Author's Note: I wanted to add a warning to this chapter, because I know the events that transpire here might be a deal breaker for some, and that's okay. There is a major character death in this chapter. If you've been reading thus far, you can probably guess who it is. When it comes to significant character deaths, I don't write them lightly. I only write them in when it makes the most sense to do so, and if something from the story would benefit from it. When writing this fic, the death that happens here serves several purposes. Not only does it establish the Red Lotus as a legitimate threat (because if they never succeeded, why should we fear them?), but it also greatly affects Kuvira's development. It adds another layer in overcoming her past faults, as she decides how she wants to live up to Su's legacy going forward, and it cements a personal involvement with stopping the Red Lotus. That's not to mention all the rippling effects the death has on other characters.

If you don't want to read a fic with any character death, then that's okay! Hopefully this note will allow you to jump ship while you still can. Over the course of the entire fic, there will be other deaths, but they are few and only happen when it makes sense (as far as major characters go, as there are still plenty of background character deaths, since, you know, if people were actually fighting wars with super powers, not everyone is going to survive).

Kuvira shifted into her bending stance and glared at the opposing waterbender named Yuruk. "He's your cousin?"

"We're not close." Anraq coiled his water into a solid, rippling sphere. With a push of her hands, the sphere expanded, surrounding them both in a protective dome.

Yuruk chuckled, an amused gleam coming to his eyes. "Fancy meeting you here, Annie. All the way in Zaofu... I thought you were still down South."

"And I thought you were still in prison."

"Eh, prison didn't much agree with me," Yuruk said, with a shrug. "Figured I'd get out and find something more interesting to do. With the Red Lotus, I've found just that."

Kuvira's nerves jolted. The Red Lotus? She remembered that group—the same group who'd kidnapped Korra eight years ago, poisoned and nearly killed her, killed the Earth Queen, and nearly wiped out the new Air Nation. The same group that had been the entire spark behind Kuvira becoming the Great Uniter to reunite and bring order to the Earth Kingdom. Ever since Zaheer had been imprisoned, the Red Lotus had all but disappeared, or so the world believed. If they were here now...

The revelation tore through her with a startled gasp. "Su! They're after Su!"

Yuruk chuckled. "Well, aren't you the bright one? Of course, by now she's already been taken care of. Only thing left for us to do is pick off the stragglers who feel like getting in our way. Like you, for instance."

Kuvira's stance faltered. She snapped a panicked look towards Anraq. "We have to get to Su. Now! We have to help her!"

"Then you'd better get going." Anraq shifted his stance, causing several long tendrils to sprout out from the watery sphere surrounding them. The back of the sphere opened, allowing a way for Kuvira to retreat. "I'll hold off these two."

"What? That's crazy." Kuvira looked back at Yuruk and his partner, Avan. These weren't average bending thugs. They carried a different sort of presence with them. Powerful. Dangerous. They knew what they were doing. "You can't fight them alone!"

"Like you just said, Su needs our help. The longer we take, the more likely we get there too late. One of us needs to get going now." Anraq forced his water to push Kuvira out of the sphere behind him, urging her to go on. "So go. Now!"

"Ah, Annie, ever the white knight." Yuruk chortled, lowering himself into his own bending stance. His water coiled around his arms and froze into long blades of ice. "You do remember how this went last time, don't you?"

Anraq hardened a seething glare at his cousin. "Kuvira, go!"

"Okay, just be careful." Kuvira turned and sprinted. Earth surged beneath her feet, carrying her stride with enhanced speed.

Yuruk's gaze narrowed at the fleeing woman. "Avan?"

Avan sprang into action, gliding along the ground atop his earthen boots. He thrust his arm forward, his metal hand detaching from his arm, clawed fingers extended. Anraq whirled forward. One of the water tendrils undulated out of his sphere and lashed outward, batting the metal projectile out of the air. A second whip extended and wrapped around the earthbender's leg to halt his advance.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Anraq flowed his arms backwards. With a firm tug, the water whip yanked his target into the air. Avan twisted his body in mid-flight, landing on his feet in a crouch. "You want to get to her, you go through me."

"Well, I've done it once before." Yuruk grinned, pulling his icy armblades back in preparation to strike. "Might as well do it again."

Yuruk and Avan struck in unison. Anraq stepped back, sweeping watery tendrils at the pair to keep them at a distance. Not enough. Avan glided across the ground as though on skates, weaving around the attacks. Yuruk ducked and evaded with ease, light on his feet. When Yuruk leaped forward to swing his blades, Anraq hardened the water shell around himself into solid ice. The blades clanged off the shield, tearing a deep crack through the ice. The crack exploded, as an earthen pillar collided at its center.

Anraq retained his balance, liquifying the ice back into water. He swirled it around his body in a circular motion. The water roiled, spun faster. Another shift of his feet, another whirl of his arms, and the torrent gushed forward. The stream split into two separate waves, the tips spiraling into watery spears. He sent one at Avan, and the other at Yuruk. Avan raised a stone wall to block the attack. Anraq spread his fingers, causing the stream to further split into another two separate waves, either one swirling around the sides of the wall. Both streams crashed over Avan, pushing him backwards off balance. Only a momentary stumble, as his earthen boots gripped firm onto the ground, once again allowing him to glide along unhindered.

Yuruk broke out with a cocky grin, shifting back a step and bending the incoming torrent around his own body. The water froze into ice, cracked, and split. With a secondary sweep of his arms, the frozen stream exploded in a shower of icy shrapnel, each frigid shard slicing through the air towards Anraq. With an instinctive shift of his stance, Anraq called back a portion of water and froze it into a solid shield in front of his body. Icy shards pelted against the wall, but left him unharmed. Anraq turned again, prepared to counter. Had to break through their defenses somehow. Had to start landing solid hits. He could do this.

Pain scorched across his thigh. He screamed, fell to one knee. The water he'd been bending splashed to the ground, unable to maintain his hold on it. Avan twitched a hand, and his metal prosthetic darted in a second time. Sharpened claws raked across Anraq's arm, tearing through the protective armguard. Blood gushed free from open gashes. The metal hand whirled back for a third strike, but Anraq rolled away, throwing up a watery defense with a single, desperate sweep of his arm. Pain burned through his muscles. He clenched his jaw, swallowed the pain. Couldn't stop now. Springing back to his feet, he guided his water back, once again forming a defensive sphere around his entire body.

Time to go on the offensive. Anraq thrust a pointed hand forward, causing a bladed, icy projectile to fire out of the watery shell. He thrust again, and again, unrelenting. A storm of frozen blades filled the air. Yuruk and Avan fell back on the defensive, allowing Anraq a moment to collect his thoughts. These odds weren't great. Two opponents, both masters of their element. Anraq had never been a master. Even if he'd improved these past few years training with the Avatar, Yuruk had always been his better. Throwing this metal-handed earthbender into the mix only made things worse.

As his sphere began to shrink, Anraq ceased his attack—running out of water. With a sliding step backwards, he recalled as much water as he could to himself for another barrage. Not fast enough. Yuruk struck, liquifying the icy shield around his own body. Thrusting his arms forward, the water spiraled into a torrent, the tip hardening into an icy drill. The frozen tip pierced Anraq's water sphere and penetrated clean through. In the same moment, Avan swept both arms forward, causing the protective armor plates of Anraq's uniform to spring free from his body, leaving him unprotected. Fire ignited through Anraq's muscles, a piercing jolt of pain so fierce he screamed. Water splashed around him, unable to maintain his bending. He stumbled, heaved. Biting down the pain, he chopped down a hand and snapped the frozen spear in half.

He chanced a look down at himself. The spear had punctured his shoulder, now skewering through his body out the other side. Instinct pushed him to bend the ice into water and remove it, but he stopped himself. Taking out the ice now would remove the plug keeping his blood inside the wound. If he was alone, he could focus on healing himself, but in the middle of combat? Not a chance. With a rapid shift of his stance, he swept his arms and called back his water into another protective shell, this time focusing on hardening it. Couldn't take another hit like that. He was already losing. Badly.

"Well, you almost put up a good fight," Yuruk said, with a casual motion of his arms. Water hovered above his head and split into several long, icy knives. "But you're just not good enough. Never were."

"Go screw a wolf bat," Anraq spat. "I'm still standing."

Yuruk smirked. "For now. But I think it's time we finish this."

Wing stared at his mother, eyes wide. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"You can't give up like that!" Wei added. He raised his fists, and lowered into a bending stance. "Come on, we can take him!"

"Wing, Wei, stand down," Suyin uttered, voice catching in her throat. "Please."

Huan took a tentative step forward, reaching out a hand to his mother's shoulder. "Mom, you can't. We said we'd do this together, and we meant it."

"I know what we said," she replied, with a desperate shake of her head. "But I can't put you all at risk again. I keep doing that, time and time again, because of my own failings. Well, not anymore. This time, I protect my family."

Wei's posture slackened, and he exited his stance. "But Mom..."

"You can't trust anything this guy says," Wing insisted. "You think he's just going to let us go when he's done with you?"

Su looked back at her boys, sorrow knotting its way into her throat. She swallowed it down. "And what choice do I have? Either we keep fighting and we all die, or I take responsibility for once in my life, and at least the rest of you have a chance."

Huan's eyes softened, as though a light had faded. "Mom..."

"I love you all so much." She reached out, pulling them all into a hug. No more fighting her tears. They fell free, staining her cheeks. Still, she retained her composure. She didn't break down. "And I am so proud of you. All of you."

"We love you, too Mom."

What she wouldn't give to hold them forever. Of course, it couldn't last. She had to pull away, had to accept her fate. With a deep, shuddering breath, she pulled out of the hug and turned to Zaheer. "Please, I just ask that you don't make them watch this. They don't need to see it.

Zaheer sucked in a deep breath, eyes closing. "Very well. Take them away."

Several Red Lotus members came forward and pulled the three boys away. Huan hung his head, his wild hair falling over his face as the Red Lotus pushed him out of the courtyard. Wing and Wei called to her—frantic, desperate, begging for her not to do this. Their pleas cut like daggers. No more choice. No going back.

"Alright, you," Aoi muttered, pulling Baatar, Sr. to his feet. She pushed him forward, forcing him to walk. "Get moving."

Suyin looked again to Zaheer. "Please, a moment with my husband? One last time."

Zaheer glanced to Aoi and gave a simple nod. The girl sighed, and promptly marched Baatar over to his wife. The poor man was still caught in a daze from the previous blow to his head.

"Baatar, sweetie, can you hear me?" Suyin asked, cupping a hand to her husband's cheek.

He groaned, eyes flickering wider to look at his wife. "Su, you can't do this. Please, I need you. Your family needs you."

Su's breath trembled. Something broke inside her, a new flow of tears surging down her cheeks. Her throat tightened, lips quivered, but still she remained strong. Still, she kept her head held high. Pulling her husband into a gentle embrace, she rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered to him. "The others... Opal, Junior, Lin... Kuvira. Tell them I'm sorry. Tell them I love them."

Baatar sank against her, a shuddering breath rippling through his chest. "I love you, Su. So much."

"I love you, too.".

"Forever and always?"

A distant, wistful smile spread across her face. "Forever and always."

Su leaned back to kiss her husband. Gently, sweetly—the last kiss they'd ever share. Oh, how she wished it could last forever. When finally she pulled away, Baatar staggered, coughing out choked sobs. Tears ran heavy down his face. He almost fell when Aoi shoved him forward, but he caught his balance enough to continue moving.

When all her family was gone, Su breathed deep, calming. A moment's pause, and she eased the breath out her nose. Her gaze shifted towards Zaheer, narrowing into a heated glare. No more tears. Only pure, unbridled defiance. "You won't succeed, Zaheer. You may win here, you may kill me, but others will stop you. The Avatar will stop you."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," he stated, lifing into the air towards her. "She and I have unfinished business, after all. In the meantime, the Red Lotus has much to accomplish, and I'm afraid you won't be around to see it." Zaheer half-spun his body, whirling his arms in a circle. A swirl of air sprang to life, surrounding Su's head in a bubble. It spun faster, and faster, until the air from her lungs began to leave her, sucked out into the vortex. "Oh, and should you happen to meet P'Li in the next life, be sure to tell her who sent you."

Suyin's fists clenched, fog blotting through her mind. She tried to stand strong, tried to fight against it. She stood rigid, focused on the beating of her heart, tried to take a breath. Futile, in the end. No air came to her. Dark spots blotched into her vision. She fell to her knees, held herself up with her hands, still fighting. A weak, empty gasp coughed from her throat. The spots grew into a thick cloud, spreading into a solid wall of darkness. Sights and sounds faded, disappeared. Another moment, and the entire world drifted into oblivion.

She never even felt herself hit the ground.

Kuvira darted around the corner, tearing up the ground as she went. With every ounce of bending ability she had, she propelled herself at rapid speeds across Zaofu. Had to be fast enough. Had to get there in time! The Beifong estate raced into view. Ground cracked beneath her feet, surged upwards, catapulting herself into the air. Earth flew by beneath her, the world tunneling in her vision. She cleared the wall seconds later and landed clear in the center of the outer courtyard gardens. Rolling upright, she shifted into a sturdy bending stance, prepared to fight an entire Red Lotus army if she had to.

She saw no one.

The courtyard itself was a disaster. Holes and divots scarred the ground. The gazebo had collapsed, and Huan's sculptures reduced to scrap metal. Fire had torched the garden, reducing once flourishing, vibrant flowers into smoldering ashes. The estate was a warzone. The battle was over. She'd missed it. Keeping up her guard, she made a cautious stride forward.

"Su!" she called, darting her gaze around the courtyard for any sign of life. Maybe they'd gotten away. Maybe they were alright. "Su, are you—?"

Her voice froze when she saw it. Ice snapped through her limbs, frigid claws tightening around her heart, squeezing. Numbness crept into her throat. The entire sensation of cold dread ruptured and spread, sinking deep down her arms, into her fingers. She tried to take a breath, but her lungs shuddered, rapid and frantic. The breaths turned to wheezing. The wheezing turned to sobs, choking through her chest. She knew what she was seeing. Knew what had happened. But it had to be wrong. It was a trick. Her own grief, playing tricks on her mind.

Suyin lay motionless in grass, sprawled out on her side with her eyes closed. She looked peaceful, in a way, as though merely sleeping. Yes, that was it. She was sleeping. She was okay. She'd be fine.

Kuvira crept closer. "Su?"

She dropped to her knees at Su's side. A tremble pulsed through her fingers, but still she reached out, placed her hand on Su's shoulder. She gave a gentle shake. If Suyin was sleeping, Kuvira only needed to wake her. When she was awake, they could regroup, figure out a plan. They could stop the Red Lotus together. There was no response. Kuvira shook harder—still nothing.

"Su, wake up," she uttered. Her voice cracked out her throat, little more than a pale whisper. "Please, Su, don't... don't do this. Wake up. Please wake up."

Nothing.

A harsh sob ripped through Kuvira's chest. She brought a hand to her mouth, as though she could stop herself. Another cough followed, bursting around her fingers. Any semblance of strength she still had, any fragment of will, shattered. A pain unlike anything she'd ever experienced exploded through her chest—sharp, biting, and deep, down to her very soul. She pulled Suyin's limp form into her arms, held her close. Several more choked sobs gurgled in her throat before she finally buried her face into Su's shoulder, some halfhearted attempt to stifle her emotions.

A lot of good it it. Tears burst free. Her breaths wheezed, uneven and choking, split by wailing hiccups and drowning coughs. She held tighter. "I'm... I'm sorry. Too late... I was too late. I couldn't... I couldn't..."

She struggled to get out the words, voice stifled by uncontrolled sputtering billowing in her chest. In that moment, holding Su's limp body tight in her grasp, Kuvira the woman disappeared. She was Kuvira the girl, eight years old again—lost, orphaned, helpless. Her entire world crumbled, leaving only agony in its place.