The Forsaken Hero

The gardens of the Sunsinger Estate were quiet as we emerged from the gate, Gayron already waiting for us outside. He raised an eyebrow at my flustered face and Korra’s teasing smile.

"’bout time," he muttered, shaking his head. "Though you’d never come out."

"Oh, quite whining," she replied, taking his arm and pulling him close, rising on her tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek. "You’d have been bored out of your mind in there, anyway."

His cheeks flushed a little, and he looked away, but I caught the slight upturn of his lips. "Like you’re any better. You can barely sit through one of Ernyst’s lectures, much less an actual meeting."

"So?" she said, laughing. "I’m a hero, not a general. My job’s punching the stuff that needs punching."

"And do we know what that is now?" he asked, turning to me.

I hesitated, the tip of my tail swishing, and rubbed a horn. "Kind of. But once we hit Darkreign Keep and take down the World Barrier, there are too many fates, too many possibilities to accurately predict."

Korra asked, "What do you care, anyway? Are you even still an apostle?"

His tail twitched, starting to curl around Korra’s calf before flicking away. "It’s...complicated. To be honest, I’m more interested in reaching ninth-level than I am in fighting in any war."

"That’s rich, coming from the guy who tried to kill us in said war," Korra said, playfully hitting his arm.

He flinched, though it couldn’t have hurt. "Is that the only thing you remember about me?"

Korra giggled, her hand sliding up his chest and around his neck. "Of course not. But it’s my favorite thing."

"You’re impossible." He muttered, rolling his eyes. But he didn’t push her away, resting his hand on her side. "And about being an apostle, I’ve pretty much ignored every call the emperor has given me. Not that I hear much, given the time we spend in Haven."

"But he hasn’t taken your power away?" I asked, doing my best to ignore their affection, keeping my focus on his molten eyes.

He shrugged. "I’ve lost some, but most of my strength has been earned. My demon form, for instance, seems to have disappeared, but everything else remains the same."

"I didn’t like that form anyway. Too spikey and hard. Totally unhuggable," Korra said with a grin.

"It was never as useful as being able to create Flickers," he said.

"Useful?" She looked away, her cheeks coloring. "That’s one way to describe them."

I cleared my throat. "So, um...you’re going to fight with us still?"

Gayron pulled her close, a hand between her shoulder blades. "If Korra’s going, so am I. If we’re going to be fighting the church, then so much the better."

"Agreed," she said.

"Thanks, Gayron," I said, offering him a smile. "I’m glad you’re with us."

He gave me a self-conscious nod. "It’s not a problem. And, if I’m honest, I still owe you. I haven’t forgotten what you did for my soul...even if you’re the one who caused it."

I coughed, looking down. "I’m...sorry about that."

He shrugged again, a surprisingly warm smile crossing his lips. "It’s just ashes in the hearth at this point. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ve got someplace to be."

"We do?" Korra asked, pushing off his chest with both hands and looking up. "But I wanted to see what happens when Luke shows up!"

His tail went rigid. "Luke’s coming? Here? Today?" His brow furrowed, and the tip of his tail flicked. "I thought that’d be later."

"Yeah, well, it’s happening. Probably," she said, shooting me a look. Then, taking Gayron’s hand, said, "But if you had something in mind, I’m not opposed. Maybe letting Xiv be alone with him for a bit is a good idea."

"Is it?" I asked, rubbing my horn.

She smiled. "Absolutely. We’ll catch you later. Don’t you dare leave without us!"

I watched, giving a tenuous wave as the two flew away, hand in hand. Despite how open he seemed, Gayron remained a mystery to me. Why did he even want to be an apostle in the first place, if meeting someone like Korra was enough to make him forget it? They were so close, their feelings for one another as obvious as the sun in the sky.

My smile wavered as I dropped my hand. A bitter aftertaste lingered at the thought, only growing sharper as they vanished beyond the canopy. What was so great about that? Was there anything wrong with having uncompromising ambition? Why did he have to throw it all away for her?

I folded my arms, feeling a chill. I didn’t like the strange feeling in my breast. It wasn’t anger or sorrow. I was happy that Korra had someone who loved her so much. So why did my heart ache at the thought?

A sudden flash of soulspeak broke me from my thoughts. I glanced up, meeting Borealis’s eyes as he descended. He landed on my shoulder and rubbed his beak against my cheek. I couldn’t help but smile, scratching under his chin.

"Thanks. He’s coming here?"

Before he could answer, a familiar aura brushed against the edge of my senses. A shiver ran down my back and out my tail, and I turned just in time to see a violet bolt of mana pierce the sky with the force of a shooting star. Wind whipped across the garden as it slowed to an impossible stop just inches from the ground. The light dispersed entirely as Luke landed with a single step. His gaze fixed on me, and he froze, just as I did. But where my tail began to swish across the grass, his went limp. He cast his eyes down, his shoulders hunching slightly.

I swallowed, clutching my tail to keep it still. My heart fluttered in my chest, beating so quickly I was afraid his enhanced senses would hear it.

"Luke," I whispered.

He lifted his head, peering at me from beneath his horns. I took a step forward, and he tensed, fingers twitching.

"I...Xiviyah..." he began, his voice a dry croak. He swallowed hard, his hands twitching. He was torn between clenching fists, clutching his sword, or maybe folding his arms.

As he stood there, not quite looking at me, a lump grew in my throat. His face was blank, but his eyes showed a storm of emotions. Pain, regret, relief, and...shame?

"Luke," I said again, this time more firmly. He took a half-step back as I approached, but I quickened my pace, my feet moving on their own. "Luke!"

The sound of my voice caused him to jerk, but it was too late. I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. His pulse hammered against my cheek, and his body knotted with tension as my tail curled around his leg, brushing his.

"I missed you so much," I murmured, taking a deep breath, inhaling his scent. The leather, the tang of his mana, the warmth. Everything about him was just the same as I remembered. "I was so worried..."

He stood there stiff and rigid before, not daring to breath. Slowly, tentatively, his hands moved, resting against my back. I nuzzled my cheek against his chest, letting out a contented purr, as he touched my hair.

"Xiviyah...?" A hundred questions and a thousand fears escaped in that single whisper. I felt the weight of it in my chest, squeezing my heart, but I pushed it back.

"I’m here, Luke," I replied, looking up into his eyes.

They wavered, flickering with a darkness I hadn’t seen for a long time. It was terrifying, the only light within the violet depths, the distorted image of my face, reflected back at me. I’d waited so long for this, to feel his arms around me.

"Why?" he finally asked, a tremor shaking his hands. "I...I left you."

"And I waited for you to come back."

His face twisted, lips trembling. "But I hurt you. That night, when Jessia--"

His eyes widened as I pressed a finger to his lips. "I don’t care about her. Or anything else right now. I just care about you. Can’t that be enough?"

"But...I don’t..."

A tear slipped down his cheek. I brushed it away with my thumb, cupping his cheek.

"Apostles aren’t supposed to cry," I said with a gentle smile. "Evla said so."

A shaky breath left him, and he pressed his hand over mine, holding it against his cheek. "I’m sorry. I wish I could promise things could be the same as they were, but I can’t. Things are different now, and I can’t give you what you deserve."

"What?" I tilted my head. "You can’t give me a hug?"

His mouth opened and closed before he found words to say. "Xiviyah, that’s not what I--"

"I don’t care about what I ’deserve.’ What I want is for you to hold me. I missed you. Surely you do that much?"

He swallowed hard, the sound rough in his throat, and let out a shuddering breath that stirred my hair. But he finally listened, pulling me tight against him. I sighed, closing my eyes, basking in his warmth.

"I’m sorry. I thought you’d be sad," he murmured into my hair. "I never meant to abandon you, but I..."

"I understand, Luke. We both have our own path to walk. But that doesn’t have to stop us from holding hands across the lane, does it?"

He smiled, and I squirmed free, twirling back, the fabric of my dress swishing about my legs. I smiled up at him, taking his hand in both of mine. My tail waved shyly as I let him look, his eyes taking me in for the first time. His eyes lingered on my chest for a moment, and my blush deepened.

"Xiviyah..." He licked his lips, trailing his gaze up to my face. "You...you look beautiful."

My heart fluttered, and I beamed, letting go of his hand and taking a step back, twirling again, showing off the skirt. "You really think so?"

He chuckled, catching me with a hand on my lower back, pulling me close. I looked up at him, waiting patiently, as his other hand hovered near my face, finally moving in to caress my cheek. His touch was hesitant, but I leaned into him, and he traced my jaw, sending an electric spark through me. I drew in a sharp breath, my tail curling around his leg, as he drew my face up, reaching on my tiptoes to meet his lips.

The kiss was soft and chaste, but I melted into it. As he broke away, I sagged against him, panting for breath. My cheeks were flushed with color, but my heart felt light, filled with song.

"I’m glad you noticed," I whispered, "It made me happy."