Invitations

Iroh was engaged in a serious match of pai sho, when Korra found him, from what she could tell, so she decided to wait, leaning against a tree.

"Avatar," Iroh said, waving her over without looking up, "my friend and I are just about to finish up here."

"How did you know I was here?" Korra asked.

"Oh, you must have stepped on a twig or something," Iroh said, pointing back to where she came from, "but tell me, why have you come all the way out here?"

"Well, I'm getting married, in the Spirit World, just inside the Southern Spirit Portal, and I was hoping you could make the journey." Korra explained, wondering if Iroh knew about the additional Spirit Portals yet.

"Yes, I suppose you can tell, but I don't really have much of a schedule to keep," Iroh laughed and got up to pour Korra some tea, "perhaps I'll run into my granddaughter at your wedding; how is she, by the way?"

"Oh, she's great," Korra remarked, "she's been trying to stay out of battles with everyone, she keeps a surprisingly cool head, considering what she has to work with."

"She sounds like a very wise leader, I'm sure my nephew must be proud of her. Tell me, how is Zuko doing?"

"I hear he's instructing Izumi's men these days, I guess he just demonstrates, but I don't know, it wouldn't surprise me to find out he teaches them first hand."

"Ha, ha, ha, nothing about my nephew isn't surprising, ah, I wonder if he would have time for a match, after the wedding? I must make sure he stays on his toes." Iroh handed Korra her tea and sat back down, "So, when is the big day?"

"It'll be a few of weeks from now." Korra announced, "We're going to try to invite as many spirits as we can, but I'm not sure where a lot of them would be, so hopefully the more famous and well-connected spirits can pass along the message, I think I should be able to find them, but it'll take a while."

"I know where some may be, maybe I could speed help you search." He said, leaving the board to pour himself some more tea, "But how about some refreshments and a couple of matches before we go?"

The Avatar's brow furrowed as Iroh stopped to let Korra search the area, "That doesn't make sense; I know there's a spirit around here I just can't see where."

"Avatar," a calm voice acknowledged her, before two trees shrunk slightly, enough to reveal them as legs, and a spirit with a tree like appearance and multiple faces was visible, "what brings you here?"

"I was wondering if you could make it to a wedding, if you're not too busy." Korra added, quickly.

"You're inviting spirits to a human gathering? I suppose it is a new era you've brought us to, but humans mostly come to me for an exchange of faces, because they do not like theirs, a face I spent time crafting." The spirit thought a moment, "I applaud you actively seeking to bring humans and spirits together; I will see what I can do to attend, without attracting attention to myself."

"So, Hei Bai should be around here, then?" Korra asked her guide.

"Yes, but it's a pretty large area to search." Iroh said, gesturing at the tall forest of bamboo.

"Maybe…I could reach out to him?" Korra held out her hand and closed her eyes, "Hei Bai, are we anywhere near where you are?"

"Look, there's something moving in the bamboo." Iroh pointed, "He must have heard you."

"I guess so." Korra grinned as the black and white spirit stepped out of the forest, "Hey, Hei Bai, um, I'm the Avatar, you might have already known that, though...me and Asami are getting married in a few weeks just inside the Southern Spirit Portal, in the Spirit World, and I was wondering if you could attend." Hei Bai sat and silently regarded the Avatar, "Uh, I'm not sure if you can make it, because it's been said you live here mostly, but I just wanted you to know, in case you can be there."

Hei Bai roared softly and Korra had the intense feeling that that was a yes.

"We'll be sure to have some food for you there, umm, I'm guessing we can just take a few of these," Korra gestured at the bamboo stalks, "or should we leave a cart here for you?"

Hei Bai roared again started for his grove.

"I don't know if I'm imagining things, but I think he said he could figure something out." Korra said, turning to Iroh.

Hei Bai roared again, turning to face them one last time before going back home.

"I think he's wishing us luck in our future together." Korra said, staring after the spirit.

"I believe you're right, Avatar Korra," Iroh took sip of tea and pointed out a path, "you said you were going back to Republic City, that's the path you must take."

"Thanks for helping me search, Iroh."

"You're welcome,Korra, I can't wait to see my nephew again, and his daughter, of course," Iroh added, "but it's been…so long since we spoke, and I must see to it that he hasn't grown rusty in his skills at pai sho!"

"I bet he won't see that coming." Korra backed up, waving at Iroh as he drink his tea, raising a hand in farewell until she turned around and made her way through the woods, to the Spirit Portal beyond.

Korra found the new Future Industry's building, layered with platinum hidden by bricks—it was to act as a final stronghold in case of another attack—was in the middle of wrapping up business for the evening, and, out of habits not yet broken, went up to the front desk, and waited for the receptionist to take a break from searching through files and putting things away.

"Huh, how may I help you?" she asked, glancing briefly at Korra before finding renewed interest with some paper stuck under her chair.

"I'm wondering if Miss Sato's still here."

"Oh, please wait, umm, wait did you have an appointment?"

"Something like that." Korra said, wondering if not everyone was use to her hairstyle enough to recognize her instantly...though spinning around in that chair might have had a part to play in all this, "Of course, you could tell her the Avatar's paying a visit."

"Oh, Avatar Korra, I didn't see you there, uh, yeah, she's...umm fourth floor or something?" she held her hand out and shrugged, "It's somewhere around there."

"Thanks." Korra replied before quickly walking up the stairs, trying to keep herself from running, in case someone was around the corner.

Korra took a quick breath and ran her hand through her hair, then opened the door to find Asami tiredly leaning over some paper, next to a mountain of more.

"Oh, good timing, Jan, I'm almost done with this pile." Asami said, still focused on her work, "I have a feeling Korra's back, so I want to wrap this up as quickly as I can."

"An amiable goal, but first: Korra, not Jan, second: I hope that's the done stack, I'd hate to break you away from from your desk too early." Korra said, smirking as a surprised Asami sat upright to meet her gaze, "But I need a favor."

Asami scrunched her eyebrows as the Avatar leaned over the desk, "And what may that be, Jan not Korra?"

"Call me just Korra." she said, her elbows on the desk so she could rest her chin on the crossed fingers.

"How about 'Just', for short?" Asami replied, trying to forget about the last report she needed to sign.

"Ha, ha, how long was I gone for?" Korra asked, running around to the other side of the desk and pulling a chair with her.

"Too long, glad you're back, Korra." Asami leaned out of her chair, but paused before kissing her to hear what the multibender would say next.

"I thought it was Just now?" Korra said, taking a breath as Asami leaned forward to match her altitude.

"I thought we were playing...but if you're serious, sure, I could call you that, might take a little getting use to, though." Asami wrapped her arms around Korra, who was right behind her, when someone suddenly fell into the room.

"Guys, it's an emergency!" Wu screamed, causing the two girls to pale, "The little former princes' room in the hotel we're staying is out of service!"

Asami shook her head, "Ugh, Wu, I thought something was really wrong!"

"But, Asami, something is really wrong!"

"Yes, but, Wu, that is not an emergency!"

"You wouldn't think that if you saw it." Wu said softly, staring blankly at the floor.

"Wu, I fixed it!" Bolin yelled somewhere in the staircase.

"Yeah, Bo fixed it," Mako called out, then turned from Wu to Korra and Asami, "uh, sorry about this...the little former princes' room."

"Yeah." Korra nodded.

"Oh, hey, look everyone," Bolin yelled, "Korra's back!"

"Umm, she's right there?" Wu shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, right...Pabu, look," Bolin pulled the fire ferret out of his shirt and held him to see the Avatar, "Korra's back!"

"Hi, everyone!" Korra smiled, waving.

"Guys, I think we should go." Wu said, then said, in an attempt to whisper, "I think they were about to start kissing."

"I think they could hear you." Bolin tried to whisper, Mako shook his head.

"Who taught you two how to whisper?" Mako turned around to leave, then stopped, "Are you two coming or not? We have a lot to do to pull this new plan off."

"Wait, what new plan?" Korra asked, but Wu smiled and put a finger in front of his lips.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Asami said, sitting back down to finish the last paper.

"Hey, drop the pen a second?" Korra slid an arm behind Asami's back, on her shoulder, and Asami turned warily to the door again, Korra followed her glance and sent a gentle breeze against the door, then focused on the locking mechanism in the door, a smiled when a snap resounded from the lock, "Aren't locks the best?"

"Korra," Asami laughed, "next time we should start with that."

"Yeah, I guess so." Korra said, running her hand over Asami's face, "So, I guess I should make these surprise visits more frequent?"

"I—I meant, if you do drop by unexpected in the future." Asami held her hand on the side of Korra's face and pulled her closer, when there was a knock on the door, Asami turned for a moment to face the door, "A minute!"

"So, three weeks?" Raiko asked.

"And you want us to be there too?" Faru added.

"Yes, I think this will also be a good time for you two to settle down, these meetings keep getting more and more stressful."

"I agree," Tenzin held up his hand and was quickly joined by Izumi, then Tonraq and Desna and Eska, and finally Raiko and Faru, "good, but that means no more fighting, instead, you may each peacefully...and separately, form your own solution, which you will then share with us at the end of the week following."

"Also, if you ruin my cousin's wedding...I'll find some horrible," Eska paused as Tenzin watched her with pleading eyes, "but perfectly legal way, to make you suffer."

"How is there any legal way to do that?!" Tenzin objected, while the twins laughed quietly, which made Faru cringe, while Raiko merely adjusted his glasses and decided that this was a good opportunity to use his experience to influence Faru's perception of him.

"There isn't, Air Master Tenzin, the worst she can do is, what, freeze my yuans?" Raiko scoffed.

"Oh, look, brother, he made a lifeless joke." Eska said, and laughed again.

"Uh, you really don't need to threaten them." Korra said, as Raiko glared at Eska's remark.

"Oh, but I want to." Eska leaned back and stared at the ceiling, "But I suppose your efforts to stop me from causing more work for myself ought to be commended, so, I'll be sure to tell everyone you told me not to legally hurt those two, but everyone here sees they had a fair warning."

Korra shook her head at her cousin's remark, though she couldn't help but feel concerned for whoever did try to cause trouble for her.

"I'll...try to keep my niece from stepping outside the legal boundaries." Tonraq promised the others, not that anyone seemed particularly confident that such a thing could be done, especially Tonraq, who's smile faded as the confident Eska stared at him, daring him or anyone to intervene, "Just so she doesn't have to worry about you making a scene?" Tonraq appealed, though Eska chuckled quietly, she promised nothing.

"I really don't need to remind anyone that human emotions can effect the Spirit World, right?" Korra asked, "If those two start up trouble, we'll just send them back outside until they calm down."

Author's Notes: As you might have noticed, I inserted some details that may seem irrelevant here. Now, while you may accuse me of having improved my storytelling skill—and I can assure you that no such thing has occurred-(JK, I hope I have, I want that for you...and, yes, me too), they are part of a larger stage, the likes of which makes me question my own sensibility, I mean...it's going to be...chapters long, many, many chapters...so any detailing you see here will probably be in that story, that may help you get insight on what the characters are planning (sometimes I'll just let you guys guess, it depends on what I would want from that) but other than sneak peeks and the love of trivia, you really don't need to read this first to understand it. So why don't you go and read that? What, it's not out yet...well, I didn't even throw it on the document yet, so...yeah, it's probably far from ready!