Chapter 10

They've been on the road for 4.5 months and the winter solstice was upon them, a fact that made itself evident all day, every day. Korra was used to it, but it's been a while since she spent such an extended amount of time in the frozen wilderness of her home. Yue was an experienced enough of a traveler to manage as well, but Asami wasn't too pleased.

It was a good thing that they were getting closer and closer to the capital. It served as a comfort that the remaining of their trip was mostly by water. Between Tui and Naga, the three friends didn't have to endure much challenging walking.

Asami built a makeshift platform which they placed on Tui saddle and on which they could start a fire. Naga was swimming joyfully beside them, while they were huddled around the small fire.

"I still don't know why you insisted on this route," Korra grunted. "I've never taken it before and it just means we'll have to do the last leg of this trip by… well, foot."

"Don't worry, you'll be home tonight," Yue reassured.

"But what will become of us by then, Yue?!" Asami demanded dramatically. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but the two Waterbenders saw it for what it was – real annoyance, bordering on distress.

"Awww, you don't like this cozy little situation we got going?" Yue teased. "What if I told you I have marshmallows in my bag?"

"Do you?" Asami inquired, reconsidering her position on the matter.

"Wait, hold on. Did you say you'll be home tonight?" Korra scanned her friend's face. "You're not coming with?"

"Not this time," Yue smiled softly. "You need some time off with your family to relax and unwind."

"But that's my point! I wanted you to meet my family! And rest, too! Not to mention, the solstice is two weeks away. You gotta stay for the festival!"

"Yeah, Yue, you can't ditch us now. Korra and I talked about all the stuff we wanted to show you in the capital!"

"Thanks, guys. It's a sweet offer. But I have to decline. I have some business to attend to in the Spirit World."

"You're no fun," Korra huffed.

"Oh, but you'll have a lot of fun now that I won't be around to force you to exercise. So in that sense, I am fun," Yue pointed out.

Korra stuck her tongue out, making both Asami and Yue giggle. Then, she suddenly sat up and looked around.

"What? What is it, Babe?" Asami questioned in concern, thinking that her girlfriend may have sensed danger.

"I… I can't explain it. I feel… something," she turned back, right in time to catch the smirk on Yue's face. "You know what it is, don't you?"

"What do you feel?" Yue demanded.

"I don't know. It feels… familiar. I don't get it. I've never been here, yet I know this place. There's a strong connection to this place. Somehow."

"Yeah, well, no wonder. In your past life you spent a hundred years here."

"Wait," Korra shook her head. "It this where…?" she didn't need to finish the sentence.

"It is," Yue confirmed. "And considering you can sense it I'd say you haven't completely lost your connection to you past lives."

"This is why you wanted us to come through here," Asami clapped her hands.

"It was a theory that I had to test. All the training in the world, tapping into all these new abilities, even our faith in you," Yue gestured between herself and Asami "wouldn't have been enough to convince you. But I hope now you'll truly hear what I'm saying. Korra, you can do this."

"I have the sense memory without having the memory itself," Korra noted excitedly. "It's buried somewhere in there! But it's there nonetheless!" her eyes got teary. Something that she thought she'd lost forever, something that she thought was out of reach, seemed all of a sudden within the realm of possibility.

And Yue was right. Korra didn't truly believe it before. It didn't change the joy she experienced through unlocking more and more layers of her bending, but that was for her future, useful nonetheless. It was unrelated to the past lives Yue was so adamant Korra could regain her connection to. But her teacher, her friend, made her a much more sensitive bender, a more nuanced one, and it opened her mind to endless possibilities.

"Ye of little faith," Yue teased, guessing exactly what was going on in the Avatar's head.

Korra didn't even bother with a comeback. She was too happy, too hopeful.

"Worth the ass-freezing detour?" Yue challenged.

"Worth the ass-freezing detour," The Avatar confirmed.

They said their goodbyes at the outskirts of the capital. Korra and Asami hugged her tightly while Naga seemed unhappy to be separate from both her and Tui. But nothing pulled at Yue's heartstrings more than hearing both Asami and Korra tell her they'll miss her. She couldn't wait to be reunited with her love, but it didn't make the separation any easier. Even though it was only for a month.

They thought she parted ways from them and started south towards the pole, but she circled right back and snuck into the city, walking without hesitancy towards her destination. She knew one day she'll have to face this place again, and fully, but that day wasn't today, and for the time being, she only wished to see one person. She wanted to lay eyes on her former sifu, the woman who taught her to love her craft, the woman who was her first connection to the Avatar.

So Yue did just that. She stopped in front of Katara's home, glancing through the window, unseen. Watching the old woman hum while sweeping the floor made her smile. Yue took out a chocolate bar from her pocket and placed it on the window sill. It wasn't the first time she did that.

As if Katra could sense her presence, she turned around, but found no one there. She stepped towards the window and found the chocolate bar. She smiled. It wasn't the first time this gift was left for her.

A few hours later, it was the other Waterbender of the newly formed trio who walked through Katara's door.

"Katara!" Korra announced excidely, dragging Asami in after her.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Katara smirked.

"How did you know I was back?" Korra seemed puzzled.

"A little birdy told me."

"Okay, well that's vague, but I'm so happy to see you!" the Avatar jumped into the arms of the old woman.

"Get in here, Asami," Katara ordered, earning a dazzling smile in return.

"So I take it you had a good trip?" Katara chuckled, releasing the two women.

"Oh it was wonderful," Asami provided. "Even though the last leg was really, really cold."

"But worth it," Korra reminded.

"Worth it," Asami agreed. "Yue took us through were you guys found Aang in the ice."

"Oh? The historian gave you a little bit of a history tour?" Katara inquired.

"It was so much more than that," Korra explained. "Yue thought that the place would evoke… something in me. Something that would indicate that my connection to my past life isn't completely eradicated."

"Oh? And?"

"And she was right, Katara. I felt it. Right as we passed by there. I felt a strong connection to the place," Korra was giddy. It was such a breakthrough.

"I suppose it makes sense," Katara nodded. "You did spend a 100 years there in your past life."

"That's exactly what Yue said!" Asami added.

"So… is it safe to assume you're happy with your new sifu?" Katara smiled. When Yue and Korra were growing up Katara always suspected they'd get along. But in recent years, she had a whole new set of suspicions.

"She's amazing Katara!" Korra provided. "She invented multiple new bending techniques, like faux-Earthbending, foot rubbing."

Katara chuckled. "I have no idea what any of this means, but she always was a very talented Waterbender. She didn't want to come with you and say hello?" It did sting a little. She missed her old student, but that just reinforced the notion that has been brewing in her mind.

"Not this time," Korra huffed, evidently disappointed as well. "I think… I think she has an iffy relationship with the Water Tribe. I think it makes her feel like an outsider looking in. But… I don't know that much about her past."

"Korra," Katara squeezed her shoulder, "she doesn't know that much about her past. You know, when you both were younger I wanted to take you with me to the post near Ba Sing Se. You were both growing up sheltered. You were both very smart and energetic. I thought you could have a lot of fun together, I even promised her I'll bring her a friend to play with, but everyone was always too worried to let you out of the compound."

"Wow. You too could've grown up together," Asami pointed out. "Imagine that."

"Yeah. Imagine that," Korra nodded. It felt bittersweet, because she knew that had they had the chance, they may have both been better for it.

"But you wouldn't have been you," Asami stated, reading her girlfriend's mind. "And Yue wouldn't have been Yue, for that matter."

Korra gave her a loving look.

"That's right," Katara added. "Less mourning the past that never was, more celebrating the future that can be."

Yue jumped off Tui's back and landed softly. It was nice to be back at the Spirit World. She hasn't visited in a while.

"You stay here girl, I know how much you love the grass around here," she patted the bison's head.

"The grass is always spiritier," a voice said from behind her.

She looked up and her face split into a smile. "Mara!" she ran towards the woman, and jumped right into the waiting arms, wrapping her legs behind Mara's back, knowing without a doubt that Mara won't let her fall. Their lips met immediately.

Barking made them break apart. Yue didn't need to look to know Silo was standing right beside them, demanding attention.

"Down boy," she said, eyes still looking straight right into Mara's. Her puppy would have to wait his turn.

"I missed you," Mara's voice was hoarse. She leaned her forehead into Yue's. "I'm so fucking happy to see you."

"Me too. I'm so happy you didn't die on some mountain top like an idiot."

Mara snorted. "Not for lack of trying. Look at you. You're still short and cute."

"And you're still a madwoman."

They were both explorers, often on some expedition or another for months at a time, but they haven't been apart, not since they've truly found one another.

"Wanna go have sex inside the Tree of Time?" Mara smirked.

"You sound like a horny teenager."

"You literally have your legs wrapped around me," Mara pointed out.

Yue huffed and finally climbed down.

"You came for a library drop?" Mara inquired.

"Not this time. I came to see you, dummy. I actually haven't told Korra about my deal with Wan Shi Tong yet."

"Do you foresee this will be a problem?"

"Not really. I won't force her to give him anything she doesn't want to. He can benefit enough from my own notes. But it's just another thing to get into and explain, and there's just…"

"A lot?"

"Yeah."

"Understood. So…. Sex in the library?" Mara proposed.

Yue burst into laughter. "He will trap us in there for all eternity if we do that, and no valuable volume will ever change that."

"Ugh. Well, come with me either way. Gotta do some light reading."

"Please tell me it's not about aerodynamics."

"I will get that glider just right. Even if it takes the rest of my life."

"You know, you can probably ask Asami to help you at some point. Or an actual Airbender," Yue tried, and not for the first time.

"My love, figuring it out on my own is part of the fun."

"Okay, okay," Yue shook her head. She brought her hand up to caress Mara's cheek. "God, I'm glad you're not dead."

"Hey, I promised."

"You did."

"By the way, we're never doing this again," Mara stated.

"Doing what?"

"Not being able to touch each other for months and months on end. Your student will have to do without you for a week or two once every other month or so."

"Noted," Yue bit her lip. "So… library?"

"Yes. And then?"

"And then… take me home?"

"With pleasure, Moon Girl."

End of Book 1

AN:

Hey all! I'm back! And finally finishing book 1 here! Next up - Earth. I can't promise I'll write more often because my life took a turn for the "insanely busy" but I'll sure try. If you find this story on AO3 you'll also be able to see the map describing their entire book 1 journey by chapter. Hope you enjoy the first installment of this saga. See you soon!