Walk The Way

There was silence to begin with. The quiet before the storm, except there was no storm to prepare for. Only the calm here and now. Korra opens her eyes as she feels the intense light fade and looks over at Asami with lidded eyes only to witness that same quiet conviction mirrored in her expression. They are in this together.

Considerate of the flowery field expanding ahead, Asami takes the first few steps into the Spirit World. There's a childlike wonder on her face as she pulls on Korra's hand with her own glove-free hand, which Korra can feel every crevice of, and they walk together through the meadow, with its surrounding icy, jagged mountaintops and eerie-looking treetrunks. Overhead, spirits are already taking notice of the Avatar and the other woman, and follow them. The engineer is out of her element, but she isn't scared for as long as she holds the hand of spiritual enlightenment itself.

The two stop in the middle of the grasslands. Asami is watching everything with curious attention, including how Korra is now holding her arm out in display of the vastness of this magnificent place, as if it was created just for her.

"Here we are. Welcome to the Spirit world."

Asami only smiles and continues looking around. "It's... amazing," she utters, breathless and gasping unashamed. Her crimson lips in a sign of awe. "I can't believe you did this."

Korra is still smiling like she had never adored anyone more in her life, and she's beginning to think that's true. "Did what?"

"Created a new spirit portal," Asami explains. "Created peace and balance when no one else could. Not even the new Air Nation which you also created." Asami briefly stopped admiring their environment to gaze at Korra. "What will you do next?"

The waterbender steps forward and grasps Asami's other hand again. "I don't know. All I do know is that I won't be alone."

There is nothing to indicate the passage of time in this strange and wonderful place, but it doesn't matter. It didn't matter how long the two stood and stared at each other. They had all the time in the world to explore.

Asami suddenly jumps and shrieks because something just landed on her shoulder. "AH!" she squeals and jumps towards Korra for safety.

Korra though only laughs. "Calm down, Sami. It's only a dragonfly bunny spirit!" The spirit lands on Korra's shoulder instead.

At the sight, Asami smiles softly at her friend as more spirits collect amongst them. All have different colors but look very much the same. The inventor can begin to sense their pure energy enveloping them.

It is so casual being with and around Korra (though Asami never thinks of it like being with another girl, or the Avatar... but just Korra). It seems here in the Spirit World, something timeless and old is awakened in the short-haired woman. She plays with the flying bunnies, an effortless smile on her face as she glances over at Asami and again laughs seeing how rough they are instead being with her friend. The heiress decides she doesn't mind being greeted and disheveled by rough handling spirits and feeling slightly jumpy in this environment, which seems to be the younger woman's natural habitat, as long as Korra is happy.

Broken out of a trance she had no idea she was in, Asami's vision refocuses to find the waterbender, circled by floating bunny spirits, staring back at her with an ever so slight tint of warm red coloring her cheeks, showing through that darker complexion.

"Asami, you okay?"

In response to being caught, Asami forces down an awkward cough and attempts fighting her own little blush. It is in vain she realizes and just smiles gently to her endearing friend. "Just fine," she replies, pulse speeding up. "So this is where you ended up when saving Kuvira's life? Where are we?"

Asami's question brings Korra back to last week, thinking about what she said to the metalbender. Despite not knowing what being an orphan was like, she tried to relate to Kuvira. Korra did know enough about children who are orphans–her three best friends are orphans, especially Asami, and their pain and stories became part of Korra's life as well. It made her all the more appreciative of her own parents.

"I don't know," ends up being her response. "But, I do know some other places I want to show you."

"If they're all going to be as beautiful as this place then this will be the best vacation I've ever been on."

Korra blushes again, thinking about how human's emotions have great impact on the Spirit World, especially the Avatar's. Did their current surroundings near this portal have anything to do with Korra's feelings at the initial moment of its creation? The icy peaks and flowery garden–what did they mean? She'd have to meditate on it later. Asami's enjoying it though; she realizes Korra is in control here.

"I know where we can start, at an old friend of mine!" Korra proclaims cheerily. "A very, very old friend of mine."

The slender fingers of Asami Sato are tugged along around to the other side of the portal, and it's like nothing she's ever seen (everything here she has never seen of course, but so far this is the biggest thing). If this is how often she's going to be experiencing new things, then she doesn't quite know how her mind, as genius as it is, will cope with the constant novelty. It is like a completely new world, and that's obviously saying something when you're already in an absolutely new world. Literally, they are stepping into a new dimension; a clear border is marked on the ground, with the contrasting purple tulipan-looking flowers on their side, and a yellow dirt road to take them towards the horn of an imposing mountain, its far distance away doing nothing to shrink its size.

As they walk the tremendous distance, still hand in hand (Korra's is exceptionally warm for a Water Tribe native), they find almost no time for silence, constantly asking each other questions. First, Korra apologizes. "I'm sorry for destroying the city, and everything you ever did for the past three years."

"I'm not too worried," Asami says assuringly. "You may not have saved Republic City in the sense that it is still standing, but it's not lost to Kuvira. Things really were not the same without you, and I doubt anything is going to stay unchanged now that you're back."

…

"Did Bolin send you the most letters?"

"Of course," Korra says, making both laugh.

"I still kept yours."

"After all this time? What for?"

"So I would remember to wait for you, and also to ask, what happened during those six months?"

"...I was alone..."

...

"Those bunnies like the one on your shoulder actually inspired my hummingbird robot."

"Varrick had nothing to do with that?"

"Of course not, and then he steals all the credit."

"I never knew you were such a great dancer by the way."

...

"Is there anything I should know that you maybe should've told me before we entered the Spirit World, oh great bridge between worlds?"

Korra playfully elbows Asami, "Keep your emotions in check."

"Got that already," Asami winks.

…

"Would you ever lie to me?" Asami asks once.

"Never again."

…

"I'm not going to ask why you didn't bring anyone else, but this means a lot to me."

"Me too," Korra admits.

…

As they get closer and closer to the mountain, it neither shrinking nor growing, a small cottage appears over the hill.

"I forgot to mention that you can't get hungry here and you can't gain or lose weight."

"Perfect," Asami responds, already thinking of the advantages to this. Perhaps planning future trips so she and Korra can enjoy fine dining unashamedly.

More to come...