".

"Well, I was wondering if I could make a reservation".

"You're supposed to call the restaurant, but I guess I could let them know. What time?"

"Around seven o'clock would be best." replied Suyin. "I'm going out with some friends tonight, and one of them said that Narook's had the best Water Tribe food in the whole city. Then I remembered hearing that you worked there, and since I was just across the bay, I decided to stop by the island".

"Well you certainly went out of your way to get a table" I said, chuckling. "I'll make sure you get the best one there is".

Suyin's face brightened up, and her eyes sparkled with a sudden rush of optimism.

"Thanks so much, Kya!" she said, smiling. "So I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, I guess" I replied. "I'm pretty easy to miss, though".

"Nonsense!" said Suyin. "I remembered you, so that counts for something, right?"

"Yeah... yeah, it does". I grinned at her. "Thanks for stopping by, Suyin".

"Please," she said, "Call me Su".

Su turned around and walked back to the ferry that had brought her to the island. I turned around as well, returning to the kitchen where my half-cooked egg still sat in its pan. As I finished preparing my breakfast, I was overwhelmed with the gratifying sensation of being someone. I barely knew this strange girl who had come knocking on my door, yet I got the feeling that she knew me, or at least... understood me somehow. And the way she smiled made me feel... alive. Like there were new experiences out there, waiting for me to come be a part of them.

No, I thought, What am I thinking? All she wanted was a table at the Noodlery, and you're acting like she's changed your whole outlook on life.

Su was just your average, happy-go-lucky teenager. Nothing more, nothing less. Once she reached my age, she'd realize that the world isn't all it's cracked up to be. Dreams don't always come true.

Still... there was something about her...

I managed to put these strange thoughts out of my mind, and walked back up to my room once I was done eating. I had promised Tenzin that I would feed the bison today, but I really didn't feel like doing anything. It seemed like I always felt this way. For as long as I could remember, these past few years especially, I had been at a loss for what to do with my life. I was an accomplished healer, but I flunked out of the Academy because I didn't want to spend my life trapped in some hospital. That's what mom wanted, of course, but I failed the tests as a way to show her that I was my own person, with my own dreams. I wanted to be like my dad, always traveling around and helping people in need. Sadly, though, that's not something everyone can do.

Times like these were when the doubt crept back in. I'd see Tenzin teaching his Acolyte classes, and read about Bumi's military exploits in the paper. Then I'd realize the truth: compared to them, I'm a failure. Most people would assume that the daughter of an Avatar would have a great future ahead of her, but they'd be wrong. I was nothing.