"There's so much more I want to learn and do."
- Avatar Korra.
Swirling lights of gold and emerald continued to swirl upwards from the epicenter of the new portal, ascending high up into the sky and out of sight in the upper atmosphere. Privately, Asami thought it looked familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite place her finger on what it might have been. Right now, she liked to think it represented the past and the future, intertwining in one beautiful perfect moment. The present. Right here, right now.
Beside her, Korra stepped up to the shimmering lights, shouldering her backpack one last time. The two of them weren't sure exactly how long they'd be gone, or what they'd do for sustenance on the other side, so they'd packed enough rations and clothing for a few days at least, and Asami had a lightweight tent attached to the bottom of her pack. It was heavy, but even so she felt lighter than air.
"This is so exciting," she said, gazing into the myriad swirling colors, watching smaller spirits come and go. "I've always wanted to see the Spirit World up close... always figured I never would. I'm not very spiritual, after all."
"Neither was I, up until a few years ago," Korra reminded her.
"You're the Avatar, that doesn't count," Asami gently teased her.
Korra took it in stride, giving a great guffaw, and had to admit her friend was right. "Now I have to warn you, the spirit realm can be a teensy bit hazardous... it reflects your emotional state, so if you're feeling angry, or scared... things can get dicey. So whatever you do, stay calm."
"Calm, got it," Asami said, taking a deep breath and exhaling, feeling the tension leave her body. She was already feeling more relaxed than she had been in weeks.
"Ready?" asked Korra, offering her hand.
Asami smiled, settling her palm into Korra's, their fingers interlocked as they took the fateful step into the Spirit Realm. Their gazes locked as the boundary between worlds blurred and they vanished from the material plane.
Stepping between the worlds may have seemed like a big thing, but honestly, it was no different from stepping off the platform at Republic City Central Station. The only real difference was the change in perceptions. There was always that sort of ripple effect, like watching heat rise off a sand dune. When it passed, Korra and Asami stood in the Spirit World, taking in the breathtakingly beautiful view of the lush emerald fields and cerulean skies.
Spirits of all shapes and sizes flitted through the air overhead, passing through the portal and to the material plane. Some paused to welcome them, or so it seemed by the sounds they made. A trio of butterflies made of amethyst dust zipped up in front of Asami's face, startling the young woman, before flitting across her nose and past her, tickling her cheeks with their wings. She gave a giggle that turned into a full-blown laugh. Asami hadn't felt this carefree and joyous in ages.
"This place is wonderful," she said, turning to her friend, a bright smile on her full red lips. "Thank you for bringing me here, Korra."
"Oh you haven't seen anything yet," the Avatar replied, lightly tagging her on the shoulder. "Come on, I want to show you something!"
She took three steps, then looked back, found herself already the full length of the field ahead of Asami. Blinking jade eyes in confusion, the Sato Heiress took off running after her friend, sprinting the length of the field in record time. Every step seemed to make the world blur past like she was racing in one of her satomobiles back on the track, and she laughed again as she and Korra took off running, dodging around or hopping over spirits too slow to get out of their way. Korra of course had kept in excellent shape thanks to all the bending she did on a daily basis, but Asami was no slouch and longer-legged besides. They ran freely through the spirit fields, untroubled by their inhabitants.
"Where are we going?" Asami asked, ducking under a mushroom that towered over her, scattering a cloud of ruby butterflies as she kept pace with Korra.
"There's someone I want to introduce to you!"
"Someone? A spirit?" she guessed.
Kinda paused in her running, slowing to a light jog, not even out of breath. Her face scrunched up in that adorable way it did when she was in deep thought. "You know I'm not really sure. He didn't start out that way... but now I guess he kinda is..."
"Who?" she asked. She was really curious now.
"Don't spoil the surprise!" the water tribe girl insisted. "Now let's see... I wonder if..."
The Avatar stretched out her hand, fingers splayed, and turned slowly in a circle as her eyes drifted closed, picking up on the subtle vibrations of energy that flowed so freely in the spirit world.
"Spirit sensor?" Asami guessed, her voice low so not to interrupt.
"Spirit sensor," Korra confirmed, still searching. "It's not as clear here as the real world but... I think I can still get a lock..."
"One of these days I really need to find a way to duplicate that..." the Sato heiress mused. "Install it on Satomobiles would make finding people so much easier for the cops... rescue teams..."
"Ah!"
Korra re-opened her eyes and pointed, beckoning Asami to follow her across the latest field of spirit flowers, sidestepping the beautiful multicolored foliage as they made their way towards a clearing. The emerald grass, growing steadily longer and longer the further they waded into it, parted abruptly at the clearing, revealing a table set with a pristine cloth and an elderly gentleman in Earth Kingdom robes. An older style that had long since gone out of fashion, he wore them with the dignity of royalty, and yet somehow his kindly smile and gentle gaze betrayed a benevolence and wisdom that seemed almost impossibly vast.
"Iroh!"
"Korra. It's so nice to see you again," the old man said, welcoming her into the clearing, his smile growing wider by the minute, showcasing the many wrinkles besides it. Clearly, it was an expression he used often. "And who is your friend?" he asked, catching sight of Asami hiding sheepishly behind her Avatar friend.
"Asami," Korra introduced, beckoning her forward. "Asami Sato of Future Industries."
The bearded man nodded knowingly. "Ah, the future is a wonderful thing to invest in. It's very nice to meet you, Asami."
"Likewise, sir," she said, offering him her hand demurely. Iroh, gentleman that he was, took it and gently planted a chaste kiss on the back, making her blush despite herself. While such courtesy wasn't quite dead back in Republic City, it had been some time since she'd been treated quite so gallantly. She found she quite missed the feeling.
"I was just about to brew some jasmine tea," Iroh said. "It's my favorite. I'd be honored if the two of you would join me."
"The honor is definitely ours," Korra said, taking Asami's hand, leading her over to the table. They sat down as Iroh prepared the tea. Within moments, the warm smell of jasmine floated over them like a euphoric cloud, washing away troubles and easing discomfort. Iroh settled into his seat across from them, pouring from his favorite kettle, a very old relic he saved for very special occasions like this one.
"Wan's teapot," Korra identified.
At Asami's puzzled look, Korra explained. "The first Avatar Wan used this to transport Raava the Light Spirit when she'd grown too feeble to move on her own... he protected her until they merged and became the very first Avatar. In a way, its kinda where I come from," she said, resting a hand over her heart.
"They say you can still taste a little light in every cup of tea," Iroh picked up where she left off, pouring each of them a cup and setting one in front of each of them.
"I'm sure it'll be utterly delicious. Thank you again for taking time for us," Asami said, picking hers up and gently blowing on it to help it cool.
"I often have tea this time of day. But tea is always better when shared with fine company. And of course, there could be no finer company than two such lovely young ladies as yourselves."
Asami coughed, choking on her tea, and Korra gently patted her back to help ease the flow of air in their appropriate passageways. Iroh laughed good-naturedly, offering a napkin, but Asami gently declined. He really was a sweet old man. Reminded her vaguely of her grandfather before he'd passed away. As they drank and chatted, several spirits drifted over, some helping themselves to cake and tea then leaving without a word, others settling in to join them.
"Hello again Avatar!" chirped one of the smaller spirits, a cute little light spirit with a pair of leaves resembling pigtails on either side of its head.
"Oh it's you, hello again," Korra scooped him up in an eager hug, rubbing her cheek against the spirit's.
"Whose your friend? She's beautiful."
Korra snickered, amused by the tiny things smitten tone. Poor Asami had a spirit crushing on her. "This is Asami Sato," Korra introduced her. "She's my best friend."
"Hello there," replied the dark-haired woman, watching with some amusement as the spirit settled into Korra's lap like a toddler, gazing at her with undisguised awe. Who would've guessed the Avatar had such a way with children? Yet Korra definitely had a maternal touch when it came to the younger generation. She was going to make a wonderful mother someday.
"So while we're here, what did you want to see?" asked Korra. "Xia Bao's Grove? The Tree of Time? Hai-Riyo peak? That one's not far from here."
"All of them," she replied excitedly. "Everything."
Iroh picked up his tea cup as he listened to them with a kindly smile. "May want to get started then. There's no need to keep company with an old man," Iroh said gently. "You two can go have fun, I'll always be here if you want to come back and share some tea later."
Reining in her excitement, Asami shook her head, long dark locks flowing like a waterfall. "We don't have to go anywhere yet," Asami insisted. "I'm having a wonderful time right here."
"Perhaps a friendly game of pai sho then?" he asked, setting a board on the table.
Asami's beautiful face contorted into a painful grimace. Though it passed almost as quickly as it had come, Iroh was a perceptive man, and saw immediately her mood had been soured.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir up unpleasant memories," Iroh apologized gently.
"No, it's alright... my... my father taught me how to play," she explained. "He died recently."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he replied, his voice filled with sympathy. "I know how hard it is to lose those we are close to. Harder still to lose family."
Korra, while not the brightest or most gifted of individuals when it came to the mind, was sharp enough to put two and two together, and it abruptly dawned on her exactly why Asami had chosen their spontaneous getaway as the Spirit World. She was hoping to form a connection of some sort with her lost father. Korra felt nothing but profound sympathy for her. Things simply didn't work that way here. The Spirit World wasn't the afterlife, like some believed. At least, not for everyone.
What was gone... was gone.
Fortunately, the subject remained unbroached as Asami accepted a game from Iroh, who laid out the board and set up the pieces. For her part, Korra sipped at her jasmine tea, though she resolved to talk to Asami about her dad at a later time. A better time. Wounds like hers shouldn't be allowed to fester, though equally they couldn't just be torn open without proper care and timing.
For now though, she contented herself with just watching the game. Korra understood the rules but it had been a long time since she'd been able to sit down and enjoy a game for herself. After so long an active force in the world, it was nice to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Tea, pai sho, friends. It was relaxing.
The cup of tea in her hands warmed her, but not as much as the sight of her friend Asami so happy.
In the material plane, deep in the vastness of space, countless celestial bodies danced their eternal dance, stars and suns and planets and moons all interlocking like the gears of a great clock. Moving impossibly slow to the human perception of time, but moving all the same. Right now, humanity could not grasp the sheer staggering size of it, thinking their world the center of the universe. Come a millennia or so, they may yet change their minds.
But in the here and now, things were changing.
Only a little ways away from the planet where the Avatar called home, a great comet streaked through the empty void between worlds, leaving behind a tail of hot fire as it slipped past stars and planets on its century-long trip.
It was known by some people as Sozin's Comet.
Normally, it would be another quarter century before it brushed against the atmosphere of the planet where the Avatar lived, greatly enhancing the powers of all benders of fire and bringing about awe and destruction in equal measure. However, because of the newly opened spirit portals at the poles, things were different.
The spirit portals created a subtle shift in the gravity of the world as it reached up into the heavens above, gently asserting its influence even as far out as space. Sozin's Comet was gently claimed by this pull, and its course began to slightly shift. Subtly at first, then with greater and greater draw. In no time at all it hurtled through space at a sharp angle towards the planet. When the third spirit portal was opened in Republic City, its descent became only more terrible still... and it's fate sealed.
The world had entered a new age... and things were still changing.
In the end, they were sure how long they stayed in the spirit realm. Time had a way of slipping through your fingers no matter how tightly you tried to keep hold of it. And they'd both long since let it go without the slightest care. Asami had even been mildly amused when she'd tried to check her pocket watch out of habit. The needle was spinning around quite rapidly... in the opposite direction it was supposed to.
So they sat and drank tea, played pai sho with Iroh and some of the other spirits. Iroh also served up some rather delicious spirit cake to go with their jasmine tea. The poor little light spirit who'd attached himself to the girls proved a hopeless player, despite all attempts of his opponents to go easy on him. Asami, however, proved herself to be a reigning champion in this world as well as the material plane, and even managed to narrowly win a victory from the legendary Dragon of the West himself. Iroh guffawed loudly at his defeat, saying he hadn't had one so devastating since Ba Sing Se.
Finally, Korra entered the fray and pulled up a chair to try her own luck against Asami, who offered her a smirk and a promise of no easy victory. Spirits big and small settled around to watch as the two of them shifted tiled pieces across the board.
It was just after the third game between the two of them had started (one victory Asamis, one victory Korras) that would have broken their tie, that they noticed the skies overhead starting to darken. Subtle at first, the cerulean hue began to turn dark and violet, swirling like great storm clouds overhead.
"Is everything alright?" asked Korra, glancing over at Iroh. He nodded, looking as serene as ever.
"The Spirit World is just reacting to the new portal you opened," he explained. "Even here, change never comes easy for the spirits. Some of them are finding trouble adjusting. And others are reflecting the mood back in the world you know. It can be a little... turbulent sometimes."
"Looks like storm clouds," Asami thought aloud, idly wondering if she should've brought a rain poncho. She hadn't exactly expected there to be rain in the Spirit World.
Iroh nodded. "A storm is brewing," he said with a sip of his tea. "But storms come and go... this one may be pleasant. A nice nourishing rain for the ground to soak up."
"You always look on the bright side of things, don't you?" Korra asked, envying him for that.
"Staying positive can do more good than all the power of the cosmos," the elderly man said, setting his cup down and brushing a hand through his beard. "And between you and me? I think they may even be one and the same, sometimes."
"Well, if things are storming here... we may want to get back," Asami said. "The world still needs its Avatar."
"Looks like our vacation just got cut short," Korra said ruefully, sliding smoothly to her feet and stretching out her limbs.
"Story of our lives," Asami replied, setting her teacup down and politely pushing the tiny tray forward.
A boom of thunder sounded in the distance, and the wind began to pick up. Some of the spirits drifted away on the breeze, though Iroh continued to sip his tea without a care in the world. Even his long white hair was unruffled by the rising winds. At the sight of Asami and Korra leaving however, he bid them wait a moment as he reached under the table, searching for something.
"You two may wish to take this with you... I've had it for some time but never really found reason to use it. Perhaps you will instead," he said, holding up a white parasol in his hands and offering it to the closer of the two. Korra accepted it with the all the solemnness of earning a medal, bowing to Iroh as she examined the gift. The design was very old, but lovingly maintained. Curious, Korra unfolded the umbrella, marveling at the design found on its pale canopy. It was one she recognized well, having grown up with it.
"The White Lotus," she remarked, tracing a finger along the pale blue petals of the flower. Iroh nodded sagely.
"While a little rain never hurt anyone... sometimes it's nice to walk in the shade," he said wisely.
"Thank you very much for this kindness," Asami said, also bowing politely.
"Please, feel free to visit again sometime. Tea is always better with good company," Iroh said with a grandfatherly smile.
Both girls gave Iroh a hug as he enfolded them in his arms, great and strong as tree trunks still but with the warmth and gentleness of a favorite blanket. Asami even rewarded his kindness with a sweet little kiss on the cheek, causing the older man to fluster in quiet delight, pleased all the years hadn't dulled his touch with the ladies. Even if they were both far too young for him.
Iroh waved farewell as Asami and Korra turned from the clearing, stepping back into the trackless spirit wilds and groves. The skies overhead were reflected in the grounds below, where once things had seemed bright and cheerful, now they took on a more somber and dark look. Nothing truly scary, just sort of somber. Melancholy, Asami decided.
A happy sort of sadness.
In a way, it felt soothing. Like a smile after a long cry. Asami knew her past was littered with unpleasant memories, topped with the recent loss of her father, just after they'd started to mend their broken bonds. As the rain started to gently pour down atop of them, Asami angled the umbrella to keep them dry, stepping closer to her travelling companion as she did so. No matter the past, she was determined to remain focused on the future, and enjoy the time she had now. With who she was with now.
"So what do you think's in store for us next?" she asked as the Republic City portal came into view.
"Dunno. Could be civil unrest, Red Lotus members, dark spirits... or it could just be the end of the world," the Avatar said casually, almost rolling her eyes at the last one. "Again."
"We'll face it together then, won't we?" She didn't phrase it as a question. No matter where Korra went, she intended to be there.
"Of course we will," Korra answered all he same, looping an arm around Asami's waist and squeezing her close. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I," Asami whispered more softly, as she reached out and draped an arm around Korra's shoulders, drawing her in closer, sharing the umbrella's canopy and keeping warm and dry in each other's company as they strolled through the spirit portal and back into the material plane.
Re-emerging from the portal, the weather immediately shifted to a dry, cool wind, with not a cloud in the early morning sky. Folding up her umbrella, Asami and Korra traversed their way across the crater down to the docks, and then took the earliest ferry they could find over to Air Temple Island. If anyone would know what was going on in the world right now, it would be Tenzin.
And they were in luck, Tenzin and his family were settling down for their morning meal with the Air Acolytes and the Air Nomads when Korra and Asami arrived.
First, however, they had to deal with Korra's other best girl friend, as Naga came bounding joyfully over to them, nearly knocking Korra and Asami over as she lavished them with affection.
"Naga... ahh, how've you been girl?" The Avatar patted her faithful companion on the head and stroked the ivory fur as Naga lapped up the attention. She'd finally regained her feet when the others made it to them.
"Korra! You're back. How was your trip?" asked the bald Air Master, standing quickly and making his way over to them. His children followed, Ikki and Meelo all but zipping over to her side to pester her with questions, anxious to hear about their trip, while Jinora quietly stood nearby.
"It was fun," Korra decided. "We didn't mean to cut it so short but we definitely had some good times. We met up with an old friend in the Spirit World and shared in some tea and pai sho."
"It was very relaxing," added Asami, feeling her cheeks heat up a little at the thought of it. She didn't like sharing, she wanted to keep the moments she'd shared with Korra all to herself. Unconsciously, she began to fiddle with the umbrella behind her back.
"Well, we're glad you're back..." Tenzin started to say, but Korra politely cut him off.
"Have you there been any new crisises?" asked Korra, then frowned. "Crisi... cri... trouble? Has there been any new trouble?"
"Crises," Tenzin clarified gently, the plural of a crisis. "And no, there hasn't, but we have been noticing strange behavior amongst the spirits still here in Republic City. Visitors are saying they're acting... agitated. On edge. We were hoping you could offer some insight."
"We were hoping the same," Asami said. "The Spirit World was acting strange while we were there... like... like a big storm was coming."
"So we came here to see if things were alright," added Korra. "Guess it didn't matter after all."
"Well, regardless, we're very glad to have you back... why don't you join us for some breakfast?"
"That sounds lovely," Asami said, suddenly feeling very hungry. Spirit cakes and jasmine tea were very sweet but they did little to fill the belly.
Tenzin beckoned the two young ladies over to the table, and Pema had already dutifully prepared extra places for each of them.
"I see everything's been cleared up from the wedding... Varrick and Zhu Li must be on their honeymoon..."
"They departed shortly after you did," Pema said. "I believe they said they were heading to an island in the south, but didn't give specifics."
"Probably want their privacy," Asami guessed, smirking slightly. Oh, she could only imagine the kind of trouble those two could get up to...
"And where are Mako and Bolin?" asked Korra. She had a feeling the Avatar was going to need all of her usual teammates close at hand. Plus, it was always good to see the two bending brothers.
"Mako is still in the city but Bolin left for Zaofu a long time ago," Tenzin replied.
"What do you mean? Just how long were we gone?"
"Korra... it's been nearly two whole months."
Authors Notes:
Please review and favorite if enjoyed. Thanks to so many encouraging reviews, I worked past my great trepidation about a bigger story and continued writing.