At one time, the Glacier Spirits Festival had been a solemn event of fasting and meditation. That was a long time ago. Since then, the festival had evolved into a time of celebration and fun. As with previous years, the Glacier Spirits Festival came to the Southern Water Tribe filled with rides, amusement booths, games, music, and all manner of assorted and exotic foods. While certainly not the meditative and reflective event it used to be, ever since Korra had opened the spirit portals and solved the Vaatu incident, people no longer needed to worry about upsetting spirits with their frivolity. Even now, spirit lights danced in the sky, painting the night with a brilliant, colorful glow.
Korra and Kuvira sat watching these lights, cuddled together in one of the passenger cars of the large, rotating Varri-Wheel at the center of the carnival. Asami and Sinn sat together in the car in front of them, and Bolin and Opal in the car beyond that, along with baby San. In spite of the nighttime chill, a distinct warmth flowed through the soon-to-be married couple, a warmth strengthened by the comfort of holding each other in their arms. They had gone around on this wheel for the past twenty minutes, not bothering to do anything else. Right now, they were more than content watching the glowing sky above them and the carnival below, each time they reached the wheel's pinnacle as it rotated.
"You see?" Korra said, resting her head on her fiancée's shoulder. "I told you having our wedding during the festival would be a good idea. Gives everyone something to do in the meantime."
Kuvira eased out a pleasant breath, turning her gaze over the side of the car as the wheel brought them up to the top. She spotted Varrick and Zhu Li down below, sitting outside a food cart along with their four-year-old son, Iknik Jr. A short distance away from them, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, and Kai stood outside a game booth, firing water guns at targets. On the other side of the carnival, Azula, Anraq, and Kanna watched a performance of dancing otter penguins. Kuvira smiled, shifting her attention back to Korra.
"Yes, you were right," she said, with a soft chuckle. "The atmosphere is lovely, too. Everything is so festive. The spirit lights are particularly beautiful tonight."
"Mmm, they really are." Korra leaned closer to give her fiancée a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Not as beautiful as you, though."
A warm blush burned across Kuvira's face. "Korra, please."
The Avatar grinned. "What? It's true."
Kuvira only blushed further, doing her best to force away the pleasant smile growing across her face. "Is your plan here to be as disgustingly flattering as possible?"
"Oh, you like it," Korra insisted, slipping her arm farther around Kuvira's waist.
"Do not," she retorted.
"You're blushing."
"I am not."
Korra chuckled, and pulled Kuvira into her lap. "Come here, you."
Kuvira pretended to resist, but promptly wound up square in the Avatar's lap, leaning back against her. "Korra..."
The only response she received was a series of kisses trailing down her neck. The kisses ceased when they reached the collar of her winter coat, only to return upwards until they found her lips. There their lips remained, locked together in a long, drawn out kiss, tongues infiltrating each other's mouths with fervor. The Varri-Wheel rotated around once more to the very peak, where it came to a gentle stop.
Kuvira gradually pulled away from Korra's lips to look over the side of the car again, taking careful note of the fact that they were no longer moving. "We're up pretty high."
"And we're alone," Korra said, as she slipped off one of her mittens. Without warning, she lowered her hand down between her fiancée's legs. When her fingers made it into Kuvira's winter pants, they immediately elicited a surprised gasp from the matriarch's lips.
"Korraaa," Kuvira groaned, struggling to keep her voice down so no one in the cars below would hear her. "Someone will see."
"Not as long as we're all the way up here," she replied, with a mischievous grin. "Just try to keep it down."
Another shrill gasp burst from Kuvira's throat. "Korra, I'm not sure if—mmph." Her voice silenced, as the Avatar's other hand clamped over her lips.
"It's our last night as an unmarried couple," Korra whispered, while her fingers continued their work. Kuvira squealed, her voice muffled beneath the Avatar's fingers. "Just enjoy it."
Kanna giggled as she lifted herself up between her parents, holding onto either of their hands so she could swing back and forth. She had been nothing but smiles since arriving at the carnival, having never experienced anything like it before. The music, the lights, the rides, the games—overwhelming and thrilling for someone her age. A never ending series of wonders, one after the other.
"So, did you like the otter penguins?" Anraq said, glancing down at her with a smile.
Kanna grinned. "Yeah! They were really cute."
"What do you want to do next?" he asked.
"Umm..." She thought a moment, looking carefully around the carnival. As she did, a low grumble bellowed out from her stomach. "I guess I'm kinda hungry."
"Alright, Azula, can you get her some food?" Anraq said, as he let go of Kanna's hand. "I, uh... I need to go find a bathroom. I'll be right back."
"Well, don't be gone too long," Azula said, raising an eyebrow at him as he hurried off. Once he vanished into the crowd, she glanced down at her daughter and gently pulled her along by the hand. "Come on, let's find you something to eat."
Their search for food didn't last long. Kanna forgot her hunger, her interests immediately replaced when her gaze found a bundle of stuffed animals hanging down from a prize wall of one of the nearby game booths. She stopped walking so she could stare at them, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in wonder.
"Oooh! Mommy, Mommy!" she called, tugging at Azula's hand. "Look at the stuffed bison! Can I get one?"
Azula paused to glance back at the game booth, giving the bison a curious look. A stuffed animal? No harm in that, she supposed. Kanna had been quite good lately, and the poor girl hadn't had a new toy in ages. Yes, a stuffed animal would be perfect. Approaching the booth, she raised a hand to grab the man's attention behind the counter. "Excuse me, how much for one of those bison?"
The man raised an eyebrow, shifting a look back at the prize wall. "Oh, those aren't for sale. You gotta win them."
Azula frowned, narrowing a glare at the stuffed animals. "Oh, I see. How exactly do you play?"
"Simple." The man took a step off to the side and gestured at the table behind him, where a stack of ten glass bottles sat in even formation atop it. "You get three balls, and you throw them at those bottles there on the table. Knock all the bottles off and you win a prize."
"Well that seems silly and stupid," Azula muttered. "Why can't I just buy one?"
"Those are just the rules, Miss. You wanna play or not?"
Kanna gazed up at her mother with a pleading, almost desperate look. "Pleeeease, Mommy?"
Azula gave in with little resistance. Very well, if she couldn't simply buy the stuffed animal, she would have to win it. How hard could this silly game be? With a sigh, she reached into her coat pocket, pulled out the required fee to play, and slapped the coins down on the counter.
"Fine, give me the balls," she said, prompting a stifled snicker from the man. A groan of disgust bubbled into her throat. "What are you, twelve?"
The man simply raised his hands and stepped off to the side, allowing Azula a clear target. She grabbed one of the balls and took a moment to size up the bottles. A simple target, all things considered. With a stern focus, she wound up her arm and threw the ball as hard as she could. The ball smashed into the top level of the bottles, knocking several of them off the table with a dull clatter. Almost half of them, and she'd only used a single ball. Not bad. Still two more chances to get the rest of them. Maintaining focus, she grabbed the second ball, wound up, and threw it. Only two more bottles scattered off the table. Azula grumbled, and quickly grabbed the third ball. This time, the remaining bottles hardly budged when the ball struck them. A single bottle spun away from the impact, slowly teetering near the edge before falling off. Three bottles remained standing strong.
"Ohhh, so close," the man said, shaking his head. "Care to try again?"
Azula gave a quick glance back at Kanna, who looked up at her with a hopeful pout. Sighing, she reached into her pocket for the required fee again. "Fine. Another try."
Her next attempt didn't go much better. Exactly the same as her first attempt, she whittled down the bottles to the final few. Those three remaining bottles stood defiant, mocking her, daring her to try again. Azula huffed in annoyance, planting her arms angrily over her chest.
"Mommyyy, you gotta do better!" Kanna said.
"This is stupid," she said, glaring at the man in the booth. "The game is obviously rigged. Those bottles on the bottom are weighted down, aren't they?"
"Miss, the odds are the same for everyone," he said, with a simple shrug. "Some people just aren't skilled enough to win, no shame in that."
Azula's brow twitched at the subtle insult. She plunged her hand back into her pocket to pull out another bundle of coins, and slapped them down on the table. "One more try."
The man shook his head as he placed the three balls back on the counter, as if to pity her frustrated continuance. Azula ignored him. She grabbed the first ball, tossed it up and down in her palm for a moment, and glared at the bottles. As she wound up her arm this time, the ball ignited with a bright blue flame, causing it to streak through the air like a blazing comet when she threw it across the booth. The entire table exploded in a shower of splinters, sparks, and flames. The man screamed, ducking for cover. When the dust cleared moments later, the only thing left in place of the table was a smoking crater in the icy ground.
"Oh look, I've knocked all the bottles off the table. I guess that means I win." Azula flashed a triumphant grin, reaching into the booth to pluck one of the stuffed bison off the wall. "I'll be taking my prize now, if that's alright?"
"Uh huh..." The man slowly poked his head above the counter. "Sure thing. It's yours."
"There you go, sweetie," Azula said, handing over the prize to her daughter. "One stuffed bison."
"Yaaaay!" Kanna squealed, as she wrapped her arms around the fluffy toy in a tight hug. "Thank you, Mommy!"
Azula smirked, ruffling the girl's hair with her fingers. "You're quite welcome."
Eska and Desna stood off to the side near the amusement booths, watching with disinterest as the crowds wandered by. Every now and then, they would glance at each other in silent communication, before returning their attention straight ahead. They made no attempt at interacting with the carnival. They remained stiff and motionless, indifference painted across their faces.
"Why on earth did we ever decide to attend this carnival?" Desna said. "It's just as dull as I remember it."
"Because, Desna, there is nothing else to do here in the South," Eska replied. "At the very least, watching the people go by intrigues me."
"I suppose it is better than simply sitting in the palace doing nothing." Desna sighed, shifting focus towards the young man standing next to him. "Don't you agree, Hari?"
"Oh, yes," Hari said, with a quick nod. "Of course, Chief Desna."
One might not think much of Hari when first looking at him. His features were rather fair and unassuming, carrying a somewhat androgynous appearance with a skinny frame and long dark hair. Combined with his soft spoken voice and naturally shy demeanor, most might write him off as some frail kid not worth a second glance. They would be fools. Eska and Desna had hired him as their bodyguard for a reason.
As a former White Lotus guard, Hari was quite adept in combat, especially given his unique style. Although an earthbender trapped in the frozen tundra, he was no less dangerous. While his usual attire consisted of little more than modest Earth style garments, the large stone jar he carried on his back often appeared out of place. The jar itself, which he maintained by constantly bending it to lighten its load, was not what made him dangerous, but rather the sand that filled it. Taken from the Si Wong Desert, the sand gave him an effective weapon to utilize no matter where he was, even down in the South Pole where earth was highly limited. He certainly might not look like a formidable opponent, but he was nonetheless a fierce combatant, and sedulous about his work. That made him the perfect specimen to guard both Northern Chiefs.
Eska also glanced towards Hari, studying him closely. "I must say, you look very nice tonight. I am pleased."
"Indeed," Desna added. "You look even more appealing than usual."
"Oh. Thank you." Hari shifted with an awkward breath, lowering his gaze to the ground beneath him. "I didn't really do anything different than usual."
"Hmm, perhaps it is the way the light is hitting you," Eska said. "You have a certain glow about you."
He raised a confused eyebrow at her. "A glow?"
"Indeed." Eska nodded, focusing more intently on him. "Tell me, Hari, have you reconsidered my offer?"
Hari stiffened at the question, his eyebrows lifting higher. "You mean to give you children?"
"Yes, precisely. I will be in need of heirs, and sooner would be more preferable than later. You are a fine specimen, and quite a powerful bender. You would give me strong children. It is only fitting."
"Yes, um, that makes sense. I think." Hari's gaze wandered, swiveling back and forth across the carnival before finally settling on the ground again. "I'm just not really sure I'm, well, comfortable having kids with someone right now. I still don't really know you that well, and I'm still young. I don't think I'm ready for that."
"I see." Eska watched him a moment longer, and hissed out a disappointed sigh. "Well, the offer remains, whenever you feel you are ready. In the meantime, you may continue to satisfy yourself with Desna."
Hari jolted, practically jumping out of his boots at the insinuation. "What? I... I mean... You..." With a confused blink, he glanced to Desna. "You told her about that?"
"Of course," Desna replied, with a simple shrug. "Eska and I share everything. It was only natural that I would tell her about our physical relations."
"Indeed," Eska said. "Which is why I do not mind what you two do together while considering my offer. Although, even if you do not wish to have children with me, we may still do other things. If you wish."
Hari's face blushed bright red. He swallowed, glancing quickly back and forth between the twins. The heat in his cheeks burned hotter, prompting him to look away in desperate attempt to hide the embarrassment glowing across his face. "Oh, okay. I'll, um... I'll remember that."
Shortly after the twins turned their attention away from the blushing earthbender, a rather familiar figure wandered through the crowd nearby, a man they had not seen for quite some time. Although they did not make any attempt to get the man's attention, he spotted them a moment later and made his way towards them with a wave.
"Oh, hey Eska, hey Desna," Anraq said, as he approached
"Greetings, Anraq," Eska replied. "Are you enjoying the festival?"
"For the most part, yeah. What about you two?"
Desna shrugged. "Not really, no."
Eska turned a quick look towards her bodyguard. "Hari, I'm thirsty. Please bring me a beverage."
"Oh, of course, Chief Eska. Right away." Hari bowed, and scurried off to find a food cart.
Anraq watched him leave, before returning his attention to the twins. "So, who was she?"
"That is Hari," Desna said, "and he is male, actually, despite his traditional feminine qualities."
"Oh," Anraq said, as he stiffened with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It is fine," Eska said, with a simple shrug. "To answer your question, Hari is our bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Anraq narrowed a curious stare at the two chiefs. "Is that code for 'plaything'?"
Eska's lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk, in unison with her brother. "Perhaps."
"Right..." Anraq muttered, flicking his eyes back and forth between them. He knew them well enough to know what they meant by that.
"We heard that your daughter has returned to you," Eska said. "We are very pleased to hear this."
"Indeed," Desna added. "Kanna seems like she will be very strong, much like her father."
Anraq brightened at the mention of his daughter, a warm smile curling across his face. "Oh, thank you."
Eska nodded. "You are most welcome."
"Tell us, have you and Azula produced anymore children?" Desna asked.
"Uh, no," Anraq replied, with a lifted brow. "No more children."
"Perhaps in the future, then?"
"Well, uh, maybe." He glanced back and forth between the twins again, offering an awkward clear of his throat. "We haven't really discussed that."
"I think you two would produce very powerful children," Eska stated. "You should strive for as many as possible."
"Uh, right..." Anraq narrowed his eyes, glaring at the two of them. "I need to go now, in any case."
Eska smirked. "Farewell, my fearsome turtle duck. It was most enjoyable to see you again."
Shortly after Anraq disappeared into the crowd, Hari returned carrying a large container of juice. "Chief Eska, I have your beverage."
"Thank you, Hari." Eska took the drink in one hand and sipped at the straw. With her other arm, she wrapped it around one of Hari's and began to guide him through the carnival.
Desna came to Hari's other side and took hold of his other arm. "Come, let us find something more entertaining to do."
Lin huffed out an annoyed grumble, as she sat down at the table next to the snack booth. "I don't even know what we're doing here, Kya. I don't really do carnivals."
Kya set down their tray of food at the table and turned a grin towards her wife. "You didn't really do world traveling either, and now you're practically an expert."
"I have you to thank for that," she muttered, reaching for her plate of fried vegetables. No sooner than she went to take a bite, one of the other individuals at the table shoved a roasted hen on a stick in front of her face.
"Arctic hen?" Bumi said. "Bet you can't fit the whole thing in your mouth."
Lin frowned, shifting a glare towards the airbender across from her. Bumi was one of multiple others at the table, including Tenzin, Izumi, Toph, and Katara. "I am not shoving an entire arctic hen in my mouth."
"Ah, come on, Lin, lighten up and have some fun!" Bumi laughed, and gave the former police chief a friendly smack on the shoulder. He promptly made his own attempt at shoving the roasted hen into his mouth. "Let me show you how it's done."
"Bumi, no, you're going to choke!" Kya said, trying to yank the stick away from him. "Remember what happened last time?"
"Oh, don't be too quick to intervene," Tenzin said. "After all, we're here to have fun, right? Let him have his."
Kya raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her brother. "This coming from the biggest stiff of the bunch."
Tenzin returned the frown, stroking a hand along his beard. "Please, Kya, I am not a stiff. At least, not as much of one as Lin."
"Hey, I'm sitting right here," Lin muttered, as she finally started munching on her plate of vegetables.
Izumi sipped at her drink while watching them, eyes narrow behind her glasses. "You four can argue all you like, but we all know that I was the fun one growing up."
"Oh sure, when you weren't busy being the prim and proper one," Bumi said, with a roll of his eyes. "Which was all the time, I might add."
"Excuse me, but I liked to break the rules every now and then," she countered.
Kya scoffed. "Or tell on us for breaking the rules."
Izumi thought a moment, a subtle grin curling the corner of her lips. "Well, yes, that too."
"Ha!" Toph slashed a grin across her face and smacked her palm down atop the table. "As if any of you were big rule breakers. None of you had anything on Su. Oh man, she drove me crazy!"
"Well, that certainly is true," Lin muttered, with an affirmative nod. "No one knew how to cause a headache quite like her."
Katara folded her hands atop the table and offered a small chuckle of her own. "Let's not forget Zuko, Toph. Even after his turning over a new leaf, he could still cause a little trouble now and then."
"Hmph, you said it," Toph replied. "Honestly, Izumi got her level-headed nature from her mother, if you ask me."
"I certainly did," Izumi said, with a wistful sigh.
A brief pause descended over the table. Silence, broken only by the ambient carnival sounds emanating around them as they ate their snacks.
Tenzin raised his drink. The others did the same, joining their glasses against his. "To Suyin, and to Lord Zuko, loved ones we may never see again, but who will never be forgotten."
Anraq exhaled a heavy breath, swiveling a careful gaze around the carnival. He'd been gone a lot longer than he had intended. No doubt Azula and Kanna were both wondering where in the world he was by now. Not his fault, really. He'd been certain he would find what he was looking for by now, but apparently this place was a lot larger than he thought.
Brief contemplation of giving up crossed his mind. He could always try again later, after all. Should probably get back before he worried his family too much. His gaze made one more sweep across the crowds, and there they were: Korra and Kuvira, walking hand-in-hand through the carnival. His heart pulsed, pushing him into a run to greet them.
"Hey, there you guys are!" he called. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Anraq, hey," Korra said, greeting him with a smile. "What's up?"
"Uh, nothing much, really. I just, uh... Can I borrow Kuvira for a second?"
Kuvira raised an eyebrow, glancing towards her fiancée. "Oh, sure. I guess I'll be right back?"
Korra leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "Go ahead. I need to find a restroom, anyway."
"Sure thing, see you soon." When Korra was gone, Kuvira turned to her friend and gave him a curious stare. "So, what do you need?"
"Well, I just... I sort of need your advice on something," he said, clearing his throat. "You're the one who proposed to Korra, right?"
Kuvira's stare narrowed, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Yes...?"
"Okay, well, see, the thing is I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, and well..." Anraq huffed a sigh to steady his nerves. This would the first he'd told to anyone about this, but spirits he really needed the advice. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box. When he flipped open the top of it, he revealed a small gold band inside, etched with a dragon design along the sides, and a brilliantly cut garnet gemstone set on the top. "I've sort of been thinking of asking Azula."
"Oh!" Kuvira's eyes brightened when she saw the ring. "Anraq, that's wonderful."
Anraq flipped the box closed again and shoved it back into his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, I know, it's great and all, but I'm just... I'm not exactly sure how? Like, I know what I should say, or what I want to say, but just thinking about that moment makes me so nervous." A heavy, anxious groan heaved from his throat. "What if I screw it up? Or look like an idiot? I mean, I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and she's amazing with Kanna, but I don't know. Help me out?"
Kuvira offered a warm smile, and set a comforting hand atop her friend's shoulder. "Just be sincere, and tell her exactly how you feel about her. If it comes from the heart, you can't do it wrong."
"But what if she says no? I mean, we've never discussed this before, and I don't even know if she wants to be married."
"If she says no, then she says no," Kuvira said, with a simple nod. "It won't change anything between you. In any case, I don't think you need to worry. I have a pretty good feeling about it."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
Anraq exhaled, settling his nerves with a calming breath. "Well, okay then. I guess now I just need to figure out when to ask her."
"Just do it when it feels right," she insisted. "Whether you plan it, or it's spontaneous... You'll know."
"Right." He smiled, and gave her a parting wave as he departed back through the crowd. "Thanks, Kuvira."
"My pleasure," she replied.
Yula uttered a weak groan as her eyes flickered open. She tried to move, but her muscles didn't respond. Not so much as a single twitch of her fingers. Still paralyzed. Only her eyes managed any movement, able to partially shift back and forth as she stared upward from her backside. Darkness stared back at her. Pure, unrelenting shadow, and the occasional wisp of pale fog. Moments later, a frighteningly familiar face appeared above her, staring down at her with his seared, dead eyes.
Shin Tsang.
"You," she uttered, with a panicked gasp. The last time she'd seen him had been shortly after she stole Sen's essence during his ritual to remove it from Azula. She'd sent numerous scouting teams to Spirit Island afterward, hoping to find and detain him. He'd never surfaced, as though he had completely vanished from the island.
"Yes, me," he replied, with an insistent frown. "You didn't think I was going to forget about you, did you? After what you did, double crossing me, betraying my master?"
Yula blinked, and made another desperate attempt to move. No use. Her muscles remained stiff and motionless. Unable to move, unable to bend. Unable to escape. "How did you get off the island?"
"I have my ways. You might say the spirits guided me."
"Where are we?"
"The Spirit World." Shin Tsang crouched low so he could grab Yula by the shoulders. He lifted her upright and turned her around to face the towering stone pillar before them, a pillar with a large round door etched with glowing glyphs. "Specifically, we are in the presence of someone who would very much like to meet you."
An echoing, smooth-as-silk voice rushed in around her, as if from all directions at once. It was of a haunting tone, deep and callous, clawing its way into her mind with an icy, death-like embrace. "Hello, Yula. You have something of mine."
Yula stared with wild eyes, her heart sinking in her chest like a stone in water. "Sen...?"
"Correct," the spirit replied. "You stole my essence and took it as your own, something which Azula did before you. Just like her, you betrayed me, insulted me, and mocked me with your human arrogance. Now, that all changes. Now, I will have my essence returned to me."
Shin Tsang tugged Yula along, dragging her towards the stone door of Sen's prison. Try as she might to resist, she still couldn't move a muscle.
"No... No, please, you can't!" she shrieked. "Stop!"
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Shin Tsang yanked her forward and forcibly placed her palm flat against the door of the prison. As soon as her flesh met stone, a searing, white-hot pain surged through every facet of her being.
"NOOOO!"
Her eyes flared wide, and so too did her mouth. Bright beams of light erupted from them, eyes and mouth alike, as two glowing wisps floated outward from the core of her throat. The first was larger, and far brighter than the other. Sen's essence. The second was smaller, weaker, paling in comparison to the one belonging to the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. Yula's essence, ripped free from her body. Within seconds, both wisps absorbed into the stone door. Yula crumpled motionless to the ground, her now soulless eyes staring blankly forward, and her mouth gaping open in frozen horror.
The glyphs along the stone door glowed brighter, surging with blinding light. A shrill hum filled the air, accompanied by an incessant ringing that drowned out all other sounds. The ground trembled, and soon the entire spire quaked in violent defiance of its own existence. Long, spidery cracks ruptured across the structure. Another rumble, another quake, and the entire prison burst to pieces, little more than a cascading shower of stone and dust. A great spirit emerged free from that storm, bearing the form of a giant gejigeji insect, its long twisted legs skittering along the ground as it went. An echoing cackle of triumph followed, booming through the air.
"At last!" Sen exclaimed. "After so long, I am free!"
Shin Tsang gazed up at the ancient spirit and took a knee out of respect. "Now, all that remains is for you to return to the physical world and carry out your will."
"Yes," the spirit replied, coiling around the man with a whispering hiss. "Although, I will need a vessel to carry myself into the physical world. I will be weaker, for a time, and will need to regain my strength before I can exist outside the Spirit World in my true form."
"I offer myself to you," Shin Tsang said, with a simple bow of his head.
Another booming chortle erupted. "You have served me well, Shin Tsang."
The process took but a moment. Sen's body faded into a glowing wisp, coiling down through the darkened sky straight into Shin Tsang's chest. Brilliant light exploded outward, searing away the choking darkness around them. Silence followed. The light settled, and darkness returned. When the figure stood from his kneeling position, no longer did Shin Tsang exist behind those dead, blank eyes. There was only Sen.
The Spirit of a Thousand Faces grinned, and flexed the arms of his new, human body. "Ah, that is much better. Now, where are those spirit portals?"
