Art by mashersan on Tumblr
Here's the finale, I pulled all the strings for this one. Youce heard of enemies to lovers, but what about lovers to enemies??? Okay also I want to go on the record and apologize for the momentous amount of times I write Kuvira as Kuvjra. "i" and "j" look very similar at one in the morning. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this series, and I'm sure we'll see more Suvira in the future.
Kuvira folded her legs to her chest, looking at the walls of her cell. She didn't know what she expected to see in its grey walls.
"Kuvira." She turned to the bars where a guard stood opposite of her.
"Trial begins in an hour, here's a suit, compliments of the Avatar." He tossed the suit to her and she picked it up, holding it in front of her.
"Thank you." She said, and he dipped his head.
"Witness number three, Suyin Beifong, please take the stand." Kuvira avoided Su's gaze as the older woman made her way to the bench. She dressed in dark robes, Kuvira was almost certain she'd worn the same ones to a funeral.
"Please state your relationship to the defendant." The lawyer said, holding out a note pad.
"She was um... my associate." Kuvira flinched. She didn't know what she expected, she had broken any connection she had to Suyin that day she waltzed in and stole her son from her.
"You danced together, correct?"
"Yes. I was the teacher."
"Thank you, Mrs Beifong. Now, how would you describe the defendant prior to her crimes."
"Kuvira was- is, a very independent person. She didn't take no for an answer, she was assertive. But also, she was kind, underneath all that hate." Kuvira bowed her head, well aware of the glares coming from the rest of the Beifongs.
"Care to elaborate on hate?"
"For me. She hates me. Thats why she did this."
"Objection!" Someone called and Kuvira rolled her eyes at her own team. Let the woman speak, she wanted to hear this.
"Denied, continue, Council."
"We disagreed, politically, I mean.there was an incident, in a village outside of Zaofu where negotions got... violent. Kuvira was injured in the fight. I admit that I wasn't exactly trying to keep it peaceful but its not my fault." Su was looking at her now. The next words were meant for Kuvira, fuck the jury.
"We could've ran... we could've teamed up. You got stabbed Kuvira, and you act like it was my knife. I stitched you up in the middle of the goddamn woods! I let you live in my house for weeks after!"
"Mrs Beifong, please don't address the witness."
"Sorry," Su grumbled, slinking back in her chair.
"Thats quite alright. Please tell us about you're time when you were captured by her."
"Gladly."
"Kuvira! Stop this! Let us go!"
"Will Zaofu join the empire?"
"Never!"
"Then you know my answer."
"Kuvira, please!" The great uniter sighed, flicking a wrist and gesturing for the guards to leave. Suyin was bound in chains, her bending prohibited by the metal cuffs secured around her hands. Kuvira stepped in front of her, sizing up her opponent. She was smaller than she remembered, perhaps it was because she cowered slightly at her presence, or maybe Kuvira had finally out grown her lover of the past.
"Su, I tried to be reasonable. But you don't listen to reason, do you?"
"Fuck you." Kuvira raised a lip slightly.
"What was it you said when I mentioned justice for my injury? 'I'm not their boss. They can bring justice upon themselves?' Ring a bell?"
"Thats not what happened, and you know it?"
"Do I? Do I know it? I was there, Su, I saw what fucking happened. It was you who missed it!" She pulled up her armor, revealing the scar that had plagued her abdomen for the better part of three years.
"You know how to leave scars on people, don't you? You've gotten pretty good at convincing yourself you did nothing wrong. I think you're sister would agree with me."
"Leave Lin out of this!'
"Why? You need hope that she'll come save you and your pathetic family?"
"She will!"
"Then where. Is. She?" Su bit her mouth close, and Kuvira straightened her back with a grin.
"Thats what I thought." She was about to leave, let the guards deal with her, but something made her stay. Her guards came back in, rolling in the platinum prison which would hold the Matriarch for the rest of the siege.
"Kuvira, isn't that a little dramatic?" Su asked, her eyes widening in fear at the sight of the cage.
"Probably. But you Beifongs are unpredictable. I suggest you get in, unless you rather one of them force you in." Su looked to Kuvira then to the cage, gulping. Reluctantly, the matriarch stepped inside, the guard closing it on her. Kuvira walked up to it, smiling. Suyin was nothing but her face now. The stupid, fucking beautiful face that haunted Kuvira every night. Su growled at her angrily kuvira met her gaze, leaning forward placing one hand on the back of the other girls head, pulling herself into a kiss. She held it there, pressing their lips in one last passionate dance, her last reminder of the past. When she pulled away, she touched a finger to her lips. Suyin's eyes were glassy with tears and Kuvira looked away before she began to cry.
"For what its worth, Su. I really did love you."
"So she held you hostage in animalistic chambers?"
"Yes, but not for long. She loved us to a wooden cage suspended inside a hollow mountain." Kuvira touched her bottom lip, biting back tears. Su saw her, too. And the older woman looked away.
"Mrs Beifong, are you okay?"
"I'm fine I just... can we break? Please?" Su looked to the judge who sighed and banged his gavel.
"We will have a brief recess, Mrs. Beifong, please pull yourself together.
"Of course. My apologies." She rose from the witness stand, and Kuvira watched idly by as she sprinted out of the courtroom.
___________________________________________
"You good?" Lin asked, coming up to her sister.
"Yeah I'm just... I didn't know it would be so hard." Lin leaned against a beam, crossing her arms.
"You want to... um... talk about it?" Su smiled, using a napkin to wipe her tears as she sniffled.
"You don't have to do this, Lin. I know feelings aren't your fortè."
"True, but I don't see anyone else out here." Su laughed.
"Okay, well, I guess I just didn't know how hard it would be to incriminate her."
"Which I don't understand, she destroyed your city, your reputation, tore apart your family."
"But she's.. she's Kuvira. I'm helping people put her in prison for the rest of her life."
"You don't agree with that?"
"No! Yes.... gah, I don't know." Lin sighed, moving closer to her sister.
"Look, I don't know what went on with you two, but she seems like more than an acquaintance." Su began to protest but Lin held up a hand, "Its none of my business. You need to make up your mind, Su, this indecision is going to tear you apart. I can't control the courts, but I can put in a word if you think its too much."
"If whats too much?"
"Life."
"What?"
"Her sentence, life in prison."
"Oh, right."
"I'll ask the judge to adjorn for the day, just, look upset for now."
"Is this not enough?" Su asked, gesturing to her red eyes and puffy cheeks.
"Actually, it's on point."
"What do I do?"
"I think you know. Prisoner C-157, you'll have an hour, I can push for two, but my favors might be maxed out."
"Thanks Lin."
"Yeah, yeah. Now go, before I change my mind."
___________________________________________
Kuvira reared herself, her fist ramming into the wall, her knuckles cracking. She winced with pain, falling to her knees in a poetic sob.
"Fuck!" She whispered, gripping her knuckles. She held her hand up to her face, grimacing at her purple fingers, the spot of blood at her fingertips.
"You have a visitor." The voice came from behind her, and she turned to see the guard standing there. Suyin at his side.
"One hour," he told the Matriarch, "holler if you need help." Su nodded, and the door to her cell opened, letting Suyin step in.
"Su?" Kuvira choked.
"Did you punch something again?" Su asked, gesturing to her hand.
"Oh.. um.. yeah." Kuvira blushed.
"You shouldn't do that."
"I know." Su looked at her solemnly, and Kuvira took a seat on the floor, pushing her back against the wall.
"You can say it," Kuvira said.
"Say what?"
"What you came to. Did you come to yell at me? To tell me I'm an embarrassment to society. That i have dishonored Zaofu to an unremarkable level."
"I came to say sorry." Kuvira looked up.
"What?"
"I didn't listen to you. I didn't pay you enough attention and I... I let you down."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't have the guts to say it then, Kuvira. But I do know. And yeah, it might just be because I know I'll never see you again, but I loved you too." Kuvira stared at her for a moment, before her tears broke through and she began to cry.
"You... you're too late, Su! Fuck! What am I supposed to do, go back to the past and fix this?"
"Kuvira-"
"No I- you have no idea what kind of hold you had on me! I loved you, and you... you ignored me. I thought something was wrong with me. We fucked, we did more than that, and I... I knew. But you, you wouldn't say anything and we'd do it again the next day. Do you know what its like, Su? Thinking everyday that no one can love you because the only person you care about loving is invested in someone else?" Su didn't say anything, instead walking over to Kuvira.
"Kuvira I... I didn't know what to do. I did know it, I knew it from the start. But I also knew what pursuing it would mean. Everything I ever worked for... would've been for nothing."
"Tell me one thing."
"Anything."
"Did you... did you even consider, for one moment, leaving him. Leaving it all. For me?" Su wanted to look behind her, make sure no one was listening, but she knew how that would look.
"Yes. Everyday."
___________________________________________
"Kuvira, we already heard from Bataar Jr Beifong about the incident, but please, enlighten us to your perspective on the cannon, and when you pointed it at the location of said witness and his family. Also including Avatar Korra." Su watched, her leg drumming on the floor.
"I was angry. I was trying to get something done and they kept getting in my way."
"At the time, he was your fiance, correct?"
"Yeah. He was."
"So you shot a spirit energy cannon at your fiance?"
"And everyone else."
"My bad, and everyone else."
"I did. And I have apologized hundreds of times. But we all know that it doesn't matter, does it? I deserve to be locked up." The court gasped, Suyin included.
"Dont act so suprised," she said, "why are you here except to see the person who destroyed your homes be persecuted. I just..."
"What?"
"Nevermind. Are you done?"
"I'm asking the questions, Kuvira. You just what?"
"I just wish I didn't have to sit here in front of her."
"Who?"
"Who do you fucking think? Mrs Matriarch of course."
"Suyin Beifong?"
"Yeah, dingus." Kuvira, what are you doing? Su looked to Lin, who seemed just as baffled as she. Self sabotage? Lin mouthed, and Suyin froze. Kuvira was making the decision for her. Like she always did. She didn't think things through, which is why she was here.
"Did you just call me dingus?"
"Yeah and I'll fucking do it again."
"Order!" The judge called. "Kuvira, I'm warning you to tread carefully.
"Sorry, your honor."
"Kuvira, could you please recall the incident regarding your hand yesterday morning?" Kuvira held up her hands, bound in chains and one of them swollen and discolored.
"I punched the wall."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted too. Sorry, let me rephrase that so it helps you lock me away. I'm a crazy psycho bitch with a taste for blood, even if it's my own."
"Order! Kuvira I will not ask again!" The judge hollered.
"Thats fine. Because I change my plea. I, Kuvira, the Great Uniter, am guilty, of all charges."
"Kuvira no!" Suyin covered her mouth, aware of what she had done. Her family eyed her with shocked expressions and she could give them only fear. The bailif took the defendant, securing her cuffs, guiding her out of the room as the witness to court cheered. Su looked to Lin, who nodded in the direction of the door. If you're going to do something, now would be a good time. She hopped over the barrier, following the girl she loved.
"Stop," Su laughed, "Kuvira!"
"I didn't know you were so ticklish."
"Well, I didn't exactly prepare to be tickled."
"Heh. You want something to drink?" The younger girl asked, getting up.
"I'm alright."
"Okay, suit yourself. Say, this whiskey you Beifongs have is real bougie."
"Lin's taste."
"Makes sense."
"What you think it couldn't be mine?" Kuvira looked her up and down, laughing.
"Suyin, you are the softest person I ever met. I find it hard to believe you even drink gin." Su stood up, marching over to Kuvira who held the bottle over a glass, pouring in the liquid. Su snatched the glass before she could, downing the whole thing in one swallow. Kuvira stated at her in suprise as Su resisted a cough.
"That was.... hot."
"I know." Su rasped, and Kuvira's look of shock turned to one of teasing.
"It hurt, didn't it?"
"No I just-"
"Uh-huh. You sound like King Bumi if he inhaled exhaust from a sato mobile for a living." Kuvira poured another glass, this time drinking it herself.
"At least now we're even." She said, slamming the glass onto the table.
"You could break it." Su whispered.
"I could. Or.." Kuvira's hands found themselves on Suyin again, making the older woman squeal from the tickling.
"Kuvira wait!" Su shouted, sprinting down the hall which she was being taken.
"Go back, Su!"
"No!" She pushed past the guard, walking backwards.
"Ma'am," the guard said, "this is highly irregular."
"But not illegal. Kuvira why are you doing this?"
"You know why, Su. I need to make things right."
"This isn't the way."
"Yes it is. I pay for my crimes, I leave you alone."
"Kuvira..."
"Its okay, Su. I've come to terms with it."
"Stop!" Su growled at the guards who halted in suprise. "Kuvira... life is a long time."
"Depends on how long you live." Su frowned, and Kuvira offered a small grin in solidarity. "Suyin, I have no doubt that I will think of you for the rest of my life, no matter how long that may be."
"Kuvira... we can fix this."
"No. I can't. I told you I thought something was wrong with me. And I was right. Its not that no one can love me, its that I can't love anyone else. Even if I'm let go, I can't watch you love someone else for the rest of your life, Su." Su felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes, and she prevented herself from sniffling.
"Kuvira I..."
"Hey, hey, it's okay." The younger metalbender said. "I'll be okay."
"I'll visit."
"It might be better if you don't. People will talk."
"I don't care!"
"Yes you do, we both know what that would cause."
"I mean it Kuvira... I can't go the rest of my life without you." Kuvira smiled, looking at the guards who shared a look of confusion.
"Of course you can. Look at you're big, beautiful family, Su. You're kids, you're sister. You have people who care about you. You'll forget about me."
"I won't."
"Do one last thing for me, please?"
"Anything!"
"Don't drink whiskey again, it's sad when you do it." Su laughed, her tears finally breaching the barriers as she broke into a sob. She leaned into a hug, her arms tightening around Kuvira's neck, and Kuvira's bound ones did their best to wrap her waist.
"I love you." Su whispered in her ear. She almost pulled away, almost left it there, but she couldn't. She didn't bother to check who was watching, because in the moment, no one mattered more to her. She pressed her lips to the younger girls, Kuvira recoiling slightly at the suprise, but sinking into it. Suyin dragged it out, like it was the last kiss they would ever have. Because it was.
"May the spirits guide you, Suyin." Kuvira said, biting back her own tears as the guards guided her away.
___________________________________________
"You know, there's a story behind the moon." Su said, entwined her fingers with Kuvira, who lifted their hands and kissed her knuckles.
"Yeah, Sokka told me about it."
"I always forget you grew up with team avatar."
"I don't blame you, sometimes I forget."
"Tell me about the moon." They laid on their backs, on top of the dance studio roof, where no one could see them gazing at the stars before the domes closed.
"Well, during the war the Northern water tribe had a beautiful Princess named Yue."
"Mhhm."
"And during the siege of the north, she sacrificed herself so that Avatar Aang could defeat the Fire Nation Fleet."
"Dramatic." Suyin elbowed her and Kuvira chuckled.
"Anyway, she became the moon spirit."
"Just like that?"
"I guess. There might have been more to it, but I don't remember. It feels like such a long time ago." They stared at the moon, and the stars as the domes began to close in.
"Hey Su,"
"Hmm?"
"If you could go anywhere, where would you go?"
"I don't know, I've been to many places already, its hard to choose. Where would you go?"
"I think the spirit world would be cool."
"Yeah, what are you going to do there?"
"I dunno. Maybe I'd... maybe I'd find my family. My parents." Su sat up, looking at her.
"Why would you want to?"
"To give them a piece of my mind. To show them I turned out just fine without them. To show them what they missed out on." Su smiled.
"Sounds dreamy." Kuvira looked at her suspiciously.
"Judging me?"
"No. Just personally, the last person I'd want to see on vacation is my mother."
"Haha." Kuvira said, wrapping an arm around Su's waist, pulling her in for a kiss. They made out until the domes closed and was completely dark.
"What now?" Su asked.
"This." Kuvira said, pressing her lips against her again, this time with a little more passion.
___________________________________________
One Year Later
Kuvira ran a finger over her scar, looking at the faded mark in the mirror, reminiscing. She sent a brief prayer before leaving the shower room, clean as one could get in prison. She stepped out in a prison uniform, with the arms of the jumpsuit tied around the waist, leaving her chest covered by a sports bra.
"Gonna put some clothes on there?" Her friend said jokingly.
"Very funny, its hot out, thought I'd get some sun."
"You just like showing off."
"Something wrong with that?" Kuvira asked, backwards jogging into the sun. The basket ball court was full, but there were some supervised sparring matches in the field, maybe she could earn herself some extra dessert for dinner.
"I want in," she told the guard.
"Fine, you fight the winner."
"Thanks." She took a seat on the grass, laying down and folding her arms behind her head. Just like that night.
"Ridley's out! Kuvira, hop in your facing Trigger." She sat up, looking at Trigger, which was most certainly her prison name. She stood with her arms crossed, spitting on the ground. Kuvira walked up to her, offering her hand in good sportsmanship. "Trigger" slapped it away and Kuvira shrugged. They stood on either sides of the sand pit. The rule was no bending, which was just as well, shed become fond of direct contact in the past year here.
"You're dead, Uniter," Trigger snarled.
"Uniter? Is that what you guys call me?" She asked looking to the crowd.
"Sometimes we call you Zaofu."
"Or Beifong." She paused at those words. Beifong. They hurt just as much now as the day she got here.
"Start!" She snapped back into the game as Trigger began her assault with a flurry of punches. Kuvira dodged, landing a fist on her opponents jaw. She smirked as Trigger attempted to kick sand into her eye, it missed, courtesy of a little subtle earth bending. She kicked a leg into the air, Trigger caught it with a manic grin, but Kuvira's grin was bigger. She swung her weight around flipping herself onto the ground, taking Trigger with her. The other woman was off guard, so Kuvira took the opportunity to pin her, Trigger growling maliciously in her face.
"End! Kuvira wins!"
"Ha!" She cheered getting up. A few of the other prisoners clapped for her and she offered her hand to Trigger again.
"Good game," she said. Trugger glared at her, her arm stretching out, but being misdirected as punch to Kuvira's face. She fell to the ground at the impact, clutching her eye.
"What the fuck?" She shouted. The guards apprehended Trigger and she was taken back into the building. A hand was offered to her and she took it, brushing herself off.
"Thanks, what a bitch. Like fuck."
"I hope the extra pudding was worth it."
"Me too-" she stopped. It couldn't be. She turned slowly, her one functioning eye widening.
"Still punching things, I see." Suyin said.
"Su?" She asked, feeling the heaviness in her chest again.
"Hey Kuvira." She threw herself into the older woman's arms, crying.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to take you home."
"What?"
"Back to Zaofu."
"But.. How?"
"Doesn't matter. We'll talk on the way."
"Oh my God." She turned to the other inmates, those she considered friends clapping and cheering her on, the others with looks of jealousy.
"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to kiss me?" She kissed Suyin, pulling her in with her hands, pushing through her sobs, ignoring her dusty get up and messy hair.
"I missed you so much." She whispered.
"I missed you too."
"I'm sorry.
"I know."
😁😁😁😁😁 yes, I actually wrote one where they get their happy ending, because they deserve it. This one is by far my favorite. I debated on whether or not to include the prison portion but I knew that if I was the reader, I'd want it, so I left it in. I kind of imagine that what happens after this they like go backto Zaofu, and everyone welcomes her back. The twins are skeptical at first but then are fine. Huan is like "I made a sculpture about you" and she's just like "thanks?" The whole Su/Bataar thing i didn't really think about a whole lot, maybe they worked it out, or maybe they just ended it but didn't make it public for the sake of the people. Idk, tell me what you think. I enjoyed this series a lot, and I am honestly really proud of this finale and I legit almost teared up after reading it the second time. Kuvjra is just... so happy.