Kiriko had been sitting in front of the mirror at her vanity for the last hour trying to braid her hair. Her arms burned from the effort and she was on the verge of giving up.

"Ughh! Moooommm!" she yelled when a burst of frustration surged through her.

Korra appeared in the doorway about ten seconds later. "We've talked about this. You don't scream like that unless you're badly hurt or someone's attacking you. It doesn't look to me like either of those things is happening."

"I can't do it. I can't braid my hair like you do. It's too hard."

Korra calmly walked over and stood behind Kiriko's chair. Her fingers ran through the long, slightly tangled waves of jet-black hair. "Hand me the brush."

Kiriko did so with a defeated sigh and tried to calm the turmoil inside. "Why is everything so hard? I try and try and it's still so hard! With my hair, with school, with firebending. With everything! And of course Anisa always gets everything right away." Her eyes welled up with tears, which she quickly wiped away before they could fall.

"You never even asked me to show you how to do this." She set the brush down and began to divide the hair into sections. "How do you expect to learn something if you don't let someone teach you?"

"I watched you do it a lot. I thought I could figure it out myself…"

"Bring your hands up. Here— Hold that there, and that there. No, don't look in the mirror. Close your eyes."

"How can I do it with my eyes closed?"

"Same as you can do just about anything else with your eyes closed."

Kiriko scoffed. "I can't read with my eyes closed," she retorted. But she did as she was told and let Korra guide her hands.

"Alright, sass-mouth, fine. Some things you do need eyes for. But this isn't one of them. Now, there are different types of braids. This one—the way I usually wear my hair—starts with these three little pieces. Cross the outside ones over the inside one, first one side, then the other. Yeah, like that. And each time, gather up a little bit more hair. But keep it pulled tight."

After about five minutes, all the hair was collected into the three segments and it was just a matter of reaching the end. For that, she had to pull it over her shoulder. Then she opened her eyes to inspect the finished product.

"It looks terrible!"

Korra just laughed. "It's not bad for a first try."

"Not my first try…" Kiriko grumbled as she ran her fingers through it to start over. "Show me again." In the mirror, she saw an expectant look on her mom's face. "Please show me again."

"I want to keep trying! Pleeeeasssse?"

Korra shook her head wearily. "It's dark, Kiriko. And I've got things to do. We'll work on those forms another day."

"Hmph." Kiriko crossed her arms unhappily and glanced at her sister, who gave her a little smug smile. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" Anisa insisted.

Korra was already halfway to the back door of their house by that point and had apparently decided to ignore the argument, which she could undoubtedly hear.

"You didn't have to! I know you were thinking it!"

"Thinking what?"

"That you're better than me!"

Anisa let out a little mocking laugh. "Oh, I know I'm better than you. Anyone can see it."

Rage nearly burst from Kiriko's hands, but the many and frequent repeated warnings echoed in her head:

"Never, ever firebend at someone in anger. Don't you remember how bad you felt when you accidentally burned Anisa? Fire is very dangerous. Always think before you use it."

Instead, she just tackled her sister to the ground. They rolled around for a few minutes, grappling, pulling hair, until Anisa managed to pin her.

"You're so easy to beat. You always use that move."

"I hate you."

Anisa leaned down, kissed the top of her head, and got to her feet. "Love you, too, Sis." Without another word, she sauntered back to the house, leaving Kiriko fuming in the dark.

The sun had fully set and there was just a trace of gray left in the sky. A few bright stars twinkled overhead and the moon cast the yard in a silvery light with deep shadows.

Kiriko stood up to brush the dirt and bits of grass from her clothes. Maybe Anisa had won that little spat. Maybe she had successfully learned the new move Korra had taught her that evening. Like she always did.

But she'd quit for the night. Kiriko wasn't going to.

There was no school the next day, so she knew she wouldn't be called inside to get ready for bed for at least another hour. As tired as she was from the long day—school, then a singing lesson at home (which she hated ), then homework and dinner, and finally training with Korra—this was her opportunity to catch up. To show herself and everyone else that she could be just as good as Anisa.

In the last year and a half since learning how to bend, Kiriko had only managed to get comfortable with five basic forms. Applying them in a fight was another matter, entirely. When sparring, she almost always resorted to fire punches, like how they did in pro-bending. That style was a lot easier, but also far less effective when there weren't strict rules to play by.

But the forms…

Spirits, they were hard. She had to figure out how to get her awkward, gangly legs and arms to move in unison while also channeling her chi.

Okay… Right foot forward. Now lunge into it, slide the back foot around—

As it usually did, the motion made her lose her balance and stumble backward.

She tried it again. And again. And again.

It was the same the next day.

And the day after that.

"You sure have been practicing a lot," Asami said one night when she was tucking her into bed.

"I'm not good enough. I have to get better."

A complicated, unreadable look formed on her mother's face and she hesitated before responding. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Are you kidding? It's my favorite thing!"

"Well, alright. As long as you're happy. Just…remember that you can do other things, too. Don't forget about your friends. Why don't you invite some of them over for lunch this weekend?"

"I guess… But just for a little while. I don't want to lose too much practice time."

Asami leaned down and brushed a kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep. Maybe you can practice in your dreams."

"I hardly ever remember them."

Four Years Later

Normally, Kiriko wasn't much for sitting in theaters and watching movers. If she had her way, she'd spend every waking moment firebending. With five years of diligent practice under her belt, she was actually pretty good at it now.

But this was a special occasion—a grand premiere, where her presence in a fancy silk gown was expected. Certainly, it wasn't the first time she'd been all done up for a social event. Far from it. In the last couple of years, she'd gone to a number of galas and after-parties. Those with dancing were the only ones she actually enjoyed, even if the boys she was partnered with were usually hopeless and clumsy.

None of the regular mover theaters in Republic City were nice enough for an event like this, so all the significant premiers were hosted at a traditional theater with a huge projector screen lowered over the stage. Seating was luxurious and limited—only a select few were invited.

Kiriko supposed her mom, being the Avatar, had an open invitation to every major social event in the city, but this was the first time they'd ever been to a mover premier. And there was a good reason they'd all been invited to this one: Mako was in it!

Well, sort of…

He arrived just after them, accompanied by Lin in all her bionic glory. The metal frame that secured her legs and lower back, allowing her to walk once again, made all kinds of impressive noises that made her sound like a robot.

Dozens of reporters followed the two of them, snapping pictures and calling out questions—all of which Lin resolutely ignored with her head held high and a dignified set to her jaw. Despite her age, which Kiriko thought was around seventy, Lin maintained a regal bearing and a tough appearance.

In short, she was very intimidating.

"My dad built that thing for her," Raniq whispered in Kiriko's ear.

"Really?" she teased as everyone was ushered through the lobby doors into a wide hallway with velvet-lined walls. "I'd forgotten from all the other hundreds of times you told me."

Raniq clucked her tongue with annoyance. "Well, you don't go to Zaofu as much as I do–"

"And when I'm there, I avoid Old Lady Grouch like the plague, yes, I know."

Kiriko knew the stories, of course, and had a healthy respect for the woman who had saved Mako's life eight years ago in a daring rescue that came with a high price. That didn't mean she had to like her.

But from the moment of the opening sequence—where a beautiful actress playing the part of a much younger Lin dominated the screen in her shining metal armor, cables carrying her across the city in a high-speed chase—Kiriko was positively captivated.

Lin was…incredible. An unstoppable force of nature. She didn't take crap from anyone—not the other men in the police force, not from criminals, not even from her own family and friends.

And so brave! Over and over again, her own safety was set aside. The years passed and she only got stronger. Fiercer. Tougher. She was knocked down, only to get right back up and keep fighting. Keep protecting the innocent.

Near the end, when the actor playing Mako got swatted off the top of Harmony Tower by a rampaging Spirit, Kiriko was on the edge of her seat. It didn't matter that she already knew what happened; her eyes still welled up with tears during the Big Moment when Lin's heroic feat saved him—and left her paralyzed from the waist down.

The scene afterward hit hard, too, though in a different way. Kiriko didn't remember visiting the hospital with her moms, sister, and Mako, but there she was on the screen. Or rather—a young girl playing her three-year-old self was there. It was very disconcerting.

The story ended on an emotional high, with a wheelchair-bound Lin retiring in front of a large crowd downtown. The Council presented her with the Golden Lotus of Valor award amidst a deafening cheer from the spectators.

There was a big party after the mover. No dancing, sadly, but lots of eating, drinking, and talking. It was incredibly boring and Kiriko tried to entertain herself by watching Lin mingle. Never before had she been so fascinated by her.

"Kiriko!" Raniq's said, her voice full of frustration.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you even listening?"

"Look at her…" Kiriko mused. "She's so cool. Why did she even retire? I bet she could still kick anyone's butt. I definitely wouldn't wanna mess with her." She finally pulled her gaze away and turned back to Raniq. "Do you think she'd train with me? I mean, I know she's an earthbender, but I bet she could teach me some cool moves, anyway. I bet Uncle Mako could convince her if I asked him to."

Raniq looked at her with amusement, one eyebrow lifted. "Yeah, he probably could…" she said slowly.

"What's so funny?"

"Heh. Nothing. Hey, I have an idea! Let's go talk to her!"

"Uh…right now?" Kiriko said, suddenly nervous. "I– I dunno…"

"What, are you scared?"

"No! I'm not scared! And I've met her before. I just…" She looked over at Lin, who was deep in conversation with a man and two other women. Probably politicians. "I'm sure she'd get annoyed if we interrupted. I want to make a good impression." I'm not scared of her… Hmph.

"Kiriko!" Asami called briskly as she sauntered over in her beautiful red gown, hair shining under the lights, her makeup flawless. "There you are!"

Whenever she saw her mother this way, Kiriko always wondered if she'd ever live up to her grace and elegance. Everyone seemed to expect that, but she had her own doubts.

"What are you doing, hiding in the corner?"

"Avoiding all the boring old people."

Asami took her hand and began to pull her away after saying a quick goodbye to Raniq. "C'mon. I know you don't like it, but you have to socialize with them at least a little bit. This is our world and people want to meet you and talk to you."

Across the room, Anisa was chatting animatedly with several adults. She was in her natural element here and never seemed to pass up the opportunity to run her mouth to whoever would listen.

"Mrs. Sato," a man said with a slight bow as he approached Kiriko and Asami. He had black hair slicked back with shiny gel and a hooked nose that made him look a bit like a bird. "How stunning you are this evening."

"Thank you." Asami put her hand on Kiriko's shoulder. "This is my daughter. Kiriko, this is Mr. Masito. He's one of the mover's executive producers."

"How do you do," Kiriko murmured with a polite bow. When she glanced back up, he was eyeing her sharply.

"What a beautiful child you are. Like mother, like daughter."

Asami's grip on her shoulder tightened just the tiniest bit, though Kiriko wasn't sure why. People were always saying things like that to her. She supposed it was just how adults talked. But surely it was nothing more than politeness; no way was she anywhere near as pretty as her mom.

"What did you think of the mover?" Asami asked him in a tight voice.

"Hmm." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It was well put-together and visually pleasing, though I suspect we may have seen some events through rose-colored glasses."

"Such is show business, as I'm sure you must know. But please, excuse us. We have to make the rounds."

Asami bowed—though not much—picked up Kiriko's hand, and pulled her away with a determined stride. The conversation had been weirdly uncomfortable, though it was hard to articulate why.

"How much more mingling do we have to do? I'm getting tired. And I didn't like that man."

"Neither do I."

"Really? Then why did you talk to him?"

Asami stopped walking and turned to face her. "Well… Sometimes people like us have to deal with people we don't like. But don't worry, you don't have to talk to him again."

"What do you mean 'people like us'?"

"People with influence. People who are on display."

"I don't like it. Can't I just be a normal kid?"

"Normal? I thought you wanted to be a famous pro-bender?"

"Well, yeah," Kiriko said with a stymied frown. "When I'm grown-up! I can't even start until I'm fifteen."

"It'll come faster than you think," Asami murmured as she tucked a stray bit of hair back into Kiriko's updo. There were always pieces on the edges that refused to stay up, no matter how it was styled.

"Good."

"You, my dear, are a walking contradiction. How can you want to stay a child forever and grow up as fast as you can, hm?"

"I didn't say that…" Kiriko sighed and glanced around the room, her eyes once again searching for the newest legend added to her personal list of heroes. "Where's Aunt Lin? If I have to talk to people, I'd at least like to talk to her."

"Let's go find her."

After fifteen minutes of sifting through the crowd—and being stopped no less than three times—they finally found her with Suyin, Mako, Korra, and Anisa.

Figures… Kiriko grumbled. Anisa's first, as usual.

"Asami," Suyin said warmly when they walked up. "We were just talking about you! Mako said you've got some exciting new developments at the factory."

"Oh, sure. We're working on some new tech. R&D got a big push last month when we overhauled the database."

Kiriko lost track of the conversation as she studied Lin up close. The bionic frame was more complex than she'd thought, constructed from what seemed like hundreds of small moving parts. She wondered how it worked. What must it feel like to walk when your legs didn't work? Did Lin have to use metalbending to move it?

When Kiriko glanced up, she saw that Lin was eyeing her curiously. Seriously. Not that she ever seemed to be anything but serious. But the tense moment only lasted a couple of seconds because Anisa poked her shoulder and she looked around to see everyone's attention focused on her.

"What?"

"I was just wondering how you liked the mover," Suyin said with an amused smile.

She was pretty much the opposite of her sister, Kiriko thought. So warm and motherly, always doting on her grandkids—even the ones who weren't actually related to her. Kiriko had always called her 'Gran', just like all the Beifong kids did.

"I loved it!" Despite the nervous fluttering in her stomach, she turned her gaze back up to Lin. "It's so cool how you've saved like, every grownup I've ever known. Can I train with you next time I come to Zaofu?"

"Hey, what about me?" Anisa interjected. "I wanna train with her, too!"

Nearly everyone else laughed while Lin regarded them both with a skeptical expression. "Neither of you are earthbenders," she said finally.

"Ah, c'mon Lin," Mako said. "I bet you have some wisdom to pass on."

"And if nothing else, tire them out," Korra added, causing another ripple of laughter.

Lin sighed, though there was a ghost of a smile in her bright green eyes. "I'll think about it."

Kiriko didn't get to visit Zaofu until the end of the very end of summer break. The high-speed train that went from Republic City down to the shining metal city only took a few hours, though, so she looked forward to one day being able to visit without a chaperone.

It was Varrick who took her, along with Anisa, Raniq, and—unfortunately—Nik. The girls repeatedly got up and switched seats to avoid him, but he kept sneaking up and listening to their conversation.

Kiriko had once hoped that, as they all grew up, Nik would become less annoying. Sadly, that hadn't happened yet. So far, the level of obnoxious a ten-year-old boy could be was unmatched by any of his younger years.

"Go away!" Raniq complained, flicking a small water whip at him.

"Go away!" he mocked with a dramatic wave of his hands.

"Stop mocking me!"

"Stop mocking me!"

It was his favorite game, which Kiriko thought was rather low-effort as far as sibling rivalry went—especially for someone as smart as him.

"Dad! Tell him to leave us alone!"

From the other side of the car came a not-unexpected, "Dad, tell him to leave us alone!"

Raniq slammed her forehead onto the table, defeated, and Kiriko choked down a laugh; there was a reason Nik was the way he was. Still, the amusement was muted by her sympathy for Raniq. It must be maddening to have to deal with that on a daily basis.

In the end, they resorted to chasing Nik off with the combined efforts of their bending, which upset the other passengers and attracted the attention of the train car's attendant. The only reason they didn't get in any real trouble was because Varrick literally owned the train. A quick conversation with him was all it took for the matter to be smoothed over.

"Sometimes I can't believe my moms let your dad be in charge of us," Kiriko said quietly to Raniq. "He's so childish."

But she just shrugged. "I know he's insufferable"—that was her favorite word to describe her family ever since she'd learned it last year—"but he's also really smart. Like, scary smart. And he can't say no to me." She gave them a sly look. "Watch this."

She got up and went over to him and Nik, who was currently entertaining himself with a complex metal puzzle.

"Daddy, can we go get some snacks?"

"Sure, Sweetpea." Varrick pulled out his wallet without hesitation and gave her a small plastic card. "Get your brother something, too."

"Yeah, get me some sour gummies," Nik said. "Oh, and a Bomb Bar. And a soda."

"Anything else?" she asked sarcastically.

"Hm…"

"I was kidding. I won't be able to carry more than that." She didn't give him an opportunity to say anything else, instead coming back over to Kiriko and Anisa. "C'mon, let's go. Before he decides to follow us," she added in a lower voice.

The three of them hurried out of the car and headed for the one that had a snack bar. Honestly, this was the way to travel. It was fast, smooth, and comfortable. The countryside whizzed past them, but there was still a lot to see out of the windows on both sides. Unfortunately, there were only a few trains like this in the whole world. Kiriko hoped that one day there would be more and she could visit all kinds of places.

The rest of the trip passed quickly. They spent a little while gorging themselves on junk food—something none of them usually got to do under the watchful eyes of their mothers—before they returned to Nik and Varrick. Soon, the sparkling metal spires of Zaofu came into view. The track's path had actually been designed to give passengers a good view as they approached the city. It was something Kiriko never got tired of seeing.

As she always was, Suyin was there to greet them when they arrived.

"But don't you have an important job, Gran?" Kiriko had asked her once.

To which she'd replied with a wry laugh, "I'm retired. I think I've done enough."

Now she seemed to spend all her time with her grandchildren—Kiriko's cousins, more or less. Basically, everyone near her age was a cousin, and the adults were aunts and uncles.

"Where's Aunt Lin?" Kiriko asked. "Is she in a good mood today? We want to train with her."

"Hm, I'm not sure. Why don't you have a look around?"

One of the reasons Kiriko liked coming to Zoafu was because it was so safe that they were allowed to wander around unsupervised. In Republic City, they had to have escorts everywhere, even to and from school. But here, there was no danger.

Even so, she liked her home better. It was more exciting. The pro-bending arena was there, for one. And she just loved all the sounds and lights of the city. It was like…the heart of the world. Always pulsing with life. The center of everything.

Full of pent-up energy from sitting still so long on the train, Kiriko took off at a run. The only person who joined her was Nik, his presence signaled by an energetic whooping, but he had no hope of keeping up with her long-legged pace.

She ran down streets, through parks, past statues and fountains and art displays, finally ending her search at the Beifong estate. It was a sprawling property with several houses for the large family, plus guest houses, gardens, sports facilities, and training grounds.

It was that last part that she figured she would find who she was looking for, and her guess turned out to be right. But she stopped short, fifty or so feet away, because the woman she sought wasn't alone.

Positioned in an open space between Lin and Bolin was a boy who looked to be about Kiriko's age, or maybe a little older. He was stocky and athletic with short black hair, his bare torso slick with sweat from exertion and concentration.

Lin and Bolin weren't going easy on him. Their relentless attacks came from all directions and he seemed like he was getting frustrated. Suddenly, he crouched and slammed his hand into the stone. It rippled outward and turned red-hot before fully melting and expanding in a slow, shallow wave.

So that's the new lavabender Mom and Mama were talking about…

"Don't let it get away from you!" Bolin advised. "You control it. It doesn't control you."

Kiriko's attention was jerked away from them when Nik barreled past her, shouting and waving, which she thought was pretty stupid and dangerous. There was lava, after all.

She had no desire to approach, herself. If that boy was friends with Nik—which, judging by how they greeted each other, he certainly was—then she wasn't particularly interested in meeting him, even if he was a good bender with a pretty rare ability…

Raniq and Anisa finally caught up a few minutes later.

"Why are you just standing here?" Anisa asked.

"I'm watching to see if Nik trips and falls into the lava."

Raniq waved her hand dismissively. "Bolin wouldn't let anything bad happen."

"Who's that boy?" Anisa asked. "He's kinda cute."

Kiriko rolled her eyes; these days, it seemed like Anisa thought every boy was cute.

"Oh, that's Valen," Raniq answered. "He just moved here. I met him last month when Dad came to do some work on the radio tower. He's nice, but kind of wild. I can see why he and Nik get along."

The three of them approached sedately when it looked like the lesson was officially over, thanks to Nik interrupting.

"Aunt Lin! Uncle Bolin!" Kiriko called. "Can you train with us now?" In her peripheral vision, she saw Valen wipe his face with a towel and glance over at them curiously.

"Sorry, kids," Bolin said apologetically. "I've gotta be somewhere. I'm already late, actually. My wife's gonna have some words with me, no doubt." But he gathered up Kiriko and Anisa each in one strong arm and gave them a big squeeze. "Raincheck, okay?"

Kiriko leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Tell Aunt Lin to train with us. I bet she'll listen to you."

He let out a hearty guffaw and set them down. "I think you overestimate my powers of persuasion." But he turned to Lin anyway. "Whaddya say? Tire them out for an hour?"

She pursed her lips with a pensive, skeptical look. "Hm… Only if you take the boys."

"Aw, man!" Nik complained. "No fair!"

"Get lost, Nik!" Anisa said with her arms crossed. "This is the girls-only club."

"Well, we were here first…" Valen interjected, drawing the unimpressed attention of Kiriko, Anisa, and Raniq.

"C'mon, boys," Bolin said with a grin. "It looks like we're outnumbered and outmatched."

"I think two lavabenders could take them," Valen said confidently.

Kiriko planted her hands on her hips and regarded him fiercely. "You'd never beat Aunt Lin! She's the best earthbender in the whole world! She has a famous mover about her and everything! Do you have a mover about your life?"

Valen smirked at her and raised his hands defensively, though it seemed more mocking than anything. Sharp gray eyes twinkled at her with amusement. "Wow, chill." He turned to Nik and added, "C'mon, I've got an idea how we could have some real fun."

With that, they ran off together and Kiriko scoffed with annoyance.

Good riddance.

She glanced over at Bolin and only then realized that she'd just said, right in front of him, that she thought Lin was better at earthbending.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked, filled with shame and regret, though he just tilted his head curiously. "I didn't– You're a great earthbender, too!"

He threw his head back with another enthusiastic laugh, holding his stomach. "I wouldn't dream of trying to take Lin one-on-one. You were right the first time."

Still chuckling, he walked away. Lin, who seemed to be less grouchy than usual, spent the next half hour pelting them with rocks and shaking the ground underneath them with small earthquakes. Well, Raniq just watched; she wasn't much for 'violent bending', as she called it. But Kiriko and Anisa had a blast dodging the attacks—or trying to, anyway—and using their own much less effective bending to deflect the smaller rocks.

"Can you show us some new forms?" Kiriko asked at one point, desperate for this legend to pass on some of her knowledge. "Mom says that we should learn from all types of benders."

"I'm not a teacher, kid," Lin said gruffly. "I wouldn't know the first thing about teaching water or firebending. You wanna train with me, you'll have to learn through trying and failing."

But they were both pretty tired of getting knocked down by that point and instead started begging her to show off for them.

"Can you show us some metal cable tricks?"

"Oh, do that thing where you use your leg braces to make a shockwave!"

"No, no, I wanna see that big rock storm!"

Lin crossed her arms and glared at them, jaw set sternly. "If you two don't shut your traps, I won't show you jack."

Kiriko snapped her mouth shut and looked up at her with a cheeky smile, though it seemed to have no effect on her hard demeanor. But Lin did reluctantly consent to a small demonstration of her more advanced abilities.

It was so cool. Her control was flawless. Kiriko could only imagine what she must've been like when she had the strength and agility of youth. She'd seen a few clips that had been included in the mover, but most of the scenes featured the actress chosen to play her—a skilled earth and metalbender, but nothing like the real deal.

Seeing this mighty woman's raw power, even old and permanently disabled as she was, felt like a true honor, and all Kiriko could do was gaze in awe and wonder. If she hadn't already vowed to practice hard enough to become the best firebender in the world, this would've spurred such a determination.

"That was amazing," she gushed when Lin decided she was done.

"Alright, well, you kids go find someone else to entertain you. I'm tired."

They thanked her effusively—well, mostly it was Kiriko—and headed off to the house to get cleaned up.

"Spirits!" Suyin said when she saw them. "What in the world have you been doing?!"

"We were training with Aunt Lin! It was awesome."

She clucked her tongue with disapproval and sent them off to bathe before lunch. The big, steamy room had cool showers to rinse off the worst of the grime, a soapy pool for washing, and finally a bubbly one for soaking.

When they got to that last pool, Kiriko held up each limb one by one so Raniq could heal all the cuts and scrapes; Anisa did her own, of course. It was the one thing Kiriko resented about being a firebender. Water could be strong, but also gentle and healing; fire was mostly just violent. No matter how good she got, she'd never be able to use her bending to fix an injury. To make someone feel better.

They finished up with a dry sauna and a quick lukewarm shower, dressed in the provided clothes, which were in the unique style of Zaofu, and had their hair brushed by some attendants. Their stomachs were rumbling and grumbling by the end of it, the snacks from the train long gone.

As was typical in the Beifong house, mealtime in the large dining room was a communal affair. The adults were outnumbered by the kids, who were all aged fourteen or younger. After Raniq, Shein was the oldest—and one of Kiriko's actual blood-related cousins. The youngest was his baby brother Raj in a high chair next to Bolin.

Kiriko hurried over to where Kyori was sitting and slipped into an empty seat. "Hey, I've got a bone to pick with you."

They were only five months apart and, while not especially close, tended to gravitate toward each other because of that.

Kyori tilted her head curiously. "What does that mean?"

"I dunno," Kiriko said with a shrug. "But my mom says it all the time to people when they do something that irritates her."

"Oh? What did I do?" She took a prim bite of her food, which had already arrived while Kiriko and the others were bathing. A sly smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Are we gonna have to spar?"

Kiriko grimaced. While Kyori wasn't a bender, she was a Beifong through and through. In other words, she was tough and never shied away from a good scrap.

"No. I just wanted to tell you that I tried that move you showed me last time I was here, and Anisa definitely already knew it, so obviously you showed her, too."

The impish giggle told her all she needed to know about the situation. "Didn't know there were rules on who can do it and who can't."

"You could've warned me, at least."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Kiriko sat back in her chair, arms crossed, and sighed with annoyance. The only good thing was that Raniq and Anisa had found other seats and hadn't overheard this minor humiliation.

But soon her food was brought by a server and all of that was forgotten. The chef was so brilliant; he somehow remembered what everyone liked and had an uncanny knack for serving just what she wanted at that moment.

Or maybe it was simply that she was starving. Either way, she dug in eagerly to her plate of grilled steak smothered in teriyaki sauce atop rice noodles. The snow peas and buttery fried cabbage on the side were the perfect addition.

It wasn't unusual for these meals to become noisy and boisterous. The adults seemed to take it in stride, gentling scolding where necessary but otherwise ignoring the din and having their own conversations.

Shein and Nik, who were prone to flinging their food at each other, got into an argument at one point.

"Spirits, I can't believe you're friends with him," Shein said with disdain. "He's not even that good."

"Why do you care?" Nik challenged.

"I don't. I don't care. I just don't like him, okay?! What happened to bros before hoes, huh?"

"He's not my ho!"

"Boys, please," Opal said with disapproval, tuning in at that opportune moment.

Kiriko turned to Kyori in the hopes that she would understand the context. "Who are they talking about?"

"Oh, that new lavabender Uncle Bolin's training. Valen. Shein really doesn't like him."

"That's probably a good thing. Seems like them plus Nik hanging out together would be chaos."

"Yeah, probably." She picked at her food a little and sighed, then tried to get her mother's attention. "Mom. Mom, can I– Ugh. Mom!"

But Kian clearly couldn't hear her, too busy devoting her attention to her youngest daughter.

"Sometimes I wish we could trade families," Kyori grumbled. "I bet it's nice and quiet at your house."

"Depends on what we're doing," Kiriko said with a laugh.

"I should've gone to the Fire Nation with Hunir."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I thought it would be boring," Kyori lamented with a dramatic flair. "Spirits, he's such a dork. But I bet he gets plenty of attention there. And peace and quiet."

It was probably true, Kiriko thought. She'd been to the Fire Nation a couple of times but only remembered her most recent visit. The royal palace was a subdued place with wide halls and tall ceilings. Sounds echoed around ominously and it felt wrong to make too much noise.

And there weren't a bunch of kids running around like there were here. The only children in the Fire Nation royal family were Zira, who was fifteen, and Zai, who was eleven—the same age as Kiriko and Kyori. The young prince and princess were frighteningly well-behaved, which was strange. From what she remembered, their parents weren't strict at all.

"When's he coming back?" she asked, though it was just to be polite because she didn't really care that much. She barely knew Hunir.

"I dunno. Probably my parents will make him come back when school starts, but I bet he'll want to stay. I think he has a crush on Zira."

"Really?" Kiriko said with a snicker; she didn't understand the big deal about crushes.

Kyori made a face. "Er, don't tell anyone I said that. 'Specially not Raniq."

Several seats over, the gossip queen herself was staring off into space while she slowly ate; it didn't seem like she'd overheard anything. Kiriko glanced around the room and smiled contentedly. She liked being part of this big, noisy family and often wished she could spend more time with them.

But then she remembered that she liked her own home, too. Even one night away from her moms, from her familiar bed, from Naga, from the lights of the pro-bending arena cutting through the night sky… Just one night was enough to make her homesick.

A/N: You can read a more detailed account of Lin's heroic feat (and subsequent accident) in Chapter 2 of one of my other fics, 'The Scars That Made Me'.