A/N:

Hey all. A quick warning. This chapter has some Kyoshi novels spoilers. It's not very arc-specific, mostly about her origin, but if you're worried, you can skip a little once you get to the word "Kyoshi." :D Enjoy!

Previously: Yue woke Korra in the middle of the night because she sensed a wounded animal in the distance. The trio went to help it. Korra was hesitant because she only just treated small cuts up to that point, but after encouragements from both Asami and Yue, she eventually managed to seal the wound. Once done, she admitted that it felt thrilling, and not at all wrong. Asami was so in awe of Korra, that Yue had to make herself scarce so the girlfriends could have some alone time (while she herself used the time to speak to Mara and plan their rendezvous in Omashu.) (It's very domestic.) Asami and Korra had an important conversation about their group dynamic and how Asami feels about it all. They're very much in love.
Also: Yue taught Korra how to mind bench press so Korra could practice Mindbending heavier weight.

Chapter 6

They were sitting at the outskirts of Omashu, waiting for the water to boil for lunch.

"I can just…" Korra tried.

"Nope," Yue objected.

"Heat this up real quick!"

"It's lifting time, Korra. Lift."

"But I hate it," Korra whined. Still, she started doing the mind bench-pressing exercises nonetheless.

Asami chuckled from her place by the fire. "I really do need to put together a self-heating traveling pot," she mused.

"That's a really good idea and I'd totally buy like, five from you," Yue commented before turning back to the Avatar. "I have to say, Korra, I didn't peg you as someone who hates working out."

"I love working out," Korra protested. "And obviously I understand the importance of this, and can already see a huge difference in just a week. But it's boring! And repetitive. I love a fun workout."

"Yeah, she never complains when we spar," Asami contributed.

"Gee, I wonder why she wouldn't complain about getting sweaty with her girlfriend," Yue rolled her eyes. "You want fun, Korra?"

"I really, really do."

"How fun would it be if you could Mindbend a fucking ocean?" Yue challenged.

"Okay, point taken. I'd like to do that." When she saw the horrified expression on Asami's face, she was quick to add "hypothetically!"

"What's the plan for tonight, by the way?" Asami questioned. "We're staying out here until tomorrow, or…?"

"Actually," Yue was grateful for the opening. She has rehearsed the gist of what she was going to say. "How about we all take a night off? You can even skip lifting tonight."

Korra looked at her in utter shock. "I'm sorry. Who are you? Because this feels like a trap."

Yue narrowed her eyes. "We're at a big city. It doesn't happen all that often. Get a hotel room, spend the night together somewhere nice. You know, like a normal couple? What do you think?"

"And what, pray tell, will you be doing?" Korra eyed her suspiciously.

"I will be meeting some acquaintances," Yue recited her rehearsed reply.

"Friends?" Korra questioned with a dangerous smirk. "I didn't know you had any other friends."

"Cute."

"What? You don't wanna introduce us?" Asami teased.

"Are you ashamed of us?" Korra poked her in the ribcage.

"Naturally."

"Ugh, this isn't as fun when you play along and refuse to get annoyed," the Avatar huffed.

"Oh, I can assure you, I'm plenty annoyed. But hey, if you'd rather we stick to our regular programming tonight…"

"No, no!" Korra cut her off. "I'll take the night off from training and a hotel room with my girlfriend, thank you very much!"

She spotted her easily, even from up above. The ever-confident stance of the taller woman was enough of a give-away, but Mara was also standing in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by nothing with the exception of Paco and Silo.

Mara herself looked up the moment she recognized the sound of a bison's flight. Even from afar Yue could tell that her face split into a smile.

Tui sped up, also excited for the reunion. Still, she was careful not to squash anyone as she landed, aware that she was the biggest creature in the group.

"Hey," Yue said softly, smiling at her favorite person.

"Hey yourself. Come here often?"

Mara took a step to close the distance between them, but before she had a chance, Yue was assaulted to the ground by Silo.

"I knew he'll be happy to see you but this is ridiculous," Mara shook her head.

"It's just because he can smell Naga, which means this will happen all over again once I'm reunited with her tomorrow," Yue groaned.

"Aww, should we start talking about matchmaking?" Mara offered Yue her hand and helped her up.

"Not the worst idea. They'll be adorable together," Yue mused as she let herself be led back to her feet.

"Hey, love of my life," Mara quickly wrapped her arms around Yue's waist.

"Hey, love of mine," Yue gave her a dazzling smile.

Tui passed by, demanding a caress from Mara. But once she received one, she kept moving along, knowing she was wasting precious reunion time.

"You're a sight for sore eyes. Were you always this beautiful?" Mara inquired.

"Darling, you're such a fucking cliché," Yue noted, but it didn't stop her from grabbing Mara's shirt and pulling her down for a deep kiss. She hummed as the arms around her waist tightened, while hers found Mara's neck.

Mara sighed in content. "I missed you so fucking much. Can we… never do this again?"

"Well, you pushed me to do this. And now we've barely scratched the surface."

"You needed to do this."

"I know, I know. I'm just being an ass. I missed you, too. I'm really glad you came."

"You smell like…"

"Like?"

"Like you've been on the road for two months," Mara pointed out. "Sure you don't want us to get a room somewhere? Somewhere nice?"

"I'm sure. I don't want to share you with a city full of people. But that doesn't mean I won't appreciate a shower," she gestured at a little lake further down a path. "Is that something that might be of interest to you?"

Mara grinned. "Okay you guys," she addressed Silo, Paco and Tui. "You need to clear out. Mommy and mommy are in need of some alone time."

Tui and Silo voiced their disappointment. Each one of them missed the owner they haven't seen in a while. Paco, at least, got to travel back and forth.

"Hey, I don't make the rules," Mara shrugged. "Well actually, I guess I do. Come back in hours and hours from now."

The trio grunted, but went exploring.

"Hours and hours?" Yue quirked her eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

"What I have in mind is very slow, and methodical."

"I love methodical."

"Oh, I'm very aware."

"What do you think Yue is doing right now?" Korra pondered. They checked in to their hotel room, showered, and took some alcoholic beverages with them out to the gorgeous balcony.

"I don't know," Asami shrugged. "Playing Pai Sho?"

"Honestly, that's not out of the realm of possibilities."

"Something bothering you?"

"Not… exactly. It's just… aren't you bothered that we've been travelling together for two months and we still don't know all that much about her?"

"Not really," Asami admitted.

"But… Asami, you're the curious one!"

"We're both pretty curious. I'm the scientifically-curious one," Asami corrected.

Korra seemed unsettled.

"Do you no trust her?" Asami asked softly.

"It's just… I've been too trusting in the past, and I like her. You know?"

"I do know, Korra. Two months ago she was a stranger, and now she's a friend. So she doesn't want to talk about her past. So what? It sounds like it wasn't great."

"I know. You're right. Am I just cautious, or am I nosy? It's not my intent to be disrespectful."

"Of course not, Baby, I know that. And think about it. I don't like to talk about how my mom died, either."

"But you did tell me about it."

"Yeah. Because you're my partner, and the love of my life, and I've known you for years. As you pointed out, she's known us for two months."

"Yeah, you're right."

"What brought this on? You've been fine with her for months, happy to learn from her."

"It's just because of tonight. She keeps things vague. But you're right. She's been vulnerable with us. From day one. She Bloodbent in front of me knowing I'm the Avatar and what that might mean."

"She also slept next to us every day for months. Whatever her life looks like outside of this, consider the fact that she put it on hold in order to come and do this with you."

"Do you ever wonder why?"

"No, because I don't know what is that life she leads. But I do know this. She's not malicious, just opens up slowly. Consider her story about how she met Tui. You want input into who she is? She's giving it to you. With actions? Constantly. With information? A little slower."

"Yeah. I guess it's just that she knows so much about me, so that gap feels big."

"You're a public figure and she's literally an Avatar specialist. Listen, you're outgoing, and loud, and wear your heart on your sleeve. Not everyone is like that. Try not to measure her in Korra standards. Okay? I know you've been through a lot, but you don't have to always control every situation. We made a new friend. She needs to learn to trust us, too. Think you can let go of some of this need for control?"

"I don't know," Korra smiled at her suggestively. "Can I?"

"Huh. This sounds like a proposition."

"That's because it is."

She made her way back to their rendezvous point, day dreaming about the previous night and Mara's hands all over her body. She bit her lip. She was fully committed to this journey when she left home, and day to day, being busy with training Korra, she managed pretty well. But seeing Mara made the longing hit her in full force. She was debating how much longer she could do it. And if she couldn't, she wondered how change would look like.

And how soon is too soon?

Her relationship with Korra and Asami was still new, fragile. They may have spent two months together, 24/7, but there were corners of her soul that she couldn't show them just yet, even though some days every fiber of her being screamed at her to let them in.

She spotted them at a park below. Korra was playing fetch with Naga while Asami was writing notes in her notebook furiously.

Tui landed softly right next to Asami's bench. Yue could see right away that her friend seemed well rested.

"Well hello there," Asami shut her notebook. "How was your night?"

"It was…" very satisfying. And not nearly satisfying enough. "Good," she said, trying to decide what else she could add when she was tackled to the ground by Naga, who, just as Yue anticipated, provided a redo of Silo's greeting from the evening before.

"Naga!" Korra scolded. "Down girl! You've seen Yue yesterday. What is it with her?" Korra scratched her head, dumbfounded.

"Jealous, Avatar? Never had to compete for the attention before?" Yue smirked, her face was attacked by Naga's tongue a second later.

"As if," Korra huffed, offering a hand to help Yue up. But when they came face to face with one another Korra spotted something. "Is that a hickey?" she asked, scandalized.

"What? No!" Yue was quick to cover her neck. Dammit, Mara!

"Well well, it seems like your night was good," Asami got off the bench, stepping closer to take a look.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and besides, how was your night?" she challenged.

"Oh, our night was also good," Asami smiled innocently. "Difference is, you knew it would be when you practically pushed us to have a night alone together. This hickey of yours is a new development."

"It is not a new development and it is not a hickey," Yue protested. "Can we please go on about our day?! We have a lot to cover!"

"Oh, I like this new flustered Yue," Korra noted.

"She's quite adorable," Asami agreed.

"I'm not flustered," Yue huffed. "I'm worried about your training. Your time off is officially over. Did you lift this morning?"

"This diversion of yours is so obvious that it's embarrassing. But I, the benevolent Avatar, choose to stop torturing you now. Remember this day."

"You're insufferable," Yue crossed her arms. "Do you wanna see the mail system slides from up close or not?"

"Lead the way, you stud."

"Okay, I'm willing to admit, this is really cool," Korra's face was full of glee.

"Isn't it?" Asami agreed, looking at the slides like a kid in a candy store.

"Did Aang actually use this as a slide?" Korra addressed the group's historian.

"He did."

"I always thought Katara was just exaggerating, but it does look like a lot of fun."

"Korra." Asami warned.

"What? I'm not gonna try it! Jeez!"

"Good, because I've seen you drive and I have no will to see you go down one of these."

"You know you can just teach me to be a better driver, right?"

But Asami ignored her, or otherwise thought she was a lost cause. "I think there's actually a plaque somewhere, commemorating Aang's little trip down this thing."

Yue and Korra looked at her in surprise.

"What? I told you I visited before. And I may have…" she blushed and mumbled the rest of the sentence "been an Avatar super-fan as a kid."

"What? How did I not know this," Korra smiled smugly. "But it all makes so much sense now. This whole 'relationship,'" she pointed between them, "dating Mako, becoming my friend first, was just a ploy."

"Ugh. I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"A ploy to get in the Avatar's pants."

"I hate you."

"Hey, you said it, not me, Super-fan." Korra pulled her girlfriend closer.

"Used to be!" Asami protested.

"And now?" But the moment Korra asked, she knew she made a mistake.

"Now?" Asami gave her a dangerous smile. "Now the Avatar is a super-fan of mine."

They kept touring for a couple more hours. Yue did most of the explaining, but every now and then Asami chimed in with some additional engineering facts. They also managed to find the plaque, which Korra wanted to pose for a picture by.

"Avatar hi-five!" she announced and slapped her hand on the plaque just as the street photographer took the photo.

"I think I'm going to frame this," Asami chuckled. "You look really cute."

Korra mumbled something unclear in response, but Yue was almost certain she heard the words 'super-fan.'

Eventually, they found another park and sat down to rest for a bit, looking at some of the city maps Yue had with her.

"I feel like Aang managed to get away with a lot because he was a kid," Korra observed.

"He managed to get away with a lot because there was war and chaos," Yue pointed out.

"Fair point. My first day in Republic City I got the chief of police to hate me and arrest me."

"Well she loves you know," Asami reminded.

"I think you're right, though who's to say," Korra shrugged, making Yue snort. She didn't need explanations. She knew Toph.

"Thanks for letting us be tourists for a day," Asami put her head on the grass. "It was so fun."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm not the boss of you," Yue giggled.

"You're a little bit the boss of us," Korra noted. But when she saw Yue's face she was quick to add "but we love it!"

"We really do," Asami agreed.

"Back home we have so many responsibilities. It's nice to be led around," Korra explained. "And it must be exhausting for you. So thanks," she offered Yue a soft smile.

"Well, I'm really glad you had a nice time," Yue opened her bag and took out a box. "I figured we should eat before we head out of town. Dumplings anyone?"

"Oh, yes please. I didn't realize how hungry I was," Korra snapped the box from Yue's hands and took off the lid. She shoved a dumpling into her mouth immediately. "Oh my goodness. Asami, you have to try one. Or five. Where did you get these? They're fucking incredible."

"Oh, um, just a little place I know in town."

"What's it called?" Korra insisted.

"Um… The House of Mara," Yue provided. Very smooth, Yue, she thought.

"Well, thanks for sharing. We'll have to check the place next time we're in town," Korra smiled and shoved another dumpling into her mouth.

"Sure," Yue offered her a tight smile. Good luck with that, she thought.

"I miss being a tourist and eating yummy Omashu dumplings," Korra whined, doing her morning mind bench-presses the following day.

They were back on the road, exhausted more than usual after their first, post night-off night.

"But look how good you're getting!" Yue observed, and she meant it. Korra was an insanely quick study.

"Should I sit on top of one of these blobs?" Asami suggested, very visibly thrilled by the idea.

"Ohhhh that's a good idea! And I'll sit on the other one!"

"Are you guys out of your mind? I can hardly keep my eyes open," Korra protested.

"Do you want a day that is more easy and fun?" Yue took pity on her friend.

"Wait, that's an option? I didn't know that was an option!"

"It's not always an option," Yue clarified, "because, you know, you wanna be good at this," she gestured at the water Korra was lifting, "but there's something I wanted to show you."

Korra finished her last lift and let the water drop back into the little pond they slept by.

"What are we doing?" Korra asked, already more excited than she was the moment before.

"Well, for the time being, I'll be the only one doing it. You just get to play."

"What are we playing? Can I join?" Asami inquired.

"You absolutely can. Korra, do you remember our conversation about using bending as a hobby?"

"Of course she does. She gives you crap, but just so you know, yesterday when we took a bath she totally ignored me to create some marbles," Asami scoffed.

"And then I did not ignore you anymore and if memory serves right you had no complaints whatsoever!"

"Anyway," Yue pushed through, "here's another one of those." She turned to the pond and Mindbent a blob up, quickly shaping it like a bowling pin.

"Oh, no way!" Korra laughed.

Yue smiled at her and repeated the process. "This is a little thing I like to call… Ice Bowling."

"Won't it melt?" Asami tilted her head.

"It might. I'll create the lane on the water. It's colder." A lane was Mindbent into existence a moment later, starting at the edge of the pond that was closest to them, and going deeper into the pond.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing you do this," Korra admitted while Yue was completing the set. "There's always some new trick."

"You'll get used to it because you'll do it, too. And it's all the same trick, just being utilized differently," Yue shrugged and bent three icy balls. "Now, who wants to go first?"

They played for 45 minutes. Asami kicked their butts.

"How are you so good at this?!" Korra demanded. "And how did I not know you're so good at this?"

"You don't know everything about me, Avatar," Asami winked. "Still got a thing or two I can teach you."

"Oh, there's a whole lot more you can teach me," Korra smirked.

"Are you two flirting? I can't tell. So I don't know whether or not I should be invested in whatever it is you wanna teach Korra."

"Hush, hickey girl," Asami crossed her arms for emphasis.

Yue groaned.

"Hey, let's play again!" Korra suggested.

"You're not gonna beat me," Asami warned, recognizing the situation for what it was.

"We'll see about that."

"No Waterbending!" She knew exactly what Korra was thinking.

"Is this still part of the flirting?" Yue intervened.

"Yes!" They replied simultaneously.

"But seriously," Korra turned to her friend. "Can we?"

"Sure," Yue bent the pins into puddles. "Just as soon as you bend us a new set of pins. The perfect precision training."

"Oh man! It'll take me forever to craft!" Korra pouted.

"Yep," Yue agreed. "Which means we should be good to squeeze a game right before dinner. Laters!"

She interlocked her elbow with Asami's and left Korra alone to do her crafting.

The pins weren't quite as graceful as Yue's, but Korra did a decent job which she proudly presented to them. She had to admit that the marble exercise helped, and she liked the idea of being able to just conjure herself a bowling lane whenever she felt likes it.

So they played. And Asami won again, and kissed her pouting girlfriend on the forehead before they all sat down for dinner. Yue still had some dumplings left so she shared with her friends as part of the meal.

Once they were done, Asami left them so she could radio Varrick about the upcoming cloud seeding experiment they scheduled for the following week. They were nearing the swamp and Asami was wondering how condensed the clouds would be above the humid area. It wasn't just the swampness of it all, it was also the spiritual presence.

Korra and Yue found themselves alone, and not for the first time. They were enjoying a hot cup of tea.

"You look… calm," Yue noted.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Taking a day off and then mixing things up a bit was good. Playing was obviously fun, but you're right. All these… shaping exercises are somewhat meditative, while also leading to something substantial. There's a lot of comfort in that," she smiled.

"Well I'm happy to hear that. And since you're in such a good mood, there's something I wanted to discuss with you for a while now and kept postponing."

"Uh oh."

"No, no. It's nothing bad. Basically more homework."

"And that's not bad?" Korra snorted and earned herself a wide grin in return. "I keep making jokes, but I don't want you to think I'm lazy," Korra added, suddenly self-conscious.

"Please, I've never seen anyone work so hard, with the exception of myself," Yue chuckled. "It's okay to hate annoying, monotone exercises."

"Is this gonna be another one of those?"

"Actually, this is something completely different." She could see her friend was at least intrigued, if nothing else. She got up and climbed onto Tui's saddle, where her big duffle bag was. She took something out and re-joined Korra, handing her the item.

Korra scanned the object in her hand. It was a notebook, very clearly handmade, with Water Tribe embellishments on the corners of the pages and decorations on the cover."It's beautiful."

"It's made by an artist from the Southern Water Tribe. I figured it'll be nice for you to have a little piece of home."

"Wait, this is for me?"

"Yes. I got this right before I came to meet you guys at the temple. I want you to start writing a journal."

"Why?" Korra seemed alarmed.

"Simplest answer? Imagine you had access to past Avatars' journals. Wouldn't it be very comforting, potentially helpful?"

"So this is about me losing my connection to my past life," Korra looked away.

"It's not just that though, Korra. Past Avatars also had a hard time summoning past lives on demand. Especially early on in their training. And I'd argue that this was when they could've used this sort of access the most."

"Wait, they did?" Korra seemed surprised by this. There wasn't exactly a manual. She was starting to understand that this was exactly the point Yue was trying to make.

"Yeah. Aang, Kyoshi. Both of them had early days that weren't simple, to say the least."

"I know about Aang, but Kyoshi? What happened to her?"

"Well, for starters, she grew up as an orphan after she was deserted by her parents, was pretty much homeless, and then became a servant."

"What."

"Yes. And then, on top of it all, they misidentified the Avatar and it wasn't until she was 16 that they finally realized the mistake. It caused a lot of problems and people paid with their lives."

"I grew up loved and sheltered near my family," Korra deflated, filled with guilt. It seemed like every Avatar had to earn their title with trial by fire. She was wondering if she was worthy.

"Korra, I'd say you had your fair share of burdens later in life. It appears the duty always comes with a burden. I just wish that your life will be filled with joyous moments and a lot of happiness in between acts of duty." Yue located Asami, too far from them to hear the conversation, but close enough to still be within sight.

Korra's features softened. "Things haven't been easy, you're right," she confirmed. "But my heart has never been this full."

"I think that's why the White Lotus kept me close," Yue noted, almost absentmindedly. "Kyoshi was overlooked as the Avatar because she had no parents and lived on the streets. The results of that fiasco were so awful that I think the order was overcompensating."

Korra looked at her, feeling guilt-ridden all over again.

"Oh, none of that," Yue warned. "I grew up with people who took care of me and a guardian who loved me and cared for me like I was his own daughter after my mom…" she swallowed hard, wondering if the Avatar would push her on the subject. But instead, Korra took her hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"So what am I writing about?" she asked softly. She could see Yue was grateful to change the subject.

"Your journey. To master the elements, to regain access to your past lives. Even if you'll be on this journey for the rest of your life, it's still worth documenting."

"And who is it that I'm writing for? Myself? A future life? Am I just gonna start every entry with 'Dear Me?'"

"You write to whomever you want, Korra," Yue said. "And you write whatever you want. It doesn't have to be every day, and it doesn't have to be about what you had for lunch."

"But lunch was nice."

"Assume that many people will read what the Avatar wrote, but that at the very least the next in line will. And let it be what guides you on how to write, and trust that when the time comes, your next of kin will be the judge of how much of it to share with the world. Write what you feel like you could've benefited from early on. Write what your successor might like to know. And hey, if that thing is what you had lunch, then so be it," Yue tried to joke, but she noticed Korra's features darken.

"So basically, this is another conversation about what happens after I die."

"Korra, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

But the Avatar's calm mood from only moments ago was now gone. She stood up. "It's okay. I'm really tired. Thanks for the notebook. It really is beautiful."

She walked away, the notebook clutched tightly in her hands.

"Well, everything is set for next week," Asami said excitedly as she entered their tent. "Do you wanna visit Toph at all, or… hey, what's wrong? And why are we sleeping so far away from Yue?" She looked through the flap, addressing the distance between them and Yue, who placed her new tent closer to the fire. They usually tried to stay close together.

"Everything's fine," Korra gritted her teeth.

"Very convincing, Sweetie."

Korra sighed. "Yue and I had a… talk."

"Okay? Care to elaborate? She's not exactly the pushy type, so I'm gonna go on a limb here and assume that she didn't force you to do anything."

Korra kept quiet.

"Alright, no denial, so I'm getting warmer. Did she ask you to try something that makes you feel uncomfortable?"

"Yes." Korra looked away.

Asami grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Does it have to do with Bloodbending?"

"No. She… she wants me to write a journal," Korra admitted, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden.

"Oh, the nerve."

"I know. I know. It's just…" she looked at her girlfriend again, finding nothing but patience in the green eyes that she loved so much. She swallowed hard. "Part of being a fully grown, fully realized Avatar is thinking about what comes after."

"Oh."

"She wants me to write for the next in line. So that they can have what me and many before me didn't have. Access, knowledge at all times and not just at the whim of our past lives. But, Asami, I nearly died multiple times. Which on the one hand, really drives home the whole contingency thing, but on the other… I so want to live in the now. To be happy, and in love, and enjoy my life. And that feels selfish."

"Korra, just because you write a journal doesn't mean you have to be in a constant state of morbid thoughts. Think of it as having a pen-pal. It might even help you reflect on the now, too."

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"I think it can bring you comfort. You can write about things you're proud of, moments when you feel empowered. You can come back to it when you need it. I imagine it would've made you feel better when you were at the North Pole for years. Could've helped you see some light at the end of the tunnel?" She noticed Korra was starring at her. "What?"

"It's just… I can't talk to anyone the way I talk to you. How do you do that?"

Asami brought Korra's knuckles to her mouth and kissed them softly. "You know how."

Korra smiled at her. "So what do I write about? Where do I start?"

"Write about the second chance you got in life and what you want to do with it. Write about your journey to get your past lives back."

"And if I never do?"

"It doesn't change the fact that you tried. And that's really inspiring."

Korra bit her lip.

"What? You're starring again." Asami noted.

"When I was in the North Pole all these years?"

"Yeah?"

"You were the light at the end of the tunnel."

Korra found Yue by the fire the following morning. "Early start?" she asked her friend.

"Yeah, didn't sleep too well," Yue admitted.

"Not great to fight with friends right before bad, huh?"

"It's not… I'm not…"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry. I just needed to process."

Yue scanned her face cautiously. "I know I ask a lot of you, and I know that some of the things I ask make you feel uncomfortable at first, but you choose to trust me, and for that I'm grateful."

"Well, it's not that hard to trust you when it's so clear that you have my best interest at heart." She thought she recognized some guilt in the way Yue was looking at her, but whatever it was, it was gone a moment later.

"So? Will you do it? The journal?"

"You know, I've been thinking about it last night. And talked to Asami about it. And there's one thing I can't stop thinking about. What if I never regain my connection to my past life?"

"Okay. And?"

"And?! I thought you'd be all 'don't say that!' and 'you'll get there for sure!' Where are your inspiring speeches about your belief in me? You're supposed to be the optimistic one!"

"My optimism is the best kind. It's pragmatic," Yue pointed out. "Aim for the best, prepare for the worst kind of deal."

"You're no fun!"

"I am a lot of fun. You take that back!" Yue demanded. "I played Ice Bowling with you!"

"And you turned that into homework, too!"

They narrowed their eyes at each other, but after a few moments they couldn't hold their laughter in any longer.

Yue handed Korra a steaming cup of tea. "Can I say something without you getting defensive?"

"I promise I'll try."

"This is new, you know? The whole not having a connection to your past lives thing? It's a precedent."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"Korra, it just means that your inner strength is incredible. You're expected to do what those before you did, and more, all in what I imagine is this… void. I'm sure it's lonely."

Korra looked away.

"Don't feel guilty about feeling this way," she read her friend's mind. "It's not ungrateful. You're surrounded by people who love you," she hesitated, "present company included."

Korra looked at her in surprise. Not by the feeling that she as well shared, but by the sincerity and will to express it out loud.

"I know that we can't comprehend what you've lost, and I have no doubt that the people who love you the most understand that, too. It's not about us. Your life is full, yes, but this is something else."

"Thanks for saying all of that. It means a lot." Korra knew Yue meant all of it, but especially the love part.

"Okay but here comes the tough talk. What if the next person after you needs you? What if what Raava lost wasn't just your past lives, but the ability to store the Avatar's essence from cycle to cycle altogether?"

"Rather than getting defensive I will now maturely declare that I understand all of what you're saying and accept the journaling task you bequeathed me with. Bequeath? Bequath? What's the past tense of bequeath?!"

Yue snorted at her friend's antics. "I'm sure you can figure it out. Now that you're officially a scho-lar," she waved her hand in a fancy manner.

Korra chuckled, but her face turned serious again. "I really hope your faith in me is not misplaced. I finally see myself as strong, not just physically, but the kind of strong I like to be. And you helped a lot in that department. I do feel more connected to my bending. But restoring my past lives? Feels like a bit of a reach. So when you, the person who brought it up to begin with, seem unsure, I feel like it's an impossible task," she admitted.

"I don't believe for a second that it's impossible. It's just another thing that you need to figure out. Like Bloodbending, and Mindbending, and precision. But Korra, who's more suited than you to do this? So much of your power is restorative. You're a native Waterbender, you can sooth distressed spirits, you can give back bending powers."

"You're right. But everything you mentioned is always about others. Even when I stopped Vaatu I only found this power within me because the literal fate of the world was hanging in the balance. This is different. Whenever I needed help in overcoming I looked for answers elsewhere. Always outward, never inward."

"So maybe it's time you change that. Maybe it's time you look inward for you."

"But isn't that selfish?"

"Is it? Isn't an Avatar who feels whole better for the world?"

"So what you're saying is, I need to get better for the world's sake?" Korra challenged with a smirk.

"You know what? If that's what you need to hear, then yes. Oh, mighty Avatar, would you please go on this quest of self indulgence in order to benefit us all?"

"Yes," Korra nodded. "Yes, I think I will."

A/N:

Well, this chapter had *a lot* going on.

And while I obviously put some references to other beloved works in this fic every now and then, this time the She-Ra one wasn't at all subtle :D Who spotted it?

Thanks for your patience with this one. I'm entering a very busy time with the film headed to 5 more festivals, but I'm def trying to write a little bit every day, so I hope to maintain this 10-14 days posting windows.

Thanks for reading!