In a grove carpeted with spongy greens, sheltered by adolescent apple blossoms, Asami Sato rolled off her bedroll with a sudden feeling of unease. The night had been as warm as summer –the banked campfire, completely superfluous. Now, as she listened for what had disturbed her sleep, a bitterly cold gust clattered the branches overhead and made her shiver. The stars were gone, leaving night and storm clouds, and lurid shadows. She stilled her breathing and waited, wondering if she was being silly. Nothing seemed to move. Still… her skin prickled as if she was being watched.
Nearby, her companion slept. The brown shoulder shielding her face was untroubled, and reassuringly normal. A bed and four walls would have been Asami's preference, but Korra was comfortable everywhere. Leave it to the Avatar to sleep as peacefully on a palace bed or a monk's cot, as on the ground of the Spirit World. She resisted the urge to creep close to the sleeping form, like a child afraid of the dark. Smiling at her own foolishness, she wrapped her blankets close and moved to lie back down.
"It was just a nightmare," she murmured, hoping to banish the residuum. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes to the darkness.
"I don't think so."
Green eyes snapped open. She flung her blanket aside and shot upright. "Who said that?"
"Shh! Do you want to wake the neighborhood?"
The voice was acrimonious, but not overtly threatening. It was very near –somewhere overhead. Asami modulated her voice away from panic and asked, "Who are you?"
"Well, who are you?" the voice shot back.
"My name is Asami Sato. I'm-"
"Sh! Sh-sh-sh-sh!" Asami shushed. She waited, senses alert. There was a brook a short distance away that had lulled her to sleep with a burbling chatter; now it was quiet. The shadows were still. "Do you hear that?"
She whispered, "Hear what?" But in the next moment it became clear. The wind shifted direction, and this time Asami understood what she was hearing: the massive breath of some tremendous creature. Lambent white petals drifted down, as a monstrous exhale shook the trees. Water sloshed down the creek, and then splashed under an enormous footstep. Sniff. Schluff.
"Don't think," breathed the voice against her ear. "Don't think of anything."
In the gloom of the campfire's red embers, and the apple grove's blossoms, Asami saw a silhouette of the creature that was darker than the rest of the night. Its shoulders and haunches rose above the trees, and the head further still. Its face was wide at the jaw, supporting long mandibular canines, and framed with fur. A prehensile nose dropped just past its chin, drawing it forward. Another step brought it in line with the campsite and a wicked chill rolled in. It paused. Sniff.
She considered waking Korra, but Asami didn't want to risk a movement. She hoped Korra wouldn't move or wake herself, all unsuspecting. If it came to a fight, all of Asami's senses told her that this creature could bring their private holiday to a sudden (and potentially tragic) end. 'Just leave,' she thought. 'Just leave and let us go back to our comfortable vacation. Please.'
Cold breath pushed through the campsite, waking the embers in the fire pit. One huge foot set down beside the farthest apple tree, brushing it aside. The beast's nose waved, like a hand groping for a leaf in a windstorm. It was searching for something. And its search was drawing it closer to the copse. A strangely small, pale yellow eye gleamed as it took in the camp. The thing's mouth opened in a gruesome smile. Its fangs, like tusks, were as long as a person.
When it spoke, it sounded like voices carried on the wind. Asami wasn't sure at first that the massive creature was the source. But it met her eyes, and in breath of coming winter, it asked, "Who…? Who dreams ...to call me …here?"
"We didn't- Ah-" Asami cast about, looking for someone to intervene. Korra might know how to speak to giant, monstrous spirits, but this was way outside of the young entrepreneur's province. The Avatar slept on, undisturbed.
"Didn't?" the beast repeated. It bent over the trees, filling the camp with its huge face. Sniff. It tested the air around Asami's body and she couldn't bring herself to move. Its seeking nose was revolting, but she got a clear view of glistening, ivory teeth –as sharp as a cat's- and she held her breath until it pulled away.
Then it turned to the blue and white patterned bedroll, product of the Water Nation. Branches snapped as it leaned close and wicked fangs brushed too near unsuspecting skin and the unwary sleeper within.
"No!" Asami pushed forward in a blind desire to block her friend. "Get away!"
The big head swung around, knocking Asami to her knees. "Who?" it demanded in a fierce blast. "Who dreams… to stand… against me?"
The question broadcast incredulous disgust, and it stung Asami's pride. She glared back at the yellow eye, all but forgetting that she less than an ant-mite next to it. "I'm Asami Sato. Get away from my friend."
"Asami Sato…" It breathed. "Friend to the …Avatar. I will… remember you. I will… find you …again." It tossed its head back into the sky, with violent speed that seemed unnatural for something so big. The firepit burst into flame and was blown out just as quickly. The wind shrieked overhead. Asami protected her ears with her hands and her black hair whipped her arms.
Then the wind was gone.
When she looked up, the massive shadow of the creature was gone. She waited, staring at the dark skies and treeline. Nothing moved. Water guttered and coughed in the brook, in its normal course. She breathed, suddenly as weak as cooked noodles. Were they safe?
Korra stirred for the first time: she rolled over in her sleep. Her face, turned towards Asami now, was peaceful. Korra smiled; too happy in her dreams.
"Hhu," Asami panted. She shakily took her blankets back up and returned to her place. "What was that?" she wondered out loud.
"Just a nightmare," an arch voice suggested.
…
Korra slept in until just after sunrise and woke to the sound of Asami laughing. She yawned and stretched, and judged that she hadn't slept so well in years. This trip to the Spirit World was just what she'd needed.
She followed the sound of voices just a few steps past their dormant campfire. There, she spotted Asami arguing good-naturedly with a small spirit in one of the apple trees.
"Can't you just trust me?" the spirit demanded. "I think I know better than some human girl!"
"It's not a matter of trust!" Asami protested. "But these trees aren't in season. Look! They're still covered in flowers." She waved a hand at the white petals on every branch.
"Just ask!" the spirit told her.
Korra watched as Asami sighed, surrendering to that illogical insistence. The other woman shrugged, placed a hand on the trunk of a tree, and said, "Excuse me, ah- Tree. If it's not too much trouble, could you give us some apples? We'd really appreciate it."
Nobody was as surprised as Asami when the tree shook itself and answered. "Of course! Let me just rustle one up, little human."
"Don't just give into them!" scolded one of the other trees. "You don't know how humans are. Greedy as Boar-monkeys."
"But she asked so nicely!" protested the first tree. "And we can spare a few apples."
"And it has been so long since we saw a human," put in another. "I think it's kind of cute."
"It's too bad," sniffed a disagreeable tree. "She's right: we're completely out of season. These blossoms just scream spring."
"I'm sorry," Asami interjected. "Please don't worry about it."
"No trouble at all," declared the first tree. It stretched, as if standing up after a short rest, and shook itself out. Its branches shed white flowers in a rain of petals, leaving behind the dark green leaves. In a matter of seconds the small fruit swelled wherever the blossoms had been. The apples ripened, and dropped a few branches low, in easy reach. "I had enough flowers for a while. There you go. Try one of those."
"Whoa," Asami said. Korra agreed. The little spirit hopped down to the offered branch and urged Asami to hurry and accept the apple.
"Thank you so much. It looks amazing."
"Hmph." The disagreeable tree grunted. "You need age and experience to make a fruit sweet. Come one girls, we'd better help." Like a breeze rolling through an orchard, the grove shook and in moments it was transformed. Every one was green and bent with fruit.
"Whoa," Korra said. The tree grunted again and dropped a fat apple on her head. "Ow!"
"Good morning," Asami welcomed her, gathering up a teetering armful of apples. "How did you sleep?"
"Good," Korra reported. "Really, really good. Who's your friend?"
They both looked at the spirit hopping nimbly from tree to tree, expertly knocking the apples to the ground. "Billy, this is Avatar Korra. Korra, this is Billy. He lives here."
"Nice to meet you, Billy," Korra called.
"Avatar, huh?" Billy was a small goat-fish spirit. His head and forelegs were white and fluffy. His body tapered into a long, scaled tail with a fin, which streamed behind him when he jumped. Despite looking like an adorable island pet, his eyes were intelligent. "Hurry and pick up some of these apples, before they change their mind."
Korra did as she was told and followed Asami back to their things. Breakfast had already been warmed up; it looked like Asami had already eaten her share. The other girl's bedding was already packed up as well.
"Do you think it's okay to eat spirit apples?" Asami wondered.
"I don't see why not." Just to be sure: Korra bit into one. "Mm! That tastes great. Better than the ones at home."
"Well don't eat them all!" scolded Billy, hopping down beside Korra. "You never would have had them if not for me." Asami tossed him one, and it vanished in a few wet crunches. When he looked up expectantly, she shrugged and tossed him another.
"So where should we go today?" Korra asked, helping herself to breakfast.
"The Hanging Gardens of Rei Chen." Both women looked at Billy; Billy sized up an apple core. Chomp. Chomp. "What? She said you're here to relax." He tossed his head, identifying Asami as the She. "Nothing is more relaxing than the Gardens. They were brought here by the Avatar nine thousand years ago."
"Really?" Korra leaned forward, interested. "Why?"
"How should I know? It's not like anyone consults with me when they want to change the world."
"How do we get there?" Asami interjected.
"You have to climb to the top of the Mountain Tree." Billy directed their gaze to the northern sky where a sketch of a towering tree was just visible through the fog. It looked like a painting on a backdrop –too big to be real. Unlike the full-headed apple trees, this one tapered to a twisted point. The exposed branches were knotted. The foliage made dense tangles on the far reaches. "If you can," the spirit added carelessly.
Asami and Korra exchanged a look. Korra smiled, feeling the thrill of a challenge. "Sounds like fun."
"Let's do it!" Asami agreed.
"You're going to need a guide," Billy observed. He sighed in a show of reluctance, but nodded decisively. "Pack up some more of those apples. At least a bag full. Guiding is hungry work."