171 AG

Kuvira glanced at a newspaper on the edge of a rail car seat beside her. The Avatar peered back at her from within the black and white photograph. Kuvira's eyes scanned the headline.

Avatar Saves the World.

The truth about the purple light had traveled slowly, and before any of them knew exactly what it was, it had already faded away. Harmonic Convergence was over. The world had been saved, and the spirit portal had been left open.

There would be change.

Kuvira looked towards the window. Her reflection, tinted orange in the dying light, stared back at her.

"I don't think you should join me."

The words surfaced once again from the depths of her. She felt them like a knee to the stomach, or a fist to the jaw. The words were sharp, and they cut her to pieces. The memory of Suyin's voice, thick with guilt. The way her eyes looked, so heavy with pity. The memory of their last meeting bled out of her, to seep between the cracks. She turned away from the window suddenly.

A young girl was sitting on her mother's lap, staring up at Kuvira with her mouth wide. Kuvira tried to smile.

They had arrived. She stepped off the platform and stood still for a moment, looking up at the Beifong Estate. The night sky was growing, and behind the interconnected buildings stars were starting to shine in the sky. She took a step forward, and then another. She focused herself in the same way she did before dance recitals.

After the good news about the Harmonic Convergence's outcome, Suyin had decided to host a last-minute celebration dinner at her estate. Hosting dinner parties was typical Suyin, but she had never thrown one so large. Kuvira was going, not as a guest, but as Captain of the City Guard. It wasn't that Zaofu really needed security internally, but if she was going to have to be around crowds of people in close quarters, she'd rather be in armor.

Even from across the courtyard, she could hear the laughter and jovial voices echoing into the deepening night. As she neared the side entrance, she could smell roasted vegetables, spices and grilled fish. She ducked inside and walked down a dimly lit hall. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath. Then, she pushed the door open and stepped inside the room.

The lights were perfectly bright, warm and inviting. Then, there was the music. Metallic instruments, manipulated with a master's skill. The dining hall was filled with people, all of them dressed in their finest formal robes. Suyin had outdone herself again.

Kuvira felt out of place, dislodged from somewhere safe to spiral in space. Still, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the eyes upon her, following her as she moved with a practiced surety towards one end of the room to settle against the wall, her arms folding across her chest commandingly.

Eventually, through the crowd, Kuvira spotted Suyin. She hadn't been trying to look for her. She was content with just watching the swell of people interacting with each other. She wanted to look away when she finally spotted her, but she couldn't. From afar, in her house, hosting a party, with the glow of the lights playing on her face—she was beautiful.

Suyin was sitting with her family at the table. Her husband was beside her. He was talking to her, and something he said had made Suyin laugh. Kuvira watched as Suyin leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

Kuvira watched. She felt a million miles away. She felt like she was watching a scene in a mover. Everything was blurry. She felt like she was far beneath the sea, and the weight was more than she could bear.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Opal stand up and step across the threshold onto the balcony. Suyin's daughter disappeared behind the curtains. Kuvira pushed herself off the wall and followed her.

Opal was down by the far end of the balcony. It was the side that looked out away from the city into the wilderness. It was a direction Kuvira didn't look towards very often. Kuvira approached her. Opal had her back to her. Kuvira noticed that Opals hands were gripping the metallic railing tightly. She smiled to herself.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

Opal didn't turn around. Her voice was cool and crisp, like an autumn breeze. "Yes, it's wonderful."

Kuvira put her hands on her hips and followed Opal's gaze. There were a few wolfbats flying up into the sky. She could barely pick them out against the darkness, but they were there all the same.

"Too many people, if you ask me. I'd rather be reading."

Opal turned her head ever so slightly to look back at the older woman. Kuvira saw the chance shining like a coin beneath muddy waters. She took it.

"Opal, I need ask you something."

Opal slowly turned to face her. She looked up at her. Her eyes were green, just like Suyin's, but they were wide with hesitation. She was waiting for Kuvira to continue.

Kuvira took a step forward, and she lowered her voice. "I'm not going to tell you to do anything one way or the other, but I need to know if you've told anyone… about what you saw."

"How could I tell anyone?" Opal whispered, sounding lost. Her eyes narrowed sullenly. "Who could I tell? What would I say?"

Kuvira felt relieved, but she didn't let it show. "I know how much you value honesty, but if you care for your family you'll let it slide. You'd destroy them."

Opal's expression was hard and thoughtful, but any resolve she might have had faded into a helpless shrug. She sighed and her eyes closed for a moment. Kuvira could see the cogs of her mid turning. Opal was thinking it through. Kuvira could smell the win.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean what you did is okay." Opal looked up at her, her eyes were shining green with liquid fire. "Stay away from us."

Kuvira's lips curved into a smirk. Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded her head once before she made her most formal soldier's bow. Opal walked past her and disappeared behind the curtain. Kuvira turned to watch her go.

Just as she was about to go back inside, she heard footsteps on the balcony above her. Suyin's laughter was bittersweet as it flooded her ears and echoed into the night.

"You're not really going to bed, are you?"

"I've got a project review tomorrow. Two of them, actually," Suyin's husband replied sheepishly.

Silence. Kuvira tilted her head upwards to listen.

"Well, I'm just celebrating that the worlds been saved, but I know there are more important things," Suyin's voice was teasing, playful. She wasn't angry.

"I'm sorry," Bataar murmured. Kuvira could barely hear him, but she could hear the ruffled clothing as they embraced. "Next time, for sure."

After Bataar left, Suyin followed. Kuvira stood still. She realized she'd been standing around a lot lately. Frozen in time, unsure of her direction. She hated being so indecisive. It wasn't like her. It was weak.

She went back inside and turned down a hallway.

She had a pretty good idea where to find Suyin.