Requested by MadStyle14
So I'm working with this one in a slightly different format, lots of time jumps I just want to capture critical moments in her life, and moment that led to her becoming the Great Uniter. Very Anakin Skywalker-esque
8 Years old
"She's a master Metalbender Kuvira, she's going to take care of you and teach you."
"But I don't want to go! I want to be with you guys!"
"Believe me sweetheart, it's better for you if you're here." Kuvira remained silent, staring up at the massive domes of the city, the countryside fading behind them. The wide gates of the metal city opened, and Kuvira watched her parents exchange a happy glance, leaving her out of it. Their carriage stopped, and her dad stepped out, picking her up and placing her on the ground beside him. "Go on," he told her, giving her a nudge.
"You must be Kuvira?" An older woman said, leaning down to meet her eyes. "My name is Suyin, this is my city, Zaofu." Kuvira's eyes widened at the sight beyond the woman- Suyin, the city was so... clean. "Your parents tell me you're a metal bender,"
"I am!"
"Can you show me? Move this," Suyin said, placing a small metal bar on the ground. Kuvira dug her feet into the ground and focused, stretching her arm out and lifting the brick. Slamming it back down into the earth. Suyin raised her eyebrows and nodded in approval. "That was amazing Kuvira, if you stay here, I can teach you to do great things with your bending."
"Like what?" Kuvira asked, crossing her arms in the same way that made her mother chuckle.
"Like this," Suyin smiled, before taking a hardened stance that Kuvira memorized. She stared in awe as the woman pulled one of the large domes that framed the sky down toward her, the mass of metal shifting with her movements.
"Wow!" Kuvira gasped.
"You can do that too, with hard work." Kuvira nodded, and when the woman crouched down with her arms open, she ran into the hug. "Come with me," Suyin said, standing up, "I'll show you my home." She offered Kuvira her hand and Kuvira took it, looking back at her parents with a smile as her and Suyin walked into the city, unaware that she would never see them again.
10 years old
"Kuvira, honey, can you go get Opal from her room? Tell her it's time for dinner."
"Okay mom." Kuvira stopped in her tracks, her face flushed and she looked back at Suyin, who stared at her with a surprised look on her face."I'm sorry," Kuvira said in a frenzy.
"It's okay Kuvira." Suyin said, smiling brightly like always. She set down the platter she was holding and came up to Kuvira, who felt herself shaking with emotion. Su crouched before her, holding Kuvira's hands in her own. "You can call me mom if you want Kuvira. I don't mind."
"Really?"
"Really." Su replied, kissing her on the top of the head.
"Thank you," Kuvira replied in a barely audible whisper.
"Now Go fetch your sister." Kuvira's head reeled, not because she had called Su mom, but because Su had called Opal her sister. And she had never had a sister before.
12 years old
"Mom, why is everyone at school mad at you?"
"What do you mean Kuvira?" Su said, standing opposite of the counter as Kuvira.
"The boys at school said you were being selfish."
"About what?"
"I don't know, they said you weren't helping the Earth Kingdom. That you should be doing more." Su sighed, coming up to Kuvira who swung her legs off the stool. Su placed a hand on Kuvira's back, and looked at her with a gentle smile and soft eyes.
"The Earth Kingdom is different then Zaofu," she explained, "the earth kingdom is run by the Queen, and her legacy. Zaofu, we are our own little place, run by our own people. Problems in the Earth Kingdom aren't up to us to solve, that was the rule when I created this city."
"So why are they mad?"
"Their not mad, their parents are mad and the boys are listening to them. Many citizens here have family in the earth kingdom, and many of them want their families to come here. But there simply isn't enough room, we don't have enough people to expand the city."
"Oh. Why don't they help with the city then?"
"Because like we don't interfere with the Earth Kingdom's troubles they don't interfere with ours." Kuvira thought about this. To her it sounded like excuses, certainly her mother and the Earth Queen could figure something out. They could work together to better the entirety of the Earth Kingdom and Zaofu. But she kept her mouth shut and nodded. Su smiled and gave her a kiss on the head before disappearing down the hall.
14 years old
"Are you sure this is a good Idea Kuvira?" Baatar Jr asked, twiddling his thumbs.
"Of course it is. You like this girl Zinnia right? Well you have to know how to kiss her. So kiss me."
"Okay, if you think that'll work."
"I know it'll work," she replied, full confidence in her plan. Bataar leaned in, warily, and Kuvira moved to meet him, much more enthusiastically. She press his lips against his and she hummed slightly at the contact. She placed her hand on his knee to get closer, and she opened her eyes, peeking to see if his were open too.
"Guys have you- oh my god!" Su shouted, running toward them. She pulled Baatar off the bed, and Kuvira screamed a bit. "What are you doing?"
"Mom we were just-" Bataar began to explain.
"Never mind. You guys you can't do this."
"Why not?"
"It's... it's wrong. You just can't."
"But we wanted to. For practice." Kuvira explained.
"Kuvira no, you can't kiss Baatar."
"But I like him."
"Kuvira no!"
"But mom!"
"Don't... don't say that. Just stay here. Bataar come with me. Kuvira I'll talk to you about this in a bit."
At the time Kuvira didn't understand what she had done, she liked Baatar, and she could get him to kiss her no one was getting hurt. Except her. She lost a mother once before, and on that day she managed to loose her other one. She never called Su 'mom' again.
17 years old
"Hah! You're going to have to do better than that Wing. Hey! Wei you can't help him!" Kuvira yelled, dodging the stone that had nearly taken her out. She lifted two pillars underneath either of them but they were undeterred. She looked around, hoping to get a sense of something that would throw them off. And just as she sidestepped a metal discuss she caught sight of it, one of Su's meteorites sitting on its podium. She stretched out her arm, smirking at the twins reaction when nothing happened and they smiled, so sure of themselves, that was their biggest flaw. She bent her arm in and the chunk of meteorite came flying from behind them, sending Wei to the ground first, and stalling Wing long enough for Kuvira to push a rock under his feet.
"Hah! Even with a teammate I still triumphed." She bragged.
"That was shady using that meteorite."
"Yeah that was out of bounds!"
"Out of what bounds? I beat you, take the loss." The boys sighed and Kuvira brushed the dust off her arms. Su stood on the steps, so Kuvira made her way over to her.
"That was impressive Kuvira."
"Thanks. One day they'll beat me."
"I doubt it. My boys are strong, but you're something else." Kuvira blushed, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips at the praise. "Have you thought about what you want to do when you turn eighteen?"
"Not really... I've been putting it off. I'm sorry I know you've been waiting for an answer."
"It's fine, take your time. But I just want to suggest that maybe you work for the Zaofu guard. The city could use more benders like you to defend. And maybe one day, lead it." Kuvira raised her eyebrows in surprise. Lead it? She hadn't even considered the possibility of stepping into Suyin's shoes when she was gone. Defending, fighting was one thing, but leading? She had to admit, it had appeal.
"That's... wow. For you to even think that I could lead this place is..."
"Enough to convince you?"
"Yeah." Su patted her on the shoulder before walking back into the house. Kuvira watched her go, the look of surprise on her face unfazed by time. Matriarch Kuvira Beifong. It had a good ring to it, of course the last name was a placeholder she'd have to ask Su, but it could work. Suddenly she had a vision of her future, and it didn't take long for her to have it planned out.
19 years old
"Okay Huan, honey, leave the statue. This is a nice family picture can you just smile please?"
"Son listen to your mother." Kuvira watched as the Zaofu Royalty shuffled into a disgruntled photo. Wing and Wei being the front runners for best comedic smile, behind only Baatar Jr., who held up bunny ears behind Opal, all the while smiling at Kuvira. She smiled back at him, shaking her head in fake disproval at his actions. She stood next to the camera, and the man with it, her arms tucked behind her back. She watched, as they took the photos, like they did every year. Every year she waited for Su, or Baatar to call her, to tell her to hop in the picture so she could stand beside Bataar Jr, making bunny ears behind Huan. But they never did.
"Kuvira, dear," Kuvira looked up, pulled out of her thoughts. "Can you pass me the medallion?" Su asked from her position between her husband and her eldest. Kuvira smiled weakly, she had let herself get hopeful again, and it hurt all the more. She pick up the medallion and tossed it, Su used her bending to make sure it reached her hand.
"Okay, one two three, flameo!" The camera guy said, the family repeating after him. Kuvira turned away, the other guards could handle it, she needed to be alone. She walked to the back steps, over looking swing and Wei's make shift battle arena. She smiled at the fond memories of epic battles on that field, or rather clear area of rock. She had tried everything, everything to be a part of the family photos. She wrote it in a card once, she chickened out when delivering it and instead pushed it under her bed never to be seen again. She felt footsteps come up behind her and she looked to see Baatar coming up behind her.
"Hey," he said, sitting next to her. "Mother is looking for you."
"Su's looking for me, you mean."
"Yeah." Despite physically being the same person, Bataar's "mom" and "Suyin" were very different people. And they both knew this, between the two of them they had a system that let the other know which version Su was in at the moment.
"She's probably not that impressed her guard just walked off." Kuvira suggested.
"Probably not, but she'll understand if you just explain it to her."
"Explain it? Explain what exactly? That I want her to see me as a daughter again? It's too late for that Bataar. That ship has sailed." He looked at her sympathetically,
"Maybe not," he replied, placing a hand on her knee. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes, and rising hope in her heart. She felt the longing, wanting to lean in and kiss him, but she took to long, because Su found her.
"Kuvira! There you are. You can't just leave your post at random."
"Yes, I'm sorry." She stammered, standing to meet her boss.
"Are you okay?" Su whispered.
"I'm fine, I just have an awful headache. Needed some quiet."
"Oh, well if you need to go rest Zinnia can take over.
"I'll be okay, I'll see a healer briefly if that's alright."
"Of course. I'll se you in a bit then." Kuvira nodded and and walked past Su, when Su wasn't looking she looked back at Bataar, sticking out her tongue and making a funny face. He winked and grinned in response as he engaged his mother.
21 Years Old
"After careful consideration and testing, we have chosen you, Kuvira, to be the next captain of the Zaofu guard." Kuvira raised her eyebrows in surprise, allowing her jaw to drop into a smile.
"Wow I... thank you!" She replied.
"You've earned it,"Suyin said, placing the silver badge onto Kuvira's chest. Kuvira bowed, taking a step back and allowing Su to enough space to leave. She watched her go, the Matriarch's arm tucked behind her back, similar to Kuvira's own. When the crowd had dispersed, and her friends and fellow colleagues had said their congratulations she caught sight of Baatar Jr at the edge of the room. She made her way up to him, and frowned slightly when she saw him engaged in a conversation with Zinnia.
"Kuvira," the girl said, "congratulations! You absolutely deserve this, no one works harder than you."
"Thank you, Zinnia," she smiled, "do you mind if I borrow Baatar for a minute?"
"Not at all, I'll see you later Baatar," Zinnia said, kissing him on the cheek. Kuvira avoided eye contact until the other girl had left.
"You looked Nobel up there," Baatar said, the same floppy smile on his face that had captured Kuvira so long ago.
"You're too kind."
"What comes next for you?" Bataar asked.
"I'm not sure, there's been some disagreements on some matters of authority, with me in the picture hopefully we can get stuff done."
"Yes well, Su's always been one that requires convincing. Once she has her mind set on something it's hard to change it." He explained, pushing up his glasses.
"I think I can handle her."
"I don't doubt it," he replied. She stretched out her hand, offering it to him in a shake. He didn't take, instead he wrapped her in a surprising hug. "I am really proud of you Kuvira. You're going to do great thing for this city. And maybe even the whole earth kingdom." Kuvira smiled, returning the embrace.
"I hope one day we can work together. There's no one else I'd rather have my back."
23 Years Old
"There must be something we can do to help? Just yesterday three different people travelled from different villages, asking us for help. Their villages have been raided by bandits their children starving! We can spare a few guards send them-"
"No Kuvira. I told you once, we don't concern ourselves with the problems in the Earth Kingdom."
"Maybe it's time we should! Without a leader it will be run it into the ground, how long is it going to be before someone takes advantage of it and starts pushing their political ideals on us. We should act first-"
"Kuvira enough! I appreciate your input but I've made my decision, the district of Zaofu will remain neutral on this case." Kuvira stood up, shaking her head in disbelief.
"If you won't step up to help your kingdom, then I will."
"Kuvira What are you talking about?"
"I will take the role of leader of the earth Kingdom."
"Kuvira..."
"Why not Su? I made captain of your guard at 21. I've trained every day since I was 8 years old and you said it yourself, Zaofu needs more benders like me to lead it. Are you not confident enough in your ability to train me to be able to trust me with this?"
"Kuvira I-"
"I-what? Su."
"I have no words. If you really think that you are capable of bringing back an entire Kingdom then I won't stop you."
"But you won't help me either."
"No, as usual, Zaofu will remain neutral." Kuvira nodded, shoving down her frustrations.
"Very well. I'll see you soon, Suyin."
"Goodbye Kuvira." Kuvira left, stalling outside the door for a moment to process what had just happened. She was going to rule the Earth Kingdom, she was going to use the ashes of the Queens Empire and she would build her own. But she couldn't do it by herself. She knew Suyin wouldn't help her, but she knew someone who would.
"Bataar?"
"Hmm? Kuvira you're back! How'd it go with mother?" He asked, kissing her on the cheek.
"It... went."
"Were you able to convince her?"
"No but... I assumed leadership of the Earth Kingdom."
"What?"
"Bataar this is the moment I've been waiting for. People out there, they need me. They need us." She said taking his hands. "I need to know if you will come with me."
"Kuvira, you know I'd follow you anywhere." She pulled him, kissing him passionately. "Where do we even start?" He asked when they pulled apart.
"Well there'll be an announcement for one thing, so a speech would be appropriate."
"Do you know what you're going to say?"
"I don't know. The Earth Kingdom was left to the maggots, bandits have taken control over towns across the province. It's literal chaos."
"So we have to stop the chaos,"
"By bringing back order."
"Good morning residents of the Earth Kingdom. I, the Great Uniter declare the Earth Kingdom no more. From here on out, you are citizens of the Earth Empire. As an Empire I can promise you wealth, protection, and Order!"
All hail the Great Uniter!