171 AG

What she had thought was dawn turned out to be dusk. Kuvira pushed herself out of bed and tried to remember what had happened. It came back to her like a suckerpunch to the gut. She held her breath as the memories rushed back in. Opal's tearful eyes. The thin line of her lips. It all ends now.

She slammed her fists into the bed and pushed herself to her feet. Surely, Opal had blown it all apart by now. She paced from one wall to another as the setting sun tore in through the windows and turned the walls orange. What would happen now? Would they take her away? Would they banish her from Zaofu completely? Would she be allowed to see Suyin one last time?

She could feel the tightness in her throat and the burning in her eyes. It was an unfamiliar feeling. She clicked on the radio.

She heard Opal's voice.

"-didn't really know what had happened. First I was about to fall down the stairs in the courtyard, and the next thing I knew I was flying backwards. I had my hands out to catch my fall, and then I realized I'd forced the air out from the front of my palms..."

Kuvira stopped pacing and stared at the radio on the table.

"I honestly don't know what would have happened otherwise. We're very thankful," Suyin's voice rang throughout the darkening room, clear as crystal. Kuvira bent radio's metal tuner to off.

So, Opal had lied. Kuvira threw on her uniform and went out in the darkening night. She could feel, just barely, the slightest fluttering lightness of hope, burning deep within her heart. Opal had lied.

Kuvira was thankful to be on duty that evening. She couldn't stand anymore idle time. The command post in the central compound was buzzing with activity as the guard prepared to close the domes for the night. Kuvira watched quietly as a couple new recruits talked excitedly with each other. It was likely their first time, and honestly, Kuvira couldn't blame them for their enthusiasm. Working as a team to bend the enormous metal structures was certainly an experience without compare.

Kuvira entered the command room. An aide dressed in a civilian administrative uniform was waiting for her.

"Good evening, Captain. We received a directive on the coms this afternoon. The Beifong Estate has requested a half dozen guards for a private banquet tonight. I've already seen to the scheduling. And... there was this. It came this morning."

The aide handed her a sealed envelope. She recognized her name, written in Suyin's formal script, on the front. She kept her expression smooth, untouched.

"Any news from outside the walls?"

The aide shook his head. Kuvira hadn't really expected anything, but she was more interested than ever, after reading about the bandits outside the gates. Surely, if there was something worth knowing, she would have been the first to know.

"Thank you."

The aide bowed and left the room. Kuvira turned away from the entranceway and carefully opened the envelope.

Please come tonight.
I want to see you.

Kuvira stared at the words. She could hear Su's voice. She had heard those words before, whispered in her ear just before the end of rehearsal, or right after she finished her shift. She forced down the desire that threatened to rise from the burning ember at the core of her, and tried to be angry instead. It was foolishly dangerous for Su to have sent that letter. They had spent years perfecting the rules of their arrangement, and there were so many rules. Why be reckless now? Why take the chance of losing everything? And yet, despite it all, Kuvira couldn't help but want to see her.

Kuvira held the letter so tightly in her fingers that the paper started to wrinkle, and she pressed it against her chest before she shoved it inside her breast pocket.

The letter burned there, against her chest, as she walked up the steps towards the Beifong Estate. As she passed the spot where her confrontation with Opal had taken place only a day ago, she fought with herself to try and forget. She was certain that Opal had kept her secret. Opal had barely been able to work up the initiative to tell her father. How would she have been able to tell the entire city? If anything, Opal's new airbending abilities had turned out to be an excellent distraction, but Kuvira couldn't help wondering how long that would last.

The people that had gathered inside Suyin's estate was smaller in number than when she had thrown the celebration after Harmonic Convergence. Most of the attendees were either very close to Suyin's family, or just too important not to invite. She didn't have a mind to wait for Suyin to approach her, but just as she started to look around an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"Oh, this is perfect. Hey, you! Zaofu soldier person!"

Kuvira turned her head. A man with a thin mustache was approaching her. His hair was combed out and beautifully styled, and he was wearing the most expensive-looking traditional robes she had ever seen. She blinked.

"Just the kind of person I'd like to get to know." He held out his hand. His nails were clean and trimmed. "Iknik Blackstone Varrick, Southern Water Tribe business magnate. Just Varrick is fine. I've just joined up with Zaofu's technology department. Can I just say that it's refreshing to be in a place where research and development are so highly regarded? If I tried to do half the things in Republic City that I've done here my assistant would have been drowning in paperwork. Right, Zhu Li?"

"Right, Sir."

Kuvira realized a woman was standing behind and off to one side of Varrick. She had her eyes on the banquet's food table.

"Well, Varrick. Anything that allows Zaofu to achieve progress and growth is worth doing." Kuvira smiled perfunctorily, still unsure whether the man before her was a genius or a hack.

"Oh, I'm not just doing anything, I'm doing everything! And I'm going to let you in on it, because I like you. I've always had a thing for strong, silent types who let me finish speaking without interruption. So do you want to know the one thing that's going to revolutionize Zaofu's transportation and shipping system?"

Before Kuvira had a chance to nod, Varrick was already speaking again.

"Magnets!"

"Magnets…?"

"Zhu Li, the magnets." Varrick said, without turning around. He held out his hand and the woman behind him stepped forward and placed two small, round magnetic discs into his palm. Varrick held up his hand to eye level.

"Watch! See what happens?"

Kuvira watched as one of the magnetic discs floated atop the other, a few inches in the air.

"Magnetic levitation!" Varrick yelled excitedly.

"Imagine a train without wheels, that can float above the tracks! That's what we're after. Isn't it great?"

"Actually… that makes sense. Less friction means higher speeds. Faster acceleration. Travel time to other Earth Kingdom cities would be a fraction of what it is now. We could respond more quickly to-"

"Wow! You're a natural. Hey…" Varrick took a step closer. "Why don't you work for me?"

Kuvira frowned slightly and took a step back. "I can't accept that offer," she said flatly, and in her mind she thought of Suyin.

"Sir, they've just put out a new plate of those fish poppers you like."

"Ah, wonderful! Well, It was nice chatting with you, but you'll have to excuse me. I love those fish poppers!"

And just like that, Varrick and his assistant were gone. Kuvira shook her head. He hadn't even asked her her name.

"I was wondering if I should try to cause a diversion, but I guess he left on his own."

Kuvira turned around to see Suyin's oldest son approaching her. Baatar Jr. wasn't someone she knew particularly well, though they had spoken to each other in passing at events like this. He was smiling in that unsure way he always seemed to have whenever he spoke to her.

"He wasn't bothering me. He's actually kind of interesting." She said honestly.

"I suppose interesting is one way of putting it," Baatar Jr. mused, and when Kuvira looked towards him and met his gaze, his eyes went elsewhere. His hand went up to his chin, and Kuvira watched him as his fingers stroked through his bushy goatee. She recognized it for what it was: a nervous habit. She took a step closer.

"Some party, isn't it?" She asked comfortably. She had always treated all of Suyin's children the same, but in most cases, and probably because of their similarity in age, she felt the most comfortable around Suyin's eldest. The one thing that always threw her off was how similar he was to his father.

"Oh, yes. Quite spectacular," Baatar Jr.'s voice was passive and flat as he spoke, and his green eyes were glittering dark-green emeralds in the bright overhead light, "It's Opal's big day, you know."

"But to us, it's just another day, isn't it?" Kuvira asked. Baatar Jr. tore his gaze away from the crowds to look at her. Kuvira was surprised to see him smile.

"You're right," He paused, sliding his fingers through his goatee once more. "You know, I haven't seen you at the estate lately. Have you… been taking time off?"

"Something like that," Kuvira said simply. Now it was her turn to feel awkward. She hadn't been around because Suyin hadn't told her to be around. Suyin. Kuvira's eyes travelled up, across the crowd to scan for the Matriarch. She couldn't find her, but she spotted her husband. Baatar Sr.'s gaze found her own, and in that fleeting moment, as they looked at each other across the room, Kuvira's heart pummeled up into her throat, but all he did was smile at her. He smiled, and Kuvira looked away. She was now entirely certain that Opal had kept her mouth shut.

"That's good. I'm sure it's nice to be able to take a break from who you are, every once and a while," Baatar Jr. said, and Kuvira found his statement so strangely cryptic that all she could do was stare at him.

"Well, I should get back. I'll see you later, Kuvira," Baatar Jr. said, and when he smiled he looked apologetic, as if their conversation had been an inconvenience that couldn't be helped.

The conversations beneath the bright lights were suddenly too much. Kuvira sought out an empty balcony. She put her arms on the railing and leaned into the slight breeze. Her eyes closed as she took in a sharp, deep breath of cool air. It was possible that Suyin had meant for Kuvira to come later, after the banquet had ended. Kuvira had considered that, but she couldn't wait that long. She smiled to herself. She had often been the last one Suyin saw at night; always sneaking around in the dark for her. Waiting for the moment that Suyin's day had officially ended, and they could finally be themselves, alone, together.

"What is wrong with you?"

Kuvira opened her eyes. She didn't turn around.

"It's nice to see you, too. Congratulations, by the way."

"How could you show your face here, tonight?!" Opal's voice shook, but there was intensity in her words as they ripped into the silence. Kuvira could feel it.

Kuvira turned towards Suyin's only daughter. Opal's arms hung tensely at her sides, and her fists were balled up tightly, enough to make her knuckles white. Kuvira's own hands were folded behind her back, with her elbows out at sharp right angles. Military style. Formal. Guarded.

"I'm just doing my job."

"You could have sent someone else," Opal spat.

Kuvira raised a hand, palm up, and held it open as she talked. "Security is a top priority for the Beifong Estate, and I'm one of the best."

Opal's eyes narrowed. "I had to lie. For someone like you."

"We've all had to lie, Opal." Kuvira replied quietly.

"Don't give me that. Don't try to imply that we have anything at all in common."

"Yeah. You're a good person, I'm not. I get it. Can we move on?"

Opal took a step forward. Kuvira dropped her hands to her sides. For a moment, Opal looked like she might attack, but there was a crowd of people just behind the curtain, inside the banquet hall. Opal seemed to realize this. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"...It's not worth it. Please, just leave. You shouldn't be here."

"Suyin invited me." Kuvira said defiantly. It was the killing blow she had hoped for. There was a finality in it that seemed to shake Opal to her very core. The words pressed down on her, and she seemed to struggle with them for a moment. One moment. That's how long she let Kuvira see her. And then, she turned. Opal was gone, and all that remained were the swaying curtains and the cool breeze.