Hello all! I meant to update this earlier, but life. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's one of my favorites. *heart*

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Chapter 29

The Glacier Spirits Festival

"We're almost here, Asami. Close your eyes," Korra called over her shoulder, her trademark grin on her face.

Asami tightened her grip on Korra's waist the second she shut her lids. "Where exactly are we going, Korra?"

"You'll see."

"Not with my eyes closed."

A minor pout spread onto her lips. "You know what I mean, Asami." She leaned back and nudged the girl's cheek with the side of her head before returning to her hunched position. "Keep going, Naga. Right over there, at the front entrance. No, the other entrance."

The trio sped along until Korra slowed them into a halt.

She twisted around so that she could see Asami's reaction. She took a mental note of the rosy color on the woman's pale cheeks and nose, blushing a bit in response. Once it faded, she spoke. "You can look now."

Asami cracked her lids to reveal a rather large festival before her. There were small, colorful tents strewn about the grounds, varying in size, height, and offerings. Matching, alternating banners hung in sways along the border, some of which held small lamps for the nighttime activities. In the center of it all was a giant wheel that had small boxes on its caged construction. There were several people inside as it spun around at a slow speed. "What is all of this, Korra?" There was a bit of wonder in her voice; she never would have expected such a gathering in such a frozen, barren area.

"This is the Glacier Spirits Festival." She hopped off of Naga and offered her arm to Asami.

Asami grabbed her wrist and landed on her feet. She joined Korra's side as they approached the entrance.

"You have to head back, Naga. You know they won't allow you here after what happened the last time."

She lowered her head and whimpered.

"What happened last time?"

"Naga kinda… stole someone's giant ball from one of the booths and popped it."

Asami eyed the sad animal in disbelief. "Why would you pop it, Naga?"

"It was an accident." Korra clarified, stepping in for her companion. "She saw it and got excited and wanted to play, but we didn't know that it was a weak ball. Her jaws clamped right through it."

"Aww, poor Naga." Asami walked up to the polar bear dog and scratched her ear. "We'll have to get you a better ball to play with."

She hopped up in excitement and licked Asami's cheek.

"I think you two are going to be best friends at this rate," Korra chuckled, joining in on the petting. Once the commotion was over, she continued her instruction. "Don't worry, girl. We'll be fine. Head back home, okay? I'll see you later tonight."

Naga whined and rubbed her face against Korra's cheek until they were in a gentle embrace.

"I love you, too," Korra whispered, content with her polar bear dog in her arms.

Naga pulled away and nudged Asami.

Asami ruffled her fur and smiled.

"Alright, girl. Get going, and be safe."

She barked and sped off, eager to follow Korra's command.

Korra watched Naga until she was out of sight. She turned back to Asami and grinned. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely."

They spun back to the entrance and walked through the colorful gates side by side.

"What do you want to do first, Asami? There's games and food and music and all sorts of things."

Her peridots examined all that the festival had to offer that was in her immediate sight. "How about we just walk around for a little bit? You can tell me all about this festival."

"Gladly." Korra took a step closer as they strolled around the various tents and vendors. The sun was about three-fourths of its way through its journey across the sky, forcing shadows to spread at their feet. "The Glacier Spirits Festival originated as a means for the Northern and Southern Water Tribes to strengthen their connection to each other, as well as to serve as a means to communicate with the Spirits."

"Communicate with the Spirits?"

She nodded. "There are practices and rituals that Water Tribe people would go through to interact with the Spirits. Most of it was through group meditation. Sometimes, the Spirits would reveal themselves as lights in the sky, or even speak to them in their own form."

"But how is that possible? I thought the Spirit World and the Mortal World are separate."

Korra smiled, impressed with Asami's knowledge on the matter. "They are, but during the year, the worlds get closer and closer together. At the winter solstice, they are so close together that it's possible to reach out and talk to the Spirits. That's why the festival starts a week before the solstice, so that we can prepare."

Asami glanced around her, observing the decorations and people wandering about. "It doesn't seem like it's very ritualistic anymore."

"Yeah, you're right," Korra sighed, looking away from her. "The carnival has pretty much taken over most of the traditional activities. But it's still fun, though. Here, I'll show you."

She took Asami by her wrist and jogged over to one of the booths. In it were several targets beside one another, each resembling a fish. There was a hole in their open mouths and spray nozzles on the counter opposite of them, nearest to the pair. Small, deflated rubber sacks hung from the tops of the fish heads. Stuffed prizes lined the walls, consisting of various animals from around the Southern Water Tribe.

"We want in." Korra lined herself up at one of the spouts, aiming for the fish in front of her. "Come on, Asami. Grab one."

The booth manager, an older man dressed in blue robes, lifted his arms above his head. A soft rumbling and shaking emerged from the jets, indicating the creation of water pressure from the man's Bending.

Asami raised an eyebrow and took the spot next to Korra.

"The rules are simple: you squeeze the trigger, aim for the mouth, and try to get that balloon on top full. The first one to pop wins a prize."

Seems easy enough.

Asami lowered herself until she was level with the sights of the nozzle.

"Ready? Set –"

"You're going down, Sato."

"Go!"

They gripped their triggers and the water shot out of the spout. Korra and Asami were neck and neck.

Korra's tongue was sticking out in concentration. She observed Asami in her peripherals.

How is she so good at this already?

Their blue balloons were almost full, each one looking like it was going to burst at any second.

When they heard a pop to their left, they straightened and released their triggers to find the culprit. A small boy with short brown hair and blue clothes jumped up in joy, his grin revealing a missing front tooth.

"We have a winner!" The owner grabbed one of the stuffed tiger seals and handed it to the child.

He took the toy and hugged it to his chest. "Thanks, mister!" Without a second to spare, he skipped away, calling to his parents in excitement.

Korra and Asami gaped at the boy, nozzles loose in their hands.

"That's the look of two people who can't believe they lost to a child." The man chuckled, adjusting the cuffs on his coat. "It happens more often than most people think. Would you care to play again?"

"How about it, Asami?"

She met her challenging oceans with fierce peridots. "Let's go."

They bent over to their spouts and waited for the starting call, oblivious to the others around them. As much as they tried, they were handed the same defeat from the palms of a little girl to their right.

"Again?"

"Again."

The pair went through about ten more rounds in their stubbornness, more focused on competing with each other than with the kids who kept beating them. Claims of 'my balloon was fuller than yours' and 'my shot was more on target' went back and forth until their shoulders ached from the crouching.

"Staying for another round, ladies?"

Korra lifted her palm and declined. "I think we're going to try some of the other ones. But thanks!"

"Not a problem. Enjoy the festival!" He waved as they left.

They meandered around the tents, closer to each other than before. The pleasant aroma of warm food drifted into their noses, pulling them into a designated course. When they arrived, Asami's brow scrunched in confusion. She watched a young couple in front of her receive a fluffy bundle of pink stuff on a stick. They walked away with smiles, removing small pieces of the fuzz and –

Eating it?

Asami approached the counter with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion in her eyes. Korra was beside her, containing her drool over the smell of the popcorn.

"Do you want to try some?" Korra motioned with a shift of her head to the ball of sugary threads on the side of the booth; she noticed that they had caught Asami's eye.

"What is it? I've never seen anything like it."

"I'll show you."

The woman running the booth handed Korra a stick with blue fluff on the top. Korra led Asami to a more deserted corner of the tent and pulled a piece off. She lifted it to Asami's red lips and smiled. "Try it. I think you'll really like it."

Hesitation sparked inside of her. She almost reached for the fuzz when she remembered that her gloves weren't exactly the cleanest piece of her clothing right now. Her peridots flicked between the blue fluff in front of her and the oceans staring at her in anticipation. It was the goofy crooked grin that got her. Her cheeks reddened. With a gentle inhale, she ate the sugar strings from Korra's fingers.

She wasn't expecting such a rush of sweetness. The fluff dissolved in her mouth once it hit her tongue. Small, delicious crystals remained until they, too, liquefied into nothingness.

"Woah."

"Do you like it?"

Asami nodded and pulled another piece off, dirty gloves be damned. She popped it into her mouth and smiled. "What is this stuff, Korra?"

"It's cotton candy. They don't have this in Republic City?"

She shook her head and removed a rather large chunk.

"Hey! Save some for me!" Korra grabbed a bit and tilted her head back. She dropped it in and hummed.

Their eyes met when she straightened. They couldn't contain their laughter for a second longer.

Unfortunately for Korra, she had let her guard down for just a moment too long.

Asami snuck in and took the stick right out of Korra's hands. She shot her a sly smirk before taking off, cotton candy in her fist.

"Hey, get back here, Sato!" Korra chased after her, smiling the whole time. She dodged several festival goers in her pursuit and caught up to Asami when half the cotton candy was gone. Her arms flung around the woman's torso, bringing her to a giggling halt.

"Okay, okay, you got me –" Asami twisted her head just as Korra took a huge bite out of the treat.

Korra snuck the stick out of Asami's grip and released her, consuming what remained of the dessert.

All Asami could do was laugh. She joined the Korra's side and nudged her with her elbow. "Gotcha."

"Me and half the cotton candy."

She chuckled. "I couldn't help it. It was so good and you're too adorable." Asami froze in her spot after the words left her mouth. Her cheeks burned from embarrassment. She searched for a diversion, hoping to find something before Korra noticed her blushing and what she had said. "Hey, what's that game?" She pointed and scurried over to a blue booth.

There were several large stone cups stacked up into a triangle: three on the base, two in the middle, and one on the top. Similar stuffed animal prizes were hung along the walls.

Korra caught up to Asami and gave her a knowing smirk before turning her attention to the woman in the booth.

"This here is a snowball toss. You get three snowballs. If you knock over all the cups, you get a prize."

"Ha! I can do this!" Korra grinned and cracked her knuckles, determination on her face. "Okay, Asami. I'm gonna win you a prize." She picked up one of the snowballs and rubbed her hands around it, feeling its compaction. "Which one do you want?" She shifted her stance, preparing herself to throw.

"Maybe you should win first, Kor –"

The crash of every single cup off of its platform interrupted her.

She got it in one throw? How?

Korra turned to Asami with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression no less than absolutely smug. "I'm a snowball champ, Asami. Now, which prize do you want?"

Asami glanced at each of the stuffed animals with an eyebrow raised. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a toy like these. But this wasn't just any plush; it was one that Korra had won for her, even if the victory was effortless in comparison to the balloon game. She looked over her options with care, unsure of how to rank them or what some of them even were. She was familiar with only one animal in the Southern Water Tribe. "I wish they had polar bear dogs, so I could get my own Naga."

"Why get a toy when you have the real thing?" Korra beamed, oblivious for a moment to what Asami meant. "But if you want a polar bear dog –" she turned to the booth and scanned the stuffed animals, finding no polar bear dog in sight, "then I'm gonna find you a polar bear dog." She took Asami's hand and bolted.

"Wait, Korra, what about the prize you won here?"

"Give it to the next kid who comes to your booth!" Korra called to the woman in the blue tent over her shoulder. She brought her focus back to the stands in front of her, her eyes searching for a polar bear dog plush at every tent.

Asami didn't know why, but she couldn't stop laughing. Perhaps it was the ridiculousness of their situation. Perhaps it was the faint lingering of her exhaustion. Or perhaps it was just an overwhelming amount of joy. Whatever it was, it made her feel good – better than she had in a long time. So she put on a smile and enjoyed it, following Korra, their fingers locked, on their pursuit for a stuffed animal.

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