Broken Spirit: The Next Avatar

Epilogue

It was Terra who pushed for a party to celebrate their victory. She argued that everyone deserved something fun to look forward to before the massive cleanup began. She offered her home for the festivities, since Serefina's and Nadia's families were staying there already. The White Lotus offered its headquarters to the Avatars, but Nadia wanted to stay as far away from them as she could for a while, and Serefina decided she'd rather be with her friends anyway.

So that night, several days after the battle, Terra's backyard is filled with friends and family. Mizuchi is curled up in the far corner, taking up as little space as possible. Serefina is leaning against his back, feeding him some food she got at the market that morning. When she spots Nadia, similarly isolated, she goes to her.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," Nadia replies.

"It feels wrong to be celebrating, doesn't it?" Serefina asks.

Nadia smiles, a brief and flimsy thing.

"They never found a body," Serefina points out.

Nadia doesn't respond, trying desperately to hold onto her smile, but failing. She places a hand on her friend's arm for a short moment, and then walks away, around to the front of the house.

Serefina respects her need for space. It's something she understands all too well. But lately, whenever she's alone all she can see is the fight, recalled in flashes behind her eyes.

"Nadia seemed a little upset," Drake says, standing next to her.

"We all are," she whispers. "But Levi hit her the hardest."

He doesn't say anything for a moment.

She turns to him again. "Are you going to be okay? With your brother?"

"I will be," he says. "He's scheduled to go on trial in a few weeks. Everyone wants to get it over with, I guess."

"I'll be there, if you want me to be," she says.

They both study the party occurring in front of them. People everywhere are talking and laughing, genuinely having a good time.

Drake speaks again, softer this time. "My entire life has revolved around war. I don't know what to do with myself without one."

Serefina glances at him. "That's the fun part, I guess." A small smile teases the corners of her mouth. "You have the rest of your life to figure it out."

Suddenly, everyone is cheering. Several earthbenders, the Boulder among them, are bending fireworks into the air. They explode in flashes of color and sound, lighting up the sky.

Serefina takes in the brilliant colors, still grinning faintly, when Drake grabs her around the waist. He pulls her to him, and before either of them can say a word, he kisses her. It's soft and quick, but full of promise for the future.

If only everyone could share in that happiness.

Nadia silently watches the fireworks admiring their beauty. She kind of wants to join the rest of the group but also really doesn't feel like celebrating. She sighs heavily while running her fingers over the smooth fabric of Levi's shirt, pieces of it was the only thing the White Lotus could retrieve.

She hears the door to the patio open.

"I just feel like being alone right now," Nadia says without turning around to see who it is, expecting to see her cousin or aunt. But the voice that responds is masculine and definitely not Drake's.

"I was told I could find you here."

At these words she turns around and recognition passes through her eyes at the familiar face. Before she can say or ask anything he keeps talking. "I know we went through a lot together and that it has been a long time, but I was hoping we could try again."