Book 4: Balance (Rewrite)

Chapter 3: The Avatar Returns

"Up with the sun, I see. Just like Sparky."

Iroh had woken a while ago and had ventured outside for some fresh air. He now turned to the old woman. "Sparky?"

"Your grandfather. How is he, anyway?"

"Fine. Enjoying his retirement."

"Me too! Ah, in some ways, it's good to get old."

"I can't say I'm ready to call it quits just yet." Toph sat on a root beside the standing general, and they enjoyed several minutes of early-morning silence.

"So… Are you going to try again to bend out what's left of the poison?"

"I meant what I said. If she wants it out, she'll have to do it on her own."

"Then, what now?"

"I'm not the reason she was brought here. I can only serve as a guide. To point her in the right direction. It's up to her if she takes the hint."

"I see. And what is the right direction?"

"This swamp is filled with spiritual energy. It can tap into a person's mind and show them visions that can guide them, if only they know how to listen."

"In other words, she has to open herself up to be spiritually vulnerable."

That wouldn't be an easy task for the stubborn, headstrong Avatar. It was no secret that she historically struggled with authority, as well as her spirituality as the Avatar. She faced yet another opportunity for growth. The question remained, would she humble herself in order to move forward?

"I'm not that late of a sleeper, am I?"

"It seems you needed a good rest," said Iroh as Korra joined them outside.

"I did. It felt incredible. I don't know how to thank you."

He shrugged. "What are friends for?"

"So… What's the plan for today?"

"You're looking at it," said Toph.

"What? I'm ready for more training."

"No you're not."

"Sure I am! I feel better than ever!" said Korra, stretching her arms from side to side. "I can take whatever you can throw at me."

"Humph! Don't kid yourself. One massage and you think you can take on the world."

"Well fine then. If you won't train with me. Iroh?"

"I think you need to take it easy for a day or two. As helpful as the heat massage can be, it can be easily undone if you undergo strenuous activity too soon afterward."

Of course, regular massages after mild training sessions could relieve the muscle tension, but after his dreams the night before, Iroh thought it best not to tempt temptation.

"Ok, fine. I'll just practice by myself. You did say to focus on my basics," she grinned at him.

"You don't listen to anything, do you?" Toph grumbled.

"Relax. I'll take it easy, I promise. I'll just practice my forms. No bending. Ok?"

Iroh leaned against the tree Toph now lounged on, watching Korra move quietly through the stances he'd been working with her on, as well as others she'd been taught at other points in her training. He offered no comment, content to observe her in silence, and he was pleased when he didn't see a hint of tension in her muscles as she practiced alone.

Through water, earth, fire, and air patterns she moved, and even her eyes held a calm concentration. As she paused simply to breathe, Iroh watched the sunlight play across her face, and he smiled.

He was aware that the tension would return as soon as she had a sparring partner, but seeing Korra be temporarily free of the anxiety and the fear was something that gave Iroh momentary relief.

After two days of training alone, however, Korra understandably became bored. There were only so many forms, and so many times she could repeat those forms. She begged Iroh to train with her, but he turned her down gently each time. After speaking with Toph, Iroh understood that the best way to help Korra was to do as Toph did, and serve as another guide for the Avatar. If it was swamp that needed to be her teacher, he would have to stand aside so that she would not be distracted from her lesson.

Korra dropped down onto a root beside the lounging Toph with an impatient huff. "It's been days, and still neither of you will train with me. I feel like I'm being punished, and I don't even know what I did wrong."

"I told you, I didn't ask you to come here, and I sure didn't volunteer to be a babysitter," said Toph.

"No offense, but knowing you for only a few days, I already expect you to be negative and contrary. You're the one I don't understand," she said to Iroh. "You were so willing to work with me before. What's the problem now?"

"If training is what you needed, I don't think my great uncle would have sent that spirit to bring you to the swamp."

Korra sighed. "I guess if you both agree… Imagine that."

There was a lengthy pause, and Iroh could feel the energy rolling off of her.

"I know!" said Korra. "You could tell us the story about how you taught Aang to earthbend."

"What's there to tell? I threw some rocks at the Avatar, he got all whiney, and Sokka fell in a hole."

Iroh leaned against the tree and chuckled at Toph's dryness.

"I thought there'd be more to it than that…" said Korra. "Oh, what about the time you guys took down the Firelord! That must have been epic!"

"Oh yeah! It was hot. I was on a blimp. And I think a giant turtle showed up. Wow. What a day."

"Ok, you're terrible at telling stories."

"You're terrible at listening to them!"

Korra looked away from the old woman, wondering what she could do with all the new energy she felt. She hadn't realized she'd begun tapping her feet until Toph raised the earth beneath them.

"Quit making all that racket! If you're so antsy to do something, go collect some mushrooms for dinner!"

Korra stood abruptly and looked from Toph to Iroh. The general shrugged, as if agreeing that Toph could be difficult.

"You got it," Korra finally said, turning away from the pair.

"Take the path until you see the boulder with the hole in it. Then go to your left. Oh, and make sure you get the big, slimy ones! They're the tastiest!"

Thinking he should go with her since the swamp could be a dangerous place, Iroh righted himself and made to follow.

"Let her go," said Toph, stopping him in his tracks.

He looked back at the old woman, recalling their previous conversations. Perhaps Korra would be more receptive to what the swamp had to show her if she were alone.

X-X-X

"She's been gone for hours."

"So?"

"Do you think she could be in trouble?"

"She's in no more trouble than you and me."

"Oh," he said, remembering that Toph could see the entire swamp with her earthbending. "Right."

"But I suppose we should go get her lazy butt. I need my mushrooms if anyone expects to eat tonight!"

General Iroh followed Toph through the swamp, still amazed at how well she could navigate its hazards with no vision. He couldn't fathom the strength of her earthbending, which he knew was why she was considered one of the greats.

Sure enough, she brought them straight to Korra, who sat high on a lofty, moss-covered root, her knees clasped to her chest. The energy she'd had earlier had dissipated, and she looked lost again.

"There you are. You got my dinner yet?" asked Toph as they climbed up to join the Avatar.

"No. This swamp… It did crazy things to my mind. I had visions…of all the times my enemies hurt me."

"Yeah, I figured something like that might happen."

"What? You wanted me to see those visions? You are one twisted old lady, you know that?"

"They do tend to get twisted in their old age," said Iroh.

"Hey, if you want to keep your toes, I'd watch your mouth if I were you," said Toph as she sat next to Korra.

"Yes ma'am."

"Look," said Toph, returning her attention to the Avatar. "I know you want to get better. And so does the swamp. It can sense you're out of balance. It can teach you what you need to learn, if you're open to listening."

Korra sighed. "Ok swamp, I'm all ears."

"You said you saw your past enemies. Now why do you think that is?"

"I don't know. Because they've made me and a lot of other people suffer."

"It sounds like you're carrying around your former enemies, the same way you're still carrying around that metal poison. You ever consider maybe you could learn something from them?"

"Sounds like the swamp's messing with your mind, too."

"My mind is just fine, thank you. Listen, what did Amon want? Equality for all. Unaloq? He brought back the spirits. And Zaheer believed in freedom."

"I guess."

"The problem was, those guys were totally out of balance, and they took their ideologies too far."

"Ok, fine. But that doesn't explain why they keep haunting me."

"Because you need to face your fears. You can't expect to deal with future enemies if you're still fighting the old ones."

"Maybe you're right, but how am I supposed to move on?"

"Boy you Avatars need a lot of hand-holding. Get up," said Toph, getting to her feet and walking past the general. "We're going to the banyan grove tree."

"The what?"

"How many questions are you going to ask? Just be quiet for once."

Korra bit back a retort, but she met Iroh's eyes a moment later. He gave her a reassuring smile before gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

The hike to the tree took thirty minutes or more, and Korra kept to Toph's advice, staying silent as she absorbed their surroundings. The swamp could be a frightening place, but it was also picturesque in the right light. She trusted Toph not to lead them into danger, so she was able to enjoy the scenery rather than lingering on the flashbacks she'd had earlier. They reached a tall expanse of roots, and Toph began to climb without hesitation. Iroh stepped up beside Korra, and together they climbed up after her. When they reached the top, Korra couldn't believe the size of the tree in front of them.

"I've heard about this place," said Iroh.

"It's beautiful," breathed Korra, taking in the magnificent sight of the massive tree as it glowed in the sunset's light.

"The roots of the banyan-grove tree spread out for miles in every direction, connecting this whole swamp," said Toph. "Your problem is you've been disconnected for too long. Disconnected from the people who love you, and disconnected from yourself."

Iroh studied Korra, who strangely stayed silent rather than jumping to defend herself against Toph's observation. Could it be that she was learning to listen after all?

Korra glanced at Iroh. Toph was right, of course. But she couldn't say she felt disconnected from everyone. She hadn't wanted Iroh to follow her, but he had, and she was grateful to have a friend to accompany her over the last several days.

Iroh watched her as she walked closer to the trunk of the tree. She looked as though she was reflecting on Toph's words, and he was intrigued when she knelt down in front of it. Though Iroh couldn't claim to be connected to the spirits, he could sense that something inside her had changed as soon as she touched her palm to its base.

Several long seconds ticked by before Korra suddenly stood and spun on her heel.

"I can't believe it! I saw Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo! They're here!"

"Tenzin's kids?" asked Iroh.

"Good! Hopefully they're here to take you home!" said Toph.

Korra set her sights on the evening sky and waited. General Iroh moved up beside her, scanning the horizon.

"There," he said, pointing to the incoming sky bison.

"Korra!" the kids shouted as they flew closer.

Tears stung Korra's eyes, and she smiled as they leapt off of Pepper, running to embrace her.

"Oh, we missed you so much Korra," said Ikki.

"I missed you so much, too. How did you find me all the way out here?"

The three of them fumbled through a less-than-explanatory anecdote that morphed into side-tracked discussion about Korra's new hairstyle.

"And is that general Iroh?" said Ikki.

"It's good to see you three again," said the general.

Toph cleared her throat, and Korra apologized before introducing Aang's grandchildren.

"Your grandpa was a real pain in my butt…"

"Wait a minute," said Meelo. "Cranky? Old? Blind?" he said, waving his hand in front of her face. "You must be Toph!"

"Oh, I like this one," the old woman smiled.

"Yeah! Point for Meelo!"

"Did you really come all this way just to find me?" asked Korra.

"Dad sent us to find you," said Jinora. "You have to come home. Kuvira is taking over the Earth Kingdom."

"You have to stop her," said Ikki.

Korra glanced between Iroh and the three kids with uncertainty.

"General Iroh told me what's been going on. But I don't know if I can stop her. I'm not the Avatar I used to be. I can't even go into the Avatar State."

"Please Korra," said Ikki.

"The world needs you back," said Jinora desperately. She glanced at her siblings. "We need you."

Korra dropped her eyes to her feet. Toph and Iroh had seemed to agree that she shouldn't be rushing back into action; she was still being haunted by memories of Zaheer and her other former enemies; and she apparently still had bits of metal poison flowing through her veins and making it impossible for her to get back into fighting shape. Should she really return to civilization to take on Kuvira? Korra didn't feel like she was ready to resume her duties as the Avatar just yet—not when she'd done nothing but fail over and over again over the last three years.

"Are you really going to deny the three kids who look up to you the most?" said Iroh slyly at her side.

"Hey, who are you calling a kid?" said Meelo. "I'll have you know, I'm a man now!"

"Just look at the admiration in their eyes." Iroh gestured toward the youngsters. "You may not believe in yourself yet, but they believe in you. And so do I."

"But earlier you made it seem like I needed to wait."

"And you did. You learned to listen. I don't think the swamp has anything else to teach you right now. Think about it. It's no coincidence that Jinora sensed you when she did. I think it's time for you to come home."

Korra looked over at Toph, who nodded wordlessly. She looked at Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, who all stared at her expectantly. How could she argue with them?

"I guess I have to try," she finally said. "But there's something I need to take care of first."

x-X-x

Back at the cave, Korra took several deep breaths before she turned to Toph and the others.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"I'm not bending it out of you," said Toph. "You need to do this on your own."

Though uncertain of her own abilities, she'd already gotten a firm answer from the old earthbender. When she looked to Iroh, he looked as sure as ever, and she wondered how he could have so much faith in her when she continued to doubt herself.

Knowing she couldn't continue to stall, she took a deep breath and took up her earthbending stance.

"Close your eyes," Toph directed. "Clear your mind. And don't freak out like last time. Now, focus your energy. Find the metal. Let it move through your body."

Following each of Toph's instructions, Korra moved to pull the remaining bits of metal poison through her body. The burn from the dragging of the poison was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. However, as she worked to move it through her torso, Korra was thrown into another flashback where she saw Zaheer, felt the air begin to leave her body. Korra bent forward in pain and clutched at her head.

"That fight is over," said Toph. "Release the fear."

For a moment, General Iroh feared that Korra would be unable to finish the difficult task before her. His fears were laid to rest, however, when she straightened and tried again. The pain was visible in the lines of her face, but she worked harder to pull out the poison. It visibly seeped through her skin, forming two liquid metal spheres. Again, she pulled all the remnants, removing enough to create a third sphere before fusing all the metal poison together. Toph stepped forward to seal the poison in stone with a rare, prideful smile on her weathered face.

"Well done, Korra."

The Avatar State came to her with ease now that the poison had been fully removed, and Korra felt like a huge weight had been lifted when she felt her power return at last.

"Yeah! The Avatar is back in business!" shouted Meelo as he and his sisters celebrated her return to form.

Korra pulled out of the Avatar State with a surprised grin, looking down at her hands in disbelief.

"I feel so much lighter," she breathed before she looked up at Toph. "Thank you so much for helping me… I'd like to give you a hug now, if that's ok with you."

"Alright, you earned it." Korra smiled as the surly old woman embraced her in return.

"And thank you, General Iroh," she said after pulling away from the old earthbender. "I couldn't have done it without your support. I think you deserve a hug, too."

"Oh. Well—" He had to return the favor when she threw her arms around him. When she pulled away, he gave a respectful bow. "Welcome back, Avatar Korra."

Jinora and Ikki hugged her as well, and she shared a high-five with the rowdy little boy. Iroh smiled, finally seeing some of the old Korra return.

Korra and the kids said their goodbyes to Toph as they climbed onto the sky bison. The general was the last to join them.

"What, you want a hug, too?" Toph asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to say, I'm honored to have gotten to meet you and spend time in your presence. You're a wise lady."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

"No. I know you don't think much of your time on the police force, but I've never heard anything but praise for you. Now I understand why my grandfather spoke so highly of you. Thank you," he said, giving another respectful bow.

"Oh, come here," she said, grabbing his ear and pulling him into a light headlock before ruffling his hair.

"Hey!"

"I know you don't remember, but I met you when you were no bigger than a baby moose-lion. Never a bother! Always quiet, even then. I trust you to keep the Avatar in line. And tell Sparky I said hello."

She released him, and Iroh stood straight and rubbed his ear. He couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll do that."

He climbed onto Pepper and sat toward the back beside Korra. Once the five of them were settled into the saddle, Jinora took the reins and they were off.

"I've ridden a dragon and a komodo-rhino, but this is the first time I've been on a sky bison," said the general.

"Whoa, you rode a dragon?" said Meelo.

"That's so cool," said Ikki.

"It is. But to tell you the truth, this seems a lot more comfortable," he replied, leaning back against the saddle pack.

It was Korra's turn to frazzle his hair. "Hey, don't get too comfortable."

He smoothed it back out, opening one eye to look at her with a small, insincere scowl. "Leave my hair alone."

"You let Toph do it!" she teased.

"Yeah, well… I can't exactly say 'no' to the Toph Beifong." Truthfully, he didn't want to say 'no' to Korra either, but he certainly didn't want to become distracted by his sudden reactions to her.

"So, I guess it's back to Republic City," said Jinora. "Dad's going to be so happy to see you."

"And he's going to be so proud we actually worked together to complete our mission to find you," said Ikki. "It took longer than we thought, but here we are!"

"How long were you looking for me?"

"We've been traveling across the Earth Kingdom for a few weeks now," said Jinora.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause everyone so much trouble."

"Ah, it's cool. We got to go on an adventure!" said Meelo.

"Have you heard any news about Kuvira on your travels?" asked the general.

"Oh yeah!" said Ikki. "When I was captured by two of Kuvira's soldiers, they mentioned that Kuvira and her army were headed to Zaofu because it's the last city left in the Earth Kingdom that she hasn't conquered."

"Wait, what?" said Korra.

"You didn't mention that before," said Jinora.

"I kind of forgot. Looking for Korra was more important."

Iroh scowled down at his feet. "Seems she's been busy, continuing on her war path."

"Then we need to go to Zaofu," said Korra.

"Are you sure?" asked Jinora. "Dad wanted us to bring you back to Republic City."

"If Kuvira's heading to Zaofu, so am I. She needs to know that the Avatar is back. The world needs to know."

"Woo-hoo! Avatar fight!" shouted Meelo. "This is going to be awesome!"

"Meelo, there's not going to be a fight," said Korra, amused by the boy's excitability. "Kuvira saved my dad. She was a captain in Su's guard. I think she can be reasoned with."

"What? No fight? Why did we go through all that trouble to save you if you're not going to beat someone up?"

"I know I usually rush into things, but that hasn't always worked out in my favor. During these last three years, I've learned that I need to slow down, be patient, and most importantly, be willing to observe and listen. I don't think starting a confrontation with Kuvira and trying to bully her into backing down is the right answer."

"It sounds like you've learned many good lessons, Korra," said Iroh, his face stoic. "But you've been out of world affairs for a long time. You don't know how ruthless Kuvira has become."

"There has to be a reason she's doing all of this. It's like Toph said: Amon, Unaloq, and the Red Lotus all had good ideas, but they took their ideologies too far. Maybe I can talk to Kuvira and we can come up with a better solution than forcefully conquering Earth Kingdom cities. I have to try, right? The Avatar is supposed to bring peace, not more conflict."

Though General Iroh admired Korra's commitment to diplomacy, he knew it wouldn't work. Kuvira had already overtaken nearly the entire Earth Kingdom. It was unrealistic to think she'd stop now after all the effort she'd put forth for her cause. Still, it couldn't hurt to try. At the very least, it might buy them some time.

The ride on the sky bison was far more comfortable than riding either a dragon or a rhino, and much more comfortable than sleeping on trees and rocks in the swamp. Iroh was grateful to get some more rest, and even more thankful that he wasn't bombarded with questionable dreams.

Jinora, Ikki, and Korra took turns steering Pepper as they made their way across the Earth Kingdom, giving each of them a chance to rest. The following day saw clear skies, and Meelo took up as lookout with his telescope.

"I see it!" he announced boisterously after several more hours of flying. "Zaofu! We made it!" He paused, looking again as they rounded a mountain peak. "And a bunch of other people are here, too," he drawled in disappointment.

"What? Let me see," said Iroh, turning to take the scope from the boy. He growled in frustration. "Kuvira. She's here."

"Oh no," said Korra. "I hope we're not too late."

X-X-X

Korra and the others were welcomed to Zaofu and taken without question to Suyin's home in the center of the city. When they entered, Su met Korra with open arms.

"Korra? I can't believe it! Where have you been? You disappeared. Everyone was so worried."

"It's a long story… I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, and I promise I'll catch you up later. Right now, I want to help you stop Kuvira. We saw her troops on our way in."

"Yes, that was our surprise this morning," said Su before turning to the others that had come with the Avatar. "I see you have company," she said, greeting Tenzin's children. "And General Iroh. What a surprise. Are your troops with you? How did they get past Kuvira's army?"

"It's a pleasure to see you, Su, though I wish it was under more favorable circumstances. I'm here with Avatar Korra. My men should be based back in Republic City, awaiting my return."

"General Iroh filled me in on what Kuvira has been doing since I've been out of commission, but I want your side of the story. How did things get so bad between you and Kuvira? I thought she was your protégée."

"She was more than that. She was like a daughter to me. I took her in when she was eight years old, and nourished her talents. Kuvira was smart, a natural leader, and quickly rose through the ranks. I saw myself in her."

"What happened?"

"Three years ago, after the fall of the Earth Queen, Raiko and Tenzin came to see me. They wanted me to be the one to stabilize and reunite the Earth Kingdom, but I refused. I didn't want Zaofu's name to be tarnished, knowing we'd be seen as conquerors. I didn't want to become hated by the world. Kuvira disagreed. She tried to get me to reconsider, but when I didn't, a rift formed between us. I didn't realize it at the time. She went behind my back, gathering support from other residents of Zaofu. When I found out, I tried to stop her.

"Kuvira and Bataar left that day with Varrick, my security force, and a few of Zaofu's wealthiest citizens. After Kuvira proved herself by stabilizing Ba Sing Se, Raiko and the other world leaders made her the provisional head of the Earth Kingdom. Once she refused to step down, I knew it was only a matter of time before she made her way back here."

"I want to fix this."

"You can. Go into the Avatar State and demolish her. Remove Kuvira from power once and for all."

"Fighting is something the old me would do. That always made things worse. Let me talk to Kuvira. Maybe I can reason with her."

"Kuvira doesn't listen to reason. She even brought Bolin here to try to persuade me."

"Wait, Bolin is with her?" said Korra, finally realizing that Opal stood at the back of the room with crossed arms, appearing detached from the room's other occupants.

"I don't know what she's told him, but yes," said Su. "I don't think talking to her is going to help."

"Maybe not, but what have we got to lose?"

Su turned desperately to the general. "General Iroh, you've witnessed Kuvira's military aggression for yourself. You know what I say is true."

"Yes, I have. However, I respect the Avatar's decision to make a genuine attempt at diplomacy."

Su gave a huff and crossed her arms. "Fine. But at least go with her."

He shook his head. "I left my crew to help bring Korra back safely, but I'm afraid with my position as a General of the United Forces, I can't risk confrontation with Kuvira. She would only see it as a challenge from Raiko, and I can't bring the fight to Republic City. Not yet."

"I agree with Iroh," said Korra. "If there's any hope for peaceful negotiations, I have to meet with Kuvira alone."

Su's eyes narrowed. "Alright. One chance, that's all she gets. If she doesn't agree to back down, then Zaofu will be forced to defend itself."

x-X-x

While Tenzin's kids attached themselves to Huan due to his affinity for the arts, Iroh paced in the courtyard, waiting for Korra to return. Perhaps she trusted Kuvira to respond to pleas for reason, but the general did not. He worried that Kuvira would bait Korra into something more than simple conversation, and although Iroh had faith in the Avatar, he wasn't sure she was ready to face Kuvira and her army in a fight.

The sun had just about disappeared from the evening sky when Korra ascended the steps to the Beifong complex. Iroh felt the relief flood through him as he made his way over to meet her.

"Well? How did it go?" he asked, looking her over for any new bruises or injuries.

"Fine. She wants to call a temporary truce until I talk with Su and get back to her. I don't know what's right, but maybe I could help them come to an agreement."

"You won't find her here," said Bataar as he found the pair out front.

"What? Why not?" Korra asked as she and Iroh turned to the older gentleman.

"Because, she took Wing and Wae, and they're going to sneak into Kuvira's camp and put an end to this."

"No!" said Korra. "She said—"

"She gave her word that she would let Korra confront Kuvira," growled the general.

"I know. I told her that, but she was determined to take matters into her own hands. I can't say I blame her. Kuvira betrayed us all."

"Now Su is betraying the Avatar and her own citizens. I don't trust Kuvira either, but this isn't the way to handle this situation."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop her."

Iroh pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and concern.

"I should have guessed Su might try something," said Korra. "She has a habit of telling people what they want to hear only to do whatever she thinks is right."

"What's going on here?" said Opal as she and Jinora joined them in the courtyard."

"I'm afraid your mother and brothers have gone after Kuvira themselves," said Bataar Sr.

"What?" exclaimed Jinora. "Korra, you have to go stop Su before she does something terrible."

"Stop her? We should be helping her!" said Opal.

Though Korra felt for Opal, she didn't know what else to say.

"We have no idea where your mom is or what her plan is," said Korra. "If we go charging into Kuvira's camp, we could get them all captured, or worse. All we can do now is wait."

"Haven't you done enough waiting? I thought you came here to help."

"Enough," said Iroh, donning a gentler version of his general voice. "Korra's right. We have no choice but to wait. Knowing your mother, I'm sure she'll be fine. But she won't be if we're the reason she's discovered."

x-X-x

Korra, Iroh, Jinora, and Bataar sat on the sofas in the foyer while Opal paced the floor.

"Opal, dear, come sit," said her father.

"I can't. Mom, Wing, and Wae are out there, in who knows what kind of trouble. How am I supposed to just sit around like the rest of you?"

It had been nearly two hours since Korra had returned, and the anxiety and tension in the room were stifling even without Opal's outbursts. No one had words to console her.

General Iroh sat with his elbows on his knees, his hands folded in front of his face as he searched the rug beneath his feet for answers. Here in Zaofu, he felt helpless. At least if they'd been in Republic City, he could have appealed to Raiko for permission to engage. Iroh had no jurisdiction here, and if he stepped one toe out of line, he was putting Republic City and his own career on the chopping block. He was likely already on thin ice, having abandoned his post to look over the Avatar while she recovered.

He also didn't have much nice to say about Suyin at the moment. Didn't she realize she was putting her own people at risk by trying to mount an attack on Kuvira in the middle of the night? That kind of recklessness wasn't something he'd expected from her, but according to Korra, it was characteristic of the matron of Zaofu.

The silence was deafening, and Bataar got up to move to the window. Korra watched him, feeling like a failure even though she hadn't even had the chance to foster negotiations between Su and Kuvira.

"Attention citizens of Zaofu."

Kuvira's voice on the intercom sent chills through all gathered in the foyer of the Beifong estate. Iroh lifted his head, and they all turned toward the window.

"Your leader, Su Beifong, attempted to attack me tonight while I slept. ignoring the terms of our truce. Luckily, I now have her and her assault team in custody."

"No," whispered Opal.

"Rest assured that I will not take revenge on the peaceful citizens of Zaofu as long as your remaining representatives meet me outside the city at dawn to offer the full and unconditional surrender of your city. That is all."

A chilling silence fell over Zaofu as Korra and the others processed Kuvira's announcement. Opal rounded the sofa in desperation.

"Korra! You can't let Kuvira get away with this! We have to go break out Mom and my brothers!"

"You swore an oath of non-aggression when you became an airbender," said Jinora. "You can't just attack Kuvira."

"I don't care about the oath! I have to save my family!" snapped Opal.

"No, Jinora is right," said Korra, rising to her feet and placing a placating hand on Opal's shoulder. "Your mom attacked the camp. Kuvira was just defending herself."

Opal pulled away from Korra, the anger and fear clear in her normally pretty green eyes.

"Defending herself? She was going to attack our city! I can't believe you're refusing to fight!"

"Korra, what are we going to do?" asked Bataar.

"Jinora and I will go talk to Kuvira at dawn, and maybe we can work something out. I promise I'll do everything I can to keep the peace."

"I'll go with you," said Opal.

"I wish I could join you," said Iroh as he got to his feet as well. "I'd love to give Kuvira a piece of my mind."

"I understand that you can't jeopardize the safety of Republic City. Besides, Raiko would have your head. I know I have your support."

"There are several hours left until dawn," said Bataar. "Perhaps you should get some rest, Avatar Korra."

"I guess I should try."

"Waiting, sleeping, it doesn't matter," said Opal.

Her father approached her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Honey, there's nothing we can do until morning."

"Why didn't you stop her?" she snapped. Bataar had no response. He closed his eyes with a heavy, regretful sigh.

"Come on, Opal," said Jinora. "We won't be any help to anyone if we're too tired to fight if we need to."

"Oh, I won't be, trust me."

"I'm going to try to get some sleep," said Korra, turning back to Iroh. "Do me a favor?"

"Absolutely."

"Make sure the kids get back to Tenzin safely if anything goes wrong."

"I swear on my honor, Avatar Korra," he said with a bow.

"I'll see you either here tomorrow or back in Republic City."

Iroh stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before she could walk away. Bataar and Jinora had already coaxed Opal from the room.

"Korra. My position as a general may tie me to the United Republic, but if something goes south with Kuvira, I'll be there in a heartbeat. You have my word."

She turned partly to face him, placing her hand over his as she registered the dedication and fierceness in his amber eyes and in every line of his face. The gentle man she'd become acquainted with over the last few weeks donned his hard military persona once again, but there was a different kind of intensity in his expression and in his mannerisms that she couldn't decipher. Where her own confidence wavered, Korra at least had faith in him.

"I know. Thank you, Iroh."

His hand hovered in front of him as she moved out of his reach and toward the door. He let it fall to his side as she slipped out of sight. He hung his head, hating the feeling of powerlessness that frustrated him to his core.

It was his turn to gaze out the window, watching the whir of spotlights from Kuvira's camp in the distance.

"General Iroh. We have plenty of guest rooms," said Bataar Sr. from the doorway. "You're welcome to use one. I'm sure you need your rest as well."

After a momentary silence, the general turned to Bataar and gave a gracious bow to his host. "Much obliged, thank you."

Like it or not, there was nothing any of them could do until morning. He might as well attempt a few hours of sleep.