Significant OCs in this chapter:

Kiriko and Anisa - age 16
Raniq - age 19
Nik - age 15
Valen - age 18
Kyori - Wei's daughter, age 16
Cheli - Jinora's daughter, age 17

The summer flew by faster than any in Kiriko's memory. Korra wouldn't teach her lightning at home, which was at once awful and wonderful. While she didn't get as many opportunities to try and figure it out, she did get to spend a lot more one-on-one time with both her mom and Mako, who took some time away from his busy life to give her a few lessons.

He wasn't nearly as chatty as Korra was, so most of the hour-or-two-long sessions were quiet. Still, he was exceptionally patient with her and she relished their time together.

"I'm never gonna get this," Kiriko complained when Mako said, regretfully, that he was out of time for the day.

"Sure you will. I've never seen you give up on anything."

"I don't understand how other people learn it so easily. How did you learn it?"

"Call it the school of hard knocks," Mako said with a grimace. "I had to look out for Bolin. Hard times can bring out the worst in a person, but they can also bring out the best, too."

Kiriko regretted asking. She knew all about Mako and Bolin's difficult childhood but didn't like to think about it too much. Her beloved city had dark side that she'd never been exposed to. It made her feel a little guilty.

"How long did it take Mom to learn?"

The question seemed to perk him up, judging by the little half smile he gave her. "You're not going to like the answer."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I bet it was easy for her. I bet she learned it in a few hours."

"It took a couple of weeks, actually, but yeah. She's always picked up new bending techniques easily. Especially firebending."

"Weird, since she's Water Tribe."

"She's always had the heart of a firebender. Just like you."

Fortunately, her failure to learn lightning was mitigated by excitement for the upcoming pro-bending season. In the last month of summer, all her plans for a brand new world-class team finally had the chance to become reality. Those plans had been thought up long ago and now it was time to submit the paperwork.

Her team would be the Republic City Polar Bear Dogs, in honor of Naga, who had sadly reached the end of her long life earlier that year, some months ago. Both Korra and Asami had cried when she told them her team's name.

Anisa surprised her one morning while she was writing up the flier for tryouts, which would be taken to a printer and posted around the city.

"Seriously?" Anisa complained. "You're gonna make me try out?!"

"What–?" Kiriko just stared at her for a second. "You want to be on the team?"

"Obviously! I thought you knew that!"

"You haven't said a single thing about wanting to do pro-bending since last season. I figured you were done with it."

"But we always talked about forming a team together. You said we'd be co-captains. Remember?"

Kiriko was dumbfounded, but also elated by this unexpected turn of events. She lunged forward and gave her sister a hug.

"So I don't have to try out, right?" Anisa said.

"Hmm…"

"Shut up! I won't do it."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Spirits, lighten up." Kiriko crumpled up the flier and got out a fresh sheet of paper to start over. "Saves me some work. Now we've just got to find an earthbender and an airbender."

"Maybe we can convince Cheli to stay in town for the season..."

"Pfft. Fat chance of that. Anyway, she doesn't even know anything about pro-bending."

"I guess you're right."

Kiriko gave her a smug grin. "Of course I am. I'm a pro-bending expert."

"You're insufferable is what you are."

"I can't do it…" Kiriko muttered with dismay as she went over her schedule once more, just to make sure. "It's impossible."

"Yeah, no kidding," Anisa said. "I'm hardly ever gonna see my friends! Do we really have to practice five times a week?"

"We're a brand new team! If we don't put in the time and effort, we'll get knocked out of the season long before the tournament. Cho and Niwen are good, but we have a lot of work ahead of us to become a real team."

They were three days away from beginning the month of practice to get their team in shape before weekly matches started. Auditions for the Tura Tura were in just a few weeks. Trying to work around her teammates' schedules was…impossible.

"I'm gonna have to skip the Tura Tura this year," she finally muttered with defeat.

Those weeks passed quickly and Kiriko immersed herself in training to get her mind off it. The day of auditions arrived one rainy morning. It felt so strange not to go.

The phone rang that afternoon and she let it go to the answering machine.

"Kiriko, are you there? If you are, pick up! It's Ula."

In the brief silence that followed, she sighed and went to answer. "Hey, Ula."

"Oh, good, you're home! Are you sick or something? We missed you at auditions today."

"I'm not sick… I'm not gonna dance this year."

"Damn. I was worried you'd say that. It's because of pro-bending, isn't it? That's what everyone else thinks."

"Yeah."

"Well…you better win, at least!"

Kiriko grinned into the phone. "I expect to see you at the championship finals when we do."

"This is so cool," Kiriko gushed, her heart fuller than it had ever been.

She was flat on her back in the middle of the pro-bending arena. She and Anisa lay staring up at the golden dome with Korra in between them. The rest of the stadium was pitch black, throwing the brilliant glow above into stark contrast.

"In four years," Korra murmured, "the comet will come back and the sky will look like this. Or so they say. The last one, ninety-six years ago, was never photographed. Because photography didn't even exist–"

"We know, Mom," Anisa interrupted. "Everyone knows that."

"It's called storytelling and you're ruining the moment. Now shush."

"Okay, okay. Fine."

Korra picked up their hands and gave them a squeeze. "The city is going to throw the biggest party any of you have ever seen. The comet used to be a symbol of fear and destruction, but now it will mark a hundred years since the end of a terrible period of unbalance."

Kiriko wasn't thinking about parties at all. She was thinking about the awesome power the comet would bring her. What would it feel like? She could only imagine and dream.

"It won't be that exciting for me," Anisa said with a sigh. "Not like for you two."

"Please," Kiriko scoffed. "You get a power boost every month on the full moon."

"That is nothing like what they say the comet will be."

Korra pulled on their hands a little. "Hey. Stop arguing. Just…enjoy this quiet moment. And the thrill of sneaking in here at two in the morning and turning on the dome lights."

They all laughed softly before she continued.

"Tomorrow night, this place will be even more lit up. Packed to the brim with screaming fans. It's an incredible rush. Are you ready for it, and what comes after? Are you ready for the city to turn its eye on you?"

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," Kiriko said instantly.

Anisa was a little slower to answer, but her voice was just as sure. "Bring it on."

They stood in the shadows on one side of the arena. Waiting. Kiriko reached out for Anisa's hand and gave it a brief squeeze. Their teammates, an earthbender named Cho and an airbender named Niwen, stood directly behind them.

The soft murmurs from the hundreds of spectators filled the space with a crackling buzz. Electric anticipation.

I bet if I could walk out there right now and stand in the middle, I'd be able to lightningbend, Kiriko thought wistfully. But her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden blinding light and a booming voice.

"And now, ladies and gents, put your hands together for these eager rookies!" the announcer called over the speakers, alongside a deafening roar.

The platform began to move slowly toward the center and Kiriko quickly let go of Anisa's hand in favor of a more confident pose—one hand on her hip while the other waved to the crowd.

"Let's welcome to the stage a brand new team: the Republic City Polar Bear Dogs! Young sibling co-captains Kiriko and Anisa Sato have jumped into the deep end after making a splash in last year's open-class championship. They're joined by earthbender Cho Xian and airbender Niwen Kalo, open-class veterans each with many wins under their belts. Needless to say, we expect great things from the Polar Bear Dogs!"

They reached the stage and spread out. Kiriko didn't even listen to the other team being announced. All she could do was look around in wonder. This was a thousand times better than performing the Tura Tura, for reasons she couldn't even articulate to herself, and they hadn't even started yet!

The lights and the noise nearly dazzled her. All she could see in her mind's eye was victory. In her head, screaming fans shouted her name.

"Kiriko! Kiriko!"

"Psst! Kiriko! Wake up!" Anisa hissed.

She snapped to attention to find that the crowd had gone quiet and everyone was poised for the starting buzzer. She fell into her guard stance.

"Roooound one!"

The headlines flew in week after week and Kiriko began to realize exactly what her mom had meant about the city's eye being turned on her. Suddenly her sweaty face, flushed from excitement and exertion, was on the front page of newspapers and magazines.

Underdogs? More Like Polar Bear Dogs! Avatar Korra's Daughters Shake Up World-Class Pro-Bending!

Breakout Team Polar Bear Dogs Win Again

Polar Bear Dogs Continue To Smash World Records

Undefeated Polar Bear Dogs – Don't Bet Against Them!

Nik sauntered up to her in the hallway at school one day with a magazine in his hand.

"Sooo," he drawled, smirking. "How does it feel to be famous?" He held up the open magazine, which had a picture of her and Anisa after a match.

"Haven't I always been famous?"

"Yeah, but not like this. You were just famous-adjacent because of your mom. Now you're popping up all over the place. Check out this article: 'You've known them for years as the daughters of famously-lesbian power couple, Avatar Korra and Asami Sato, owner and CEO of Future Industries.'"

Kiriko rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Why did people always call them lesbians?

"'Privileged though these two youngsters may be, no one can deny that they've got talent—and good genes, too. You wouldn't know it from looking at them here, but they're still underage, dear readers, so set your clocks to next summer–'"

"Ugh! Nik, that's disgusting."

"It gets better, I promise!" He cleared his throat and continued to read with a stupid grin on his face. "'If you want to catch these girls in action, run, don't walk, to the ticket booth at the pro-bending arena before tickets sell out. Or just wait until next season. We're certain that, by then, that stunning smile and lily-white skin will be paired with a nice, well, pair–'"

Kiriko finally snatched the magazine out of his hands, furious. Surely he was just making that up to piss her off…

But a quick glance told her that not only was he reading it word-for-word, but what followed was even worse. Truly humiliating. She ripped up the magazine and stalked toward the nearest trash can with Nik's laughter echoing in her ears.

On her next visit to Zaofu, she brought up the incident with Raniq, who didn't seem surprised at all.

"He's been reading those trashy tabloids for years."

"It's not Nik that I'm upset about. He's always been an asshole, nothing new there. But how could they write stuff like that about me? I'm not even seventeen yet!" She burned with shame at the thought of them counting down the days until she came of age and developed an adult figure. "It's disgusting! And why are they so fixated on how I look, anyway? Anisa's the 'hot' one," she added with an annoyed scoff.

Raniq cocked an eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Well, she looks a lot more grown-up than I do."

"Maybe, but you're prettier."

It was so matter-of-fact, but also sincere. And maybe there was just a tiny hint of jealousy lurking in her eyes. Kiriko didn't know what to say.

"...No I'm not."

"Huh..." Raniq propped her chin up on her hand. "You really don't see it, do you? How is that? People are always saying how beautiful you are. Do you not believe them?"

"Okay, I know I'm not ugly. But that's just how people talk, right? 'Oh, look at you! Look how you've grown! Such a pretty thing, just like your mother!'" She laughed at her impersonation of her moms' friends and acquaintances. "They say the same to Anisa."

"She is pretty, but not like you. You think the guys at school are giving you a lot of attention now because of pro-bending? Just wait. It's gonna get crazy when you're a little older. Brace yourself."

Kiriko rolled her eyes and sighed. The truth was, she'd never had any complaints about her face and generally thought that part of her was decently attractive. But what Raniq was saying was too much. A huge exaggeration. "I just wish people would focus on my bending. All they want to do is talk about our personal lives in those articles."

"It's the media," Raniq said with a shrug. "Everyone wants to know what celebrities do behind the scenes. People are curious. And yeah, those trashy tabloids say a lot of borderline illegal crap. Just ignore it."

"Would be easier if Nik wasn't reading them aloud in the hallway," Kiriko grumbled. But she waved her hand dismissively and changed the subject. "How's your apprenticeship going?"

"Good! I got to assist with a natural twin delivery last week. It was pretty incredible. That woman was a rock star. She did it without an epidural or any pain medications at all."

"Spirits…" Kiriko cringed at the thought, squeezing her legs together as if to ward off that fate. "Sounds awful. I don't care how many drugs there are out there. I don't ever want to go through that. I've heard enough horror stories from you."

"But babies are so cute ," Raniq gushed, predictably. This was her favorite topic. "So soft and squishy… And the way they smell… Their cute little babbles…" That went on for another minute or so. "I know I'm not ready for all that now—and I wouldn't be even if I had a husband—but Spirits… It would be so tempting if I were in a relationship right now."

"You're way too young to be having babies."

"I'll be twenty in a few months. It's not that young. But anyway, it doesn't matter. Like I said, I know I'm not ready. My apprenticeship is so consuming, and I'd like to be established in my career with a bigger house before I even think about kids."

"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't gotten a boyfriend yet."

"I've gone on dates…" Raniq said defensively. "Just…didn't really click with any of them." She leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. "What about you, huh? Has no one caught your eye yet? Surely you've at least crushed on someone at school or something."

"Nope," Kiriko said, quite honestly. "I'm too busy to even think about that. I couldn't care less."

The memory of that conversation—the articles and the discussion about boys, specifically—festered in the back of her mind for weeks. All throughout that time, she became increasingly frustrated with how the newspapers and magazines fixated on her appearance and private life rather than her bending abilities. By the time the championship tournament rolled around, she was avoiding going out in public at all.

But Anisa wasn't. And she seemed to love the attention when paparazzi caught her out and about, or coming out of a club she wasn't supposed to be at. Kiriko could tell how frustrated her moms were by it all, but Anisa would squeal with glee every time she saw her face in the papers. Even the frequent punishments didn't dampen her spirits much.

And yet, when the night of the quarterfinals rolled around, it was Kiriko who was calm and collected while Anisa was a nervous wreck.

"You'll do great, babe," Arun murmured to her while they all put on their gear in the locker room. He was the first of her boyfriends to last more than a few weeks. They'd been an item for almost six months now.

"There's just so much pressure to win," Anisa said with her face buried in his chest.

Kiriko sighed and tried to focus on some of the strategies they were going to use against the Razorback Hawkfish. They were a team of veteran players in their late twenties and had presented a challenge earlier on in the season.

But when Anisa and Arun started making out in the corner, it became impossible for her to ignore.

"Spirits, get a room, you two. No one wants to see that."

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the lovebirds were interrupted by the door flying open to reveal Nik, who had two girls hanging off him, and Valen, who was accompanied by…Kyori? Kiriko did a double-take when she realized they were holding hands.

"Hello, hello, hello people!" Nik exclaimed as he barged in with a flourish. "Well, here we are, ladies. As promised. The illustrious Polar Bear Dogs."

"I did tell him to knock first," Valen said to no one in particular, though Kiriko wasn't sure if anyone else heard it because Nik's groupies rushed forward to gush about how they were such big fans.

While she usually enjoyed that kind of thing—in small doses—Kiriko's attention was instead drawn to Kyori and Valen, who stood off to the side and seemed totally focused on each other. Kiriko's initial impression was that he was too old for her, but then she remembered that Kyori was the same age as her and Valen was only two years older.

It was just so…strange. She supposed girls must like him, though. He was tall, fit, and good-looking. Plus, being a lavabender was pretty cool. It was his association with Nik that had always made Kiriko avoid getting to know him beyond a surface level, and she just assumed everyone else felt the same way.

Apparently, that wasn't the case.

He leaned in and whispered something in Kyori's ear, making her giggle, and Kiriko looked away. It made her uncomfortable. Why did people have to act like that in public?

A sharp bell sounded in the room and everyone stopped talking.

"Time to clear out," she said to everyone. "That's our five-minute warning."

She started to herd them all out so she and her teammates could finish getting ready, but Valen paused at the door and gave her a cheerful, genuine smile.

"Good luck out there!"

A strange feeling in her stomach made her hesitate before answering. It's just nerves. I'm sure we'll win, but this match is a big deal. "Uh…thanks."

They did win, though it was closer than Kiriko would've liked. The only time they'd ever gone into a third round was the last time they played that team.

As usual, a rowdy group of journalists waited for them out in the hall. She'd long since learned to wipe her face off and redo her braid before leaving the locker rooms.

"How does this win feel?" someone asked, shoving a microphone in her face while cameras flashed. "Seems like they had you on the ropes there at the end."

"Not really," Kiriko said with a shrug. "It was all part of the strategy."

"How are you planning on handling the Buffaroos tomorrow night?"

"Same as we handled them earlier in the season," Anisa said, pushing Kiriko a little to the side to answer. "But we've still got some tricks up our sleeves."

For whatever reason, the journalists tended to forget about her and she always complained about it afterward.

"I'm your co -captain," she grumped once the small crowd dispersed. "Stop hogging the spotlight."

They'd had the argument so many times that Kiriko just rolled her eyes. "Niwen and Cho don't seem to care." She turned around to look at them. "Right? You guys don't care, do you?"

"Nah, not really," Niwen said with a shrug. She'd been born at the Western Air Temple but apparently moved to the city some years ago because her dad was some big wig at a publishing company. But she was much more of an air nomad than a city slicker in personality.

"Well, kinda," Cho admitted. "Sometimes." Despite his humble beginnings in the Dragonbone district slums, he seemed to have an affinity for the upper-class social scene now that his star was rising.

"Hey, any of you are welcome to jump in and answer questions. I'm not stopping you."

He just laughed and shook his head. "They don't even see us. But…it's fine, I guess. I'm just happy we're winning. Gets my name out there."

"Hey, you guys wanna go out and celebrate later?" Anisa asked. "All of us, I mean."

Cho and Niwen glanced at each other for a second before the latter turned back to Anisa and Kiriko apologetically. "Actually, I've kinda got plans already."

"Yeah, me too. Sorry."

Kiriko understood. They were both in their twenties. They didn't want to hang out with two 16-year-old girls.

"We'll see you tomorrow night," Niwen added. "Looking forward to another win."

Kiriko and Anisa met up with their family and friends shortly after, in a back hallway somewhat removed from everything else. It seemed like just about everyone had come: Raniq, Korra, Asami, Mako, and Bolin, as usual, but also Varrick, Suyin, Opal with her three youngest, plus old Tenzin and his wife, and Jinora with her kids—including Cheli, who was actually in town, for once. Kya, Tonraq, and Senna had even come up from the South Pole for the occasion.

There was an extended round of congratulations and hugs that lasted a good ten minutes. Kiriko beamed the whole time, absolutely loving the attention. Adoring fans were all good and well, but these people actually cared about her.

"I'm such a proud uncle!" Bolin gushed, pretending to wipe away a tear. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. I'll just have to live vicariously through you two."

Kiriko grinned back at him, but her smile slipped when she realized someone important was missing. "I thought Aunt Lin was coming?"

"Ah, well…" Mako said with a regretful air. "She wanted to, but she's slowed down a lot in the last few months. She decided the trip was just too much for her. But she said she'd be watching the matches on television."

Something in his tone worried her. "Is she sick?" It was true that she hadn't used her bionic frame in a year or so. She'd started complaining that it was too much of a hassle to put on and take off.

"No, no, nothing like that."

"She's just old," Tenzin interjected. "Just like me."

Kiriko regarded his mottled skin and sallow face for a moment while everyone laughed. He was pretty old, but his gray eyes had a lot of life in them. She didn't know him that well. Korra was very fond of him, though.

She lost track of the conversation then when her peripheral vision caught sight of Arun and Nik, who had just shown up with Valen and Kyori and were now talking quietly with Anisa.

Kiriko's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Anisa didn't like Nik any more than she did, but both were prone to doing things that the adults wouldn't approve of. It was the one thing they had in common.

Her gaze drifted to Valen and Kyori, who weren't acting especially coupley at the moment, but they seemed to drift toward each other unconsciously. Hands would occasionally brush against arms or sides.

Just as before, Kiriko felt an inscrutable twinge deep in her gut. It could be written off as a dislike for PDA, but it made her uneasy. All she knew was that there was something about the sight of them together that unsettled her.

"Well," Opal said with a deep sigh, drawing Kiriko's attention back to the main group. Raj was passed out in her arms. "It's late. We should get back to our hotel."

There was a round of murmured agreements and they all began to head toward the exit. Jinora and her family rode her bison, Palla, back to the island; Varrick and Nik went to their house in the city while Raniq took the train back to Zoafu since she had to work the next day; Bolin, Opal, and their kids got a cab back to their hotel; and those visiting from the south came along to the Sato house.

They only had the one guest room, which Tonraq and Senna had taken upon arrival the night before. Anisa was currently bunking with Kiriko so that Kya could use her room. They all said goodnight and Kiriko headed upstairs, tired but happy.

Anisa was already in there, and she wasn't getting ready for bed.

"Why are you wearing that?" Kiriko asked.

"Shhh!"

"Wait–" When she realized what was clearly going on, she closed the door and lowered her voice. "Are you sneaking out?"

"Yep, and so are you."

"Uh-uh. No way."

Anisa rolled her eyes dramatically. "When are you going to grow up ? Stop being such a prissy little kid. Do something new for once! Break a rule! Get in trouble! What's the worst that could happen? Live a little, Koko."

It was a surefire way to get Kiriko to lose all rationality, and she knew that Anisa knew that. Her fists balled up into fists and she gritted her teeth. I'm not a child.

Before her thought process could go any further, Anisa continued. "Anyway, this plan is foolproof. I've worked it out with Cheli and Nik. No one will even know we're gone. It's just going to be a few hours of us going out dancing, then we'll be back in our beds safe and sound. I know you'll have a good time if you just give it a chance."

Kiriko had never been dancing at a club, but she did have to admit that it didn't sound horrible. "Who all's coming…?" she finally asked.

Anisa grinned and began tossing clothes at her. "Here, put these on!"

"I haven't said yes yet!"

"Cheli's going to pick us up on her bison. It's gonna be us, plus Arun, Nik, Valen, and Kyori."

That gave Kiriko pause. Hanging out with Nik didn't seem like any fun at all, and Valen and Kyori being together made her uncomfortable. But…she was also kind of curious why she felt that way. Maybe she could figure it out if she had a chance to analyze it.

"I guess– I guess I'll come. But only for a few hours, then we need to come back! I don't want to be tired for tomorrow's match."

"We can sleep 'til noon. Relax. Everything will be fine."

Cheli knocked softly on the door of Kiriko's balcony about half an hour later. "I waited until all the bedroom lights went out," she whispered. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Anisa said in an equally soft but still very excited voice. "Get this—I actually convinced Kiriko to come along."

"Shut up," Kiriko grumbled. "Let's go before I change my mind."

She hadn't flown on a bison lately and didn't particularly like the sensation. While it had a certain fun thrill, there was also a sense of vulnerability. No control. Animals could be unpredictable, and they were way up in the air in the pitch dark.

Still, it was pretty cool seeing the city lights from above. The approach only took a couple of minutes while she peered over the edge of the saddle. It was oddly quiet. The soft sound of the air rushing past them drowned out the usual noise of downtown. Tiny cars zoomed down tiny streets like toys in lifelike model.

Rather than land in the city, they flew over it to the far suburbs to pick up Anisa's boyfriend. The two of them seemed to forget about everyone and everything else as soon as he was aboard, and they set off again for the bright lights.

Their destination was apparently a dirty back alley in the heart of the red-light district. Cheli spoke a few soft words to her bison, Mikka, who promptly flew off into the darkness. As soon as the trio emerged onto the main road, which was still busy despite the hour, Kiriko began to have serious misgivings about this outing.

"Someone's going to recognize us!" she fretted. "We'll be in the papers and get in trouble for sure!"

"That's why I picked out a jacket with a hood, dummy," Anisa said, briefly detaching herself from Arun to put her own hood up. "Once we're inside the club, it'll be too dark for anyone to see our faces.

Kiriko pulled hers as far down as it would go and hunched her shoulders. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're going to meet us there. Valen and Kyori are staying at Nik's house so they're all together."

"I wish Raniq was coming…"

Cheli hummed skeptically. "She's not really the partying type, from what I remember."

"Neither am I…" Kiriko eyed Cheli from under her hood. They didn't know each other that well these days, ever since Cheli had been infected by wanderlust and was now an adult with her very own sky bison and matching tattoos. She'd turned out a lot more like her dad than her mom. "For that matter, I didn't know you were, either."

"It's good to try new things with an open mind."

"Spoken like a true great-granddaughter of Avatar Aang," Anisa said with a laugh. "You know, if you think about it, we're kind of related!"

"Does it really work like that?" Arun asked. "Man, Avatar stuff is weird…"

Kiriko just rolled her eyes; he wasn't the brightest star in the sky. "It doesn't work like that. Avatars are totally different people, not biologically related at all."

"I still think of you two as my cousins," Cheli said. "You and all the Beifongs. One big crazy family."

The hum of the city reached a crescendo a few minutes later—a deep, thumping bass coming from a few different directions. Muffled music from inside the clubs clashed dissonantly, but there was a surprisingly enjoyable wildness to the din.

"They're checking IDs," Kiriko mused when she looked at the line to get into the nearest building.

"Yeah, that's why we're going in the back," Anisa said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

A loud ' WHOOP WHOOOOP' from across the street drew their attention and Kiriko snapped her head around to see Nik waving like an idiot.

"Moron's gonna get us caught…" she grumbled.

"I can't believe you came out with us," Kyori said to her once they were all gathered in an alley. "What did Anisa have to do to convince you?"

"Surprisingly little," Anisa said with a smirk.

"Would everyone please stop acting like I don't know how to have fun? I'm here, aren't I? Now let's stop standing around and go inside. I wanna dance." In fact, her foot was already tapping to the beat.

Valen shook his fist in what appeared to be a gesture of camaraderie. "Yeah! I mean, I can't dance to save my life, but I'm not gonna let that stop me."

The words were accompanied by a big grin, his gray eyes twinkling, and Kiriko felt the need to look away quickly, her head full of confusion. She wasn't used to hanging out with him. He actually seemed friendly and fun; that didn't track with her usual impression of him as Nik's annoying partner-in-crime.

"Right!" Nik said with enthusiasm. "Everyone follow me."

He led them down the alley and to a back door, where a beefy but lazy-looking guy sat in a chair by a back door. Nik approached and spoke a few quiet words with him—they seemed to know each other—then covertly handed over a thick wad of cash. The bouncer inspected it, then got up and opened the door without another word.

The noise was almost overwhelming. She could feel the bass pounding in her chest. Her arms seemed to vibrate all the way down to her fingertips. Pulsating lights flashed with the rhythm, throwing the wild scene into rich contrast between ghostly shadows and sharp-edged bodies flinging themselves around. Like stop motion—snapshots of poses that shifted almost too quickly for the eye to see.

While the others took their jackets off and hung them up on pegs against the wall, Kiriko still felt exposed and kept hers on with the hood up. It was definitely too hot inside for that, but the last thing she wanted was to be recognized.

Anisa said something to Arun, who nodded, then she grabbed Kiriko's wrist and dragged her over to the bar. Somehow, her shouts and hand gestures resulted in two bright red drinks being set in front of them. Kiriko looked at hers skeptically.

"Just try it!" Anisa shouted right into her ear. "It's sweet! You'll like it!"

One tiny sip proved those words true. While there was a sharp edge to it, she had to admit that it wasn't bad at all. Not bitter like sake. Anisa downed hers quickly but patiently waited for Kiriko to finish at a more cautious pace. It left a tingly warmth in her stomach that wasn't entirely unpleasant.

As soon as she set the empty glass on the bar, Anisa grabbed her wrist again and led her through the frenzied crowd until they found the others. Nik had apparently found someone to dance with—a petite woman who obviously didn't know he was only fifteen—as had Cheli, and Anisa immediately threw herself at Arun.

Kyori and Valen were dancing together, too; Kiriko choked back a laugh. How could someone who was so good at bending be such an awkward, clumsy dancer? Still, he looked like he was having a blast.

She sighed and looked around, realizing she was now the only one not paired up. But from what she could see, there were plenty of other people there who were dancing alone and having fun, so she watched them for a few seconds to get a handle on the movements.

It was a bit different than what she was used to—less choreography and more improvised undulating. All that meant, though, was that it was very easy. Soon, the effects of that cocktail began to creep through her veins and she let the music carry her away. It took her to another realm, where nothing else existed. It was just the rhythm and melody rippling through her mind the way chi flowed through her body.

Look at me, Republic City. I'm undefeated, on the verge of winning the championship tournament, out past midnight, tipsy, and loving it.

I'm the best, the strongest, invincible.

The subdued ride back home made her feel so empty by comparison. Anisa cuddled up on the other side of the saddle with Arun and, for the first time in her life, Kiriko wished she had someone like that. Wished there was someone she wanted to have that with.

The house was still dark and quiet when they stole back inside through the balcony. Her earlier buzz was long gone, replaced with utter exhaustion, and she could only strip down to her underlayers before falling into bed.

The music was so loud. It surrounded her, just like the dancers in their bright costumes. They were doing the Tura Tura, except they were fighting, also—two teams competing for the space between Kiriko.

Suddenly they all vanished and she stood in the middle of the pro-bending arena. The stands were empty and dark, but a spotlight shone brightly on her and the dome above was pure gold. She spun around a couple of times until her gaze came around to find that another stood before her.

Valen.

He had that smile. That goofy crooked grin. It made her stomach squirm nervously. Why was he here? This was her space.

But the question wouldn't come out of her mouth because he had just stepped closer and now her heart was beating faster. His stride was strong, determined. Toned arms swung from broad shoulders.

Why was he looking at her like that? It was more than just a friendly smile now. Clear gray eyes seemed to glow under the golden light, and they were full of purpose. Fondness.

It was how he looked at Kyori.

Kiriko looked around for her and realized she wasn't there. It was just the two of them. Her heart would leap out of her mouth if it raced any faster. He was so close now—too close—but he stopped just before reaching her.

His grin faded into a soft, warm expression. The smile lingered in his eyes, but his lips were relaxed. She looked at them as she had never looked at any lips before. What might they feel like pressed against her own? Did it feel as nice as everyone seemed to think it did?

She leaned forward as if something from behind were pushing her…

Kiriko woke up with a gasp, sitting bolt upright. Her heart pounded in her chest and she pressed a hand to it, trying to figure out what was wrong. Was it a nightmare?

"K'riko?" Anisa mumbled. "Wha's wrong?"

It was usually hard to remember dreams, but they always left some kind of impression. Perhaps a few snatches of memory would trickle in throughout the day. Now, though, the images and feelings that went with them began to flood Kiriko's mind.

"I– I'm fine. Just…had a weird dream."

"Mmkay…"

She rolled over and Kiriko was left alone with her confused thoughts. Why had she dreamed about him? She didn't feel that way at all.

Did she?