"If you really want to end it, then come and get me!" Came Kuvira's distant voice.
Korra takes off in pursuit of the her voice. Ducking under a large, arch-like root and pushing through a clump of bushes, she comes upon a clearing and, looking up, gasps in horror. Kuvira, holding on to the side of the firing mechanism of the spirit cannon, and holding the manual trigger handle in her left hand.
"Now it's over"
Korra extended a desperate hand. "Don't!"
Kuvira slides the trigger. Korra abandons her attempt at reasoning and dives for safety as the barrel discharges, its beam colliding with the ground and throwing Korra aside after hitting the ground a few times. She comes to a stop and looks up. The beam has not stopped; it continues to pierce the ground, the ground flaming at the impact point.
As the weapon continues to fire below, the vines around her begin to glow The force of the firing has propelled the cannon backward, away from the ground; now it twists around, wildly swinging in its cradle of vines as the beam follows.
"Shut it down!" Korra yells
Kuvira slides the trigger to find the cannon unresponsive. "I can't!"
A sudden shudder of the cannon throws Kuvira from its side; she yells as she tumbles to the ground, hitting it multiple times. Raising her head, she gasps, her expression morphing into horror as she sees the spirit beam coming right for her.
The spirit beam keeps coming. Korra sprints to kuvira to try and move her out of the way, but she's too late.
The spirit beam encompasses them both. The energy hovers around them in a sphere before blasting up into the sky above creating a spirit portal. A bright light blinds her vision.
When Korra is finally able to open her eyes she finds a purple reflection of herself. The reflection then morphs into the form of an unconscious kuvira.
"Monsters are real. Ghosts are real too. They live inside us… And sometimes, they win" A voice from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time stated.
As Korra continues to observe Kuvira's unconscious form she began to see what looked like Kuvira's memories surrounding her.
(( Six-year-old Kuvira sat alone in the corner of the room, trying her best to eavesdrop on her parents' conversation without being noticed. She could hear the anger and frustration in their voices as they discussed her, and it made her heart sink.
As she listened, she heard her father say, "I don't know what to do with her, she's too much." Kuvira's eyes widened at these words, and she felt a lump form in her throat. She didn't understand what her father meant, and it made her feel scared and alone.
Her mother's response was equally distressing. "Well, we can't just kick her out. What would people think of us?" Kuvira's heart sank even further at these words. Was she such a burden on her family that they were considering abandoning her?
Silent tears rolled down Kuvira's cheeks as she tried to make sense of the situation. She didn't know what she had done wrong, but it was clear that her parents were unhappy with her. She felt small and helpless, unsure of what the future held for her.
As her parents continued to argue, Kuvira sat there in the corner, feeling more and more isolated. She wished she could speak up and ask what was going on, but the fear of making things worse kept her silent. So she sat there, listening to the painful words that were being exchanged, and wondering what would become of her))))
(((((The little 8-year-old girl, Kuvira, had been playing with her toys in the living room when her father had walked in. She could tell by the way he stumbled and slurred his words that he had been drinking again. As he got closer, she could smell the sickly sweet scent of alcohol on his breath, making her feel nauseous.
Without warning, her father had lashed out, grabbing a nearby metal pole and swinging it at Kuvira's small frame. She had cried out in pain, feeling the sharp sting of the metal pole as it struck her skin. Her father's face had twisted into an expression of pure rage, his eyes bloodshot and wild.
Kuvira had begged for mercy, tears streaming down her face as she asked her father what she had done wrong. But he had simply continued to scream and strike her with the pole, his movements becoming more and more frenzied with each passing moment.
As she lay curled up in a ball, trying to protect herself from her father's blows, Kuvira had looked over at her mother. But instead of rushing to her aid, her mother had stood there with a cruel smirk on her face, watching the scene unfold as if it were some sort of sick entertainment.
When the beating had finally come to an end, Kuvira had been left shaking and gasping for air. She had stumbled over to a corner of the room, her chest heaving with sobs as she tried to catch her breath. Through tear-filled eyes, she had watched as her parents continued to converse as if nothing had just happened, their voices low and conspiratorial.))))))
(((((Kuvira's father's face was contorted with anger as he yelled at her, his voice echoing off the walls of their home. The air was heavy with the smell of stale cigarette smoke, and the sound of people going about their daily lives could be heard from outside.
Kuvira, small and thin for her age, looked up at her father with fear in her eyes. "I'm gonna kill you just like you killed your mother you fucking monster! You hear me!! I'm gonna kill you!" Kuvira's father boomed grabbing her face to make her look at him before aggressively throwing her on the floor
Her father's words hit her like a physical blow, and she could feel the tears streaming down her face. She knew that her mother was dead, and it was all her fault. Her father blamed her for it, and that he had never forgiven her.
As her father turned to walk away, Kuvira crawled after him, clutching at his leg and begging for his forgiveness. "Please daddy it was a mistake, it was a mistake. pls don't leave me, pls daddy I didn't mean to hurt mommy. Pls I didn't meant to. It was an accident. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." An 8 year old kuvira sobbed while on her knees as her father kicked her away, his eyes cold and unfeeling. She fell to the ground once again, sobbing uncontrollably as he walked out of the door, leaving her alone in the dark, cold place she had once called home.)))))
((((Kuvira looked up at the kind lady with a blank expression. She had nothing else to do with her life as her parents had abandoned her and she had been left to fend for herself in the streets. The prospect of becoming a student of metalbending seemed like a decent enough option for her to consider.
"What's in it for me?" Kuvira asked, her voice lacking the excitement and eagerness of a child her age.
"Well, you'll have a roof over your head and a hot meal every day. And if you work hard, you might even become a great metalbender one day," the lady replied, her smile faltering a little at Kuvira's lack of enthusiasm.
Kuvira shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well give it a try."
The lady's expression softened, and she placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. "I know it might not seem like much right now, but I promise you, if you put your heart into it, you might find that metalbending is something that brings you joy and purpose. And who knows, you might even find a family here in Zaofu."
Kuvira said nothing, but the lady's words resonated with her. She had never had a real family, and the thought of belonging somewhere, of having people to care for and care about her, was a distant dream that she had long given up on.
With a heavy sigh, Kuvira nodded. "Fine. I'll come with you to Zaofu and become your student."
The lady smiled once more, and Kuvira followed her out of the alleyway, feeling a sense of trepidation and uncertainty about what her future held. But as she looked up at the stars above, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out alright.)))))
(((((((Kuvira had been living with Suyin Beifong for several months now, and had grown to love the kind lady who had taken her in as her student. She had never known what it was like to have a real family, and Suyin had been the closest thing she had ever had to a mother.
As they walked through the gardens of the Beifong estate, Kuvira tugged on Suyin's sleeve, looking up at her with hopeful eyes. "Can I call you mom?" she asked, her voice filled with a childlike innocence.
Suyin's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by Kuvira's request. She knelt down to Kuvira's level, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No sweetie, I'm your mentor. You can call me Suyin if you want."
Kuvira's face fell at Suyin's response, but she nodded in understanding. She had known deep down that Suyin was not her real mother, but the desire for a parental figure was strong within her, and it had been a moment of weakness that had led her to ask the question.
As they walked back to the house, Kuvira felt a sense of emptiness and loneliness gnawing at her insides. She had come to Zaofu hoping to find a purpose, to find a family, but instead she felt more alone than ever.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Kuvira continued to train under Suyin's tutelage, but the passion and enthusiasm that had once fueled her had begun to fade away. She felt like a hollow shell, going through the motions but feeling nothing inside.)))))
((((Kuvira had always struggled to control her temper, but Suyin's strict rules had only made her feel more frustrated and isolated. Despite Suyin's warning, Kuvira had been desperate for companionship and had sneaked away to play with Opal, hoping that the two could become friends.
But Kuvira's temper had once again gotten the best of her. As she became angry and upset during their game, she lost control of her metalbending and crushed Opal's beloved dollhouse, not realizing that Opal's fingers were still inside. The sound of Opal's screams echoed through the halls of the Beifong estate, and Suyin rushed to the room to see what had happened.
Suyin was furious at Kuvira's lack of control, scolding her for hurting Opal and breaking her trust. As punishment, Suyin locked Kuvira in the platinum box, a small room made entirely of platinum that only had a bed and limited provisions. Kuvira was left alone in the room, her mind consumed by regret and loneliness.
The days dragged on, each one blurring into the next. Kuvira was only allowed two bathroom breaks a day, and her meals were brought to her on a tray through a small slot in the door. The platinum walls felt like they were closing in on her, and Kuvira struggled to maintain her sanity. She had no one to talk to, nothing to do, and the silence was deafening.
As the two weeks passed, Kuvira began to lose track of time. She didn't know if it was day or night, if it was morning or afternoon. All she knew was that she was trapped, alone, and miserable. When the door finally opened, Kuvira stumbled out, weak and disoriented. She had been broken down, both physically and emotionally.
Suyin was there to meet her, but Kuvira couldn't bring herself to look at her former mentor. The shame and guilt weighed heavily on her, and she knew that she could never make up for what she had done. In that moment, Kuvira realized that she was truly alone, with no one to turn to and no one to trust)))))))
((((((("It's all my fault, it's all my fault, I'm pathetic, I'm worthless, I'm a disappointed I'm a monster, I killed my mom, I hurt Opal, im a monster, I'm not good enough, I'm not perfect, I need to be perfect." A 12 year old kuvira alone in her bedroom whispered to herself on the verge of a mental breakdown. Her knees were clutched to her chest, trying to calm herself down she tried to take deep breaths in but it didn't help. That's when a thought crossed her mind. She'd heard people speak about how it was only a temporary solution and would make her problems twice as bad. But at that moment she didn't care she just wanted to relive the aching pain in in her heart threatening to suffocate her. She. Got up from her spot on the floor against the wall. Wiping the tears from her eyes she left her room and headed for the family bathroom. Once there she opened the storage cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out a small box. The words 'derby razor blades 100' pack on it. Pulling out one of the blades she put it in her bagermole pajama pants and quickly made her way back to her room. She tiptoed when walking past suyin office hoping not to alert her. Thankfully no one saw her. Once inside her room she locked the door and unwrapped the razor. She hovered it over her arm for a few seconds hesitating before bringing it down gliding across her wrists. It hurt yes but it calmed her down. Watching as blood started leaking out of the cut, kuvira tried it again. This time she went deeper and it bleed immediately. Again and again it was like she was in some sort of trance watching her wrist bleed as the blade danced on her wrist.))))))
(((((Her first day in high school. Kuvira was 14. She had arrived an hour early so she could find all her classes, which she was having no luck in. She'd been looking for her first class for about 20 minutes now and still couldn't find it. When turning a corner in one of the hallways, she bumped into a guy who seemed to be a year or two older than her. "Sorry" kuvira muttered. "It's fine. You seem lost, do you need help finding your way to class?" Questioned the guy. Being the stubborn person she was she muttered "I'll figure it out" kuvira shoved past him and started walking away. That's when the older guy caught her wrist. "Room 202 is that way" he pointed in the opposite direction. Trying to keep her cool kuvira asked "how do you know what my classes are?" the guy just waved her schedule in his hand. "let me help you" he insisted. Realizing he wasn't gonna leave her alone kuvira relented. "Fine" He reached out his hand to her "the names kuruk" "kuvira" she said shaking his hand. "Kuvira… that's a beautiful name"
He showed her to all her classes and after that day they became close friends. Kuvira later learned that kuruk was 17, in 12th grade, a zaofu native, and zaofu gaurd in training. He was pretty funny and smart. They became best friends and shared all their secrets with each other (kuvira didn't share her cutting addiction though) it was one night at a party a year later when Kuruk made a move of kuvira. He was 18 and she was 15, she was confused because she thought of him as more of an older brother than anything else. Kuruk got angry with kuvira saying that he had stood by her every time people made fun of her at school and he'd always been there for her. He made kuvira feel guilty for not wanting a romantic relationship with him, but still made it clear she didn't want that. That didn't go so well because Kuruk threatened to tell everyone that she had killed her mother. Kuvira had no other choice but to agree. Kuvira hated every bit of they're relationship. When he would kiss her, grope her, touch her even hug her. He kept pushing her to have sex with him, but she kept refusing. It wasn't till one day kuvira had come over to his place for drinks he had stolen from his parents. She hadn't known what had happened but she had woken up to him fucking her. She was in complete shock, she wanted to move to fight back to scream to do something but couldn't, it was like she was paralyzed. Even after her realized she was awake he kept going till he collapsed on top of her. Kuvira was frozen in place for another few minutes, before she got up once she noticed he was asleep. She wiped her eyes unconscious. She hadn't realized she was crying. She then turned to put her clothes back on. She found them on the floor not too far from her. She immediately put them on and left. She made her way to the beifong residence. Ignoring the questioning looks thrown her way by the beifong family and guards on patrol she went into her room and locked the door. For several days she refused to come out of her room, even at the insistence of the Beifong's. She never wanted to leave her room ever again but it had been 2 weeks and she didn't want to fall behind on her studies. She that day at school she tried to avoid kuruk, but he came up behind her and gave her a big hug. "Where were you, I was so worried about you, I missed you so much" he claimed. But kuvira only shoved him away. "We're done!" She said sternly before walking away. He grabbed her arm trying to get her to stay but she removed his grasp and kept going. It was later on in the day when kuvira realized what she had done. "Murderer" "monster" "what kind of a monster kills her own mom" came the voices of her classmates. "Wrist reveal" once of her classmates joked Kuvira tried to hold on her emotions, but couldn't stand it and stormed out of class, ignore it the voice of her teacher calling out to her. She went straight to suyin's home office that day claiming she wanted to drop out of school and join the guard. To her surprise suyin perked up at this and accepted her request as long as she did finished school with independent study. Kuvira accepted and stated her training the next day.))))))
At 17 she became the captain of the guard
At 18 the avatar and her team came to zaofu. And she. Began her journey of restoring the earth kingdom.
At 22 she's driving a ginormous mecha tank through republic city. All her pent up rage being let out. She was mad at the world. And took it out on innocent people.
The memories disappeared and only Kuvira's tattered form floats in front of her.
"Kuvira let her monsters win once. Make sure it doesn't happen again." Again, the voice came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
The blue lights and Kuvira's form started to dissolve.As Korra was lowered.
Korra looked around to see the materializing world around her. Korra had been lost in her thoughts, sitting amidst a field of vibrant flowers. She had been pondering over the recent events in her life and how everything seemed to be falling apart. That was when she heard a faint whimper, which immediately snapped her out of her thoughts. Her eyes darted around, scanning the area for any signs of danger. She had recently battled Kuvira, the powerful and manipulative leader of the Earth Empire, and had also dealt with other supernatural threats. Therefore, she was always on high alert
Korra is broken out of her thoughts by what sounded like a small whimper. She immediately looked around thinking a spirit was hurt or kuvira was nearby. But instead she spotted something she hadn't noticed before. Not far off from where she was, was what looked like a pile of clothing. It looked very out of place and she wondered why she hadn't detected it earlier.
She slowly gets up from her seated position on the flowers and cautiously walks over to it. As she got closer the sound of soft whimpers became clearer. She had an idea as to what it was, and they were confirmed one she was in full view of the pile of clothes, which she realised we're actually blankets.
In those blankets was what really confused her. It was an infant. The baby's eyes were closed, and it's face was scrunched up. It looked distressed. Thats when korra noticed blanket the infant was covered in had a growing red stain on one side of the infant. Without even thinking korra picked up the baby and clutched it to her chest. Upon noticing there was no spirit water nearby. She practically sprinted towards the spirit portal, in search of help for the baby