Chapter 1: The Question
The Everfree Forest: 2.5 years after the end of the Earth Empire
Kuvira finally came back through the portal in the everfree forest, Sunset Shimmer right in front of her. Kuvira slowly twirled around, looking at her more detailed body again. She still felt sorrow at having to leave her mirror world friends, but she also felt joy too. She had overcome her Siren form in her mind, she’d saved Camp Everfree, reconciled with Asami Sato and managed to let go of the past.
Then she heard the sound of wings. She looked up and smiled. It was her best friend the Princess Avatar Korra.
“Korra!” Kuvira cried happily. But as Korra came down, Kuvira suddenly saw something she didn’t like. She saw that Korra looked sad. “Korra?” Kuvira uneasily asked.
Korra tried to smile. “So, did you have a good week Vira?”
Kuvira only frowned deeper. “It was fantastic. But Korra, what’s wrong?”
Korra looked down. “I’m sorry Vira. I’m afraid I’m here to take you back to prison.”
Kuvira now looked confused. “Of course you are.”
Korra then looked shocked much to Kuvira’s further confusion. “Why are you so calm about this? Why aren’t you more upset that I’m taking you away from the friendships you just built?”
Sunset looked like she was about to say something, but Korra held up a hand. “Let Kuvira answer this Sunset.”
Kuvira suddenly had an epiphany again about Korra’s sudden distress, but instead of answering the question directly, she merely told Korra, “Take me back to my cell.”
“Vira..”
“Do it. Do what you’ve been assigned to do, and I’ll tell you why I can make peace with this once we’re back.”
Kuvira could see Korra’s heart break just slightly at her firm tone, but she came up to Kuvira, closed her eyes, and whisked them all away to Twilight’s Castle.
After a heartfelt goodbye to Sunset, Korra and Kuvira set off once again for Kuvira’s prison in the Earth lands. It took them a bit longer to return than expected. Namely, the trains had a bit of a rough going through Omasu due to some kind of rock slide slowing the process down.
On the train ride though, Kuvira noticed that several people were staring at them with incredulous looks. This made her flinch ever so slightly. Korra meanwhile got an angry look on her face, finally snapping at some people in the car, “Don’t you all have anything better to do?” That gave them some privacy, but Kuvira could still sense the looks others were giving her.
Finally, Korra turned to look at her friend. “I still don’t understand.”
Kuvira meanwhile looked at Korra with an apologetic look. “Korra, why did you bring me to the mirror word?”
Korra felt a bit uncomfortable. “Because you needed to get out of your own misery and grow.”
Kuvira grimaced slightly. “But you had to have known that I would’ve needed to return to my prison afterwards. Didn’t you?”
Korra bowed her head at that. “Yes. Yes, I did know about it, but then I found out about Camp Everfree and all the magic shenanigans. I guess it just...didn’t seem like it would be possible for everything to go back to how it was after all the important things that happened.”
Korra then growled. “It’s not fair! You’re different now! Why can’t you be free like Sunset or Discord?”
Kuvira then gave Korra an apologetic smile. “I know, but that still doesn’t change what else I did.”
“Kuvira..”
“Korra, you of all people always know that actions have consequences. What I did for the Earth lands was….awful. I mean, killing Hiroshi Sato was bad enough, but I’m pretty sure hundreds of people and spirits might’ve died during my hunger for power. If not during my invasion of Republic City, then certainly in the camps or while harvesting the spirit vines. I can’t just let that go without doing...something to repay the lands for my mistakes.”
“But look at what you managed to do while that was going on. You may have been acting incorrectly, but you do still have leadership skills Kuvira. And you could be doing so much more than you are now.”
“But they don’t trust me.” Kuvira sighed. “After everything I did, I wouldn’t trust me either. You, Su, the Canterlot 6, you all gave me my dignity and hope back, but that won’t bring back the damage I did to the world. I need to return to my prison and keep paying for what I’ve done.”
There was a deafening silence that accompanied the two as the train eventually reached Ba Sing Se again. Making their way out from the station, they eventually returned to Kuvira’s prison cell. A guard opened the door and let her back in, giving a small but sarcastic, “Welcome back Great Uniter.”
Korra gave the man a sharp glare, but then made her way inside. She gave Kuvira one last sad look.
“I wish...I wish there was I way I could help you get out of here.”
Kuvira gave Korra a sad smile. “But you can’t. Not even an avatar princess can change the past to magically absolve someone of their crimes. At least, they’re not supposed to.” Both of them gave a light laugh at that, remembering Starlight's big crime.
Korra then ran to Kuvria and gave her a hug, which was quickly returned.
“I’ll try to be back next month. I won’t leave you to languish alone here!” Korra pledged.
Kuvira gave a small but happy nod. “Thank you. I love you Korra. See you then.”