Dear Readers,

I'll be removing this message in a few weeks once it's no longer pertinent, but I'd like to apologize for my writing hiatus. I've just had too much going on, and I couldn't finish anything. In the past few days I've had both the time and the urge to finish a chapter, and I honestly can't promise that this won't happen again. In any case, if you're still reading this, awesome.

? AG

In the slow-rolling fog, the sound of your voice echoed off the soft, ripe places in my mind, but your words were not entirely clear. Something about it was peaceful, like being beneath the waves. Beneath the soil. My vision blurred, and then faded. And then, everything went black.

171 AG

"You can just leave. I won't be joining them. Not tonight; not ever," Lin's words exploded into the air like fireworks, but there was a sadness in them that the bitterness couldn't hide.

"I can't let you do that," Kuvira said emotionlessly. Truth be told, her assignment was already wearing her thin. Why wasn't she at the dinner party with the Su, the Avatar and everyone else?

"You can't let me not do something? Don't be ridiculous," Su's elder sister snapped back. She was sitting at the bench against the airship's far wall, looking through the window onto the city below the landing platform. The sun was setting, and everything was turning deeper and deeper shades of orange. Kuvira could see Lin's reflection in the glass, darkening with a rusty red tinge by the minute.

"You're coming with me. Those are my orders." Kuvira folded her arms behind her back and stood resolutely still.

"Orders, hm? This is Zaofu. I thought everyone did whatever the hell they pleased."

"That's exactly what I'm doing."

"And so am I. Are we done yet?"

"We'll be done once I've escorted you to the front door of the Beifong Estate, and no sooner," Kuvira said in a commanding voice.

"You're as stubborn as she is."

It was then that Kuvira had nothing to say. The conversation had taken a turn she didn't anticipate, and she had nowhere to go. Lin noticed the silence, and she used the window's reflection to look at the soldier standing statuelike behind her.

"Oh, so you agree with me," Lin said in an amused voice. "That's interesting. Did she tell you anything about why she did all of… this?" Lin waved her hand in the air in the direction of the city.

"The Matriarch doesn't need to explain herself to me," Kuvira shot back, her voice sharp and final.

"So she didn't, then. Not surprised. And I'm sure she didn't say a thing about me."

"In-depth knowledge of the Matriarch's family or past won't increase the city's security, so I should hardly blame her."

"Drop the formalities. I'm not some diplomat. Besides, I'd wager I've got more experience with city security under my belt than you do." Lin pushed herself off of the bench by the window and took a few steps toward Kuvira. The grey in her hair betrayed the wild light in her eyes as she sized Kuvira up.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. But you know, if I have one nice thing to say about Su, I'll say that she did a good job choosing you. You'd have done well in Republic City. The force needs more people like you."

"Su needs me," Kuvira shot back. Her heart was racing. Her chest was tight. She could feel the blood in the veins at her neck.

"So it's 'Su', now? What happened to 'The Matriarch'?" Lin's lips curved into a smirk.

"If you're not coming with me, I'm leaving you here," Kuvira snarled. If she didn't bring Su's sister back, so what? Kuvira now realized that she wouldn't be missing much.

"Suits me just fine," Lin replied quietly.

They stood there, staring each other down in silence. The silence broke only when Lin's stomach made a loud growling noise. Then, they both looked away.

"You know, on second thought, I think I will join you."

Kuvira hadn't been asked to guard the estate, but that's where she went. It was quiet, with the sun slowly rising, and the insects buzzing in the air around her. She could hear the sound of water, cascading against sculpted stone, and for a moment she closed her eyes to listen.

"I hope you're not sleeping on the job."

Lin's voice sent Kuvira's resolve into a downward spiral. Immediately, and beyond her own control, she was on edge.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's a funny question. Su invited me here, so I'm here. You brought me here because she told you to, remember?" Lin paused, "Besides, I spoke with Opal last night, and she told me to stay away from you, so now I'm intrigued."

Kuvira said nothing.

"Why would she say that, I wonder? The Matriarch's daughter?"

"Weren't you supposed to be leaving this afternoon?"

"I wish. Su convinced the Avatar to stay longer. I'm surprised she didn't tell you. Then again, if you'd been at the dinner party last night you'd have already known. Where were you, anyway?"

But Kuvira couldn't answer. She was already walking away.

Su moaned into Kuvira's neck. The younger woman was strong; stronger than usual, and she didn't hold back as she pushed Su up against the wall. Su's arms encircled her to clasp at the small of her back and pull her in further. She lifted her legs upwards, and her thighs pressed down against Kuvira's sides. Kuvira held her up against the wall, and one hand deftly maneuvered downwards, groping at her ass as she pressed her hips inwards.

"Mm..." Su murmured, and Kuvira could feel the heat of her breath melt softly against her neck. Su arched her back when Kuvira's hand finally found her, roughly, between her shaking legs. She begged and pleaded, and Kuvira obliged.

Afterwards, they slid to the floor. Kuvira let Su's head rest on her chest. Su was gently sucking on the tips of Kuvira's fingers.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"It's just after lunch. You take tea in your study."

"You're too good. You know that, right?" Then, Su exhaled deeply, and cuddled up against Kuvira's solid frame.

"Something wrong?" Kuvira asked, reaching up touch Su's cheek with her free hand. Her fingers glanced the older woman's cheek, and brushed against her hair. When Su nibbled at the tip of her finger, she felt a shuddering warmth flow up from her gut to her throat.

"Oh, it's nothing," Su paused. "I thought there was something wrong… between us. And after Opal's banquet, when you didn't want… well, I didn't know what to think."

Kuvira's lips twitched up into a smile. "Were you worried?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"I'm sorry. I know you've got a lot going on right now."

"Oh, it's nothing. Things will go back to the way they were, once all of this is over."

"Yeah," Kuvira murmured. And then she closed her eyes.

The Avatar was like a ghost to me. I could feel her presence in the Estate, but she was nowhere to be found. I paused in the dining room. I looked at the seats. She had sat here, I thought. Or maybe here. She had sat in one of these seats, and she had eaten the meal they had brought to her. Surely, I thought, she had inquired about the inner workings of Zaofu, or at least about the Matriarch herself. If she hadn't, Su would have prompted her. She never could resist talking about herself.

I'll be the first to admit that she knows how to tell a good story.

But I hadn't been there, that night, in the dining hall, and now I can feel her presence only in the echoes of the made-up events and false stories I've woven for myself. Still, I wanted to find her. I wanted to talk to her. If there was anyone who'd listen to me, about the bandits, the Earth Queen, and… everything… surely, it would be Avatar Korra.

I searched for her, and in the empty hallways I could sense her. She was close, but she was moving. I tracked her into the courtyard. It was night, and the dome was closed. I noted the lights from the amphitheatre, burning and reflecting upwards against the dead void in the sky. I moved towards it, and then I saw her. The Avatar was standing in the center of the stage. Her back was straight, and I could see the muscles beneath, strong and relaxed. I crept closer, not wanting to disturb her.

When I had gathered my composure and made to step into the light, that's when she moved. She held out her hand. She was smiling, but she wasn't looking at me.

Opal stepped forward, and I could feel the wind rush up from behind me, flowing through me, and into the center of the amphitheater. They circled each other, like in battle or in dance. They moved their hands in silence; in a language I could barely understand. I watched, unseen.

Opal was smiling, too.