As the boat came to shore, Korra felt a thrill she didn't get the first time she came. For one, she had been hidden away in the cargo hold, so Republic City had been blinding when she first saw it. For another, so much had changed since she first rode Naga onto these shores.

The threat of the Equalists was pretty much gone. With the revelation that the Equalist leader was a bender himself and a fraud, support had scattered and public opinion shifted to sympathy for the citizens he had terrorized. Iroh had reported that pockets still existed, but the United Forces were working with the Republic City PD to bring in anyone violent or still harboring named fugitives. The general was hoping to be able to withdraw his presence from the city at the end of the month.

Korra would most likely be joining him in that departure. As another change was her gaining full avatar status, which had come with Aang's gift of energybending to help heal those crippled by Amo- Noatok. So many people had been hurt and Korra knew that recovery would take a long time. She had figured she'd just hitch a ride back with the southern tribe fleet when she was done. Now that she was a full Avatar, she needed to see as much of the world as possible. If anything, her time in Republic City showed how much she didn't know, which irked her.

She was also irked by how everyone reacted around her. Once word got out about Lin's healing, the boat staff, the people at the restaurant they'd gone to the night before they left, everyone looked at her funny. Not bad, just... Staring. It was unsettling.

They wouldn't stare if they knew that all Korra had done was reach for the Avatar State, which did the rest of the work on healing Lin. Korra had just a hand in directing all that energy back into place and she knew it had been one of many.

She had never anticipated that. She had thought the Avatar State would be like, the ultimate power up. From what others had described, from Katara's account, Korra had thought her eyes would light up and she would feel energy and power like she'd never known coursing through her. Instead, she got this sense of things. A feeling like she was standing in a crowd, holding hands and singing a song that she was currently directing, while knowing that one day she would just be adding her voice to the chorus.

Rather than some energy-rushing power up, the State was like grounding and becoming peaceful. She wished other aspects of her life worked like that. Such as Mako and her being together. Sort of.

After Korra regained her bending, she had loudly confirmed her love for Mako back in the South Pole, then healed Lin as follow up. Celebration had come almost immediately after Lin's bending was back, but once she'd had a minute to actually think, guilt settled into Korra's gut. Throughout the festivities, she had kept glancing at Asami, worried. Mako had said he had spoken with her, but Korra hadn't and she couldn't just let it hang. As everyone got into the swing of things, she had pulled Asami outside.

"Uh, look, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to, uh, say it," she said.

"Okay," Asami said, shrugging.

"Is it going to be... Weird?" Korra flapped a hand between the pair of them. "Between us, I mean."

Asami looked at her critically and then smiled, almost laughing. "Oh wow. You two are so meant for each other."

"What?"

Head shaking, she looked at Korra, eyes sparkling. "Mako. You. He tried to apologize for being the great big jerk he was being, but he just looked absolutely pathetic and wasn't getting the words out at all and... Alright, I didn't want to hear it."

Staring, Korra felt lost. "Can you... Fill me in? I'm missing something here."

"You didn't know?"

"I figured things were tense between you. Then he tells me he loves me and I'm like, whoa, what's going on. Then I get my bending back, I'm feeling good and..." She shrugged.

Asami had then genuinely laughed, hands wrapped around her middle as she fought for breath. Once under control, with a cocked smile she said, "If anyone ever accuses you of being indirect, remind me to beat them.

"Look, when you got captured by Tarrlok, Mako made it pretty clear he cared about you as more than a friend. I called him on it and he acted like a jerk."

"Wait. No, actually that's my fault," Korra said, stuffing her hands in her pockets, looking away. "I- I kissed him first."

Asami's brows went up in mild surprise. "He left that out. Wow. You really shouldn't have done that."

"I know," Korra replied, looking at her shoes. Hollowness blossomed a pit in her stomach. "I'm sorry. I really am. I just- I got some bad advice."

"Tch. No kidding!"

Korra looked up to see Asami's usual quirked eyebrow in place, her arms folded in casual humor. "You're not really good with people, you know?" Asami said.

Sighing, Korra rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm... Working on it."

Asami sighed this time, hands in the air. "Spirits..." she said. "Okay, look. Truthfully? I'm more mad at Mako than you, but... Well, I'd be lying if some wasn't on you." She folded her arms around her body. "But, looking back..." She shook her head. "You didn't know he returned your feelings and I didn't even know you felt that way about him till Ikki spoke up. It's just this big mess and... I don't know whether I'm mad at you or flattered you could at least put your feelings aside to look at Mako's happiness."

Korra nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that's- I don't even know." She furrowed her brow and returned her gaze. "I just never meant to hurt you, Asami. You're really great and I like you and I don't want to lose you as a friend." Her gaze slid as she deflated. "Even with me being really bad at this."

Asami then had looked Korra over, her fingers rising to her chin in thought. After a minute longer than Korra liked, she said, "Let's try this." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Asami Sato. My dad's pretty much a world class jerk, I'm the new head of Future Industries and I just got out of what I thought was a serious relationship." She leaned in conspiratorially as Korra took the offered peace. "My boyfriend had the hots for this other girl. Not that I can blame him, she'd kind of cute."

Korra blushed fiercely and she staggered a laugh.

"You?" Asami said, straightening.

Korra firmed up and shook the hand decisively. "Korra of the Southern Water Tribe. I'm the Avatar and I just met this really cool girl whose friendship I totally don't deserve."

Asami laughed, pulling Korra close to circle her arm around the other girl's waist. Korra laughed with her.

"All right. I like you too Korra. No point losing a friend over some guy."

"Hey! He's not that bad. He-" Korra stopped as she realized everything they'd been through. "Ugh. I'm going to have my work cut out for me?"

"You have no idea," Asami winked.

They had then opened the door to an incredibly festive Bolin, who Mako was trying to rein in. His eyes had widened at the sight of Korra with Asami's hand around her waist. Asami had bumped Korra against her and shot Mako a look Korra only dreamt she could pull off. After she had released the Avatar, the party had progressed in earnest.

If only Korra could do so. Though she was glad Asami wanted to be friends, she didn't like hearing that Asami had to handle the break-up even if Mako had been the one to make it clear he didn't feel strongly for her anymore. After all, he had told Korra he cared for Asami, but he'd waffled in the face of her determination. Would he do so with Korra? Could she trust him to be upfront about how he felt? The concern gnawed at her.

Forming a fist against her stomach, she watched the deckhands bring the ship in.

Another hand came around her shoulder and squeezed affectionately. She turned up to Mako, smiling. The gnawing banished briefly in the glow of his affection.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he said.

She leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms just beneath her chest. She felt comfortable there.

"Welcome home," he said.

"Well," Korra replied. "A home."

Mako shifted behind her. "You know you're still welcome... Uh, wherever we end up."

"Most likely the air temple," Korra replied, glancing back up at him, a playful smile on her face. "And you will have your own room."

He blanched, but smirked. "Aw, but I thought..."

Korra sighed and placed her hands over Mako's, squeezing. "Ha-ha. Seriously, Mako, I am not saying I don't love you, but we have a lot to sort out. I mean, I talked to Asami, but have you talked to her?"

Mako's grip loosened and he stepped back slightly. "Yeah, we did. Before the fighting went down, we said our goodbyes."

"Uh-huh." Korra pushed away from his loose embrace, turning to face him. "She told me she said goodbye before you could stick your foot in your mouth."

Mako rubbed the back of his head, looking away from Korra. "That's another way of putting it. Yeah."

Korra shook her head. "Not good enough bucko. Asami is really cool and I don't want to get stuck in- In whatever weirdness you two have now. I just faced Amon and the loss of my bending. Permanently. The least you can do is talk to your ex-girlfriend."

Despite the chill in the air, beads of sweat were on Mako's brow. He rubbed his hand on the side of his coat. "Look, Korra, I'm not really sure-"

"Get sure!" Korra said, slapping his arm. Mako winced- he always forgot how strong she was. "I made up with her."

"Jeez!" Mako said, rubbing the arm. "Why're you so up about this? We're together now. Isn't that what matters?"

"Part of it," Korra replied, crossing her arms. "I like Asami and I want to keep seeing her and if that's going to happen you're going to atleast apologize properly for everything you put her through. And I'll know if you have or haven't! Girls... Talk! It's a thing we do!"

Mako glared at her. Korra met it.

"Great," Mako said, turning to stalk off. "We're off to a great start."

As he left, muttering, Tenzin approached Korra. He watched the young man leave before turning to his charge. "Everything all right?"

Korra blew at a strand of her hair. "Peachy. I'm starting to think I was better off before I proclaimed my undying love for him." She slammed her butt against the railing, arms still crossed.

"He's got a lot on his mind," Tenzin said. "We've seen he means well. He should come around." He turned to Korra. "How are you?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine. Great even. Full Avatar and everything."

Tenzin nodded, stroking his beard. "True, but you'll still need training. From what you described in your last battle with Amon, you pulled airbending through a firebending path. That... Has consequences."

"Ugggh," Korra sighed, flopping against the banister. "More training. Is that all I'm going to do? Can't I just be the Avatar now?"

"Sure. One who is not very good at airbending and could lose it if you keep doing it the way you're doing."

Korra straightened at that. "No way!"

Tenzin shrugged diplomatically. "Just a possibility. You said my father's spirit returned to heal you and unlock an understanding of energybending. You're still young, Korra. That is a lot to take in a short time. We have to be sure you have a firm foundation beneath such skills so they don't just fade away."

Rubbing her face, Korra squinted at her master. She threw her hands up in the air. "Fine! Great! Save the world, still have to master all the elements!"

"Don't take it so rough," Tenzin said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "My father went through the same thing."

"What?"

"Even after ending the Hundred Years War, he had a way to go before he mastered the other elements. Training was a constant for him. Of course, you could ask him yourself..."

Korra raised her brows in thought. "Y'know, I hadn't thought of that."

Tenzin shrugged, smiling.

"You want me to ask him anything for you?"

Tenzin froze, his heart suddenly pumping hard. "Pardon?"

Korra relaxed against the rail again. "I'm a full avatar now. Past lives are part of the package. I could talk with him if you want."

"Ah- no. That won't be- Ah yes! I think I see Pema calling me. Excuse me, Korra." He swept his cloak with a slight bow and walked off.

Korra's eyes flashed white briefly.

Thatwasn'tverynice, Aang's spirit whispered.

Korra sighed. "No..."

Funnythough...

She smiled.

Yeah, being the Avatar was going to be a lot of work. But there'd always be time to play.