A/N: Just a heads up, this fic will contain a MCD after Chapter 10!
Also, this story is a prequel character study for 'Daughters of Mara' and both exist in the same ""universe"" as 'The Original Beifong' and 'The Scars That Made Me'.
Also also, there are a lot of OCs. Sorry XD You can find a link to the family trees on AO3 (I can't put links here). This fic is posted under my alt account RowanSpiritShepherd on AO3, and the link is in the author's notes for the first chapter.
It was the worst birthday ever.
Kiriko told her moms she didn't want a party this year, but they must not have believed her because they invited Raniq and her parents and brother, plus Uncle Mako, to come over for presents and cake.
What Anisa said was the last straw, and Kiriko stormed away to lock herself in her room. Angry tears spilled down her face before she even made it to her bed; she just sobbed while she held her favorite stuffed animal—a ratty old polar bear dog that she'd had for as long as she could remember.
She only had a minute or so to herself before hearing the expected sound of someone knocking, followed by the door's lock being picked. It wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened. Kiriko burrowed under the covers and smashed her face into the pillow, desperate to hide while also knowing how pointless it was.
The door opened and closed. Soft footsteps approached. Finally, a weight appeared on the edge of the bed.
"What's the matter, hm?" Asami asked in her soft voice. "I thought you loved seeing everyone and getting presents? You really didn't want a party?"
Kiriko just lay there in silence and allowed her mother to comfort her with one hand rubbing gentle circles on her back. It usually made her sleepy, though right now it had the effect of calming her turbulent emotions a little.
Finally, she pushed the covers back and rolled over. "I hate Anisa. She's so mean."
"Kiriko…" Asami said reprovingly. "Don't say that. It's okay to be angry, but don't say you hate her. She's your sister."
Those words made Kiriko's bottom lip start quivering again. "She says I'm not. She says Mom is her mom and I'm just no one, since I can't bend and my eyes aren't green like yours." More tears streamed down the sides of her face and she hid under the covers again.
But Asami immediately pulled them back down. "Hey. You listen to me," she said firmly. "You are not no one. You're Kiriko Sato. And you already know that you have Uncle Mako's eyes. Remember? We talked about this. And what's bending got to do with anything? I'm not a bender."
What she was saying made sense, Kiriko had to admit. It was just that Anisa knew exactly how to push her buttons.
"I'll talk to Anisa," Asami continued as if she knew the thoughts in Kiriko's mind. "She shouldn't have said that."
"She ruined my birthday."
"It's not over yet. You can still have a good time if you decide that's what you want."
"She gets everything," Kiriko persisted. "Always first. She was born first, she got her bending a long time ago, and everything is always easy for her. But it's hard for me! It's not fair!"
"You're taller," Asami reminded her with a smile.
Well, that was true. "Yeah. I'm taller. And faster."
"And you're a very hard worker. You work so hard at your forms and you don't give up."
"Mama…" Kiriko began with a sniffle. "What– What if I don't ever learn to bend?"
Strong arms scooped her up and gave her a squeeze. "Then you'll still be Kiriko Sato, one of my most favorite people in the whole world."
"I'm your favorite? Even more than Anisa?"
Asami tsked with gentle reproval. "No. I love you both the same."
"Ugh. Figures."
"You're so sassy. You surely didn't get that from me."
She gave Kiriko's ribs a little tickle, making her shriek with laughter and try to get away.
"No, I got that from Mom!"
In the end, it actually wasn't the worst birthday ever. Her mom dried her tears and she bravely went back out to where the others were. It helped that Anisa was in a bad mood; she'd probably gotten told off for being mean.
But all of that just made Kiriko's birthday go from 'train wreck' to 'not that bad'. She still went to bed with a heavy heart, knowing that yet another year had passed with no bending. Hardly anyone started bending after they turned six.
It was the next day that righted every wrong in her world.
First, Anisa came to her tearfully before breakfast. "I'm sorry I was mean. I didn't mean those things. You're the best sister ever."
This was typical behavior for her. She would do something bratty, get scolded, then cry and feel bad the next day. She played hard, fought hard, and loved hard.
Kiriko sighed and let Anisa give her a hug. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"You wanna spar?"
"NO bending!"
"Right, right, no bending. Just normal sparring."
"Fine. Race you outside!"
That was pretty much Kiriko's favorite thing to do because her legs were so long that she always won. Anisa might be able to beat her in everything else, but racing was Kiriko's domain.
They ran past Naga, who was sunbathing on the back patio, and into the grass. A large yard, enclosed by a thick stone wall in the suburbs of Republic City, gave them plenty of space to do all the things kids loved to do.
Kiriko had spent so much of her life in this yard. There were bare patches of dirt or mud, where the gardener couldn't quite keep up with how much use those areas got, and a section by the west wall that had a full jungle gym with toys littered around it.
But right now, all Kiriko was focused on was her sister. Amber eyes locked on blue eyes while they squared off. Black hair in a tight braid went up against brown hair in a high ponytail, both flying wildly as they each tried to land kicks and punches. Pale skin contrasted sharply with darker olive skin when their match finally devolved into grappling.
The two of them couldn't possibly be more different in looks, but they had something in common that no one else had: Their mom was the Avatar. Even as young as they were, they knew how special that was.
Despite her height advantage, Kiriko's often clumsy movements—thanks to awkward, too-long limbs—couldn't compete with Anisa's natural grace. It filled her with indignant rage. She worked so hard and practiced so much while Anisa lay around daydreaming or filling up her coloring books.
The summer sun beat down on Kiriko's back and she drew in a deep breath, hoping that a forceful twist might get her out of the headlock. One hand gripped Anisa's wrist and she pulled with all her strength while shifting her feet.
To her great surprise, Anisa shrieked and let go. Kiriko fell to one knee, exhausted, and could do nothing but stare in confusion while Anisa's cries grew louder and more insistent as she held her arm against her body.
Before Kiriko could say anything or make sense of what had happened, Korra came running outside.
"What happened?" she asked, kneeling down next to Anisa to have a look.
"I– I dunno," Kiriko stammered. "We were sparring. I didn't– I didn't mean to hurt her. I was just trying to win…"
I was just trying to win.
The thought replayed in her mind with a bitter aftertaste. It was all she ever wanted: to win. To be the best. But winning didn't feel as good as she'd thought it would.
"You're…burned?" Korra murmured as she examined Anisa's arm, withdrawing water from a small pouch at her waist to envelope the injury.
As Kiriko stood there like a statue, the strangest sensation washed over her—skin prickling, stomach flopping around wildly, heart trying to escape from her throat. She stared at the ground and wrapped her arms around her middle like she was trying to hold all her organs inside.
I burned her. I burned her with my hand.
I'm a firebender.
I'm…a firebender!
But she couldn't celebrate. Although Anisa's cries had dropped off to whimpers, her face was still red and stained with tears. Kiriko feared what would come next: for her mom to look at her with reproval instead of pride.
So she ran. She fled not to her bedroom, but to a corner of the attic that she'd claimed as her own—a small fort of bedsheets where her favorite toys and books were kept.
It was silly, really. This place was no secret. She'd be found, for sure. But it felt safe. It felt like the only place she could go, with hot tears streaming down her face, burning her cheeks. The fire was in her and screaming to be let out. After six years, it had finally shown itself in a spectacularly inappropriate fashion.
Kiriko crawled into her fort and sat in the very corner where the cobwebs had begun to creep back in. Little light reached that far back; maybe no one would see her in there.
She cupped her hands, one holding the other, and whispered familiar words. So many times she had done this. Hundreds. More than she could count.
"I'm a firebender. I'm a firebender. I'm a firebender. I can do it."
Before, they had been a chant meant to convince her of what she desperately wanted more than anything else in the world. Now they were a fact. A reassurance in the face of whatever dire punishment was headed her way.
The fear that came with that thought surged through her, manifesting as a small flame in her palm. Kiriko gasped and flinched, but the fire remained. It felt like it should be burning her skin, just like it had burned Anisa's, but there was no pain—just a tingly warmth. A friend. A light in a dark cave.
"Kiriko?" Korra's voice called, accompanied by footsteps on the wooden stairs. "Are you up here?"
Kiriko blew the flame out in a moment of panic, wanting to stay hidden. But she knew it was pointless. A few seconds later, her mom's face appeared at the fort's entrance; the rest of her followed on hands and knees.
"I'm s-sorry," Kiriko stammered, stubbornly avoiding eye contact. "I didn't mean to."
It was a tight space and Korra couldn't do much but lie on her stomach, propped up on her elbows with her legs still sticking out. "Hey. Look at me."
Her voice was gentle enough that Kiriko braved a glance, and what she saw in the shadows made her eyes burn with relief. There was no anger or disappointment on her mom's face, as she'd expected.
"Is– Is Anisa okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine. There won't even be a scar. I think she was just scared, more than anything." Korra reached out and took one of Kiriko's hands. "You're a firebender," she said with a grin.
She pulled to bring them closer, foreheads pressed together, the tips of their noses touching. The simple gesture had always calmed Kiriko. She felt herself relax as every emotion flowed out of her, leaving behind only warmth and love.
"Feel better?" Korra asked after a few seconds.
"Yeah."
Kiriko turned her palm up, still held in her mom's larger hand, and tried to do what she'd done before. That first time, anger and determination had brought it out of her. The second time, fear had been the catalyst. Now there was a bottomless well of peaceful love for her to draw on. A robust flame sprang into life and was kept under control by the master that she trusted without reservation.
"Look at that," Korra murmured, her voice full of pride. "I knew you had it in you. I could feel the fire inside you. My little Fireheart."
The warm breeze of late summer rustled the leaves, and Kiriko inhaled the sharp smell of the sea. She liked Air Temple Island. Her house in the suburbs was a lot more comfortable, but here it was peaceful. Quiet. There were tourists, sure, but not too many. Most of the people here were air nomads and they made sure everyone else was respectful.
But best of all, there was a private beach! Only Aunt Jinora's family and her guests were allowed there. And Kiriko was just about to sprint down the hill—if only Raniq would hurry up! She idly shifted her braid to the other shoulder and huffed impatiently.
"Wow, you actually waited for me," Raniq said behind her with a soft laugh, though there was a sharp edge of sarcasm in her voice.
Even at nine years old, she was already trying to be everyone's little mom, always making sure the other kids were behaving or fussing over baby Akiro. Kiriko didn't care about any of that—most of the time, anyway—because she was already almost as tall as Raniq, even though they were three years apart. It seemed to make up for the other things.
"Well, you told me to," she said with a shrug as they started heading down the hill at a leisurely walk. She wanted to go faster but usually followed Raniq's lead when it came to this sort of thing. "What took you so long?"
"I had to put on sunblock. And fill up my water bottle. And I wanted to bring an extra change of clothes, too."
Kiriko laughed at her. "You can walk from the beach to the house in ten minutes!"
"It's so tiring to walk all the way back up," she protested with a wounded huff.
"It's easy."
"Fine, then I'll just ask you to run up to the house if I need something."
"Fine."
"Fine."
After a moment of silence, they looked at each other and laughed. It had always been like that with them. Sometimes Kiriko wished Raniq was her big sister. Anisa could just be too much some days and it would be nice to have someone else to balance things out.
"Here, put some of this on," Raniq said, holding out a bottle of sunblock.
"Ugh…"
"C'mon, you know you always burn so fast. And then I have to listen to you complain about it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." But she took the bottle and quickly slathered some on while they walked down the hill.
The second their feet touched sand, Kiriko kicked off her sandals and sprinted toward the others. She pulled off the loose fabric that covered her swimsuit, tossed it by the beach loungers where the adults relaxed, and reveled in the feeling of her bare feet slapping against the sand as it got firmer.
She loved the summer. It had her birthday, it had summer break, and it had the hot sun that fueled her newfound bending abilities. It was the best season of the whole year.
"Nice sand palace, Cheli," she said upon reaching her friend, who was only a year older.
It was obvious that Cheli had used airbending to help build her palace—which was more like an air temple than anything else. No one but a sandbender could do so much so quickly.
"Thanks– Be careful!" Cheli squeaked when Kiriko leaned in too close and knocked over one of the delicate spires.
"Oops, sorry…"
It didn't matter though, because only ten seconds later, a little boy barreled toward them and knocked over the whole thing.
"Nik! Ugh! Go away!" Cheli got up and grabbed his arm to push him away while he just cackled. "Raniq, get your butthead brother out of here! He's ruining everything!"
She finally caught up and took him firmly by the wrist. "Sorry, Cheli. I'll help you rebuild it."
"Ugh, forget it. You wanna go play in the tide pools, Kiriko?"
"Sure. Race you!"
They left Raniq and Nik behind, sprinting to the shallow pools that were full of warm water—much warmer than the ocean itself. Unlike the ones by the rocky shores, which had sharp edges and all kinds of ocean creatures, these pools were lined with soft sand. They splashed around for a little while, making underwater designs in the sand and seeing who could hold their breath the longest.
Kiriko generally liked Cheli, even if she could be a bit prissy at times. Cheli always wanted everything to be a certain way and would get upset when it wasn't, but she never stayed upset long; something else always grabbed her attention quickly.
Mainly, though, Kiriko liked her because they had something unique in common. Just like she had two moms, Cheli had two dads—one of which wasn't around much. Her own situation was a little different, but it was something they'd bonded over when they realized most other kids had the traditional 'one mom, one dad' sort of family.
It was all very complicated, really, and Kiriko didn't fully understand how it worked. Their respective families were a big mess of people with different roles, and there were questions that didn't have satisfactory answers because she was 'too young'.
"Has your dad visited?" she asked since the topic was on her mind. They often talked about it when it was just the two of them, which only happened once every month or so. "Your other dad, I mean."
"Yeah, actually he was here last week."
"Was it good?"
Cheli hummed in thought, though with a smile. "Yeah. He brought me some pretty clothes from Ba Sing Se."
"Did he argue with your mom again?"
"No," she said slowly. "I don't think so. But I did see them talking. Not arguing, but it looked like a 'serious talk'."
"Maybe he wants to visit more and wants to make sure your dad is okay with it."
"Pfft. He doesn't care. It's Mom who always gets upset. I know she wants my father to visit more." She always said father like that when talking about the man who had been with her mom when she was born. "But I think he makes her a little crazy."
Kiriko had met him a few times. Kai. He was a nice man, she thought. He always played with them like he was a kid himself. And it seemed like he really loved Cheli. He was just…someone who couldn't sit still for too long.
"Mom makes Mama a little crazy, sometimes," Kiriko said with a laugh.
"But they love each other a lot."
It was true. They were always hugging and holding hands and kissing. It was so gross! And Kiriko was sure they only did it around her just to annoy her. No one else's parents were like that! Well, Raniq's dad was a little, but her mom never put up with it in public.
"My hands are getting all pruney," Cheli said with a sigh. "Let's get out."
"Okay. Race you!"
She ran as fast as she could, pushing through the shallow water, and finally reached the beach chairs several feet ahead. Cheli probably could've beat her if she used airbending, but she always said she'd rather lose than cheat.
Aunt Jinora and her mother—who all the kids called Grams—were lounging in chairs a little way up the beach. Unsurprisingly, Raniq sat in the sand in front of them, playing with Akiro. He was only two years old and had to be watched constantly because he liked to run off and hide when no one was looking.
Cheli dried herself off and gave her little brother a light kiss on top of his head. "You're all covered in sand. Are you eating it, too?"
Jinora looked up from her book and frowned, which Kiriko always thought was funny because the tip of the blue arrow tattoo came down almost to her nose. "Is he really?"
"He's not," Raniq interjected, though she brushed the sand off of his cheeks. "He's just messy."
Kiriko quickly lost interest and looked around to see what the others were doing. Her face lit up when she realized someone else had arrived while she was playing in the tide pools. He was a little ways away, kicking a ball with Nik and Anisa.
"Uncle Mako!" she called happily, running over. "I thought you weren't gonna come 'til dinner?"
"Chief let me off a little early today." He ruffled her hair playfully, messing up the braid a little, but she didn't care. "I know your moms are both busy today and I had to make sure you and Anisa don't get up to too much trouble."
Kiriko laughed and jumped in to kick the ball when it rolled close. Uncle Mako was just like that—he didn't smile or laugh much, but he was funny in a weird grown-up way.
Of course, she knew he wasn't exactly her uncle. She and Anisa had always called him that, but for as long as she could remember, she'd known that he was more to them. He was their father, like Kai was Cheli's father. It was one of those things the other adults couldn't fully explain to them, but Kiriko wasn't too bothered by it. She had two moms and an uncle-father. That was just the way it had always been.
"Can we practice firebending?" she asked him, now that Anisa and Nik seemed to be occupied with fighting over the ball. "I've learned a lot already. I think I'm ready to learn lightning now."
"I think not." His amber eyes—a perfect match for hers—twinkled with amusement and she gave him a surly smirk in response.
"When?"
"When you're sixteen, once you pass your mastery test."
The answer surprised her; considering that she'd only been firebending for a couple of months, she'd expected nothing more than the usual vague promises of 'one day'.
"Really?!"
"Yep, that's what your moms said."
She sighed wistfully. "That's so far away though. Ten whole years! That's like forever!"
"It'll go by fast," Mako said with a wink. "Seems like only a few days ago you were a tiny baby."
"Hey!" she protested, crossing her arms indignantly. "I haven't been a baby for a long time! I'm really tall for my age!"
"Alright, Fireball, calm down." Alongside his words, an actual fireball appeared in his hands and he rolled it across his fingers. "Catch!"
There were good things and bad things about autumn.
The good: Pro! Bending!
The bad: School. And not just school, but also afterschool activities, homework, then extra studying on the weekends!
Kiriko and Anisa did have to do some of those things during summer break, as well. Just not as much. But during the school year, there was barely time for anything else and they saw more of their teachers and tutors than their moms, some days.
"But why do I have to take art classes?" Kiriko complained one weekend morning while she and Anisa were waiting for the instructor, who was running late.
"How many times have we had this talk?" Asami said with a frustrated sigh. "When you're older, you can choose your interests, but for now you need to try out all kinds of things so you can discover what you're good at and what you like."
"I want to be good at bending. I don't care about anything else. I don't want to draw or sing or study history or learn about machines. I just want to bend so I can be the best pro-bender ever."
"You get to practice your bending every day."
"Only for an hour…"
The truth was, Kiriko was terrible at art and hated the classes. She was terrible at pretty much anything, actually, until she'd done it over and over again. Only then did she start to see the tiniest improvement. Not like Anisa, who was just good at everything right away.
Stupid Anisa…
The only activity Kiriko actually enjoyed was their dance lessons, and that was mainly because dancing was a lot like bending. It didn't take too much imagination to pretend the dances were actually forms. But even so, it was hard to get her body to move the right way. Nothing was easy. Each new technique felt foreign and uncomfortable for weeks on end.
As for bending itself, they had professional instructors who would come to their house whenever Korra was too busy to train them herself. Which, unfortunately, was often. Occasionally, she'd be gone for a whole week, or even two. Those were the worst times for Kiriko—when worry kept her awake and nightmares sent her trembling to Anisa's room so they could comfort each other. Then Korra would come back with stories of adventure, and the world would right itself once again.
The three of them were training in the backyard one blustery afternoon the day after she'd arrived home late at night from a trip to Zaofu.
"Alright," she said, assuming a stance. "You ready?"
"Yeah," Kiriko and Anisa confirmed.
Korra created a long water tentacle from a small pool between them; at the same time, a fire whip materialized in her other hand. This was Kiriko's favorite training game. They called it 'The Two-Headed Serpent'.
"Ready… Set… Go!" On the final word, Korra started moving her arms so that sinuous lines of water and fire wove through each other—up and down in waves, hissing and sizzling wherever they met.
Kiriko and Anisa had to work together to slice the lines apart. Anisa had been waterbending for three years so her varied, creative attacks did a lot more damage than Kiriko's weak fireballs. Still, it was a lot of fun and a good workout, with both of them dead tired by the end of the hour, at which point they had to get cleaned up for dinner.
Korra always ended these sessions by being dramatically vanquished by their relentless attacks. The fire would dissipate, the water would splash to the ground, and she'd fall to her knees, clutching her chest. "You got me! You're too strong for me!"
"Mom," Kiriko said with a laugh, "we know you're joking."
"Yeah, no one can beat you. 'Specially not two six-year-olds."
"Well, I had a long week and I'm really tired, so it didn't take much." Korra got back to her feet with a sigh and ushered them inside. "Go get washed up."
The two of them left her behind and raced through the house to the bathroom, pushing and shoving each other.
"Hey, I was first!"
"Stop hogging the soap!"
"The water's too cold!"
"No, it's not!"
"Hey, stop waterbending at me!"
"Make me!"
"Anisa!"
"Kiri-koko!"
"Don't call me that!"
They were both drenched by the time a strong gust lifted them into the air to struggle futilely, unable to reach each other. The water was quickly pulled from their clothes and hair, back into the sink where it belonged.
"You two…" Korra said with a reproving shake of her head. "I'm not in the mood for this."
"Sorry, Mom…" Anisa muttered.
"Yeah, sorry… But Anisa started–"
"Did not!"
"I don't wanna hear it." Korra set them back on their feet. "C'mon. Dinner's ready."
The meal was an unusually somber affair. Not wanting to get punished and risk missing that night's pro-bending, Kiriko was on her best behavior—which meant she stayed quiet and focused on stuffing her face. Their chef always made good food, even if some of it was weird vegetables, and there was the promise of dessert afterward as long as she ate those vegetables.
Halfway through, she glanced up to see her mom staring off into space while a shiny black rock spun in the air, shifting through various shapes. It was a very strange thing for her to be doing, as there was usually a strict 'no bending at the table' rule.
Confused, Kiriko looked over at Anisa, who just shrugged. Their other mom was quiet, too, but seemed to pick up on the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Korra," she said gently, placing a hand on her arm.
"Hm?" A second later, she seemed to realize what she was doing and snatched the rock out of the air. "Oh. Sorry."
"What's wrong, Mom?" Anisa said. "You look sad."
It was true, Kiriko realized, though she hadn't noticed it until Anisa pointed it out.
"Well…" Korra sighed and idly pushed the food around on her plate. "A friend of mine isn't doing so well. She's very old and probably won't live much longer." She sat up and gave them a little smile that seemed fake. "But she's lived a good, long life. She's ready for another."
Kiriko thought about that for a long moment. It was heartening to consider that, when someone died, they came back as a new person. It meant they weren't completely gone. "How do you find them when they start a new life?"
"Most of the time…you don't."
"Oh…"
"Except for the Avatar," Korra added. "Then it's a little easier for people to find the next one. Eventually."
It wasn't encouraging as it was probably meant to be. Just as Kiriko was working herself up to be scared and sad enough to start crying at the table, Asami changed the subject.
"Hurry up and finish, girls. We've got cherry tarts in the oven and tonight's pro-bending will be on in"—she looked at her watch—"ten minutes!"
The thick parka that enveloped Kiriko was far too hot where the group was waiting inside the airship's loading bay, but she figured she'd be grateful for it soon enough.
It had been a long, tiresome journey—nearly a full day—but now they'd finally arrived at the capital city of the Southern Water Tribe and were about to disembark. Her moms stood on her left side, with Korra holding a rather pitiful Anisa because airships always made her feel sick.
On her right was Raniq, who turned and clucked her tongue before fixing Kiriko's scarf around her nose and mouth.
"I thought it was summer here right now?" Kiriko asked with a long-suffering sigh, her voice now muffled by the scarf.
"It is, but it's still cold. You're not used to it. Besides, they said it's snowing pretty hard right now."
For as long as she could remember, Kiriko had visited her grandparents in the South Pole for a week every summer—except it was always winter there, at the time. And so cold. She was happy to be going during a milder time of year on this visit, and honestly thought being so bundled up was a bit overkill.
But Raniq came more often, mostly because she begged her dad to take her and he loved spoiling her. There was an old woman here, a healer named Katara, who was her hero; Raniq took every opportunity she could get to learn healing from the world's greatest master. After every visit, Raniq wouldn't shut up about her for days on end.
"You're not gonna spend the whole trip in the healing huts, are you?" Kiriko asked. It was the first time they'd visited for this particular holiday and she was excited to experience it with her best friend.
"No, of course not. I want to go to the festival, too. Anyway, Katara is so old. She can only spend an hour or so a day teaching, so I'll have plenty of time to hang out."
A commotion behind them made Kiriko turn around to see Nik and his mother currently engaged in a battle to keep his outerwear on. Closer inspection revealed that his left mitten and right boot had been discarded; more pieces seemed to be in danger of joining them on the metal floor.
"Varrick," Zhu Li said with barely contained frustration. "Will you please do someth– Nik! Stop!"
"I hate it! It's itchy and h– Ahh!"
The shriek he let out was the result of his dad picking him up by the ankle to dangle him in the air.
"Let him run outside in the snow with one boot," Varrick said while Nik struggled and screamed futilely in his grip. "He'll figure it out quick enough."
Kiriko turned back around when a metallic grinding noise caught her attention. Two seconds later, the little group was hit by an assault of light, cold, and snow, the last of which swirled inside with a gust of wind.
It definitely didn't feel like summer.
The ramp extended out in front of them and clanged against snow-covered stone. She wasted no time in sprinting down to solid ground, if for no other reason than to move her body. She'd been standing still for far too long.
Raniq was right behind her, as was Varrick—now with Nik clinging to his neck. The others followed more sedately. From out of the swirling snow, three figures came into view to greet them: an old woman and a middle-aged couple.
"That must be Kiriko," a man's deep voice said, thick with amusement. "Always running everywhere."
"Grandma! Grandad! Mom said you had presents for us!"
"Yes, yes," Senna said with a chuckle. "At home, though."
Neither they nor the other woman—whom Kiriko recognized as Katara's daughter, Kya—had their faces covered. Clearly, they were used to the cold. But Kiriko was certainly glad for her scarf.
"Look at you!" Tonraq rumbled, lifting her into his strong arms. "So big and tall. Almost as tall as me now."
"No way! You're so tall! Even taller than Uncle Mako!"
The others caught up then and there were hugs and greetings all around. Soon, they all piled into a few waiting Satomobiles and sped away. Kiriko pressed her face to the window, though it quickly fogged up from the heat of her breath and she had to wipe it away.
Eventually, buildings began to appear out of the haze. They were all made of ice and almost indistinguishable from their surroundings. On and on they went until, finally, the cars arrived at a large palace that emerged majestically from the swirling snow.
It looked just the same as she remembered—cold and imposing. But she knew the inside was stone layered with thick furs, roaring fireplaces, and cozy bedrooms.
"Grandad?" Kiriko began, tugging insistently on his parka while they headed inside. "How do all the ice houses not melt when it's warm inside?"
"Good question," he replied with a thoughtful hum. "I guess it's cold enough outside."
"So it's okay to firebend inside? It won't melt the walls?"
"It won't, but it might set the furniture on fire. Your mom can tell you all about that!"
Korra sighed, but she seemed to be fighting a smile. "Dad, please… Don't give her any ideas."
The next morning created a memory Kiriko would come to cherish, once she was old enough to appreciate such things.
Raniq and Anisa went off to train with Katara, Nik was doing something with his dad, and that left Kiriko to have a one-on-one training session with the best bender in the whole world. It was so rare for them to spend time together with no one else, and for Korra to focus solely on her and firebending.
"You really want to spend the whole morning bending?" she teased. "There's no school, no homework, no scheduled activities. You sure you don't want to just relax on your vacation?"
"No! I want to firebend! It's my favorite thing ever! Don't you know that?"
Korra just laughed. "Of course I know that. I was teasing, you silly goose ferret. Now c'mon. Follow me."
"Where are we going?"
They got to the end of the hall and arrived at a big, old wooden door that descended down into the darkness. A cold draft hit Kiriko and she shivered, wishing she was wearing more layers.
Korra took a lantern that was hanging on a peg by the door. "We're going down into the basement. It's cold down there, but not too cold. I want to show you a special technique. A breath technique."
"Are you gonna teach me how to breathe fire like a dragon?!"
"Hmm not exactly." At the bottom of the stairs, they went through another door, behind which there was a completely empty room. "Have you ever noticed that I don't wear a big parka when I'm here?"
"Well, yeah… I figured it's 'cause you grew up here. Plus, you have special Avatar powers."
"It's actually because I can use airbending to control the temperature around my body."
Kiriko frowned in confusion. "You can't teach me that. I'm not an airbender!"
"No, but there's an old firebending trick that does something similar. A very wise man learned it by applying airbending principles to firebending."
"So he was kinda like an Avatar!"
"Well, he certainly had the spirit of one," Korra said with a grin. "Now sit down. Like you're going to meditate."
Kiriko made a face; meditating was so boring. But she did as she was told and sat down cross-legged opposite her mother. The stone floor was hard and cold—even colder than the air—and she shivered in her light layers. "Okay, what now?"
"Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing."
"This is exactly like meditating," she complained with one eye cracked open.
Korra smirked. "Do you want me to teach you or not?"
"Okay, okay. Eyes closed and breathing."
"Take big breaths and hold them for as long as you can, then let them out slowly. Feel your body warm the air while it's in your lungs. Feel your chi running through you."
That last part was a concept Kiriko had just recently started learning how to grasp. She still had only rudimentary control over her firebending. But sometimes, when she was lying in bed at night, she thought she could feel a heat coursing through her veins. Sometimes, when she lay in the grass on a warm day with her eyes closed, she could sense the sun high in the sky, calling to her.
Down here in the cold and dark, it was much harder. All she could feel were goosebumps prickling her skin.
"I can't feel it," she said forlornly. "I can't feel my chi. I'm too cold."
A finger poked her chest, right over her heart. "It comes from inside." Korra then picked up her hand and pressed her palm against the spot. "Feel it. Feel it beating. It's more than just an organ. Your heart chakra is here, and it's wide open, little Fireheart. You love freely and you've had a gentle life, with no grief to block it. Think of what you love most, and there you'll find your chi."
What she loved most? Kiriko took a moment to consider it. She loved firebending and pro-bending. But…those were just things. Activities that she enjoyed. She didn't think that's what Korra meant by love.
What swam into her mind was her family. Her crazy, chaotic family. They laughed and cried, hugged and fought, bonded over quiet moments and missed each other when they were separated. Even now, she wondered what the others were up to.
But since the only one in the room with her was Korra, she focused on memories of their times together: Tears dried by calloused fingers. Flying on her glider. Ancient stories told by firelight.
'I wanna be just like you when I grow up, Mommy. I wanna be the best pro-bender, and I wanna save the world from bad guys.'
'If you fight all the bad guys, I'll be out of a job! How about you just focus on pro-bending?'
They were words spoken long ago; Kiriko couldn't remember the conversation, just the emotion behind it. And suddenly, she didn't feel quite so cold anymore.
"Slow, deep breaths," Korra was saying now. "Let the fire inside heat the air as you exhale. Let it spill out and cover you."
But the instructions were unnecessary. For the first time in her life, Kiriko felt like she understood without first suffering through multiple failures. Without painstaking trial and error. She felt…connected. Heat poured from her, not just from the breath expelled from her nostrils, but from every inch of her body. Fine hairs stood on end as her skin tingled with energy.
It was the best feeling in the world and she didn't ever want it to end.
Kiriko showed off her new trick whenever she got the chance, even proudly walking around outside without her parka. Of course, she could only keep it up for a few minutes at a time. It took a lot out of her.
Anisa was extremely jealous, which made it even better.
"No fair!" she complained when she found out. "Why does Kiriko get to have special secret lessons with you?"
"You've been having special lessons with Katara for the last three years," Korra said calmly. "And you and I practice healing sometimes."
"Hmph. Still not fair…" she grumbled under her breath while Kiriko stuck her tongue out smugly.
Raniq, on the other hand, was very impressed and supportive. "I bet you'll be the best firebender in the world one day," she said while they were in Kiriko's room getting ready to go out for the festival.
"Second best, after Mom."
"What about Uncle Mako?" Anisa interjected from the other side of the room, where she was in front of the vanity brushing her hair.
Kiriko considered it for a few seconds. "Well, he's a really good firebender, but I think I'll be even better one day."
"Hm. We'll see."
A brisk knock on the partially open door drew their attention and Asami poked her head inside the room. "You girls ready?"
There were so many people at the festival that it was almost like being in Republic City. The downtown area was packed with food carts and pay-to-win games while a wide open space had dozens of thrill rides.
The chaotic noise, the vibrant colors, the intermingling smells… It felt like home, yet different. Familiar yet foreign. Never had Kiriko seen this otherwise bland, dull place be so full of life.
"Mama," she said while they watched Korra and Anisa play a game where they had to knock over bottles by throwing a rubber ball. "Why do we always come here when it's boring? And never during this festival?"
"Because it happens during some of the most important social events of the year. Things we're expected to be at."
"So then why are we here now?"
Kiriko looked up at her and saw a loving smile directed at Korra, who was loudly celebrating a win, high-fiving Anisa.
"Mom was feeling a little homesick. We figured it would be okay, just this once." She turned to look at Kiriko and smirked. "But don't get used to it."
It would've been impossible to get used to it, Kiriko thought. There was so much. Games and food and music and shows. Rides that spun around in circles, rides that went up and down on a winding track. For hours and hours, they barely stopped long enough to catch their breath.
Late into the night, when she didn't think she could stay awake for a second longer, she and Anisa were carried up a hill that overlooked the city. The rest of the crowd seemed to be there, as well.
As she had been the whole day, Raniq was with them. She wrapped her arm around Kiriko's shoulders and they leaned against each other sleepily, sitting on a large blanket with the others.
Mugs of hot cocoa were passed around and Kiriko perked up enough to wonder what they were doing up on that hill. But she didn't need to wonder for long. Only a few seconds later, there was a sharp, high-pitched whine, followed by a huge BOOM and an explosion of lights in the sky.
Fully awake now, Kiriko sipped her cocoa and stared up in wonder. She'd seen plenty of fireworks at home, but these were different. Republic City never truly slept, its lights polluting the sky above with a gray glow.
But here… Here the night was deep and endless. The festival below was dark, the icy landscape around them nothing more than a soft gray blur. Above, the sky shattered into a million pieces while a captivated crowd stayed quiet but for the chorus of awed murmurs.
Beyond the fractured sky, a rippling green curtain shimmered into existence as if nature were jealous and refused to be outdone. Kiriko had seen the southern lights before, but never like this. Never so ferocious, like they were trying to rip the sky apart and soak up the fireworks through the cracks.
"Mom, look–" But when Kiriko glanced over her shoulder, she saw Korra in a meditative posture with her eyes glowing. The Avatar state…
Asami caught her eye and winked slyly, then put a finger to her lips. Kiriko giggled behind her hand and returned her attention to the impressive show above. Heat bubbled up from within. She exhaled a steamy, energized breath.
"So beautiful," Raniq murmured, linking their arms together. "I've never seen it in the summer."
Kiriko had two summers that year, both the best of her whole life so far.
A/N: I didn't state it explicitly, so in case anyone's unsure: Kiriko and Anisa were [platonically] fathered by Mako via artificial insemination. Asami is Kiriko's bio mom and Korra is Anisa's bio mom.