"A bunch of prisoners broke out of the Ligan prison," Baatar said, looking through the newspaper in the office cabin of the train, "that's where we put most of those bandits from that town we were in before that year and half update with Raiko."
Kuvira asked, "How many got out?"
"Over a dozen," he said, "and this is old news, apparently it happened days ago."
Miski said, "Sounds dangerous."
Bolin asked, "Is there anything we can do about it?"
"If we catch them, they get double time," Kuvira answered, "but I wouldn't worry about it. We're heading back to that region anyway. Maybe this time I can convince the governor to sign the contract."
Miski added, "I made it even prettier looking this time. Maybe that'll win him over." Her smile made Kuvira smile.
As The Iron Maiden chugged along to the town, it was very clear things were not right. There was no movement, no signs of life as they approached. The businesses and homes of town stood still and stiff. Even the air felt off.
"Something's wrong," Kuvira said, staring out the window as they got closer.
The Iron Maiden rolled to a stop. The townspeople should have all noticed when Kuvira arrived and recognized the train, but they didn't. Instead, Kuvira stepped outside to the scent of blood and death. She covered her mouth and nose. Bolin was right behind her. "Why does it smell so bad?"
"Stay on the train," she commanded, "that's an order."
"An...order?" Bolin asked, stepping backwards. He tripped over the steps and fell.
Baatar walked around him and asked, "What's going on? Whoa." She overwhelming scents hit him all at once.
Together they searched through the entire town small. No survives. Only strewn out bodies. Even the governor himself wasn't spared. They couldn't believe it. In the governor's office, writing on the walls in blood. The Iron Maiden failed these people. Kuvira couldn't bear to look at it.
"How could this happen?" Baatar whispered.
"We should have stayed," Kuvira said, the pain in her heart soaring, "We could have actually helped them! I wanted to stay and actually help these people. I should have done something! Now look at them." She gestured to the ghost town.
Baatar hugged her and said, "We did what we could."
"It wasn't enough," she shook in his arms.
"I know."
"I'm sick of this," Kuvira said, "we can't do it the old way. Following the law led to this! I refuse to let this happen again. I won't allow it!" She let go of Baatar and looked around at the destruction. Just a few weeks earlier these people were happy. Now it was all meaningless.
The legend of The Iron Maiden was truly born then and there. Sure, some mixed Kuvira up with the name of the train before the first year and half mark but it was only after the death of nearly 1,000 people that caused her to become so ruthless. Bandits were given no mercy. They were to either get their hands cut off by trains moving by on the tracks or join the army. There was no longer a third option of a simple jail cell.
As the months wore on, Kuvira stood her ground on more contracts than ever before. Raiko didn't question her methods and approved of how many regions she was finally managing to get reunited and get the help and recourses they so desperately needed. The bandits they came across only seemed to be getting worse, but with a growing army, they weren't nearly as threatening as they were before.
"Over half of the nation is reunited now, Kuvira," Baatar said, standing in front of the desk in her private cabin.
"That's great." She said in a monotone voice, not bothering to look up.
"You're allowed to be happy about it," he said, slowly tugging paperwork away from her so she would notice him.
Finally looking up at him, she smiled half-heartedly, and replied, "Okay, I'm happy about it, now let me get back to planning our empire. I originally thought of the camps as temporary, but what if we started building more permanent structures?"
"I've been designing some already," Baatar said, sitting on her bed, "but maybe we should take break."
Kuvira glanced down at her paperwork and then back up at his genuine expression. "A break?"
"A vacation if you will," he said, "if only for a day, or an evening."
She asked, "Why do I have a feeling you already have a place in mind? Where did you want to go?"
He answered, "The Sun Festival in Bao, my family went to vacations there every year and we're already heading there anyway. It's a beautiful town on the top of a plateau. You'll swear you can see forever from up there. Why not stop and enjoy ourselves for a few hours at the same time as creating an empire?"
"I've heard of it," Kuvira said, frowning, "your special family vacations I was never allowed to go on growing up, despite your mother insisting I was part of your family." That was something she could never wrap her head around, even as an 8-year-old girl. She understood the first few vacations Su had planned and paid for she had no idea Kuvira existed and didn't have room for one more kid so she let it slide. At least, that's always what Kuvira told herself because deep down she knew Suyin had enough money to get a bigger cabin, or apartment, or hotel room based on where they were going. They could afford one more meal plan, one more airship ticket, one more carnival ride seat, for one small girl. As she got older, Kuvira was continuously cut out of different family events, proving she didn't really have a family.
"I didn't know you felt that way back then," Baatar said, "otherwise I would have told her to let you go with us. But maybe it's better this way. If we really were considered 'family' for real, we wouldn't be dating right now."
She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Fair point. What happens at the sun festival?"
"Bao is the southernmost town in the southernmost region in the entire nation," Baatar explained, "so on their longest day of the year they celebrate the sun being out for most of the day. They have a night festival in winter too, to celebrate the longest night."
Kuvira smiled, "Okay, let's go celebrate the sun."
Bao was a petite village on the very top of a mountain. To the south of them was another taller mountain that had the perfect slant of seeing the entire village. Behind them, they could see the ocean. They were up so high it was almost as if they could see the curvature of the planet.
Baatar brought up a picnic for them to enjoy together as the sunset on the longest day. The festival itself had a great carnival games and performances from around the world. As they sat together up the mountain, Kuvira leaned against Baatar and said, "It is beautiful."
"The view isn't the only beautiful thing here," Baatar replied, smiling at her. She blushed. "I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you blush."
"We've been so busy planning the future I haven't stopped to think about us," she confessed.
"We've been planning the country's future," Baatar said, "not ours."
She closed her eyes and leaned onto her shoulder. "You're right," she said, "I've been avoiding it my whole life."
"Why?"
Kuvira explained, "For so long I had no idea if I had a future. I had to focus on my next meal, my next place of rest, what the next few hours held. Then in Zaofu your mother insisted I stay and live there forever. I wasn't allowed to think of a life of my own. And now we're here, making sure our country stays peaceful."
Baatar asked, "Well what kind of future do you want for yourself?"
Kuvira looked down at the little village below. How happy everyone seemed, how they had the freedom to do what they pleased. Then she looked out at the sunset to the west and watched the colors dance across the sky in front of her.
"A life in a town like this," she said, "with a beautiful view, and happy people, and a family of our own." She stopped herself. Something she had heard a few different adults say when she was little, was that once she had children she would understand where her parents were coming from. The people who said that to her didn't know her full backstory, how they got rid of her because she was an earthbender out of control by drugging her and leaving her for dead. Still, there had always been a small part of her that wondered if they were right. If she became a mom, would it mean she would be able to justify the abuse her original parents put her through.
"I've always loved this town," Baatar replied, "and this mountainside, and the idea of a family of our own."
She sat up and asked, "What are you getting at?"
"I know you've spent most of your life feel like you were alone," he said, "and I want to make sure you never feel alone again, Kuvira. We can live a life together, for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"
Kuvira's jaw dropped. "You want to marry me?" she said, "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" She hugged him so hard they both fell over into the long grass. "I love you so much, Baatar!"
"I love you too."
"When are we supposed to find time to have a whole ceremony?" she asked.
"We'll do it after the empire is complete," he replied, "after it's all united under your power. We can live here. I already own this land."
"What?" she asked, sitting up, "How do you own this property?"
He explained, "My parents bought it a long time ago but never found the time to build a summer-house here, so they put it back up on the market. I saw it was for sale and bought it for us." He hugged her again, "That way we can always be together. I promise I'll never leave you alone."
Kuvira could almost cry right then and there. She felt in her heart she would never be alone again.
