For those of you who aren't familiar with Avatar, check the notes at the end of the story.
"The Avatar is back!"
The chant reverberated through the spirit world as spirits from every direction rushed for the portal to the human world; running, slithering, swimming, flying for the gate. Two hours earlier the most ancient of spirits had sensed Raava's essence resurfacing in the Near Shore and whispered in the ears of the others. In a few moments, the air was filled with merriment as they came in waves to the human world to find Raava's new incarnation. Among them flew a great white dragon, aqua mane blowing in the wind, pearlescent scales glowing with moonshine in broad daylight. Such was the trademark of the Moon and Ocean's disciple.
He stopped at a little house in the Fire Nation and peered inside to see a baby in a crib, with chubby limbs and a head full of soft black hair. The smaller spirits have wriggled their way into the house and surrounded the crib to look down at the baby in awe. As an elder spirit gave his blessings, the baby opened her eyes, gold as the rays of the sun, and smiled up at the world above.
OoOoOoO
They left some time after the humans took notice and came to the gathering to announce their new Avatar. Kohaku flew above the houses in the town and scanned the streets. A waving hand caught his eye. As he landed, hard scales and flowing mane turned into soft skin and shoulder length hair. He took the hand that was held out to him and smiled at his companion.
"Sen."
OoOoOoOo
"I was surprised she let me go see the Avatar, I always thought she'd pick the more experienced regalia," Sen explained. She rambled on about the hard work under her god, her interactions with fellow regalia, and her new improvements at drawing borderlines while Kohaku listened intently. They each held a popsicle in their hands, a human treat seldom seen in the Far Shore, as they strolled through the streets, soaking up the joy of being in each other's presence before the end of the day, when they would have to return to their normal duties.
They ended up on a grassy slope at a nearby pond, dipping their feet into the cool waters. "The Avatar is so cute! She'll grow up to be a great bridge between our worlds," Sen gushed, remembering the baby's smile. "Like Avatar Korra," she added after a moment. She respected all the Avatars, but had a special affinity to Korra; something about her felt familiar and welcoming. Kohaku nodded, he seemed to understand. There was no confusion in his expression like those seen on the faces of her colleagues when she gets too passionate about her favorite Avatar. That, she was glad for. There was something very welcoming about Kohaku too that she couldn't quite put a finger on.
"Speaking of Avatar Korra, a little water tribe girl wandered into the spirit world last month while I was working in the field. She was really scared and I had no idea what to do," Sen recounted. Kohaku raised an eyebrow in amusement, She's not much different from yourself, he thought, not that he could actually tell her.
Sen is in every way the person she used to be, it's just that she's not Chihiro anymore. The name etched into her right palm was a constant reminder of that.
"And in the end I gave her some food and walked her back home."
"Is that so?"
OoOOoOo
"I got this!" Sen declared as she drew a swift line across the ground, summoning a wall of light between herself and the unwelcome visitor. The phantom jumped up and scampered off. Sen turned back and cracked a triumphant smile. "Told you I was getting good," she said.
Kohaku beamed in return. He could remember when she drew her first borderline; a dim, flimsy squiggle of a thing. Even that had been the result of weeks upon weeks of dogged persistence. She had come such a long way, although if anyone could do it, it was her. Chihiro had done it before, and Sen did it again.
"You must have worked hard," was all he ended up saying, although it was enough to make Sen radiate pride.
"Now I won't always be hiding behind your back. Maybe I can protect you too," she joked.
She remembered being startled over a tiny phantom at her feet when she first started and forgetting to position her fingers into a halberd. It had only taken a flick of Kohaku's wrist to banish the little spirit. Sen slapped an imaginary palm over her face at the memory. She was a little slow to learn, and there were times when she believed in the whispers of other spirits saying she'll never be useful to her god. But Kohaku had faith in her and encouraged her to keep going.
She's strong now, and she can be someone Kohaku can depend on too. She wanted to make him happy.
"But you already do," Kohaku replied jovially, although he meant every word of it. They continued to watch the ducks swim in the pond.
OoOoOoOo
The sun had sunken below the horizon, and the night sky was shrouded by thin clouds. Sen and Kohaku had retreated into a shrine to avoid unnecessary encounters with phantoms.
The other regalia glanced at them, then returned to their work, although Sen expected a lot of teasing later. Sen would be working in the Near Shore. Watching humans was interesting, but she would have preferred going back to the Far Shore tonight. It would give her more time alone with Kohaku since he always gives her a ride back.
She didn't know when they would get to spend so much time together again. They see each other often, but that's usually when he's flying by and she's working in the field. It was rare to get an entire day together, away from the prying eyes of other spirits.
Sen estimated the next time they can spend time alone would be at next year's Kamuhakari. It's easy for her, since her god only brings her exemplar , but she can't say the same about Kohaku. Yue usually goes to represent the Moon and Ocean, but there are years when she asks Kohaku to accompany her. Either way, it was going to be a long wait.
The moon emerged from the clouds, illuminating the night.
"I need to go now, they're calling for me," Kohaku said.
"Now I'm going to have to wait another ten million years to see you," Sen groaned.
Kohaku chuckled at the exaggeration; he knew she's never going to grow out of that habit. "Don't be so pessimistic. Who knows, maybe I'll have a job and come by tomorrow," he said.
Sen eyed him carefully, "something tells me you're not just joking." She hoped he wasn't. "Go, I don't want you getting in trouble."
She stayed at the doorway even after Kohaku's form disappeared into the night and didn't go inside until her friends dragged her in with questions on the tips of their tongues.
OoOoOoOo
Kohaku continued to gain altitude. He wondered how Sen was getting along with her friends at the shrine. He passed a few phantoms and also wondered if the shrine was well fortified. It must be, he decided, since the god she served was the meticulous type, and would be caught dead if she let anything happen to her regalia. (It's not like he's never been there before, actually, he's been there hundreds of times. But he's totally not coming up with excuses think about her, that's absurd)
Now, how to get Yue to let him come see Sen tomorrow? He felt guilty for never coming to see her in person when she was alive. There were a lot of things to learn when he's working under the Moon and the Ocean, and a lot of training to do without the support of his river. But he did watch her often. He saw how she integrated into her new home, saw her moving on to middle school, then high school. He watched as she grew tall and confident and driven.
Chihiro was particularly passionate about environmental protection.
But he also saw her die in that phantom storm. Too far away to reach her in time, he was devastated at the thought of never seeing her again.
A miracle came one day when he crossed paths with a new regalia, who was a blundering mess on the field, but a very enthusiastic learner. He recognized the hairband that kept her ponytail in place. There was no mistaking Zeniba's work; her magic can transcend the border separating the Near and Far Shore.
He approached the young woman. She didn't recognize him, yet she was unusually trusting. The name on her hand read "Sen".
OoOoOoOo
When Kohaku returned, Yue assigned him a task in the Fire Nation. His expression was neutral, but she can detect the mild surprise after working with him all these years.
The waters and skies had been peaceful recently; she could afford to spoil him a bit.
She made a note to remind him to bring something nice for that regalia and her friends. Yue internally smiled with glee, basking in the glory of a self-proclaimed part-time love guru. She's been a woman for long enough, and she's heard tons of lovey-dovey poetry written by mopey men pining over their lovers. Tons of experience right there.
She expected Kohaku to be especially diligent over the next few days.
OoOoOoOo
Sen's colleagues had all retired for the night, leaving her alone to look up at the sky. When she wasn't busy working, she spent her time waiting to see a dragon pass by. Even if Kohaku couldn't make it tomorrow, she would wait, because she's positive he will make an appearance sooner or later.
She eagerly waits for the next spirit festival, when they would take time away from their duties to catch up and spend the day together again. Then she would wait for the next time, and the time after that, and the time after that...
As Sen decided to join her friends in rest, she wondered how many again's they could have in an eternity.
Author's Note: I think gods can have multiple forms, especially across time and different cultures. They aren't constrained by things such as sex and gender. I've pretty much taken the liberty of making Tsukuyomi and Tui one and the same. And Yue works for them. Haku too, in a way parallel to Tsuyu and Tenjin (Yue leans more on the moon side, and Haku more on the ocean side, but they work as a unit). Also, I wanted to give Sen a clan name of some sort but I know nothing about Japanese so I've decided to play it safe XD
For people unfamiliar with Avatar:
The Avatar is a bridge between the human and spirit world. Raava is a spirit who lives within the body of the human Avatar. She follows the Avatar's man incarnations. The Moon and Ocean are spirits. Yue gave her life to save the Moon and now lives in the spirit world.