Chapter 2:

An Inaccurate Mirror

I once dreamed of a looking glass sitting in the darkest depths of the spirit world. Peering through it I saw myself standing on a hill but it was and wasn't myself all at the same time. The Other wore my war paint and held my powerful stance but the Other was off. I could feel the Other's terrible power through the mirror and I left that forsaken place hoping never to come back but as I left my mind recalled a fault in the mirror. I hope that fault never becomes a crack and if it does I prey for my future lives that the crack does not shatter the mirror all together and allow that other world to seep in to ours. ~ Avatar Kiyosh of the Earth Kingdom and founder of Kiyoshi Island.

.o.

Korra took a deep breath and snugged against the other occupant in the bed. She could tell it was midmorning by her internal clock, however, since it was Saturday Asami didn't have work the two could laze in their bed for hours without missing anything. Later, they might get up and do something but for right now it was just the two of them enjoying the silk sheets.

The avatar felt extremely relaxed, grateful that the Earth Kingdom's slow transition to a constitutional monarchy had not led to any more riots or boarder clashes… recently. Korra admired King Wu's dedication to giving the people of the Earth Kingdom more power but she hated the fact that in the past year she was often summoned to put out different 'fires' across the nation as tempers flared.

Korra was silently grateful that she did not have a job to balance while being the avatar; it would probably be impossible to keep people from killing each other and be somewhere for work like Asami.

Speaking of Asami, Korra could feel her girlfriend start to sir. Knowing how restless Asami got just lying there, Korra sat up and turned on the radio. Asami rolled over and smiled.

"You're actually up sweetie?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah, I'm awake." She kissed Asami. "Do you want to get some breakfast?"

Asami chuckled and pulled Korra close. "Yeah but we might want to get dressed first."

Korra grinned. "What? You don't want me to cook for you wearing just an apron and smile?"

Asami laughed. "Not if I want to eat food." She stretched. "Mmmh, ok got to get up and start making coffee. Is that a new song?"

Korra listened for a moment as a man's voice sang sweetly out of the speaker. "Yeah, I don't think I've heard it before. It's pretty."

"Yeah, I wonder who sings it."

.o.

Kor kicked d his door open and light from the hallway poured into his small apartment. Flipping on the light switch, Kor locked his door and almost sleep walked in to the bathroom passing a clock reading five a.m. He yawned turning on the shower and waited for the hot water. Going back in to his bedroom, he pulled an envelop from his pocket and put it in a drawer. Kor wiped his face feeling his stubble starting to become sandpaper like.

"Oh this sucks." He groaned after checking the clock as he pulled off his shirt. "Why isn't being the avatar a paid position? Make my life easier. How did Soza and Ange do it?"

Kor walked into the shower and let the hot water wash over him. Kor thought of his plans for the day: Go to bed, sleep for a few hours, get up around noon and be at the docks to meet Ilah. He smiled. Ilah had been gone for almost month and Kor really missed her. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before walking in to his bedroom.

Ilah smirked leaning against the apartment wall. "You're up early handsome."

Kor blinked trying to figure out if he was hallucinating or not. "Uh, yeah, totally woke up and jumped right in the shower. I though you were getting this afternoon."

Ilah walked over and kissed him. "I was but we caught a favorable tide and arrived twelve hours early. Happy to see me?"

Kor felt drained but smiled through the fatigued. "Over joyed love. So I'll just get dressed and we can go somewhere for breakfast."

Ilah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I'm not really craving food at the moment and it would really be a shame to have you waste your energy getting dressed."

.o.

Ilah rested her head against Kor's shoulder listening to his slow breathing. He had practically pasted out the moment the two tumbled onto the bed. Ilah frowned and sat up to see the dark circles under his eyes. She brushed some damp hair out of his face.

"What are you doing to yourself babe?"

Kor half opened his blue eyes. "Nothing dangerous."

Ilah pouted. "The fact that you say that makes me worried. What are you doing?"

Kor groaned. "I'm working nights. Just give me a few hours to sleep and I'll be right as rain."

"Why are you working nights? How much sleep have you gotten in the past week?"

"Reasons and I think I get about three-four hours a night." Kor yawned curling up against her. "So I'm getting rest."

Ilah sighed. "Three to four hours a night is not enough sleep Kor. You need." She paused seeing that Kor was already fast asleep. Shaking her head, Ilah lay back down and dozed for a few hours. She woke up listening to Kor humming a song she heard on the radio. "Did you sleep well?" She asked softly.

Kor nodded. "Yeah, I should be good for the rest of the day and be my usual charming self."

Ilah kissed him. "Don't oversell yourself young avatar. Shall we go get dressed and grab brunch?"

"And not take advantage of your state of mostly undress?" He asked kissing her neck.

Ilah pulled away. "Yup, you fell asleep now you have to wait until tonight to get anymore of this." She gestured to herself before standing up and grabbing her shirt.

Kor pouted started to search for his clothing.

.o.

Bolin looked around the store holding a wedding registry form. "You sure you want to do this today Opal? This place seems really busy."

Opal looked over. "Yeah, there's just a few more people here than normal no big deal." She took his hand the ring on her finger shining in the sunlight. "Come on Bo; we have to get this done sometime. The wedding is coming up soon and I don't want to rush anything."

"A few months isn't soon." He looked at the registry in her hands. "Do we really need eighteen soup bowls?"

"Yes we do. We have a lot of friends and family." Opal shook her head. "And in wedding time, a few months is not time at all. Now come on you love shopping; let's pick out some cool stuff."

Bolin sighed. "But this place is really crowded. Like fire hazard crowded."

.o.

Flint Beifong examined a crystal bowl. "Do you really need me for this?" He looked over at Boh who was holding a paper and chewing on the end of her pencil. "I mean you've already figured out how many salad plates we need without my help."

Boh pouted and grabbed his arm. "But I want you here with me doing this, you know as couple? I'm reading in this book about how doing things together really helps straighten the relationship."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll help even though we could totally buy this stuff on our own and don't need to beg other people for it."

"It's not begging it's a wedding registry, those are two very different things."

A girl who looked uncannily like one of Flint's sisters looked over. "Exactly! That's what I keep trying to tell him." She pointed to a young man who was very muscular and very board.

Boh nodded. "Yeah, it's like they don't really care about this stuff."

Flint looked over. "It's because we really don't and is it me or are there like twice the normal people here than usual?"

"It really seems like it." Bolin answered.

"Yeah. I feel so closed in. Someone could stab me and no one would know who it was." Flint looked around just to add to the effect.

Boh sighed. "Look if you really hate doing this why don't you just stand outside and have no say in what people give us."

Flit kissed her cheek. "Thank you!"

Opal looked over at Bolin. "You can go too." Bolin hugged her and headed out of the crowed store with Flint. Giggling Opal held out her hand. "I'm Opal by the way."

Boh took her hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Bohemia but people mostly call me Boh."

"That's what I call my fiancé! Bo not Bohemia, his full name is Bolin! Who's your fiancé?"

Boh blushed. "He's Flint Beifong."

Opal tilted her head. "Flint what? He can't be a Beifong, I'm a Beifong!"

.o.

Bolin looked over at Flint like he had lobsters growing out of his ears. "Wait how can you be a Beifong? I know all the Beifongs! Unless you're Lin's son, does Lin even have a son?"

Flint blinked. "Uh, who's Lin? I know my dad has a brother named Li but I don't know any Lins."

"How can you not know Lin Beifongs? She's the chief of police! She helped Avatar Korra fight Kuvira and the colossus!"

"Avatar Korra? It's Avatar Kor and it was Kovue who we had to fight!" Flint paused. "Are you on something?"

"No! I know who the avatar is! She's one of my best friends! I was just on a double date with her and her girlfriend!" He paused. "Wait did you say that the avatar was a guy?"

"Yeah he's a guy."

Bolin clapped his hands together. "Do you know what this means?"

Flint tilted his head. "You're insane?"

Bolin grabbed Flint's arm. "No, we're from other dimensions that have merged! The fight with the colossus must of really broken reality!"

Flint frowned. "I'm going to go with my original statement and say you're insane."

Boh ran out of the story holding Opal's wrist. "Flint! Flint! Flint! I found out what you look like if you were a girl!"

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Comment if you feel so compelled! I'll see you all later and if you have any idea for the genderbent names of people we haven't met yet comment or send me a PM!~ C.C.